For college students, graduation signals an exciting new beginning. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Many students wonder: What do I do now? What career is best for me? Most expert advice on choosing careers boils down to the following points.

Knowing Yourself

    What are your interests? Abilities? Skills? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The results may surprise you! These can be useful, but they're not the last word.

Investigating

    Investigating occupations is much more difficult. For most people, there isn't just one ‘right' job, but several that could be satisfying. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Talk to people who have occupations that interest you. Find out what they like and dislike about their job.

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    Many people choose their careers because they believe strongly in a particular cause. Some might choose to work in areas like medicine, charity or environmental protection. Some have a strong interest in history or a love for the arts. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} So in cases like these, the field is often chosen first, rather than the occupation itself. So if you've chosen a field, self-assessment will help you find your place in it. Invest some time and effort, and find the right career for you.

    You want to be happy, who doesn't? However, whether you procrastinate(拖延), feed negative self-talk, or don't rest your mind, you lower your potential to create happiness.

Procrastination

    You aren't in deadly danger if you procrastinate, but your system doesn't always take this information on board. You still react as though you are anxious and produce stress chemicals.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Your ability to see the big picture of life is reduced when you procrastinate. Therefore, you don't see as much joy.

Negative self-talk

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Taking notice of what goes on in your head and putting positive change in action makes negative self-talk useful. Nevertheless, most people don't recognize negative self-talk as a pointer; they feed it until it grows out of control.

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    Your mind contains an incredible amount of information and is more powerful than any computer many times over. However, if you give it too many tasks, you shut out peace of mind.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Thought-overload results in physical symptoms, like a racing heart and shortness of breath. Additionally, you might have sleeplessness, digestive problems and other symptoms of stress that reduce your happiness.

    If you want to increase the odds of being happy, don't procrastinate. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Similarly, don't overload your mind, give it a rest and you will soon notice you are happier.

    It's nice being nice to others; it's also great to give people a hand. However, if you start to hurt yourself by doing so, then this is not so healthy.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}If you fear that you might fall into this category, the following tips will help you to stand up for yourself and regain your self-confidence.

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    Although you may often stay silent if something is wrong or bothers you, it is better to speak your mind right away. You don't have to be rude, but you do have to be firm and direct. Don't do things for others if you don't really want to. Speak up, and soon others will be seeing you in a whole new light.

    Start small.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}This will allow you to practice being brave and self-confident. Tell a person who has cut in line in front of you to move to the back of the line, or tell a salesperson to do that. Before long, you will be confident enough to stand up to your friends and family members.

    Judge well.

    When dealing with others, you have to exercise good judgment. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}If a colleague isn't doing his part, you should rightfully demand that he start doing so. However, if a taxi cuts you off in traffic, just let it go.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Rome wasn't built in a day. If you want to get back again after having been a pushover(耳软心活的人), it's best to take one step at a time.

A. Express yourself.

B. Regain your confidence.

C. Start by speaking up for yourself with strangers.

D. Everyone has the right to live without being judged.

E. If you slip back into the pushover mode every once in a while, don't blame yourself.

F. Sadly, some people are so easily pushed around that they come to be seen as pushovers.

G. It's one thing to be confident, but quite another to forcefully say no to an unreasonable request.

    The steady increase in women having babies later in life is undeniable. First-time mothers are more likely to be 35 or older than their counterparts (对应者) from two decades ago, according to the Pew Research Center. While the number of first-time moms between ages 20 and 24 falls, the number of births to women in their 30s and 40s keeps growing. In addition, recent wide-ranging studies have found significant long-term benefits in waiting to have babies. These benefits counterbalance (抵消) some worries about being an older mother and the effects it may have on children.

    Longevity for women who wait

    A study in the journal Menopause examined older mothers' life expectancy (寿命) and found that women who had their last child after the age of 33 are more likely to live to 95. In fact, researchers reported that these women had twice the chance of living to 95 or older than those who had their last child before their 30th birthday. The news for women having babies after 40 is equally promising.

    Boosted brainpower for older mothers

    It's also possible that later pregnancies (怀孕) protect against cognitive decline. Researchers at the University of Southern California found that women have better brainpower if they have their last baby after age 35. The researchers looked at the pregnancy history of a group of 830 women ages 41 to 92. Their research provides strong evidence of a positive association between later age at last pregnancy and late-life cognition.

    Increased income over time

    There's a measurable link between the age you have your first child and income gains and losses. Women who start their families when they are older are likely to increase their earning potential.

    Educational and emotional support for children

    Older parents who are less stressed about income or job security tend to be more patient and can spend more time with their children. Parents who have more secondary education can also offer more specific stimulation to their children, which can be helpful for development. An investigation of 8- to 12-year-olds explored how specific parenting beliefs and behaviors—such as reading, constructive play and emotional support—affected child development. The research published in the Journal of Family Psychology found that parent education and income positively affect child achievement.

    Having babies later in life

    Maybe you are an average student. You probably think you will never be a top student. However, anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here is how

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} When you plan your week, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. Choose a good, regular time for studying. Of course, studying shouldn't take all your time. Don't forget to set aside enough time for entertainment.

    Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space free of everything but studying materials. No games, radios, or television.

    Make good use of your time in class. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.

    Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes. Prepare lessons before class and try to know what your teacher is going to discuss the next day. Do read that material. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The purpose of a test is to show what your have learned about a subject. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be over-worried.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You will probably find many others after you have tried these.

A.   There are other methods that might help you with your studying.

B.    Develop a good attitude to tests.

C.   Make full use of class time to listen to everything the teachers say.

D.   No one can become a top student unless he or she works hard.

E.    Plan your time carefully.

F.    A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems

G.   This will help you understand the next class.

注意：每个空格只填1个单词。

    A total of 604 people injured in a chemical plant explosion on March 21 in Xiangshui, Jiangsu Province were still receiving medical care in nearby medical facilities, including 19 in critical condition and 98 seriously wounded. The fire quickly spread to 16 neighboring enterprises, with the latest death toll at 64.

    At the same time, rescuers were busy inspecting chemical plants damaged in the explosion for possible poisonous substance leaks. Since the explosion, six rounds of search and rescue missions have been launched, and the search area has been expanded from 1.1 square kilometers to 2 sq km. More than 4,500 medical workers and 116 ambulances have so far participated in rescue work. The National Health Commission sent 16 leading experts to treat the injured. As of the noon of March 24, victims were being treated in 16 hospitals. Specialized treatment plans had been made for every patient. Psychologists have also been sent to help the recovery of the patients, their relatives and rescuers. Workers have been sent to comfort the families of the killed. The bodies will be treated according to ethnic and religious customs where applicable.

    Sang Shulou, 36, discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment, with signs of obvious injury on his face, said that he was blessed to have survived the explosion that happened just 100 meters away from him. “I was driving a car passing the explosion site when the car was pushed away fiercely by the wave,” he said.

    More than 1,600 homes near the explosion site have been repaired. Owners of homes beyond repair will receive compensation and assistance in moving to new homes.

    The State Council, China's Cabinet, has set up a special investigation group to look into the explosion. The investigation would be thorough. It also severely criticized the local government and the company involved for their not learning lessons from previous environmental violations and failing to make effective corrections, Official records show that the concerned company had been punished several times before for taking advantage of safety loopholes and violating environmental protection regulations. Chenjiagang Chemical Park also experienced several similar safety accidents over the past few years.