This Way to Dreamland

Daydreaming means people think about something pleasant, especially when this makes them forget what they should be doing. Daydreamers have a bad reputation for being unaware of what's happening around them. They can seem forgetful and clumsy. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} ey annoy us because they seem to be ignoring us and missing the important things.

         But daydreamers are also responsible for some of the greatest ideas and achievements in human history.  {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Can you imagine what kind of world we would have without such ideas and inventions?

         So how can you come up with brilliant daydreams and avoid falling over tree roots or otherwise looking like a fool?

First, understand that some opportunities(机会) for daydreaming are better than others. Feeling safe and relaxed will help you to slip into daydreams.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} And if you want to improve your chances of having a creative idea while you're daydreaming, try to do it while you are involved in another task—preferably something simple, like taking a shower or walking, or even making meaningless drawings.

It's also important to know how to avoid daydreams for those times when you really need to concerntrate. “Mindfulness”, being focused, is a tool that some people use to avoid falling asleep. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

            Finally, you never know what wonderful idea might strike while your mind has moved slowly away.  {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

           Always remember that your best ideas might come when your head is actually in the clouds.

A. Having interesting things to think about also helps.

B. They stare off into space and wander by themselves.

C. Without wandering minds, we wouldn't have relatively, Coke or Post-it notes.

D. At one time, daydreaming was thought to be a cause of some mental illnesses.

E. It involves slow, steady breathing for self-control that helps people stay calm and attentive.

F. Daydreams are often very simple and direct, quite unlike sleep dreams, which may be hard to understand.

G. Therefore, it's a good idea to keep a notebook or voice recorder nearby when you're in the daydream zone.

How to Be Confident

    We are all human and have weaknesses. Even if your physical appearance or social skills aren't what you wish they were, that doesn't have to stop you from being confident. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    *Make a list of special talents you have, or things you do that are good—morally（道德上） or otherwise. It doesn't have to be a specific skill；it can be an approach or an attitude that you hold through life. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Are you very patient with people? Do you always see the humorous side of things? Are you always there for your friends?

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When you feel strongly about something, speak loudly and clearly and make eye contact with people. People will judge you all the time, and usually they'll misjudge you anyway, so why bother trying to live up to their opinions at all?

    *Take care of yourself. Eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise. Don't abuse your body, don't overload it, and don't deny it any of the things it needs. At the same time, don't obsess(沉迷). {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Those things are only band-aids(权宜之计） and make-up. Confidence comes from within. In order to be confident, you must value yourself and understand that your well-being is important.

    *Improve your posture. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Don't drop your shoulders. Make sure that your back is straight, your shoulders are square, and your chest sticks out slightly (but stay loose, otherwise you'll appear stubborn （固执的）and nervous). Good posture also helps with deep breathing, which helps with feeling calm and relaxed.

    Let's face it: homework can be almost as frustrating for parents as it is for kids. Getting kids to do their homework can be a challenge, and when they do sit down to study, a variety of other problems can appear.

    Doing homework may not be as fun as playing video games or chatting with friends, but it shouldn't be something that kids hate. Your children's assignments should not be busywork, but should help them build a skill or learn something new.

    You can offer help by stepping in to answer questions or offer encouragement. This gives you a chance to see what they are learning and how well they understand the material. It helps you understand their learning style and shows you care about their education.

    Many kids refuse to study by asking why they have to learn things they'll never use in real life. If your son or daughter shows little interest in their assignments, you can make them seem more important by pointing out ways you use them in daily life.

    Parents who feel that their kids have too much homework can talk about it with the teachers, but they're in the minority. A 2007 survey showed that 15 percent of parents said their kids had too much homework. About 60 percent said the homework load was just right, and 25 percent thought their children had too little homework.

    If you think it takes your child too long to finish homework, try to determine whether the problem lies in having too much work or managing time poorly. One of the things homework is supposed to do is to teach time management.

    If your child feels bored while doing homework, consider the following suggestions to make study sessions more enjoyable.

    Get help from friends: if your children are struggling with an assignment, let them call a friend for help or invite a friend over to work on it with them. You might also invite neighborhood kids over and let them do homework together. Have them sit around the dining table and help each other.

    Add physical activities: set mini-goals for homework and allow time for stretching, jumping around, or a snack after each goal is completed. For a kid who can't sit still, find active ways to study.

    Turn the tables: let your children teach you a lesson. Let them give you a quiz on the things they have just learned.

Your friends have one, maybe even two or three. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Does it seem that everyone has one but you? No, it is not the latest video game, but something much more fun—a family pet.

    Dogs and hamsters(仓鼠) are both fun to hold and pet, but they relate to people in different ways. For example, dogs enjoy human contact. They love to play with their owners. They also like to show affection(喜爱) and love licking(舔) their owners' faces. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They need fresh food and water every day, and they need exercise. They also need someone to take care of them when their owners go out of town.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Having contact with people is not important to them. They like to sleep when people want to play. Unlike dogs, hamsters do not like being petted. Many will hide when their owners want to pick them up. Hamsters are also very independent. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Hamsters may be low on affection, but they need less daily care than dogs do. An owner usually fills up the food and water dishes only once a week. Hamsters need exercise too, but they get their exercise by running on wheels in their “houses”. If their owners go out of town, hamsters can be left alone.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The choice is yours.

A. Dogs like to be petted.

B. Your neighbors have one.

C. Hamsters are very different from dogs.

D. They like to spend their time exploring.

E. They need food and water just as dogs do.

F. However, dogs need a lot of daily care, too.

G. Dogs and hamsters both make good family pets.

    If you're a gamer who's constantly glued to your phone, it could be time to ask for medical help.

On June 18, 2018, the World Health Organization（WHO）officially listed "gaming disorder" as a mental health condition. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

"Video gaming is like a non-financial kind of gambling（赌博）from a psychological point of view," Mark Griffiths, a professor from Nottingham Trent University in the UK, told the Associated Press（AP）. "Gamblers use money as a way of keeping score, while gamers use points."

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}"People need to understand this doesn't mean every child who spends hours in their room playing games is an addict, otherwise doctors are going to be flooded with requests for help," Joan Harvey, a spokeswoman for the British Psychological Society, told AP.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, a 21-year-old Chinese woman surnamed Wu in Guangdong province went blind in one eye after playing the mobile game King of Glory for a whole day. "On days when I have no work, I usually get up at 6 am, eat breakfast and play until 4 pm," she told the South China Morning Post. "Then I'll eat something, have a nap（小睡）and play until 1 am."

    Wu isn't alone. According to a study published by China Youth Daily, about one in five young Chinese people play online video games for at least four to five hours per day. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In April, the Ministry of Education issued a notice asking Chinese schools and parents to prevent students from becoming addicted to the Internet and games.

    Other countries have also taken action. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Meanwhile, in Japan, some mobile phones have a special mode for children that lets their parents control what games they can download and how long they can play.

A. This means it's now on the same list as other mental illnesses.

B. Thankfully, measures have been taken to deal with the problem.

C. We often see people around us playing games on their mobile phones.

D. In South Korea, children are forbidden to play video games after midnight.

E. WHO's main work is to improve the mental health of individuals and society.

F. But if you lose control over your gaming habits, you'll face serious problems.

G. However, it doesn't matter if you play your favorite game now and then.