Attraction of the Minions

When it comes to film, people usually favor good over evil,focus on the hero and ignore the supporting characters. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Originallycomedic background characters in the film Despicable Me(卑鄙的我), these yellow pill­shaped nuts, havetotally stolen the show and turned into a popular figure. This summer thecharacters debuted(首演)in their own self­titled movie in theaters abroad, having the second biggestopening weekend of all time for a cartoon film according to USAToday.Recently, McDonald's has been including Minion toys with kids' meals in someareas, causing loyal fans to flock to the restaurant to collect them all. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Themovie's huge popularity even surprised its writers.“We never knew the Minionswere going to be so popular.It just became a force of nature，” the film's co­writer Cinco Paul toldthe LosAngelesTimes.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}For many, the appeal is obviously their cuteness.Their simple nature can easilysurpass cultures and age groups.Even children can draw them.Thousands ofexamples of fan­made Minion art from fingernails to Halloween clothes arevisible on global social media platforms.

Butthere's more to the phenomenon than just cuteness.US entertainment website HitFix explains that their way of communicating makes the creatures influential aswell. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} But it seems everyone can understand them through theirexaggerated(夸张的)movements and expressions.

Moreimportantly, their childlike mannerisms is a brand of humor that winshearts.“Clumsy, foolish Minions are recognized as the ultimate betapersonalities，”wrote Peter Debruge of US entertainment magazine Variety.

Theydesire nothing more than to serve their most despicable master. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}“Perhaps we love Minions because they remind us of ourselves，” HuffingtonPost associate Web editor SaraBoboltz wrote, “or an evil version of ourselves.”

How can I fight laziness?

    Lazy people will never amount to anything in life. However, laziness can be defeated once a few changes have been made in your mind.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Many people lack sleep constantly, since they stay up too late and get up too early to prepare for work. These people have little motivation once they arrive home. Laziness works hand in hand with a lack of motivation and a tendency to put off things. By adjusting your sleep schedule to provide a few more hours of meaningful rest, you can fight laziness throughout the day.

    Another way to fight laziness is to change your mind from passive to active. Some people treat their lives as if they were pushed from task to task. Others take a more protective approach, viewing each task as a challenge they must overcome alone. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Some people fight laziness by removing the temptations(诱惑) that surround them. A television in the living room may provide entertainment, but watching too much TV often contributes to laziness. Create a reward system for yourself, just as parents do for a child to promote responsibility. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Spouses(配偶) and children may all have different energy levels, but laziness can be spread if not dealt with immediately. To fight household laziness, lead by example. Be the first to collect and wash dishes after a meal. Others in the home may eventually follow your example and perform their own task. It is difficult to practice laziness when you are surrounded by motivated people.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} enough exercise and a balanced diet can help you to develop a healthy lifestyle, thus enabling you to have more energy and help lift your spirits.

    Public Speaking Training

    Get a coach

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} so get help. Since there are about a billion companies out there all ready to offer you public speaking training and courses, here are some things to look for when deciding the training that's right for you.

    Focus on positives

Any training you do to become more effective at public speaking should always focus on the positive aspects of what you already do well. Nothing can hurt confidence more than being told that you aren't doing well.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} so good public speaking training should develop those instead of telling you what you shouldn't do.

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If you find a public speaking course that looks as though it's going to give you lots of dos and don'ts, walk away! Your brain is so full of what you're going to be talking about.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} As far as we're concerned, there are basically no hard and fast rules about public speaking. Your audience can be your friends.

    You are a special person not a clone (克隆人)

Most importantly, good public speaking training should treat you as a special one, with your own personal habits.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Your training course should help you bring out your personality, not try to turn you into someone you're not.

