We all believe we listen well and yet many times we feel others are not listening to us. However, listening goes in both directions—you may believe you are listening well, but how often have you completely forgotten what was said to you? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Make eye contact.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} when People talk, they put out visual clues that add to the conversation and meaning of their words.

Stop talking.

    You can't listen, talk and at the same time completely receive the meaning of the other person's words. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

React without words.

    Let the other person know you are listening through physical reactions, such as head nods, smiles, frowns and eye movement.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Concentrate.

    Concentrate on what the other person is saying. Clear your mind of other thoughts and emotions and focus on the conversation at hand. Be in the moment of that conversation, and don't think about what you want to say back.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Behave as an effective listener. The more you continue to behave as a listener, the more you will be an effective listener.

    You're growing up. That means you're probably experiencing changes, all at once. Your body is changing. It might even seem as if your entire self is changing. It can be confusing and even scary. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} And it's good!

    Growing up means that you can do more, learn more, and start to make your mark on the world. In order for that to happen, your body produces chemicals called hormones that help both body and mind grow. Hormone levels change constantly, rising and falling.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But it's partly to blame for intense emotions, surprising reactions, and mood changes.

    Because of the way your brain develops, it is somewhat ruled by emotions now and through your teen years. As a result, growing up can seem like an emotional roller coaster (过山车)!{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Take care of yourself. If you eat right, sleep enough, and get good exercise, your brain will be much more able to deal with the stress.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When you feel your moods changing or you're upset, or confused, some quiet time will allow you to gather your thoughts and get calmer.

    Practise relaxing your body and deep breathing when you go to bed.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Plus, when stuff happens during the day, you'll be able to calm yourself quickly with a deep breath or two before you react. Your body is changing.

A. Take a timeout.

B. Work out regularly to keep physically fit.

C. But the truth is, it happens to every teen.

D. This changing is needed for your body's development.

E. It will help you fall asleep and start the morning right.

F. Here are a few things you can do to make the ride smoother.

G. Usually, these feelings settle down when you realize what is going on.

How to Eat slowly to Avoid Overeating

    Eating slowly can help you to better understand your real hunger signals and can help you to recognize reasons for faster eating, such as emotions or simply liking the taste of a food. However, eating slowly is not a decision that you make suddenly.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⒈Adjust you mind. Do not even attempt to acquire the habit of eating slowly before you're mentally ready. Relax and use your imagination to create mental images that your brain will remember. As part of this mental process, imagine yourself lean and fit.

    ⒉{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Eating slowly isn't just about slowing down the chewing; it also about slowing down your food choices. As you show out the processed food, replace it with healthy, unprocessed or much less processed choices.

    ⒊Always relax before you start eating. Take a few deep breaths through the nose and not through the mouth. As you do so, hold your breath briefly and exhale(呼气) slowly by the mouth. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}In this way, you start to remove any risk of comfort eating.

    ⒋Drink a glass of water or eat a small bowl of soup before your main dish. This will help you sense of fullness. Be aware that not everyone advocates drinking during a meal though, as some people believe that this can remove the nutrients from your meal. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    ⒌Spend at least 20 minutes on your meal . {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Eat your last portion really slowly, if you are still hungry after 20 minutes, it means you are eating too fast !

A．Put the fork down after putting food in your mouth.

B．Get rid of the stress before you start eating.

C．Rather, it's a habit that you'll need to acquire with practice.

D．However, specialists believe water actually aids in digestion.

E. Remove as many processed foods from your plate or food storage as possible.

F. Have a wall clock in plain view from the table to adjust your eating speed.

G. It is wise to speak to your doctor about this, if it's still the case for you.

    Stress occurs when you feel that demands placed on you — such as work, school or relationships — are beyond your ability. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, untreated long-term stress can result in serious health conditions including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Everyone is different, and so are the ways they choose to manage their stress. Some people prefer pursuing hobbies such as gardening, playing music and creating art, while others find relief in more solitary (独自的) activities: meditation, yoga and walking. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Do some exercise. The research keeps growing — exercise benefits your mind just as well as your body. We keep hearing about the long-term benefits of a regular exercise routine. But even a 20-minute walk, run, swim or dance session in the midst of a stressful time can give an immediate effect that can last for several hours.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It may seem difficult to get away from a big work project, a crying baby or a growing credit card bill. But when you give yourself permission to step away from it, you let yourself have time to do something else, which can help you have a new perspective or practice techniques to feel less overwhelmed. It's important not to avoid your stress (those bills have to be paid sometime), but even just 20 minutes to take care of yourself is helpful.

