There are three things that will get you ahead in life: good looks, smarts, and being considered as being smart.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} And unluckily most of us are not good-looking. Let's explore some different ways to become smarter.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}College doesn't necessarily mean you'll be smarter, just educated. It means you'll be exposed to many different ideas and hopefully you'll learn how to think. Being able to think outside the box and for yourself are features smart people possess.

    Read books and educational magazines.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Educational magazines are a wealth of knowledge you can share with others, thus making you sound very smart. If you do watch television, try watching something that you can learn.

    Expand your vocabulary. Try to learn one new word a week. It doesn't seem like much, but adding 52 new words to your vocabulary will really make you appear much smarter. Subscribing (订阅) to vocabulary.com is a good start.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} This way you're actually getting 365 words a year, but that is usually more than most people can absorb.

    Don't repeat everything people tell you until you know that it's true.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}They hear a strange claim and they repeat it to the nearest ear. You can do much harm to your seek for being smart if you are known for giving bad information.

A. Go to college and get an education.

B. The first is God-given.

C. Get educated inside or outside college.

D. You will have a new word sent to your email address daily.

E. The programs actually provide you with information you can use.

F. Uneducated people and people not considered as being smart tend to do this.

G. Reading books works the brain out more than viewing television.

    What is stereotype? It is commonly known as a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people, consisting of gender, age, occupation, etc.

    Gender stereotype refers to a judgment about someone according to their sex instead of believing in their ability. Men have been thought to be a leader, strong, aggressive and brave. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Age stereotype is that someone judges other people's behavior and appearance because of the age. Children are often described innocent, naughty. Then, young people are usually stereotyped impatient, rebellious and indulge in comfort. Adults are related to responsibility. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Because the old people are stereotyped weak and sick, not moving flexibly, which means to be a big trouble.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} A concept can easily be formed that star is a descent and charming job with a lot of fun and more opportunities to contact fashion and celebrity, to dress up, and to taste delicious food in high-class restaurants. But not all stars can have these wonderful experiences. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They have to work on the other business to earn money under the pressure of life.

    Some view stereotype a good way to enable them to response to different things, judging if they are good or bad, as well as adapt into a new environment. However, some stereotypes are not quite consistent with the reality. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Society is developing every day, if we are always looking at it with stereotype, we will lose another side of it. Therefore, it is a good choice for us to deal with issues in wider perspective.

A. Women can also take charge of the nation and run their business.

B. There are more stereotypes about stars than other occupations.

C. Occupation stereotype also occurs in our minds.

D. So most people consider it easy to produce prejudice or misunderstandings.

E. Some stars' salary is lower than common white-collar workers.

F. But women are thought to be attached, weak, compromised and soft.

G. Nowadays, many adults are not willing to attend to their parents.

    Is college really worth the cost? Let's explore some of the pros and cons. It takes money to make money.

    Do college graduates make a higher salary? In general, yes. Those with a bachelor's degree make nearly twice the income of someone with only a high school diploma.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Among the majors that make the most money out of college are engineering, math and computer science. Not surprisingly, some of the lowest include art, religious studies, and early childhood and elementary education.

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    The average cost of a year of tuition (学费) in the United States is more than $30,000.That's just one year. Because of that, many college graduates come out with debt that annoys them for years after they graduate.

    For many tradesmen, a special skill in their specific field is all that's needed to make not only a fairly good living, but a comfortable one. The average electrician, for example, makes $58,933, whereas the average preschool teacher, after college, makes around $30,000. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    College grads have higher job satisfaction.

    Another plus for going to college? In general, college graduates are more satisfied with their jobs — 57 percent of college graduates are satisfied in their careers as compared to 37 percent of people with just a high school diploma. What's more, college graduates are less affected by job cuts when economy is weak. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    They also have a better social network.

    College also provides numbers of social benefits, providing social networks that stay with people throughout their lives. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The college years are formative years in our lives.

