I was ten when I first sat with my grandmother behind the cashier (收银台) in her general store. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} I quickly learned the importance of treating customers politely and saying "thank you. "

    At first I was paid in candy. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} I worked every day after school, and during the summer and on weekends and holidays from 8 a. m. to 7 p. m. My father helped me set up a bank account. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    By the time I was 12, my grandmother thought I had done such a good job that she promoted me to selling cosmetics (化妆品). I developed the ability to look customers directly in the eye. Even though I was just a kid, women would ask me such things as "What color do you think I should wear?" I took a real interest in their questions and was able to translate what they wanted into makeup (化妆) ideas. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The job taught me a valuable lesson: to be a successful salesperson, you didn't need to be a Rocket scientist—you needed to be a great listener. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Expect they are no longer women purchasing cosmetics from me; instead, they are kids who tell me which toys they would like to see designed and developed.

A. Later I received 50 cents an hour.

B. Before long, she let me sit there by myself.

C. I ended my selling a record amount of cosmetics.

D. Today I still carry that lesson with me: I listen to customers.

E. My grandma's trust taught me how to handle responsibility.

F. Soon I found myself looking more beautiful than ever before.

G. Watching my money grow was more rewarding than anything I could have bought.

    Most of us will admit that on occasions we can be bad－tempered. This can be for a number of reasons.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}As the body and mind are tired, it seems to take us less time to become angry just because of something that is of little importance. Young children are usually the cause of tiredness and it is highly likely that parents allow themselves to release(释放) their exhaustion directly at the children. Children are very good at remembering these instances and it will affect them for a long time.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Diet and lifestyle can be key factors in causing a bad temper. Some people don't realize that their diet can directly affect their moods. Processed food and items that contain a lot of sugars, especially those that aren't natural sugars, can cause a rise in blood sugar. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Similarly, lifestyle choices can encourage bad tempers and poor moods, especially if drug and alcohol are used too frequently.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    If you have noticed that you are becoming increasingly bad－tempered, it is important that you take steps to try and regain control. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}After you find the cause, try and make positive changes to prevent this from occurring in the future.

A. Find your ways to release your anger.

B. Check what it is that causes the bad mood.

C. Tiredness is often the most common reason.

D. Managing your anger is good for your health.

E. Therefore, it is important to have more patience when with children.

F. This rise can have a very negative effect on moods and mental performance.

G. So it is important to keep away from these temptations(诱惑) for your own mental state.

    If you are like millions of people around the world, the New Year brings with it new goals. But you get busy. Yet, your goal remains important. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Identify specific goals.

    As you identify your goals, be specific. If a goal is too general, it may be hard to pursue, let alone achieve it. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} That's a fine idea. Yet psychologists might say as a goal, it is too general. To make the goal more specific, you could sign up for a regular exercise class.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Experts say writing down your goals is important. It gets the goals out of your brain and into the real world. Some psychologists suggest that writing a goal on paper is better than typing it on a device or saying it into your phone. Your brain receives information differently when it comes from handwriting. Writing has another benefit: You can post your goals somewhere as a reminder.

    Break down big goals into small ones.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Some can be quite big. And for those bigger goals, experts suggest breaking them down into smaller ones. Say you want to work for yourself. You decide to start your own comp any that supplies food for special events. That is a very big goal. But it is made up of many smaller goals. So, identify them, write them down and set for yourself time limits.

    Tell a friend.

    Telling someone your goals is also helpful. If someone else knows about your goals, you are held responsible for any progress or lack of progress. You feel the pressure of your friend's op inion of you. That can be a big pressure! {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Write your goals down.

B. Not all goals are created equal.

C. Keep your life goals as a reminder.

D. Say your goal is to get in better physical shape.

E. You are bound to achieve your goals if you are determined.

F. So how can we find time to work on these larger life goals?

G. Many people do not want to let others down, especially friends and family.

How to Be a Good Tourist

    We travel not only for work but also for fun and learning. Restaurants, galleries, temples and architecture...These places are like homes for people who live and work there. How would you want visitors to behave in your own home? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are many ways of doing this without sacrificing our own holiday.

