A few things to do during weekends to improve your life

    Weekend at last! Something you're so looking forward to after a tiring week at work. Here are several tips on how to make the most of your weekends.

    Spend time with loved ones. Reconnect with family members or friends you neglected(疏忽) lately. Don't do it out of guilt or because you have to. Do it because you want to. Reach out to them to see how they are doing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Return their calls if you were busy when they last tried to reach you. Talk to them. Listen to them. Be there for them.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Stay away from TV, iPad, iPhone and any other electronic devices. Unplug! Your brain needs to clear up from all the stress you've put on yourself during the week. Why not read a book instead? A paper one. Seriously, when was the last time you did that?

    Laugh, laugh and laugh again. You can never have enough of it. Laugh is the best medicine ever. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, it helps you manage stress, strengthen your immune system and you are 40 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack.

    Express appreciation. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Be grateful for your family, friends, health, the food you put on the table, the clothes you wear and the air that you breathe.

    There you are. Doing a few things during weekends will have a positive long-term effect on your life. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Apply the “no technology” rule.

B. Pause and pay attention to your thoughts.

C. Friendship is the best source of happiness.

D. Don't call them only when you need them.

E. Put them into practice and you'll beat the Monday Blues.

F. It benefits your mental and physical health in so many ways.

G. This is something you should be doing every day, not only on weekends.

    Car sickness is a common problem faced by many people.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} The ears tell the brain that the body is moving, but the eyes say that the body isn't moving. This leads to many symptoms of car sickness. Though there is no solution to this problem, there are some ways to make it less unpleasant.

    Get fresh air. Some people may find fresh air can make car sickness less serious.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} If symptoms remain，stop the car and get out to breathe in fresh air if possible. The air may help, and stopping the drive should help, too.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Often, car sickness is caused by movements outside the car. For this reason, you may feel better when you block your view. Simply closing your eyes may help, especially if you can fall asleep. You can also try sunglasses to achieve the same result.

    Use ginger (姜) products. Some people benefit from ginger products to reduce car sickness. You can try ginger chews, ginger cookies, and many other ginger products.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Try pressure. Putting pressure on a particular point of your body may help treat the symptoms of car sickness. Specifically, Nei Guan—a point on the underside of the wrist—may be pressed to help with an upset stomach.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Then I believe you will feel better.

A. Fall asleep as soon as possible.

B. Try to stop yourself from seeing outside.

C. It is caused by a disagreement between eyes and ears.

D. Simply opening a window may help reduce your symptoms.

E. Pressing your fingertips there would offer relief in about 10 seconds.

F. If you always have car sickness, keep one or more of these products on hand.

G. Some data has shown that eating something dry may help reduce the symptoms.

Rich and Famous

    Twenty years ago the most common ambition of American children was to be a teacher, followed by working in banking and finance, and then medicine. But today's situation is quite different.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Instead they most commonly say they want to be a sports star, a pop star, or an actor—in other words, they hope to become a celebrity (名人).

    According to experts, young people desire these jobs largely because of the wealth and the fame.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Let's take athletes and singers as an example. Their careers are short-lived. Many athletes' best time only lasts a few years and singers can have a very limited career. The field that was once the focus of their lives becomes something they have little or no involvement in. As a result, they'll have a feeling of worthlessness and a lack of control{#blank#}3{#/blank#}The truth is quite simple: they have been so far removed from it for so long.

    In spite of these disadvantages, there is greater ambition than ever among young people to achieve that status. They are not satisfied just making a living—they want to be rich and famous. Globally, more and more TV shows provide talent competitions where winners can achieve their goals in just a few weeks or months{#blank#}4{#/blank#}They unrealistically believe that this lifestyle is easily obtained and leads to great satisfaction.

    While many people argue that there is nothing wrong with having such ambitions, others feel that this trend will finally lead to dissatisfaction as more and more people are unable to reach their goals{#blank#}5{#/blank#} That means they ignore the simple fact that great effort is needed before success. As a result, many people won't realize their childhood dreams, which could have a negative effect on their happiness.

