Confidence is a skill that many folks want to master, but have a hard time acquiring. Have you ever wondered why? Possibly you were born confident. You were talked to negatively as a child or maybe you were rejected many times. Whatever the case is{#blank#}1{#/blank#} But how to boost your confidence?

    Begin to act as if you are confident. Act as the person you would want to be like{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Surround yourself with people who you think are confident and have high value. You will learn so much from observing other confident folks.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}One of the most areas that you need to pay attention to is your self-talk. Your thoughts about your capabilities and self-worth need to be positive and encouraging. Whenever you notice you think negatively, pause and take a moment, and shift your focus to something that can help you feel better about yourself.

    Go after your goals. If you are really serious about building self-confidence, you need to identify your goals and go after them. The more you add to your accomplishments, the more confident you will feel about your abilities and skills{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    By using these steps to boost your confidence{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Always stay positive.

B. Improve your self-talk.

C. Begin to think and behave like them.

D. This requires you to know what a confident person looks like.

E. you will be on the path to improving your self-esteem (自尊) and self-worth.

F. You'll begin to trust your inner self more and appreciate yourself more.

G. you should know you can improve your self-esteem and build confidence.

    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.

    My mother is a diligent and kind woman. She is very busy from morning till night. As a teacher, she works hard. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Both my brother and I love her dearly as she loves us.

    My mother has been teaching math at a middle school in my hometown. She goes to work early in the morning and does not return home until late in the afternoon. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}  She treats them with patience and teaches them well. For her excellent quality and very good teaching results, she has been elected as a model teacher several times.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Every day, when she comes back home from work, she sets about doing housework, sweeping the living room and bedrooms or cleaning the furniture, and putting everything in good order. She seems to be busy all the time. As she has been very busy working every day, she looks older than her age. But she looks as cheerful and happy as ever. Mother never buys expensive dresses for herself, but she often buys some inexpensive but high quality clothes for us. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} . She just eats a plain meal outside when she is too busy to cook herself. She lives a busy yet simple life, without any complaints.

    Often she says to us, “work while you work, and play while you play. That is the way to be happy and gay. If you do not work, you will become lazy and be of no use to society”. What a piece of good advice this is! {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. This advice of hers will always serve as a guide to my behavior. My mother is great indeed, and I always feel proud of her.

A. She enjoys listening to classic music.

B. As a mother, she takes good care of us and gives us every comfort.

C. She loves her students and cares for them.

D. She never goes to expensive restaurants to enjoy meals.

E. My mother is hard-working and never wastes money.

F. Can you tell us something about your mother?

G. I never forget it and always bear it in my mind

    Everybody gets stressed time to time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some ways of dealing with stress like screaming or hitting someone don't solve much. But other ways, like talking to someone you trust, can lead you to solving your problem or at least feeling better.

    Try taking these four steps the next time you are stressed:

    ⑴Get support. When you need help, reach out to the people who care about you. Talk to a trusted adult, such as a parent or other relatives. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They might have had similar problems, such as dealing with a test, or the death of a beloved pet.

    ⑵Don't take it out on yourself. Sometimes when kids are stressed and upset they take it out on themselves. Oh, dear, that's good idea. Remember that there are always people to help you. Don't take it out on yourself. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    ⑶Try to solve the problem. After you're calm and you have support from adults and friends, it's time to get down to business. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Even if you can't solve it all, you can solve a piece of it.

    ⑷Be positive. Most stress won't last long. Remember stress does go away, especially when you figure out the problem and start working on solving it.

    These steps aren't magic, but they do work. And if you can stay positive as you make your way through a hard time, you'll help yourself feel better even faster. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Ask for a helping hand to get you through the difficult situation.

B. Notice your friends' feelings and find a way to help them.

C. Different people feel stress in different ways.

D. Ah, it feels so good when the stress is gone.

E. You need to figure out what the problem is.

F. And don't forget about your friends.

G. Then, find a way to calm down.

How to Take Notes?

    Note-taking is a skill which can be used right from primary school up until you leave university or {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you follow these simple steps and tips, you will not only learn how to take notes; you will succeed or perhaps even come up with your own method!

    Note details at the top of your paper. Keep your notes organized by writing important details at the top of each page. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Noting details can make it easier for you to return to your notes and get important information.

    Use your own language. Write down key facts, ideas, and details in your own words. Taking notes in your own words actively engages your brain and helps you better understand the text. Develop your own system of signs and short forms that can help you more quickly take notes and review them. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Think about the text you're reading or the lecture you're listening to—they may be a bit hard to understand. Avoid using full sentences when you write your notes. Instead, use keywords to say the same things in a short and manageable way that you can easily and quickly review later.

    Skip lines on the paper for later review. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Having extra room allows you to make additional notes or clarify points that you may not understand. This helps you quickly have and identify all of the relevant material to that keyword or thought.

A. Review your notes later in the day.

B. Write keywords instead of full sentences.

C. For example, “SM” for “scientific method,” or “GH” for “gender history”.

D. As you write your keywords and ideas down, leave space between each line.

E. It may seem challenging to take notes quickly while keeping key information.

F. Include information such as the date, bibliographic information, and page number of your notes.

G. Good note-taking is a valuable skill for keeping, remembering, reciting and recalling information.

    In our daily life, some people prefer to hold on to the past and play it again and again like a broken record. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. However, those with no regrets let go of the past and live joyfully at present. They also live by the following principles.

    ⒈Following your unique path leads to greater achievements.

    We all have passions and inner guidance. If you follow your passions and inner guidance, your life will take on deeper meaning and fulfillment. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    ⒉Let your interest guide you, not societal pressures.

    We all know the feeling of being interested about something. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. But too often we allow societal pressures to control our feeling. To check whether your interest is guiding your life, start doing what you want to.

    ⒊Understanding happiness is a choice.

    We often think we will be happy once we get that job, or finish that course. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Everything outside of you is temporary(暂时的). Once it goes, so will your happiness.

    ⒋{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    We support others by our words and actions, while receiving others' support and love back. Expressing heartfelt feelings allows us to have no regrets for whatever tomorrow may bring. It may also be exactly what others need to face their current challenges.

A. Don't think twice about expressing love and appreciation

B. Try living according to what your inner knowing guides you to do

C. What is right for one person may not be right for another

D. They, in turn, live with regret, anger, and fear

E. Don't settle for less than what you want

F. The truth is that happiness comes from within

G. It guides what we are doing