Sleep and dreams have interested people for centuries. Scientists are learning more about sleep, but they still know very little about why we dream.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} First, we have most of our dreams during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. At this time, the brain is very active. Second, everyone dreams, even if we can't remember doing so when we awake. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} While we are asleep, it works more slowly and sometimes puts our thoughts and memories together in strange ways.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Some believe that our dreams are relevant to thoughts and feelings that we experience while we are awake. Many dreams researchers think that a dream about death, for example, is really about an important life change. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} A dream about teeth—especially broken or loose ones-may suggest stress or fear. Dreams in which you are flying often represent freedom or escape.

   Researchers think people in our dreams can tell us something about ourselves. If the person in the dream was yelling, for example, maybe you are angry. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

There is still a lot about dreaming that we do not understand. By learning more about our dreams, we may learn more about ourselves.

    A. Dreams may be more important than sleep.

    B. Scientists do not know for certain why we dream.

    C. If he or she was scared then maybe you are terrified of something.

    D. Modern research can tell us some important things about dreams.

    E. There are three things you should pay attention to have a sweet dream.

    F. Finally, a part of our brain helps us to understand daily experience we have.

    G. Dreams about telephones are thought to be about giving or receiving messages.

    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.

How to politely refuse an invitation

    Have you ever received an invitation that you couldn't accept? Do you have difficulty in refusing it without hurting someone's feelings?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}If the answer is yes to any of these questions, you are not alone. In fact, this happens to most people at some time in their lives. Here are some tips on how to turn down an invitation in a polite way.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Putting the invitation aside to deal with it later isn't good for you or the person who sent it. He needs to know whether or not you will be there. Ignoring the invitation shows that you don't know proper etiquette(礼节), and you might be left off the guest list for his next party.

    Be honest. You don't ever have to come up with false excuses for why you're unable to go to the event, but you also don't have to go into details.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} That will be enough.

    Ask for a different time. If the invitation is not proper for you, let the person know you're unable to make it at the time he requested.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} In this way, both of you won't feel uncomfortable about the event.

    Don't over-explain.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Long and unclear explanations will make it sound like you're just trying to come up with excuses.

A. Don't ignore the invitation.

B. Don't respond immediately.

C. Let him know that you already have plans.

D. Do you wonder what you should send to the inviters?

E. If you can't make it  keep your explanation short and to the point.

F. Does it trouble you to turn someone down?

G. But tell him you'd love to get together with him at another time.

Ways to Fight and Overcome Laziness

    You read productivity tips, you've used a million to­do list apps, and you promise yourself every month that you're going to start being productive, but it never happens. Here's how to break the cycle when you feel like your problem is just laziness.

    Simple things first: It's important to get started with the task you're willing to perform in order to fight laziness. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Doing so will help you to break your inner resistance.

    Step­by­step: {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And it will keep us motivated to perform these tasks one after the other in a relaxed manner. Once you have completed one sub­task you can tell yourself that you're on a roll and that you will soon have finished the next sub­tasks as well.

    Remove distractions: Whatever it is that distracts you (TV, the Internet, etc.), remove it! {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Make sure that once you have started with one of your tasks, you will not get distracted from it by any means.

    Reward yourself: Every time you manage to overcome laziness and successfully complete a task you should reward yourself, as this will give you positive feeling about making efforts to get things done. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Little reward for small efforts and vice versa (反之亦然).

    Don't give up: It's one thing to find your motivation. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Rather than letting difficulties demotivate you, see them for what they are and refuse to be beaten by them. You're not alone and staying focused on working through challenges is one of the best ways to fight them.

A. Turn off distractions and focus on your goals.

B. Just make sure to adapt the reward to the efforts you made.

C. A list of weekly goals will help you stay focused and motivated.

D. A method that helps you do so is to start with the simple things first.

E. Occasional rewards will sweeten the tasks and help keep you on track.

F. But it's quite something else to keep it going when running into difficult problems.

G. Breaking down tasks into smaller tasks helps us to reduce the pressure of deadlines.

    A conversation with a good listener is like a good meal—we walk away feeling satisfied and happy. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are 4 ways to make your conversation partner feel like you're fully tuned in to their personal radio station.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Making your conversation partner feel safe starts with two things: an open mind and keeping judgment to yourself. Just as immersing(沉浸)yourself in a novel requires suspension of disbelief, immersing yourself in listening requires suspension of opinions or advice. While judgments may appear into your head, set them to the side.

    Ask questions to follow your natural curiosity.

    When you're interested, ask questions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Ask for examples. Ask for details. Following your natural curiosity by asking questions not only shows you are listening and interested, but almost always produces an interesting story.

    Listen with your whole body.

    In many a kindergarten classroom, teachers emphasize something called "whole body listening". It goes like this: use your eyes to watch nonverbal(非语言), your brain to think about what is being said, your heart to feel emotions» and keep the rest of your body quiet to show respect. But many of us lose it over time, especially as life gets busy. The result? We often try to multitask while listening. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Validate(使生效)with simple phrases.

    Keep in your back pocket some validating words and phrases to show you've heard someone.

    "Of course." "That makes sense." "Naturally." "Clearly." "For sure." {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In conversation, combining those little phrases: "Of course you feel that way." or "That makes total sense." doesn't necessarily convey agreement, but it does convey something even bigger: acceptance.

A. Create safety.

B. Devote yourself to listening.

C. It's appealing to talk about your own experience.

D. We half-listen while getting things done or staring at a screen.

E. Think like a journalist and ask what, when, where, why or how.

F. But being a good listener goes way beyond just not interrupting or nodding your head.

G. All of these statements confirm a person's experience or feelings as worthy and accepted.

    How do you relax after a stressful day in the office? There are many ways to help you relax. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It takes a little effort to get there but the benefits are great for our stressed-out lives. I am talking about the activity of forest bathing.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It was introduced as a national health programme by the country's government. Stressed Japanese workers are today still relaxing and reconnecting with nature. The Forest Therapy Society has certified 62 forest therapy sites in the country and the forest bathing movement is also booming in other parts of the world. It says, "Just as bathing in a hot spring helps to soak your cares away, going for a walk in the woods is said to have a comforting effect."

    Forest bathing is about taking time to wander through woodland with no fixed plan or route and just expose yourself to the forest atmosphere. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}That's particularly good for people with mental health issues. A study conducted in 24 forests across Japan found that walking among trees lowered blood pressure, the pulse rate, thus improving our immune systems.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Another study carried out a few years ago by Stanford University in the US, found similar benefits. Brain scans showed reduced activity in an area of the brain linked to the risk of mental illness in participants who took a 90-minute walk among oaks, birds and squirrels. One of the researchers, Gregory Bratman, said, "There's an increasing body of evidence showing that natural areas benefit us at least emotionally with our mood and our physical development too." The evidence seems clear that forest bathing is a shot in the arm for stressed-out workers. So now is the time to get out and lose yourself in the natural environment, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. But the best way lies in the great outdoors.

B. Connecting with nature has never been more urgent.

C. Forest bathing is rising in popularity around the world.

D. Having this exposure to nature seems to promote well-being.

E. You could even hug a tree as it could be your new best friend!

F. The Japanese concept of forest bathing dates back to the 1980s.

G. It also found forest bathing can decrease stress, anxiety, and depression.