A. The younger generation don't favor these professions any more.

B. In many ways this has been brought about by the celebrity culture.

C. Unfortunately, they do not always have a positive effect on people's life.

D. Besides, it can be difficult for them to adapt back to a normal everyday life.

E. People no longer have a sense of satisfaction once their goals have been achieved.

F. This quick way of gaining wealth and fame creates a celebrity culture among people.

G. The reason is that they don't realize it takes talent and hard work to be rich and famous.

    Q & A

    Question：I have recently got a senior position within my company. One of my new tasks is to make monthly progress reports on my department in front of other senior officials. During my first meeting，I presented and then opened the floor to questions. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} My first reaction was to answer defensively. Later I realized that I shouldn't have felt that way. But how can I keep cool and effectively answer questions in this type of settings?

    Answer：Congratulations on your new position！Presenting in front of your peers(同事) is a hard task in itself，and it becomes much more difficult when a question and answer period is required. Question -and-answer periods are a great way to clarify the message and strengthen key points. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    When a person is asking a question，show interest and a desire to understand the question by listening and asking for clarification.

    Buy time.

    When facing a hard question，most people can't give an answer immediately. Buy time by repeating the question in your own words. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}These techniques allow you to quickly organize your thoughts as well as to make sure you will be correctly answering the question.

    Suggest a private meeting.

    A one-on-one meeting is a calmer setting than speaking in front of your peers. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Show your true interest.

B. Restate the question with respect.

C. Some ideas can be quite concrete.

D. There were many difficult questions.

E. It can also be more effective in exchanging ideas.

F. You may also ask for clarification(澄清、说明) on the question.

G. Here are some ideas that can help you prepare for your next meeting.

    Everybody gets stressed time to time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some ways of dealing with stress like screaming or hitting someone don't solve much. But other ways, like talking to someone you trust, can lead you to solving your problem or at least feeling better.

    Try taking these four steps the next time you are stressed:

    ⑴Get support. When you need help, reach out to the people who care about you. Talk to a trusted adult, such as a parent or other relatives. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They might have had similar problems, such as dealing with a test, or the death of a beloved pet.

    ⑵Don't take it out on yourself. Sometimes when kids are stressed and upset they take it out on themselves. Oh, dear, that's good idea. Remember that there are always people to help you. Don't take it out on yourself. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    ⑶Try to solve the problem. After you're calm and you have support from adults and friends, it's time to get down to business. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Even if you can't solve it all, you can solve a piece of it.

    ⑷Be positive. Most stress won't last long. Remember stress does go away, especially when you figure out the problem and start working on solving it.

    These steps aren't magic, but they do work. And if you can stay positive as you make your way through a hard time, you'll help yourself feel better even faster. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Ask for a helping hand to get you through the difficult situation.

B. Notice your friends' feelings and find a way to help them.

C. Different people feel stress in different ways.

D. Ah, it feels so good when the stress is gone.

E. You need to figure out what the problem is.

F. And don't forget about your friends.

G. Then, find a way to calm down.

    Here come some of the ways advised to keep delighted and a healthy mood by Harvard.

    Be grateful and say thanks often

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} the tiny purple flowers on the sidewalk, the beautiful sunset, and the smile in your partner's eyes. When you have a grateful heart that is appreciative of life's beauty, wonder and blessings, you're automatically filled with delight. Always be appreciative of the blessings in your life. And it's equally important to express your appreciation to those who've made your life better in some way.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    If your tendency is to imagine the very worst case whenever you have a trouble, train yourself to change that tendency. Ask yourself what good can come from the situation or what you can learn from it. Optimism surely fuels success and delight.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Try to find humor and laughter in life's everyday struggles.

    Understand and forgive

    Step into others' shoes and understand a situation from another's perspective, and we're more likely to handle the situation with objectivity and effectiveness. There will be less conflicts and more delight.

    Hate and anger are forms of self-punishment. When you forgive, you're actually practicing kindness to yourself. Most importantly, learn to forgive yourself. Everyone makes mistakes.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Keep learning and be a problem solver

    Learning keeps us young and olive. When engaging our brains toward productive uses, we're much more likely to feel delighted and fulfilled.

    Delighted people are problem solvers. When facing a challenge in life, they don't beat themselves up and fail into a depressive state.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. By becoming a problem solver, you'll build up your self-confidence and your ability to accomplish whatever you set to.

A. Be optimistic and laugh often

B. Pay attention to the little details in your life

C. Do what you love freely and live happily in the present

D. Laughter is the most powerful treatment to anger or depression

E. It's through our mistakes that we learn and grow to be bigger and better

F. Only by making mistakes repeatedly will we realize it is normal to make mistakes

G. Instead they face the challenge and channel their energies to finding a creative solution