Many of us are so busy with work, school and home life, which often cause there is no time left to do something that you enjoy. What follows are some ways to carve out that essential time you need to slow down, enjoy life and relax yourself.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Try to save certain weeknights just for you. If others ask you to do things those nights, just tell them you have plans. Use the time for gardening, reading, exercise, thinking or the ultimate luxury of doing nothing!

    Monthly Treat. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It could be on your lunch break, a weekend or it could be leaving work early. Maybe you get a spa treatment, go to see a movie, a haircut, play golf or whatever treat you're always thinking about but rarely get to. Schedule it in and it will happen!

    Buy Tickets in Advance. Sports, theatre, concerts or any other event you would enjoy. Schedule the plans with a friend later. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Huh? Yes, many of us stay at work late on a regular basis. If this is you, make it a point to leave work exactly on time at least once a week, if not more. And then enjoy that time! Leave work at work.

    Join a Group. Here are some ideas of groups that can allow you some time away from work and home: singing group, gardening group, astronomy society, book club, biking clubs, ski club, etc. What are you interested in? Strike while the iron is hot. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you can't find a club, consider starting one yourself!

A. Leave Work on Time.

B. Evenings with Yourself.

C. Having the tickets already in hand will force you to make it happen!

D. Listen to your favorite music!

E. Look up a club in your area today and join!

F. Take an Adult Education Class.

G. Schedule a treat for yourself once a month.

If you are a motivated person, it is easy to put your personal goals ahead of those of the people around you. It is natural and not necessarily a bad thing. However, it is crucial t learn to be a team player. Acting as a part of a team builds character, teacher empathy （共鸣）, and eventually achieves goals.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here's why:

Group Effort Is More Effective than Individual Effort. You can run a small business pretty independently, but if you ever plan on being employed or running a business that employs others, you'll have to learn how to work with other people.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Improving Others Equals Improving Yourself. If you're on a team, your personal success helps make you a good team player. This is because most people are at least a little bit competitive, whether they admit it or not. When you do well, you set a standard that others will want to meet. By pushing yourself, you help push the people on your team.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}When you see someone you're working with do something better than you, more often than not, you'll push yourself to meet that standard.

Your Attitude Matters{#blank#}4{#/blank#} People respect the ability to work well with others more than anything. Your individual actions have an impact, but if you're reluctant to do something to help your team, it'll be evident and your contribution will be less appreciated. Having a genuine interest in your team helps you as well as those you're working with.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}As much as your work is important and necessary to the success of your team, the success of your team is important and necessary to your success.

A. Of course, this works both ways

B. These is a mutual（相互的）effect between personal success and team achievement

C. People with team spirit try hard to make their team the best of all

D. You should be the kind of person who wants to be a team player

E. Those who show respect for others will be respected in turn

F. All of these things, in turn, contribute to your personal success

G. The most impressive achievements are accomplished by groups of people, not individuals

    Two hundred years after Charles Darwin's birth, studies have found new details of his life at the University of Cambridge. Six leather-bound ledgers (皮革账本) discovered in the university show this.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    He lived in the most expensive rooms provided for a rich student at his time.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}He had someone to clean his room, make his bed and take care of the fire in his bright rooms. He hired a dishwasher, a clothes washer and a man who cleaned his shoes. A tailor (裁缝), hatter and barber made sure he was well presented. A chimney cleaner and a coalman kept his fire going. Christ's College's basic food was meat and beer.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Darwin's bill topped 636 pounds during his three years of study at Cambridge. Later he described this time as the most joyful of his happy life. That large sum (金额) would have been fairly common for a student at Cambridge in the 19th century.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    In those days Cambridge was full of rich students living a pretty good life and Darwin was just one of them.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}And thus he had plenty of time for socializing or private study. He would be out shooting, collecting beetles, doing his scientific hobbies or visiting friends. He played cards and drank wine at night, just like students always have.

A. Thanks to the richness, he was able to hire servants to help with the daily life.

B. The findings were published on the Internet.

C. So he paid five and a half pence extra each day to have vegetables.

D. He enjoyed the kind of comfortable university life that most of today's students can only dream about.

E. He had several people to help him to deal with the daily housework.

F. When you look at the ledgers, you can find there were many rich students in Cambridge.

G. The bills were paid by his wealthy father, Robert Darwin, a doctor.

    People who are confident really seem to be naturally outstanding(优秀的) and just seem to do everything with more grace(优雅的)than others. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}It is a habit that everyone can develop in life. Try these simple tips to drill and build up your confidence.

