America's holiday shopping season started on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Shoppers make the most money this time of year, about 20 percent to 30 percent of all revenue all year. About 136 million people shopped during the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}In an era of instant information, shoppers can use their mobile phones to find deals. Nearly 80 percent of this year's holiday shoppers, or about 183.8 million people, shopped on Cyber Monday.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Online spending on Black Friday rose 15 percent to hit $2.7 billion this year. Cyber Monday spending increased 12 percent to $3 billion. NBC News reported that for many, shopping online was a more comfortable alternative than crowded malls.

      The shift to online shopping has had a big impact on solid shopping malls. Since 2010, more than 24 shopping malls have closed and anadditional 60 are struggling. Fortune says the weakest of the malls have closed. However, the business in malls is thriving again, it adds.  According to a survey, 94.2percent of malls were full with shops by the end of 2014.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

      The average American consumer will spend about $805 on gifts. That's about $630.5 billion between November and December – an increase of 3.7percent from last year.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}That goes toChina's Singles' Day, celebrated on November 11, which posted record sales of$14.3 billion in 2015.

A．More and morepeople shop online nowadays.

B．That is thehighest level in 27 years.

C．It is thebusiest shopping day of the year.

D．One-in-fiveAmericans used a tablet or smart-phone.

E．Thetraditional mall industry can hardly survive.

F．Cyber Mondayfalls on the Monday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

G．Nonetheless,Cyber Monday is not the biggest online shopping day in the world.

Get a Thorough Understanding of Oneself

    In all one's life time it is oneself that one spends the most time being with or dealing with. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    When you are going upwards in life you tend to overestimate(高估) yourself. It seems that everything you seek for is within your reach. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's likely that you think it wise for yourself to stay away from the outer world. Actually, to get a thorough understanding of oneself, you may as well keep the following tips in mind.

    Gain a correct view of oneself. You may look forward hopefully to the future but be sure not to expect too much, for dreams can never be fully realized. You may be courageous to meet challenges but it should be clear to you where to direct your efforts. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Self-appreciate. Whether you compare yourself to a towering tree or a blade of grass, a high mountain or a small stone, you represent a state of nature.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you earnestly admire yourself you'll have a real sense of self-appreciation.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In time of anger, do yourself a favor by releasing it in a quiet place so that you won't be hurt by its flames; in time of sadness, do yourself a favor by sharing it with your friends so as to change a bad mood into a cheerful one; in time of tiredness, do yourself a favor by getting a good sleep.

    Get a full control of one's life. Then one will find one's life full of color and flavor.

A. But it is precisely oneself that one has the least understanding of.

B. So long as you have a perfect knowledge of yourself, there won't be difficulties you can't overcome.

C. When you are going downhill you tend to underestimate yourself for your own incompetence.

D. It has its own value.

E. Especially if it is well within your reach, you are just too blind to see it.

F. Do oneself a favor when it's needed.

G. Do yourself a favor when you resist the attack of illness.

    Making decisions when shopping is often a tough call. Even if you're satisfied with the first dress you try on, would you go on looking for alternatives, comparing styles and prices , until dropped dead?

    Psychology researchers have studied how people make decisions and concluded there are two basic styles. " Maximizers"  like to take their time and weigh a wide range of choices, sometimes every possible one —before  choosing." Satisficers" would rather be fast than thorough

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}So even if they see what would seem to meet their requirements, they can't make a decision until after they've examined every option to make sure that they're making the best possible choice. Researchers followed 548 job-seeking college seniors at 11 schools from October through their graduation in June. They found that the maximizers landed better jobs.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    "The maximizers is kicking himself because he can't examine every choice and at some point had to just pick something, " they say." Maximizers make best decisions and end up feeling bad about hem{#blank#}3{#/blank#}"

    Satisficers also have high standards, but they are happier than maximizers. Maximizers tend to be more depressed and to report a lower satisfaction  with life, his research found.

    Faced with so many choices in our lives, we need to learn how not to waste time and energy on our decision- making.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}For instance, if you're picking a restaurant for lunch meeting, first deciding on a certain part of town or type of cuisine can narrow your choices.

    Once you've arrived at a decision,stick with it.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}To limit the number of choices you can set a time for decision-making. Say you are buying a new bag, you could spend an amount of time studying features, price and value but if you give yourself only five minutes to make a decision,and there are only bags you can consider, you'll save time.You'll be happier with your decision, too.

A.Firstly, decrease your range of choices.

B.Maximizers are people who want the best.

