Things to Keep in Mind before Moving to New York City

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So, reading up on New York's history, facts, statistics, facilities, etc, is always a good idea. Learn about the culture, how to deal with people, taxi drivers, manners, or lack of manners that is exhibited there, and so on. It is always best to know what exactly you are getting into rather than landing there and getting a complete shock.

    Before you buy your clothes or shoes, you always try them out first, right? In the same way, before you move to New York, you need to visit it for a couple of days, just do that you can see what the city is like. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The best and worst thing about New York is that this city is controlled by money. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Then, you need to set aside (留出) an amount for emergencies only. If you are moving to New York with a job, or are planning to get a job once you are in the city, then you need to make sure that your salary covers up all your expenses and the amount that you would set aside for emergencies.

    Finding a neighbourhood in New York is the key to actually enjoying your stay there. If you are moving to the city due to work, then look for living accommodations close to your workplace.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Do you see yourself living in a place that is quiet, like the Upper West Side or East Side, or do you want noisy setups, like the East Village, Lower East Side, or West Village?

    Give the city a chance, make some good memories, and enjoy your stay there. Be safe wherever you go, and don't worry too much. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. The easiest way to survive in New York is to have a friend who knows this city really well.

B. Once you are in New York, you would never want to leave it.

C. Before you move to any city, it is always best to know a little about the city.

D. To start with, you will need to make a budget.

E. You need to decide what kind of neighborhood you want.

F. Take a tour of the city and try to imagine yourself living there.

G. The experience of moving to New York depends on how the city treats you and what you make of the city. 

    Recently, I've been following a simple rule that is helping me crush procrastination(拖延症) and making it easier for me to stick to good habits at the same time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are two parts to the 2-Minute Rule.

    Part 1­If it takes less than two minutes, then do it now.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, washing your dishes immediately after your meal, tossing the laundry in the washing machine, taking out the garbage, sending that email, and so on.

    If a task takes less than two minutes to complete, then follow the rule and do it right now.

    Part 2­When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.

    Can all of your goals be accomplished in less than two minutes? Obviously not. But, every goal can be started in 2 minutes or less. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It might sound like this strategy is too basic for grand life goals, but I beg to differ. The 2-Minute Rule works for big goals as well as small goals because of the inertia(惯性)of life. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  I love the 2-Minute Rule because it embraces the idea that all sorts of good things happen once you get started.

    The most important part of any new habit is getting started­not just the first time, but each time. It's not about performance, it's about consistently taking action.

    I can't guarantee whether or not the 2-Minute Rule will work for you. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}  Anyone can spare the next 120 seconds. Use this time to get one thing done. Go.

A. I call this little strategy the "2-Minute Rule".

B. And that's the purpose behind this little rule.

C. Here's what you need to know to stop procrastinating.

D. Once you start doing something, it's easier to continue doing it.

E. But, I can guarantee that it will never work if you never try it.

F. The goal is to make it easier for you to get started on the things you should be doing.

G. It's surprising how many things we put off that we could get done in two minutes or less.

    You may think there are no differences between British and American people. After all, they speak the same language, don't they? If you ask a British or an American person, he will probably tell you that there are differences. And the differences are quite great.

    What do British people think American people are like? The British think American people are very strange. They make a lot of noise and they laugh too loudly. They are rich, and they only think about money. But the British do say that American people are kind, and friendly people. They're happy to help you if you are in trouble.

    What do Americans think of the British? Well, they think the British are cold and very unfriendly. They are not interested in success or in making lots of money. They think British is the best country in the world. They look down on other countries. But Americans say that the British are quite hard workers. They are brave and honest. And in time of trouble they face difficulties happily.

    You can see that these ideas can cause misunderstanding between the British and Americans. But when American and British people become friends, they usually find things are not as bad as they expected.

Tips to Increase Your Productivity

    Want to get more done in your day? Of course you do. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The good news is that everyone can increase the amount of tasks they accomplish in a day. Here are some tips to help you have a more productive day.

    Make a plan for your day. Make sure you know how you want your day to go in advance, even before you start. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} To work best, create the next day's plan the night before so that every morning you spend time performing, not planning.

    Break large tasks down into bits accomplished easily. Do you have a large project that's just so big that you keep putting it off? Or maybe you're just unsure of where to begin, so you put it off. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Therefore, you will feel a sense of accomplishment as you check the items of your list.

    Always set your priorities (优先事项). {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Figure out what must be done, do that first and rank the rest of your work according to importance. If you don't get to the items at the end of your list, it won't be a big problem, and you can do them another time.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you are the most productive in the morning, that's when you should hit it hard and do as much as you can. If you work better in the afternoon, take care of some things like emails in the morning and then accomplish the important projects in the afternoon. Keep on top of your work habits, and you'll be more productive.

A. Reward yourself if you are productive.

B. This can provide you a roadmap for the day.

C. Be aware of when you are the most productive.

D. It's tough to meet depressed people who are productive.

E. It's important to accomplish the most important tasks first.

F. A good way is to break the project down into more manageable ones.

G. To stay competitive in any industry, you need to improve your productivity.

    Working with a stressed mind is like swimming with a jacket on, while a mind free from work stress is light like the wind and it can help you accomplish your daily tasks easily. To relieve (缓解)stress and lighten your mind, you must first understand the nature of stress and the reasons why it builds up. Then you can easily beat stress.

    Talk it out

    Talking to others helps relieve work stress especially when you and the person you talk to are in the same boat and under the same work stress. Your worries will be divided! If you are your own boss, you need some good advisers around you, who know your trouble and talk sense. If there is no such persons at your workplace, let there be one at home, who is a friend, a family member or a guide that you can talk to.

    Let music calm your mind

    Music has the power to take you into a new world, away from your worries. Taking a break to listen to some favorite music is also a great way to relieve stress.

    Take a walk

    If there is a park around, go and have a walk there. You can eat some snacks sitting on the grass. Move around, look at the world around you and forget your work for a while. Let your body get some exercise. A walk works as it also clears your thoughts. You can listen to music while going on a walk.

    Have a life beyond the workplace

    If you keep thinking about nothing other than work all the time, there is bound to be stress. So, throw away your thoughts about work after you leave your office and get a life beyond it. Have a life beyond the workplace, and you can relax after work.

    The pine tree is a special kind of tree.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}This is because many people put pine trees in their homes at Christmas time. They decorate the tree with colored lights, and put Christmas presents under the tree. Pine trees are different from other trees because most other trees lose their leaves in winter.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}So pine trees are also called evergreens.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}They have hard, thin leaves called needles. Pine trees also have pine cones. Pine cones look like hard berries. If you walk in a forest, you will see many pine cones on the ground.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}When the seeds fall to the ground, a new tree starts to grow. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}The wood is used to make furniture and boats. Many kinds of birds build their nests in pine trees. The seeds of pine trees are food for small animals such as squirrels and mice and for bigger animals such as rabbits and black bears. The needles are good food for large animals such as deer and moose when they cannot find anything to eat in the winter. If you walk in a forest of pine trees, the air has a wonderful smell. In winter, the white snow on the dark green trees looks very beautiful.

A. Pine trees stay green all year long, even in winter.

B. Pine trees do not have soft leaves like the maple tree.

C. Some people call the pine tree a Christmas tree.

D. Pine trees are very beautiful all year round.

E. Pine trees are valuable for many reasons.

F. Inside the pine cones are seeds.

G. The seeds inside the pine cones are the favorite food for some animals.