    Smile and laugh. Our brains are interconnected with our emotions and facial expressions. When people are stressed, they often hold a lot of the stress in their face. So laughs or smiles can help relieve some of that tension and improve the situation.

    Try meditation. Meditation and mindful prayer help the mind and body to relax and focus. Mindfulness can help people see new perspectives, develop self-compassion and forgiveness. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Much like exercise, research has shown that even meditating briefly can bring immediate benefits.

A. Take a break from the stressor.

B. Get some social support from whatever sources you can access.

C. Too much stress can affect body systems and cause mental problems.

D. Here are four healthy techniques that may help reduce stress in the short- and long-term.

E. But by finding positive, healthy ways, many of these negative health consequences can be reduced.

F. When practicing mindfulness, people can release emotions contributing to the body physical stress.

G. Some stress can be beneficial at times, producing a boost that helps people get through tough situations.

How to Meet New People

    It is easy to find a place where people gather. But once you're in a room full of people, then what? The trick is finding a way to approach someone and get them talking to you.

    Prepare to meet new people before you arrive. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Don't think in terms of yes or no questions. You should consider questions that will allow the person to contribute more than a one-word answer to the conversation.

    Arrive at your event or place. Don't panic when you walk in the door. Take your time and look over the room. If this is a classroom, take a seat and look around the room. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, take time to enjoy the art while looking at the people. Don't rush into talking to someone. You have time, so just get a feel for the group.

    Approach someone. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. But remember, if the person is at the event alone, they may also be shy and try to break out and meet people. You need to make them feel comfortable by chatting with them.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Keep them talking and talk yourself—remember  conversation goes in two directions. You may have a couple of awkward moments, but if you have a few items planned to talk about, you'll find that they'll start adding their own questions and information to the conversation.

    Don't forget to ask them for a friendship follow-up. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, try asking your new friend if they'd like to go to another event with you. If it is a repeat event, such as a class, try asking them if they'd like to meet for coffee before the next class to study the material.

A. If it is a one-time event

B. If this is an art show

C. If you have picked out someone to approach

D. Mentally pull out your prepared questions

E. You may not meet your next best friend on your first try

F. You might find it easiest to approach someone who is also alone

G. Sit down and write out a list of potential questions you can ask someone

Voluntourism

    Volunteering to help people in need combined with travelling to faraway places is a new trend in the travel industry. It is called voluntourism. People travel to other countries, learn languages and gain new experiences. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Recent statistics show that in the past few years voluntourism has been one of the fastest-growing areas of tourism. More than 1.6 million people around the world are volunteers in other countries. They help build schools, assist in hospitals and do farming work in developing countries. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They keep in touch with their host families after they return home, and many return to visit.

    There are many reasons why people want to engage in voluntourism. When people choose to join a voluntourism program, they are joining a global network of volunteers who are living and working with diverse cultures on projects that have a positive effect. The volunteers come from all over the world, and they will share the passion for giving back and the desire to broaden horizons. Some students also see it as a gap year after school, while others simply want to take time out from a job and do something else. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} However, many voluntourists do not see volunteering as what it is. They think it is a cheap way of travelling and don't really want to get involved in hard work.

    While voluntourism has been around for over a century, modern volunteering started with the Peace Corps, a program that the US government started in the 1960s. From then on, voluntourism has become more and more popular. Many organizations start similar projects. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} And they have hundreds of different types of programs for people to choose from in more than 30 developing countries. The programs run year round and each volunteer chooses when they want to start and the duration they would like to stay for.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They say that if people really want to help those in need, there are many opportunities in their own community to do this. On the other side, volunteers are often not skilled enough for the tasks that they do. Travel experts point out that in some cases voluntourists are often taken advantage of by the organization that sets up the trips.

A. Not everyone sees voluntourism in a positive way.

B. Some of them establish lasting bonds with people there.

C. And there are those who are bored and merely seek adventure.

D. Most voluntourism organizations employ people from similar fields.

E. They find it is the best way to get the best of the world.

F. By participating in voluntourism, they are contributing to local economy.

G. They offer voluntourism trips to suit people's interest, experience level or age.