There is an old Spanish Proverb which states, “Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week”. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} I'd say, too many. Our dreams should not, and cannot wait. We have to go for them now! Here's why.

    1）{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Nobody likes to talk about death, but the reality is – everybody is going to die at one point. None of us know the day, or the hour. Therefore, today is all we have. Don't go to your grave with unfulfilled dreams. Make the decision to go after every dream, big or small right now.

    2）The world is waiting on your gift

    I know this may be hard to believe, but the world is waiting on YOU! Yes, YOU! {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Sure, other people may be able to sing. But they'll never be able to sing exactly like you. Sure other people can write, but they'll never be able to write from the same perspective in which you write. Don't deprive（使丧失） the world of your gift. It's the oxygen that we need to survive. Thus, it is your responsibility to figure out exactly what your gift is, and use to better your life and the lives of those around you.

    3）{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    You can dream about writing the great American play that you want, but it's never going to happen unless you actually put pen to paper. You can dream about finding a cure for cancer, but it will never happen unless you actually go to school to become equipped with the necessary tools to find that cure. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They require you to get your head out of the clouds, and actually do the work to make them happen. Get to it!

A. You can't let fear win.

B. Tomorrow is not promised.

C. In other words, dreams don't work unless you do.

D. Possibilities you never knew existed are waiting on you

E. How many times have we put off our dreams until tomorrow?

F. Unless you take the first step, your dreams will never come true.

G. You were born into the world with a unique gift, which nobody on this earth can copy.

    To be more grateful (感恩的) in life means that you are also allowing yourself to be happier and more satisfied with everything that has been going on around you. But with all the stress, all the disappointments and all the anxiety around you. I bet you ask yourself this question all the time: “How exactly can I be more grateful with my life?”{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    ⒈ Learn to live in the moment.

    Life is a wonderful adventure full of enriching experiences and endless possibilities. Don't just go through the motions of (走过场) repetitive(重复乏味的) activities and boring tasks. No! Being a mindless zombie (行尸走肉) can make you more likely to take things for granted (对……不予重视).{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, make an effort to enjoy the experience.

    You're supposed to attend a conference? Absorb it. Babysit your niece? Enjoy the moment. Eat a 15-minute lunch? Taste each bite.

    ⒉{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Being aware of your goal to be more grateful can help you look for things to be really more grateful for. Gratitude is a conscious decision. You have to practice it consistently (持续的，始终如一地).

    ⒊ Control your thoughts.

    Of course you have the power to control what you're thinking of! Consider this exercise, for example: if you find yourself thinking more and more self-entitled (自我为中心), stop.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. You are given consciousness (意识). Make use of it wisely.

    ⒋Always resist the temptation (诱惑) of comparing yourself with other people.

    As humans, we have the natural tendency (倾向、偏好）to compare ourselves with others with the hope of attaining satisfaction. Actually, this kind of activity does not help you feel to be more grateful in life.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}! You will always be meeting someone richer, which makes you fed inferior (下等的) to others!

    Don't do it, please.

    Every little thing counts. You have the ability to make yourself feel to be more grateful in your life.

A. Appreciate what you had in the past

B. And if you find yourself repeating negative (消极的) junk, stop

C. It does the opposite

D. Express gratitude all the time

E. Well, the following are some tips to help you with this particular concern (忧虑)

F. Instead of doing something just for the sake of (为了) doing it

G. Words that stress you and make you feel worthless should definitely be removed

    Worry problems are everywhere in our daily life. How to solve them? The answer is that we must equip ourselves to handle different kinds of worries by learning the three basic steps of problem analysis. The three steps are:

Get the facts

    Why is it so important to get the facts? Unless you have the facts, you can't possibly attempt to solve your problem intelligently. Without the facts, all you can do is wondering around in confusion{#blank#}1{#/blank#}When you are worried, your emotions are riding high. But here are two ideas that can help you see the facts in a clear and objective way.

    When trying to get the facts, you can pretend that you are collecting this information not for yourself but for some other person. This will help you to take a cold and fair view of the evidence. You can also pretend that you are a lawyer preparing to agree{#blank#}2{#/blank#}You will generally find the truth lies somewhere in between.

Analyze the facts

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}And write out all the various steps you could take and then the probable consequences(后果) of each step. For example, what am I worrying about? What can I do about it? Here is what I'm going to do about it. After carefully weighing all the facts, you can calmly come to a decision.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Unless you take your action, all you face—finding and analyzing—is a waste of energy. How can you break the worry habit before it breaks you? Crowd worry out of your mind by keeping busy.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Accept what can't be avoided. If you know a situation is beyond your power, say to yourself: “ It is so; it can't be otherwise.” Don't permit little things to ruin your happiness. Try to develop a mental attitude that will bring you peace and happiness.

