Maybe you are an ordinary student. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} This is not necessarily so. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here's how:

    Plan your time carefully. When planning your work, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First arrange your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc, then decide a good, regular time for studying. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you realize what is happening to your time.

    Make good use of your time in class. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.

    Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes, review the important points that your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you will remember it longer.

    Develop a good attitude towards tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be over worried.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You will probably discover many others after you have tried these.

A. This will help you understand the next class.

B. You probably think you will never be a top student.

C. Don't forget to set aside enough time for entertainment.

D. No one can become a top student unless he or she works hard.

E. There are other methods that might help you with your study.

F. Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teacher says.

G. Make full use of spare time to take note of what the teacher says in class.

    Choosing the right job is probably one of the most important decisions we have to make in life, and it is frequently one of the hardest decisions we have to make. One important question that you might ask yourself is: “How do I get a good job?”

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. There are people who can answer an insignificant advertisement in the local paper and land the best job in the world; others write to all sorts of places all over the country, and never seem to get a reply at all. Still others believe that the in person, door-to-door approach is by far the best way to get a job; and then there are those who, through no active decision of their own, just seem to be in the right place at the right time. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. He used to spend a lot of his free time down by the sea watching the tall ships, but never thinking that he might one day sail one of them. His father was a farmer, and being a sailor could never be anything for the boy but an idle dream. One day, on his usual wandering, he heard the captain of the ship complaining that he could not sail because one member of his crew was sick. Without stopping to think, the lad（少年）offered to take his place. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. If the lad had gone home to ponder（考虑） his decision for a week, he may have missed his chance. It is one thing to be offered an opportunity; it is another thing to take it and use it well.  Sometimes we hear stories about people who break all the rules and still seem to land plum jobs（美差）. When you go for a job interview or fill out an application, you are expected to say nice things about the company to which you are applying. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. And within a year this person had become general manager of the company.

A. This story also illustrates the importance of seizing an opportunity when it presents itself.

B. People find jobs in a variety of ways.

C. It's almost impossible to find a good job by answering advertisement in newspapers

D. Take for example the young man who wanted to be a sailor.

E. But there was one person who landed an excellent job by telling the interviewer all the company's faults.

F. He spent the rest of his life happily sailing the ships he had always loved.

G. It is very important to seize an opportunity when it presents itself.

    Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or, in summer, they may think it is the heat. However, the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time – about eight hours after you wake up – your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern. They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.

    In many parts of the world, people take naps in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general. In countries where naps are traditional, people often suffer less from problem such as heart disease.

    Many working people, unfortunately, have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps, employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance, however, here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can also happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time, try a short nap – even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.

How to Beat the Procrastination Habit

    I am a procrastinator (拖延症患者). I always have been. I've tried all sorts of things to beat the habit. Here are some techniques I've been using:

    Set aside blocks of time to do things.

    When I was talking with my wellness (健身) coach earlier this year, she asked me why I didn't exercise more often. " {#blank#}1{#/blank#}," I said. "Something always comes up." She wasn't impressed. "J.D.," she said, "You have to make time. Make an appointment with yourself to run or to go for a bike ride." The same principle applies to other things you might procrastinate.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Often I'll be sitting on the back porch reading a book, and it will occur to me that some chore needs to be done － mending the fence, for example. "{#blank#}3{#/blank#}," I tell myself. Wrong! What usually happens is that I forget to write it down, and even if I do, I just look at the list and procrastinate for weeks on end. The best move is to actually do the chore when I think of it. (Assuming, of course, that I have the time at that moment, which I usually do.)

    Use a timer to bring you back to reality.

    Part of the reason I procrastinate is that I'm a daydreamer. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. One way to keep on track is to use a timer. I use the Ultrak Jumbo Countdown Timer, but not as often as I should. I set it for 48 minutes. When it goes off, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}：Am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing?

    Do not multitask.

    I often start many things at once, but I never actually do any of them. In order for me to get something done, I need to focus my attention on it. Trying to do several things at once is a sure way to be sure they'll all be unfinished tomorrow.

A. I'm always lost in thought

B. it brings me back to reality

C. If it comes to mind, then do it

D. I don't have the time

E. it serves as an instant reality check

F. Do it right away if you are asked to do something

G. I need to write that down so I can remember it

    It's the water that makes our daily lives possible. That's why protecting source water is one of the primary missions at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. We provide safe, clean drinking water to 1.8 million residents in Prince George's and Montgomery counties.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    One way we protect the water is through the watershed. The watershed reduces the pollutants reaching the reservoirs. They hold the source water that provides 30 percent of our customers with drinking water. That's over 600,000 people. For many years, we have issued permits to allow limited recreational use of the watershed. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's a quiet, beautiful area away from urban stress and traffic. And we use it ourselves and other activities to promote water and environmental awareness.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Last year, the WSSC issued new regulations with new restrictions impacting all users, including, closing the watershed a month earlier in the fall and opening it a month later in the spring. We also limited horseback riding to the access roads. Our goal was and is to protect the watershed.

    A very small but vocal group felt we should have consulted them first. Perhaps afterward we should have. But I do want to make one thing very clear. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} But we cannot allow the interests of a tiny group to override (不理会) the well­being of the WSSC customers who drink the water from those reservoirs. There must be a balance.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} So we hired a consultant to gather data, gather input from watershed users, and assess the condition of the watershed. We also asked them to look at our operations and management practices and provide the WSSC with findings and recommendations on how to make improvements.

    It's time to work together to protect the water and provide appropriate access to the rare jewel we call the watershed.

A. We certainly understand the attraction.

B. At no time did we consider closing the watershed entirely.

C. However, only a few people like saving water.

D. But most importantly it's about protecting the water.

E. The government has taken some strong measures.

F. We take that responsibility very seriously.

G. A review of our watershed policies and regulations was overdue.

    In the most basic sense, self-regulation (自我调节) involves controlling one's behaviour and thoughts in pursuit (追求) of long-term goals. Generally, people who are good at self-regulating tend to see the good in others and view challenges as opportunities. They exactly know what they want to achieve, act in accordance with their views, and devote their best effort. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} A bad-tempered child who hits others won't be popular at school. An adult with poor self-regulation skills may lack self-confidence. He may have difficulty handling stress, and often, this might be expressed in terms of anger and anxiety.

    How do problems with self-regulation develop? It could start early when a baby isn't treated with enough care. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Later, an adult may struggle with self-regulation, either because this ability wasn't developed during childhood, or because of a lack of skills in managing difficult feelings. When left unchecked, over time this could lead to risky behaviour such as taking drugs.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} One of the most frequently used methods is to change your thought patterns, which means that you think about a situation in a positive way, rather than one that's likely to increase negative emotions. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Rather than thinking that this reflects something about yourself such as "My friend hates me", you might instead think, "My friend must be really busy."

A. Try to cheer yourself up after disappointment.

B. Do the usual series of things at a particular time.

C. A child who doesn't feel safe may have trouble self-regulating.

D. A lack of self-regulation will cause problems in life.

E. Anyhow, self-regulation is so important that we should learn to use this skill.

F. For example, imagine a friend who doesn't return your calls or texts for several days.

G. Also they can calm themselves when feeling upset and cheer themselves when feeling down.