Having a shy style isn't necessarily a problem. It's OK to take time to warm up to new people and situations.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Some people want to feel less shy so they can enjoy socializing and being themselves around others. Here are some tips on overcoming shy feelings.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Practice social behaviors like eye contact, confident body language, introductions, small talk, asking questions, and invitations with people you feel most comfortable around. Smile and build your confidence.

    Think of some conversation starters. Often the hardest part of talking to someone new is getting started. Think of conversation openers, like introducing yourself, giving a compliment (赞美), or asking a question.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    Rehearse (排练) what to say. When you are ready to try something you've been avoiding because of shyness — like a phone call or a conversation, write down what you want to say. Read it out loud in front of a mirror. Then just do your social activities.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Few of the things that more confident people do are perfect, either.

    Give yourself a chance.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Practice socializing with these new people and get to know them slowly. People who are shy often worry about failing or how others will judge them. Don't let these worries and feelings keep you from trying.

A. Start small with people you know.  

B. Then you can start smiling and saying “hello” in real life.

C. One of the best ways to get over shyness is to believe in yourself.

D. Find group activities where you can be with people who share your interests.

E. Being ready with a conversation starter makes it easier to approach someone.

F. Don't worry if they're not exactly like you have practiced or they're not perfect.

G. But shyness prevents some people from being as comfortable as they'd like to be.

How to not be a slave to technology

    Schwartz, CEO of The Energy Project, shared four of his most important tools for applying technology more productively, and building a work life that supports—rather than wastes—your energy.

    Build daily rituals (习惯).{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Build highly specific behaviors that you do at precise times over and over again until it becomes as automatic as brushing your teeth at night. The best way to prioritize (优先考虑) what's important to us and make sure we actually do the things we care about is to create highly specific habits.

    Take a “first things first” approach to your mornings.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Ninety-five percent of people have more energy early in the morning than they do as the day wears on, and they also have fewer distractions(干扰). So if that's the case, why wouldn't you do the most important thing when you have the most energy?

    Use technologies selectively. If you expose yourself to different forms of technology continuously, they will pull you in the way a drug would, even when you know it is not serving you well. Keep technological temptations (诱惑) away when you find yourself getting too distracted—or as Schwartz puts it: “{#blank#}3{#/blank#}”

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Many of us live our lives in a gray zone—were not fully focused on work when were working, and during our leisure time, we're not fully relaxed. This leaves us feeling distracted. Schwartzs advice? {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Applying less than your full focus doesn't just make you less productive; distraction keeps you from being fulfilled by and connected to your work. Distraction is the enemy to meaning.

A. Be intentional with your energy.

B. Do the most important thing first every day.

C. Taking breaks throughout the workday is a nice thought.

D. If you're trying to lose weight, don't have cup--cakes in the fridge.

E. We've crossed the line of being able to effectively manage all of the information coming at us.

F. When you're working, you're really working; and when you're relaxing, you're really relaxing.

G. The only way to ensure that things that aren't urgent but are important happen is to develop habits.

    It is not so easy to disagree with your parents. Here are a few quick tips on how to show your opinion in the right way.

     {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Don't let angry words fly out of your mouth if you don't really want to say them，or you will have a lot of work to do later.

     {#blank#}2{#/blank#}How would you feel if you were your mother or father？ Why do they do that？ Is it really bad？

    Try to stay calm. If you find yourself getting too angry, ask for some time to be alone.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Learn to listen. Maybe your parents aren't as persuasive as you think.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Pay attention to needs rather than problems. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Tell your parents that you want to discuss the problem with them rather than work against them.

A. Think before you speak.

B. Never listen to your parents.

C. Think about the problem from your parents' point of view.

D. It is quite common to disagree with one's parents.

E. Hear them out and then decide how to deal with the problem.

F. Be clear about what you need，rather than focus on why you disagree.

G. If you can, try to discuss the problem with your parents at another time.

    Have you ever lost your temper (脾气)? Did you scream or want to hit someone?

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} You may get angry when something doesn't go your way. Maybe you get mad at yourself when you don't understand your homework or when your team loses an important game. Maybe your teacher gave you too much homework. Or maybe a friend borrowed your favorite video game and then broke it. That made you angry!

