Being outspoken is a quality that, when used with skill and wisdom, can set you apart from the crowd. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The quality of being outspoken is a positive and active skill. Here are some tips.

    Gain self-knowledge(自找认识)through journaling. Knowing who you are, what you believe, and how you feel is the beginning of knowing yourself, and journaling is a great way to gain that knowledge. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Not only can you know yourself better, journaling is an excellent tool to improve self-confidence. Self-confidence is the foundation of being outspoken.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} In order to be outspoken, you have to believe that your voice has worth. You have to believe that your input will make any conversation better. And it probably will! It's different opinions that make conversations or debates interesting.

    Overcome shyness. The fact that you're confident doesn't mean you like hearing your own voice. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Overcoming a natural tendency towards shyness can seem horrible, but doing the opposite of your natural instinct can open up a whole new set of choices: brave choices.

    Back up your opinion with facts. Some people feel uncomfortable having or expressing an opinion because they don't know much about a topic. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

A. Be confident

B. Open your mind and speak it out.

C. The next step is overcoming your shyness.

D. Practice journaling for 15 minutes each night before bed.

E. Being outspoken is to speak your mind—to be honest and frank.

F. Allowing the other parties to make their points fully can help you seem more reasonable.

G. You can combat this feeling and have more confidence about your opinion if you learn facts that can support your opinion.

                                                                                    How Can I Fight Laziness?

    Lazy people will never gain anything in life. However, laziness can be defeated once a few changes have been made in your mind.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Many people lack sleep constantly, since they stay up too late and get up too early to prepare for work. These people have little motivation once they arrive home. Laziness works hand in hand with a lack of motivation and a tendency to put off things. By adjusting your sleep schedule to provide a few more hours of meaningful rest, you can fight laziness throughout the day.

    Another way to fight laziness is to change your mind from passive to active. Some people treat their lives as if they were pushed from task to task. Others take a more positive approach, viewing each task as a challenge they must overcome alone.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Some people fight laziness by removing the temptations(诱惑) that surround them. A television in the living room may provide entertainment, but watching too much TV often contributes to laziness.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Complete a few tasks and reward yourself with a good dinner.

    Laziness can also be a lasting problem at home. Couples and children may all have different energy levels, but laziness can be spread if not dealt with immediately.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Be the first to collect and wash dishes after a meal. Others in the home may eventually follow your example and perform their own task. It is difficult to practice laziness when you are surrounded by motivated people.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Enough exercise and a balanced diet can help you to develop a healthy lifestyle, thus enabling you to have more energy and help lift your spirits.

A. To fight family laziness, set an example.

B. Knowing how to fight laziness is important.

C. One way to fight laziness is to get enough sleep.

D. Finally, taking exercise regularly can help you fight laziness.

E. With strong determination, you will be able to achieve your goal.

F. Laziness appears when you no longer feel in charge of your own mind.

G. Create a reward system for yourself, just as parents do for a child.

    Researchers define self-control or self-discipline as "ability to control or change one's inner responses". {#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, some people think that as an immediate consequence of leading lives of constant self-control, they aren't likely to gain a lot of pleasure from life.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} To start, 414 adults completed on online survey. In the survey, they rated their self-control by indicating how much they agreed with 14 statements, such as "I indeed do certain things that are bad for me, if they are fun."

    In their study, 205 adults were given smart phones and required to report their emotions at random moments throughout the week. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If so, they had to report how hard they tried to resist them, and whether they eventually ended up acting on them.

    The researchers found that the more self-control people had，the more satisfied they were with their lives in the long run. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In fact, such people's increased happiness to a large extent accounted for the increased life satisfaction.

    These researchers also figured out that people high in self-control are simply less likely to find themselves in situations where that's even an issue. They don't waste time fighting inner battles over whether or not to eat a second piece of cake. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And that, it would seem, makes them happier……even if occasionally a little bit sad.

A. In a word, they are not bothered about such little desires.

B. Researchers checked these general ideas through a survey and study.

C. It is generally believed that in the long run self-control can make people happier.

D. Meanwhile, they were also asked to report whether they were experiencing any desires.

E. However, people with more self-control were also more likely to be happy in the short run.

F. But they are still uncertain why some people are more able to control their inner responses.

G. Most adults reported they failed to control their desire to play video games before an exam.

When to Say “No” to Antibiotics (抗生素)

    Although they know that antibiotics kill only bacteria but not viruses and the obvious risk of antibiotic overuse to personal health, many doctors still use antibiotics when the drugs are not necessary. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In some serious cases, the patients with them failed to respond to any medical treatment and died within days. Therefore, several medical organizations have tried to correct antibiotic misuse by explaining when the drugs are not needed.

    Ear Diseases

Earaches account for over half of ear related diseases for children. Most earaches gradually heal with no antibiotic in days, especially in children two and older. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In severe cases or when children under two years old experience moderate to severe pain, antibiotics might be required.

    Eye Diseases

    Doctors often use antibiotic eye drops after treating related diseases. Macular Degeneration, for example, is an eye disease generally treated with injections or laser operation. But those drops are rarely needed after such procedures and can even damage patients' eyes.

    Lung Diseases

    For older patients, particularly those who live in long-term care centers, doctors need to use antibiotics when a routine test finds bacteria in lung. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Throat Diseases

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Therefore, antibiotics shouldn't be widely used in treatments for such diseases. Only less than one third of strep throats are bacterial. If you suspect bacterial throat, get tested to find out for sure.

    Another report, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also indicates that antibiotic misuse affects at least two million people annually, killing more than 23,000. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Therefore, health experts urge all doctors in practice to follow the above instructions.

A. Most throat diseases are caused by viruses.

B. Just wait two days to see if symptoms disappear.

C. But if the result proves normal, the drugs won't help.

D. In this case, antibiotics are the most effective for the old.

E. Most doctors already know it, so they say no to antibiotics.

F. Under such circumstances, limiting antibiotic misuse is a must.

G. This may develop the “superbugs”, which can't be easily controlled.

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.

    Today we begin a series of programs about learning disabilities. These are disorders in the ways that people understand or use language. They can affect the ability to listen or think, or to speak or to read and write. They can also affect the ability to do mathematics. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Researchers believe that learning disabilities are caused by differences in the way that the brain works with information. They say children with learning disabilities are not unintelligent or do not want to work.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Researchers say that as many as one out of every five people in the United States has some kind of learning disability. Almost three-million children in the United States receive some kind of help in school for a learning disability.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Experts look for a difference between how well a child does in school and the level of intelligence or ability of the child. But there is no one sign of a disorder. A few signs of learning disability include not connecting letters with their sounds or not understanding what is read. A person with a learning disability may not be able to understand a funny story. They may not follow directions. They may not read numbers correctly or know how to start a task. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}One person may have trouble understanding mathematics. Another may have difficulty understanding what people are saying. Still another may not be able to express ideas in writing. These different kinds of learning disabilities are known by different names. For example, a person who has difficulty reading may have dyslexia (诵读困难症).

    Experts say learning disabilities cannot be cured.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Teachers and parents can help young people with learning disabilities to learn successfully.

A. Different people have different kinds of learning disabilities.

B. Their brains just process information differently than other people.

C. People with learning disabilities have difficulty in communicating with others.

D. But people who have them can be helped.

E. Why does a person have a learning disability?

F. A person with a learning disability has unusual difficulty in developing these skills.

G. How can you tell if someone has a learning disability?