Writing A Letter To Your Future Self

    Just imagine writing a letter to your future self 5 years from now, then opening it at that exact moment to see how much of it has come true. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    As you read the letter in the future, you can assess how many things agree with your expectations in the past. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Often times, the goals we set and our goal achievement process are affected by a lot of changes along the way. The letter lets you recognize how your current idea differs from the past.

    In addition to that, at the very moment you are writing the letter, your thoughts are stored right there in those words. When you open the letter in the future, you as your future self gets to compare how you used to be in the past with how you are now.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. It's very interesting to do so.

    Take out a pen and paper right now and start writing your letter to your future self. Set a time period to write to. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Then start writing. Think about the type of person you will be, your place in life, what you will have realized then, and so on.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Put it in a safe space where no one can find it. When you open this sometime in the near future, you might gain additional insights(了解) about yourself and your journey in the past few years.

    When was the last time you read a book or a magazine article? Do your everyday reading habits centre around updates on the Internet? In case you are one of countless individuals who don't make a habit of reading you may be passing up a great chance: Reading has a number of advantages and only a couple of advantages of reading are recorded below.

    Everything you read fills your head with new bits of information and you never know when it might be useful to you. The more knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are to overcome any challenge you'll ever face. Besides, here's a bit of food for thought：Should you ever find yourself in a terrible situation, remember that although you might lose everything else — your job, your possessions, your money, even your health — knowledge can never be taken from you.

    At the same time, the more you read, the more words you gain, and they'll surely make their way into your everyday vocabulary. Being able to express your ideas clearly in words is of great help and knowing that you can speak to higher-ranking people with self-confidence can be a great encouragement to your self-esteem（自尊）. Reading books is also important for learning new languages, as non-native speakers gain exposure to words used in context, which will improve their own speaking and writing fluency.

    When you read a book, you have to remember a lot of characters, their backgrounds, ambitions, history as well as the various plots(各种各样的情节) through every story. That's a fair bit to remember, but brains are wonderful things and can remember these things with ease. Amazingly enough, whenever you remember something new, new synapses(神经元的突触) are formed and existing ones are strengthened. How cool that is!

    No matter how much stress you have at work, in your personal relationships, or countless other issues faced in daily life, it all just slips away when you lose yourself in a great story. A well-written novel can transport you to other fields while an interesting article will distract(使分心） you and keep you in the present moment, letting stress away and allowing you to relax.

    The worst time to look for a job is when you must have a new one immediately. Job Searching under pressure often results in nervous interviewing and decision-making from rela-tively few options. If you are not in need of an immediate career change, here are ways you can improve your long-term career prospects （前景） today:

    Identify at least two different roles. You do not have to be qualified for these positions today, nor do they have to exist in your company. However, these roles should be related to your current skill set. They are career options that look interesting. Once you have a couple of targets, think about why and what interests you. Pay close attention to what appeals to you, and write it down. This will give insight into your motivations and targets.

    Subscribe to a career specific magazine. Knowledge is power in the workplace. All busi-nesses must stay relevant to their customers in order to win the competitions and increase revenue（收益）.Reading about industry trends, advancements and success stories keeps you in touch with market conditions. This information allows you to see which companies and professionals are leading the peck. You can follow their examples in your own workplace. If you associate with those that stand out from the rest, you are likely to find yourself with better opportunities.

    Do exceptional work. In any role, there is a way to perform at your best. Look for ways to deliver a top performance. Show up early, be flexible to new assignments, have a positive attitude, cooperate with other departments, pay attention to the little details.

    Be professionally curious. Talk to people about their careers. Learn more about how success is measured in other roles, departments and companies. Ask people their thoughts on different industries. Challenge yourself to expand your business knowledge through interactions with people at regular time. People hire people. You never know what connections may be relevant when you start your next job search, so develop a habit of making good connections no matter where you go. Take the time to learn about others, and be helpful when you can.

    As in all things in life, getting in front of a difficult task early is always less stressful than reacting to a career surprise. Changing jobs is to be expected. No matter how secure you feel today, the time will come when either you or your employer decide it is time to change.

Can zoos ever be animal-friendly?

    The topic of our last class discussion was “How can zoos provide animals with a good life?” Everyone believed it was impossible for zoos to give animals a caring environment. Our teacher suggested that visiting a modern zoo might give us a new point of view.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In our discussion, many people said that zoos were full of smelly cages with unhappy animals living in. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, however, was set in an attractive, open environment. Trees and flowers had been planted around the park. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    At school, some people accused（指责）zoos of exploiting（剥削）animals for money but at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, as I see it, nothing could be further from the truth. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Before I visited Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, I wasn't sure about the rights and wrongs of zoos. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} I feel that, although zoos can't provide the freedom of the wild, they can be animal-friendly by giving animals a safe and caring environment. As long as they do this well, to my mind they make a good contribution（贡献）to animal health. They also play an important part in educating us about wildlife. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    On the bus back to school, we all agreed that what we liked most was the zoo's environment and we would recommend（推荐）it for next year's group.

A. It is difficult for the zoo to raise animals.

B. More and more animals enjoy their wild homes.

C. I think lots of my friends changed their minds, too.

D. Most of the money is used to improve conditions at the zoo.

E. I went to the zoo and was pleasantly surprised by what I found.

F. In my opinion, the animals, rather than seeming upset, were pleased.

G. It was difficult to say how a zoo could really make up for animals' loss of freedom.

    Humor plays an important role in relationships. In new relationships, humor can be an effective tool not just for attracting the other person but also for overcoming any awkwardness or embarrassment.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Sharing the pleasure of humor creates a sense of connection between two people. When you laugh with one another, you create a positive tie between you. This tie acts as a strong buffer(缓冲) against stress, disagreements, disappointments, and bad patches in a relationship. And laughter really is infectious.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} But don't worry if you're not naturally a lighthearted, humorous person—you can learn to access your playful side and develop your sense of fun.

    Like any tool, humor can be used in negative as well as positive ways. Humor can only help you overcome relationship problems when both partners can understand the joke.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} If your partner or friend isn't likely to appreciate the joke, don't say or do it. Humor in relationships should be equally fun and enjoyable for both people.

Don't use humor to cover up other emotions.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} That's when it is used as a cover for avoiding, rather than coping with, painful emotions. You can be funny about the truth, but covering up the truth isn't funny. When you use humor and playfulness as a cover for other emotions, you create confusion and mistrust in your relationships.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The important thing is to find enjoyable activities that help you embrace your playful nature with other people. As humor and play become an unseparated part of your life, you'll begin to find daily opportunities for using your new-found skills to help build and maintain your relationships.

A. Humor can help you and your loved one.

B. There are times when humor is not healthy.

C. It's important to be sensitive to the other person.

D. It's never too late to develop your humorous side.

E. The more you joke, play, and laugh—the easier it becomes.

F. Just hearing someone laugh can make you smile and join in on the fun.

G. In longer-term relationships, humor can keep things exciting and fresh.