Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a better student in several ways. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.Second, your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you are studying for a test. Third, note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest.

    You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.Whenever or however you take notes, keep in mind that note-taking is a selective process. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    The following methods may work best for you.

    Read the text quickly to find the main facts and ideas in it.

    Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and supporting facts.

    Write your notes in your own words.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Note any questions or ideas you may have about what was said or written.

    As you take notes, you may want to use your own shorthand(速记). When you do, be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Use words, not complete sentences.

B. There are three practical note-taking methods.

C. You must write your notes on separate paper.

D. Otherwise, you may not be able to read your notes later.

E. You will also want to develop your own method for taking notes.

F. That means you must first decide what is important enough to include in your notes.

G. First, the simple act of writing something down makes it easier for you to understand and remember it.

How to Make Sure You Enjoy Your Trip

    A trip is a planned destination where one arranges in advance in which the main purpose is to search for adventure and to create a memorable moment. Here are the steps on how to make sure your trip is enjoyable.

    Plan it well. Trips are ideally planned for it to go well. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}A check list is helpful, making sure you've got all your needs.

    Pack necessities. Bring what you need. Trips are short journeys and belong to the sub-level of traveling. Pack only the things you need.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Be safe. To be cautious is smart. No matter what you are up to, surfing, cliff diving, snowboarding, scuba diving...,it is always recommended to be safe.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Don't be stubborn and put yourself in harm when there are precautions.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}You may see delays, a different culture, lifestyle, food, and even a shortage of cash sometimes-this is all what travel is about-experiencing things with a new perspective. Once you expect to experience new things, you'll be a happy traveler and free from stress.

    Save the memory. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}This is not one of those regular days so you ought to save the moment. It will make your trip more enjoyable after all that craziness; you get something to review the good times.

A. Travel with an open mind.

B. Get prepared for everything new.

C. This is all we expect from a trip.

D. Seize the moment by taking pictures.

E. It is important to wear protective equipment when advisable.

F. It is easy to get tired if you have too many things in your package.

G. Take your time, a day or a week ahead to make a plan for your trip.

How to Avoid Weight Gain Over Holidays

    Do you love the holidays, but hate the pounds that follow? You are not alone. Holidays are times for feasting and celebrating. Many people are worried about their weight.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Whether you are celebrating at the office party or sitting down for the traditional family dinner, regard eating as a time for tasting a variety of foods. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy.

    Here are some tips for preventing weight gain and maintaining physical fitness:

    Don't skip meals.

    Before you leave home, have a small, low-fat meal or snack.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Control portions.

    Use a small plate (about 10 inches) and put aside the large ones that may encourage you to "load up."{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Once you have your "tasting" serving, move away from the dining table. Doing so will make it less tempting (吸引人的) to be eating constantly as your appetite is inspired by the sight of food.

    Begin with soup and fruit or vegetables.

    Fill up beforehand with water-based soup and raw fruit or vegetables. Or drink a large glass of water before you eat to help you feel full.

    Stick to physical activity.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off additional calories.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Dishes that look oily or creamy may have a large amount of fat. Choose lean meats. Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables. Use lemon juice instead of dessert or butter.

A. This may help to avoid getting too excited before delicious food.

B. You had better turn your attention away from delicious foods.

C. With proper planning, though, it is possible to keep normal weight during the holidays.

D. You should be most comfortable eating an amount of food about the size of your fist.

E. Avoid high-fat foods.

F. Don't let exercise take a break during the holidays.

G. You'd better remember the Dos and Don'ts for keeping fit and slim.

    Have you ever been in a situation where first aid was required? Did you know what to do? Did you feel adequately equipped and confident enough to perform first aid procedures? At the SOS Center, trained professions provide some one-on one and group courses in first aid. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    First Aid For Infants (婴儿)

    This course is designed for first- time parents who do not have a basic knowledge of first aid for infants and babies, {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, or if you want to avoid more life threatening problems and illnesses, you will get them from these topics.

