Investing in yourself

    Figuring out how to invest your money can be a difficult task. This is something that you will want to learn how to do.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Things that will improve your knowledge, skills or health are all great investments. However, before you start, you need to be clear about what you will gain out of doing all of these things.

    You may think investing in yourself means investing in your education. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} . There are some other things you can do as well as buying a gym membership or learning a new skill.

    So what are some specific things you can do? {#blank#}3{#/blank#} . Reading books can really expand your mind and allow you to learn different skills and gain knowledge. I'm talking about the books where you will actually learn a new skill, not fiction books.

    You can also take courses and attend seminars. These programs are taught by people with a high level of knowledge or skill. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} . Only in this way can you avoid being fooled by some sales presentation.

    Moreover, investing in yourself is a safe way to keep your money. Although a savings account is seen as the most secure investment, that isn't 100% safe. Even if you never experience your bank closing down, the return is little when inflation(通货膨胀) is taken into consideration. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} . But over time, they will show up in terms of your happiness level as well as your level of success.

A. This is just one way.

B. The benefits will stay with you.

C. If you aren't a reader, you should start with that.

D. The more you do this, the more valuable you will be.

E. Of course, you need to do some research before investing.

F. The best way to invest your money is to invest it in yourself.

G. When you invest in yourself, you may not see gains right away.

Parents and the Young

    It is natural that young people are often uncomfortable when they are with their parents.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They often think that their parents are out of touch with modern ways, that they are too serious and too strict with their children, and that they seldom give their children a free hand.

    It is time that parents often find it difficult to win their children's trust and they always forget how they themselves felt when young.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It is one of their ways to show that they have grown up and they can face any difficult situation. Adults worry more easily. Most of them plan things ahead.

    Young people make their parents angry with their choices in clothes, in entertainment and in music. But they do not mean to cause any trouble: It just shows that they feel cut off from the adult's world, and they have not yet been accepted into their world.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} And if their parents do not like their music or entertainment or clothes or their way of speech, this will make the young people very happy.

    Sometimes you are so proud of yourself that you do not want your parents to say “yes” to what you do.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is natural enough, after being a child for so many years, when you were completely under your parents' control.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If your parents see that you have a high sense of responsibility, they will give you the right to do what you want to do.

A. Parents should understand young people.

B. Young people like to live with their parents.

C. Young people like to act without much thinking.

D. They say that their parents don't understand them.

E. All you want is to be left alone and do what you like.

F. If you plan to control your life, you'd better win your parents.

G. That's why young people want to make a new culture of their own.

    A dog's mind is only equal to that of a two-year-old baby. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So, they are probably the first to notice any change in the behavior of their masters. Let's do some deep-digging to understand the amazing ability of a dog.

    They sense your feelings. Isn't it strange? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} This is true. A study published in the Animal Cognition（认知）journal says that dogs are known to come to people who appear sad or depressed. It doesn't matter if the person is their owner or a stranger. They have an ability to sense sadness and are attracted to troubled souls.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Dogs can easily tell when you're playing with favorites, and if you reward or play more with other pets, your dog might notice it and feel uncomfortable. As they can't say how they feel, they will scratch, yawn or lick their mouths.

    They smell fear. Let's say you are faced with your worst fear. Would you get scared and run away or just face it? Before choosing how to deal with it, you should remember one thing. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Research shows that dogs often sense their master's response in dangerous situations. If you fear something and choose to back away, chances are that your pet is going to do the same thing.

    They're watching you. We are all raised as responsible individuals who are taught to respect elders, obey the law and help out people in need from time to time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But if you have a dog at home, it is time to be serious about them. Dogs like generous people. So just be careful around your pet; it may judge you on how you behave with others.

A. They sense health problems.

B. They understand when ignored.

C. They know when no one's looking at them.

D. You would be setting an example to your pet.

E. Every time you feel sad, your dog just knows it.

F. But dogs are able to sense everything around them.

G. However, not all of us take these three things seriously.

    It's very common these days for people to take some sort of regular exercise each week. But if you've never done it before, what's the best way to go about it? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} He or she will create a personalized plan for you based on your aims.

