Good friends always make life seem so much easier and better.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}I know that there is absolutely no need to give out definitions of a true friend or list out qualities that are synonymous,since the answers are subjective.

    Togetherness

    It is one of the most beautiful aspects.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Be it one of the dullest days of your life while you are killing time doing absolutely nothing,or be it one of your most memorable moments like your graduation or your birthday,friends are always with you.

    Honesty

    If you look hideous（难看的）in the dress you bought last week,a true friend will always tell you so!Honesty is needed in any relationship.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}They are ready to give you a taste of the bitter truth,but they'll help you cope with it! Often,there comes a time when two friends are competing for the same thing,a true friend will never let a competition affect the friendship.

    Understanding

    Often when you are feeling low or depressed,you will never have to explain it to your friend that you are feeling low.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Understanding without words is the perfect level of a good relationship.

    Patience

    You need to have patience to understand your friend inside out.The mood swings,sign language,codes,etc. Friends are all this and much more.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}They are a comforting shoulder to lean on,a patient ear to listen to you,and most importantly,a warm and loving hug to embrace you!

A. They are a helping hand.

B. A true friend knows when you are unhappy.

C. No matter what,friends always stick together!

D. True friends are always two steps behind you.

E. True friends never hesitate to speak up their minds.

F. Ask yourself what makes a good friend even if you doubt the ability to one yourself.

G. In our busy lives,at times when we feel down and upset, it is our friends who come through.

How to treat your guests at a dinner party

    Almost everyone has attended a dinner party where they felt awkward. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}So it's very necessary to prevent unpleasant party situations for your guests with the following useful tips and find out how to treat your guests at a dinner party.

    As guests arrive, greet them at the door saying "Hello" and ask how they are. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If there is a wine table, show them to the table and allow them to mix with other guests.

    If a guest arrives who doesn't know the majority of the people in the room, announce his presence and introduce him to everyone. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Be modest about your food even if the food is great. And don't apologize either—your guests may think they shouldn't try your food. Serve your guests or allow guests to serve themselves if food has been placed on a serving table. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Make sure that they are as comfortable as possible.

    As you and your guests dine, play a "get to know each other" game. Have the guests go around the room and give a fun fact about themselves, their favorite things to do, where they would like to live and their worst or best cooking experience. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    After the main course is served, offer your guests dessert. Have a dessert wine ready to serve in case a guest would like to pair wine with dessert.

A. This would help him feel more comfortable.

B. This is a great ice­breaker as well.

C. Take their coats, welcome them and make them feel at home.

D. Ask your guests often if they need more food.

E. Choosing a specific theme for your party is definitely a great idea.

F. Still more people remember dinner parties where they didn't have a good time.

G.A great dinner party allows you to enjoy one­on­one time with your guests.

    Have you ever set a goal for yourself and got excited to get working on it? The first few weeks are great! You're moving forward. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Before you know it, your goals have taken a back seat. Sound familiar? We are not alone. Many face the same struggle. Here are the four ways to complete these goals.

Make yourself a priority（优先权）.

    You most likely put others before yourself. It is a wonderful thing to want to help others, but if you are putting others before your own priorities and goals, you will be quickly in a great pressure. This is a habit we have to get rid of. If we don't care about ourselves first, we can't be our best to help others. Take yourself seriously. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Make clear goals with action steps.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Create action steps, and no matter how small you think they are, use them. It becomes a way for you to measure your progress. Don't discount the small steps. When life gets in the way it's so much easier to move on or pick right back up when you have these small action steps to guide you.

Create your own hope.

    This is your self-talk. Make it positive and daily. You do not need permission to take action towards your goals and don't wait for someone to give you this permission. If you need to, seek positive influencers and listen to their stories. Learn to say “No.” {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. This is your journey, not theirs.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Have a mindset to be grateful for the things, people, and opportunities in your life. If we don't appreciate what we have now, how would we be able to appreciate anything once we completed our goals? Each of us has our own life experiences and life struggles, which shape us into who we are. They are lessons that can either make you or break you. The choice is up to you and determines if you will be successful in achieving you goals.

A. The more details you can have with your goal, the better.

B. Make this a positive healthy habit.

C. Then life starts throwing tons of difficulties at you.

D. Learn to be thankful.

E. Focus on the process.

F. You don't have to do everything for everyone.

G. This is actually difficult for those of us that care for others.

    Find a quiet location. Keep a routine. Focus on one subject at a time. It all seems like sound advice for students who need to hit the books, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} . Here's a list of tips from Carey, a scientist, for getting the most out of your study time.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Doing practice quizzes can help you retrieve（检索）information on test day. “Tests have a very bad reputation as a measurement tool,” Carey says. But psychologists have found self-tests slow down the forgetting of material you've studied. “If you study something once, and then you test yourself on it,” Carey says, “you do better than if you study it twice over.”

