How to develop courage by overcoming daily fears

    At times, when it comes to courage, we tend to believe it only applies to rare and uncommon situations. Yet our ordinary lives can also be full of courage, even if we are not facing the end of a gun, a wild animal or a dangerous criminal. Courage doesn't just mean doing heroic acts{#blank#}1{#/blank#}In fact, where there is fear on a daily basis, there are opportunities for you to show your courage. Here are some suggestions to develop courage by overcoming daily fears.

Recognize your fears.

    By realizing that you're fearful, you are more likely to get to the bottom of what your fear is{#blank#}2{#/blank#} you might come to understand that you're afraid of failing or taking chances. You may be fearful simply because you don't have confidence in yourself. The key is not to dwell on your fear, but rather to understand what it is that you're worried about.

    Ask yourself what is the worst that can happen.

    If you hesitate to take action, ask yourself this: what's the worst that can happen? Then prepare to accept it. Then go on to improve on the worst. Is failure the worst thing that can happen? No, absolutely not{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Doing nothing is actually the worst thing that can happen. When you take no action, you are assured of getting nowhere.

Take action.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You cannot think courage comes just in one day. You need to act to overcome your fear. Your action may put you into discomfort, but you have to just do it. And your action can prevent you from being stuck.

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    To build up your confidence, you need to do the same thing over and over again. Soon you will discover that less courage is needed because you have already gained mastery. You are able to move decisively forward.

A. Share your fears with others.

B. Practice, practice and practice.

C. So you are already in a comfort zone.

D. Courage comes from taking action.

E. Each undesired result is just one more step towards your goal.

F. Finding out what is truly holding you back,

G. You needn't wait for an emergency to occur to develop courage.

    The wife-carrying World Championship has been celebrated in a small town in central Finland since 1992. In 1992, the people of the town decided to restart some long-forgotten traditions. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} He was said to only accept men as members of his gang who proved their worth in challenges. At that time, it was also a common practice to steal women from neighboring villages.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} A large number of competitors, people, and journalists from Finland to Canada attend the Wife-carrying World Championship every year.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The Wife-carrying World Championship is held on a 253.3 meters long official track. The track has two dry obstacles and a water obstacle, about a meter deep. The wife to be carried may be your own, or your neighbor's. The minimum weight of the wife to be carried is 49 kg. If she is less than 49kg, the wife will be given a heavy bag to carry. Each time a competitor drops his wife, that couple will be fined 15 seconds. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Alongside with the Wife-carrying World Championship, there is also a team competition. The distance is the same but three men in the team carry the wife in turns. At the exchange point the carrier has to drink official “wife-carrying drink.” Then he may continue the race. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    While the Wife-carrying World Championship is being held, there are bands playing music, a wife carrying dance and other forms of entertainment.”

A. There are a few basic rules.

B. People everywhere hold the event.

C. A special prize is awarded to the team.

D. Do you know how these traditions restarted?

E. This event is becoming increasingly popular.

F. The winner is the couple who complete the course in the shortest time.

G. Back in the late 1800s, there was a robber called Rosvo-Ronkainen in that area.

The Best Ways to Lose Weight with Walking

    Walking regularly is the easiest and least expensive form of exercise. Except for a good pair of walking shoes, no special equipment is needed. It is not necessary to join a gym. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}You can walk every day with no “rest days” in between. There is nothing to learn; people already know how to walk. There are, however, a few important things to keep in mind when walking to lose weight.

    Ways to lose weight by walking

    The first way to begin to lose weight by walking is to start walking. The initial goal should be 10,000 steps per day. Using a simple pedometer(计步器) attached to the waistband or on a belt will help you to count your daily steps. Consistency—even 10 minutes 3 times a day at first will produce the immediate results. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

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    It is very important to check with your medical professional before beginning any exercise program; especially if you are over age 65, have been required sitting or little activity for more than a year, or have been diagnosed with heart disease, pregnancy, high blood pressure, or any other medical conditions.

