Get a Thorough Understanding of Oneself

    In all one's life time it is oneself that one spends the most time being with or dealing with. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    When you are going upwards in life you tend to overestimate(高估) yourself. It seems that everything you seek for is within your reach. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's likely that you think it wise for yourself to stay away from the outer world. Actually, to get a thorough understanding of oneself, you may as well keep the following tips in mind.

    Gain a correct view of oneself. You may look forward hopefully to the future but be sure not to expect too much, for dreams can never be fully realized. You may be courageous to meet challenges but it should be clear to you where to direct your efforts. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Self-appreciate. Whether you compare yourself to a towering tree or a blade of grass, a high mountain or a small stone, you represent a state of nature.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you earnestly admire yourself you'll have a real sense of self-appreciation.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In time of anger, do yourself a favor by releasing it in a quiet place so that you won't be hurt by its flames; in time of sadness, do yourself a favor by sharing it with your friends so as to change a bad mood into a cheerful one; in time of tiredness, do yourself a favor by getting a good sleep.

    Get a full control of one's life. Then one will find one's life full of color and flavor.

A. But it is precisely oneself that one has the least understanding of.

B. So long as you have a perfect knowledge of yourself, there won't be difficulties you can't overcome.

C. When you are going downhill you tend to underestimate yourself for your own incompetence.

D. It has its own value.

E. Especially if it is well within your reach, you are just too blind to see it.

F. Do oneself a favor when it's needed.

G. Do yourself a favor when you resist the attack of illness.

    The goal of homework is to help students remember and understand what they learned in school that day. It can also help teach them independence and time-management and planning skills, which are keys to success in the real world.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some successful habits of how to do a good job of homework.

Set the stage.

    Your children need a quiet spot to do their homework. This should be the same place every day, whether it is at the kitchen table or at their desk in their room. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}You can take the time to work on a quiet task of your own, whether it's paying bills, reading the newspaper, or planning the next day.

Time it right.

    Homework for young children should be done when your children get home from school, because the information is still fresh in their minds and they have enough energy. Have your kids eat some snacks and talk about their day with you. Then have them start their homework. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

It's not your homework: it's theirs.

    You need to be involved in homework to see what your children are learning and how well they know what they need to know. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}But guide them if they are struggling. You want them to get the feeling of pride and accomplishment on their own.

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    Let your children know how grown up it is for them to have homework and how proud you are of them. Try to instill (灌输）into them that it is “fun” to be able to do the assigned tasks. Let them show you their work, praise them for finishing their homework, and always do it with a smile.

A. Be hopeful and confident.

B. Get excited and be positive.

C. Be nearby while they do their homework.

D. Be sure not to do the homework for your children.

E. That means the television is shut off, even for you.

F. A small amount of homework also has a great influence on students.

G. Arrange other activities for later in the day so kids can get their homework done first.

    A new urban sport, parkour, is hitting the streets. It has evolved from obstacle course training into a fitness option for young people. In parkour, the outside world is the gym! {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The goal of parkour is a direct route from one place to another. You meet an obstacle, you overcome it.

    Mark Toorock, who teaches the techniques of parkour at his fitness gym, says that parkour is a method to train the body and mind using obstacles as the medium. He says that this new sport is demanding and takes years to master. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    But Toorock, who used to be a martial arts expert, says that everyone can benefit from learning the basic skills involved in parkour like running, jumping and crawling (爬行). These are the things that humans used to have to do all the time. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The original idea of parkour was to return to running and jumping as basic elements in moving from one place to another.

    Georges Hebert, a French navy officer, was so impressed by the effortless athleticism of African tribes that he devised a training method based on running, climbing, jumping, balancing and throwing. The word parkour comes from parcours de combatant, the French term for a military obstacle course. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Dr Kenneth Kao explains that the sport of parkour is not extreme – it is the environment which is extreme and dangerous. Being outside, jumping off railings and flipping over park benches can be quite frightening, so parkour courses in gyms concentrate on practicing all the individual moves to make everything easier. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} However, that is not real parkour because it's indoors with a fixed obstacle. The goal for everyone is to go outdoors.

