One of the common complaints we hear from the people around us are problems they are facing. Every day and everywhere there are problems. Many times we find it hard to stay happy. When one problem is solved, another one comes up. How to solve them? The answer is that we must equip ourselves to deal with different kinds of worries by learning the three basic steps of problem analysis. The three steps are:

Get the facts

    Why is it so important to get the facts? Unless you have the facts, you can't possibly attempt to solve your problem intelligently. Without the facts, all you can do is wondering around in confusion. It is not an easy job to get facts. When you are worried, your emotions are riding high. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    When trying to get the facts, you can pretend that you are collecting this information not for yourself but for some other person. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can also pretend that you are a lawyer preparing to agree. Try to get all the facts both on your side and the other side of the case. You will generally find the truth lies somewhere in between.

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    Whenever you are worried, write down the questions that make you worry. And write out all the various steps you could take and then the probable consequences of each step. For example, what am I worrying about? What can I do about it? Here is what I'm going to do about it. After carefully weighing all the facts, you can calmly come to a decision.

Act on that decision.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} How can you break the worry habit before it breaks you? Crowd worry out of your mind by keeping busy . Plenty of action is one of the best ways to cure worry.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you know a situation is beyond your power, say to yourself: “It is so; it can't be otherwise.” Don't permit little things to ruin your happiness. Try to cultivate a mental attitude that will bring you peace and happiness.

A. Analyze the facts.

B. Accept what can't be avoided.

C. Decide how much anxiety a thing may be worth.

D. This will help you to take a cold and fair view of the evidence.

E. There comes a time when you must decide and never look back.

F. But here are two ideas that can help you see the facts in a clear and objective way.

G. Unless you take your action, all your fact-finding and analysis is a sheer waste of energy.

    “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, so when you want to do business in France, you have to get to know French culture, to make marketing plans, and to run your business by local laws.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The French take great pride in their language, so anyone who does not speak it may run the risk of being disrespected by his French colleagues or business partners. Also, another reason why learning French is important is that it is a great way to show every possible French business partner that you care and respect their country's culture and language.

    There are obvious ways of greeting people in French. When you meet someone new, it's usual to shake his hand firmly and always look at the person in the eye.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Dress well.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Your business clothing is a reflection of your success and social status. Always try to be stylish. Women are advised to dress simply but elegantly. Wearing make-up is practiced widely by business women.

    The French are passionate about food, so lunches are common in doing business in France, which usually consist of an appetizer, main meal with wine, cheese, dessert and coffee, and normally take up to two hours{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Do not begin eating until the host says, “Bon appetite”. Pass dishes to the left, keep wrists above the table and try to eat everything on the plate{#blank#}5{#/blank#} This may suggest that you find the food tasteless. If eating in a restaurant, the person who invites always pays.

A. The French draw information about people based on their appearance.

B. This is a time for relationship building.

C. Maybe you have heard the expression.

D. Language should be the focus of anyone planning to do business in France.

E. Be careful with adding salt, pepper or sauces to your food.

F. When you meet a friend, kissing is common.

G. English and French are both spoken in formal occasions.

Sad Tale for Sale

    Hundreds of thousands of puppies (小狗) are born in puppy factories each year. Because the main purpose of the puppy factory is to make money, puppy factory owners fail to spend enough money on the dogs. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The animals almost never get exercise or attention. Their cages (笼子) are often dirty, with little protection from sun, wind or cold.

    Many puppies born in puppy factories are taken away from their mothers before they are ready. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The moms left behind are then bred (繁殖) again to produce more puppies.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Although the puppies may seem healthy, these problems can show up when they're fully grown — sometimes even sooner. Some of the puppies die within days or weeks of purchase (购买).

    Kind kids and their families can help. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Even if a pet store says that they don't sell dogs from puppy factories, chances are they really do. And don't trust newspaper or website ads made by people who sell puppies.

    If your family is ready for a dog, your best choice is to adopt one from an animal shelter (收容所). Animal shelters have different kinds of dogs just waiting for homes.   {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Puppy factories need to stop.

B. In the future, don't buy puppies from pet stores.

C. To save money, they keep dogs in packed cages.

D. By doing this, you're in the business of helping pets!

E. There are many puppies killed in puppy factories.

F. Then they are shipped cross-country to be sold in pet shops.

G. Many of the dogs born in puppy factories have serious health problems.

    "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." — Lao Tzu

    If you are in a city where everyone rushes, realize that you don't have to be like everyone else. You can be different. You can walk instead of driving in rush hour traffic. Your environment doesn't control your life — you do. I'm not going to tell you how to give you a step-by-step guide to moving slower. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    ⒈Do less.

