Cold blesses us all

    It's November, the time of year when people often get blessed more. This is not because God likes cold weather, nor because others are feeling generous with Thanksgiving just around the corner.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Colds and the flu are the most common illnesses people get in autumn and winter as the weather gets colder. They are all caused by viruses, but colds are generally milder—you'll feel annoyed but not as if you want to die.

    Teenagers catch average six to ten colds a year, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health, while adults average two to four. More than 200  viruses cause cold symptoms.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}You can be contagious（传染的）one day before symptoms develop and for up to five days after becoming sick.

    The signature symptom of a cold is a runny nose. The flu will make you burn with fever, ache all over, feel extremely tired and cough intensely. The flu can sometimes lead to more serious diseases, such as pneumonia.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}A doctor can test you to see whether you have the flu in the first few days of the illness. But some treatments for both are pretty much the same:

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Many doctors consider water a weapon against the common cold. It helps your blood drive off viruses and flood them out.

    Keep warm. You might be cold one minute and hot the next, and wearing several layers is very important.

    Wash your hands frequently. You don't want to make it worse by spreading the flu to everyone else. Also, avoid sharing cups and eating utensils(餐具) with other people.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}But if your flu symptoms get worse, go to a hospital or clinic right away.

A. Most people who catch the flu get better without having to see their doctor.

B. Sometimes, it's hard to tell a cold from the flu based on symptoms alone.

C. Drink lots of water.

D. Taking medicine on time is a good way to prevent the illness.

E. "Bless you!" is a common response to sneezes, the symptom of catching a cold or the flu.

F. Get lots of sleep and take it easy.

G. You can pass on the flu before you even know you have it.

    I think the majority of people would agree that it's unhealthy to live in the past. After all, we're all familiar with the new age philosophy, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Living in the past holds us back from being able to enjoy the present moment. But are there any benefits of revisiting a previous time? Actually, yes. The past has several advantages:

     Learning from our mistakes: We all know that poor choices can be some of life's greatest teachers{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}By revisiting an unfavorable event from our past, we can often view it from a different perspective as time has passed. Being older and wiser, we are now able to reevaluate the experience and gain deeper insights and understandings of what happened and why, and how it has impacted us since. What once scarred us can now be healed through a newly-found awareness and no longer be a negative force in our lives.

    Motivated by earlier successes{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Other times life has been difficult. Remembering the past when we were at our best can help motivate us out of our current slump(低谷) and put us back on track for success. Use your past successes to propel(推动) you on to newer and greater things.

    While it's evident that revisiting the past has several advantages, there is a warning. Just like an amusement park, it's fine to visit but you cannot stay there forever. At some point, the park closes and all visitors are asked to leave. Enjoy the past when necessary but don't always stay there. Use it for living in the present and planning for the future{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Moving beyond

B. That's why it's called the present

C. In that way, it will serve you well

D. See the mistakes as a step on the road to a solution

E. There are times when we have all enjoyed success on a variety of levels

F. Recalling times when we made mistakes can help us make better future decisions

G. So, failure is the mother of success

    It's normal to wake briefly during the night.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} But if you're waking up during the night and having trouble falling back asleep, the following tips may help.

    The key to getting back to sleep is continuing to prepare your body for sleep, so remain in bed in a relaxed position. Hard as it may be, try not to stress over the fact that you're awake.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}So just focus on the feelings and sensations in your body.

    If you are finding it hard to fall back asleep, try a relaxation technique such as visualization, deep breathing, or meditation (沉思）.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Remind yourself that although they're not a replacement for sleep, rest and relaxation still help refresh your body. Do a quiet, non-stimulating activity.

    If you've been awake for more than 15 minutes, try getting out of bed and doing a quiet, non-stimulating activity, such as reading a book. Keep the lights dim so as not to think that it's time to wake up.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} The type of light they send out is stimulating(刺激)the brain. A light snack might help relax you, but be careful not to eat so much that your body begins to expect a meal at that time of the day.

    If you wake during the night feeling anxious about something, make a brief note of it on paper.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} You may find that it will be easier to solve it when you are fresh. Similarly, if a great idea is keeping you awake, make a note of it on paper and fall back to sleep, knowing you'll be much more productive and creative aft-er a good night's rest.

