A．Slow Down Your Life

B．Escape Now and Then

C．Separate Your Actions

D．Allow Yourself to Be Weak

E．Relieve Pressure by Firmly Saying “No”

F．Stop Expecting Everything to Be Perfect

How to Simplify Your Life

    Less is more. This is why we say: reduce things by half instead of doubling them, get rid of junk instead of piling it up, relax instead of stressing, slow down instead of speeding up. Apply these principles in your everyday life in a conscious way. You will then find yourself well along on your journey to simplification.

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    When you concentrate on one task, you find you have energy that you didn't even know you had. Just imagine: you are at a fair and you have to carry two heavy pigs over 100 yards. If you keep grabbing one and then the other, it will take forever, because one of them will keep slipping out from under your arm and running off. But if you tie one pig in a place, pick up the other, gather all your strength and make a dash for the finish line, pause for a moment, run back and get the other one, and with great determination, carry the second pig to the finish line, then you can be sure of success.

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    The pressure at work is on the increase in all occupations. In the modern nuclear family, the expectations that formerly would have been shared among all the relatives are now concentrated on the individual partner.

If you have the feeling that 24 hours per day are not enough for all the things you need to do, then it's not because the day has too few hours, but because you have too many activities. A simple fact that overloaded people often tend to forget. The solution is equally simple: refuse to accept so many work assignments in your private life or your working life.

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     “I can handle stress” is regarded as a positive statement in the world of work. People who can handle stress are given more and more to cope with—until one day they break.

    Pay careful attention to the signs that tell you that you are under more stress than you can cope with. These signals can come from various areas of life. You become ill, or your work efficiency decreases.

If you have any of these symptoms, change your life goals and decrease your tolerance of stress. Say quite openly, “I can't manage that.”

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     “If only I were slimmer, more beautiful, richer, more clever, then I would be happier.” This is a dream that makes a lot of people ill, depressed, and unhappy. Life has its flaws, defects, corners, and edges. Only those who accept this reality can lead a really full life.

Of course there are activities in which errors are dangerous：driving a car, crossing the road. But life doesn't consist entirely of these things. In among them there is a lot of room for small and large mistakes.

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    Successful people all have their own places where they can withdraw in order to work. Find out which places improve your creativity. For me it's the train. When I know that I'm going to be traveling for four hours without phone calls and people knocking on my door, I find my mind is free and I can read or write complex articles. There can be problems working on the train, of course: if the person sitting opposite you keeps talking away, or if train trips make you tired(some people fall asleep after a few miles)．

    There are so many expressions in American English that sound pleasant but are not.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}When someone says they have to “face the music” , it does not mean they are going to a concert. “Facing the music” means to accept and deal with the punishment of an action.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}For example, “ I can't face another night of camping! It's a cold and rainy”. Or “In life, you must face your fears”. Face used in this way is very common.

    But now, let's go back to facing the music. Imagine a friend asks you to take care of her beautiful red sports car. She gives you the keys and says, “Thanks so much for watching my car while I'm away. But please, do not drive it. It is an extremely fast car.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}You drive it around town one night. And you lose control of the car and drive it into a stop sign. Bang!

    When your returns you must tell her what you have done and “face the music”{#blank#}4{#/blank#}It could be losing her friendship or paying for repairs to her sports to her sports car or both.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}To “take your medicine” means to accept the results from something bad you have done. And if someone says, “You made your bed. Now lie in it” they mean you created a bad station and now you will experience the results.

A. But you do not listen.

B. “Face the music ”is a good example.

C. The “music ” here is the result of your actions.

D. American often use the word “face” in this way.

E. Everyone likes to enjoy a concert in the evening.

F. You are very afraid of losing your trust of your friend.

G. There are other American expressions that mean the same thing as “Face the music”.

    Rent movies over the weekend. Try to follow the story line of comedy shows.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Not having to respond in English lets you concentrate on simply understanding what is being said. Understanding how English is used in conversation will help you to better communicate in the language.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}When you are reading, pay more attention to the correct pronunciation of the words you are reading rather than comprehension of each word. Read easy books that were written for children. Reading simple books takes away the frustration of sounding out hard words.

