"So, what do you want to do after graduation?"{#blank#}1{#/blank#}However, you have to make up your mind as your last high school year begins. Whether your plans include college, heading straight for the workforce, or taking a year off, here are some practical tips to prepare yourself for the journey.

Going to College

    Some people know from an early age exactly what they want to be and how they plan to get there. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} According to a recent survey, 75% of students change their majors after they enter college. After all, school is also not just about careers and getting a high-paying job after graduation -- it's a place for learning about yourself and the world.

    Selecting a School

    If college is in your future, you need to plan. Start by asking yourself questions about your preferences. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Once you've narrowed down your choices, ask the schools to send you literature or visit their websites.

Getting a Job

    Maybe you've decided that college isn't for you -- right now, anyway. If you want to join the workforce, opportunities are out there for people who don't have degrees. Some products-selling or service industry organizations offer training programs to high school graduates. Search the classified ads in the newspaper and do some Internet research.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Taking Time Off

    What if you intend to go to college but just don't feel ready to start yet, for whatever reason? {#blank#}5{#/blank#}This practice is common in some countries, like the United Kingdom, where it's called a "gap year". Even if you decide not to apply to college, it can be a great idea to take a year to do something you may not have an opportunity to do again. Lots of volunteer organizations would welcome your time and energy and would provide you with a wonderful learning experience.

A. You might want to get a high-paid job first.

B. Many juniors and seniors get bored answering that question over and over.

C. You might want to take a year off to pause.

D.  This is the fact that young people have to take into consideration.

E. Ask friends in college about their schools and other schools they're familiar with.

F. Most large companies list their job openings on their websites.

G. Not all of us are so sure of our plans, though, and that's OK too.

    Do you ever wonder if you're doing what you're supposed to be doing with your life?What if you have potential talents that could lead you to a new path and change everything for the better?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The following tips will help you discover your potential strength.

    ●Do what you love.

    One sure way to get yourself moving in the right direction is to do more of the things that make you feel good.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}That might lead to writing a book or a movie or a career in writing.If baking treats for friends and neighbors gives you great pleasure,take it one step further.Upgrade your packaging and look into selling your goodies at a local market.

    ●Complete some assessment activities.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}While none of them is perfect,each of them can help you realize the types of your strengths.

    ●{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    It's not always easy to self-identify what we're good at.So go and ask your friends what they think your strengths are.You might be surprised at what they have to say.Are you creative,organized,or socially outgoing?Sometimes your friends are more aware of your strengths than you.

    ●Find a guide.

    If you have an idea of where your potential strengths lie,it may help to find a person who has achieved success in a related area.Chances are that your guide would be happy to share tips and motivations to help you.Use this relationship to get hands-on experience.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Ask the owner of a shop you admire if you can work part time or volunteer in order to learn the business and see if it suits you.

A. Ask your friends.

B. Turn to your teachers for help.

C. Stop wondering and start doing.

D. If you love to write, start blog now.

E. Setting a goal helps you identify a potential strength.

F. There are many free self-evaluation tools on the Internet.

G. Do you think you might want to open a bookstore or cafe?

How to Make the World a Better Place

    When you think about people who have made the world a better place, you probably think of famous scientists or great leaders. That is not all the truth. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} An act of kindness can bring a smile to a person's face even if only for a moment.

    Give away your money. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}For example, if you want to help hungry children, you can try to find an international organization that provides food for those in poor areas. Every cent you give away will mean a lot.

    Help a stranger. Your small actions can brighten the day of others. Hold the door for someone whose hands are full. Help the blind cross the street. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}The key is expecting nothing in return for your acts of kindness.

    Care about those you know. Show the people close to you how much you care about them. Tell them they mean a lot to you. Make a beautiful gift for a friend. Take your husband to his favorite fun place if he has had a hard week. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Be grateful to others. Have you had good service in a restaurant? Thank the waiter Do you have very good neighbor who is always there when you need her? Tell her how much you appreciate her being in your life.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}If a friend needs skills in a certain area, offer your advice. Perhaps she is struggling to set up computer, and you know how to do that. Offer whatever ability you have, but always remember to be polite.

A. Share your knowledge.

B. Keep walking forward.

C. Small steps, not big ones.

D. Give your seat on the bus to an old man.

E. Choose charity that has meaning for you.

F. Tell your children how much they mean to you.

G. Ordinary people like you and me can also help a lot.

3-2-1 GREEN!

