Things I Wish I'd Known in High School

    Sometimes high school seems like a necessary evil. Now at the end of my college journey, I know that there are still more things I could have done to make my high school experience more beneficial.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Take a class that scares you during high school. The experience will definitely prepare you for future academic challenges.

    Don't worry about your grades too much. Getting a B is not the end of the world.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}I started college with all A's since seventh grade, and it was hard to deal with not being able to repeat that. I stayed away from taking some harder courses I might have done well in because I was afraid of doing poorly. Now, I can fully accept that if I try my best in at least one harder class and get a B+, that is still something to be proud of.

    Find your own de-stressing routine. Another essential skill to begin building in high school is how to manage work and stress. Maybe you deal with stress by going for a run, or watching a silly movie. Talk with a friend for a while or play with your dog.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Spend your summers wisely. Don't take on a full-time job the first summer you decide to work.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Do find something to do that will make the ten weeks worthwhile. Look for programs that take you to interesting places, or a job that will give you insight into something you might be interested in.

    Finally, remember to have fun. Your life does not depend on high school.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}You will have plenty of time to work hard in college and beyond. Be prepared, but don't stress out too much about it. If you can make your high school experience fun, you will have no problem doing the same for your life in college and beyond.

A. In fact, it's kind of a good thing.

B. Take full advantage of your brain.

C. You do have to be active about making friends.

D. Do your best, but leave time for fun with friends.

E. Forty hours a week will be a huge shock and you'll have plenty of time for that in the future.

F. Find out what relaxes you, and you will feel less stressed.

G. They will be improved if you make great efforts.

    We all know that a hot, milky drink and a warm bath are supposed to relax you before bed, but many of us still can't slip into sleep. Here are some tips to help you go to sleep.

    Breathe in through your left nostril(鼻孔)

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Sleep specialist Peter Smith says, “Lie on your left side, resting a finger on your right nostril to close it. Start slow, deep breathing in the left nostril.” Peter, author of Sleep Better With Natural Therapies, says this technique is particularly good when overhearting is preventing sleep.

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    Relaxing all your muscles can prepare your body for sleep. Anxiety expert Charles Linden says: “Lying on your back, take a deep, slow breath in through your nose and, the same time, squeeze your toes tightly as if you are trying to curl them under your foot, then loosen them slowly. Breathe again, contract your leg muscles, then your thigh, belly, chest, arms, and so on until you hat all the way up your body{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Try to stay awake

Challenge yourself to stay awake— your mind will fight against it! “It's called the sleep paradox(悖论).” Says psychotherapist Julie Hirst. She explains: “Keep your eyes wide open, repeat to yourself 'I will not sleep'{#blank#}4{#/blank#}but instead view this as an instruction to sleep and eye muscles tire quickly as sleep turns up.”

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    Use at least three senses imagining yourself in a situation where you feel content—a paradise(乐园), sailing on calm waters, walking in flower fields.

A. Just imagine.

B. Enjoy a paradise.

C. Squeeze and relax

D The brain doesn't process negatives well

E. You must repeat what you have done

F. This yoga method is thought to reduce blood pressure and calm you

G. When you have gone from head to toe, you should feel ready for sleep

How to read more and learn more

    These days, more and more Chinese people enjoy sending and receiving messages on the phone. It can help them to get the latest news and communicate with friends. But I think I should read more books besides the textbooks, the more, the better. It can broaden my mind and improve my language skills. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some tips for you.

    Clear your purpose for reading.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Most people read for two main reasons, pleasure or knowledge. Clearing about your reading purpose can not only help you choose the books you really need to read, but also remind you why reading the book is important to you, so you will keep reading and complete the book faster.

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    No matter what you arc reading, it is important to enjoy what you read. Your friends you the books they love, but those books might not necessarily be the ones you enjoy.

    Give up books that you don't enjoy.

    You may have chosen books that you are interested in, and they are right purpose. But while you are reading them, there may still be some books that you don't enjoy reading. Whenever you realize that you aren't enjoying the book you are reading, give it up.

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    Set a reading goal.

    It is interesting that I read the books borrowed from libraries faster than than those I bought. The reason is the books I bought don't have a due date! I don't need to return those books. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Before you read each book, ask yourself what time you need to complete this book by.

