It is reported that although our genes and environment play an important role, how happy we are largely depends on our choices and activities. The following are just several areas that tend to make a big difference to people's happiness.

    Take a positive attitude

    Positive emotions―like joy, gratitude, satisfaction, inspiration and pride― don't just feel good when we experience them.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} So although we need to be realistic about life's ups and downs, it helps to focus on the good aspects of any situation―the glass half full rather than the glass half empty.

    Accept who you are and what you are

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Learning to accept ourselves and being kinder to ourselves when things go wrong will increase our enjoyment of life. It also helps us accept others as they are. Ask a trusted friend or colleague to tell you what they think your real strengths are.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

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    Caring about others is fundamental to our happiness. Helping other people is not only good for them; it's good for us too. It makes us happier and can help to improve our health. Giving also creates stronger connections between people and helps to build a happier society.

    Take part in something bigger

    People who have meaning and purpose in their lives are happier. They also experience less stress, anxiety and depression.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} It might come from doing a job that makes a difference, or spiritual beliefs, or our family. The answers may be different for each of us but they all involve being connected to something bigger than ourselves.

A. Our broader social networks bring a sense of belonging.

B. Nobody is perfect.

C. Give them a call or offer your support.

D. Try to make more use of these.

E. They also help us perform better, and improve our physical health.

F. But where do we find meaning and purpose?

G. Do things for others.

    Have you ever had the following experience? You have been given the task of organizing a conference, which includes a must-do list about a mile long. There is the conference site, the guest list, the materials, the technology and even the food and drink to think about and plan. If you are beginning to feel the stress, slow down and take a breath.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Write down your goals. You will need to clearly define what you hope to accomplish with this conference because this will shape the rest of your decisions.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Develop your budget. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Then break that budget into different parts such as conference site, materials and speakers' fees. Stick to your budget, and make sure your assistants are keeping their monetary limits as well.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. When searching for locations, keep in mind the number of participants, the convenience of the location, parking and closeness to public transportation, airports and hotels. Your goal in finding a place to hold the conference should be making it as easy as possible for participants to attend.

    Seek help from the staff of the conference site. If you have chosen a site that is known for holding conferences, you can seek help from the staff there as organizing meeting is what they do every day. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. They should be able to answer any questions or concern and provide advice when needed.

    Of course, full preparations also include a walk-through. Go to the site and meet with the staff the day before to be certain that everything is in place and to take care of any small details.

A. Decide on a schedule for the meeting

B. Choose your conference site

C. Read the following skills to figure out how to organize a conference

D. Knowing what you want to achieve eases the stress of moving forward

E. Make full use of this important resource

F. You can do nothing without knowing how much money you have to spend

G. Seek help from your colleagues to support every aspect of the meeting

Cats in ancient Egypt

    Many of us love cats. They are beautiful, soft, clever and loving. The ancient Egyptians(埃及人) considered cats, also known as Mau, to be very important. They honored them with great respect. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For one thing, cats helped people by keeping their homes free of mice, rats, and snakes.

Without cats Egypt could not have been the important grain-growing(谷物种植) center that it was. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Though I don't know what other pets the Egyptians had, cats were probably the most important. Cats were also trained to help hunters. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The Egyptians loved cats so much that Bast, an Egyptian goddess, was pictured in the form of a cat. Bast appeared in artwork. She was the protector of the house. This idea made a special connection between cats and children. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The safety of all cats was of great concern to ancient Egyptians. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Foreigners sometimes took cats out of Egypt secretly and took them to other lands. Egyptian soldiers were sent to pick up cats found in other countries and bring them back home to Egypt.

A. There were good reasons for that.

B. Two types of cats appeared in ancient Egypt.

C. In grain fields, cats helped catch rats and mice.

D. They were able to help pick up the wounded birds.

E. There were even laws against getting a cat out of Egypt.

F. Anyone who killed a cat on purpose would be put to death.

G. That's why most Egyptian families had cats for good luck.

    Since the 1980s eco-tourism has grown and grown. It is the fastest growing type of tourism.

