Tips for Confident Decision Making

    Are you a good decision maker? Do you sit on the fence?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}If you'd like to be more content and confident with your decision making, then these four tips are just the things you need.

    Do your “homework”

    Make choices based on what is the most important to you.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}You may even want to speak to someone else who has been through this before. Then when you are ready, just decide.

    You are in charge.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}By blaming others you give your power away. Just believe you have made the right choice and take responsibility for the result. This will be a real encouragement to your self-confidence.

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    It's great to stick with your decisions. There are times however when you need to change your mind. Don't worry about making a wrong choice. The good thing about being wrong is that you will know where to correct yourself and when to take action.

    You're going to make it.

    Sometimes it is going to be hard to be persistent(坚持不懈). You know you are doing the right thing and it's just taking so much time, effort, money and energy. After making bold choice, remember you have a reason why.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Say to yourself out loud “No matter how hard it is, I'm going to make it.”

    Decision making takes courage and there are many things you can do to decide more confidently. So don't delay, you can start right now by deciding to make this new habit.

A. The more confident, the better decision.

B. This will mean you have to do a research and look at all theavailable options.

C. Whatever result you get, you can't blame others.

D. Confident decision making is of great significance.

E. Or are you constantly changing your mind?

F. It's OK to change your mind.

G. Remember you are taking yourself to the next level.

    Color is fundamental in home design-something you'll always have in every room. A grasp of how to manage color in your spaces is one of the first steps to creating rooms you'll love to live in. Do you want a room that's full of life? Or are you just looking for a place to relax after a long day?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}, color is the key to making a room feel the way you want it to feel.

    Over the years, there have been a number of different techniques to help designers approach this important point.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, they can get a little complex. But good news is that there're really only three kinds of decisions you need to make about color in your home: the small ones, the medium ones, and the large ones.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.They're the little spots of color like throw pillows, mirrors and baskets that most of us use to add visual interest to our rooms. Less tiring than painting your walls and less expensive than buying a colorful sofa, small color choices bring with them the significant benefit of being easily changeable.

    Medium color choices are generally furniture pieces such as sofas, dinner tables or bookshelves.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.They require a bigger commitment than smaller ones, and they have a more powerful effect on the feeling of a space.

    The large color decision in your rooms concern the walls, ceilings, and floors. Whether you're looking at wallpaper or paint, the time, effort and relative expense put into it are significant.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. While all of them are useful

B. Whatever you're looking for

C. If you're experimenting with a color

D. Small color choices are the ones we're most familiar with

E. It's not really a good idea to use too many small color pieces

F. So it pays to be sure, because you want to get it right the first time

G. Color choices in this range are a step up from the small ones in two major ways

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessarily so, however. 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 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.

    Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, free of everything but study materials. No games, radios, or television. When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject.

    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'll remember it longer.

    Develop a good attitude towards tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. 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. There are other methods that might help you with your studying.

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

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

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

E. Maybe you are an average student.

F. Make full use of class time to take notes of what the teacher says in class.

G. This will help you understand the next class.

Easy Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp

    Everyone is forgetful, but as we age, we start to feel like our brains are slowing down a bit—and that can be a very annoying thing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Read on for some techniques worth trying.

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    People who regularly made plans and looked forward to upcoming events had a 50 percent reduced chance of Alzheimer's disease (早老性痴呆症), according to a recent study. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Something as simple as setting a goal to have a weekly coffee date with a friend will do. There's evidence that people who have a purpose in life or who are working on long or short-term goals appear to do better. In other words, keep your brain looking forward.

    Go for a walk

    Mildly raised glucose (葡萄糖) levels can harm the area of the brain that helps you form memories and physical activity can help get blood glucose down to normal levels. In fact, exercise produces chemicals that are good for your brain. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Learn something new

    Take a Spanish class online, join a drawing club, or learn to play cards. A study found that mental stimulation limits the weakening effects of aging on memory and the mind. But the best thing for your brain is when you learn something new and are physically active at the same time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Or go dancing with your friends.

A. Focus on the future.

B. This can be especially harmful to the aged.

C. It should be something like learning gardening.

D. So take a few minutes each day to think about your future.

E. But don't worry if your schedule isn't filled with life-changing events.

F. Luckily, research shows there is a lot you can do to avoid those moments.

G. In other words, when you take care of your body, you take care of your brain.

Good Postures Benefits Health

    Unless you become a ballet dancer or a soldier—occupations where poor postures is easily noticed —{#blank#}1{#/blank#}However, if parts of your body such as the neck, shoulders or lower back start lo cry out in pain, you may find out that your postures  go wrong.

    Posture is more than just a function of the way someone stands or sits.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}The   main health risks of poor postures arc aches and pains, which can occur right away or down the road. This discomfort may start in the neck or back, but finally it may affect the hips and knees. Those who exhibit bad posture may also be less efficient, and they are more likely to be injured when they move.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Physically, it can minimize the force that muscles and joints need to absorb. Moreover, it can help people appear taller and feel better about themselves. Mentally, psychology studies have suggested that people's postures in low spirits make them look less confident and competent than others.

    There are many activities in people's daily lives that can affect postures and throw the body off balance if you don't pay attention. Examples include sitting at a desk for long periods, frequently holding a phone between the ear and the shoulder and bending over a laptop.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}The body was not physically designed to stay in one position. If you go a long time without changing your position, it can start to stress your body's tissues.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}If you are concerned about having poor postures, you can turn to an expert who will show you how to do certain exercise that helps improve tight muscles.

A. you will learn the benefits of having good postures.

B. you probably don't pay much attention to your postures.

C. Regular exercise is a good way to help form good postures.

D. Keeping good postures can benefit a person's body and mind.

E. It is also a reflection of the body's strengths, weakness and overall health.

F. To make up for this, you are recommended to switch positions every 20 minutes.

G. Modem people's continually looking down at a smartphone is another typical one.

    Recently, I've been following a simple rule that is helping me crush procrastination(拖延症) and making it easier for me to stick to good habits at the same time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are two parts to the 2-Minute Rule.

    Part 1­If it takes less than two minutes, then do it now.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, washing your dishes immediately after your meal, tossing the laundry in the washing machine, taking out the garbage, sending that email, and so on.

    If a task takes less than two minutes to complete, then follow the rule and do it right now.

    Part 2­When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.

    Can all of your goals be accomplished in less than two minutes? Obviously not. But, every goal can be started in 2 minutes or less. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It might sound like this strategy is too basic for grand life goals, but I beg to differ. The 2-Minute Rule works for big goals as well as small goals because of the inertia(惯性)of life. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  I love the 2-Minute Rule because it embraces the idea that all sorts of good things happen once you get started.

    The most important part of any new habit is getting started­not just the first time, but each time. It's not about performance, it's about consistently taking action.

    I can't guarantee whether or not the 2-Minute Rule will work for you. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}  Anyone can spare the next 120 seconds. Use this time to get one thing done. Go.

A. I call this little strategy the "2-Minute Rule".

B. And that's the purpose behind this little rule.

C. Here's what you need to know to stop procrastinating.

D. Once you start doing something, it's easier to continue doing it.

E. But, I can guarantee that it will never work if you never try it.

F. The goal is to make it easier for you to get started on the things you should be doing.

G. It's surprising how many things we put off that we could get done in two minutes or less.