    However, each hourly session can be steep considering you have to pay both the personal trainer and membership of the gym, too. So what's left? Well, if you have the courage to do it, you can make your own plan. It's relatively easy to do if you have the know-how. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    First, keep your fitness goal in mind. Are you looking to slim down or increase your abilities? Whatever it is, make sure the things you choose to do are achieving that goal. Next, do your research. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Watch as many of these as possible, but make sure to be a little critical of them — everyone has a different physique and what works for one may not work for another. Finally, keep your feet on the ground. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It takes at least three months to see any realistic body changes. And don't be overzealous(过度热衷的) — never work in pain — a good workout is difficult and challenging, but never painful. Pain means you are damaging yourself.

    If nothing else, focus on calisthenics (健身操). {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Do as many of one exercise as you can without stopping, and then try and repeat that number twice more — make sure you sweat, and don't forget to rest for a minute in between each activity!

A. Be patient with yourself and set realistic goals.

B. But before you do, here are some basic pointers.

C. Well, many people make use of a personal trainer.

D. They just don't want to design their own workout plan.

E. These days, social media is full of fitness videos and advice.

F. Find a way to make each exercise more difficult as you get in shape.

G. These are the basic body movements which everyone can do anywhere.

    Running is becoming popular these days. Many people run to keep fit. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, if you're doing it wrong, you won't get such good results. Fortunately, here are some tips to help you.

    Set right goals

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Be smart and set the right goals. Sign up fora fun run or a 5K first, before even thinking about a marathon. Your goal should simply be to finish. If you push yourself too much, it is possible that you will get hurt and won't want to insist on running.

    Wear suitable shoes

    Once you've decided to try out running, it's time to get yourself new shoes, as the wrong pair can cause foot pain. Wearing the wrong shoes can destroy your workout plan. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Eat properly before or after a run

    Some of you don't eat before or after a workout. Your body needs energy to exercise. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}So it's important to give your body energy. Experts suggest that you eat foods before and after a workout to help with your body's fat burning process.

    Run out of the city

    If you live in a busy city, running along city streets is the easiest way to get in the miles, but if it's possible, find a less polluted space for your long runs. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Exposure to air pollution can cause damage to brain health and the lungs, so running at a cleaner environment might be worth the extra time.

A. Fresh air cleans our lungs.

B. It is a good, inexpensive way to get into shape,

C. It's exciting to start running, but don't set your goals too high.

D. Another side effect of skipping meals is to make you feel tired.

E. And not eating properly will affect your mental and physical being,

F. Therefore, before running, you should go to the shoe store to buy a new pair of running shoes.

G. Research shows that running in polluted air doesn't give you the same benefits (好处) as running in clean air.

Five steps to better handwriting

Some kids love handwriting, but others hate when it's time to put their pen to paper. Maybe they are worried about their handwriting. Are you one of them? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are five steps that really work!

Get a great grasp

Try this — hold your pencil at the top and try to write your name. Pretty hard? But when you hold your pencil the correct way, writing is much easier. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Hold it in place with your thumb, and your index (食指) and middle fingers.

Let the lines be your guide

Lined paper is your friend! Those lines can help you create letters that are the right size and proportion (均衡). {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Also be sure to fill up the lined space completely. Those capital letters should be from the bottom line to the top one.

Slow down

If your writing is hard to read, try slowing down a little. If you rush, it's hard to control where you stop and start your letters.

Lower the pressure

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} That makes it harder to make the smooth lines. Try easing up and don't hold the pencil too tightly.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Lots of games require you to write or draw pictures. So even though it's not schoolwork, you're still using the skills you need to control your pen better.

A. Play games

B. Ask for more advice

C. So "a" should be half the height of a capital "A".

D. You've been writing since you were a little kid.

E. Some kids press down really hard when they write.

F. The good news is that just about everyone can improve their handwriting.

G. The best way to hold a pen or pencil is to let it rest next to the base of your thumb.