Get a Thorough Understanding of Oneself

    In all one's life time it is oneself that one spends the most time being with or dealing with. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    When you are going upwards in life you tend to overestimate(高估) yourself. It seems that everything you seek for is within your reach. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's likely that you think it wise for yourself to stay away from the outer world. Actually, to get a thorough understanding of oneself, you may as well keep the following tips in mind.

    Gain a correct view of oneself. You may look forward hopefully to the future but be sure not to expect too much, for dreams can never be fully realized. You may be courageous to meet challenges but it should be clear to you where to direct your efforts. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Self-appreciate. Whether you compare yourself to a towering tree or a blade of grass, a high mountain or a small stone, you represent a state of nature.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you earnestly admire yourself you'll have a real sense of self-appreciation.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In time of anger, do yourself a favor by releasing it in a quiet place so that you won't be hurt by its flames; in time of sadness, do yourself a favor by sharing it with your friends so as to change a bad mood into a cheerful one; in time of tiredness, do yourself a favor by getting a good sleep.

    Get a full control of one's life. Then one will find one's life full of color and flavor.

A. But it is precisely oneself that one has the least understanding of.

B. So long as you have a perfect knowledge of yourself, there won't be difficulties you can't overcome.

C. When you are going downhill you tend to underestimate yourself for your own incompetence.

D. It has its own value.

E. Especially if it is well within your reach, you are just too blind to see it.

F. Do oneself a favor when it's needed.

G. Do yourself a favor when you resist the attack of illness.

How to Make Friends

    Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes (促进) good health. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leave us without a friend. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.

● Associate with (与……交往) others.

    The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.

● Start a conversation.

    Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.

●{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together. Hanging out (闲逛) will always be a pleasant experience.

● Let it grow.

    It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.

● Enjoy your friendship.

    The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.

A. Do things together.

B. Be cheerful.

C. Making new friends comes easy for some people.

D. So you will need to give your friend time to respond to you.

E. Do not wait to be spoken to.

F. For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch.

G. Try not to find fault with your friends.

    Some years ago industries had more freedom than they now, and they did not need to be as careful as they must today. They did not need to worry a lot about the safety of the new products that they developed. They took little notice of the health and safety of the people who worked for them. Often new products were dangerous for the people who used them and conditions in the work place had very bad effects on the health of the workers.

    Of course, sometimes there were real disasters which attracted the attention of governments and which showed the need for changes. Also scientists who were doing research into the health of workers sometimes produced information which governments could not ignore. At such times, there were inquiries into the causes of the disasters or the problems. New safety rules were often introduced as a result of these inquiries; however, the new rules came too late to protect the people who died or who became seriously ill.

    Today many governments have special departments which protect customers and workers. In the U. S, for example, there is a department which tests new airplanes and gives warnings about possible problems. It also makes the rules that aircraft producers must follow. Another department controls the foods and drugs that companies sell. A third department looks at the places where people work, and then reports any companies that are breaking the laws which protect the health and safety of workers. Of course, new government departments and new laws cannot prevent every accident or illness, but they are having some good results. Our work places are safer and cleaner than before. The planes and cars which we use for travel are better. Producers are thinking more about the safety and health of the people who buy and use their products.

    Living a more simple life can improve how we think, feel and move around in the world. Here are ways to simplify your life while creating space for happiness.

    Give up your negative thoughts. As humans, we spend a lot of our time being caught up in negative thoughts that brings nothing good into our lives.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} They can grow rapidly and cause unhappiness and do nothing to improve our quality of life.

    Reduce the amount of screen time{#blank#}2{#/blank#} While watching TV and endless YouTube videos or playing computer games can be a nice way to relax, too much can have a negative influence on your lives.

    Cut down on social media{#blank#}3{#/blank#} They say they feel less confident after comparing their lives against those of their online friends. So simplify your life by cutting down on social media-not only for your own health of mind but to stop the endless checking every several minutes.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In the effort to make yourselves better people and improve yourselves, you often set goals but having too many goals can prevent you from achieving them.

    Eat Fewer Unhealthy Foods{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Cutting down on bad foods will not only help you feel much better and give you more energy.

A. Reduce the number of your goals.

B. Negative thoughts are much dangerous.

C. Many people feel their lives are worsened by it.

D. You can make your own healthy food and tasty meals.

E. Learn to choose to think and see the positives in life.

F. Make an effort to remove some unhealthy foods from your diet

G. We spend so much time either staring at a computer or the TV.

    What is style? Style is the special visual paradigm centering on the visual symbol system. It is contained in the materialized products of daily life such as fashion, borne, architecture, horticulture; and environment. It is reflected in the creation of cultural products including literature, films and music. It is still a way of behavior and life that expresses specific customs. To sum up, style is not only the core of cultural products with visual, melodic, literal and abstract symbols, but also a way of life.

    The style of China means the expression of Chinese elements. Chinese elements are the inheritance(传承)of cultural genes. The style of China relies on thousands of years of cultural accumulation(积累). It should not be limited to objects. It is supposed to express the Chinese cultural concept of Confucianism and Taoism. It must reflect the specific views of man and nature, man and objects as well as man and social relations.

    The style of China ought to be oriented towards the world. It did influence the world. Silk and ceramics were the main products traded along the Silk Road. They contained rich Chinese culture. The thousand-year-old Silk Road spread the style of China to the West. And the craze for Chinoiserie(中国艺术品)was a popular fashion in European society at that time.

    The style of China is the reproduction and variation of cultural genes. It is the inheritance along with innovation.

    The style of China is duty-bound to select as always silk, bamboo, wood, stone clay, glass and porcelain. Meanwhile, the materials in modern industrial era like meats, glass and cement should be fully used. Besides, it is necessary to continue the concept of interactive space planning between man and nature and between man and man. It also needs to explore such new spaces as digitization, the Internet, virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

    The style of China must show the transformation and promotion from Chinese manufacturing to Chinese creation. It relies on the manufacturing power and the industrial strength. The style of China presents to the world the image of a large industrial producer and a birthplace of global creativity.

    The style of China represents not only the reconstruction of objects, but also the renewal of Chinese value system.

    The style of China ought to rely on rich historical heritage(遗产), draw on strengths of others and keep up with the times. It should focus on the life of the general public, the world and the future.

Reading the world in 195 books

    In 2012, I set myself the challenge of trying to read a book from every country of all 195 UN-recognized states in a year. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. I created a blog called A Year of Reading the World and put out an appeal for suggestions of titles that I could read in English.

    The response was amazing. Before I knew it, people all over the planet were getting in touch with ideas and offers of help. Some posted me books. Others did hours of research on my behalf. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Even with such an extraordinary team behind me, however, sourcing books was no easy task.

    But the effort was worth it. As I made my way through the planet's literary landscapes, extraordinary things started to happen. Far from simply armchair travelling, I found I was inhabiting the mental space of the storytellers. I discovered, bookpacking offered something that a physical traveller could hope to experience only rarely: it took me inside the thoughts of individuals living far away and showed me the world through their eyes. More powerful than a thousand news reports, these stories not only opened my mind to basic information of life in other places, but opened my heart to the way people there might feel. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Through reading the stories shared with me by bookish strangers around the globe, I realized I was not an isolated person, but part of a network that stretched all over the planet.

    One by one, the country names on the list that had begun as an intellectual exercise transformed into places filled with laughter, love, anger, hope and fear. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. At its best, I learned, fiction makes the world real.