How Can I Fight Laziness?

    Lazy people will never amount to anything in life. However, laziness can be defeated once a few changes have been made in your mind.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Many people lack sleep constantly, since they stay up too late and get up too early to prepare for work. These people have little motivation once they arrive home. Laziness works hand in hand with a lack of motivation and a tendency (趋势) to put off things. By adjusting your sleep schedule to provide a few more hours of meaningful rest, you can fight laziness throughout the day.

    Another way to fight laziness is to change your mind from passive to active.   {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Others take a more active approach, viewing each task as a challenge they must overcome alone. Laziness sets in when you no longer feel in charge of your own life.

    Some people fight laziness by removing the temptations (诱惑) that surround them. A television in the living room may provide entertainment. However, watching too much TV in your spare time often contributes to laziness. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Complete a few tasks and reward yourself with what you enjoy, such as a good dinner or a film. Laziness can also be a lasting problem at home. Couples and children may all have different energy levels, but laziness can be spread if not dealt with immediately.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Be the first to collect and wash dishes after a meal. Others in the home may eventually follow your example and perform their own task. It is difficult to practice laziness when you are surrounded by motivated people.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Enough exercise and a balanced diet can enable you to have more energy and help lift your spirits.

A. To fight family laziness, set an example.

B. Knowing how to fight laziness is important.

C. One way to fight laziness is to get enough sleep.

D. Finally, developing a healthy lifestyle can help you fight laziness.

E. With strong determination (意志力), you will be able to achieve your goal.

F. Some people treat their lives as if they were pushed from task to task.

G. Create a reward system for yourself, just as parents do for a child.

    Every animal sleeps, but the reason for this has remained foggy. When lab rats are not allowed to sleep, they die within a month. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    One idea is that sleep helps us strengthen new memories. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}We know that, while awake, fresh memories are recorded by reinforcing (加强) connections between brain cells, but the memory processes that take place while we sleep have been unclear.

    Support is growing for a theory that sleep evolved（进化） so that connections between neurons (神经元) in the brain can be weakened overnight, making room for fresh memories to form the next day. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Now we have the most direct evidence yet that he is right. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}The synapses （神经突触）in the mice taken at the end of a period of sleep were 18 percent smaller than those taken before sleep, showing that the connections between neurons weaken while sleeping .

If Tononi's theory is right, it would explain why, when we miss a night's sleep, we find it harder the next day to concentrate and learn new information--our brains may have smaller room for new experiences.

    Their research also suggests how we may build lasting memories over time even though the synapses become thinner. The team discovered that some synapses seem to be protected and stayed the same size. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} “You keep what matters,”Tononi says.

A. We should also try to sleep well the night before.

B. It's as if the brain is preserving(保存) its most important memories.

C. Similarly, when people go for a few days without sleeping, they get sick.

D. The processes take place to stop our brains becoming loaded(装载) with memories.

E. That's why students do better in tests if they get a chance to sleep after learning.

F. “Sleep is the price we pay for learning,” says Giulio Tononi, who developed the idea.

G. Tononi's team measured the size of these connections, or synapses, in the brains of 12 mice.

    Most people will agree that it is good to read, but not all reading is equal. Here are some tips for productive reading.

    ⒈Take notes.

    Even if you never refer to your notes again, the process of taking notes helps you sort out something important and will help you remember it. You can choose between computers or paper for your notes. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. On the other hand, many people feel they recall information better when they write it by hand.

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    If you are like me, once you commit to reading a book, it is very hard to give up until you've finished it. Given the number of books that are available and our limited life, it just doesn't make sense to read a book that you aren't getting anything from.

    ⒊Variety is good.

    While you don't want to give up on a book that you are benefiting from, it is important to give yourself variety. You can pick up a book at random or intentionally looking for something different from what you normally read. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    ⒋Review what you've read.