    Do your homework. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Guides will help you when you get to the site, but is that the best place to go? Is it popular only because the one-day tourist can see it easily or because it is really a worthwhile place to visit？You'd better check it out.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Walk around, even if in the streets closest to your hotel. Eat in local restaurants. Talk to the locals. Learn a few in the local language and use them. You will surely get a smile from the hotel staff and street sellers.

    Help preserve the sites. Most of the sites you visit may be visited by millions of people a year, so care needs to be taken to allow others to enjoy them as well. Some of these monuments are so old and fragile that they are sensitive to the touch of hands or bags and shows. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} This way, you don't encourage the use of those plastic bags that fly all over many sites.

    And here's the big one — good manners are nearly universal. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If that doesn't sound like you, then give the world a break and stay home.

A. Experience the place.

B. Always have a cloth bag with you.

C. Read about the places you want to visit.

D. Try to buy something from the local stores.

E. A good tourist is polite, positive and eco-sensitive.

F. We've cleaned up after ourselves and taken only good memories.

G. I think we would like them to make it a little better because of their visit.

    Near the city of Yogyakarta in Java(爪哇岛)is not only one magnificent(宏伟的)monument, Borobudur(婆罗浮屠), but a second equally impressive one. Prambanan, the second monument, shares a remarkable number of things in common with Borobudur.

    First, both huge temple complexes (建筑群) are thought to have been built at about the same time, around 850 AD. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some historians think that both temples were created during the era of the Sailendra Dynasty

    Second, in both cases, the temples appear to have been abandoned just after they were completed. Why were they left alone, isolated (被孤立) in the mountains of Java? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It certainly took a great deal of effort to build the monument, so why would their use come to a standstill(停止)without a very good reason?

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Prior to efforts to restore and preserve them in the 1800s, they lay in ruins, covered with plants. Today, both Borobudur and Prambanan are UNESCO World Heritage sites, famous for their religious art.

    Although there are so many similarities, there are important differences. For example, Prambanan, east of Yogyakarta, is a Hindu temple, while Borobudur, northwest of the city, is a Buddhist temple. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Overall, its individual (个别的) buildings are smaller than those of Borobudur. Borobudur sits on a hill and you can make it out from some distance. On the other hand, Prambanan is spread out over a flatter area. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Perhaps it is due to the eruption of the volcano, Mount Merapi.

B. Borobudur and Prambanan each tell their sacred stories in vivid detail.

C. Borobudur temple is one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Indonesia.

D. However, scholars are not completely sure about the exact dates of construction of either place.

E. Finally, you can go inside the Hindu temple, but you must admire the Buddhist one from the outside.

F. Borobudur is one huge structure with ten levels, but Prambanan is a group of eighteen temple buildings.

G. The third common factor is that both priceless monuments suffered a great deal of damage during the centuries when they were left alone.

Have you ever been labeled "perfectionist"? Or do you consider yourself to be one? It's inviting to see perfectionism as a desirable or positive quality. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Healthy perfectionists want to develop their skills continually. Their standards are always rising, and they approach work with optimism, pleasure and a desire to improve. Unhealthy perfectionists, however, are never satisfied with what they achieve. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They may experience fear of failure, anxiety and other painful emotions.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} According to a 2011 research, perfectionism is linked to health issues such as eating disorders and depression. Perfectionism can also seriously impact your creativity. This is because perfectionism can prevent you from leaving your comfort zone and taking risks. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You may avoid starting a new project until you've found the best way to approach it. You might also get caught up in minor details or repeat tasks that have already been completed. As a result, this wastes time that could have been spent on more important tasks.

If you think that you have a problem with perfectionism, start by setting realistic goals. Think about your most important life and career goals. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Not only will this make it easier to reach your objectives, but you'll also experience the thrill of achieving these smaller goals.

Perhaps Theodore Roosevelt said it best—"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. " Accept that this is the best you can do and don't try and make up some perfect world.

A. If something isn't perfect, they refuse it.

B. Perfectionism can lead to self-criticism, too.

C. Perfectionism can damage your productivity, too.

D. Then, break them down into monthly or yearly steps.

E. In fact, severe perfectionism can do more harm than good.

F. They show that you're not afraid to push yourself and try new things.

G. When perfectionism gets out of control, it can harm you in many aspects.