    You already know an environmentalist's three R's: reduce, reuse, recycle. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are three things you can do for the Earth Day.

    Be a real cut-up

    The next time you're about to throw out the plastic rings that hold a six-pack of soda together, reach for a pair of scissors.

    As a young turtle, Peanut got stuck in one of these rings. As she grew, the ring stayed put, forcing her shell to grow around it. By the time someone found her and cut her free, her shell was permanently deformed. Thanks to her hard shell, Peanut is alive and well. She now lives at a nature center in Missouri. But most animals that get caught in six-pack rings die.

    WHAT YOU CAN DO

    Easy! {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Hunt for vampires（吸血鬼）

    You know all those electronic inventions you've got at home? Even when you switch them off, they are really still on. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Anything with a glowing LED off/on light, a remote control, or a clock display is always on.

    WHAT YOU CAN DO

    Just pull out the plugs or tap the OFF switch till you really need the electronics.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Matt Damon really cares about clean water. So in February, he announced that he was going on strike against toilets. " Until everybody has access to clean water and sanitation（卫生设备）," he said. "I will not go to the bathroom!" He was kidding but to make a serious point. Around the world, he said, "780 million people lack access to clean water; 2.5 billion people lack access to a toilet."

    WHAT YOU CAN DO

    No need to go on a toilet strike. Just don't waste water. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Take shorter showers.

A. Use water wisely.

B. How to recognize vampire electronics?

C. Cut the rings apart before you trash them.

D. Use toilets less.

E. But how else can you help?

F. Don't run the water while brushing your teeth.

G. Things that can help with good living conditions are important.

    It should come as no surprise that the more stressed parents are at work, the greater the burden on their family is. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} After all, the more time parents spend working, the less time and energy they have to plan and prepare healthful meals. Previously, most studies have focused on the role of working mothers while fathers were ignored. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It adds a new wrinkle to the relationship between work stress and family nutrition. Mom's work related stress is still a central factor in how well families eat because they typically do most of the food shopping and cooking {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    The study finds that when mom or dad experience high levels of work related stress, their families are eating one­and­a­half fewer family meals per week, and the parents themselves report eating fewer fruits and vegetables, more fast food, and are less likely to eat breakfast regularly.

    It's worth noting that the study looks mainly at low income families who belong to ethnic or minority groups. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} But the implications are wide­ranging.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Teaching kids, especially teenagers, to help with grocery shopping and to cook actual meals, instead of just putting a frozen pizza in the microwave, could be an important piece of the puzzle in helping families improve their eating habits.

A. But dad's work related stress has a large impact, too.

B. As to family nutrition, the entire family plays a role, even kids.

C. Yet, the kid's stress may affect the families' nutrition, too.

D. So the findings don't necessarily apply directly to other types of families.

E. It's also probably not a surprise that this can negatively affect a family's nutrition.

F. Now, a study looks at the family as a whole and at the role of fathers in particular.

G. It is parents who give their kids a good model to develop a good eating habit.

    While it is impossible to live completely free of stress, it is possible to prevent stress as well as reduce its effect when it can't be avoided. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Try physical activity.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Running, walking, playing tennis, and working in your garden are just some of the activities you might try.

    Make time for yourself.

    Arrange time for both work and fun. Don't forget, play can be just as important as your overall well-being as work. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Go window-shopping or work on a hobby. Allow yourself at least a half hour each day to do something you enjoy.

    Take care of yourself.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you easily get angry and can't sleep well enough, or if you're not eating properly, it will be more likely that you will fall into stressful situations. If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping, you should go to see a doctor.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Stress can result from disorganization and a feeling that " there's so much to do, not enough time". Trying to take care of everything at once can be too much for you and as a result, you may not achieve anything. Instead, make a list of everything you have to do, than do one thing at a time, checking off each task as it is completed. Set out to do the most important task first.

A. Make a list of things to do.

B. Do whatever you like and want to do.

C. You could smile to yourself in front of a mirror every day.

D. The following are suggestions for ways to deal with stress.

E. You should make every effort to eat well and get enough rest.

F. You need a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun.

G. When you are nervous  angry or upset, try reducing the pressure through exercise or physical activity.