Many of us are so busy with work, school and home life, which often cause there is no time left to do something that you enjoy. What follows are some ways to carve out that essential time you need to slow down, enjoy life and relax yourself.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Try to save certain weeknights just for you. If others ask you to do things those nights, just tell them you have plans. Use the time for gardening, reading, exercise, thinking or the ultimate luxury of doing nothing!

    Monthly Treat. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It could be on your lunch break, a weekend or it could be leaving work early. Maybe you get a spa treatment, go to see a movie, a haircut, play golf or whatever treat you're always thinking about but rarely get to. Schedule it in and it will happen!

    Buy Tickets in Advance. Sports, theatre, concerts or any other event you would enjoy. Schedule the plans with a friend later. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Huh? Yes, many of us stay at work late on a regular basis. If this is you, make it a point to leave work exactly on time at least once a week, if not more. And then enjoy that time! Leave work at work.

    Join a Group. Here are some ideas of groups that can allow you some time away from work and home: singing group, gardening group, astronomy society, book club, biking clubs, ski club, etc. What are you interested in? Strike while the iron is hot. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you can't find a club, consider starting one yourself!

A. Leave Work on Time.

B. Evenings with Yourself.

C. Having the tickets already in hand will force you to make it happen!

D. Listen to your favorite music!

E. Look up a club in your area today and join!

F. Take an Adult Education Class.

G. Schedule a treat for yourself once a month.

    A conversation with a good listener is like a good meal—we walk away feeling satisfied and happy.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here are 4 ways to make your conversation partner feel like you're fully tuned in to their personal radio station.

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    Making your conversation partner feel safe starts with two things: an open mind and keeping judgment to yourself. Just as immersing（沉浸）yourself in a novel requires suspension of disbelief, immersing yourself in listening requires suspension of opinions or advice. While judgments may appear into your head, set them to the side.

    Ask questions to follow your natural curiosity.

    When you're interested, ask questions.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Ask for examples. Ask for details. Following your natural curiosity by asking questions not only shows you are listening and interested, but almost always produces an interesting story.

Listen with your whole body.

    In many a kindergarten classroom, teachers emphasize something called “whole body listening”. It goes like this: use your eyes to watch nonverbal（非语言）, your brain to think about what is being said, your heart to feel emotions» and keep the rest of your body quiet to show respect. But many of us lose it over time, especially as life gets busy. The result? We often try to multitask while listening.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Validate（使生效）with simple phrases.

    Keep in your back pocket some validating words and phrases to show you've heard someone.

    “Of course.” “That makes sense.” “Naturally.” “Clearly.” “For sure.”{#blank#}5{#/blank#}In conversation, combining those little phrases: “Of course you feel that way.” or “That makes total sense.” doesn't necessarily convey agreement, but it does convey something even bigger： acceptance.

A. Create safety.

B. Devote yourself to listening.

C. It's appealing to talk about your own experience.

D. We half-listen while getting things done or staring at a screen.

E. Think like a journalist and ask what, when, where, why or how.

F. But being a good listener goes way beyond just not interrupting or nodding your head.

G. All of these statements confirm a person's experience or feelings as worthy and accepted.

    The first TV was made by John Baird in 1925. It had one color. It could only show 30 lines. This was just enough room for a face. It didn't work well, but it was a start.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It was in New York- Few people had TVs. The broadcasts were not meant to be watched. They showed a Felix the Cat doll for two hours a day. The doll spun around on a record player. They were experimenting. It took many years to get it right.

    By the end of the 1930s, TVs were working well. America got its first taste at the 1939 Worlds Fair.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} There were 200 small, black and white TVs set up around the fair. The U. S. President gave a speech over the TVs. The TVs were only five inches big but the people loved it.

    By 1948 there were 4 big TV networks in America. They aired their shows from 8 to 11 each night. Local shows were aired at other times{#blank#}3{#/blank#}TV was not "always on" like it is now.

    Color TVs came out in 1953.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Also, shows were aired in black and white. By 1965, color TVs were cheaper. TV stations started airing shows in color. People had to switch if they wanted to see the shows.

    Now most TVs are high-def (高清). This means that they have many lines on them.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}TVs have come a long way since Baird's 30 line set. High-def TVs have 1080 lines. There are state of the art sets called 4K TVs. These TVs have 3,840 lines. Some people watch TV in 3D. I wonder what they will come up with next.