A. Gyms provide thick floor matting (垫子) for rolling and rubberized boxes for jumping over.

B. The bridges, buildings and railings (栏杆) of each and every city are the equipment.

C. Every action in parkour is natural, so everyone must have the ability to move in this way.

D. Parkour was introduced into china in recent years and has gained popularity.

E. But today, due to modern transport, these basic skills are no longer used on a regular basis.

F. The French word for people who participate in the sport is traceurs or traceuses.

G. Beginners should realize that they won't be jumping over buildings any time soon!

    A volunteering vacation can be a meaningful way to spend your time off, but to make the trip satisfying both for you and the cause you are supporting, several factors need to be considered. Here is some advice on planning the satisfactory vacation:

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are hundreds of causes to volunteer for, and finding one close to your heart will lead to a more worthwhile trip. Possibilities include wildlife conservation, education, environmental protection, health and nutrition. Also, consider any personal and professional skills that you can contribute. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Choose your destination and setting. Your volunteering trip will be more enjoyable if you use it to reach a favorite destination. Southeast Asia is on your mind, helping with tree­planting programs in Bali would benefit the environment and let you appreciate the scenic island.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Is volunteering outdoors in a hot or snowy climate attractive, or do you prefer being in an air­conditioned office?

    Ask the right questions.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Be aware that most volunteering programs require a week-long stay. Ask other questions like: How many hours of work per day is required? Are there days off? Will you be working individually or as part of a team? And what are the goals of your efforts? {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Ask if the cost includes only accommodations(住宿)or meals and transportation too.

A. Your duty there is to rest and play.

B. Find a well­respected organization.

C. And think about the surroundings you want.

D. Figure out your cause.

E. Despite the word "volunteer", these vacations usually cost you some money.

F. The more you know about your trip, the more successful it will be.

G. If you're a doctor, for example, working at a health clinic could be an ideal fit.

    Sports performance can be influenced by many different things. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    There are many physical factors(因素)that play a part in sports performance. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The natural talent and strength of the players will make a difference. Also, it is important to get enough sleep before you are in a sports event. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Eating good meals is also important. When you are hungry, you cannot perform the same. You might be thinking about food when you should be thinking about the game.

    Of course, the more a team or a player practices, the more likely they are to perform well. The same person with the same physical abilities might just become better as he practices.

    Researching your competitor can matter a lot in sports performance. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses can help you adjust how you play to give yourself a better performance against them. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you can figure out where to hit the ball in tennis that would confuse your competitor, for example, then this can help you score points.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If someone is very pessimistic about a game, for example, and is sure that he will lose, then he might increase his chances of doing so. If he is very nervous then he might be thinking about that instead of focusing on the game. If he is focused then he might do better, achieving what he didn't even realize he could. His confidence can also affect how the other team views him.

A. It is important to be aware of these factors.

B. It is necessary to get to know your competitor and yourself.

C. Also, there are ways to play something smartly and do better.

D. If you are tired, you may not perform as you normally would. ools1

E. If you have practiced enough to keep fit, you should have a rest.

F. If someone is in good shape, then of course he will perform better.

G. There are many psychological factors that can play a part in how well you perform.

I have met many westerners who do not feel anything to put their feet on the table while sitting on the chair.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}They don't feel like it is a strange or rude thing to do it. And I-know that they don't mean to be ill-behaved. However, in the eyes of a Myanmarese, it is really a very rude thing.

For Myanmarese, the head is the most sacred (神圣的) part of the human body while the feet are the most inferior part.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}They touch ground, dirt, mud and garbage. Just think of all the dirty things lying on the ground. So the Myanmarese regard feet as the most dirty and smelly part of one's body.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}When you put that dirty part of your body onto other people's clean table, it is like an insult (侮辱) to that person if that person is a Myanmarese. There is nothing more insulting to a Myanmarese than to point your feet towards him.

So, if you want to win the heart of your Myanmarese friends, next time when you drop in on him or he visits you, try not to put your feet on the living room table or point your feet towards him. Indeed, your feet should never be pointing to the direction of a person or a sacred place.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Possibly, your Myanmarese friend will not say anything even if you do it. But it does not mean that he is OK with your behavior or approves of your behavior.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Even if that person is your employee or your house maid, you should never do it to him or her.

A. This seems a normal habit to them.

B. In his heart he will consider you as a rude person.

C. Whatever you do, don't touch the head of a Myanmarese.

D. This is the rule that you must strictly follow in Myanmar.

E. Being the lowest part, they are also considered the dirtiest part.

F. For Myunurese，the dirty part should only be in the lowest place.

G. Myannmarese people do not express themselves as directly as Westerners.