Today we eat on the go, at our desks and even in front of computers. We eat takeout, delivered and packaged meals, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    “Over the past three decades, people have started eating out more than ever before and purchasing more prepared foods at the grocery store, which tend to contain more fat, salt and sugar than their home-made foods,” noted US healthy living website SparkPeople.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It encourages us to value the time we spend preparing, sharing and consuming food, as a recent USA Today article put it. It all started in 1986 with the efforts of Slow Food's founding father, Italian activist Carlo Petrini, who wanted to bring back food varieties and flavors that had gone dark in the face of industrialization. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Now, his idea is almost the mainstream.

    Starting at the table, the movement promotes an unhurried way of life founded on the idea that everyone has a right to cooking pleasure, and that everyone must also take responsibility to “protect the heritage (遗产) of food, tradition and culture that make this celebration of the senses possible”, wrote The Phnom Penh Post.

    “{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It means turning down the speed at which we eat and increasing the amount of time we spend dining together with other people,” Althea Zanecosky, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, told The Huffington Post.“ {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Dinner table conversations keep families together,” noted the Belgian non-profit organization Greenfudge.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Helping and working with others can have a good effect on your overall psychological well-being. Nothing relieves stress better than a meaningful connection to another person. Working with pets and other animals can also improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety. Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn protects you against depression.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}By measuring hormones and brain activity, researchers have discovered that being helpful to others delivers inner pleasure. Human beings are hard-wired to give to others.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Volunteering increases self-confidence. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}And the better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals.

    Studies have found that those who volunteer have a lower mortality rate than those who do not. Older volunteers tend to walk more, find it easier to cope with everyday tasks, are less likely to develop high blood pressure, and have better thinking skills. Volunteering can also lessen symptoms of chronic pain and reduce the risk of heart disease.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Volunteering makes you happy.

B. The more we give, the happier we feel.

C. Volunteering provides a sense of purpose.

D. So volunteering helps you stay physically healthy.

E. Volunteering helps reduce stress, anger, and anxiety.

F. Volunteering can provide working experience when you need it.

G. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity.

Ways To Manage Stress Creatively

    Stress is a huge problem for us all. Here's what I've learned and applied to manage stress using my creativity.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Putting my creativity and my work first, I often neglected to eat, exercise, even stand up from my desk. I now realize that how I feel physically (and mentally) is more important than the work I create. Taking care of myself includes all natural remedies(疗法). I'm learning how to say no to social pressures, in favor of my own well being.

    Don't worry about what other people think of you.

    This is easier said than done, but I promise it does come with age{#blank#}2{#/blank#}A lot of people do offer unsolicited(自发的) advice. It is human nature to want to help other people. But if that advice is coming from a place of control or judgment, RUN in the opposite direction.

    Don't compare.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Most people are not as happy as they describe themselves to be. The best advice I ever heard was this：Don't compare your inside to other people's outside. Be open to new experiences, be kind to yourself and accepting of the journey which is life. Being present means not thinking into the future, or harping(唠叨) on the past. The coolest thing about being present is that CREATIVITY LIVES IN THE MOMENT.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Your intentions matter.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}What was your intention? I remind myself to enjoy the process of my creative fun stuff, it's for me. If others like it, great, but it's the enjoyment of my creative intention, in the moment, that I treasure.

A. Stop judging

B. Each moment is UNIQUE

C. We have to work in order to live

D. Take care of yourself--Mind AND Body

E. Stress is often caused by comparison to others

F. It's important to remember why you started doing something

G. No one cares about what you're doing unless what you're doing affects them

    New rules for middle school students came out in March. Middle schools are going to use a new way to decide who the top students are. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The following are some of the new rules.

    Tell the truth. Have you ever cheated in an exam? {#blank#}2{#/blank#}That's not something honest students should do.

    Do more at school. Good students love animals and care for other people. April is Bird-loving Month in China. Is your school doing anything to celebrate it? You should join! {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Be open to new ideas. Have you ever thought people could live on the moon? Maybe you'll find another earth in space in the future. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Protect yourself. Has a thief ever taken money from one of your classmates? Don't let it happen to you. If you have to go back home late, you should let your parents know.

