Have you experienced times when you feel like you're under too much pressure? I think most of you will say yes. Actually, many things can strike us beyond our control. With an annoying mix of late trains, missed appointments and work deadlines, many of us are living in a constant state of stress. Experts warn, our modern lifestyles means that stress is almost continuous, and comes without the natural release that either fighting or fleeing might provide.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Conditions vary from mood swings(情绪波动) to anxiety, irritability, nervousness and tiredness. In extreme cases, it can even cause headaches, muscle cramps, and digestive problems. But there are a number of things we can do to manage the symptoms.

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    Balancing blood sugar is essential in lowering stress. To maintain its level, you can try to have one small meal every two-to-three hours that contains protein, for example, breakfast, lunch and dinner plus a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. In this case, your blood sugar will be steady.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Laugh as you like.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Many studies show that laughter boosts our energy, decreases stress hormones, improves immunity and lessens pains. Try to find humor in life and engage in activities that make you laugh. Don't feel guilty about doing what you love. It will work its magic in your body.

    Schedule your workout timing.

    It could be the time, rather than the way that determines how effective your workouts would be.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Do energy-forming exercises like running or aerobics in the morning, and milder activities in the evening. Try a walk at the end of the day to calm your mind and stretch your muscles.

A. Eat little and often.

B. So will your mood swings.

C. Laughter is the best medicine.

D. These things are activated by laughing

E. The aim of exercise is to boost your energy.

F. Adapt your exercise routine to the biological clock.

G. Living with it can lead to a whole range of health problems.

    Color is fundamental in home design-something you'll always have in every room. A grasp of how to manage color in your spaces is one of the first steps to creating rooms you'll love to live in. Do you want a room that's full of life? Or are you just looking for a place to relax after a long day?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}, color is the key to making a room feel the way you want it to feel.

    Over the years, there have been a number of different techniques to help designers approach this important point.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, they can get a little complex. But good news is that there're really only three kinds of decisions you need to make about color in your home: the small ones, the medium ones, and the large ones.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.They're the little spots of color like throw pillows, mirrors and baskets that most of us use to add visual interest to our rooms. Less tiring than painting your walls and less expensive than buying a colorful sofa, small color choices bring with them the significant benefit of being easily changeable.

    Medium color choices are generally furniture pieces such as sofas, dinner tables or bookshelves.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.They require a bigger commitment than smaller ones, and they have a more powerful effect on the feeling of a space.

    The large color decision in your rooms concern the walls, ceilings, and floors. Whether you're looking at wallpaper or paint, the time, effort and relative expense put into it are significant.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. While all of them are useful

B. Whatever you're looking for

C. If you're experimenting with a color

D. Small color choices are the ones we're most familiar with

E. It's not really a good idea to use too many small color pieces

F. So it pays to be sure, because you want to get it right the first time

G. Color choices in this range are a step up from the small ones in two major ways

    April 22nd every year marks the start of Earth Day, a day that is celebrated every year to raise awareness(意识)about our home planet and how we can save it from being damaged. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Green up your home

    This is one of the most common things that people do whenever Earth Day rolls around, that is, switch off their lights. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Conserve (节约)energy by switching off all power of electricity points whenever they are not on use. In addition, take out all the plugs(插头) from plug points even after switching them off.

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    Cars, being the greatest source of air pollution, can be left at home this weekend. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Other greener choices are carpooling, riding a bike or you can also walk if you want a healthier choice and if your workplace is not that far away from your home.

    Be a little dirty

    No, we don't mean it “that way”. We simply mean to say, don't take a bath. Yes, saving water is super important. A day or two without a bath won't harm you, but it will certainly do a lot of good for our planet. A daily shower isn't a matter of health; it's a matter of comfort. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    The future of our planet is in your hands!