    First Aid for Children

    Every parent knows the fear of releasing their small child out into the world, away from their watchful eye. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. This course teaches parents how to determine when an injury requires stitches (缝针), how to treat basic cuts, as well as how to treat sunburns and other wounds.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Our most popular course offers all kinds of approaches to applying first aid. In this two-day course, you'll learn some basic skills such as how to respond when a child or adult chokes, what to do if someone has a heart attack or stroke, how to react to snake bites and spider bites, and more. This course is highly recommended for learners of all ages.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. In addition, we are planning to open special courses in community centers around Beijing. For more information on SOS and our course selection or to register for a course, please visit www.firstthigsfirst.com.

A. Basic Training Course in First Aid

B. Various First-Aid Courses for Babies

C. When you want to ease your baby's discomforts

D. If you want to avoid the risk of your parents' injuries

E. Classes are offered on a regular basis at our main office

F. We offer a variety of courses designed to meet particular needs

G. As children grow more adventurous, the risk of injury increases as well

How to Survive Being Stuck in a Lift

    Being stuck in a lift, also known as an elevator, can sometimes be scary, especially if you are a fan of those kinds of movies which have a lot of elevator tragedies. You may think being stuck in an elevator in real life is not like in the movies. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Remain calm and do not panic! You may have heard of this a lot of times and it is true that panicking will do you no good. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Press each of the floor buttons one by one. Then, try the "doors open" button. If none of the buttons works, the lift is broken, and you need to let someone know about it.

    See if your phone has any reception or Internet. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you have WiFi connection, contact a family member or friend. Don't forget to tell them what the address is of the building and possibly which elevator you are stuck in. If your phone is not available, the following tips can help you.

    Look through the gap between the doors of the lift. If you can see light between the doors, the lift has stopped near a floor, and you should be able to shout for help and be released. Do not try to force the doors open yourself. If you can't see light between the doors, the lift has stopped between floors, and no one will be able to let you out if you scream for help. Look for an emergency telephone. If there is no telephone, press the alarm button repeatedly. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you have waited for more than half an hour and nobody has come to get you out, shout and bang the inside walls of the lift. If no one is responding to you, then you'll have to accept that you will be in the lift overnight. If this happens, make yourself as comfortable as possible to save your energy. By morning, the building should be full again. You can try to get some help then.

A. Check the time.

B. It will cause you not to be able to think clearly.

C. Eventually, someone should hear you and get help.

D. Here are some tips to help you survive.

E. However, it is still a vital thing to know how to survive if it ever happens to you.

F. If you do have reception, call emergency services.

G. Use your watch.

    Unless you think you're the smartest, who doesn't want to be smarter? Of course I want to be smarter too. So I try to find out who's the real smart guy that maybe I can learn from.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ▲ They probably do social media. Not always, but probably.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} They also use this to ensure they can feed their brains with things they otherwise wouldn't have come across.

    ▲ {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They never bother their head about the problem of "work-life balance" and somehow manage to seem 100% engaged in what they're doing, on all fronts simultaneously(同时), even though you know they're taking appropriate steps behind the scenes to make sure their lives are well balanced.

    ▲ They know they are the smartest in the room, but they don't spend much time talking about that.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} That is, they challenge themselves to make everyone else in the room the smartest person too.

    ▲ They never, ever, under any circumstances, make you look stupid, even though it would be easy to do so. They've learned through bitter experience that the only thing that happens when you make someone look bad is that you look bad yourself.

    ▲ If they are managers, they will make every effort to get people more connected and more popular than them in their teams.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} They're not threatened because they know that smartness is synergistic.(相互促进的)

A. It is not only a chance to listen.

B. They know it is an advantage to them.

C. They take it as a personal challenge instead.

D. They will be smiling even when things go wrong.

E. Now I've got an answer about whether someone's smart.

F. They also ensure their smart people look smarter than them.

G. They deal with home, work and personal interests perfectly.