How to find the perfect career

    Too many people are not satisfied with their professional career (事业) and are “stuck” in situations that do not make them happy. Here are some wonderful actions you can take to begin the path to a truly happy career.

Talk to your friends.

    Ask them, “what do you think I am best at”, or “what do you think I enjoy doing most”. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}However, their advice may help you decide what you should do.

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    Read some interesting magazines, books, newspapers or novels. They will give you a constant flow of ideas and keep the mind rich.

Talk to the happiest and most successful people you know.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Be serious with your questions. And see if there is anything you can learn from them. Have these people become your teachers and friends.

Keep a journal（日记）.

    Writing down your ideas is an important practice for your career growth. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}You never know when great ideas will come to your mind!

Develop patience.

    You may want a change in your career right now. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Anyway, doing the practices mentioned above will bring about the right chance much faster.

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

G. Can you tell us something about your mother?

    How to get siblings (兄弟姐妹）to get along

    One of the greatest gifts of parenthood is seeing your children form a relationship with each other that is independent of you. By giving them someone else to play with you can free up some time for yourself. Here are four techniques you can use to help your children appreciate each other while they are young.

    ⒈{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The No.1 thing parents can do to help their kids stay on good terms with each other is not to compare them with each other. Never say “Your sister never...” or “Why can't you do what your brother does?”{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    ⒉ Stay out of the way. Try not to get too involved(参与) in your kids' arguments. Learning cooperation and problem-solving is an important skill in life.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}And don't blame the older one for not “knowing better.” That puts pressure on the older child and leads to unhappiness.

    ⒊ Activities and opportunities. Have your kids go to their siblings' games and activities.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} “My kids go to each other's activities, and take part in activities together,” says Patricia Walters-Fischer, mother of two. Not only do her children go, but they also offer support, encouraging each other before a big game or performance and offering comfort when things don't go well.

    ⒋ Vacations. Don't ignore the value of a family vacation for bringing siblings together When kids are away from their friends and forced to spend time together, they often enjoy each other{#blank#}5{#/blank#}In fact, a weekend camping trip offers some of the best opportunities for working together, having fun and experiencing something new.

A. Don't compare.

B. Never shout at them.

C. That only serves to fuel the competition.

D. It doesn't need to be anything extremely great.

E. They may need help solving a conflict, but try not to take sides.

F. Give them a project, and they will learn how to work together.

G. Get them involved in one another's lives, so they can have a better appreciation of who their sibling is.

                                                                         Is Online School for You?

    Have you ever wished you didn't have to wake up early and go all the way to school? For 700,000 American kids, this wish comes true. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}This kind of learning has different names: online learning or distance learning. Regardless of (不管) what it is called, this idea may create an impression of a lonely kid reading pages of information on a computer screen rather than from a book or an image of another kid spending the day playing video games instead of learning mathematics or reading a book. Where online education is concerned, both of these are false! Actually, online learning simply means learning differently.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Flexibility is the main advantage. Students can attend school wherever and whenever they desire. Homework can be turned in from anywhere the student has Internet access. Additionally, many online schools will allow students to work at their own pace.

    Another advantage of online schooling is with the variety of courses. Most online schools teach the same basic classes like English, math, science, and history.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}However, traditional schools are often unable to offer these types of classes if there are not enough students.

    Online schools also have different types of learning tools for kids to use. For example, many online schools have special Web sites where only students registered in online classes can watch videos, see lessons presented, or chat with teachers and other students. Some online schools have live class times where students can call and talk with the teacher directly.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Computer technology is amazing, and we use computers for chatting with our friends, listening to music, and playing games. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Since 2006, at least 38 states either have had their own online schools or made rules for students attending them. It looks like online schools are here to stay, but only you can decide if this type of learning is right for you.

A. Online schools offer many benefits for the learners.

B. Of course, there are some disadvantages of going to school online.

C. Almost every part of our lives is affected by it, and school is no exception.

D. They attend school over the Internet using ordinary home or library computers.

E. Other online schools even have online clubs where kids can talk about their hobbies.

F. Some online schools also offer specialized classes in subjects such as space science, French, or zoology.

G. For some students, online school may be ideal, but for others, traditional school may better meet their needs.

    Celebrate!

    Piñatas(彩罐)

    In Mexico, children often get piñatas on their birthday. Their parents put chocolates and other sweets inside the piñata and hang it on a tree. Then the children hit the piñata with a stick. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Noodles

    In China, people often celebrate birthdays by eating with family or friends, and the last dish of the meal is always noodles. The noodles are long and thin. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can't cut them. In Chinese culture, long noodles mean you will have a long life.

Business birthdays

    A business birthday shows that a company is successful. Many businesses in the USA celebrate important birthdays, like 10, 50 or 150 years. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}sometimes they make TV advertisements. It is a good chance to advertise the business.

Name days

    As well as a birthday, many people in Southern Europe also celebrate their name day. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} people have big parties and open their houses to anybody who wants to come. People bring small gifts, often flowers or a box of sweets.

Islamic New Year

    In Muslim countries across the world, people celebrate Eid(开斋节). Eid means festival or celebration. During Eid, people visit family and friends, as well as people who are sick or in hospital. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Children receive toys, too. Children often wear special traditional clothes during the Eid celebrations.

A. You have to eat them in one piece.

B. They go out for a meal to celebrate.

C. Companies hold parties and send cards.

D. They give presents, such as sweets and food.

E. It breaks and the sweets fall out on to the ground.

F. This is one of the two important festivals in this country.

G. In Greece, name days are more important than birthdays.

    Think positive

    How are you feeling today? If your head's in a spin because you've had a bad night's sleep, or maybe you've just got too much to do, the chances are you're not in the best of moods. If everything seems like an effort and you have a negative attitude, the last thing you want to be told is to be positive! {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Of course, developing a positive attitude is easier said than done. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} When you're feeling down, it is hard to be optimistic. But a study in the US has found that people who are optimists are more likely to live longer than those who have a more negative approach to life. So, maybe the thought of a longer life might encourage you to have a more hopeful outlook on life.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Professor Lewina Lee from Boston University School of Medicine, who worked on the study, told the BBC that: "Our findings speak to the possibility that raising levels of optimism may promote longevity and healthy ageing." And she advises that pessimists could benefit from doing things like imagining a future where everything turns out well.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Vicki Siska says "Music feeds my soul. A sense of humour keeps things in perspective." And Pippa Kennedy says" being grateful for what you have — and lots of chocolate —helps!" {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That's probably why other people have recommended doing yoga as well as staying fit and healthy to help maintain a positive outlook on life.

A. It doesn't come naturally to everyone.

B. As we know, every coin has two sides.

C. But being positive could have more benefits than you think.

D. Pessimists tend to give up when facing difficulties.

E. The saying goes that a healthy body leads a healthy mind.

F. People have been giving their personal advice on keeping a positive approach to life.

G. The study concluded that optimists may find it easier to control emotions and get less stressed.