A. Leave your cars at home.

B. Traveling by public transport is a better choice.

C. Below, we have made a list of things you can do to celebrate Earth Day.

D. Showering every day can wash away the natural oils that our skin and hair need.

E. However, this is not something you should do just for a day or for only an hour.

F. Started in the year 1970, Earth Day is now celebrated in more than 190 countries each year.

G. Do something every day that will improve your surroundings to make the planet a better place to live.

    It can be difficult to meet new people and make friends, especially when you move to a new city or find yourself out of your comfort zone. How will you deal with the situation? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}There are several ways that you can meet people that you might not have considered in the past. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}You probably have several acquaintances that you see on a daily basis or a weekly basis. If you get along well with certain people, you can see if this acquaintance would like to go out and do something socially with you. If you have common interests, you might suggest that the two of you do something together that involves your interest.

    Make an effort to accept invitations. Sometimes people that you know may be having a barbecue or other type of social gathering. Try to ensure that you are able to attend and then show up at the appointed time. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you meet people that you click with, you can make a plan to see them again in the future or you can invite your friends to your own event and ask them to extend the invitation to the friends that were at their gathering too.

    Go out, even when you don't feel like it. It turns out that when people invite someone to join them for dinner or a movie or something else, they really want to hang out with you. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} {#blank#}5{#/blank#}But once you have used the same methods a few times you will know exactly what works and what does not. Don't give up, everyone is different and it just takes time to get to know people.

A. Expand on current relationships.

B. Trying to make new friends can be annoying at first.

C. Do you work with people that you get along well with?

D. But don't call them several times a day or even several times per week.

E. Be more social and you'll make your life more exciting and fulfilled.

F. If you tend to say “no” often, people will eventually stop asking you to go with them.

G. These types of gatherings often lead to meeting different people who are friends of friends.

Five tips for safe running

    We all know that exercise is good for our health. But some kinds of exercise may be better than others. Running, for example, may help to protect against heart disease and other health problems.

    Running is good exercise, but it can be hard on the body. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Take it easy. Do not run too much, too soon or too fast. Most people get running injuries when they push themselves too bad. The body needs time to get used to increases in distance or speed.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Listen to your body. Most running injuries do not come unexpectedly. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They may include body aches, sore muscles(肌肉酸痛) and pain that does not go away.

     {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There is no single best shoe for every runner. You should find the shoes that offer the best fit and support for your feet. More importantly, you should replace your shoes every 500 to 800 kilometers.

    Take good notes. Take time after each run to write down what you did and how you felt. Look for patterns, things that happen over and over again. These notes will help you find the best exercise for you.

    Cross train. As we said earlier, running is hard on your body. So physical fitness experts suggest some form of cross training to improve muscle balance and to help you stay injury free. They say swimming, yoga, and riding a bicycle are good exercises to combine with running. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Get good running shoes.

B. Usually, there are warning signs.

C. Running may also help you live longer.

D. These exercises are easier on the body.

E. Muscles and joints (关节) need time to recover.

F. As advertisements for the running shoes Nike say, “Just do it.”

G. Here are five ideas to reduce the risk of injury.

How to Meet New People

    It is easy to find a place where people gather. But once you're in a room full of people, then what? The trick is finding a way to approach someone and get them talking to you.

    Prepare to meet new people before you arrive. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Don't think in terms of yes or no questions. You should consider questions that will allow the person to contribute more than a one-word answer to the conversation.

    Arrive at your event or place. Don't panic when you walk in the door. Take your time and look over the room. If this is a classroom, take a seat and look around the room. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, take time to enjoy the art while looking at the people. Don't rush into talking to someone. You have time, so just get a feel for the group.

    Approach someone. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. But remember, if the person is at the event alone, they may also be shy and try to break out and meet people. You need to make them feel comfortable by chatting with them.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Keep them talking and talk yourself—remember  conversation goes in two directions. You may have a couple of awkward moments, but if you have a few items planned to talk about, you'll find that they'll start adding their own questions and information to the conversation.

    Don't forget to ask them for a friendship follow-up. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, try asking your new friend if they'd like to go to another event with you. If it is a repeat event, such as a class, try asking them if they'd like to meet for coffee before the next class to study the material.

A. If it is a one-time event

B. If this is an art show

C. If you have picked out someone to approach

D. Mentally pull out your prepared questions

E. You may not meet your next best friend on your first try

F. You might find it easiest to approach someone who is also alone

G. Sit down and write out a list of potential questions you can ask someone