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 at all might have to do with early humans. Risk-takers were better at hunting, fighting, orexploring. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}As the quality of Risk-taking was passed from on ration 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 youlove 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#} Tohelp 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.

      Mean taking some risks, so your brain raisers your tolerance for risk as well.

      {#blank#}5{#/blank#}   For the risk-seekers a partof 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 continueto 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 shouldjump to take.

C. Being better at those thingsmeant a greater chance of survival.

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

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

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

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

    London has become a cycle-friendly zone after the launch of a new bike hire scheme.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

   {#blank#}2{#/blank#}First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key. The key will unlock one of the bikes, which are kept at docking stations in and around central London. You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go, for the length of time you use the bike.

    Transport for London, which runs the scheme, are hoping to have 6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations in place by the end of the year. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London has been “filled with thousands of gleaming (发光的) machines that will transform the look and feel of our street and become as commonplace on our roads as black cabs and red buses”.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} On the first day some people found they couldn't dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered. Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few “teething problems” and have said they would not charge for the first day as a “gesture of goodwill”. Some other people have criticized the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}“My crusade for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a great pedal-powered push forwards.”

A. So how does it work?

B. How do you like it?

C. However, there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday.

D. Despite the comments, the green-thinking London Mayor still says with certainty.

E. However, the London Mayor is confident of the scheme.

F. It has been designed to encourage more people to cycle in and around central London.

G. The new hire system is hoping to ease congestion(拥挤) in London and is expected to create up to 40,000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre.

How to Know Yourself Better

    Most of us believe that we know ourselves better than anyone in this world. But a lot of people are still strangers to themselves. Why?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}For a person to have a well-lived life, it is important that he know himself good. If you are one of those who are striving to know yourself better, these steps will guide you.

    Take a moment to write down things that you know "very good" about yourself - your interests, likes, dislikes, preferences, hobbies, strengths, weaknesses, hopes, fears, dreams, etc.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}By creating a list of your personal attributes that you are familiar with, you are keeping yourself in touch with yourself.

    Take personality and psychological tests. This is another way to know yourself better. The Internet has a rich source of free online personality and psychological assessments and tests.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Know yourself better by understanding people's perceptions about you.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Sometimes, you think you know yourself enough, but other people who see you from their point of view can offer you some insights how you act and get understood by others. Be careful, however, to balance both perceptions to come up with an objective view of yourself.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}It's a lifetime process. Everyday you will be given new insights about yourself. Writing a journal will help you keep track of these new discoveries. Maintaining that hunger to know yourself better will make you more self-aware, opening up new opportunities to enrich your life.

A. Keep on learning who you are.

B. Remember that you are a worthy person.

C. By answering them, you will understand yourself better.

D. The better you know yourself, the easier it will be to love yourself.

E. Reflect on these qualities and find out how they impact your overall life.

F. Pay attention to what your family, friends, coworkers, etc. observe and say about you.

G. Not everyone is courageous enough to travel the path within to achieve a better self-understanding.

    S                                        ome Ways to Have an Amazing Day

    Here are a few tips for making sure you can answer the pop quiz of life confidently:

    Be kind.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} How often do you stop to talk to the people you encounter every day? Do you know the names of the people at the bank, the grocery store, or restaurant? One great way to get more out of your day is to fill it with people you know. The best way to know more people is to be kind to everyone you meet. Take a moment to learn a little about them.

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

    I avoided saying “Stay Busy” because sometimes we can fill our day with meaningless activities and feel busy but then at the end of the day we look back and realize we accomplished nothing. A great way to stay productive is to look at the things you would like to accomplish today, this week, this month, etc. and then plan some time to work on each of them.

Look for ways to serve.

    I truly believe that giving meaningful service to other people is the greatest key to our personal happiness. It may be just a smile and a “hello”.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} It may be just a phone call to tell them “thank you for being a friend.” When we serve other people, we develop personal joy.

Find a purpose.

    The happiest people have one or more big “life goals”.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}When we have a big goal that we feel passionate about we become more excited to work on that goal every day.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} When you give yourself the pop quiz at the end of the day, you will be ready to say you did everything you could.

A. Keep learning new things

B. Make the most of every day

C. Stay productive all the time

D. Try to do more in your everyday life

E. It may be helping them with their work

F. It has been said that you can measure a person by how they treat the people who can do nothing for them

G. It may be to run a marathon, write a book, start a business, develop a product or learn a new hobby or profession.

    The effect of bullying(欺凌) can be serious and even lead to tragedy. Unfortunately, it is still a mostly researched area.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}That year, two students with shotguns, both of whom had been considered gifted and who had been bullied for years, killed 13 people, wounded 24 and then committed suicide. A year later, an analysis by the US government found that bullying played a major role in more than two-thirds of the campus violence.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Numerous invaders throughout history have tried to defend their bullying behavior by claiming that they themselves were bullied. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Although there is no justification for bullying, many of the worst humans in history have indeed bullies and victims of bullying.

    Since bullying is often ignored, it may provide an important clue in crowd behavior and passer-by behavior. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Many of them have suggested bullying as one of the reasons of this becoming less sensitive to violence. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}in this sense, bullying affects not only the bullied but his friends and classmates and the whole society.

A. Research indicates that the victim often becomes the bully.

B. Psychologists have been puzzled by the inactivity of crowds and bystanders when crimes occur in crowded places.

C. More attention should be paid to people's reaction to bullying when it happens.

D. Hitler, for example, is claimed to have been a victim of bullying in his childhood.

E. Campus bullying is becoming a serious problem in some high schools in big cities.

F. The friends and classmates of the bully and the victim also accept the violence as normal.

G. The link between bullying and school violence has attracted increasing attention since 1999.

                                                                       Ways to Help Your Teen Adjust to a New School

 In an ideal world, a teen could start and finish their schooling at the same school. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.And while a move to a new city can be stressful for the entire family, it may be especially difficult for your teenager. Use these strategies to help your teen adjust to a new school.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The adjustment period begins before your teen ever steps foot into the new school. Point out the new opportunities that'll be available. If you have confidence that you can make it a new city or a new job, your teen will feel more confident about his ability to succeed in a new school.

    Listen to your teen's concerns

    If you don't have an open relationship with your teen currently, now it is the time to build one. It's easiest to get him to open up when he's feeling unsure. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.Is he worried about new teachers? Does he doubt his ability to make the basketball team?

Talk about your reasons for moving

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.If you're preparing for a better career opportunity, or you need to find a new house because you can't afford to stay where you are, talk about it.

    Learn about the new school ahead of time

    Conduct as much research as possible about the new school before your teen starts attending. Get your teen to find out about the size of the school and the types of classes offered. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.Talking to a network guidance counselor ahead of time can also be helpful.

A. Keep a positive attitude

B. Develop your teen's different abilities

C. Keep asking questions about his biggest concerns

D. Be honest with your teen about why you're moving

E. Most schools have websites that offer a wealth of information

F. Joining a club or playing a sport can be a great way for your teen

G. However, when a family must move, a teenager must switch schools