Choosing the right job is probably one of the most important decisions we have to make in life, and it is frequently one of the hardest decisions we have to make. One important question that you might ask yourself is: “How do I get a good job?” {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are people who can answer an insignificant advertisement in the local paper and land the best job in the world; others write to all sorts of places all over the country, and never seem to get a reply at all. Still others believe that the in person, door-to-door approach is by far the best way to get a job; and then there are those who, through no active decision of their own, just seem to be in the right place at the right time. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} He used to spend a lot of his free time down by the sea watching the tall ships, but never thinking that he might one day sail one of them. His father was a farmer, and being a sailor could never be anything for the boy but an idle dream. One day, on his usual wandering, he heard the captain of the ship complaining that he could not sail because one member of his crew was sick. Without stopping to think, the lad(少年) offered to take his place. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If the lad had gone home to ponder（考虑）his decision for a week, he may have missed his chance. It is one thing to be offered an opportunity; it is another to take it and use it well. Sometimes we hear stories about people who break all the rules and still seem to land plum jobs（美差）. When you go for a job interview or fill out an application, you are expected to say nice things about the company to which you are applying. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And within a year this person had become general manger of the company.

A．This story also illustrates the importance of seizing an opportunity when it presents itself.

B．People find jobs in an infinite number of ways.

C．It's almost impossible to find a good job by answering advertisement in newspapers.

D．Take for example the young man who wanted to be a sailor.

E．But there was one person who landed an excellent job by telling the interviewer all the company's faults.

F．He spent the rest of his life happily sailing the ships he had always loved.

G．It is very important to seize an opportunity when it presents itself.

    A conversation with a good listener is like a good meal—we walk away feeling satisfied and happy.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here are 4 ways to make your conversation partner feel like you're fully tuned in to their personal radio station.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Making your conversation partner feel safe starts with two things: an open mind and keeping judgment to yourself. Just as immersing（沉浸）yourself in a novel requires suspension of disbelief, immersing yourself in listening requires suspension of opinions or advice. While judgments may appear into your head, set them to the side.

    Ask questions to follow your natural curiosity.

    When you're interested, ask questions.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Ask for examples. Ask for details. Following your natural curiosity by asking questions not only shows you are listening and interested, but almost always produces an interesting story.

Listen with your whole body.

    In many a kindergarten classroom, teachers emphasize something called “whole body listening”. It goes like this: use your eyes to watch nonverbal（非语言）, your brain to think about what is being said, your heart to feel emotions» and keep the rest of your body quiet to show respect. But many of us lose it over time, especially as life gets busy. The result? We often try to multitask while listening.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Validate（使生效）with simple phrases.

    Keep in your back pocket some validating words and phrases to show you've heard someone.

    “Of course.” “That makes sense.” “Naturally.” “Clearly.” “For sure.”{#blank#}5{#/blank#}In conversation, combining those little phrases: “Of course you feel that way.” or “That makes total sense.” doesn't necessarily convey agreement, but it does convey something even bigger： acceptance.

A. Create safety.

B. Devote yourself to listening.

C. It's appealing to talk about your own experience.

D. We half-listen while getting things done or staring at a screen.

E. Think like a journalist and ask what, when, where, why or how.

F. But being a good listener goes way beyond just not interrupting or nodding your head.

G. All of these statements confirm a person's experience or feelings as worthy and accepted.

How You Open Your Car Door Matters to Cyclists

    The "Dutch reach” isn't a new dance move or a random YouTube challenge. It's a simple move that can help prevent harm to cyclists. And you might keep your car door safe in the process, too. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Typically, a person sitting in the driver's seat of a car opens the door with the hand closest to it. It makes sense since doors are designed to be opened that way.  {#blank#}2{#/blank#}But if you happen to do that at the wrong time, you may unknowingly create an obstacle for a passing cyclist. The cyclist might be knocked down off the bike. The car door is likely to be damaged by the fast-moving bicycle.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} However, the car door design and long-time habits have made the process automatically. Luckily, there's a simple way to solve the problem. Open your car door with your other hand, using the Dutch reach. So instead of using your left hand, reach for the door handle with your right hand. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}At the very least, you'll look into your side view mirror to check for any traffic.