A. This makes the image clearer.

B. They cost too much money for most.

C. A big TV factory was opened in 1927.

D. The first TV station was set up in 1928.

E. People watch news and shows on them.

F. This was one of the biggest events ever.

G. Most of the time, nothing was shown at all.

    Radar is an electronic device that detects planes, ships, coastlines, landmarks, and even storm clouds. The name radar comes from the first letters of the words radio direction and ranging. As the human eye uses light waves to see, radar "sees" with radio waves. Without radar, planes could not land safely in bad weather and ships could not move safely in thick fog. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    In the 1800s it was discovered that radio waves could be reflected from objects. But scientists did not make great advances in radar research until the 1930s, when the world was threatened by war.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It has been used widely in almost every conflict since then.

    Echoes make it possible for radar to work. When a beam of radio waves is sent out, it strikes on an object and returns an echo. This echo is picked up by radar and recorded on a screen similar to television screen. On the screen an observer sees a flash, or a blip, that shows the direction and distance of the object. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Airport control towers use radar to guide planes in for safe landings. Almost all large ships depend on radar to prevent collisions with icebergs or other ships. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Weather forecasters "see" the size, direction, and speed of storms on radar screens. Astronomers can even use radar to measure accurately the distance to the moon. Thus, the device has generated major advancements.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Huge radar antennas have been installed all over the United States. They guard us against possible enemy attacks. We have ballistic—missiles (战略导弹)warning systems that can alert us to attacks when missiles are more than 1,000 miles away. Other radar systems warn us against enemy aircraft and even spying space satellites.

A. Police track speeders in radar-equipped cars.

B. These measurements are now highly accurate.

C. The device can be used in a wide range of fields.

D. It is therefore especially valuable to shippers and travelers.

E. During World War II many countries used radar effectively.

F. Today radar is used by commercial airliners and weather forecasters.

G. Strengthening national defense is one of radar's most important functions.

    Coca-Cola is probably the most famous brand in the world. Although the company is trying to present itself as a health-conscious company, you can't really say that drinking cola is healthy for you. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} And we tell ourselves that it's all okay as long as we don't overdo it. However, Coca-Cola has other functions besides drinking.

    Cola removes the tarnish(暗锈) from old pennies. Got some old rusty pennies? Not to worry! {#blank#}2{#/blank#} When you get them out, you'll have shiny pennies that will look as if they were coined a couple of days ago. If you couldn't clean those pennies with industrial acids, just buy a can of cola and let it do its magic!

    You can remove gum from your hair with cola. If you've got gum stuck in your hair and don't know a better way to get it out, don't worry, you won't have to cut it. Just pour some cola into a bowl and dip the part of your hair with gum on it inside. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}You probably know about this one. You can make an exploding fountain by putting a mint inside a two-liter bottle. Then move away from the bottle and get ready for a Coca-Cola explosion. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Don't eat a mint and drink cola at the same time, because a similar thing could happen to your stomach.

A.You can make an exploding fountain.

B.This is a fun thing to do, but it is also a warning.

C.Still, we all drink cola, some more and some less.

D.Coca-Cola is also very cheap and safe for people to drink.

E.Put them inside a glass of cola and let them rest for a while.

F.Leave it for a couple of minutes and then simply wipe off the gum.

G.In some areas you can even access it easier than clean drinkable water.

    The jobs of the future have not yet been invented  {#blank#}1{#/blank#} By helping them develop classic skills that will serve them well no matter what the future holds.

    1 Curiosity

    Your children need to be deeply curious. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Ask kids, "What ingredients (配料) can we add to make these pancakes even better next time?" and then try them out. Did those ingredients make the pancakes better? What could we try next time?

    2 Creativity

    True creativity is the ability to take something existing and create something new from it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} There are a dozen different things you can do with them. Experimenting with materials to create something new can go a long way in helping them develop their creativity.

    3 Interpersonal Skills

    Understanding how others feel can be a challenge for kids. We know what's going on inside our own head, but what about others? Being able to read people helps kids from misreading a situation and jumping to false conclusions. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} "Why do you think she's crying?" "Can you tell how that man is feeling by looking at his face? If someone were to do that to you, how would you feel?"

    4 Self-expression

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} There are many ways to express thoughts and ideas — music, acting, drawing, building, photography. You may find that your child is attracted by one more than another.

A. Encourage kids to cook with you.

B. And we can't forget science education.

C. We can give kids chances to think about materials in new ways.

D. So how can we help our kids prepare for jobs that don't yet exist?

E. Gardening is another great activity for helping kids develop this skill.

F. We can do this in real life or ask questions about characters in stories.

G. Being able to communicate ideas in a meaningful way is a valuable skill.