“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”—Lao Tzu

If you are in a city where everyone rushes, realize that you don't have to be like everyone else. You can be different. You can walk instead of driving in rush hour traffic. You can be on your iPhone or Blackberry less, and disconnected sometimes. Your environment doesn't control your life—you do. I'm not going to tell you how to give you a step-by-step guide to moving slower.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⒈Do less.

Cut back on your projects, on your task list, on how much you try to do each day. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Pick 2-3 important things— or even just one important thing— and work on those first. Save smaller, routine tasks for later in the day, but give yourself time to focus.

    ⒉{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Meeting are usually a “big waste of time”. And they eat into your day, forcing you to squeeze the things you really need to do into small windows, and making you rush.

    ⒊Start to put off or cancel the unnecessary.

    When you do the important things with focus, without rush, there will be things that get pushed back, and that don't get done. And you need to ask yourself:{#blank#}4{#/blank#}What would happen if I stopped doing them?

    ⒋Practice mindfulness.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Don't care so much about future or the past. When you eat, fully appreciate your food. When you are with someone, be with them fully. When you are walking, appreciate your surroundings, no matter where you are.

    Try these things out. Life is better when unrushed. Remember the quote: if nature can get everything done without rushing, so can you.

A. Have fewer meetings.

B. How necessary are these things?

C. Simply learn to live in the present.

D. Focus not on quantity but on quality

E. Give yourself more time to get ready and get there.

F. The world likely won't end if you don't pass one of the examinations.

G. But here are some things to consider and perhaps adopt, if they work for your life.

    Ways to build strong friendships

    Be loyal to a friend. Part of being a friend is being prepared to devote your time and energy to helping out your friends. If a friend needs help with an unpleasant thing, or if he or she just needs a shoulder to cry on, be there for them. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} This is a good way to attract the kind of friends you want in your life.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} When you say you'll do something, do it. When your friend tells you a secret, keep it secret from others. Be someone that people know that they can rely on. If you show this quality to your friends, they will appreciate it and will be reliable in return.

    Be a good listener. Many people think they have to appear very interesting.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Listen carefully to what people say, remember important details about them, ask questions about their interests, and take the time to learn more about them.

    Stress your good qualities. Show others what makes you stand apart from the crowd. Talk about your interests and hobbies. Everyone has interesting stories to tell – don't be afraid to share yours.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}  People love to be around someone who makes them laugh.

    Choose your friends wisely. As you make friends with more people, you may find that some are hard to get along with. Sometimes you may even realize that certain friendships are unhealthy.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Cherish those friends who are a positive influence in your life, and do your best to be a positive influence in theirs.

A. Be a reliable friend.

B. Keep your promise to your friend.

C. Be respectful of their decisions and share yours with him.

D. Besides, a little humor always keeps a conversation light and happy.

E. In this case, walk your way out of the friendship as gracefully as possible.

F. Being a loyal friend will attract other people to you who value this quality.

G. Far more important than that, however, is the ability to show that you're interested in others.

The Science of Risk-Seeking

    Sometimes we decide that a little unnecessary danger is worth it because when we weigh the risk and the reward, the risk seems worth taking. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some of us enjoy activities that would surprise and scare the rest of us. Why? Experts say it may have to do with how our brains work?

    The reason why any of us take any risks al all might have to do with early humans. Risk-takers were better at hunting, fighting, or exploring. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} As the quality of risk-taking was passed from one generation to the next, humans ended up with a sense of adventure and a tolerance for risk.

    So why aren't we all jumping out of airplanes then? Well, even 200,000 years ago, too much risk-taking could get one killed. A few daring survived, though, along with a few stay-in-the-cave types. As a result, humans developed a range of character types that still exists today. So maybe you love car racing, or maybe you hate it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    No matter where you are on the risk-seeking range, scientists say that your willingness to take risks increases during your teenage years. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} To help you do that, your brain increases your hunger for new experiences. New experiences often mean taking some risks, so your brain raises your tolerance for risk as well.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For the risk-seekers a part of the brain related to pleasure becomes active, while for the rest of us, a part of the brain related to fear becomes active.

    As experts continue to study the science of risk-seeking, we'll continue to hit the mountains, the waves or the shallow end of the pool.

A. It all depends on your character.

B. Those are the risks you should jump to take.

C. Being better at those things meant a greater chance of survival.

D. Thus, these well-equipped people survived because they were the fittest.

E. This is when you start to move away from your family and into the bigger world.

F. However, we are not all using the same reference standard to weigh risks and rewards.

G. New brain research suggests our brains work differently when we face a nervous situation.

    With modern technology, much written communication tends to focus on the keyboard, but handwriting is still a necessary and important skill.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here are some tips for you to improve your handwriting.