A. Read out loud for twenty to thirty minutes every day.

B. Listen to English radio while getting ready in the morning.

C. Observe how much the mouth is opened to say certain words.

D. Find a friend or teacher who is willing to help you learn English.

E. Repeat the conversations several times to increase your speaking speed.

F. Watching TV shows and movies allows you to hear English used in conversation.

G. The more a person practices his or her skills, the easier speaking English will become.

They Just Can't Help It

    My theory is that the female brain is mainly built for empathy — the ability to understand other people — and that the male brain is mainly built for building systems. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For example, women are more likely to read magazines on fashion and parenting, while men will choose magazines that feature computers and sport.

    You may think that these preferences are influenced by the way people are taught to behave when they are growing up. However, this is not the case. A new study carried out at Cambridge University shows that newborn girls look longer at a face, and newborn boys look longer at a mobile. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It has also been observed that girls are better at noticing signs of changes in other people's feelings. Boys, however, seem to enjoy building toy towers and playing with toys which have clear functions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} People whose jobs are in the construction industries are almost male. Math and engineering, which require high levels of systems-thinking, are also male-chosen disciplines. Why do men and women have the difference? Actually women have four times as many brain neurons (神经) that connect the right and left part of their brains. Because of it, women have a better ability to multitask than men. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Men tend to focus on a limited number of problems at a time. They will separate themselves from problems and view tasks as independent from one another.

    Some people may worry that I am suggesting one gender (性别) is better than the other, but this is not the case. My theory says that males and females differ in the kinds of things that they find easy, but that both genders have their strengths and weaknesses. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It is not true. The study simply looks at males and females as two groups, and asks what differences exist, and why they are there.

A. Generally speaking, there are clear differences.

B. Their preference for building systems may change over time.

C. You can see the same kind of pattern in the adult workplace.

D. They will consider many sources of information at the same time.

E. It is important to stress that the female brain may be built more for empathy.

F. That suggests certain differences between male and female brains are biological.

G. Others may think the theory creates a belief of what a particular type of person is like.

Some Advice for Freshmen

    As you enter a university, you turn to a new page where life is quite different from before. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} As far as I can see, there are several aspects you should pay special attention to.

Manage your free time well.

    Since there's plenty of spare time every day, a good time-management becomes vital. When free, you can devote yourself to studying or going out to visit some scenic spots nearby. If you have special skills or interests, there are various clubs for you to join. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} At the same time you get the chance to make friends with other students.

    Develop self-discipline (自律).

    College life is nearly completely up to yourself instead of the teachers compared to the high school. So self-discipline makes much more significance. In university the teachers' job is to give classes. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It is your choice to do them dependently or copy. You're supposed to hand in the assignments punctually. You're also expected to stick to your timetable, keep a balanced diet, etc.

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    This is the person who will help you with course conflicts, adding or dropping courses, scheduling of classes for future terms and deciding on majors. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} He/ She should be the person you turn to with any academic issues or conflicts. And don't be afraid of requesting another adviser if you can't contact the first one.

    Bear these tips in mind and I'm sure it can be beneficial to you in the long run.

A. Find a perfect place to study in.

B. It's where to show your talent.

C. Get to know your academic adviser.

D. This person is a key resource for you.

E. As for the assignments, it is your work.

F. Buy a calendar to know when assignments are due.

G. To well adapt yourself to the new environment is of great significance.

How to treat your guests at a dinner party

    Almost everyone has attended a dinner party where they felt awkward. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}So it's very necessary to prevent unpleasant party situations for your guests with the following useful tips and find out how to treat your guests at a dinner party.

    As guests arrive, greet them at the door saying "Hello" and ask how they are. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If there is a wine table, show them to the table and allow them to mix with other guests.

    If a guest arrives who doesn't know the majority of the people in the room, announce his presence and introduce him to everyone. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Be modest about your food even if the food is great. And don't apologize either—your guests may think they shouldn't try your food. Serve your guests or allow guests to serve themselves if food has been placed on a serving table. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Make sure that they are as comfortable as possible.

    As you and your guests dine, play a "get to know each other" game. Have the guests go around the room and give a fun fact about themselves, their favorite things to do, where they would like to live and their worst or best cooking experience. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    After the main course is served, offer your guests dessert. Have a dessert wine ready to serve in case a guest would like to pair wine with dessert.

A. This would help him feel more comfortable.

B. This is a great ice­breaker as well.

C. Take their coats, welcome them and make them feel at home.

D. Ask your guests often if they need more food.

E. Choosing a specific theme for your party is definitely a great idea.

F. Still more people remember dinner parties where they didn't have a good time.

G.A great dinner party allows you to enjoy one­on­one time with your guests.