How can I fight laziness?

    Lazy people will never amount to anything in life. However, laziness can be defeated once a few changes have been made in your mind.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Many people lack sleep constantly, since they stay up too late and get up too early to prepare for work. These people have little motivation once they arrive home. Laziness works hand in hand with a lack of motivation and a tendency to put off things. By adjusting your sleep schedule to provide a few more hours of meaningful rest, you can fight laziness throughout the day.

    Another way to fight laziness is to change your mind from passive to active. Some people treat their lives as if they were pushed from task to task. Others take a more protective approach, viewing each task as a challenge they must overcome alone. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Some people fight laziness by removing the temptations(诱惑) that surround them. A television in the living room may provide entertainment, but watching too much TV often contributes to laziness. Create a reward system for yourself, just as parents do for a child to promote responsibility. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Spouses(配偶) and children may all have different energy levels, but laziness can be spread if not dealt with immediately. To fight household laziness, lead by example. Be the first to collect and wash dishes after a meal. Others in the home may eventually follow your example and perform their own task. It is difficult to practice laziness when you are surrounded by motivated people.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} enough exercise and a balanced diet can help you to develop a healthy lifestyle, thus enabling you to have more energy and help lift your spirits.

    Good friends always make life seem so much easier and better.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}I know that there is absolutely no need to give out definitions of a true friend or list out qualities that are synonymous,since the answers are subjective.

    Togetherness

    It is one of the most beautiful aspects.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Be it one of the dullest days of your life while you are killing time doing absolutely nothing,or be it one of your most memorable moments like your graduation or your birthday,friends are always with you.

    Honesty

    If you look hideous（难看的）in the dress you bought last week,a true friend will always tell you so!Honesty is needed in any relationship.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}They are ready to give you a taste of the bitter truth,but they'll help you cope with it! Often,there comes a time when two friends are competing for the same thing,a true friend will never let a competition affect the friendship.

    Understanding

    Often when you are feeling low or depressed,you will never have to explain it to your friend that you are feeling low.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Understanding without words is the perfect level of a good relationship.

    Patience

    You need to have patience to understand your friend inside out.The mood swings,sign language,codes,etc. Friends are all this and much more.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}They are a comforting shoulder to lean on,a patient ear to listen to you,and most importantly,a warm and loving hug to embrace you!

A. They are a helping hand.

B. A true friend knows when you are unhappy.

C. No matter what,friends always stick together!

D. True friends are always two steps behind you.

E. True friends never hesitate to speak up their minds.

F. Ask yourself what makes a good friend even if you doubt the ability to one yourself.

G. In our busy lives,at times when we feel down and upset, it is our friends who come through.

Hobbies

    Hobbies play an important role in our life. Most people have a lot of free time available but seldom use it gainfully.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}There are many hobbies from which you can pick and you can choose one that suits your talents.

    Once you have decided to start a hobby, it will be wise to go through a list of popular hobbies and choose one that is close to your heart and can make you feel confident. Some of the most popular hobbies that people generally take to are reading, listening to music, gardening, fishing, sports, music, exercise and computer-related activities. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Once you start, you seldom think of giving it up.

    Learning a new hobby is really a wonderful experience. As you progress, you will be living in a new world and learning new skills. You will begin to discover your hidden talents that you didn't know. You will start reading more about your hobby, meeting other hobbyists with similar interests, exchanging views and building friend circles both near and far. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} In these games you will get the opportunity to meet others on a regular basis and develop great relationship.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They can help you keep good health and remain fit. On the other hand, if you are young and take a great interest in sports, you can develop your skills and finally get financially rewarded too. Similarly, gardening provides the hobbyist with enjoyable pastime and opportunity for relaxation. At the same time they get the rewards of their labor.

    People take up hobbies for interest, enjoyment and relaxation. Over a period of time, you might develop outstanding skills and get financially rewarded. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Each of these hobbies can give you great benefits.

B. This will change when you play games like golf, basketball or tennis.

C. Most importantly, having a hobby will help you get personal satisfaction.

D. Physical hobbies like sports and gardening can be very rewarding.

E. This will be more so if you take up games like golf, basketball or tennis.

F. Although these hobbies can benefit you a lot, you may not keep them forever.

G. They would rather chat with their friends than use their talents and start a hobby.

Most Valuable Possessions on Earth

Marie was a single mother of two children in a rural Missouri community. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} She also dedicated much spare time to numerous charities and community projects.