    If you want to remember what you read, take the time to review. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. When you finish a book, spend 15 minutes examining your notes in 2 to 4 days. Then 2 to 4 weeks after that and then 2 to 4 months after that. This will strengthen the knowledge in your mind.

    ⒌Discuss what you read with others.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. If you can talk with people in person, that is ideal, but don t overlook the power of the Internet in connecting people with similar interests but different geography.

A. Don't be afraid to give up

B. Make full use of reading time

C. It's hard to get more out of your normal reading

D. This can be very valuable in giving you a different opinion

E. And you，d better go over things at ever increasing time intervals

F. Using computers will make it easy to find your notes later by search

G. The best way to get more from your reading is to discuss it with others

How to Make Friends

    Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leave us without a friend.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.

    ⒈Associate with others.

    The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.

    ⒉Start a conversation.

    Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.

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    Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together. Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.

    ⒋Let it grow.

    It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.

    ⒌Enjoy your friendship.

    The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.

A. Be cheerful.

B. Do things together.

C. Do not wait to be spoken to.

D. Try not to find fault with your friends.

E. For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch.

F. So you will need to give your friend time to react to you.

G. Making new friends comes easy for some people.

    If your family is thinking of getting a pet, consider adopting from an animal shelter, where all animals are in need of loving homes. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some tips for you to find great animals.

    Make some decisions.

    Think about what you want in a pet and remember that all pets have different personalities. Cats tend to be more independent, but kittens need lots of attention. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} However, they are usually great companions and love to spend time with their family.

    Visit the shelter.

     {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Remember that you may need to visit more than one shelter, or you may need to make more than one visit. Try to bring along everyone who will be living with the new pet. Ask the shelter staff lots of questions. And never adopt an animal because you feel sorry for it—be patient so you can find a pet who is truly a good match for your family.

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    Buy all necessary supplies and food well before the animal comes home. Make sure that the entire household is in agreement about rules and responsibilities—will the dog be allowed on the couch? Who will clean the litter-box? Put it in writing before the pet arrives.

    Bring your new friend home!

    You'll probably be excited when your new pet arrives, but be sure to give it space and time to get adjusted to a new home and a new family. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Interact with your pet a lot and get it used to a routine, and soon you'll be one big happy family!

A. Get everything ready

B. Both cats and dogs are human's good partners.

C. Dogs need to be walked at least twice a day.

D. The pet may act differently once they leave the shelter.

E. Set aside at least a few hours to visit shelters in your area.

F. Put away the garbage cans.

G. Some may come with emotional or behavioral issues, but most are happy, healthy, and ready for a loving home.

When it comes to helping students learn and mature, there are several ways to increase their well-being. Although your children may be succeeding in the classroom, there are a few things that you still can do.

Encouraging physical activity is the first thing you can do. More and more children do not participate in sports after school. It's important for you to encourage mobility with sports that are played after class. You should find sporting equipment, basketball courts and play areas where kids can increase their well-being. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} 

Secondly, you can provide proper nutrition for your children. It's important for your children to receive proper nutrition both inside and outside of the home. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You'd better make it a point to provide enough nutrition for their proper development and growth.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Many parents fail to stop children from using smart phones and computers. There are some institutions that even encourage too much screen time as a way to teach children or keep them entertained. You should help the children remain excited without sitting in front of a screen throughout the day.

Last but not the least, monitoring bullying (欺凌) is also an essential part. Bullying continues to remain a common problem in some schools, making it important that the environment that your children grow in holds a high standard. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

It's important to examine the school life as a whole to determine what factors are missing. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. You may determine how well they adjust to the world around them and succeed in life.

A. You should provide kids with fresh food.

B. Besides, you'd better limit their screen time.

C. It will encourage children to focus on their study.

D. In addition, try your best to give them more freedom.

E. This will reduce the risk of health conditions that include obesity.

F. You can advise teachers to keep a practice of looking for bullying.

G. Parents play a significant role in children's growth and well-being.