Tips for a Happier Workplace

    You don't have to be friends with your co-workers, but you do need to be friendly. Read on for fresh ways to make your office a kinder, gentler place.

◆Give a happy “Hello! ”in the morning

    Do you walk into the office, eyes down, and immediately start work? If so, you are likely to find that co-workers ignore(忽视)you or avoid you.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}It's really amazing how fast this small gesture can change unfriendly workplace relations.

◆Learn the art of small talk

    Ask your co-workers about their interests—their favorite music, movies, and books, as well as their hobbies {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Once you know what catches their imagination, pick up stories from newspapers or magazines to help start conversations.

◆Ask what they think

    People love to be asked for their opinion, so go out of your way to ask, “What do you think of this report? ” or “How do you think I should deal with this situation? ”{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

◆Avoid gossip(流言飞语)

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}So return the favor. When a co-worker walks towards you bearing a piece of gossip, respond(回应)with, “Really? ”and then change the subject or get back to work. If you don't respond, the gossiper will move on.

◆{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    To win friends at work, start with good office etiquette(礼节). There's nothing more frustrating(令人沮丧的)to busy co-workers than to have their emails and phone messages ignored. Your silence doesn't just make their jobs harder; it also conveys(传达)an unpleasant message: You are unimportant to me.

A. Stop complaining.

B. Return calls and emails immediately.

C. Then give the advice giver a silent thank-you.

D. Always work as hard as anyone working for you.

E. You don't want anyone talking about you behind your back, right?

F. Showing an interest in them will make them feel comfortable around you.

G. Get into the habit of greeting your co-workers with a smile as you arrive in the morning.

How to Develop Courage by Overcoming Daily Fears

    Sometimes when thinking of courage, we think it only applies to rare and uncommon situations. Yet our ordinary lives can also be full of courage, even if we are not facing the end of a gun, a wild animal or a dangerous criminal. Courage doesn't just mean doing heroic  acts.  {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In fact, where there is fear on a daily basis, there are opportunities for you to show your courage. Here are some suggestions to develop courage by overcoming daily fears.

● Recognizing your fears.

    By realizing that you're fearful, you are more likely to get to the bottom of what your fear is. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You might come to understand that you're afraid of failing or taking chances. You may be fearful simply because you don't have confidence in yourself. The key is not to dwell on your fear, but rather to understand what it is what you're worried about.

● Ask yourself what is the worst that can happen.

    If you hesitate to take action, ask yourself this: What's the worst that can happen? Then prepare to accept it. Then go on to improve on the worst. Is failure the worst thing that can happen? No, absolutely not. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Doing nothing is actually the worst thing that can happen. When you take no action, you are assured of getting nowhere.

● Take action.

    Courage comes from taking action. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You need to act to overcome your fear. Your action may put you into discomfort, but you have to just do it. And your action can prevent you from being stuck.

● {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

  To build up your confidence, you need to do the same thing over and over again. Soon you will discover that less courage is needed because you have already gained mastery. You are able to move decisively forward.

A. Share your fears with others.

B. Practice, practice and practice.

C. So you are already in a comfort zone.

D. You cannot think courage comes just in one day.

E. Each undesired result is just one more step towards your goal.

F. Finding out what is truly holding you back.

G. You needn't wait for an emergency to occur to develop courage.

    How to Prepare for an Exam

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There's no need to be tense (紧张的) or cram (死记硬背). By doing a couple simple things ahead you can ensure that you are confident and ready for anything that comes up on the test.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} After you have taken notes from studying all of your material including the book and your notes, use that information to make flash cards. Turn statements into questions

    Quiz yourself. Once everything is written down on flashcards, quiz yourself with the cards. Keep reviewing the questions that you get wrong until you get them right. You can carry flashcards around with you and quiz yourself when you're on the subway or riding in the car.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Definitely continue to quiz yourself until you get them all right.

    Do practice questions.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Practice doing the questions in the book that you were assigned for homework. Do extra questions in the back of the book. Re-do questions that you got wrong, and try to figure out why you got them wrong. Do practice questions until you feel more comfortable with subject matter.

    On the day of the exam, set your alarm at least two hours before the test. Scientists believe that a good night's rest is the key to better test scores. An hour and a half before the exam, start running through all the themes and sub-topics in your head. Like always, check your notes if you get stuck. Use your flashcards to help you commit all the tiny details to memory if they're not already memorized.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you're given yourself enough time to study, you should feel well prepared and relaxed.