    There are different ways people feel anger. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Are you breathing faster? Is your face bright red? Do you want to break something or hit someone? Anger can make you scream at those around you, even people you like or love.

    Some people keep their anger buried deep inside. If you do this, you might get a headache or your stomach might start to hurt. You may start to cry. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You should find a way to let it out without hurting yourself or others.

    Don't lose control if you get angry {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Instead, admit to yourself that you are angry and try to know why. What can you do to keep the situation from happening again? If your little sister gets a toy and you don't, it's not OK to break that toy. Maybe you can ask her to share it with you.

    It helps to talk about your anger with an adult, such as a parent, teacher, or relative. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. It's not good to hide your anger.

B. Anger can even be a good thing.

C. Taking it out on others never solves anything.

D. Many things may make you angry.

E. Usually your body will tell you when you are angry.

F. Once you talk about anger, those bad feelings usually start to go away.

G. When someone you know is angry, he or she may stop talking to you or become quiet.

    A youth soccer coach, Hugo Grejada, director of Pro Youth Soccer academy in Chester, New York, shares some tips to help you improve your soccer skills.

Start with basic drills. "Go outdoors, get a ball, and keep it close to your feet," Grejada says, "{#blank#}1{#/blank#}If you have a backyard, work on shooting."

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} "It's a good way of building skills without having the pressure of games. Choose camps that emphasize building skills and go to one of those. There are plenty of camps that begin right after school ends."

    Don't forget to stretch. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Then do a series of stretches to loosen up your muscles. Don't forget to take a drink of water before you even step on the field. "Water is important especially in summer." Grejada says.

    Watch the World Cup. Grejada tells his athletes to watch as many games as they can. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Then, you should try to bring some of their moves into your own game. "Pick up something that you like and practice it." Grejada says.

    Keep practicing. Practice may not seem like the most fun part playing soccer. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Look for ways to make practice fun by adding some competition to simple drills, and don't be discouraged if it takes time to master new skills. "If someone was struggling to improve, I would tell him to keep practicing, keep trying. Practice makes perfect."

A. Sign up for a soccer camp.

B. Reduce the pressure of games.

C. However, it's the best way to develop skills.

D. Study how the best players move with the ball.

E. A game is sometimes used as an educational tool.

F. That will help improve your ability to run with the ball close to you.

G. Before each game or practice, start with a proper ten-minute warm-up.

    Regret is as common an emotion as love or fear, and it can be nearly as powerful. We feel it when we either blame ourselves for things that turned out badly, or hope to get rid of the bad effects of a choice we made in the past. The effect regret has on our lives and how we deal with regret are equally important.

    In some cases, regret can be disastrous. In 1995, a British man who regularly played one set of lottery (彩票) numbers forgot to renew his ticket during the week that his numbers came up. He was so filled with regret and self-blame that he killed himself. While this is an extreme result of regret, it can have many other lesser effects on the mind and body that can still seriously affect our lives.

    According to recent research, women have more regrets about romantic relationships than men do—not surprising, since women "value social relationships more than men". In collectivist (集体的) culture where many aspects of life are arranged, people feel less regret, since many choices were made for them. There was an even split between regrets about inaction (not doing something) and action (do something you wish you didn't). The research found that some regrets are more likely than others to stay over time: people tend to hold on longer to the regret of inaction or the chances they have missed; meanwhile, regrets of action tend to be more recent.

    Held inside for too long, regret can affect people's physical health. If one fails to learn and grow from past mistakes, deep feeling of regret can stay locked inside, having a negative effect on his life. This can be harmful to relationships, careers, and many other aspects of life. Besides, too many regrets can lead to sadness, which may require doctors' help. Therefore, it is important that we understand what regret is and how we can learn to deal with it.

    To cope with regret, be aware that it is there for a reason. Our brain is telling us to take another look at our choices because they may be having negative results. Take "I can't believe I crashed my car. I'm so stupid." and turn it into "I'm so lucky I didn't die in the accident. How wonderful!" However, when the situation can't be changed, and there is nothing left for us to do, we have to let go of the situation and forgive ourselves.

    We have to see the mistakes we make as necessary lessons in life. If we can learn from them and make changes, we can turn our regrets into passive actions. We can use them to improve, guide, and shape our lives for the better.