    Then one day Marie received some shocking news from her doctor. She had cancer, and it was spreading rapidly. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Soon, Marie witnessed what she had always known: although she was not financially wealthy, she already had the most valuable possessions on earth. Hundreds in her community and surrounding areas teamed up to help her and her family.

    Many people she had touched in caring ways demonstrated appreciation for Marie's life. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} However, she lived long enough to feel the love of those she had cheerfully served.

    The spirits of love and gratitude multiply(增加) when they are shared. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Giving selflessly was a value that Marie displayed all her life, and her spirit of giving lived after her in those who knew and loved her.

    All her life, Marie had demonstrated（演示） the truth of this simple principle : {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Rather, it is an attitude that comes from appreciating what we already have. We can find the happiness we seek if we will first share it with others. Then —— and only then——we will have the most valuable possessions on earth: love, happiness, and increasing gratitude.

A. Happiness is the result of sharing love and gratitude.

B. She worked full-time during the day and sold handcrafted leather gifts on weekends.

C. She lived a rather poor and hard life with the two children.

D. Marie didn't live to see the day when her bills were fully paid.

E. Love is second to none.

F. She had barely enough resources to put a cent in the medical treatments she would need.

G. Happiness will not come from worldly possessions of fortune.

Dealing with Difficult Relationships

    Everyone has at least one awkward or tense relationship. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It may be with somebody who will use up your energy whenever you are with them. Or worse, it could be someone who always cuts you down. By persuading you it's your obligation or duty, you forget about your own needs. Sadly, by remaining loyal to these people, you forget who you are. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} No matter who they are, it's necessary that you learn to set boundaries (界限) for yourself. It is you who allow them to take advantage of you or even belittle you.

    If you find a relationship unhealthy and it's time for you to set boundaries, the following advice may be helpful.

    Setting boundaries for difficult relationships starts by admitting how you are affected by the relationships. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, it's time to study for tomorrow's test. But your friend wants to take you to a party. Here, setting boundaries will help protect your academic goals. Someone who pressures you to something you're not comfortable doing will stress you out. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Next, decide how much time you should spend with these people. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But it's difficult to help others if you forget to protect your own priority (优先次序).

    Settling boundaries requires taking a long, honest look at yourself. By saying no to harmful patterns in relationships, you say “yes” to a healthier you.

A. Does this kind of relationship lower your self-respect?

B. These people may be your family members or even friends.

C. It's easy to spend too much time and energy offering them help.

D. People may try to keep you in an unhealthy relationship.

E. But a friend who considers how you feel will respect your willingness to try something new.

F. It's not easy to set boundaries because you may be afraid of losing them.

G. Do they bring you closer to your goals or pull you farther away?

    If you need to interview someone for an article but you have never interviewed before, it can be frightening. Here are some tips for preparing for and conducting a successful interview.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If the person is a known author or speaker, take the time to read or listened to his/her work, or at least get familiar with his/her most recent or most important work. If the interview will cover events, review whatever is known publicly about those events.

    Prepare a recording device(录音设备). You can use your phone or an audio recorder. In this way you needn't struggle to write things down. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And this will make it easier to include direct quotes when you start writing.

    Remember to make it a conversation rather than a list of questions. Prepared questions are just a guideline. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You can also try to ask your interviewee about his/her personal thoughts and reactions to events and people they deal with.

    Appropriate feedback(反馈) is also important. Feel free to say words that show you are listening, like "yeah" and "Mmmm". {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You can also give more facial feedback like smiling.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If the interviewee changes suddenly from one line of thought to another, lead them back to the area you are focusing on. Guide the interview but don't keep interrupting with many questions.

A. Politely ask if you can interview them.

B. Do your homework before you pick up the phone.

C. Then you can focus all your attention on the interview.

D. Consider how all the questions can be asked in a short time.

E. Nodding your head can be an encouragement to the interviewee.

F. In order to get the information you need, you should guide the interview.

G. You can try to ask questions based on what they have said to you in previous responses.