A. Act on that decision

B. It is not an easy job to get facts.

C. Decide how much anxiety a thing may be worth

D. Plenty of action is one of the best ways to cure worry.

E. There comes a time when you must decide and never look back

F. Try to get all the facts both on your side and the other side of the case

G. Whenever you are worried, write down the questions that make you worry.

    Each year there is an increasing number of cars on roads and streets as millions of new cars and trucks are produced. One out of every six Americans work at putting together the parts of cars, driving trucks, building roads or filling cars and trucks with gas. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Because most Americans find they are using their cars in almost every aspect of their life. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The polluted air becomes poisonous and dangerous to health.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} That's what several of the large car factories have been trying to do. But to build a clean car is easier said than done. Progress in this field has been slow.

Another way is to take the place of the car engine by something else.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Many makers believe that it will take years to develop a practical model that pleases man.

To prevent the world from being polluted by cars, we'll have to make some changes in the way many of us live. Americans, for example, have to cut down on the number of their total cars. They are encouraged to travel and go to work by bicycle. Bicycling is thought to help keep the air clean. But this change does not come easily. A large number of workers may find themselves without jobs if a car factory closes down.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Although cars have led us to a better life, they have also brought us new problems.

A. Americans know cars very well.

B. Americans won't live without cars!

C. Inventors are now working on steam cars as well as electric cars.

D. However, the number of vehicles has continued to increase in recent years.

E. One way to get rid of the polluted air is to build a car that does not pollute.

F. Thus the problem of air pollution would become less important than that of unemployment.

G. However, some have realized the serious problems of the air pollution that is caused by cars.

How to improve your studies—scientifically

Our brain can possibly memorize 2. 5 petabytes（千兆）of information. In order to use some of that surprising capacity（能力）a little more effectively when you learn, here are some tips that are based on widely-accepted research by learning experts.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Some enjoy watching videos over reading books, others study with friends, and some like sitting in silence among a million books. Everybody is different.

Hard things first

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} , so do the things that are difficult first. Once you are done with the hard things, you will feel better for the rest of the day, and probably more motivated to get other things done.

    Space（分隔开）your studies

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} . Facts or vocabularies, for example, are best learned if you review them the first time one to two days after the study, and then again after one week, and after one month.

    Instant self-test

    After your study, finish up with a quick quiz. Immediate recall in the form of a test or a short summary on what you've just learned can increase retention（记忆力）by as much as 30%. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, that extra effort creates deeper traces（痕迹）in your memory.

    Don't force it

    Motivation is like hunger. You cannot force yourself to be motivated, just like you can't tell someone else to be hungry. So, if you are not hungry right now, don't worry. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Take fun seriously

B. Find your own style

C. Take a break, and do something else

D. Good memory can grow your brain's potential

E. Because it's much harder for your brain to remember than to read

F. Like most people you have the strongest willpower in the morning.

C. to remember things for a longer time, repeat the material after taking several breaks

Common public speaking problems

The use of "I feel", "I think" and "maybe"

    In the question-and-answer session of the speaking competition, many contestants began their answers with uncertain expressions like "I feel", "I guess", "I hear", "maybe" and "perhaps".

    These words show that the person is only speaking from his or her point of view.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Work on keeping your answers brief and to the point, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Instead of the empty-sounding "I guess", using facts, together with a clear conclusion based on those facts, is far more likely to be popular with an audience.

    Using only one speaking style

    Don't stick to the same tone.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    For example, when they spoke about their dreams, some sounded romantic. Others used humor. Very few used several different styles together. Try mixing more than one style, rather than just sticking with the same one.

    Irresponsible answers

    Public speaking is different from personal conversations. You're responsible for your words. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}So you should think twice before you talk. Don't be like the student who, when asked about his opinion on book piracy（盗版）, started by saying he supported it.

    Talking around the topic rather than directly answering it

    You should focus on one point and give a clear solution. The key is to work out what question is being asked. Is it asking you to discuss a certain topic or to present your own point of view?

    Use one or two arguments together and give a strong conclusion.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. It can be boring. Try to mix it up.

B. Even though you want to answer quickly, you don't want to sound foolish.

C. Also work on delivering them with calmness and confidence.

D. Deliberate gestures and affected（做作的）expressions of feelings are improper in a successful speech.

E. Remember that judges are not judging you on whether they agree, but on your ability to say what you think clearly.

F. This lacks the support of facts and seems not to be reliable for the judges and audience.

G. Confidence is extremely important in public speaking as it lets a speaker sound more convincing.