A good book can be satisfying. If reading is a habit you'd like to get into, there are some ways to develop it.

    ☆Realize that reading is enjoyable if you have a good book. If you have a difficult book and you are forcing yourself through it, it will seem like a task. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ☆Set time. You should have some time during every day when you'll read for at least 5 to 10 minutes. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, make it a habit to read during breakfast and lunch and even dinner if you eat alone.

    ☆Always carry a book. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When I leave the house, I always make sure to have my car keys and one book at hand. The book stays with me in the car, and I take it into the office and pretty much everywhere I go.

    ☆{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Find a place in your home where you can sit in a comfortable chair. Do not lie down unless you're going to sleep. There should be no television or computer near the chair, and no music or noisy family members or roommates. If you don't have a place like this, create one.

    ☆Reduce television or the Internet. If you really want to read more, try cutting back on time on TV or the Internet. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Still, every minute you reduce of the Internet or TV, you could use for reading. This could create hours of book reading time.

A. Go to bookstores.

B. Find a quiet place.

C. This may be difficult for some people.

D. Wherever you go, take a book with you.

E. Have some good tea or coffee while you read.

F. It means you will read no matter how busy you are.

G. If this happens, give up the book and find another one that you'll really love.

    Listening to others requires entering actively and imaginatively into the situation and trying to understand a frame of reference different from your own, and yet so many of us don't listen properly as we should. Listening means more than just sitting silently while someone else talks.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Here are some ways to become a better listener.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Make sure you actually hear fully what your friend is saying, and you can't cut your friend off verbally carelessly. While you might intend to help move the conversation along your friend might feel as if what he has said needs to be continually talked over or sounds anything but interesting.

    Nod to encourage the conversation along. A better option to let your friend know you're interested in what he says is just to nod along from time to time. Sometimes you nod along but then start thinking about something unrelated to what he could say.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Turn out background noise. If you're easily distracted by laughter, glasses clinking, children crying, you might need to work extra hard to focus only on your friend.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Don't hesitate to tell them that the background noises are getting in the way. If you can't focus, try moving to another area.

    Don't text or look at your phone!{#blank#}5{#/blank#} For you see, when you're sitting in front of someone, he is the most important person in your world at that moment.

A. Stop the speaker whenever you have a question.

B. Practice silence when someone else is talking.

C. If necessary, ask your friend to repeat himself.

D. Whoever is calling or texting can wait until you're done with your conversation.

E. It means trying to see the problem the way the speaker sees it.

F. In this case, try to push away your thoughts until you're absorbed in what your friend is saying.

G Remembering ideas from previous conversations proves that your attention is kept and encourages your friend to continue.

    Q & A

    Question：I have recently got a senior position within my company. One of my new tasks is to make monthly progress reports on my department in front of other senior officials. During my first meeting，I presented and then opened the floor to questions. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} My first reaction was to answer defensively. Later I realized that I shouldn't have felt that way. But how can I keep cool and effectively answer questions in this type of settings?

    Answer：Congratulations on your new position！Presenting in front of your peers(同事) is a hard task in itself，and it becomes much more difficult when a question and answer period is required. Question -and-answer periods are a great way to clarify the message and strengthen key points. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    When a person is asking a question，show interest and a desire to understand the question by listening and asking for clarification.

    Buy time.

    When facing a hard question，most people can't give an answer immediately. Buy time by repeating the question in your own words. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}These techniques allow you to quickly organize your thoughts as well as to make sure you will be correctly answering the question.

    Suggest a private meeting.

    A one-on-one meeting is a calmer setting than speaking in front of your peers. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Show your true interest.

B. Restate the question with respect.

C. Some ideas can be quite concrete.

D. There were many difficult questions.

E. It can also be more effective in exchanging ideas.

F. You may also ask for clarification(澄清、说明) on the question.

G. Here are some ideas that can help you prepare for your next meeting.

    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.

Enjoyable Family Picnics

    Going for a picnic is great at any age. It can either be a simple lunch in the park or a family barbecue at the beach. Whether with little kids or just as a romantic afternoon date, picnics can be fun and relaxing. Just remember to prepare.

    Check the weather forecast.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Picnics are never much fun when it gets too hot or starts to rain. If it is likely to rain, but you still make up your mind to go, think about bringing umbrellas.

    Pick a location suitable for your family's needs. Different locations are for different types of picnics.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Choose one with a playground for them, and perhaps some bathrooms nearby. Do you want a quiet afternoon to read, or a park with a big field to play soccer on？

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Food is the most important part of a picnic, so don't forget it! Remember to bring any utensils (器皿) you might need, as well as napkins and a garbage bag to clean up afterwards. Bring some books, balls or anything else that could be fun. Finally, don't forget your camera.

    Other ideas. If it gets hot in the afternoon, why not try a morning picnic to enjoy the songs of birds in the fresh morning air？{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It can be fun to have a picnic in your backyard. If you're going on a hike, pack a lunch and turn it into a picnic. But remember to bring extra water!

    Remember to prepare, and you'll soon be enjoying picnics wherever you are. But keep in mind that not everything always go as planned.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. What to bring.

B. Do you have little kids？

C. Just learn to laugh and enjoy it anyway.

D. Another idea is to stay at home.

E. Not everybody likes eating outside.

F. It may seem obvious but it's often forgotten.

G. Do you need big trees to keep the heat off on a sunny day?

    Are you stressed out, scared or worried all the time? Do you avoid going to certain places, seeing friends or doing certain things because of your worries? Do your worries keep you awake at night?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Anxiety is a normal and necessary part of life. Anxiety is your brain's way of telling you about danger. It is anxiety that helps you jump out of the way if a car is speeding towards you. But if it gets out of hand, anxiety can get in the way of you getting on with life and can become a real problem. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Anxiety is a normal part of life. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} There are lots of reasons for this. One main reason is after stressful thing which has happened in your life .So if you are involved in a car crash, it's quite likely that you will be more worried than other people around cars and driving.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}If your parents suffer from anxiety, then you are more likely to be anxious too. This is probably partly due to genetics, and partly because of how things are when you're growing up.

    Even though people don't talk about it much, anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems. About 1 in 4 people will have an anxiety problem at some time in their life.

    If you have an anxiety problem, it's hard for other people to understand why something that doesn't worry them, like being in a crowd of people, can be so scary for you. This can make you feel separated and lonely, as way become worse and worse.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}These include talking therapies(疗法)and drugs.

A. If this is the case for you, treatment may be a helpful way for you to get your anxiety under control.

B. Being anxious also probably runs in families.

C. The good news is there are lots of excellent treatments available for anxiety.

D. Almost everybody has a certain degree of anxiety in certain situations.

E. Some people may feel uneasy if moving to a new place and some may get overly anxious in certain situation.

F. Those suffering from anxiety need others' understanding badly.

G. If you've answered yes, you may be suffering from anxiety.