How to improve your happiness

    Recent research has shown that people who value their time over the pursuit of wealth are happier. So how can you best make, save and use your time — and ensure you keep a smile on your face?

● Pay someone to do the housework you hate

Why waste precious hours on housework or gardening if you can get someone else to do it?

● Set time limits on tasks you can't avoid

    Give yourself 20 minutes for necessary cleaning or 10 to hang out the washing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

● Enjoy standing in that queue

    With three people in front of you at the checkout, think about how busy you usually are and see the wait as a gift, not a bore(烦人的事情). {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

● Take on one new activity at a time

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}At work and at home, be careful about the duties you take on. If you already feel stressed at work, don't do more at home.

● Learn to say no

    Be firm by declining a new project, or telling someone you can't talk right now or that you can only talk for a couple of minutes.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

● Make lists your friend

    Start a wish list of the things you'd like to do and do more of the items that simply make you feel happy. Keep your daily to-do list manageable by putting it on an index card.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Be friendly but firm.

B. Make sure you start with an easy task.

C. This will get boring jobs out of the way faster.

D. Intending to do several things at once can be tiring.

E. Think about things that interest you, or wait patiently.

F. Trying to master too many new things at once can be unpleasing.

G. Recall things you're grateful for, talk to another customer or read a magazine.

    Planning before buying something is a good idea. For example, you are going to buy a pet dog, you still have to consider a few things and plan them well before you welcome it in the house. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You will also have to train it well so that it does not misbehave in front of people. You should realize that it is a big responsibility.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Think about whether your pocket can manage the purchase, as well as different items for keeping the dog. If something goes wrong with the health of your pet, you will have to spend some extra money on it.

    The next thing you need to consider is your home, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}You will also have to consider the family members. If your living place is already too crowded with people, getting a dog as an additional member of the house will not be a good idea.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Make sure nobody is allergic(过敏的) to the fur of the dog. Also make sure that you can easily find time to train the dog. Ensure that your family is welcoming to this idea.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When you are bringing this best friend in your house you must make sure everything is right for it. You should make life easier for it, as well as others who are living in your house.

A. Looking after your dog doesn't only mean taking it for a walk or playing with it.

B. A dog is supposed to be man s best friend.

C. Before you think about getting a dog, think about the afford ability(经济承受力).

D. The training should start as soon as the dog is in your care.

E. Once the dog has learned how to sit, you may teach him to shake hands.

F. You will also have to think about any health problems related to your family.

G. A small apartment will not be fit to house a large dog.

    Tipping is part of everyday life in many parts of the world. It's usually an informal charge that's paid on top of the bill to show appreciation to the person who has provided you a service.

    Tipping culture can vary from place to place. In the Middle East, people who serve usually try to be more helpful. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. An example is the tour guides of Egypt. When a tourist goes around a famous site in Egypt like the pyramids, they^'11 often be accompanied by a very qualified tour guide. Thanks to the guide, a tourist will certainly know more about the pyramids than he or she did at the start. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    In some places, tipping doesn't exist at all. Tips aren't part of life in China, South Korea or Japan. But in other places in Asia, not leaving a tip can lead to trouble. An American travel agent told Conde Nast Traveler that in India, for example, a person who doesn't leave a tip after a meal in a restaurant will often be chased down the street. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, he said.

    Many people only give tips on a subjective （主观的）basis. But it's this subjective aspect to tipping that can cause problems. On the one hand, they don't want to be mean; on the other hand, they don't want to pay too much and feel that they've been cheated. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

A common solution for this problem is to offer a guideline on the check. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

This can prevent the awkwardness when it's time to pay up.

A. Tips are then given to appreciate the expertise of the guide

B. If you tip badly, people think less of you

C. They'll run after you and scream for money

D. It will suggest that a certain percentage of the bill should be paid on top as a tip

E. Very often people who travel to the United States forget to tip

F. After all, a tip isn't part of the bill

G. But they may expect a little extra in return

    What is happiness? When you can feel inner peace and satisfaction, you are happy. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} This usually happens when we do something we love or achieve something that we value. It is our opinions that make us feel happy or unhappy. All of us constantly go through various situations or conditions, but we do not have to let them influence our reactions and feelings. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Try hard to make a change of the way you look at things. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} That means looking at the good and positive side of every situation. Pay attention to solutions, not problems. Listen to relaxing and uplifting music. Watch funny and interesting programs that make you laugh.

    Always look at what you have done and not at what you haven't done. Look at what you can do, not at what you cannot do. Each day do at least one act to make others happy. When you make someone happy, you'll become happy, and then people will try to make you happy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} On the contrary, be happy for their happiness. Communicate with happy people and try to learn from them to be happy. Remember, do your best to stay detached (冷静的) when things do not occur as intended and desired. Detachment has much to do with inner peace. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    You only live once, and life is short. It's easy to look at people who are happy and assume that they don't understand your pain. The older you get, the more you realize that happiness takes work. People who smile in public have been through as much as people who cry, scream, etc. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}So how can you live life to the fullest? Here are some tips to help you out:

    ●Decide what's important to you. It doesn't matter what it is. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Your parents, friends and society in general all have their opinions, but you're the only person who will be around for every moment of your life. Do what makes you happy, and everything else will fall into place.

    ●Ready to take risks. Sometimes, there's danger involved in life, but every reward carries risk with it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}However, if you never take risks, you'll never get anywhere in life. When people look back on their lives, they regret the chances they didn't take more than the ones they did.

    ●Ignore the haters. No matter what you decide to do with your life, there will always be someone around to point out the many ways you will fail. Know that every winner loses, but not every loser wins. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Instead, they keep pushing through failure.

    ● {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Your being right about something doesn't mean there aren't other ways to look at it. Listening to ideas you don't agree with or understand keeps your brain active and healthy.

A. Keep an open mind.

B. Speak through your actions.

C. Successful people don't start out successful.

D. Don't do what you think people want you to do.

E. It is true that some actions might have bad results.

F. They just have the courage and strength to smile through it.

G. Think about your past and future, but only focus on the present.

Are you interested in losing your body fat to look slimmer(苗条)? This article concentrates on losing fat, not weight or muscle. You will naturally look slimmer, and be and feel more healthy and attractive. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Steps

⒈ Doproperexercise.

These are exercises that get your heart rate as high as possible and burn fat. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Doing at least one hour of cardio(有氧运动)every day along with one hour of strength training a few days per week is the best habit. This will make you lose fat faster, combined with muscle exercise and a healthy, low-fat diet.

⒉ {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Eating whole, unprocessed foods is the best way to not take in too much fat. This means eating foods that are in their natural state such as fruit and vegetables. Buy raw foods and cook meat yourself, with plant oil. Protein(蛋白质)helps gain muscles. You can find protein in foods like milk, fish, beef and eggs. Get filled with low calories foods such as vegetables. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

⒊ Watch what you drink.

Don't drink soda, alcohol and fruit juice all the time, since these drinks contain a lot of "empty calories" which will only lead you to put on unnecessary weight. Green tea is good, healthy choice. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Drink one full glass of water every morning when you wake up—it is said to make you lose weight faster.

A. Build muscles.

B. Eat healthily and diet.

C. These exercises include running, jogging, swimming, etc.

D. Read on if you are interested in getting all of these advantages!

E. This will make you eat less fattening food, thus making you slimmer.

F. Before going on a diet, you should consult with your doctor to avoid side effects.

G. Drink two cups of water with each meal to fill you up, avoiding eating too much.