    Use the Internet carefully. The Internet can be very useful for your study.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}But some things on the Internet aren't for children, so try to look at the good web pages.

A. Don't do it again!

B. Everyone's new ideas are important

C. Students must only work and play alone.

D. Students should not disagree with the teachers.

E. The best students won't only have high marks.

F. You can use the web pages for fun or homework.

G. In that way, you can learn more about animals and how to protect them.

    Test anxiety is actually a type of performance anxiety-a feeling someone might have in a situation where performance really counts. It can be a real problem if you're so stressed out over a test that you can't get past the nervousness to focus on the test questions and do your best work. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Use a little stress to your advantage.

    Stress is a signal that helps you prepare for something important. So use it to your advantage. Instead of reacting to the stress with fear, take an active approach{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Chances are that you'll keep your stress under control. After all, nobody ever feels stressedout by thoughts that they might do well on a test

    Ask for help.

    Although a little test anxiety can be a good thing, too much of it is another story. If sitting for a test gets you so stressed out that your mind goes blank and causes you to miss answers that you know, then your level of test anxiety probably needs some attention. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Never let test anxiety get to be too much to handle

    Be prepared.

    Many students find that their test anxiety eases when they start to study better or more regularly. It makes sense-the more you know the material, the more confident you'll feel {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When you expect to do well, you'll be able to relax into a test after the normal first-moment nervousness passes.

    Watch what you're thinking

    If expecting to do well on a test can help you relax, what about if you expect you won't do well? Watch out for any negative messages you might be sending yourself about the test. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts (I'm never any good at taking tests "or It's going to be terrible if I do badly on this test"), replace them with positive messages. Not unrealistic positive messages, of course, but ones that are practical and true, such as "I've studied hard and I know the material, so I'm ready to do the best I can.”

A. They can contribute to your anxiety.

B. Let stress remind you to study well in advance of a test.

C. Having confidence going into a test means you expect to do well.

D. A little nervous expectation can actually help you do better on a test.

E. However, feeling ready to meet the challenges can help manage test anxiety.

F. Your teacher, a school guidance counselor, or a tutor can be good people to talk to.

G. They can help to learn ways to calm yourself down and relax when you're anxious.

How to Have a Better Conversation on Social Media

You're not alone if you find social media to be both a space for staying informed and a space full of hate and disagreement. These days, that is the landscape we log into and struggle in.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

Don't voice opinions on everything

Too much information is like an "Everything Storm" for us to absorb .and respond. Thus, it's OK and normal that there are some topics we know more about and others we, know almost nothing about,{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. By focusing on just one or two topics and leaning on our own personal experience, rather, than .unclear references online, we can escape the storm or at least grab an umbrella as it strikes.

Find a place to fully express ourselves

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. However, sometimes our thoughts are too messy or complicated to cypress. in a bite-size package. Move to modes of communication that allow us to fully express ourselves without limits. Talking on the phone or in person may not always be possible. Try taking conversations to direct messages.

Stop competing for "likes".

The internet has become an arena(竞技场), where we all compete for "likes". We use emojis to cheer and boo(发出声). Often the supposed winner of a debate is who gets the most "likes." This can be entertaining, yet it blocks the forming of genuine connections with people.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Find a place far away from the audience, where we are not judged and scored instantly for what we say.

Accept differences

It's sad but true: many of us act differently online than we would in real life, and often see anyone who disagrees as a "troll"(网络怪物). {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Remember we're speaking with someone whose feelings and experiences have shaped their opinions. Approach people online with compassion, and we're on the way to opening doors to new understandings

A. Exit the battlefield

B. Remove this word from our vocabulary

C. It is wise to limit our comments to the former

D. Many social platforms enforce strict word limits

E. Luckily, we can still survive with some strategies

F. Briefing your message in a reply will get you more connections

G. Our online feelings can be described as "'entertaining" and "connecting"