Getting the Cheapest Flights

    After interviewing 10 travel agents in the area, we've compiled (汇编) the very best tips for finding the cheapest flights.

    Book your flight 21 days before you want to fly. Booking a flight is like playing a game of chicken. Airlines want to get the most money possible for their tickets and have difficult computer programs that adjust their prices automatically. Booking too early, you might miss out on some major deals. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The best advice is to book your flight 21 days before your planned departure date to get the best deals.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Most airlines update their reservation systems on Tuesday at 7 p.m. GMT. People tend to buy their tickets on weekends, so airlines make changes on one of the slowest days of the week—Tuesday.

    Fly on Tuesday or Wednesday. Tuesday and Wednesday are the least busy days at airports, and are also the cheapest days to fly. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Friday and Sunday are the peak flying days of the week, and are the worst, and most expensive days to fly.

Book early for international flights. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}You can also try flying into smaller airports, which sometimes have better deals.

    Eat your cookies（网络标记). Delete your Internet browser cookies if you've visited an airline site within the last 30 days. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Compare prices. Use travel search engines, in addition to airline websites, to make sure you're getting the best deal possible.

A. Collect it one day ahead.

B. Tuesday is the best day of the week.

C. Pay in cash when you receive your ticket.

D. Booking too late, you might be shocked to see prices skyrocket.

E. The best deals for international flying are found 11-12 weeks in advance.

F. As an added bonus, you'll also have less people to deal with at the airport.

G. It's been discovered that some airlines will raise prices for previous visitors to their websites.

    To someone stuck in a traffic jam, the ability to fly right over other cars seems like a dream. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} That may be changing. Nearly a dozen companies around the globe are competing to be the first to develop a flying car. One of the ideas being developed is a car with wings that unfold for flight. But, most aren't cars at all. They are more like helicopters and are operated by a battery-powered motor.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Companies have to convince the government that the flying cars are safe. They will also need longer-lasting batteries. And, cities will have to figure out how to handle thousands of flying cars in the sky.

    Still, some companies are moving forward. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Especially as cities grow more crowded and people spend more time stuck in traffic. These taxis would deliver passengers to the rooftops of office buildings during rush hours.

    "In as little as 10 years, products could be on the market that revolutionize urban travel for millions of people," said Zach Lovering. He is the leader of a project to develop a self-flying taxi for Airbus, a European company that makes airplanes. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Although Uber doesn't have any plans to develop a flying car itself, the company is advising several companies that are developing them.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Designers think that if enough people want to buy them, prices can be kept affordable.

A. Some flying cars are designed for human pilots.

B. It's still unclear how much flying cars will cost.

C. They see a need for "air taxis" and personally owned flying cars.

D. Companies will also have to get permission from the government.

E. The Uber ride-share company sees air taxis as the future of on-call transportation.

F. Inventors and business people tried to make flying cars, but have never been able to.

G. There are many challenges that could keep flying cars from becoming part of everyday life.

How to Remember What You Read

    Reading is important. But the next step is making sure that you remember what you've read! {#blank#}1{#/blank#} you may have just read the text. But the ideas, concepts and images（形象）may fly right out of your head. Here are a few tricks for remembering what you read.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    If the plot, characters, or word usage is confusing for you, you likely won't be able to remember what you read. It's a bit like reading a foreign language. If you don't understand what you're reading, how would you remember it? But there are a few things you can do... Use a dictionary; look up the difficult words.

    Are you connected?

    Does a character remind you of a friend? Does the setting make you want to visit the place? Does the book inspire you and make you want to read more? With some books, you may feel a connection right away. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} How willing are you to make the connections happen?

    Read it; hear it; be it!

    Read the lines. Then, speak them out loud. And, put some character into the words. When he was writing his novels, Charles Dickens would act out the parts of the characters. He'd make faces in the mirror and change his voice for each character. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} 

    How often do you read?

    If you read frequently, you'll likely have an easier time with remembering what you're reading and what you've read. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} As you make reading a regular part of your life, you'll make more connections, stay more focused and understand the text better. You'll learn to enjoy literature- as you remember what you read!

