Easy Ways to Improve Your Mood

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Taking an extra moment for yourself will make your day brighter and give you a healthier outlook on life. Here are some simple ways you can bring a little happiness into your life right now:

    Go for a walk.

    Grab your dog, best friend, or your significant other and head out on a brisk(轻快的) walk. Just a little bit of exercise can improve your mood and give you a fresh perspective on problems that have been bothering you. Think walks are boring? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Take a trip to the mall, or even walk to get some frozen yogurt. Make it a fun trip and you'll surely make it part of your routine.

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    After all, laughter is the best medicine. Pick up something that makes you laugh like a funny picture, book, magazine, or a DVD of your favorite comedy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Giving yourself time to laugh increases feel-good endorphins(胺多酚).

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    Take a photo of yourself doing something you enjoy, like roller skating, skiing, swimming, playing an instrument, or being with friends and family. Place the picture on your desk to remind yourself that you lead an amazing life and have lots to be happy about.

A. Model behavior.

B. Buy something silly.

C. Ten minutes of relaxation can do wonders.

D. Try walking to a place that seems exciting to you.

E. You could even plan a date night out to a comedy club.

F. Tell someone that you're guaranteed to brighten their day.

G. Even the most optimistic people can use a mood boost every once in a while.

UrbanizationUntil relatively recently, the vast majority of human being lived and died without ever seeing a city. The first city was probably founded no more than 5,500 years ago.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}In fact, nearly everyone lived on farms or in tiny rural (乡村的) villages. It was not until the 20th century that Great Britain became the first urban society in history—a society in which the majority of people live in cities and do not farm for a living.Britain was only the beginning.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}．The process of urbanization—the migration (迁徙) of people from the countryside to the city—was the result of modernization, which has rapidly transformed how people live and where they live.In 1900, fewer than 40% of Americans lived in urban areas. Today, over 82% of Americans live in cities. Only about 2% live on farms.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Large cities were impossible until agriculture became industrialized. Even in advanced agricultural societies, it took about ninety­five people on farms to feed five people in cities.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Until modern times, those living in cities were mainly the ruling elite (精英) and the servants, laborers and professionals who served them. Cities survived by taxing farmers and were limited in size by the amount of surplus（过剩）food that the rural population produced and by the ability to move this surplus from farm to city.Over the past two centuries, the Industrial Revolution has broken this balance between the city and the country.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Today, instead of needing ninety­five farmers to feed five city people, one American farmer is able to feed more than a hundred non­farmers.

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 not realizing what's happening around them. They can seem forgetful and clumsy(笨拙的){#blank#}1{#/blank#} They upsets 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. Without wandering minds, we wouldn't have relativity(相对论), Coke or Post-it notes.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

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

First, understand that some opportunities 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(参与) 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 concentrate. “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.It includes slow, steady(平稳的) breathing for self-control that helps people stay calm and attentive.

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

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

D. Can you imagine what kind of world we would have without such ideas and inventions?

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

F. They stare off into space and wander(闲逛) by themselves.

G. Having interesting things to think about also helps.

    More than 40 million Americans move each year, but not always by choice. Whether you're moving because of work or schooling or for better chances, adjusting to（适应）the life in a new place can be difficult. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some tips to help you adjust to your new home.

Treat it as an adventure

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} So stay positive and get out there and explore! Taste the local food and visit famous places and museums. Try local activities that aren't popular in your former city, such as skating if you come from a beach town or surfing if you lived in the mountains. You may discover a talent or interest you never knew you had.

Get involved with（融入）your neighbors

    Introduce yourself to neighbors and everyone else you meet. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This is the best way to get advice about living in your area, and to make new friends. Attend local events that interest you, visit the markets or yard sales, take classes and so on. All of these things will help you meet people come and feel connected.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It takes time to get to know a new place, so don't expect to feel comfortable right away. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} To help make the process easier you can meet new people, find a support group near you. A fresh move is also a fresh start. It is therefore a great time to start fulfilling a dream you've had, whether it is going back to school, starting a new career, or finishing a novel.

A. Find what you love.

B. Be patient and go after your dream.

C. Give yourself time to adjust.

D. Tell them you're new in the town.

E. It is especially true when you don't love your new city very much.

F. Show others the photos of your favorite places in your old town.

G. Living in a new place is a great opportunity to experience new things and grow up.

    It's important to prepare for rainy days. Similarly, it's important to save money. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Why? It's because they've got used to spending all the money they make. Sometimes, the hardest thing about saving money is just getting started. Here are some tips to help you save money.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}The first step in saving money is to know how much you're spending. For one month, keep a record of everything you spend money on. Once you have your data, organize these numbers by category(类别) and get the total amount for each.

    You can make a budget. Now that you have a good idea of how much you spend in a month, what can you do now? {#blank#}3{#/blank#} To plan your spending, you can build a budget. In this way, you can limit over-spending and make sure that you put money away for unexpected situations.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Doing so make it much easier to get started. Begin by deciding how long it will take to reach each goal. Some short-term goals include starting a fund to cover 6 months to a year of living costs and saving money for a vacation. Long-term saving goals are often several years or even decades away and can include saving for retirement and putting money away for a child's college education.

    Make saving money easier with automatic transfers (自动转账). Automatic transfers to your savings account are very helpful. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}By moving money out of your checking account, you'll be less likely to spend money you plan to use for savings.

A. You can keep a record of what you do. .

B. You can record your costs.

C. You can plan your spending.

D. You can set savings goals

E. You can move money out of your savings account.

F. However, some people find it hard to save money.

G. They can make saving money much easier.

    Growing up I remember my weekly "career" announcements. Anchor woman, flight attendant and teacher, among many, many others. Each week I heard "you can do that. You will be good at that". {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Throughout life, I learned that not everyone believed in me the way my mom and dad believed in me. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. I dug deep and gain success. I have 2 children of my own now and I echo those words of encouragement to them everyday. I often tell my nieces and nephews, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} as I listen to other family members tell their children and even my boys telling that to each other.

    Most often when we think of what passes from one generation to the next it consists of artifacts and genes.

    I will pass these words on and I know they will carry on for each generation to come. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.