A. You aren't like anybody else

B. You already do lots of things well

C. Turn your back on too many rules

D. Check the rules about dos and don'ts

E. Whatever the presentation, public speaking is tough

F. The one thing you don't want is for them to fall asleep

G. So trying to force a whole set of rules into it will just make things worse

    A few changes about how a teacher runs a classroom can make a huge effect on how concentrated students will be in that classroom. It's an issue every teacher has to face. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are just a few of my strategies.

    Rearrange (重新安排) Seats.

    I did the seat rearrangement because class conversation had become dull, and students just seemed to be there but not actually there. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} I had all of my students pick new seats at the tables. The rules were simple. They could not sit with more than one other person they'd already sat with, and it had to be at a different table.

    Take over A Lesson.

    Once in a while, it can be fun to let the students take over a lesson in a unit. Let them become the teachers, and the teacher becomes the student. You can provide the topic they need to cover. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Have Open Projects.

    Open projects have been very successful in my class. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} I used to dictate every part of my project assignments. Students would ask to do things a little differently. And I'd give in, surprised that their ideas were better than mine.

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    Sometimes teachers forget to bring the fun to the classroom. We try so hard to cover the courses for our students until they break down. Sometimes it's good to just set things aside for a day or two and have some fun.

A. Have fun.

B. Listen carefully.

C. But it can be solved in some very simple ways.

D. Let the students choose the topic and teach whatever they want.

E. It's one of the simplest ways to rearrange a class and get things going again.

F. They get to deal with the material in a way that is refreshing and new to them.

G. I've found that the more choices I gave my students, the better the projects have been.

    Compared to the history of China, the history of the United States is quite short.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} In 1776, 13 colonies（殖民地）located on the eastern coast of North America declared independence and fought a revolution against the British. In 1783 the colonists won the revolution and gained their independence.

    After the revolution, the United States bought a large section of country from Napoleon of France. This purchase doubled（加倍）the size of the United States. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If he hadn't needed that money, the United States might have stayed a small country. Texas and most of what is now the southwestern part of the United States belonged to Mexico. The people of Texas fought a revolution against Mexico. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Later, the United States and Mexico went to war. If Mexico had defeated the United States in that war, California and New Mexico would have been part of Mexico today.

    The British and the Americans both claimed the northwestern part of the country. They settled their differences with a compromise. South of the 49th parallel was the United States. North of the 49th parallel was Canada. In 1861 one half of the United States did go to war with the other half. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} President Lincoln wanted to free slaves. He was supported by the North but opposed by the South. The South wanted to separate from the rest of the country and become independent. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Following the Civil War, the United States bought Alaska from Russia. Today it is the largest state in the country and a very important one, too.

A. This was the Civil War.

B. It was controlled by England then.

C. It began little more than 200 years ago.

D. After 4 years of war, the South was defeated.

E. Napoleon needed money for his European wars.

F. They became independent and joined the United States.

G. At that time many people didn't think Alaska was important.

Four Habits to Help You Succeed

    We all want to succeed. For those who have tried and failed, success seems difficult to understand. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Know your values.

    Finding your values is in line with creating motivation. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Pick a handful of things and write them down. Remind yourself of your values every day and reflect on whether you are honoring those values through your work.

    Pick a goal and focus on it.

    Choose one goal to start something large enough that will give you a sense of achievement, while adjusting well to your values. Focus is key here. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}If you perform many tasks at a time, you might never finish your projects because they will take far too long.

    Set a time for success.

    Set a date for success. Know when you hope to realize your goal. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}By setting a time limit, you are making the process realistic.

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    Failure can't be avoided when you take risks. By its very definition, the desire to succeed means you are risking failure. Many people tend to give up far too early. Don't fall into this trap! Use failure. Treat it as a good thing, and go on.

A. The more focused you are on one goal, the higher chance you have of success.

B. Make the right decision.

C. I have made a list of four habits to help you set goals and realize them.

D. Don't give up because of failure.

E. Keep it realistic, while not giving you too much time.

F. Sit and reflect on what you value most.

G. Push yourself to be courageous, and take that next step.