Forgiveness

    To forgive is a virtue (美德), but no one has ever said it is easy. When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your hate. However, forgiveness is possible, and it can be surprisingly beneficial to your physical and mental health. People who forgive show less sadness, anger and stress and more hopefulness, according to a recent research.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Try the following steps:

    Calm yourself.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}You can take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, or someone you love.

    Don't wait for an apology. Many times the person who hurt you does not intend to apologize. They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don't see things the same way.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean becoming friends again with the person who upset you.

    Take the control away from your offender(冒犯者). Rethinking about your hurt gives power to the person who causes you pain. Instead of focusing on your mounded feelings, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you understand your offender, you may realize that he or she was acting out of unawareness, fear, and even love. You may want to write a letter to yourself from your offender's point of view.

    Don't forget to forgive yourself.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}But it can rob you of your self-confidence if you don't do it.

A. Why should you forgive?

B. How should you start to forgive?

C. Recognize the benefits of forgiveness.

D. Try to see things from your offender's angle.

E. For some people, forgiving themselves is the biggest challenge.

F. To make your anger die away, try a simple stress-management technique.

G. If you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting an awfully long time.

    You've seen news reports about people who need assistance after a natural disaster, or TV programs about how lonely and isolated older people can get. Maybe you've walked past people who are living on the streets.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The answer: you can volunteer. Volunteering gives you an opportunity to change people's lives, including your own. Helping others in need is such an important part of life. So how do you go about it?

    Find what's right for you.

    Volunteering isn't school.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}You can choose what really interests you and who or what is most deserving of your time.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    After you've discovered what interests you, decide how much time you want to spend and what fits into your schedule.

    Expand your mind.

    Volunteering is a great way to learn new skills — from working as part of a team to setting and reaching goals.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}And it can help you develop a new understanding of people who are different from you — people with disabilities, people in financial problems, sick kids, or the elderly.

    Feel good.

    Volunteering helps people feel they make a difference — that they do have the power to change things for the better. When people depend on you, it can change the way you look at yourself.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Volunteering is also a great way to get a view on your own life.

A. It can give you a chance to discover what kinds of things you're best at and enjoy most.

B. Instead of having the choices made for you, you've got to pick.

C. Doing something for others helps people to change the world.

D. So what can you do about any of those things?

E. You can feel proud of what you've achieved.

F. Find what fits your schedule.

G. Change things for the better.

    Daily to-do lists can help you get focused and organized. Follow these tips to create a good to-do list.

    Notice the order.

    It may help you to develop some sort of system for your to-do list. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. You can even use a number system and mark them from 1 to 5. Items that are marked 1 might be done later, while the 5s are tasks you should deal with first.

    Reduce the list.

    You need to complete tasks or part of tasks one step at a time. If you have 15minutes to spare, find something on the list that you can complete in that time period. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, but several 15 minutes add up to something huge.

    Add in something fun.

    Your to-do list is no doubt full of things you may not like. That's why adding in fun activities and tasks should also be important. A fun item doesn't feel like work. It may even feel like a break. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, you'll be more active to get them done.

    Don't list too much.

    It's important not to overwhelm(压垮) yourself. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. If there's too much on your plate or you have to work too fast, you can't possibly enjoy yourself and you'll only end up being frustrated and overwhelmed.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    Your list needs to be organized in a way that makes you feel comfortable. There are many choices nowadays. However, the old-fashioned pen and paper method may work best for you. You can also use the Internet or even your cellphone to keep your list organized.

A. Keep it organized

B. Avoid too much stress

C. Write it down the night before

D. Certainly every item on the list can't be equally important

E. You may think that 15 minutes is not enough to do something

F. When you return to the less interesting items

G. Everything that goes on your to-do list should be something important that you need to do

How old is “old”?

    How old is “old”? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Two hundred years ago, you were old at 35. That was the average life then. At the turn of this century, as medical knowledge advanced, the average life span(长度) increased to 45. In 1950, 70-year-olds were really old. Today, a healthy 70-year-old is looking forward to many more active years.

    So, how old is old? The answer is one you've heard many times, from all sorts of people. “You are as old (or young) as you feel!” The calendar(日历) simply tells you how many years you have lived. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Once an unknown author wrote,“ {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Nobody grows old by living a number of years; people grow old by giving up their goals.”

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Alice Brophy, when she was with the New York City commission for the Aging, said, “It upsets me when people say, 'Gee, you look young for your age!' What does that mean? Is there some model that you're supposed to look a certain way at 65 and 75 and 85? You know you can die old at 30 and live young at 80.”

There are many wrong ideas about aging. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Here are some of the more common ones. For example, most older people are in poor health, or older people are unable to change.

A. Old is a point of view.

B. It's extremely terrible to be grown old.

C. The answer has changed over the years.

D. Your body tells you how well you've lived.

E. Older people are stubborn, unable to change.

F. Youth is not a time of life but it is a state of mind.

G. These ideas stereotype (固化) people on the basis of age.

    Here are some top tips for world travelers.

    Travel light.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It's no fun carrying a huge bag around a foreign city. Don't take too many clothes and avoid heavy books and electrical equipment.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Always keep your passport on you in an inside pocket or special travel belt. There may be thieves about. It's a good idea to make a photocopy(复印件)of your passport and travel documents.

    Transport sense. Don't let go of your bags on the train.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} There are always thieves on public transport. If you want to sleep, tie your bag to your arm. When you take a taxi, it's a good idea to ask for the driver's permit. Many foreigners pay too much money because they take unofficial taxis.

    Keep clean. It's a good idea to wear dark clothes because they hide the dirt while white clothes attract it! Make sure you have plenty of clean underclothes and deodorant(除臭剂).{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You should always be polite and respectful towards the locals. Even if you find their habits and behaviour a bit strange, you shouldn't show your feelings. Remember, you're their guest.

A. Be polite.

B. Keep your documents safe.

C. You should carry a spare bag.

D. You don't want to smell bad!

E. Keep them with you at all times.

F. Make sure your bag isn't too heavy.

G. It's a good idea to wear similar clothes to the local people.

    People who experience face blindness can have a hard time in their social life. They have trouble remembering or recognizing faces. The term 'face blindness' isn't exactly accurate though. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They just can't put all the parts together into one coherent image that they remember and recognize when they see it again, which is why proper name for face blindness is prosopagnosia, or literally "not knowing the face".

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} These clues include the way they sound (their voice or accent), the way they look (body size, shape or height), the way they smell, their clothing, their hair(style, colour or length) and obvious features on their face(beards, piercings heavy eyebrow, glasses).

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Because they're not always unique to one person and they can change. This is why face blindness can cause so much stress.

    If you don't experience face blindness, you've probably never given much thought to your ability to recognize familiar people or how important that is to your social interactions and feelings of safety. But imagine if you didn't know whether the person approaching you is a friend or a stranger. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Or imagine not being able to find the teacher when you need to use the toilet, because your teacher wears glasses and none of the adults in the room are wearing glasses today. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A.These are important ways to remember someone's face.

B.Do you say hello or just keep on walking?

C.Those with face blindness have to use other clues to recognize people.

D.It's easy to see the effect this would have on your social skills and confidence.

E.These are much less effective ways to recognize someone.

F.There are tests you can take to get an idea about your face-recognizing abilities.

G.They actually can see faces.