It can be challenging to find time to work out(锻炼)when your schedule is full, but unless you want to deal with a waistline(腰围) that keeps increasing in size, staying active is important. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} 

Workday

    You might not have time to escape the office and visit the gym during your lunch break, but that doesn't mean you can't burn calories throughout your workday. Instead of driving to work or riding the bus, walk or cycle, depending on how far you live from the office. A 30-minute bike ride at just 12 to 13.9 mph will help a 155-pound person burn 298 calories. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Instead of phoning a colleague across the office, walk over to speak in person.

At home

    You probably want to sit or sleep on the couch, but by keeping active around the house, you can burn a significant number of calories throughout the day. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Playing with your kids for 30 minutes will help you burn 186 calories if you weigh 155 pounds, while you'll burn 167 calories in a half-hour house-cleaning session.

Outdoors

     {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you weigh 155 pounds, expect to burn 172 calories for every half hour you spend weeding the garden. You'll burn 205 calories in 30 minutes of pushing your lawnmower(割草机) around the yard. When winter arrives, cleaning snow is worth 223 calories per 30 minutes.

Other

    Everyday errands(差事) can help you burn extra calories when you can't find time to work out. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Washing your car by hand will burn 167 calories in 30 minutes. By parking your car at the far end of the parking lot, you'll burn more calories getting to and from your vehicle.

A. You can make adjustments to your lifestyle to include a variety of calorie-burning activities into everyday life.

B. Pushing a shopping cart around the supermarket causes 130 calories burned in a

half hour.

C. Instead of paying to clean up the yard, do it yourself.

D. At work, take the stairs instead of the lift.

E. Don't visit a car wash to shine up your ride.

F. If you have a family, play with your kids.

G. You have to find the time to work out.

Values for Americans

    One of the most basic moral values for Americans is honesty. The well-known legend about George Washington and the cherry tree teaches this value clearly. Little George cut down his father's favorite cherry tree while trying out his new hatchet. When his father asked him about it, George said, “I cannot tell a lie. I did it with my hatchet.” Instead of punishment, George received praise for telling the truth.  {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But Americans still believe that “honesty is the best policy.”

     {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Remember Aesop's fable about the turtle and the rabbit that had a race? The rabbit thought he could win easily, so he took a nap. But the turtle finally won because he did not give up. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The hill was so steep that the little train had a hard time trying to get over it. But the train just kept pulling, all the while saying, “I think I can, I think I can.” At last, the train was over the top of the hill.

    Compassion(怜悯) may be the queen of American virtues. The story of “The Good Samaritan” from the Bible describes a man who showed compassion. On his way to a certain city, a Samaritan man found a poor traveler lying on the road. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The kind Samaritan, instead of just passing by, stopped to help this person in need,

     {#blank#}5{#/blank#}In fall 1992, people in Iowa sent truckloads of water to help Floridians hit by a hurricane. The next summer, during the Midwest flooding, Florida returned the favor. In less dramatic ways, millions of Americans are quietly passing along the kindnesses shown to them.

A. The traveler had been beaten and robbed.

B. Another virtue Americans respect is perseverance (坚持不懈).

C. As a matter of fact, it is these virtues that help the country develop.

D. Compassion can even turn into a positive cycle.

E. There used to be a high and steep hill.

F. Sometimes American honesty—being open and direct—can hurt people.

G. Another story tells of a little train that had to climb a steep hill,

    Most people think that good looks and being smart will give you advantage in life. The first is God-given. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In this article we explore some different ways to become smarter.

    Go to college, and get an education. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It means that you will have been exposed to many different ideas and hopefully you will have learned how to think. Being able to think outside the box and for yourself are features smart people possess.

    Read books and educational magazines. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Educational magazines such as Discovery or National Geographic are a wealth of knowledge that you can share with others, thus making you sound very smart. If you do watch television, try watching something where you can learn such as the History Channel, Discovery etc.

    Expand your vocabulary. Try to learn one new word a week. It does not seem like much, but adding 52 new words to your vocabulary will really make you appear much smarter. Subscribing to vocabulary.com is a good start. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} This way you are actually getting 365 words a year, but that is usually more than most people can absorb.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Uneducated people and people not considered as being smart tend to do this. They hear an outrageous(骇人的) claim and they repeat it to the nearest ear. You can do much harm to your quest for being smart if you are known for giving bad information.