    If done well, eco-tourism has several advantages. It is kinder to the environment. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}This means that more natural habitat is protected and that the resources for building come from sustainable (可持续的) sources. Another advantage is that people in the developed world through eco-tourism get to experience places of great natural importance as well as communicating with local people. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    However, there are some disadvantages of eco-tourism. It is felt by some environmentalists that any human activity will cause disorder in the routine of animals. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Another problem for local people is that they are expected to pose for cameras and dance etc. for money. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}The tourists are destroying the culture that they are paying to protect.

    Eco-tourism tries to go to the places far away from other communities. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}There is nothing stopping people taking money from tourists as well as doing environmentally unfriendly activities.

    It seems that the disadvantages often outweigh the advantages of eco-tourism. It might be better to take pictures of animals rather than kill animals, but given the choice the animals would sooner not have people around. It seems whether eco-tourism should be allowed should be judged case-by-case, and that the local people must be considered.

A. These places are often not well policed.

B. People walking through the forest may do much harm.

C. And these activities will also damage the eco-system.

D. It seldom ends people to untouched parts of the world.

E. This is good for both parties: they both can better understand each other.

F. And it encourages developers to consider the natural environment more.

G. It discourages the local people from pursuing their traditional life styles.

    My mother is a diligent and kind woman. She is very busy from morning till night. As a teacher, she works hard. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Both my brother and I love her dearly as she loves us.

    My mother has been teaching math at a middle school in my hometown. She goes to work early in the morning and does not return home until in the late afternoon. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} She treats them with patience and teaches them well. For her excellent quality and very good teaching results, she has been elected as a model teacher several times.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Every day, when she comes back home from work, she sets about doing housework, sweeping the living room and bedrooms or cleaning the furniture, and putting everything in good order. She seems to be busy all the time. As she has been very busy working every day, she looks older than her age. But she looks as cheerful and happy as ever. Mother never buys expensive dresses for herself, but she often buys some inexpensive but high quality clothes for us. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} She just eats a plain meal outside when she is too busy to cook herself. She lives a busy yet simple life, without any complaints.(抱怨)

    Often she says to us, "work while you work, and play while you play. That is the way to be happy. If you do not work, you will become lazy and be of no use to society". What a piece of good advice this is! {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This advice of hers will always serve as a guide to my behavior. My mother is great indeed, and I always feel proud of her.

A. She enjoys listening to classic music.

B. As a mother, she takes good care of us and gives us every comfort.

C. She loves her students and cares for them.

D. She never goes to expensive restaurants to enjoy meals.

E. My mother is hard-working and never wastes money.

F. I never forget it and always bear it in my mind.

G. Can you tell us something about your mother?

    We know that choosing a college major can be extremely hard. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. However, it is a challenge to pick one when it feels as if the rest of your adult life is riding on that choice. It is a big commitment, but it's not a life sentence. Many graduates pursue careers that aren't directly related to their college majors, or change careers after several years. You may choose to base your decision on any of these factors:

    Dream job

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Maybe you already know that you want to be a nurse, a day trader, a physician, or a web developer. Before you declare, take a class or two in the relevant discipline, talk to students in the department of your choice.

    Great ambition

    According to PayScale.com, the majors that lead to the highest salaries include just about any type of engineering, actuarial mathematics, computer science, physics, statistics, government and economics. Keep your quality of life in mind, too.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Some students choose a major simply because they love the subject matter. If you love what you're studying, you're more likely to fully engage with your classes and college experience. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. If your calling is philosophy, don't write it off just because you're not sure about graduate school, or what the job market holds for philosophers.

A. Love project

B. The academy of the School

C. Many schools offer hundreds of choices

D. Science is a specific subject that college students specialize in

E. That can mean better grades and great relationships with others in your field

F. That seven figure salary may not be worth it if you're not happy at the office

G. Some students choose a major because it will prepare them for a specific career path or advanced study