A. Remember reading shouldn't be a chore.

B. Read the books borrowed from others.

C. Read only what you are interested in.

D. Of course, it also can help me to get good grades.

E. We need to get the latest news and communicate with friends.

F. Having a reading goal helps you work out how much reading you need to do in a week or even a day.

G. Before you start reading, ask yourself why you are reading this book.

    Many of us deal with mental health challenges on a daily basis. Being fed a steady diet of destructive world events only serves to make that harder, So I've decided to share a few strategies to avoid being completely broken down by the newsfeed right now.

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    You'll find it easier to make this mental mindshift if you make a conscious effort to boost your level of positive emotion by doing things you enjoy and spending time with people you love. Positive emotions leave the door open to possibility while negative emotions keep the door shut.

    Recognize that there's a difference between being absorbed and being informed

    Sure, you want to be aware of what's happening in the world, but that doesn't mean that you have to be absorbed into your Twitter or Facebook and aim for a balanced media diet.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Move toward the good, too.

    Look for opportunities to take action

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} But by carrying through on sort of positive action, however small (writing a letter, making a donation, attending a face-to-face get-together in your town), you'll feel good. And that will help to stop what can otherwise quickly change into negative feelings of anxiety and sadness.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Reach out-don't break down Inward

    Connect with other caring citizens who share your concern about what's happening in our country and our world. Talk to other people you know who may be going through an especially difficult time right now.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Finally, reach out for other types of support if you feel like you're really struggling.

A. It doesn't have to be something huge.

B. Say no sometimes.

C. Hold your sense of optimism.

D. Let them know that you will be there to support them and that you care.

E. Feeling powerless fuels anxiety, taking action brings it down.

F. Don't just focus on the really bad news.

G. Doing good deeds can also relax social anxiety.

    How can we keep safe personal information on our computers or cellphones? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}View emails with a careful eye

    It's best to view all emails with care. Hackers (黑客) can make emails look like real company emails. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's best to search for the original source of the information, and try to find the direct link from the site instead of using the link provided in the email.

    Use two-factor authentication (双重认证)

    Two-factor authentication adds a second level of safety to an account. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It's a safety option that requires a password as well as an additional piece of information only the user would know.

    Update apps and operating systems

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} While these updates may appear to only change the way your phone's software looks, they often come with safety improvements. There may be a bug (软件漏洞). Those bugs are discovered by cell providers or smartphone makers, so it's a good idea to upgrade them.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}It's no surprise that changing your password has always been a basic form of protection. But what we pick as passwords and how we manage them are important. First, passwords should never include your personal information. So stay away from names and birthdates. Ideally, passwords are a combination of lowercase (小写) and uppercase (大写) letters and random characters. It could be a strong, long password that doesn't have any personal information, making it harder to remember.

A. Manage passwords safety

B. Here are some steps to make it.

C. It can trick readers into clicking on dangerous links.

D. Often users are unwilling to update their mobile devices.

E. Combine your personal information with random figures.

F. Here are some ways to create your online personal passwords.

G. Do it if there's an option for your email, banking site or social media site.

    Penguins are flightless birds that spend half their time on land and half in the water.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They have dark and white feathers, and their wings have evolved into flippers(脚蹼).Most penguins feed on fish, squid and other forms of sea life caught while swimming.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They are mostly found in groups that include thousands of penguins. Penguins each have their own unique mating call, and they use that to locate their mate and chicks in such a large group.

    Although almost all penguin species are native to the Southern Hemisphere, they are not found only in cold Antarctica.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Several species are even found in the temperate zone, and one species, the Galátpagos penguin, lives near the equator(赤道).

    Unfortunately, many penguin species worldwide are facing threats. The biggest is climate change and global warming. As the earth warms up, the sheets of ice have melted, and the algae(藻类)that grow under the ice decrease. The algae are eaten by tiny creatures called zooplankton. When there is a drop in zooplankton, it affects the fish that depend on it.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Another major threat is from oil spills. If coated with oil, penguins cannot float or swim in water. Also, if oil is swallowed, penguins will die from poison.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. These birds are very social.

B. In fact, only a few of them live so far south.

C. Penguins are highly adapted for life in the water.

D. The biggest threat for penguins comes from humans.

E. They have a tendency to live in a community together.

F. As a result, penguins have less fish to eat and thus starve.

G. Others include overfishing, illegal egg harvesting, and natural enemies.