    Move around

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} . “If you move around and study the same material in several places,” he says, “you may be forming multiple associations for the same material. So it's better anchored in your brain, and you can pull it out easier.”

    Mix it up

    Think about a football who does strength training, speed training and drills. Carey says alternating between different facets facts of a subject in a single sitting can “leave a deeper impression on the brain”. For example, when studying French, do some verbs, some speaking and some reading. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} .

    Space it out

    Information learned in a hurry is lost just as fast. So if you really want to learn, space out shorter, hour-long study sessions. “There's no doubt that you can cram for（突击备考）an exam.” Carey says, “{#blank#}5{#/blank#} . And once it's gone, “it's gone. You're not getting it back.”

A. Test yourself

B. Study it and practice more

C. and it turns out that some of them are in great help

D. but recent studies indicate the conventional wisdom is wrong

E. The problem is that it's so easy to forget what you just crammed

F. Changing up where you study can help you keep more information

G. Spending your time in deep concentration on just verbs isn't effective

    Many people struggle with saying "No". {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Remember, just because you can do something does not mean it is required. Understand you always have a right to turn down an invitation or refuse a favor and figure out the best ways to say "No". Here are some specific tips.

    Give yourself permission to say no. Many people have an immediate reaction to say "Yes" when they're asked to do someone a favor. Keep in mind，you are never required to say "Yes". It's actually okay to say "No" sometimes. Accept this as you prepare to say "No" to someone. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Set up your personal boundaries.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} However, that reason does not have to be concrete. Many people think if they can do something, they should. Your reason for saying "No" can be a simple matter of your own personal boundaries. Think about what boundaries you have, and accept the fact you're allowed to stay true to them.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} People often won't take "No" for an answer. If you say "No" to someone，they may give you various reasons to try and change your mind. Stay determined for your decision and do not give in easily.

    Practice saying" No". It may sound silly, but you can actually practice saying" No" alone. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Practice giving a firm "No" to someone so you get comfortable with the words. Many people are nervous about saying" No" and may say "Yes" due to anxiety. Practicing can help get rid of some of this anxiety.

A. This will help you say "No" with ease.

B. Be aware of potential persuasion techniques.

C. Find a good chance to stand in front of a crowd.

D. It's always easier to say "No" if you have a reason.

E. Try standing before a mirror and looking at yourself.

F. It's rather easy for you to set up your personal boundaries.

G. If someone asks you a favor，you may feel you have to say "Yes".

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} While these compulsive(无法控制的) actions may appear to be irrational or pointless, and may even result in negative consequences, the individual experiencing the compulsion feels unable to stop him or herself.

    The compulsive behavior can be a physical act, like hand washing, or a mental activity, like counting objects. When an otherwise harmless behavior becomes so consuming that it negatively impacts oneself or others, it may be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)(强迫症).

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}The former is an overwhelming desire to do something, while an addiction is a physical or chemical dependence on a substance or behavior. People with addictions will continue their addictive behavior, even when they understand that doing so is harmful to themselves and others. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Unlike compulsions and addictions, which are acted out uncontrollably, habits are actions that are repeated regularly and automatically.

    Habits typically develop over time through a natural process called "habituation," during which repetitive actions that must be consciously initiated eventually become subconscious and are carried out habitually.

    While there are good habits and bad, unhealthy habits, any habit can become a compulsion or even an addiction. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} For example, the good habit of exercising regularly can become an unhealthy compulsion or addiction when done to excess.

    Common habits often develop into addictions when they result in a chemical dependency, as in the cases of smoking. The habit of having a glass of beer with dinner, for example, becomes an addiction when the desire to drink turns into a physical or emotional need to drink.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}While we can choose to add good, healthy habits to our routines, we can also choose to break old harmful habits.

A. A compulsion is different from an addiction.

B. It currently affects about 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children in the U.S.

C. Some of these behaviors are visible actions while others are mental behaviors.

D. In other words, you really can have "too much of a good thing."

E. Compulsive behaviors are actions that a person feels "compelled" or driven to do over and over again.

F. Alcoholism, smoking, and gambling are perhaps the most common examples of addictions.

G. Of course, the key difference between a compulsive behavior and a habit is the ability to choose to do them or not.