    Admit your shortcomings calmly.

    Do not try to escape from them or cover them. Face them bravely.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Fight against them every day until the day when you could break away and conquer them.

    Dress for self-confidence.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}And therefore pay attention to your dress, display your unique physical advantages and exhibit your best image. In addition, on formal occasions such as a business meeting or a wedding ceremony, elegant dressing contributes to building your confidence.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    You should break your routine that deals with the work passively (被动地). Focus your efforts immediately on overcoming it, because it will make your restless mind at ease and build your self-confidence.

    Be positive.

    Feeling pity neither on yourself nor on others. If you are used to hating and accusing(指责) yourself, others would tend to do that and believe it. Instead, you should speak positively about yourself, your progress, and your bright future.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Your appearance could put you into embarrassment(尴尬)or increase your confidence.

B. Then talk about them to a reliable mate, a friend or a family member.

C. As a matter of fact, true self-confidence is neither born nor got overnight.

D. Build your confident vocabulary.

E. By doing so, you would encourage your growth in a positive direction.

F. Don't put off what you eventually have to do.

G. Don't judge a person by appearance.

    People often say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and that's actually quite true.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}After all, making a good first impression is all about making others feel good when spending time with them. The following tips will help you make a positive impression every time.

    Dress appropriately

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}That means dressing up or putting on nice, clean, situation-appropriate clothes for social situations. It isn't difficult and it doesn't have to cost you much, either.

    Be aware of your body language

    Words express very little of what you say. Body language can tell someone a lot about your mood and confidence level.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Eye contact is an easy way to make others feel comfortable, important and special. Nervous body language can make others uncomfortable and anxious. Try to be aware of your body language when communicating with others.

    Respect the opinions of others

    Not everyone will have the same opinion with you, and friendly disagreements can be a gateway to a great conversation. Respect other people's right to have their own opinion. Respect the opinions of others even if you disagree with them. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    People love talking about themselves, but generally, you want to be careful of taking over the conversation. By listening carefully to what others are saying, you are not only making them feel important, but you can gather cues you need to keep the conversation going and bridge to new topics.

A. Be a careful listener.

B. Show an interest in every person you meet.

C. Smile especially when first meeting someone.

D. Make sure you look nice whenever you meet someone new.

E. Meeting new people and starting conversations is often challenging.

F. Others will want to be with you and help you make a good impression.

G. Don't force others to believe what you believe or to see things only as you see them.

    This summer, when earthquakes rocked Southern California on back-to-back days, it was a close-to-home reminder that we may one day experience the "Big One," a quake with the power to kill and destroy. A few people, however, saw something else: a photo opportunity. Tourists poured to a large crack in a highway to see evidence of the damage for themselves and, of course, take a quick selfie.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It feeds so many of the weakest parts of ourselves: our born attraction to images of human faces instead of landscapes or objects, our interest in capturing memories, and yes, our need for social approval. Yet, it is easy to feel uncomfortable with selfies and even laugh at them, especially when they are risky or in bad taste. So why do we take selfies?

    Selfies have become so common that my grandma does them when we get together. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Instead, selfies are a way for us to connect and communicate, and feel a more personal connection with people all around the world.

    In one example, researchers developed a #ScientistsWhoSelfie campaign studying how scientists posting photos of themselves with their work on social media influenced public opinion of the profession. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} "Those scientists in general were described as warmer, but no less competent," said Paige Jarreau, the lead author on the study.

    While some scientists refused at first, fearing that their colleagues would consider them self-centered or think they take their work less seriously, those concerns disappeared once researchers explained that it could help build public trust. "This is not just me taking a duck-faced (嘟嘟嘴) selfie or trying to look cute on camera," said Dr Jarreau. "This is me being able to better tell the story about my science in a way that helps people trust me."

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Dr Jarreau recalled a road trip she made to national parks, where she witnessed so many people taking selfies, she began taking photos of the selfie-takers themselves. "Ask yourself: Why are you posting that picture?" she said. "If there was a platform that didn't enable likes, would you post it?" After all, there are other ways to develop a social connection. You could send the photo to a private group. You could put it in a frame at home. You could be mindful in the moment by not taking it at all. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. But if you do, watch your step.

B. There is no denying the draw of the selfie.

C. With each like, we feel better about ourselves.

D. The thought that selfie is the symbol of self-love is outdated.

E. However, most of us post mechanically, even madly, in our daily lives.

F. After all, people have been making self-portraits for long, in remarkably similar ways.

G. They found that photos with human faces helped improve impressions in a field that is often subject to negative stereotypes.