A. Goon a balanced diet.

B. Take exercise and keep it up.

C. Make flash cards.

D. This is especially helpful for subjects such as math.

E. You might quiz yourself for a half hour or so, then take a break

F. Stop studying at least 15 minutes before the exam, but an hour is preferable.

G. Preparing for an exam can be stressful and time-consuming, but it doesn't have to be.

    Are you suffering from FOMO—that is, Fear Of Missing Out? Research shows that a growing number of young people are with worrying reasons for their sleep and schoolwork.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You aren't able to do your best unless you sleep well. Most experts agree that the optimum（最适宜）number of hours is eight, and this has been accepted as common sense for as long as I can remember. However, I was young once and know most of you get much less sleep than that.

    I read an interesting article in a teachers' magazine recently. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Worryingly, the results showed that teenagers are facing a new problem. They may go to bed and get up at appropriate times, but a growing number are waking up in the middle of the night, not to use the bathroom or have a snack, but because of FOMO.

    According to the article, the number of students waking up during the night to check social media is growing. Afraid of missing a comment or opportunity to take part in a chat, teenagers are waking at all times of the night, going online and getting involved. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Experts are worried about this growing trend and the report reveals some worrying statistics: 23% of 12 to 15-year-olds wake up nearly every night to use social media. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} One in third of the students are constantly tired and unable to function to their full capacity.

    So I'd like to ask you to be responsible when it comes to social media. Switch off your devices at night. The world won't end and your social media will be waiting to greet you in the morning! {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. But things are getting out of hand.

B. I give you my word that you won't have missed anything important.

C. Another 15% wake up at night once a week for the same reason.

D. They did a study of 848 students in Wales.

E. FOMO is the fear that everyone else is having more fun and more excitement than you.

F. All happens when they should be sound asleep.

G. Everybody knows how important it is for students to get a good night's sleep every night.

    Long, long ago people couldn't write and they had no books. But they had stories. People learned the stories by heart and taught new ones to one another. Sometimes it was hard to remember them all. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    The ancient Egyptians wrote their stories on something made from papyrus (纸沙草) plants. People in other places wanted to learn from the Egyptians to use papyrus.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} So, parchment (羊皮纸), made from goatskin, later took its place.

    In ancient China books looked a little different. People there used ink to write on bamboo or silk. And then they invented paper. Made of trees, paper was easier and cheaper to make than papyrus or parchment.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Paper-making later spread to the West, but there was a big problem with these early books. Every single one had to be copied and written by hand.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They carved (雕刻) a page of words into a piece of wood or stone. They could then print the page by spreading ink on the wood or stone and putting it against paper. But it wasn't until a German printer invented movable, metal letters that books became fast and easy to make. The letters could be used to print copy after copy, and the letters put together again and again to print different pages of words.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Once a luxury (奢侈品) only the rich could buy, they soon became a treasure everyone could enjoy.

A. It took years to finish making just one book.

B. But papyrus grew mainly in Egypt.

C. Things grew a little easier when writing was invented.

D. Finally books could be printed by the thousands.

E. The Chinese were the first to think of a way to speed things up a little.

F. Books in the West didn't change for a long time after that.

G. Its surface was smoother and better for writing on too.

How to Start a Garden in 2024?

Gardening is a powerful outlet for creativity, enabling you to surround yourself with beauty. It can provide homegrown food for your family, keep you in touch with nature and is also an invaluable form of exercise. In short, gardening is beneficial to both body and soul. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

It all starts with good soil.

Whatever you're growing, fertile soil is the key. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. It promotes root development, supplying nutrients for plant growth.

Grow vegetables that keep on giving.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}, choose ones you can harvest more than once. Lettuce and basil are quick and easy to grow. They'll replace their leaves every time you cut them. Vegetables like these mean continuous harvests, which is huge for keeping spirits high.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

Some plants will grow tall and some will grow closer to the ground. Tall plants will shade shorter plants and prevent them getting needed sunshine. Also, give little seedlings plenty of room to stretch and grow. If they grow too close together, don't be afraid to thin seedlings.

Save money with seeds and cuttings.

Buying all of your plants from the garden center is expensive. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Reach out to friends and family who garden and ask them to share spare seeds with you. Also check to see if they have any plants you can take cuttings from. It takes longer than buying young plants, but it is definitely more satisfying and you will learn so much.