A. But college tuition is pricy.

B. Better universities cost more but bring more.

C. That being said, not all college majors are created equal.

D. They really have a better sense of achievement in their career.

E. They are more marketable and can generally find another job more easily.

F. How many people do you know who met their future wife or husband in college?

G. And that salary doesn't factor in the cost to pay back student loans from four years of college.

Four Habits to Help You Succeed

    Nobody would like to experience failure. We all want to succeed. For those who have tried and failed, success seems difficult to understand. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    • Know your values.

    Finding your values is in line with creating motivation.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Pick a handful of things and write them down. Remind yourself of your values every day and reflect on whether you are honoring those values through your work.

    • {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Choose one goal to start something large enough that will give you a sense of achievement, while adjusting well to your values. If you want to achieve your goal, focus is the key here. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you perform many tasks at a time, you might never finish your projects because they will take far too long.

    • Set a time for success.

    Set a date for success. Know when you hope to realize your goal.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}By setting a time limit, you are making the process realistic.

• Don't give up because of failure.

    Failure can't be avoided when you take risks. By its very definition, the desire to succeed means you are risking failure. Many people tend to give up far too early. Don't fall into this trap! Use failure. Treat it as a good thing, and go on.

A. Make the right decision.

B. Pick a goal and focus on it.

C. The more focused you are on one goal, the higher chance you have of success.

D. Keep it realistic, while not giving yourself too much time.

E. I have made a list of four habits to help you set goals and realize them.

F. Sit and reflect on what you value most.

G. Push yourself to be courageous, and take that next step.

    Ways to Create Calm in Your Daily Life

    Most of us need some space for calm in our lives. A few simple minutes can create much needed moments of calm. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You can use these skills to create calm in your busy schedule.

    Go walking. Walking is perfect and you can do it well anywhere. Simply walking and taking in the view is stress reducing. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}It makes room for new ideas to take root. Appreciate nature. When we think of nature we think of getting out into the open air, and that's great if you can.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Actually, nature is everywhere. Find a park or a small patch (小块地)of great green, or just stick your head out of the window! You have many ways to appreciate nature.

    Listen to music. Many people listen to music to calm themselves down. Music actually lifts us out of ourselves. Discover what music works for you. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Do some activities. Certain activities like yoga and tai chi need quiet focus. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They are good for the body, mind and spirit.

    Classes are a good place to begin, but once you learn the skills, you can practice anywhere: home, school or even on the road.

    Try out some of these ways and you'll soon be practicing "moments of calm".

A. But what if you are in the city?

B. Notice the animals around you.

C. They are perfect for active calming.

D. Music is a way to express the way that they are feeling.

E. It's a time to get stressful thoughts out of your head

F. With enjoyable music even work can be "music to your ears".

G. You don't have to find a mountain to sit on, or empty your mind of all thoughts for hours.

    The world is a colorful landscape of different languages, skin colors, and different cultures. It's important to have a good understanding of different cultures in order to become a well-rounded person {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    One way is to read hooks written by authors from a particular culture. Reading works by authors who have a close relationship with a particular culture allows people to gain an authentic glimpse into the food, music, language, religion, and way of a life of a particular group of people.

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    Another way to learn about different cultures is to try to learn a foreign language. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}A person can choose a language she has always wanted to learn and locate learning programs to help her master the language. Besides, one can enroll in a foreign language class in order to learn in a more formal setting. One can also try to visit areas of the city to establish social connection with native speakers of the language.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Seek out restaurants that feature authentic food from a variety of countries. Food is an important part of different cultures and allows people to gain deep understanding into a particular cultural group's way of life.

    Communicating with people from other countries through email or snail mail is another useful way to become familiar with different cultures. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Various websites offer pen pal services, offering to connect individuals with pen friends around the world.

A. Stories based on a local culture expose one to a different culture.

B. Trying authentic food from a specific cultural group is also a great idea.

C. There are several ways to become knowledgeable about different cultures.

D. A variety of language-learning books, software, and audio programs is available,

E. The Internet has made it possible to communicate with others from different countries.

F. Making contact with native speakers of the language allows one to gain firsthand knowledge.

G. One way to develop this appreciation is to try to team about other cultures around the world.