How to Create a Mind Map

    Most of us think visually but we write textually. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It also makes the information we list more difficult to process, remember, and share.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It combines the brain's visual nature with our tendency to write down words. We end up with a diagram that combines logic and order in a less structured manner. This promotes clearer thinking and better comprehension.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    So, how do you create a mind map? The most basic method is to just use a pen and paper, or a marker and whiteboard. It begins with a central topic or idea, then flows outward.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} The next level of topics is represented by branches extending from it.

    There aren't really any rules for creating mind maps. While most flow outwardly from the central topic, some users prefer to build mind maps in one direction.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} This can make groups of ideas easier to identify and remember. It also makes a mind map more enjoyable to create and use.

    Mind maps are extremely effective for taking notes, planning a project, brainstorming an idea, presenting information to others, and many other uses. Take out your pen and have a try.

A. They help to clarify thinking.

B. This goes against how our minds actually work.

C. They help us save time by focusing on key issues.

D. A mind map is the perfect answer to this dilemma.

E. Think of it as a tree, where the central point is the trunk.

F. It's also a lot more enjoyable than simply writing down lists.

G. Others like to add colors, pictures, or symbols in their mind maps.

    Ebola is a dangerous virus that can cause people to get very sick and even die. The virus is causing the biggest problems in western Africa, where it has spread quickly. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But it can get worse and cause life-threatening symptoms(症状), such as bleeding and trouble breathing.

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    Ebola does not spread like colds or the flu because it does not float through the air. Ebola also doesn't spread through food or water, like some other viruses. Instead, Ebola spreads when someone touches the body fluids(液体) of a sick person.

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    An outbreak is when many people are getting sick with the same illness around the same time. You may have heard of a flu outbreak, which is when lots of people get sick from the same types of flu virus. When an outbreak happens because of a virus, more people could get sick because there is a lot of that virus around.

    Where did Ebola come from?

    Scientists aren't sure how the first person gets Ebola at the start. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Tropical animals in Africa believed to carry the virus include great apes, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, fruit bats, porcupines, and forest antelopes.

    What do kids need to do about Ebola?

    Ebola is making many people sick in Africa, but no matter where you live, it's always a good idea to wash your hands well and often. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. How do people catch Ebola?

B. But they think that people may pick up the virus by touching or eating infected animals.

C. Why do I need to wash my hands?

D. It's very important that infected people get treatment right away.

E. Ebola symptoms can start with fever and headache, kind of like the flu.

F. What is an outbreak?

G. Keeping hands clean can help protect you from common illnesses like colds and the flu.

Ways to Increase Your Confidence

There are some ways you can use to increase your self-confidence. Some of them you'll need to practice a lot before they start to work. It's like playing the guitar or soccer. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But as you do them, you build a deeper confidence in yourself.
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Exercise will improve your confidence and your way of looking at life. Plus, being healthy and looking better can also help you feel more confident.
Create something
Everyone is a creative(有创造力的) person, Rediscovering your creativity is a good way to improve your confidence in yourself. Creating something is a wonderful but not always easy experience. But when you're done, you not only feel good about yourself. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}
Use your body.
If you start to walk fast you'll soon start to feel nervous. If you start to walk slower you'll soon start to feel more relaxed. To feel more confident, use your body in more confident way. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Learn how confident people around you or on the TV use their bodies.
Compare yourself to yourself.
This will take away a lot of unnecessary pain in your life. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Compare yourself to yourself. Improve yourself and see how you grow and become a more successful, more confident and happier person.

A. Take exercise
B. Take it into the future
C. This makes you more active
D. Walk, sit, stand and move in a more confident way
E. Sometimes you will also discover new parts of yourself
F. Pay attention to yourself, not the other people around you.
G. They might not work too well the first or second time you try them

    It's important to prepare for rainy days. Similarly, it's important to save money. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Why? It's because they've got used to spending all the money they make. Sometimes, the hardest thing about saving money is just getting started. Here are some tips to help you save money.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}The first step in saving money is to know how much you're spending. For one month, keep a record of everything you spend money on. Once you have your data, organize these numbers by category(类别) and get the total amount for each.

    You can make a budget. Now that you have a good idea of how much you spend in a month, what can you do now? {#blank#}3{#/blank#} To plan your spending, you can build a budget. In this way, you can limit over-spending and make sure that you put money away for unexpected situations.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Doing so make it much easier to get started. Begin by deciding how long it will take to reach each goal. Some short-term goals include starting a fund to cover 6 months to a year of living costs and saving money for a vacation. Long-term saving goals are often several years or even decades away and can include saving for retirement and putting money away for a child's college education.

    Make saving money easier with automatic transfers (自动转账). Automatic transfers to your savings account are very helpful. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}By moving money out of your checking account, you'll be less likely to spend money you plan to use for savings.

A. You can keep a record of what you do. .

B. You can record your costs.

C. You can plan your spending.

D. You can set savings goals

E. You can move money out of your savings account.

F. However, some people find it hard to save money.

G. They can make saving money much easier.

    Learning a foreign language is more than just a help to your CV(简历) or convenient for travelling. It will make you smarter, more perceptive(透视的) and even better at English. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    You become smarter

Speaking a foreign language improves the ability of your brain by challenging it to recognize, understand meaning, and communicate in different language systems. Students who study foreign languages will score better on standardized tests than their monolingual ( 单语的) classmates, particularly in maths, reading, and vocabulary.

    You become more perceptive

    A study from Spain shows that multilingual(多种语言的) people are better at observing their surroundings. They are better at focusing related information and editing out the unrelated. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Is it any surprise that Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot know several kinds of languages?

    You build multitasking skills

    Multilingual people, especially children, are skilled at switching between two systems of speech, writing, and structure. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The research found that people who spoke more than one language made fewer errors in their driving.

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    Educators often compare the brain to a muscle, because it functions better with exercise. Learning a language involves memorizing rules and vocabulary, which helps strengthen that mental "muscle." This exercise improves overall memory, which means that multiple language speakers are better at remembering lists or sequences.

    If you haven't spoken a foreign tongue since your A levels, your brain might not be gaining these bilingual benefits. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} People who begin language study in their adult lives can still achieve the same levels of fluency as a young learner, and still gain the same mental benefits, too.

A. However, it's never too late to learn a foreign language.

B. In one study, participants used a driving simulator (模拟器) while doing separate, distracting tasks at the same time.

C. Your muscle improves.

D. Below are several advantages of learning a foreign language.

E. They're also better at discovering misleading information.

F. Language speakers also develop a better ear for listening.

G. Your memory improves.

    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.