There is an English saying that “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter can really improve people's health.

    Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works on several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.

    Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effects of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated（忍耐）the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress and pain.

    As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients' condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.

    Memory, they say, is a matter of practice and exercise. If you have the wish and really made a conscious（自觉的）effort, then you can quite easily improve your ability to remember things. But even if you are successful, there are times when your memory seems to play tricks on you.

    Sometimes you remember things that really did not happen. One morning last week, for example, I got up and found that I had left the front door unlocked all night, yet I clearly remember locking it carefully the night before.

    Memory “trick” work the other way as well. Once in a while you remember not doing something, and then find out that you did. One day last month, for example, I was sitting in a barber（理发师）shop waiting for my turn to get a haircut, and suddenly I realized that I had got a haircut two days before at the barber shop across the street from my office.

    We always seem to find something funny and amusing（有趣的）in incidents caused by people's forgetfulness or absent-mindedness. Stories about absent-minded professors have been told for years, and we never got tired of hearing new ones. Unfortunately, however, absent-mindedness is not always funny. There are times when “trick” of our memory can cause us great trouble.

    Ways to make a great first impression

    You've heard it a million times already, but it really does take but a few seconds to make that all-important first impression (印象). Here are some easy ways for you to impress your classmates or teachers.

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Before you shake hands with somebody, make sure that your hands are clean. The handshake should not be too strong or weak. Most people use their right hands, unless they have a reason to use the left.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Be on time

    When meeting someone for the first time, arriving on time is as important as breathing. You may have an excuse, but that will leave the person who hardly knows you with a bad impression.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}It's better to be hanging around the place than be stuck in traffic.

    Introduce yourself and ask for names

    Make sure you properly introduce yourself. Ask for their name in a polite way.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#}This will increase the chances of their remembering your name in the future. Always remember to stand up when greeting someone and be sure to introduce them to anyone you're with.

    Make good conversation

To get the most out of your discussion, try to find something common between the two of you. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}A person will feel more comfortable with someone they can relate to (产生共鸣).

A. Use body language

B. Have a proper handshake

C. Repeat the name and use it later in conversation.

D. As a general rule, plan to arrive about 30 minutes early.

E. It could be a similar taste in clothes or a common hobby.

F. You'll be in serious trouble if you leave them with a bad impression.

G. However, don't have your left hand in your pocket because this appears impolite.

    Traveling abroad for leisure is becoming more and more popular for Chinese. The UK is high up in the list of places that the Chinese want to visit. There is a sense of mystery about the UK: it's often the images of England's green parks, countryside and Victorian houses that people point to as an alternative to polluted, overcrowded cities such as Beijing and Guangzhou.

    The capital is viewed as modern and dynamic, while being filled deep with history. When asked what other images are thought of by the UK, the reply is often "the Queen, tea and Oxbridge". So what's stopping them actually coming? Sebastian Wood, the British ambassador in Beijing, has described the UK as a "fortress", and while this is perhaps an exaggeration (夸张), Britain does have a reputation as a country that is harder to access.

    The main problem for Chinese tourists is obvious. Although visa applications are now completed online, visitors are still required to visit one of 12 UK centers across the country for a face-to-face interview and fingerprinting. If you don't live near one of these centers already, you'd have to travel some distance to get there.

    Another problem is also to be mentioned. If travelers from China visit the UK, they also want to cover as much ground as possible. But the UK is not included in the Schengen visa, which allows access to a host of 26 European countries such as France and Germany. So it makes the former seem less worth it.

    There is also the issue of cost:￡47 for a Schengen visa, ￡82 for the UK. On top of this, the UK is viewed as stricter in its handling of visas compared with the rest of Europe, fed by urban legends of rejected applications. In the end, the decision comes down to one question: Is Britain worth a visit?

    There are two type of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.

    People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied .By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend many people, and make themselves dissgreeable everywhere .If this turn of mind was founded in nature ,such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied . The intention of criticizing and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation .It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realise its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them and help them change this habit.

    Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck .Those people offend many others; nobody loves them , and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success .Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrong doings. These should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others, If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact with them .Otherwise , it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient , especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.

Art therapy (治疗) involves the use of creative techniques such as drawing, painting, coloring, or sculpting to help people express themselves artistically and examine the psychological and emotional undertones. With the guidance of an art therapist, clients car "decode" the nonverbal messages in these art forms, which lead to a better understanding of their feelings and behavior so they can resolve deeper issues.

Art therapy helps people explore their emotions, relieve stress. improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, and cope with a physical illness or disability. No artistic talent is necessary for art therapy to succeed, because the therapeutic process is not about the artistic value of the work, but rather about finding associations between the creative choices made and a client's inner life. The artwork can be used as a springboard for reawakening memories and telling stories that may reveal messages and beliefs from the unconscious mind

As with any form of therapy, your first session will consist of your talking to the therapist about why you want to find help and learning what the therapist has to offer Together, you will come up with a treatment plan that involves creating some form of artwork. Once you begin creating, the therapist may, at times, simply observe your process as you work, without interrupting. When you have finished a piece of artwork—and sometimes while you are still working on it-the therapist will ask you questions of how you feel about the artistic process, what is easy or difficult about creating your artwork, and what thoughts or memories you might have had while you are working. Generally, the therapist will ask about your experience and feelings before providing any observations.

Art therapy is founded on the belief that self-expression through artistic creation has therapeutic value for those who are healing or seeking deeper understanding of themselves and their personalities. Art therapists are trained to understand the roles that various art media like color can play in the therapeutic process and how these tools can help reveal one's thoughts, feelings, and psychological disposition.