Keeping the memory in shape is important at any age, but it requires a bit more work as we grow. There are some simple activities that can improve your memory.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Awaken your senses.

    Use your senses to help your memory store(储存) needed information. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}You can ask yourself like this: Is the sky a light blue or deep purple? The more involved(参与的) you can be in the information, the easier it is for your brain to store it.

    Use imagination and relation.

    Trying to remember names? Let's say you meet a man named Frank Parker. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Tie the two together by picturing Frank dressed up in a hot dog costume(服装) parking his car in the parking lot. Now each time you see Frank, you should easily recall his name.

    Breathe deeply and relax.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Relax, breathe deeply and slowly and let your mind ease up for a minute. Being relaxed makes it easier for information to be both stored and remembered.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    When you come upon something you need to remember, say to yourself, “Hey, pay attention and remember this!” You are giving yourself a wake-up call as well as giving your mind a marker that it can use to help in storing the new information.

A. Give yourself an order.

B. Get a good night's sleep.

C. Here are four of them to get you started.

D. Picture a hot dog for Frank and a car for Parker.

E. For example, note the colors of a picture you want to remember.

F. When we try hard to remember something we often become nervous.

G. The way you live influences not only your physical health but also your memory.

    There is no such thing as a "bad memory". {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, as long as you are not suffering from memory loss as a medical condition. If you want to improve your memory, there are a number of things you can do.

    Stop thinking that you have a "bad memory". {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Too many people get stuck here and convince themselves their memory is bad. Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Celebrate even little achievements to keep yourself motivated.

    Exercise your brain. Regularly "exercising" the brain keeps it growing and help improve memory. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.By developing new mental skills -- especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument, you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning.

    Give yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One way to become more observant is to look at a photo for a few seconds and then describe as many details about it as possible. With regular practice you will find you're able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.

A. Practice your describing skills regularly

B. So when you're trying to remember something, avoid distractions for a few minutes

C. Take better pictures

D. Everyone can improve their memory

E. A large portion (部分) of your brain is activated when it learns a new skill

F. So the more time you spend, the better your memory will be

G. Convince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve

    In 2015, motorcyclist Robert Jan kicked off a three-month solo(独自的) ride from the Netherlands to India.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} One day when he was watching a TV show about a man documenting his travels across countries, Robert decided he wanted to do something similar. About a decade later, he got his driver's license. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Two years after that, Robert began a solo motorcycle trip from his home in the Netherlands to India. He traveled more than 10,000 miles in just under three months.

    Robert, who is today a 30-year-old graphic designer (平面设计师), began planning the trip in September 2014, shortly after his graduation from Willem de Kooning Academy. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} He secured the necessary paperwork, got cash, and supported the adventure through a graphic design job. He and his blue motorcycle—which he nicknamed Perry—took off in late August of 2015.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} He met fellow travelers along the way and slept outside, all the while writing about his experience on his blog, Going Eastwards.

    But the three-month adventure also came with its challenges. Sometimes, he would go miles without spotting a much-needed gas station, and money eventually grew scarce(不足的). {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In the end of November, Robert finally reached Mumbai, India. There, he shipped his bike back to Houten in the Netherlands and put himself on a plane back home.

    “Took 81 days to get there,” he posted on Instagram, “back within 18 hours.”

A. And in 2013, he bought his first motorcycle.

B. From a young age, Robert has been an adventurer.

C. By the time he arrived, all the beds were occupied.

D. They helped Robert get the motorcycle out of the freezing cold water.

E. Riding through 14 countries, Robert met a diverse set of people and landscapes.

F. Closer to the end of the trip, the motorcycle broke down—but a local helped him out.

G. He spent the next several months reading stories of motorcycle adventurers like Paul van Hoff and Gordon G. May.

How to Take Notes?

    Note-taking is a skill which can be used right from primary school up until you leave university or {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you follow these simple steps and tips, you will not only learn how to take notes; you will succeed or perhaps even come up with your own method!

    Note details at the top of your paper. Keep your notes organized by writing important details at the top of each page. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Noting details can make it easier for you to return to your notes and get important information.

    Use your own language. Write down key facts, ideas, and details in your own words. Taking notes in your own words actively engages your brain and helps you better understand the text. Develop your own system of signs and short forms that can help you more quickly take notes and review them. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Think about the text you're reading or the lecture you're listening to—they may be a bit hard to understand. Avoid using full sentences when you write your notes. Instead, use keywords to say the same things in a short and manageable way that you can easily and quickly review later.

    Skip lines on the paper for later review. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Having extra room allows you to make additional notes or clarify points that you may not understand. This helps you quickly have and identify all of the relevant material to that keyword or thought.

A. Review your notes later in the day.

B. Write keywords instead of full sentences.

C. For example, “SM” for “scientific method,” or “GH” for “gender history”.

D. As you write your keywords and ideas down, leave space between each line.

E. It may seem challenging to take notes quickly while keeping key information.

F. Include information such as the date, bibliographic information, and page number of your notes.

G. Good note-taking is a valuable skill for keeping, remembering, reciting and recalling information.

How to Discover Your Talent

    Talent tends to refer to that inborn skill that everyone seems to be born with. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. It's good to try and identify and practice that skill.

    Revisit your childhood. A good way to figure out where your talents lie is to go back to your childhood. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. This is often the time when you had plans that weren't limited by what people tend to think of as 'reality'.

    Consider what it is you do when you lose track of time. One of the chief things you can do is focus on what you love to do so much that you have a tendency to forget everything else for a while. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. You might have to research a bit deeper into the things you enjoy to discover what makes you feel satisfied.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Sometimes, when you're having difficulty seeing clearly, it's good to get an outside opinion. Your friends and family members know you well and they should be able to offer you some insights into the areas they think you're talented in.

    Try new things. Especially if you're not sure what your talents might be, you should get out and try new things. This way you're more likely to hit on what it is that you're really good at and that really makes you happy. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. In your quest for your own talent you should look into the talents of other people.

A. Consider what you loved to do as a child

B. Ask others for better advice

C. You can use your talents in the service of kindness

D. Focus on the areas that you're less talented in

E. Not all talents are going to be super obvious

F. Observe and enjoy the talents of other people

G. It's true that having a talent can help you in life

    We all have to make decisions all the time, and we have an abundance of choices, ranging from tiny issues to vital ones. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} That means the skill of good decision-making counts a lot. If you would like to improve your skill of decision making, here are four suggestions for you.

    Don't expect to have it all.

    Decisions force us to close the door on other possibilities. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And there will be paths not taken, careers not chosen, to name a few. You can imagine some "what if" situations if you must, but do not let them take up too much space in your brain.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    It's often good to think through your decisions. But don't overdo it. Research can reach a point where returns begin to reduce, which makes it confusing more than clarifying. Many good decisions can be made based as much on intuition (直觉) as on careful assessment of endless data.

    Don't delay making decisions.

    Yes, there is a time to put off making a decision. Perhaps you need more information. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Or it's likely that you wait for a less stressful time. Just don't wait so long that the decision is made by your own indecisiveness.

    Don't be hard on yourself.

    You decide to go on a voyage. You choose an expensive liner. Everything should work out just right. Only you didn't expect a bug that ran around on the ship, making you and your family sick for five days. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But please remember it is unavoidable sometimes.