A. Are you confused?

B. Practice makes perfect.

C. What's your motivation?

D. Memory is sometimes a tricky thing.

E. Marking helps you remember what you read.

F. But other books require a bit more work on your part.

G. You can do the same thing when you are reading the text!

    Let's face it, most of us are really busy. So busy that we don't make time for creativity. Even those who work in creative fields are probably at a point where true creativity is being pushed behind more pressing tasks. This doesn't necessarily have to be so. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Schedule It

    Put your creativity tasks into your calendar-you have a very important meeting with yourself! {#blank#}2{#/blank#} All you really need is about 15 minutes a day and that can really start to swing the pendulum (钟摆) in the other direction. I find that 15 minutes in the morning after a fresh cup of coffee is an ideal time for some creative work. You can plan a day to go out and explore something new to get inspired, whatever you feel is going to fuel your creative energy. Schedule these into your month, as well.

    Shift Your Mindset

    Like I mentioned, sometimes it has to start with your own belief. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, then it's not going to happen. I found that once I redesigned my business to free up more time for me, I was able to really let go of guilt and realize that creativity is self-care. Even if it's not going to better your career, it's likely going to "better" you, and that makes it all worthwhile.

    Make Space

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, but how about physical space? Is there a place in your home that you can devote to your creativity? Maybe it's in your office. You can have a spot with your art utensils, musical instruments, your favorite books. Or maybe it's in your backyard and you have a spot where you drink tea and practice writing. Sometimes it may be a corner of pillows in your bedroom that you snuggle in and listen to music. Having a devoted spot helps to foster it as a daily practice that you look forward to.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Just like all your good habits, you have to make them routine. Once you get used to carving out time and space for your creativity, you will wonder how you ever lived without it!

A. Be Curious

B. Make It Routine

C. It can be such a waste of time

D. But seriously, this really helps

E. We've talked about mental space

F. If you're not valuing your creative time

G. Here are some easy tips for making it a priority

Green: More than just a colour

    Green is an important colour in nature. It is the colour of grass and the leaves on trees. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Sometimes, the word green means young. fresh and growing. Sometimes, it describes something that is not yet ripe or finished.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that woman next door has a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.

    The Green Revolution is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}The Green Revolution was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}The green－eyed monster is not a frightening creature from outer space. It is an expression used about four hundred years ago by British writer William Shakespeare in his play Othello.

    In most places in the world，a green light is a sign to move ahead. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}In everyday speech, a green light means approval to continue with a project. We want you to know we have a green light to continue this series next week.

A. For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience, who is new to a situation.

B. Someone is also the colour used to describe the powerful emotion, jealousy.

C. Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb.

D. A green light on a traffic signal means your car can continue on.

E. The new plants produced much larger crops

F. It is also the colour of most growing plants.

G. About one hundred years ago, having a green thumb was a popular expression in the American west.

A Few Tips for Self- Acceptance

We all want it. .. to accept and love ourselves. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Where do you start? Here's a handful of ways that will set you in the right direction.

• Stop comparing yourself with others. Do not follow the people who make you feel not- good- enough. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Are you hoping that eventually you will feel empowered because your life is better than theirs? Know that your life is your own; you are the only you in this word.

·{#blank#}3{#/blank#} We are often ashamed of our shortcomings, our mistakes and our failures. Remember, you are only human. You will make mistakes, time and time again. Rather than getting caught up in how you could have done better, why not offer yourself a compassionate(有同情心) response?" That didn't go as planned. But, I tried my best."

●Recognize all of your strengths. Write them down in a journal. Begin to train your brain to look at strength before weakness. List all of your accomplishments and achievements. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Nothing is too small to celebrate.

●Now that you' ve listed your strengths list your imperfections. Turn the page in your journal. Put into words why you feel unworthy, and why you don't feel good enough. Now, read these words back to yourself. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Turn to a page in your journal to your list of strengths and achievements. See how awesome you are?

A. But at times it seems too difficult and too far out of reach.

B. Feeling upset again?

C. You have a job, earned your degree, and you got out of bed today.

D. Forgive yourself for mistakes that you have made.

E. Why do you follow them?

F. Set an intention for self- acceptance.

G. When does the comparison game start?