Ways to Worry Less

    Do you want to worry less? Of course you do,fight? That's like me asking if I could send you free bacon.Worry is like black mold—it appears in damp conditions and spreads uncontrollably.And often times we don't realize it's there until it's killing us.We must get rid of worry before it destroys us.But how?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Do what you need to do.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}You ought not to avoid tough projects or hard conversions until the last moment.If you don't do what you should be doing,you will end up spending the rest of the time worried about the must-to-do things.Believe it or not, the anxiety that comes from worrying is much worse than the task we're worried about.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    I think many of us act like we're puppets（木偶）in a play and we're waiting for something or someone to put us in the right place.You just react to whatever is going on.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}We need to live on purpose.Nothing can cause worry like purposelessness.

    Make plans.

    You can't have intentionality without making plans.Making plan will enable you to achieve your aims more smoothly.Yet,don't place your plans in stone.You can adjust your plans flexibly.Accept changes.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    There are other ways to lessen worry.As long as you are determined to take action,you will live a worry-free life.

A.Worry ruins creativity.

B.Get more intentional.

C.Do what you should be doing.

D.We need to stop letting life just happen.

E.Make new plans and then move forward.

F.You do the same as people around you do.

G.Here are some effective ways to deal with it.

A. Come in with something to say.

B. Prepare general comments.

C. Bring materials with you.

D. Don't make them wait.

E. Have no fear.

F. Go it alone.

    One of the best things you can do any time in the semester is go see the professor. So hoof on over to an office hour and have some one-on-one face time with someone who'll help you master the material and improve your grade, to boot. But how should you have this conversation with the professor? Here are five insider tips about how to make that office hour really count:

     {#blank#}1{#/blank#} No need to get all bent out of shape about going to see the professor. The professor would actually like to see you and answer your questions. Believe it or not, he or she is on your side and is eager to see you do well. And besides, he or she has seen many students stupider than you, so nothing you're gong to ask will set the record for stupidity.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Even though you might feel more comfortable going with a friend or partner, the office hour will go better if it's just you and the professor. You'll get in more questions, the discussion will be tailored to what you need most help on, and two-party communication is almost always more productive than committee work. You friend can wait outside for the discussion.

     {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you can't make the official office hours, most professors are willing to make individual, appointments to help you out. If you're lucky enough to land such an accommodation, though, be sure you're 100 percent on time. There's nothing that ticks off a professor more than making him-or herself available for a custom office hour only to find that you don't care enough to come on time. And besides, the professor might leave after ten minutes, which would make your trip a total loss.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you're meeting with the professor to go over a paper or test, or to ask questions about a particular lecture or reading, make sure you bring that paper or test, or your lecture notes or a copy of the article. The professor doesn't remember the comments he or she wrote on your individual piece of work—though he or she will be able to recall them after just a brief glance at your work. And if you have your lecture notes or the article in hand, you and the professor will be able to examine specific points that are confusing to you, rather than just talking in a general way about the contents.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Office hours almost always go better if you bring a few specific questions to the meeting. It's almost never good to start a meeting with general comments such as: “I didn't understand what you said about [main topic of the course]”or “I couldn't understand any of your lectures last week.” Much better is to come in with two or three conversation-starters, about a specific concept, point, or problem you didn't understand. Keep in mind that in a fifteen-minute office hour (which is how long these things usually last), two or three questions are usually the most you'll have time to discuss.

    Everyone can benefit a lot from reading books. The following is about the various benefits of reading books.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Whenever you read something, you learn information that you otherwise wouldn't have known. It can be a fact about history or a theory you didn't know existed. If you want to learn new words, reading books is a great way to enlarge your vocabulary.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Similar to solving puzzles, reading books allows your mind to practice its processing skills. Going without books for too long will turn your mind into a whirl(混乱).

    One of the primary benefits of reading books is its ability to develop your critical thinking skills.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Wherever you are faced with a similar problem in real life, your mind is able to put its mystery-solving skills to a test.

    One of the real benefits of reading books is that the information in it can be accessed over and over again. For example, reading a cookbook allows you the luxury of reviewing the procedures whenever you need to.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Don't even think about writing the information down because you may lose the paper you wrote down on sooner or later.

    These are just some of the wonderful benefits of reading books.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}If you can't even go outside, you can download free e-books on line and read them on your computer. That way, you can set how advantageous reading can be for yourself.

