Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a better student in several ways.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Second, your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you, are studying for a test. Third, note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest.

    You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Whenever or however you take notes, keep in mind that note-taking is a selective process.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}The following methods may work best for you.

    ●Read the text quickly to find the main facts arid ideas in it.

    ●Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and supporting facts.

    ●Write your notes in your own words.

    ●{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    ●Note any questions or idea you may have about what was said or written.

    As you take notes,you may want to use your own shorthand（速记）.When you do,be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Use words, not complete sentences.

B. There are three practical note-taking methods.

C. You must write your notes on separate paper.

D. Otherwise, you may not be able to read your notes later.

E. You will also want to develop your own method for taking notes.

F. That means you must first decide what is important enough to include in your notes.

G. First, the simple act of writing something down makes it easier for you to understand and remember it.

    A conversation with a good listener is like a good meal—we walk away feeling satisfied and happy.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here are 4 ways to make your conversation partner feel like you're fully tuned in to their personal radio station.

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    Making your conversation partner feel safe starts with two things: an open mind and keeping judgment to yourself. Just as immersing（沉浸）yourself in a novel requires suspension of disbelief, immersing yourself in listening requires suspension of opinions or advice. While judgments may appear into your head, set them to the side.

    Ask questions to follow your natural curiosity.

    When you're interested, ask questions.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Ask for examples. Ask for details. Following your natural curiosity by asking questions not only shows you are listening and interested, but almost always produces an interesting story.

Listen with your whole body.

    In many a kindergarten classroom, teachers emphasize something called “whole body listening”. It goes like this: use your eyes to watch nonverbal（非语言）, your brain to think about what is being said, your heart to feel emotions» and keep the rest of your body quiet to show respect. But many of us lose it over time, especially as life gets busy. The result? We often try to multitask while listening.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Validate（使生效）with simple phrases.

    Keep in your back pocket some validating words and phrases to show you've heard someone.

    “Of course.” “That makes sense.” “Naturally.” “Clearly.” “For sure.”{#blank#}5{#/blank#}In conversation, combining those little phrases: “Of course you feel that way.” or “That makes total sense.” doesn't necessarily convey agreement, but it does convey something even bigger： acceptance.

A. Create safety.

B. Devote yourself to listening.

C. It's appealing to talk about your own experience.

D. We half-listen while getting things done or staring at a screen.

E. Think like a journalist and ask what, when, where, why or how.

F. But being a good listener goes way beyond just not interrupting or nodding your head.

G. All of these statements confirm a person's experience or feelings as worthy and accepted.

    Why do people travel? There are many reasons one can think of when asked questions like this.

    To travel far enough to meet yourself

    Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You find out your abilities. When you are offered a different lifestyle, you can find out what you are made of. The farther you go from your home, the nearer you come to your true self.

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    If you look back at all the amazing memories of your life, you will realize that most of them were out of your comfort zone. Traveling is dangerous, full of life threatening possibilities and will not always be comfortable, but at the same time, it gives irreplaceable memories.

    To slow down and relax

    A wise man once said that never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life. Money is worth nothing if you cannot spend it on a little adventure. While we are deeply involved in making money, we forget that time is going through our fingers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The feeling of being away from your workplace is pure happiness. The feeling of not having to worry about the never ending piles of files is pure joy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    To celebrate life

    Life is short and the world is wide. One day you might wake up and realize that you don't have time to do everything that you have always wanted to do, anymore. Once in a while, make time to appreciate the fact that you are alive, young, free and healthy. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. To break through your comfort zone.

B. To become a storyteller.

C. Escape life for a little while because experience is far more valuable than money.

D. You can relate to the world and connect to others.

E. And the feeling of being away from your boss for a few days is pure pleasure.

F. So, go traveling to celebrate life itself.

G. Traveling lets you discover yourself.

Three Ways to Self-fund College

    The idea that parents should pay for their children's college education is a nice one, but it's far from a reality for many students. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Whatever the case may be, it's time to take a good look at your options for funding college on your own.

Turn over every stone.

    If you're not a straight-A genius who could easily win college scholarships, there's good news:{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Check out these popular College Confidential threads to see which awards average and above-average students are aiming at. Are your parents retirees? Are you a first-generation student? Is your family attached to any church or community groups? (Seriously, there are scholarships for all those things.) The secret to scoring major cash is following every possible source of funding.

