A good book can be satisfying. If reading is a habit you'd like to get into, there are some ways to develop it.

    ☆Realize that reading is enjoyable if you have a good book. If you have a difficult book and you are forcing yourself through it, it will seem like a task. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ☆Set time. You should have some time during every day when you'll read for at least 5 to 10 minutes. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, make it a habit to read during breakfast and lunch and even dinner if you eat alone.

    ☆Always carry a book. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When I leave the house, I always make sure to have my car keys and one book at hand. The book stays with me in the car, and I take it into the office and pretty much everywhere I go.

    ☆{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Find a place in your home where you can sit in a comfortable chair. Do not lie down unless you're going to sleep. There should be no television or computer near the chair, and no music or noisy family members or roommates. If you don't have a place like this, create one.

    ☆Reduce television or the Internet. If you really want to read more, try cutting back on time on TV or the Internet. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Still, every minute you reduce of the Internet or TV, you could use for reading. This could create hours of book reading time.

A. Go to bookstores.

B. Find a quiet place.

C. This may be difficult for some people.

D. Wherever you go, take a book with you.

E. Have some good tea or coffee while you read.

F. It means you will read no matter how busy you are.

G. If this happens, give up the book and find another one that you'll really love.

The Winner's Guide to Success

    Do you know what makes people successful? To find out the answers, an American scholar recently visited some of the most successful people in America. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Be responsible for yourself.

    Sometimes you may want to blame others for your failure to get ahead. In fact, when you say someone or something outside of yourself is stopping you from making success, you are giving away your own power. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Write a plan.

    It is very difficult trying to get what you want without a good plan. It is just like trying to drive through strange roads to a city far away. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Without this “map”, you may waste your time, money and also your energy; while with the “map” you'll enjoy the “trip” and get what you want in the shortest possible time.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Nothing great is easy to get. So you must be ready to work hard — even harder than you have ever done. If you are not willing to pay the price, you won't get anything valuable.

Never give up.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When you are doing something, you must tell yourself again and again: Giving up is worse than failure because failure can be the mother of success, but giving up means the death of hope.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} 

    Whenever you do things you don't like, you will start to hate yourself a bit more. You will hate yourself for not being consistent. For doing things you know that you don't want to do, another stress is right there.

Do less

    This is one of the hardest things, especially for me. I'm doing too many things at the same time. In itself, doing many different things to figure out what works and what doesn't isn't that hard. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} .But at some point you need to

     let go of the things that don't work and focus on the things that work. And that's the hardest part, at least for me.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} .And if you always try to make everything work, you'll usually end up with nothing working at all.

Get rid of complicated things

    There are many complicated（复杂的）things in life. Complicated relationships, complicated jobs, complicated whatever. what all of these things do is that they steal our focus. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} 

Read books, not blogs

    Blogs consist of too much information for our brains to process. Blogs usually leave out the story our brains need. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Don't believe me? Try it. What parts of this blog post do you remember? Probably none.

A. It's actually quite good.

B. Never hate to be yourself

C. Don't do things you don't like.

D. I always try to make everything work.

E. Our brains can make up a good story.

F. They also add an extra stress to our lives.

G. Our brains need a story to remember things.

How to make Quick Decisions For Your Life

    We make decisions every day{#blank#}1{#/blank#}When it comes to making decisions, choosing the right one can at times be stressful, especially if the decision must be made quickly. Indecision often weighs us down, but there are some useful tips for making quick decisions more easily.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Sometimes the key to making a quick decision comes down to planning ahead of time for just such an occasion. We all know we're going to come to an important decision-making point sooner or later, so having a plan already in hand can put our mind at ease when that time comes.

    Overcome fear.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}While it may seem difficult to overcome the fear of making the wrong choice, many experts agree that we shouldn't be afraid to make the wrong decision, even if it seems important. The vast majority of wrong decisions can be corrected, while delaying decisions can often lead to more problems.

    Write down all the advantages and disadvantages of your decision. Even if you don't have all the information, writing down all the pros and cons（优缺点） is a good starting point for figuring out what to do. In cases where there simply isn't enough time to write things down, make a mental list in your mind. Thinking of the pros and cons can help you organize your thoughts.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Determine criteria. Remember that every decision you make should come with a certain list of criteria.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}But once you know the requirements you're looking for, making a decision will become easier. Look for the choice that satisfies the list you've made, and once that choice is found, you should move ahead with it.

A. Have a plan.

B. The list may be short or quite long.

C. Communicate your decision with others.

D. And this can always lead to a clear answer.

E. So cut out any options that you know you will not choose.

F. Often, one thing that keeps us from making decisions is fear.

G. Some can be very important while others are not serious in the long run.

Participating (参与) in Class

    Class participation is a valuable part of learning. Many students are unwilling to participate in class. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Other students participate in class, but do so not correctly. Here is some advice that can help you become an effective class participant.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Do all tasks and readings and go over your notes from previous class periods. This will help to prevent you from making uninformed (无知的) comments or asking unsuitable questions. As you get ready for class, think about important questions and concerns that may appear in class. Be sure that you are prepared to deal with these.

    Try to sit close to the front of the class. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Besides, you can hear what the teachers say clearly.

    Listen to what the other students say. You can then build on their comments to make your own. Be active when you respond to something another student says. You can disagree, but don't go into an "attack mode".

    Don't be afraid to be wrong. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You can learn from being wrong. Don't be afraid to ask questions. This is a good learning skill. Also, the chances are that other students in the class have the same questions as you do, and they will appreciate your asking.

    Be sure that your questions and comments are closely connected with the class topic.

    Don't waste the time of the teacher and other students by going off way. Don't take it in person if others disagree with what you say. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Creating a personal connection helps you feel more comfortable about participating in class.

B. Be confident that your opinions will be valued by your teacher and other students.

C. It's hard to stay unconcerned when you are near to the teacher.

D. Be sure that you are well prepared before coming to class.

E. This may be because they are shy or fearful of being judged and criticized (批评).

F. Your class should be a good place for giving opinions and taking advice.

G. Learning is a change in behavior based on experience.

    Futurologists (未来学家) predict that life will probably be very different in 2050.

    TV channels will have disappeared. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programs, newspapers and books will come to us by computer.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Cars will have computers to control the speed and there won't be any accidents. Today, many cars have computers that tell drivers exactly where they are. By 2050, the computer will control the car and drive it to your destination.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Many factories already use robots. Big companies prefer robots—they don't ask for pay rises or go on strike, and they work 24 hours a day. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere—in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Today, there are devices (设备) that connect directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people to see and hear again with the help of new technology.

    Scientists will have discovered how to control genes. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} By 2050, scientists will be able to produce clones of people, and decide how they look, how they behave and how clever they are. Scientists will be able to do these things, but should they?