Why is setting goals important? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Instead of just letting life happen to you, goals allow you to make your life happen. Successful people imagine how their life should be and set lots of goals.

    By setting goals you are taking control of your life. It's like having a map to show you where you want to go. Think of it this way. There are two drivers. One has a destination in mind which can be found on a map. She can drive straight there surely without any wasted time of wrong turns. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver, but she drives aimlessly around, never getting anywhere, just using up gas. Which driver do you want to be?

    Winners in life set goals and follow them through. They decide what they want in life and then get there by making plans and setting goals. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Goals aren't difficult to set and they aren't difficult to reach.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You are the one who must decide what to achieve and in what direction to aim your life.

    Research tells us that when we write a goal down we are more likely to achieve it. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Like a contract(合同) with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also when you write your goals in a particular way, you are able to make yourself continuously aware of situations that will bring you nearer to your goal.

    Many college students don't know what they're missing by not taking part in the student clubs and organizations that are offered at most colleges and universities. Taking part in one can be a rich and rewarding experience.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Check them out and see what's available. Here are a few reasons why you should take part in student clubs and organizations.

    Meet new people.

    It can be hard to meet new people in college, especially in your first year.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}However, in a club, you'll find yourself in a smaller group of people who likely share your interest.

    Help your major.

    There are many student clubs and organizations for different majors and departments. Such clubs can be a lot of fun as well as a great academic resource for you. By joining an academic club you will probably have an easier time to know professors in your departments.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Learn important leadership skills.

    Student clubs and organizations can be a good way to learn important leadership skills that would look great on job applications{#blank#}4{#/blank#}These skills could be event planning, finance management, and so on. Find a club that you love being a part of and if you work hard you might be able to gain such a position.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Lastly, student clubs and organizations can simply be a lot of fun. Make sure to take advantage of student clubs and organizations to make the most of your time in college!

A．Have fun.

B．Class sizes can be big.

C．Never waste energy.

D．Take advantage of your major.

E．In a club, you will be able to gain other important skills.

F．So don't just walk past those tables during clubs week.

G．And you might even get access to study skills and other academic advice.

Some Steps for Breaking Through Your Comfort Zone

    A comfort zone is a self-­imposed boundary where a person will refuse to push past. Doing so usually fills him or her with nervousness and anxiety. So let's talk about breaking out of this comfort zone.

    Get information. To break through your comfort zone you need to first educate yourself. Your goal here is to find out about whatever skill you're pursuing. You'll talk to people who have done the same thing.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} And you'll check out articles on the Internet about this subject.

    Have a plan. After educating yourself it's important to create a plan of action. With this step you're going to write down a step ­by­ step blueprint for how you're going to break through your comfort zone.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Then you create a plan to get to each level. In this plan you need to create benchmarks. These are mini ­goals that put you one step close to pushing past your comfort zone.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This is an important step because the people in your life will keep you on track. You want them to give you that "push" as you're pushing your boundaries. They will make it hard for you to quit because you know you'll look foolish if you did.

    Remain positive. There will be times when you experience a negative outcome, something that shakes your confidence and makes you feel scared. The trick is to not let anything prevent you from blasting past the point of comfort. Recognize that you will have negative outcomes.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Keep expanding your comfort zone{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Find stuff that you never imagined you would do. Like teaching a class on the subject that once filled you with fear. Or you could work on a related skill.

A. Look for new challenges.

B. You can't become an overnight success.

C. Have people around you know of your plan.

D. You start with the easiest thing to do.

E. It's a natural part of the process.

F. You won't have time to think about your fear.

G. You'll read books on the subject.

    Patrick and Rachel Hugens have biked around the world. The Hugenses, who live in Boise when not on their bikes, are 25 months into their latest round-the-world adventure, scheduled to end in March. They've visited 36 countries on this tour, touching Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. “Traveling by bike is the greatest freedom," Rachel said via email. “You can see people's daily lives and can communicate with them.”

    Rachel warns, “Cycle touring can become addictive.” Bike tourism is on the rise in the United States and around the world, according to the Adventure Cycling Association. The U. S. Bicycle Route System has grown 66 percent in the past two years and now has a presence in 24 states, including Idaho, and the District of Columbia.

    Dennis Swift，secretary of the Southwest Idaho Mountain Biking Association, rode across the U.S. last year- from Seattle to Salem, Mass. Six people started the tour and three finished, riding 52 out of 56 days. They averaged about 60 miles per riding day. Swift also rode through the Basque Country with a group of Boise cyclists last year. He's planning to participate in a Virginia bike tour this year. “When you get older, your health is most important,” he said. “My mom had Alzheimer's disease. They say what's good for health is good for the brain, so riding is one thing to be first in my life.”

    This is the third time that the couple have quit their jobs to tour. Rachel is a nurse; Patrick is an architect. Both regained their former jobs when they returned home in 2000 and 2007. They're uncertain what will happen this time. They've given themselves a chance to save extra money by going to work by bike and avoiding some bills that are basic for most (cell phones, cable TV).“Traveling changes your view of money and what it can do for you,” Rachel said. “We've met some cyclists traveling long term. They have many reasons to spend wisely.”

    “The fellow cyclists we meet mostly come from Britain, Germany, Spain, Holland, Australia or New Zealand," Rachel said, “It is so nice to see that people all over the world are friendly and welcoming.”

    A 2014 study found that readers of a short mystery story on a Kindle were significantly worse at remembering the order of events than those who read the same story in paperback.

    The brain reads by constructing a mental representation of the text based on the placement of the page in the book and the word on the page. The tactile (触觉的) experience of a book aids this process, from the thickness of the pages in your hands as you progress through the story to the placement of a word on the page.

    Surveys about the use of e-readers suggests that this affects a reader's sense of control. The inability to turn back to previous pages or control the text physically, either through making written notes or bending pages, limits one's sensory experience and thus reduces long-term memory of the text.

    Before the Internet, the brain read in a linear (线状的) fashion, taking advantage of sensory details to remember where key information was in the book by layout.

    As we increasingly read on screens, our reading habits have adapted to skim a text rather than really absorb its meaning. A 2006 study found that people read on screens in a "F" pattern, reading the entire top line but then only scanning through the text along the left side of the page. This sort of nonlinear reading reduces comprehension and actually makes it more difficult to focus the next time you sit down with a longer piece of text.

    Tufts University neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf worries that "the superficial way we read during the day is affecting us when we have to read with more in-depth processing." Individuals are increasingly finding it difficult to sit down and involve themselves deeply in a novel. As a result, some researchers and literature-lovers have started a "slow reading" movement, as a way to counteract their difficulty making it through a book.

    Slow-reading advocates recommend at least 30 to 45 minutes of daily reading away from the distractions of modern technology. By doing so, the brain can reengage with linear reading. The benefits of making slow reading a regular habit are numerous, reducing stress and improving your ability to concentrate.

    Reading an old-fashioned novel is also linked to improving sleep. When many of us spend our days in front of screens, it can be hard to signal to our body that it's time to sleep. By reading a paper book about an hour before bed, your brain enters a new zone, distinct from that enacted by reading on an e-reader.