A. Reading books keeps your mind active

B. You can improve your memory by reading

C. Reading books provides you with new knowledge

D. Following a recipe from a cooking show will be difficult

E. Reading mystery novels, for example, sharpens your mind

F. Reading keeps your mind in good condition

G. Why don't you drop by the bookstore or library and pick a book up

Being a superhero to others

    Ewan Drum has always liked superheroes. He likes how they help people. At age seven, he told his parents, “I want to dress up like a superhero and help the homeless.” {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Wearing his red superhero cape (斗篷), Ewan helped pass out  bag lunches to hungry people in a park in Detroit, Michigan. That's how Super Ewan was born.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}People donated(捐赠) money and supplies (供给物), and Ewan took them to those in need.

    When someone donated jugs(大罐) of water, Ewan and his family drove their car to get even more. They took the water to Flint, Michigan, a city that had unsafe drinking water. Another time, a businessman donated six turkeys(火鸡) for Thanksgiving.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}“In the end”, he says, “we gave turkey dinners to families all around Detroit.”

    Ewan has a motto: Everyone can be a superhero to someone. At an event called the Hero Round Table, Ewan told the audience, “It's not hard to help people. You can keep some socks and food in your car to help people in need. You can help a neighbor with doing the garden. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} ”

It's been several years since Super Ewan started his task. Every month, he still visits the same park to hand out clothes, food, and supplies to people who are hungry or homeless —his Super Friends. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    “No matter what,” Ewan says, “I will always keep helping people.”

A. News spread about Ewan's act of kindness.

B. This superhero says he'll never take off his cape.

C. Ewan says he wants more adults to act like superheroes.

D. Every little thing helps and can make someone feel happy.

E. A few months later, Ewan's family planned a day of giving.

F. Several days later, his parents drove to Flint and helped him raise a lot of money.

G. With his parents help, Ewan asked for more turkeys through the Internet, plus side dishes.

Cold weather is good for you

    With winter approaching, people begin to complain about cold weather. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There's plenty to love about cold weather. And there's plenty of evidence that cooler temperatures can be part of a healthy life.

    First, cooler temperatures can help you lose weight. It can also help you sleep better.  You might feel uncomfortable at first if you cool your bedroom down. But if you, for example, switch your bedroom temperature from 72 down to 62 degrees gradually over a few weeks, your body will adjust. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    I have long kept my winter house temperature at 62 degrees. How did I find that number7 Well, I experimented on myself about eight years ago. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} I started at 66 and turned it down one degree every few days until 60. I found when the temperature was colder than 62, I couldn't focus. But 62 was perfect. Another benefit for me was that it also kept me clear-headed while working at home.

    Interestingly, science also says 62 degrees is the magic number for brainwork. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It said 62 degrees was the temperature at which the schoolboy subjects of the study functioned perfect. And while we're speaking of work and school, other research shows that people study better when the weather outside is "bad".

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But according to a Harvard Health Letter from 2010, proper cold temperatures could be good for skin because it trains blood vessels in the skin to be responsive. So, rosy cheeks! There's no reason to be afraid of winter weather. Hug it and you, too, can enjoy the season.

A. I recently read a 1972 study.

B. And you'll save money on energy costs as well.

C. Many people like to use cold water to wash their face.

D. At that time, I worked at home and liked warm temperature.

E. Most of us think cold weather leads to dry skin and wrinkling.

F. The reason was that I hated spending money on heating bills.

G. But if you're active and healthy, it doesn't have to be a negative thing.

A Few Active Listening Guidelines

    Listening is arguably the most important element of interpersonal communication. Our ability to listen well impacts the quality of all of our relationships, and not just at home with our family and friends—it can also affect our relationships and interactions on the job, as well as the effectiveness and quality of our work.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Instead, it is a skill that must be cultivated and practiced. Active listening means the difference between simply hearing, and listening with the intent to truly understand. It is a subtle but important distinction.

    ①Give focused attention

    Try to minimize external (外部的) distractions. Turn down the noise, and put down or step away from what you're doing if possible. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Don't watch the clock, fidget (坐立不安) or go over your to-do list for later.

    ②{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Direct eye contact shows your attention and intention to listen. This doesn't mean stare, though. Be reasonable, but try not to let your eyes wander to whatever is going on around you.

    ③Reflect back

    Restate, but don't repeat verbatim. Paraphrase what you think the other party is saying with responses such as: "What I'm hearing is…" or "Let me see if I'm following you…"{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    ④Respond appropriately

    Be open and honest in your responses. Share your thoughts, insights and feelings in a clear, but respectful and considerate manner if you disagree.

    Active listening is a model for good communication. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It takes practice to develop active listening skills, and it's a habit that has to be reinforced (加强). Remind yourself that the goal of conversation is not merely to trade words, but to truly understand what the other party is saying and to be understood in turn.