Have you ever felt a sudden feeling of joy because you heard a favorite song playing? Then you know that music can have a strong effect on your emotions. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It can help get you out of a bad mood (心情) or stay in a good one, says Alicia Ann Clair, professor at the University of Kansas. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    To cheer up, listen to Latin music or anything with a strong beat or a fast speed{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. When you want to relax after a busy day, music with a slower speed can calm you down.     

    Listen to calming music before you start any stressful activities, advises Dr. Clair. "Once you' re in a good state of mind, it' s easier to keep it." You can lower stress at work with music, too, by playing relaxing tunes (曲调). {#blank#}4{#/blank#} "If you listen to them all day long, you'll stop noticing them," Dr. Clair explains. Then the music won't have any effect.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}."To feel energetic, start with something relaxing, and then gradually increase the speed and beat," says Dr. Clair. For example, first play some nice slow love songs, and then listen to something more energetic. When you want to calm down after a busy week at work, just do the opposite.

    Everyone needs a break, and vacations are not meant for serious study.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The Spring Festival is coming up so this is the perfect time to discuss some great English language literature to take on a long train journey.

    Before getting into the recommendations, you need to determine your English reading comprehension level. If you're at the beginner level, there are two options: reading a children's book or reading a book that you've read in Chinese translation. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you're at the intermediate level, popular books like pop fiction, mysteries and thrillers are good options. For advanced readers, classic works of literature or modern prize winners (Nobel, Pulitzer) are good options.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When I pick up a book I like, even though the first few chapters are really hard to get through, I would try to get accustomed to the language the author uses. Generally, after the first few chapters, things get a lot easier, especially if I get involved in the story.

    Another great way to keep yourself motivated is to find a friend who's interested in reading the same book. You can make goals that you both want to achieve. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Some quick recommendations: Harry Potter, start with the first book and go on from there; the Narnia series; anything by U.S. writer Michael Crichton; and if you like horror, U.S. writer Stephen King is always unusual and fun. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Happy reading!

A. If you pick a book which is so challenging, it will be too stressful.

B. The most important thing is to pick a book that you're really interested in.

C. You may also enjoy your reading when hanging out with your family.

D. You should just find a topic or author you're interested in, and the rest will go from there.

E. You can also discuss plot lines or vocabulary issues with each other by SMS or e-mail.

F. Instead, they're a great way to take a break and enjoy a good book.

G. This will help you get over any unfamiliar words or phrases, since you're already familiar with the story.

    Nowadays, many people do not read for pleasure. The Internet and television have become most people's main form of entertainment, and reading is becoming a thing of the past. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} And there are ways to make it even more enjoyable, whether you do it frequently or just for assignments.

    Indentify what kind of reading you want to enjoy.

    Believe it or not, people enjoy different kinds of reading. Some people do research, some people read to learn how to do things, and some people read in order to enjoy stories or poetry. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Realize that there are countless types of reading materials.

    For example, if you want to read stories, keep in mind that there are many types, like romantic novels, creative nonfiction, etc. Don't decide you don't like reading just because you don't like one particular kind of books. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} But in the end, you'll slowly develop an interest in reading.

    Try listening to music.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Soft music is generally received better, but any type will do. It depends on what you like.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Find a place that is quiet, well-lit, and comfortable. You can even make a reading comer in your room.

A. Create a good reading environment.

B. Concentrate on what you're reading.

C. Remember, you will have trial and error.

D. Therefore, watching TV plays an important role.

E. Before anything else, figure out why you want to read.

F. For some people, this makes reading more pleasant.

G. However, reading can greatly increase your life experience.

Four ways to get a feel for a college on your own

    There's more to visiting a college than a campus（校园）tour. And there's a critical part for students and parents: testing the school on your own. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⒈Go to a dining hall or student union.

    The best common place where students relax and hang out is the cafeteria or student center, where you can see what college kids are like in their natural habitat.

"Go to lunch in a cafeteria right at noon, "says Edward Walker, founder of Independent Consultants in Education," {#blank#}2{#/blank#}"

    ⒉Sit in on a class.

    A lot of high school students aren't sure what they want to study yet when they are visiting colleges, but familiarizing yourself with the academic atmosphere is important. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You can come up with a few academic areas that you think you'd like to study and reach out to those classes.

    ⒊{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Chat with anyone walking around campus. Don't let mom and dad do it for you. "Your parents can talk to people, too and then you can compare notes, "says Walker." Talk to various groups of students so you'll get a well-rounded picture."

    Tour the community.

    Whether the school is in the countryside or in a city center, check out the off-campus area nearest the college. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Talk to parents.

B. Talk to students.

C. Many schools offer people chances to sit in on a class.

D. Here are four ways to get more familiar with a prospective（预期的）school.

E. That's one of the best places where you can learn about a school's atmosphere.

F. Big communities are still the major places that attract tourists in our society today.

G. If there's time, tour some of the museums or other points of interest and eat at a local restaurant.

    Some people think working overtime means you're a hard worker. You have to sacrifice your personal time to stay at work, produce something, help the company, and be a more devoted employee. But is that right? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} This means it takes you longer to produce something than someone else.

    A good manager knows how to encourage his employees to work to their full potential instead of expecting them to work late even if they don't have something to do. People who stay in their office until late hate their jobs. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Overworking may negatively influence the level of productivity and efficiency (效率). Any company that makes their employees work those hours is not being managed well. The fault lies with management, who should take a good look at themselves. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} And the boss would prefer you work efficiently 7 hours and then go back home than 8 hours with poor efficiency.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The fact is the competition is so fierce that if you don't work hard someone will easily and willingly replace you, especially in the IT industry. Employees are told they need to work longer hours or they don't belong or are denied promotions. It is time to abandon the culture of overworking, to work smarter, more efficiently and have a balance with personal life.

    Nowadays, it's hard for a young person to build a good future, for pressures are on his (or her) shoulders: housing, children, parents, themselves, etc. But everyone must keep working hard to have ourselves on the way to the good future, which is not certain. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Some Texting Rules You Should Be Following by Now

    Don't text and drive {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Don't do it. Personal safety always comes first and staying off your hand-held while driving is extremely important. If you can't resist, then keep your phone where you can't reach it while you're driving.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    If you're texting someone who says "driving", stop texting. Period. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Just stop texting. You can consider calling the person, but please bear in mind that some states have laws in place restricting talking on the phone while driving. But if you don't get a response…

    "Don't keep texting until they respond," an article in LifeHack suggests." {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. And if they're not, maybe they just don't feel like texting." While not getting a response likely makes you feel anxious, and while many consider it rude, it's also rude to continue bombarding someone with messages when that person is not replying to you.

    Avoid group texts "Most would say group texts are the worst," notes an article in Mashable." They take up more time than you ever expected. Reading through all of your messages is boring. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. It's that simple

B. Don't even say "OK"

C. They're probably busy

D. They seem to never end

E. Stop driving immediately

F. Just think of any other means of communication

G. Don't put others in the situation of texting and driving