A. That is my exact point.

B. And unluckily most of us are not good-looking.

C. You will have a new word sent to your e-mail address daily.

D. Reading books works the brain out more than viewing television.

E. The programs actually provide you with information you can use.

F. College does not necessarily mean you will be smarter, just educated.

G. Do not repeat everything people tell you until you know that it is true.

The Advantages of Hobbies

    Hobbies provide entertainment and a chance to continuously learn something new and develop a skill set.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Hobbies are praised as a key to stress reduction. Becoming lost in the mental concentration or physical action which you are deeply interested in helps you shift focus from the parts of life that are stressful.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}And in turn you are more peaceful when working on other work.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Many people set goals with their hobbies that provide them satisfaction when these goals have been achieved. These goals can be simple, like improving a golf score, writing a certain number of pages for a novel each day or seeing an entire collection of classic films.

    Hobbies provide a sense of community when you meet other people who enjoy similar activities.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}More populated cities typically have numerous clubs or groups for people to share their knowledge and enthusiasm about a particular hobby. Becoming a member of one of these organizations allows greater growth within your hobby, as well as a chance to make new friends.

    Having a hobby can develop a talent that makes a person feel proud and satisfied. For example, a tennis hobby developed at a young age can lead to a career as a professional athlete one day.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}For example, writer Vladimir Nabokov also collected butterflies, which allowed him to do better in his chosen fields because he used learned skills from one to improve the other.

A.Focusing on something enjoyable can calm the mind.

B.Hobbies also provide a sense of achievement.

C.Some hobbies affect other aspects of your life.

D.There are a variety of hobbies.

E.They also provide many other social and health benefits.

F.Having a hobby increases the chances to interact with like-minded people.

G.Some hobbies containing physical activities offer an enjoyable way to stay healthy.

Rising through stages to realize ourselves

    Many modern people have the problem that they don't know who they are and what their purpose is. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Once high school seniors graduate, they seem to lose their identity. They once studied hard. But after they stop working, they begin to lose their way.

    In the theory of the Hierarchy of Needs（需求理论）, Abraham Maslo, put forward a similar situation, which consists of the five levels of a person's need. The fifth and final level is self-realization, which is where our final achievement lies. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    I think self- realization has three major aspects. The first stage is acceptance, the second stage is discovery and the last stage is perseverance.

    Acceptance is the first stage. We should be reminded that we are all born unique, so we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. Only when we understand these, can we pursue them or change them. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Once we've accepted ourselves, we can discover what we are interested in and what we want to be. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} but indeed we should live for ourselves. So before we start working towards a purpose, we should ask ourselves "Is this what we truly desire?" and "Is this going to change the situation we're in?"

    The last stage is perseverance.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Those who can self-realize are people who focus on the things they want to change.

    Through the three stages, we could gain recognition of ourselves. And by this point, whatever our lives were like, we would be able to stand tall, confident of ourselves.

A. It's nothing to a man of perseverance

B. Only by acceptance of the past can we change it

C. This is especially common among college students

D. Many people tend to go along with social expectations

E. Being objective and yet tolerant is the key to acceptance

F. It is the process of knowing ourselves and finding a purpose

G. Exploring our potential isn't going to be done in a short time

    A volunteering vacation can be a meaningful way to spend your time off, but to make the trip satisfying both for you and the cause you are supporting, several factors need to be considered. Here is some advice on planning the satisfactory vacation:

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are hundreds of causes to volunteer for, and finding one close to your heart will lead to a more worthwhile trip. Possibilities include wildlife conservation, education, environmental protection, health and nutrition. Also, consider any personal and professional skills that you can contribute. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Choose your destination and setting. Your volunteering trip will be more enjoyable if you use it to reach a favorite destination. Southeast Asia is on your mind, helping with tree­planting programs in Bali would benefit the environment and let you appreciate the scenic island.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Is volunteering outdoors in a hot or snowy climate attractive, or do you prefer being in an air­conditioned office?

    Ask the right questions.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Be aware that most volunteering programs require a week-long stay. Ask other questions like: How many hours of work per day is required? Are there days off? Will you be working individually or as part of a team? And what are the goals of your efforts? {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Ask if the cost includes only accommodations(住宿)or meals and transportation too.

A. Your duty there is to rest and play.

B. Find a well­respected organization.

C. And think about the surroundings you want.

D. Figure out your cause.

E. Despite the word "volunteer", these vacations usually cost you some money.

F. The more you know about your trip, the more successful it will be.

G. If you're a doctor, for example, working at a health clinic could be an ideal fit.