C.Just accept no decision is ever completely perfect.

D.Comparing is often a must when you make a decision.

E.Satisficers make good decisions and end up feeling good.

F. The other is to make decisions more accurately at the beginning.

G.Their starting salaries were 20 percent higher but they felt worse about their jobs.

How to Set Goals

    Whether you have small dreams or high expectations,setting goals allows you to plan how you want to move through life.Some achievements can take a lifetime to attain,while others can be completed in a day.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Determine your life goals.Ask yourself some important questions about what you want for your life.What do you want to achieve: today,in a year,in your lifetime?The answers to this question can be as general as "I want to be happy,"or "I want to help people."{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Set specific goals.Be specific and realistic about what it is that you want to achieve.Research shows that setting a specific goal makes you more likely to achieve it.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}For example,"Be healthier"is too big and vague to be a helpful goal."I want to eat more vegetables,and I want to run a marathon."is better.

    Write out your goals.Be detailed,be clear,and include your steps.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Keep your list in a place where you can get informed frequently.This will help keep you motivated.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}You may find yourself set in your ways concerning broad life goals,but take the time to re-evaluate your smaller goals.Are you accomplishing them according to your timeline?Are they still necessary to keep you on track towards your larger life goals?Allow yourself the flexibility to make some small changes to your goal.

A.Adjust your goals.

B.Track and measure your progress.

C.Having deadlines will keep you motivated.

D.Consider what you hope to achieve in 10,15,or 20 years.

E.Here are some important ideas that you may find helpful.

F.Writing them down tends to make them feel a little more real.

G.Remember that you may need to break large goals into smaller goals.

    Now VAR technology is fully combined with the global game of soccer and made its debut (首次亮相) at the 2018 World Cup. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. It is actually a team who work together to review certain decisions made by the main judge by watching video replays.

    The VAR team supported the judges from a centralized video room. The operators selected and provided the best angles from the relevant broadcast cameras plus two additional offside cameras. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. They will communicate with the judges only for clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents. The judge can delay the restart of play at any time to communicate with the VAR team. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, the judge would start an official review. Then they will make a decision based on the information received from the VAR team.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Some fans believe that VAR causes too many interruptions, disrupting the flow of the game. But others just want a fair match and to see the correct call no matter what. They argue disruptions already take place as angry players crowd around a judge following a controversial decision. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. With much money put into modern football, governing bodies are now under great pressure to see that the correct decisions are made on the pitch and VAR is a sure step in that.

A.VAR works as video judges

B. If one team is likely to win a game

C. It is hard to avoid and VAR is necessary

D. Now VAR has incurred heated discussion

E. Once they decide an incident is reviewable

F. Throughout a match they are constantly checking for mistakes

G. VAR can serve to remove such scenes and get the game moving again

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} While these compulsive(无法控制的) actions may appear to be irrational or pointless, and may even result in negative consequences, the individual experiencing the compulsion feels unable to stop him or herself.

    The compulsive behavior can be a physical act, like hand washing, or a mental activity, like counting objects. When an otherwise harmless behavior becomes so consuming that it negatively impacts oneself or others, it may be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)(强迫症).

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}The former is an overwhelming desire to do something, while an addiction is a physical or chemical dependence on a substance or behavior. People with addictions will continue their addictive behavior, even when they understand that doing so is harmful to themselves and others. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Unlike compulsions and addictions, which are acted out uncontrollably, habits are actions that are repeated regularly and automatically.

    Habits typically develop over time through a natural process called "habituation," during which repetitive actions that must be consciously initiated eventually become subconscious and are carried out habitually.

    While there are good habits and bad, unhealthy habits, any habit can become a compulsion or even an addiction. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} For example, the good habit of exercising regularly can become an unhealthy compulsion or addiction when done to excess.

    Common habits often develop into addictions when they result in a chemical dependency, as in the cases of smoking. The habit of having a glass of beer with dinner, for example, becomes an addiction when the desire to drink turns into a physical or emotional need to drink.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}While we can choose to add good, healthy habits to our routines, we can also choose to break old harmful habits.

A. A compulsion is different from an addiction.

B. It currently affects about 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children in the U.S.

C. Some of these behaviors are visible actions while others are mental behaviors.

D. In other words, you really can have "too much of a good thing."

E. Compulsive behaviors are actions that a person feels "compelled" or driven to do over and over again.

F. Alcoholism, smoking, and gambling are perhaps the most common examples of addictions.

G. Of course, the key difference between a compulsive behavior and a habit is the ability to choose to do them or not.