A. Arrange for it to take place the next day.

B. In fact, a good sleeper won't even remember it.

C. The darker the bedroom is, the better you'll sleep.

D. They can be done without even getting out of bed.

E. Try to make dinner time earlier in the evening.

F. Stress and anxiety encourage your body to stay awake.

G. Also avoid screens of any kind —computers, TVs, cell phones, iPads.

    How old is "old"? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Two hundred years ago, you were old at 35. That was the average life then. At the turn of this century, as medical knowledge advanced, the average life span(长度) increased to 45. In 1950, 70-year-olds were really old. Today, a healthy 70-year-old is looking forward to many more active years.

    So, how old is old? The answer is one you've heard many times, from all sorts of people. "You are as old (or young) as you feel!" The calendar(日历) simply tells you how many years you have lived. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Once an unknown author wrote, "{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Nobody grows old by living a number of years; people grow old by giving up their goals."

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Alice Brophy, when she was with the New York City commission for the Aging, said, "It upsets me when people say, 'Gee, you look young for your age!' What does that mean? Is there some model that you're supposed to look a certain way at 65 and 75 and 85? You know you can die old at 30 and live young at 80"

    There are many wrong ideas about aging. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Here are some of the more common ones. For example, most older people are in poor health, or older people are unable to change.

A. The answer has changed over the years.

B. Old is a point of view.

C. Older people are stubborn, unable to change.

D. Youth is not a time of life but it is a state of mind.

E. These ideas stereotype (固化) people on the basis of age.

F. Your body tells you how well you've lived.

G. It's extremely terrible to be grown old.

    It could happen anywhere at any time.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Most people, at one time or another, have been on the receiving end of a random act of kindness. In a sometimes cold world where people can be so focused on what they're doing, a random act of kindness can make all the difference.

    They can be relatively insignificant. Hannah Bailey from London, for example, told the Metro newspaper about how she was given her fruit and vegetable shopping for free. The seller did her a kindness when it emerged she didn't have any change to pay.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The city of Naples has long had a tradition called' caffè sospeso'. When buying coffee, a person who has recently been lucky would purchase two cups but only drink one, leaving the second one anonymously(匿名), out of the goodness of their heart, for a poor person to claim for free.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    However, in some cases, these little acts can be a matter of life and death. Take, for example, the unnamed commuter, who in June 2018 fell off a station platform onto an electric railway track in Toronto, Canada. A quick-thinking, hut even now unknown, bystander selflessly leapt down to pull him to safety.

    So, why do it? {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The people never meet again. According to UK charity The Mental Health Foundation, acts like these can “give our lives new purpose, show us other perspectives on our own problems and even make us feel content.”

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Hold open a door for someone, deliver a compliment—even give up your seat on a bus. Help someone who is in need. It takes all kinds. It needn't be anything huge. One day, whether you need it or not, someone might help you in your hour of need.

A. So give it a try.

B. Be brave to face challenges.

C. Often, the acts aren't paid back.

D. She was happy about it all day.

E. She was in low spirits the whole day.

F. This tradition is now more common worldwide.

G. It's often unexpected, but almost never unappreciated.

    Did you once make you friends angry or unhappy because of your words? Are you having trouble getting people to reply to your requests? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Learn how to say things the right way with this great guide!

    Could you give me five minutes? vs Go away.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} When you're busy and can't do anything else, just saying "Go away" is certainly not right. You can keep everyone happy by saying "Could you give me five minutes?"

    Excuse me. vs Move.

    Telling someone to "Move out of the way" is very impolite. The next time someone is in your way, saying "Excuse me" is a good idea. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    I'm afraid I can't. vs No.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} People will think it impolite to simply say "No". The next time you have to refuse an invitation, you'd better say, "I'm afraid I can't."

    Would you mind...? vs Stop it!

    Someone doing something you don't like, and perhaps being impolite. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} To get the result you want, it's not a good idea to shout "Stop talking on your phone in the cinema!" and it's a good choice to ask them politely with the sentence, "Would you mind not using your phone in the cinema, please?"