    The Dutch are used to opening their car doors this way. All Dutch are taught it. It's part of regular driver education. The technique dates back about 50 or 60 years in the Netherlands. In 2016 an American named Michael Charney started the Dutch Reach Project. He wanted to popularize the practice in the United States. Charney's efforts may be paying off. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. This will force you to turn your body.

B. Pull the handle and the door is open.

C. It is easy to do once you are used to it.

D. All you have to do is change how you open your door.

E. People are trying to change the way to open the car.

F. Clearly, the solution is for the person exiting the vehicle to check for traffic.

G. Several states now include the Dutch reach in their drivers' handbooks.

    Getting your children to study can be a little like getting them to eat their vegetables.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Make a study time and have it at the same time every day. This will help your kids to learn to schedule their day and will give them a sense of control over how they spend their time.

    Allow them to study in blocks of time, such as for half an hour with a five­minute break in the middle. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Ideal(理想的) study times are after dinner or right after school before dinner.

    Never allow your children to study in front of the television, as that will encourage passive activity. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    You'll also need to help your kids find the right place to study. After you've set up a good study time for little learners, set up a good place where they can get those creative juices flowing.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Make sure there is a table or a desk and a comfortable chair.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This includes helping them out with their homework sometimes and being there for them with the answers to any questions. The input you give your children during study periods will help form a bond and help make studying enjoyable.

A. Pick a place where your children can study properly.

B. Hold them to the schedule they create for themselves.

C. Finally, spend time with your kids when they're studying.

D. Keep the atmosphere light and offer lots of encouragement, too.

E. Instead, use TV as a treat or a reward when the homework is completed.

F. Try to stop this bad habit by offering some sort of reward.

G. One of the best ways to form good study habits for your kids is to design a schedule that they keep to.

Finding time for yourself

    Few people, these days would disagree with the theory that it's vital to take time for yourself. Creating some space for enjoyment and restoration each day or at least every week, is a win-win proposition. It'll make you both happier and more effective in fulfilling your responsibilities at work and home. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Here are some useful suggestions.

    Don't wait until it feels right. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, so you want to tell yourself that you'll only relax once everything is under control. But since both work and family life generate an infinite number of to-dos, that strategy is doomed (注定要失败的). As time-management writer Laura Vanderkam points out, it's far more useful to learn to tolerate the discomfort of knowing your email inbox is filling up, or that the living room is still a pigsty.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. It's all too easy to fill 'me time' with things you think you should enjoy, above all exercise. If you genuinely love such activities, they're perfect. But if the truth is that you don't, you'll only get angry. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, even when the person doing the telling is ourselves. Make sure at least a small part of your week is spent doing something you can honestly say you enjoy for itself.

    Pay attention to good feelings. Once you do get some restorative time, borrow a Buddhist technique for making it count: when you realize you're enjoying yourself, spend half a minute consciously paying attention to the feelings of pleasure. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Choose true enjoyment

B. We hate being told what to do

C. Make commitments in advance

D. It's unpleasant to have unfinished tasks bother you

E. So, you'll often find that those feelings increase as a result

F. Making a plan in advance can create the space you need for your own happiness

G. Making sure you actually get a moment to yourself requires a shift in perspective

    Every new person added to the planet needs food, water, clothes, and so on. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Those things require extra natural resources, including land and water. But Earth's riches are limited. Less than 1 percent of Earths water can be used for drinking and washing. One out of every thirteen people around the world does not always have enough clean water.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Too many people are using too much water, especially in the already dry areas of the southwestern United States.

    Food shortages(不足) are even more common. Worldwide, one out of every seven people does not get enough to eat.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Over time, the soil loses its nutrients(营养) and the farmland becomes useless for growing food. As the world becomes more crowded(拥挤的), more land is needed to make way for growing cities. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. That's a problem because trees help take in a gas called carbon dioxide. Humans produce carbon dioxide by burning coal and oil. Fewer trees mean more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The buildup of carbon dioxide traps heat and pollution above Earth.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, although every person uses the planet's resources. The richest billion people, Americans especially, use the most resources. They also produce the most waste.

A. Forests are cleared away

B. Some people use a lot more than others

C. Water shortages have hit many parts of the world

D. Water pollution is a serious problem in some areas

E. More trees should be planted to handle air pollution

F. Huge needs for food force farmers to overuse their land

G. More people mean more cars, roads, schools, hospitals, and stores