    Cut back on your projects, on your task list, on how much you try to do each day. Focus not on quantity( 数量) but on quality(质量). {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Save smaller, routine tasks for later in the day, but give yourself time to focus.

    ⒉Have fewer meetings.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} And they eat into your day, forcing you to squeeze the things you really need to do into small windows, and making you rush.

    ⒊{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    When you do the some things with focus, without rush, there will be things that get pushed back, and that don't get done. And you need to ask yourself: how necessary are these things? What would happen if I stopped doing them?

    ⒋Practice mindfulness.

    Simply learn to live in the present, rather than things so much about future or the past. When you eat, fully appreciate your food. When you are with someone, be with them fully. When you are walking, appreciate your surroundings, no matter where you are.

    Try these things out. Life is better when unrushed. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Start to put off or cancel the unnecessary.

B  Meetings are usually a "big waste of time".

C. The world likely won't end if you don't pass one of the examinations.

D. But here are some things to consider and perhaps adopt, if they work for your life.

E. Remember the quote: if nature can get everything done without rushing, so can you.

F. Pick 2-3 important things — or even just one important thing — and work on those first.

G. Give yourself more time to get ready and get there.

    So, You Want to Be a Writer?

    What are some tips on becoming a writer?

    ⒈Read everything you can. Most writers are good readers. They read because they love to lose themselves in books. They like the sounds of language and the way that reading a good description can feel as satisfying as winning a race or eating really good food. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Do you like stories that are fast-paced and full of unexpected twists? Do you prefer to read books with characters who seem like someone you might know? Do you like to feel scared or do you like a story that makes you laugh until you cry? Think about the types of writing you like best, and try to identify the qualities that attract you.

    ⒉{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's easy to forget a good idea if you do not record it immediately. If you get in the habit of carrying a notebook or journal with you everywhere you go, you can write down anything you want to remember. When you are talking to friends in the cafeteria or waiting for the bus, something might give you an idea for a character or a scene in a story. You might have a dream you don't want to forget, or you might just write down the lyrics of a song you love. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    ⒊Do your homework. If you decide that you would like to submit your work for publication, make sure you do your research. If you are sending your writing to a magazine, look through old issues. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you are submitting to a book publisher, explore their website to make sure your material is similar to (but not exactly the same as) other books they publish.

    ⒋Stay positive. A writer's life can be frustrating. Sometimes it's hard to sit down and write. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This is why perseverance is an important quality for a writer to have.

A. Talk to friends.

B. Keep a notebook.

C. As you read, pay attention to what speaks to you.

D. You may get many refusals before you receive a single acceptance.

E. Does it seem like your writing fits in with other stories or articles?

F. These everyday thoughts and observations can be material for your writing one day.

G. Writing is a good way to clear your mind and make room for more of the "good stuff".

A travel journal is one of the best ways to keep a long voyage in memory. Many details that don't seem important while you are writing your travel journal often turn out to be so memorable.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. When you are on a busy journey, it is easy to forget to write. You may promise yourself that you will write later, but that almost never happens. Take a few minutes every day and put down your memories.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

Use your “down time” for your travel journal. There is a surprising amount of sitting around while traveling. You can always put down a few lines in your travel journal when you are on trains, waiting for planes, drying your laundry, or waiting in line.

At the beginning of your journal, write down the day, where you are, who you are with, maybe even the weather and what you eat. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Years later when you read your journal, you will know exactly what you were doing on that day.

Focus on writing about how you feel. Listing facts and figures is fine but that isn't why you traveled. A long journey is a time for self-reflection. Memories of these feelings fade quickly with time.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Whenever you use a ticket for a train or a museum or a ride, tape the stubs to your journal. They are pieces of history from your journey. Years later you can look at the ticket stubs and see exactly what you were doing on a specific day and how much it cost.

A. Keep ticket stubs.

B. Book your ticket in advance.

C. You'd better write down as much as possible.

D. These are the first details people tend to forget.

E. It doesn't have to be long, just on a regular basis.

F. Get into the habit of writing your travel journal every day.

G. Writing about those experiences while the memories are fresh is important.