Tips for cooking on a Tight Schedule

    From my experience, there are three main reasons why people don't cook more often: ability, money, and time.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Money is a topic I'll save for another day. So today I want to give you some wisdom about how to make the most of the

time you spent in the kitchen .Here are three tips for great cooking on a tight schedule :

    Think ahead .The moments when I think cooking is a pain are when I'm already hungry and there's nothing ready to eat. So think ahead of the coming week .When will you have time to cook? Do you have the right materials already?{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Make your time worth it. When you do find time to cook a meal, make the most of it and save yourself time later on. Are you making one loaf of bread?{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.It takes around the same amount of time to make more of something. So save yourself the effort for future meal.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}This may surprise you, but one of the best tools for making cooking worth your time is experimentation. It gives you the chance to hit upon new ideas and recipes that can work well with your appetite and schedule. The more you learn and the more you try, the more ability you have to take control of your food and your schedule.

    Hopefully that gives you a good start.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}and don't let a busy schedule discourage you from making some great changes in the way you eat and live!

A. Try new things.

B. Ability is easily improved.

C. Make three or four instead.

D. Understand your food better.

E. Cooking is a burden for many people.

F. Let cooking and living simply be a joy rather than a burden.

G. A little time planning ahead can save a lot of work later on.

    Asking for a raise can be a discouraging prospect for any employee.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}If you're a female employee seeking a raise, it matters to approach that conversation strategically. Here are a few tips for pulling it off successfully.

    Do your research.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}So if you're making a case for a pay increase, you'll need to gather some data on what others in similar positions are earning. To that end, do some research on sites like Salary.com.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Remember to collect the average earnings for all workers in your position and make your case for why you deserve to be paid similarly.

    Don't get emotional.

    Women are often accused of getting emotional on the job. In fact, it's that so-called sensitive nature that causes some people to claim they're uncomfortable working with and promoting female employees. That's why it's extremely important to keep you cool during a salary negotiation. Be specific and present hard evidence of your value to the company. Try to focus on your positive contributions, rather than the negative feelings. And although the discussion might get heated, be sure not to yell or, worse yet, cry while it's going down.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

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    Given many news stories about how men out-earn women, you may tend to draw on some of that data as a reason for getting a raise. But be very careful about using that argument, because unless you have definitive proof that your male colleagues—with the same exact titles, experience, and responsibilities — are making more money than you, you're better off avoiding that angle.

A. Don't accuse your employer.

B. Slaying calm will only help your case.

C. Take advantage of how much men colleagues earn.

D. It's never a good idea to go into a salary negotiation blindly.

E. You are often paid less salary than your workmates in similar positions.

F. But women face unique challenges when it comes to requesting more money.

G. They allow you to search for compensation info based on industry and geographic region.

    You may have grown up living with sisters and brothers, or this may be your first time sharing your living space with someone else. Having a roommate surely has its challenges.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Follow these tips to make sure you and your roommate keep things pleasant and supportive throughout the year.

    Be clear from the beginning.

    Maybe you hate it when someone interrupts you when you are sleeping every morning.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, Let your roommate know about your preferences. It's not fair to expect him or her to pick up on them right away, and communicating what you need is one of the best ways to get rid of problems before they become problems.

    Respect your roommate's things.

    This may seem simple，but it's probably one of the biggest reasons why roommates experience conflicts. Don't you think he'll mind if you borrow his shoes for a quick soccer game for all you know, you just stepped over an uncrossable line.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Be open to change.

    You should expect to learn and grow and change during your time at school. And the same should happen to your roommate, if all goes well.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Be comfortable addressing things that unexpectedly come up, setting new rules, and being flexible to your changing environment.

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    Treat your roommate like you'd like to be treated. No matter what your relationship is at the end of the year, you can take comfort knowing you acted like an adult and treated your roommate with respect.

