Aristotle once wrote that “happiness is a state of activity”. In other words, whether you're seeking life-long satisfaction or a few moments of good cheer, you've got to move forward. We've interviewed the experts and found five steps to take toward a sunny mood（心情）：

    Over a 30-year period, University of Illinois researchers asked nearly 120, 000 people how income, education, political participation volunteer activities and close relationships affected their happiness. Reported Newsweek, s Sharon Begley on the findings, “The highest levels of happiness are found with the most stable and satisfying relationships. ”

    Singing aloud, talking to a stranger, raising your hand: all may increase a feeling of happiness, according to a study from Wake Forest University. Participants（参与者）followed the development of their moods for two weeks and reported feeling happier when they were more outgoing and less happy when reserved or withdrawn.

    The editors of forbes. Com gave $5 or $20 to 46 strangers by chance. Half the group was told to spend the money on themselves, while the other half was told to spend it on others. Those who'd shared the wealth felt much happier at the end of the day than those who'd spent it on themselves. There was no difference in happiness between those who spent $5 or $20, suggesting that it's not how much money you spend, but how you spend it, that inspires the spirit.

    Studies from the Positive Psychology Center showed that discouraged people who wrote down three good things that happened to them each day for six months reported an improved attitude.

    Drinking water really can help keep you cheerful. A small 2012 study from the University of Connecticut suggested that even slight dehydration（脱水） affected the moods of its female participants.

     “Let's Talk”：The Free Advice Project

A few weeks ago, I took a walk around Washington Square Park. I met all the usual people：street performers, the Pigeon Guy, a group of guitarists singing in harmony. But off to the side, sitting on a bench was a woman doing something vastly different—giving free advice.

    A week or two later, I set up an interview with her and we discussed her project at length.

    Lisa Podell, 32, started the Free Advice Project this past May. It began as an experiment；she sat in Washington Square Park for a day with a sign that read “Free Advice” as a simple way to reach out to people. Podell was astonished at the strong response.

    Podell admits that she was doubtful at first, but now she describes the project as mutually (相互地) beneficial. People learn from her—but she also learns from them. She says that the majority of those who come to her are dealing with some pretty heavy issues, and they expect her not only to listen, but also provide real answers.

    Having worked as a full time teacher and now as an adolescent advisor, Podell believes that talking things out is an important in the decision-making process.

    Sometimes, people walk around all day, keeping their problems in their own head and thinking about them in the same way. Podell simply strives to provide people with perspective.

    I asked if there is a future plan for the Free Advice Project. Podell said she would like to promote it to each public space in New York, which would be carried out by various volunteers across the city.

    It was truly inspiring to meet someone with such a big heart, especially in New York—where it is sometimes very hard to find anybody to listen.(303 words)

    A class teacher, in my opinion, plays an important role in a child's development.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} This year, she is moving to Class Three and I can't wait to see how things are going on.

    Last year, my daughter did not like her teacher at all. It was so bad that she did not look forward to school. It was a year full of trouble and that worries.

   This year, Miss Purity is gentle and humorous. It's hard not to like her.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    She becomes an early bird. Last year, mornings were like a fight because I had to force Tasha to hurry up when she was preparing for school. I had to pull her out of bed, tell her to take breakfast and then drove her to school. But now, our mornings are like a party. She wakes up early, prepares everything at a high speed and then rushes to school to be with Miss Purity.

    She's happy. She enjoys school and school work and keeps talking about what they did at school when she comes home.

    She's responsible.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} But now she never forgets even her water bottle at school. She makes her bed and helps in the kitchen.

    Her diary is full of praises. The diary is the tool of communication between the teacher and the parents. Last year, her diary was always full of negative reports. One time, she poured water in a child's lunchbox, another time she threw another kid's textbook in the toilet.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} She's always volunteering to clean the blackboard, the teacher's chair and desk.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Finishing her classwork was such a big problem. She had to do it at home. But now, she finished both the classwork and homework at school.

A. Here are the changes in my daughter.

B. Now she began to share her snacks with those who did not have anything.

C. Every year when my daughter moves to a new class, I have a usual big worry—her new class teacher.

D. Her diary was good.

E. She has a good class teacher.

F. She used to be careless and forgetful.

G. She does well in school.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Indeed, there are many things in life which we alone cannot perform.

    We need friends' help. Friends are people who willingly and readily help us when we are in trouble, and show sympathy for us when we are in misery.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}For example, when we have passed the graduation examination and are looking for a job, we need experienced and reliable friends to guide us and help us on our way. A good friend is also an adviser, because our own points of view towards things may not be always right. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Of course, we can make friends everywhere. However, I think the best place is school, where we are among a big number of boys and girls our own age, so it is easy to get to know one another in a short time. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    In order to make friends, we ourselves must be honest, noble-minded and kind-hearted whereby to leave a favorable impression on others since other people observe us the same way as we do.

    At the same time, we should avoid bad friends, because they always do harm to us and moreover, they are dangerous to the people around. Worse still, they destroy our friendship with good friends.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Indeed, seeking acquaintance with bad friends would be a serious mistake

B. A faithful friend is hard to find.

C. Therefore, it is necessary for us to seek advice from friends.

D. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

E. Besides, we can also make friends among the people who work with us in the community.

F. A proverb says “One man is not good enough to live alone in the world.”

G. The benefits of friendship are boundless and sometimes invisible.

    Attachment is not just a connection between two people; it's a bond that involves a desire for regular contact with that person and the experience of distress(悲伤) during separation from that person.

    According to psychologist John Bowilby, there are four critical characteristics of attachment. The first is the desire to be near those with whom we share an attachment since we are happy while staying with them. Attachments also create a safe shelter, meaning that during times of distress, fear, or uncertainty, we may seek out the people we're attached to for care and comfort. Next, attachment figures also offer a secure base for exploration. This is particularly important during childhood. This secure base allows kids to explore the world while they know they can still return to the safety of the attachment figure. Finally, we experience separation distress when parted from an attachment figure. For example, kids tend to become upset when parents have to leave them in the care of others.

    Attachment serves a number of important purposes. For instance, it helps keep babies and children close to their caregivers so that they can avoid potential dangers, which in turn helps boost their chances of survival. However, if a child doesn't form a secure attachment to a caregiver, he or she will suffer from a number of problems including conduct disorder and oppositional -defiant (对立反抗的) disorder. Researchers also suggest that the type of attachment displayed early in life can have a lasting effect on later adult relationships.

    Psychologist Harry Harlow conducted an experiment on social isolation in monkeys. Baby monkeys were separated from their mothers and placed with surrogate mothers (代母). One mother was simply a wire armature (电枢) that held a bottle, while the other mother was covered with a soft terry cloth material. Harlow found that the baby monkeys would receive food from the wire mother, but preferred to spend most of their time with the soft mother. When compared to monkeys that had been raised by their birth mothers, the monkeys raised by surrogate mothers were shyer and more nervous and suffered from social and emotional problems.

All in all, developing secure and healthy attachments early in life is very important. Such attachments play a vital role in our future development.