Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a better student in several ways.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Second,your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you are studying for a test.Third,note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest.

    You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}whenever or however you take notes,keep in mind that note-taking is a selective process.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The following methods may work best for you.

    Read the text quickly to find the main facts and ideas in it.

    Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and supporting facts.

    Write your notes in your own words.

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    Note any questions or ideas you may have about what was said or written.

    As you take notes,you may want to use your own shorthand(速记).When you do,be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time,{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A.Use words,not complete sentences.

B.There are three practical note-taking methods.

C.You must write your notes on separate paper.

D.Otherwise,you may not be able to read your notes later.

E.You will also want to develop your own method for taking notes.

F.That means you must first decide what is important enough to include in your notes.

G.First,the simple act of writing something down makes it easier for you to understand and remember it.

    It's natural to great friends with a smile and a wave.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}But what happens if your face and body send mixed messages? Would someone be more likely to believe the look on your face or the way you hold your body?

    Scientists have recently tackled these questions. They found that when a person is looking at your face, she might not believe what she sees of your body language doesn't match the feeling that your face shows.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Previously, they had found that the tone of a person's voice can be more important than the words that are spoken. For example, most people tend not to believe a person who says in a flat voice, “I'm so excited.”

    When it came to emotions conveyed by facial expressions and body language, most scientists suspected that the face was more important. To test if this was true, psychologists from the Netherlands and Boston showed people a number of pictures of isolated faces and isolated bodies(with faces blurred out )that showed anger or fear{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    An angry face had low eyebrows and tight lips. A scared face had high eyebrow and a slightly open mouth.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}A scared body had arms forward and shoulders square, as if ready to defend.

    These results told the researchers that mixed signals can confuse people. Even when people pay attention to the face, body language subtly influences which emotion they read.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}And if you want to be understood, it helps to avoid sending mixed messages.

A. Studying such mixed messages is nothing new for scientists.

B. So, your body language plays a major role in telling people how you feel.

C. Scientists feel new to study the mixed message that confuses people.

D. An angry body had arms back and shoulders at an angle, as if ready to fight.

E. Body language can sometimes be misunderstood in different culture backgrounds.

F. When you do this, your face and body work together to show your friends that you're happy to see them.

G. They also showed pictures in which angry or scared faces were paired with angry or scared bodies

How to Handle Being the New Kid at School

    Being the new kid at school can be a terrible experience! It might seem like everybody else knows exactly how to act. But remember you aren't alone. Actually, everybody is nervous on their first day and you can fit right in with the help of the following tips.

    Plan ahead the night before. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Lay out your first day outfit (全套服装), pack a lunch, and make sure you have all your school supplies ready to go. Planning ahead can help you get a good night's sleep and feel less nervous about your first day.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Make sure your clothes are cleaned and pressed and that you've showered, brushed your teeth. If you're hoping to attract friends with similar interests, try wearing a shirt with your favorite show, musician, or sports team on it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Do your best to stay calm and positive. It's normal to feel nervous or anxious when you're the new kid at school. If you feel nervous, start by taking some deep breaths. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You can listen to music that makes you feel calm or happy. Try imagining a good first day in your mind instead of keeping thinking about things that could go wrong.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Don't come in on the first day with your head hanging down, your shoulders lowered, and your eyes on the floor. Walk with your head held up, your back straight, and a bright expression on your face. Make eye contact with other people, and smile if they look at you or speak to you.

A. Use your body language to show confidence.

B. Introduce yourself to your teachers and classmates.

C. Choose clothes that make you feel great.

D. This can be an easy way to start a talk and break the ice a little.

E. You should keep talking and let people know that you are friendly.

F. Remember that everyone is the new kid at some point and that it's not a big deal.

G. You'll feel less worried if everything is ready before you wake up for your first day.

Social Phobia

    It is natural to feel nervous, or shy in front of others at times. Most people manage to get through these moments when they need to. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It's probably more than shyness. It may build up into a powerful fear. As a result, people feel uncomfortable participating in everyday social activities. This is called social phobia (also called social anxiety).

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It prevents them from chatting with friends in the lunch time, joining an after-school club, or going to a party. Sometimes, they even feel too nervous to ask a question in class or go to a teacher for help. Social phobia not only prevents people from trying new things. It also prevents them from making the normal, everyday mistakes that may help people improve their skills even further

    It is really sad, isn't it? But the good news is that people with social phobia can learn to manage fear, develop confidence and communicating skills and stop avoiding things that make them nervous. Of course it's not always easy. Dealing with social phobia takes the willingness patience and courage to face fears. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Therapists (治疗师) can help people create a plan for facing social fears and build the skills and confidence to overcome it. And family or friends are especially important for them. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}They can encourage them to pick a small goal to aim for, remind them to go for it, and be there when they might feel discouraged.

    Little by little, someone who decides to deal with extreme shyness can learn to be more comfortable. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} As shyness and fears begin to melt, confidence and positive feelings build. Pretty soon, the person is thinking less about what might feel uncomfortable and more about what might be fun.

A. Friends can overcome their fears easily.

B. But for someone, the anxiety can be extreme.

C. They are not able to make eye contact with classmates.

D. Social phobia makes people lonely or disappointed over missed opportunities.

E. Each small step forward helps build enough confidence to take the next small step.

F. It also takes an action to go forward rather than back away when feeling shy.

G. The support from those key people helps them gather the courage to try something new.

    With modern technology, much written communication tends to focus on the keyboard, but handwriting is still a necessary and important skill.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here are some tips for you to improve your handwriting.

    Examine Your Handwriting

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Look through your writing to decide what makes it difficult to read or what makes it unattractive. Perhaps you write your letters too small. Check on spacing of letters and words, and proper formation of letters. If your letters are small, put more effort into writing larger letters. If certain letters trip you up, practice those letters separately and within words.

    Write Correctly

    Positioning and technique play a role in how your handwriting looks. Hold the pen between your thumb and first two fingers so that it rests against your fingers. Hold it firmly enough to control the tip but not so hard that it hurts your fingers. Lighter pressure on the paper helps you create smooth lines and focus on your letter formation.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Letters are formed from several basic strokes(笔划). Practice those strokes separately to get your hand used to forming them. Strokes found in letters include vertical lines, horizontal lines, and circles. Build on those to practice specific letters.

Write for a Purpose

    Teach young children handwriting in meaningful contexts. Use that same idea by picking up a pen to write lists and notes by hand instead of typing. Keep a journal daily with slow, correct strokes.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}These true and sincere writing opportunities make the practice meaningful.

A. Build on Basics.

B. Practice makes perfect

C. Focus on improving your correctness instead of speed

D. Writing at a slower speed also helps you focus on letter formation

E. Put a handwritten letter in the mail to surprise a friend or a relative

F. Handwriting requires your brain, eyes and hands to work together to form letters.

G. Before you can improve your handwriting, you need to know where you're falling apart.