    How to walk to lose weight

    A good walking technique will help you achieve the physical or mental energy you need to walk consistently for the amount of time you have set for your goal. Making sure that you are using your large muscles correctly will also help to build your muscles. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Walking regularly can aid in muscle growth and increase the amount of calories you burn throughout the day. Eating a healthy low-fat diet will raise your metabolism(新陈代谢). {#blank#}5{#/blank#}If paired the calorie burn with the correct diet, it can lead to a better form of weight loss.

A. Limit your "bad" fat intake.

B. Begin a walking program with suitable physical qualities.

C. For example, take the stairs rather than taking the elevator.

D. It can be done anywhere and anytime, alone or with friends.

E. These two methods will help lead to a safe 1 to 2 pound weight loss per week.

F. Strong muscles burn more calories throughout the day, even when you are not walking.

G. But slowly increasing the time and the distance will encourage your weight-loss efforts.

Some Ways to Improve Your Study

As a high school student, it is important for you to do well in study. The better ways you have, the better you will learn. But do you know how to improve your study? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Pay attention in class. First, don't make any noise in class. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Last but not least, get yourself involved in classroom activities.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you are not sure how to take notes, start by writing down the important points that your teacher mentions or writes on the blackboard. It's a good idea to keep your notes in order by subject. It can help you master what you have learnt.

    Go over your lessons. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} By going over your lessons, you can understand and remember better. So you should review your lessons now and then after class.

    Learn from your classmates. Everyone has his own advantages. You should learn not only from your teachers but also from your classmates. You can learn in pairs or in groups to solve problems. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    I'm sure you will improve your study sooner or later if you follow the ways above.

A. Take good notes.

B. Believe in yourself.

C. Here are some ways to help you.

D. It is necessary for you to go over your lessons.

E. You should take part in out-of-school activities.

F. Second, pay attention to what the teacher says.

G.in this way, you can learn from each other and know more.

    While it is important to maintain good habits, it is equally important to learn how to break bad habits if you want to achieve success in life. Here are some tips to get you started.

    The first step in breaking bad habits is to identify them. Only after identifying them can you decide to do something about them. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For example, you may ask yourself: Is the habit holding me back from achieving my goal? Does the habit make me feel good or bad?

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Then you may listen to the things that people say about you. Are people saying the same negative things about you? It's easy to become defensive when someone says something about us we don't like, and let's face it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Once you have identified your bad habits, it's time to break them. First, you should introduce something new and meaningful in your life to replace the bad habit. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you hung around at the bars after work, replace it by going to the gym instead. Or if you sat and watched TV for hours, you may work on a task that needs to be done.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Write down the efforts you make to change them, and also the results of your actions. And write down how you feel when you successfully change one of your bad habits. If you can read and reflect on how you feel about the progress you've made, it may motivate you to continue to work on changing other things.

    The world is a colorful landscape of different languages, skin colors, and different cultures. It's important to have a good understanding of different cultures in order to become a well-rounded person {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    One way is to read hooks written by authors from a particular culture. Reading works by authors who have a close relationship with a particular culture allows people to gain an authentic glimpse into the food, music, language, religion, and way of a life of a particular group of people.

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    Another way to learn about different cultures is to try to learn a foreign language. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}A person can choose a language she has always wanted to learn and locate learning programs to help her master the language. Besides, one can enroll in a foreign language class in order to learn in a more formal setting. One can also try to visit areas of the city to establish social connection with native speakers of the language.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Seek out restaurants that feature authentic food from a variety of countries. Food is an important part of different cultures and allows people to gain deep understanding into a particular cultural group's way of life.

    Communicating with people from other countries through email or snail mail is another useful way to become familiar with different cultures. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Various websites offer pen pal services, offering to connect individuals with pen friends around the world.

A. Stories based on a local culture expose one to a different culture.

B. Trying authentic food from a specific cultural group is also a great idea.

C. There are several ways to become knowledgeable about different cultures.

D. A variety of language-learning books, software, and audio programs is available,

E. The Internet has made it possible to communicate with others from different countries.

F. Making contact with native speakers of the language allows one to gain firsthand knowledge.

G. One way to develop this appreciation is to try to team about other cultures around the world.