    Examine Your Handwriting

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Look through your writing to decide what makes it difficult to read or what makes it unattractive. Perhaps you write your letters too small. Check on spacing of letters and words, and proper formation of letters. If your letters are small, put more effort into writing larger letters. If certain letters trip you up, practice those letters separately and within words.

    Write Correctly

    Positioning and technique play a role in how your handwriting looks. Hold the pen between your thumb and first two fingers so that it rests against your fingers. Hold it firmly enough to control the tip but not so hard that it hurts your fingers. Lighter pressure on the paper helps you create smooth lines and focus on your letter formation.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Letters are formed from several basic strokes(笔划). Practice those strokes separately to get your hand used to forming them. Strokes found in letters include vertical lines, horizontal lines, and circles. Build on those to practice specific letters.

Write for a Purpose

    Teach young children handwriting in meaningful contexts. Use that same idea by picking up a pen to write lists and notes by hand instead of typing. Keep a journal daily with slow, correct strokes.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}These true and sincere writing opportunities make the practice meaningful.

A. Build on Basics.

B. Practice makes perfect

C. Focus on improving your correctness instead of speed

D. Writing at a slower speed also helps you focus on letter formation

E. Put a handwritten letter in the mail to surprise a friend or a relative

F. Handwriting requires your brain, eyes and hands to work together to form letters.

G. Before you can improve your handwriting, you need to know where you're falling apart.

    Moving into a new home in a new neighborhood is an exciting experience. Of course, you want to make sure that you become an accepted and valuable part of your new neighborhood. The easiest w ay to achieve this is to make sure you behave yourself as a good neighbor should. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Perhaps one of the most important things you can do as a good neighbor is to keep your property(房产)neat, clean, and in good repair.  {#blank#}2{#/blank#} By choosing to keep the outside of the home in great shape, you will help to improve the look and feel of the area.

    Second, take the overall appearance of the neighborhood seriously. When going for a walk, take along a small garbage bag. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This small act will let your neighbors know that you care about the area.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If a neighbor is going to be out of tow n, offer to collect mail and newspapers. If a neighbor suffers an illness, offer to do the grocery shopping. Let them know that you are there to help in any w ay that is acceptable, while still respecting the privacy of your neighbor.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} By follow in g the basic rules of respecting others, taking care of what belongs to you, and taking pride in the appearance of the neighborhood in general, you will quickly become a good neighbor that everyone appreciates.

A. In general, keep an eye on their property while they are gone.

B. A good neighbor is also one who likes to help out in small ways.

C. Being a good neighbor is more or less about considerate behavior.

D. Sometimes neighbors may go to the supermarket together to do shopping.

E. If you come across waste paper throw n out of a passing car, pick it up.

F. People tend to take pride in keeping everything in their street fresh and pleasing.

G. Here are a few tips to help you win over everyone in the neighborhood quickly.

Signs of Healthy Friendships

Once in a while it's helpful to see if your friendship is as healthy as it can be. You might get used to a friendship over time to the point where you don't see the room for improvement. And since great friendships are priceless, you should always surround yourself with the kind of people who will lift your spirits, make you laugh, and remind (提醒) you that you are loved. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are characteristics (特征) that strong friendships share.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Friends make you feel comfortable with yourself, so you don't need to act like someone you're not. Your friends know your shortcomings and love you anyway. You are perhaps the "best version" of yourself when you're with your friends.

A healthy friendship includes plenty of gentle honesty. True friends won't pretend just to avoid an argument (争论). {#blank#}3{#/blank#} As a result, you'll know where you stand with your friends and won't be afraid to share your true opinions.

They argue in a healthy way.

One of the biggest misunderstandings about good friends is that they never fight. But let's face it everyone fights. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In fact, voicing your opinions freely will cause you to disagree from time to time and that's okay.

Healthy friendships mean you can be friends with someone else, too.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} That's why great friends will improve your relationship yet still encourage you to meet people and try new things without them. A healthy friendship means that sometimes the two of you spend time apart, and that's okay.

A. Arguing isn't unhealthy.

B. Is your friendship as healthy as it can be?

C. Good friends dine out together from time to time.

D. Good friends are real and honest with each other.

E. With an unhealthy friendship, you know clearly that something is "off".

F. Even if you have the best friend, it doesn't hurt to expand your social circle.

G. In a positive friendship, your friends won't lie to you, and they won't hurt your feelings either.