Are you ready for your exam?

    So, it's exam time again -have you done the necessary work to get good marks? Sleeping with the textbook under the pillow in the hope that knowledge will be magically absorbed into your brain as you sleep doesn't work. The best strategy is to space your practice out, rather than cram(突击学习)it all together.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}!

    In an article, Tom Stafford, a lecturer in psychology and cognitive(认知的) science at the APF--University of Sheffield, advises, “If you organize five hours of study into one hour a day, you'll remember more than if you study for five hours a day.”

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}—get pen and paper and start working. Students who can test themselves in advance will be better at getting back material from their memory and learning that material in the long run. You should start by reading a textbook using your favorite highlighter(荧光笔){#blank#}3{#/blank#}.Instead of just reading those, you basically try to test yourself on them.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, but if you are still anxious, there's no harm in performing a personal ritual(仪式). In Japan, for example, it seems to be a tradition for students to eat Katsudon before a test.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. The name of the dish reminds people of the word “katsu”, meaning“ winning”. The bottom line is that you need to study, sleep well on the eve of the test, eat a nutritious meal, drink plenty of water and believe that your efforts will pay off. Good luck in your exam.

A. Don't rely on memory alone

B. That means hit the books early

C. Good revision should give you confidence

D. Then make flashcards of all the important concepts

E. They believe they could wash all the knowledge out of their head

F. This is a warm bowl of rice topped with egg and a slice of deep-fried pork

G. In different countries there are always those who swear by their “lucky underwear”

    Hobbies let you explore interests outside your work. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are plenty of options available to you. How can you choose the hobby that suits you from these options? Here are some tips.

    Look at what interests you. And examine what takes up your spare time, when you have it. Do you enjoy reading books? Maybe you want to try your hand at writing them. Do you like a cool beer at the end of the day? Maybe your hobby could be trying to make beer at home. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Think about what you value most. What qualities do you think important? Do you value wisdom or courage? Do you admire artistic expression? {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For instance, maybe you could volunteer at a library as a hobby because you value education, or maybe you could take up painting because you admire people who can express themselves with art.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Certain hobbies require certain skill sets. If you don't have much patience, then maybe hand sewing isn't something you'd enjoy. However, if you love building things, maybe you should consider a hobby like building furniture.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Ask your friends and family what you seem to talk about the most. Now, think about what it is about that subject that you enjoy so much and determine how it can be turned into a hobby.

A. Help others to choose a hobby.

B. Examine your skills and personality.

C. Turn what you already love into a hobby.

D. Decide whether you're interested in one thing.

E. Think about the topics you go on endlessly about.

F. They let you be creative and try all kinds of new things.

G. Let those qualities guide you when you're choosing a hobby.

Tips to Be an Expert at Managing Your Time

    Do you have too much to do and too little time? Of course! Actually, it's the biggest problem facing most people today. The key to becoming more efficient is the ability to set priorities (优先顺序) and focus on one task at a time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Learn from the experts.

    If you want to be a big success in any area, find out what other successful people in that area are doing. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And do the same things until you get the same results.

    Be open to new ideas.

    The most foolish person of all is either the person who feels he has no time to learn about time management or, the person, who feels that he already knows all that's needed to know on the subject. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Develop a plan.

    Successful men and women are both effective and efficient. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Develop a plan, then decide what is the most important thing to do and how to do it.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Start with your top tasks. Focusing on your highest­value tasks is the starting point of getting your time under control, though small things are easier and are often more fun than the big, important things.

A. Focus on the key tasks.

B. Start from small things.

C. They do the right things in the right way.

D. But never forget to learn from their failures.

E. However, the truth is that we have much to learn.

F. Study the interviews, speeches, biographies of them.

G. Here are several ways to get organized and get started.

    Do you enjoy your work? Maybe you do or maybe you don't. Chances are that you fall somewhere in the middle: you have good days and bad days, and you could definitely be happier than you currently are.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Be Friendly to Your Colleagues

    In some big offices, people might not even say "good morning" to one another. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. You might think that you have nothing in common with them, but if you strike up a conversation, you may well find that they share some of your interests, hopes or ambitions.

    Focus on How You're Helping Clients

    Some jobs are pretty tiresome — there's no way round that. Whatever you're doing, though, you're helping someone.

    Perhaps you work in McDonalds, helping customers who want a cheap, quick meal. Perhaps you do data entry, helping a big company to get their records organized so that they can take better care of their clients. In most jobs, you've got the potential to make someone else's day that bit better.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Do Your Hardest Task First

    Have you ever put off a difficult phone call or a high­pressure task for days and days, only to find it appears larger and larger in your mind? I've read a lot of productivity advice over the past few years, and something that almost all experts seem to agree on is that it's a good idea to get tough tasks out of the way as quickly as possible.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Plus, you'll constantly have that task hanging over you and dragging your mood down.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Try eating at regular intervals — and go for healthy, tasty foods which make you feel energized rather than sluggish. Fresh fruit is a great snack option, or you can have dried fruit, nuts and/or seeds. Don't forget to drink enough water, too.

    These are all little, but significant, ways to be happier at work today. Put them into practice and you will feel inspired!

A.Eat Sensibly and Regularly

B.Eat Outside during Your Lunch Break

C.Here are several ways to be happier at work

D.The longer you wait, the more resistant you will feel

E.Doing that will almost certainly put a smile on your face

F.It costs nothing to be polite and friendly to your colleagues

G.Look for some small items to bring a bit of happiness into your day

Top 3 Self-Discipline Techniques

    Self-discipline is the key to leading a healthier, happier and more successful life,{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. We have shared some self-discipline techniques below. Follow these self-discipline techniques to start living a better life.

    ⑴Start small

    The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step as the proverb goes.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Instead, stamina (耐力) is built up by doing a little more than the previous day's target.

    The same goes for discipline. Start by trying to carry out self-discipline techniques little by little every day for big results. Increase your goals over time.

    ⑵{#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    Staying self-disciplined requires motivation. It can be hard to stay motivated if you feel like you haven't made any progress so far. Tracking progress makes you aware of how much you've done and encourages you to keep going.

    ⑶Exercise your willpower

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Some days, sticking to the task is going to be difficult but by reminding yourself of the end in mind and how much the goal means to you, you will be able to ignore temporary temptations for long term gain.

    The above-mentioned self-discipline techniques have been proven to be extremely effective.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, and it is the key to living a happy and fulfilling life.

A. Build a support system

B. Measure your goals

C. Willpower and self-discipline go hand in hand

D. Self-discipline is a feature found in many successful people

E. Self-discipline is linked to effective time management

F. However, it is easier said than done

G. You don't train for a marathon by running 10 kilometers on the first day