A. Don't borrow, use, or lake anything without getting permission first.

B. As the term progresses, realize things will change for both of you.

C. Getting along well with a roommate is really a difficult job.

D. Maybe you need moments to be silent after you wake up.

E. You should correct your bad habits first.

F. Follow the Golden Rule.

G. However, it can also be a great part of your college experience.

Ways to protect eyes from screens

    Too much screen time may cause serious eye strain(眼疲劳) and even a sharp decline of eyesight. That's a big problem a lot of people are faced with nowadays, especially those who work on a computer. The following tips may be helpful.

Get regular eye tests.

    Experts recommend having a comprehensive eye exam every year to detect (探测) problems before they develop. During this test, you should tell the doctor how often you use your phone and your computer. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Tell your doctor about it, and your eyes can be tested more accurately at that distance.

Give your eyes space

     {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Studies on computer-related eye strain suggest that screens should be no closer than 40cm from your face. If this makes it hard for you to read, consider increasing the size of the text rather than moving the screen closer.

Take breaks

    This may not always be practical if you're quite busy, but it's important not to stare directly at a screen for too long.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#} While surveys have shown that many office workers take no more than half an hour a day away from their computer, it's recommended that you take a 15-minute break after every two hours spent at your screen.

     {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Staring at a screen continuously for hours on end may make it difficult for you to focus. To avoid this, many eye experts recommend the “20-20-20 rule” --looking away from your phone/computer screen every 20 minutes and focusing on an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. The science behind his trick is that looking at objects at a distance relaxes the focusing muscle in the eye.  {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    You are changing. The universe around you is changing. Just because something was right for you in the past doesn't mean it still is. You realize there are deliberate(微妙的)changes you need to make to keep up with the changes happening around you and within you. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Be yourself and fully control your life. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You are in full control of your life so long as you claim it and own it. Because if you want to change, if you want to let go and move on with your life, you're the only person who can make it happen.

    Distance yourself for a while. Sometimes you need to take several steps back in order to become aware of a situation. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Why? Because you can return to where you started and see things with a new set of eyes.

    Focus only on what can be changed. Realize that not everything in life is meant to be adjusted or perfectly understood. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} And if you can't change something you don't like, change the way you think about it.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} To let go is to be thankful for the experiences that made you laugh, made you cry, and helped you learn and grow. It's the acceptance of everything you have, everything you once had, and the possibilities that lie ahead.

A. Accept the truth and be thankful.

B. No one else is responsible for you.

C. It happens to you slowly as you grow.

D. Be faithful to what you always believe.

E. Focus carefully on what you can change.

F. Better take a break and explore something else for a while.

G. If you feel awkward, let's look at some ways to design the latter.

Tips to Increase Your Productivity

    Want to get more done in your day? Of course you do. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The good news is that everyone can increase the amount of tasks they accomplish in a day. Here are some tips to help you have a more productive day.

    Make a plan for your day. Make sure you know how you want your day to go in advance, even before you start. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} To work best, create the next day's plan the night before so that every morning you spend time performing, not planning.

    Break large tasks down into bits accomplished easily. Do you have a large project that's just so big that you keep putting it off? Or maybe you're just unsure of where to begin, so you put it off. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Therefore, you will feel a sense of accomplishment as you check the items of your list.

    Always set your priorities (优先事项). {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Figure out what must be done, do that first and rank the rest of your work according to importance. If you don't get to the items at the end of your list, it won't be a big problem, and you can do them another time.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you are the most productive in the morning, that's when you should hit it hard and do as much as you can. If you work better in the afternoon, take care of some things like emails in the morning and then accomplish the important projects in the afternoon. Keep on top of your work habits, and you'll be more productive.

A. Reward yourself if you are productive.

B. This can provide you a roadmap for the day.

C. Be aware of when you are the most productive.

D. It's tough to meet depressed people who are productive.

E. It's important to accomplish the most important tasks first.

F. A good way is to break the project down into more manageable ones.

G. To stay competitive in any industry, you need to improve your productivity.