Get a Thorough Understanding of Oneself

    In all one's life time it is oneself that one spends the most time being with or dealing with. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    When you are going upwards in life you tend to overestimate(高估) yourself. It seems that everything you seek for is within your reach.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's likely that you think it wise for yourself to stay away from the outer world. Actually, to get a thorough understanding of oneself, you may as well keep the following tips in mind.

    Gain a correct view of oneself. You may look forward hopefully to the future but be sure not to expect too much, for dreams can never be fully realized. You may be courageous to meet challenges but it should be clear to you where to direct your efforts.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Self-appreciate. Whether you compare yourself to a towering tree or a blade of grass, a high mountain or a small stone, you represent a state of nature.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you earnestly admire yourself you'll have a real sense of self-appreciation.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}In time of anger, do yourself a favor by releasing it in a quiet place so that you won't be hurt by its flames; in time of sadness, do yourself a favor by sharing it with your friends so as to change a bad mood into a cheerful one; in time of tiredness, do yourself a favor by getting a good sleep.

    Get a full control of one's life. Then one will find one's life full of color1 and flavor.

A. But it is precisely oneself that one has the least understanding of.

B. As long as you have a perfect knowledge of yourself, there won't be difficulties you can't overcome.

C. When you are going downhill you tend to underestimate yourself for your own incompetence.

D. It has its own value.

E. Especially if it is well within your reach, you are just too blind to see it.

F. Do oneself a favor when it's needed.

G. Do yourself a favor when you resist the attack of illness.

    Whether you're a child, teenager, young adult or are middle-aged, respecting your parents is an important value. Your parents are the people who raise you, devoting time, energy and money to your development.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Whatever your age, there are 4 ways to show respect.

    Respect their belongings.

    One important way to show respect is to show regard for the things important to your parents. For younger children, this may mean not touching jewelry or other valuable things.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Don't take advantage of your parents' kindness and generosity. And never borrow things without asking first.

    Punctuality

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Therefore, always be on time. For teenagers, showing up on time means coming home by curfew (宵禁). Adult children should show up on time for family dinners or events, or to pick a parent up for a medical appointment. Call if you're going to be late because parents worry about children, whatever their age.

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    Remembering birthdays, anniversaries and other special days is a sign that you honor your parents. Make plans to take them to lunch or dinner or bake a cake or cookies. Most parents don't expect expensive gifts, but a handmade gift is always appreciated, a phone call from a grown child who lives too far for a visit is a welcome sign of respect.

    Be kind.

    Kind words and affection are simple ways to show respect. Tell your parents you love them. Listen and allow your parents to speak without interruption. Show a sincere interest in what your parents have to say. Be patient with your parents and don t rush them. Never talk back or be rude or disrespectful. Acknowledge your parents' achievements. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Parents should help children build self-confidence.

B. Celebrate with them.

C Lateness shows a lack of respect.

D. Treat your parents the way you would like to be treated.

E. And they love you unconditionally throughout your life.

F. Being respectful helps build positive relationships with others.

G. For grown children, respect may mean returning a borrowed tool in good condition and on time.

    Rent movies over the weekend. Try to follow the story line of comedy shows.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Not having to respond in English lets you concentrate on simply understanding what is being said. Understanding how English is used in conversation will help you to better communicate in the language.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}When you are reading, pay more attention to the correct pronunciation of the words you are reading rather than comprehension of each word. Read easy books that were written for children. Reading simple books takes away the frustration of sounding out hard words.

A. Read out loud for twenty to thirty minutes every day.

B. Listen to English radio while getting ready in the morning.

C. Observe how much the mouth is opened to say certain words.

D. Find a friend or teacher who is willing to help you learn English.

E. Repeat the conversations several times to increase your speaking speed.

F. Watching TV shows and movies allows you to hear English used in conversation.

G. The more a person practices his or her skills, the easier speaking English will become.

How to Organize a Music Festival

    You love music and you always have. You want to carry out a music festival designed to attract music fans of all ages. Follow the steps and you'll organize a successful one.

    Start by making a list of the local bands and artists that you like. You've taken this job because you love music, so put your taste to work for you. If you like these musicians, many of the local residents will also like them. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You need to have many kinds of music for all age groups.

    Find a great location that has much open space for outdoor festivals. You need to build a stage so the musicians can be seen from distances. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Not all towns need such license but it is a good idea to check before you start building. For an indoor location, you need to find a theater that is willing to give you enough space. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Hire sound and engineering people to give the musicians all the help they need. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You can't expect the musicians to handle these problems because they are playing. Your sound and engineering experts will allow your stars to keep the music playing.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you are planning your festival for families, the last thing you want is a beer-swilling crowd starting a huge brawl (斗殴). Security people need to be present to make sure that nobody gets the idea that they want to start any kind of ruckus(骚乱).

A. You need to find security people.

B. Bigger sports stadiums will be perfect as well.

C. We can find enough songs to get a lot of money.

D. People should have practiced many different songs.

E. But remember, you are trying to attract fans of all ages.

F. The last thing you want is that a group is on the stage but the speakers don't work.

G. You can find a location by going to the local government and asking for permission.

    What should you think about in trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to do well at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general good result. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.

    Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metal work or cooking and look for a job where you can improve these skills.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You may have learned how to get to work on time and get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a certain industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You may be all thumbs when you deal with tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weaknesses than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not feel sorry for it. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. This does not have direct value for future job hunting.

B. These may show strengths that you can use in your work.

C. Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself.

D. Having a part-time job is a good way to find out your weak points.

E. Instead, you should recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.

F. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value.

G. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it.

Helping people is the backbone (支柱) of a healthy society. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} This statement is true and the following are some of the major benefits of assisting other people.

 {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Researchers have done lots of work to prove that helping others does have a great effect on a person's happiness. Even though we usually feel the urge to compete with other people, taking time to assist others can be very beneficial to us. The key to internal joy and happiness is simply helping those in need.

Build trust. When people see that you have genuine intentions of assisting them, it is likely they are going to be very grateful. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Helping people is also a good way to create and develop trusty relationship, particularly if you never expect anything to be given to you in return.

Improve the community. The mentality of helping people is increasing in popularity since more people have realized that we do not need to fight for survival. A rising number of individuals now assist others without asking for anything back. This has resulted in the change in attitude and people are now more giving, more willing and also much readier to offer assistance.

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Helping other people is important as it helps to connect many people together.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} The end result is an inspired community in general.

A. Increase happiness.

B. Improve mental health.

C. This improves the whole community and changes the atmosphere.

D. It is believed that helping others is basically helping yourself.

E. As a result, they see you as a caring person and begin to trust you.

F. If you often help others, you will become a more responsible person.

G. Those who offer help and get help come together and inspire one another.