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    Instead of going straight to a four-year institution, many students are choosing to start out at an affordable community college and transfer later.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} If these are options that could work for you, just be sure you have a solid plan in place, and don't let yourself get sidetracked from your goal of earning a college degree.

    Take what you can get.

    Remember that not all valuable contributions are monetary（与钱有关的. It's time to sit down with your parents and have a serious talk about other expenses they might be able to help you with.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} You can save several thousand per year on housing. What about books, meals, and other expenses? Even relatively small savings can be a huge leg up in the long run.

A.Take an alternative route.

B.You don't need to be a genius to qualify for scholarships.

C.If they're fine about letting you live at home, that's great.

D.Think about if you can afford a price of around $10,000 per year.

E.Recent studies show a widespread lack of understanding of the real cost of college.

F.Similarly, some choose to take a year or two off after high school to save up as much as possible.

G.Some parents believe the responsibility of paying for college should fall on the person seeking a degree— that's you.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} one of the best things you can possibly do is to start you own club. It's great fun especially if you are the sort of person who feels there's never anything to do during the school holidays.

    The first thing you need to come up with is an idea for your club.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}pets , clothes, pop music or dancing groups, sports, making things? The list is endless.

    Next you need some friends to be in your club with you. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}all you need is three or four other people who are interested in the same thing as you.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}you should all sit down somewhere together with lots of pieces of paper and write down every name you can think up. That'll keep you busy for ages.

    At your first meeting you should make up a rule book. And the first rule should be no grown-ups or little/big brothers or sisters! The best clubs are always secret!

    Now you have just about everything you need, except membership cards. These are very important and again you can speed a lot of time making them.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}why not leave some space for a photo of yourself? That will make the membership card really look like it.

    So there you are, get clubbing! Once you get started, you'll think of loads of more interesting things to do!

A. That's easy.

B. Enjoy your own club!

C. Invite a designer to join you.

D. What are you interest in?

E. Some vacation is just around the corner.

F. Then you need to pick a name for your club.

G. Use a bright thick pen to make a special design.

    Does a Dog Help a Teen with Low Self-esteem?

    A dog is known as man's best friend for good reason. Loyal and affectionate, a dog companion can enrich its owner's life in many ways. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Many teenagers suffer from periods of low self-esteem(自尊)as they try to navigate the wavy waters of adolescence and deal with all of its associated highs and lows.

    A teenager who lacks self-esteem may feel isolated from his peers and unable to tell his parents about personal issues. The company of a dog can be a huge comfort and ease feelings of loneliness and awkwardness. A dog offers genuine unconditional love. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    All dogs need exercise, so taking his dog for a walk is the perfect opportunity for a teenager to get outdoors and benefit from fresh air and physical activity. Exercise allows people to take control of their bodies, which is often the first step toward regaining control of other aspects of their life, says mental health specialist Dr. Alan Cohen. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Exercise releases chemicals called endorphins (内腓肽) into the brain, which create positive responses in the body, including improved self-esteem.

    Dogs can help teenagers be more sociable and make new friends, suggests HELPGUIDE. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} A dog is a great ice-breaker, avoiding awkward social situations and putting the teenager at ease with people he meets. The more confident the teen becomes when out and about with his dog, the more his self-esteem will improve.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If a teenager is suffering from depression or developing dangerous habits such as alcohol and drug abuse, more extreme action may be required. In these cases, professional help should be sought. Parents who suspect that their teen's low self-esteem is a sign of a far more serious problem should ask a suitably qualified health professional for advice.

A. It simply accepts its owner for who he is and doesn't judge, question or criticize.

B. In some cases, having a dog will not help with a teenager's low self-esteem.

C. Pets offer an unconditional love that can be very helpful to people with depression.

D. You don't have to worry about hurting your pet's feelings or getting advice you don't want.

E. In particular, someone with low self-esteem may find a pet dog to be extremely beneficial.

F. Many forms of exercise besides walking can be enjoyed with a dog, such as cycling, jogging and throwing a ball.

G. A teen may meet his peers while walking his dog in the park or taking part in a dog training class.