How to Fix a Relationship

    If you're having a problem with your relationship, you're not alone. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, you can make it work out if you decide to work together to fix it.

    Recognize the problems. Any number of problems could do harm to your relationship. You should look for signs and symptoms of the problems you're facing. Listening attentively is the key, which can help you understand what he or she is feeling. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Actually think about what the person is saying, and maybe try to understand what is behind the words, as well. You also have a right to discuss what you're feeling and thinking. The key is to keep a calm head. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Once you've figured out what your problems are together, have a conversation to find ways to solve them. How can you solve the problems in a way that both of you can live with? {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Start with the place you both agree on. Maybe you can both agree on the problem at least, or maybe you can agree on the first step to the solution. For instance, maybe you agree that you are feeling disconnected. Maybe you can take it one step further and agree that you need to spend more time together.

    Make a plan together. Once you've agreed to solutions, it's time to put them into concrete terms. For instance, if you both agree you need to spend more time together, then maybe the agreement will be that you should make a date at least once a week.

    Find ways to compromise. The key to any relationship is learning to compromise. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Compromising is about finding common ground, and both of you giving in a little on the issue.

A. Spend time connecting.

B. Talk about solutions together.

C. Don't just let the words pass over you.

D. In other words, you need to look for common ground.

E. Most people have trouble with relationships at one point or another.

F. You can't just expect to win every argument, as relationships need to give and take.

G. Whatever you need to do, take a few minutes to calm down before continuing the discussion.

    On the basis of cultural relativism, the values of artistic works are simply reflections of local social and economic conditions. Such a view, however, fails to explain the ability of some works of art to excite the human mind across cultures and through centuries.

    History has seen the endless productions of Shakespearean plays in every major language of the world. It is never rare to find that Mozart packs Japanese concert halls, as Japanese painter Hiroshige does Paris galleries. Unique works of this kind are different from today's popular art, even if they began as works of popular art. They have set themselves apart in their timeless appeal and will probably be enjoyed for centuries into the future.

    In a 1757 essay, the philosopher David Hume argued that because “the general principles of taste are uniform(不变的) in human nature, “the value of some works of art might be essentially permanent. He observed that Homer was still admired after two thousand years. Works of this type, he believed, spoke to deep and unvarying features of human nature and could continue to exist over centuries.

    Now researchers are applying scientific methods to the study of the universality of art. For example, evolutionary psychology is being used by literary scholars to explain the long-lasting themes and plot devices in fiction. The structures of musical pieces are now open to experimental analysis as never before. Research findings seem to indicate that the creation by a great artist is as permanent an achievement as the discovery by a great scientist.

    When I was six, Dad brought home a dog one day, who was called “Brownie”. My brothers and I all loved Brownie and did different things with her. One of us would walk her, another would feed her, then there were baths, playing catch and many other games. Brownie, in return, loved each and every one of us. One thing that most touched my heart was that she would go to whoever was sick and just be with them. We always felt better when she was around.

    One day, as I was getting her food, she chewed up(咬破)one of Dad's shoes, which had to be thrown away in the end. I knew Dad would be mad and I had to let her know what she did was wrong. When I looked at her and said, “Bad girl,” she looked down at the ground and then went and hid. I saw a tear in her eyes.

    Brownie turned out to be more than just our family pet. She went everywhere with us. People would stop and ask if they could pat her. Of course she'd let anyone pat her. She was just the most lovable dog. There were many times when we'd be out walking and a small child would come over and pull on her hair. she never barked(吠) or tried to get away. Funny thing is that she would smile. This frightened people because they thought she was showing her teeth. Far from the truth, she loved everyone.

    Now many years have passed since Brownie died of old age. I still miss days when she was with us.

    If you want to get something done, you might want to put your mobile phone back in your pocket. Researchers have found that the mere presence of a phone is distracting (分心) — even if it is not your own. And the devices (设备) are likely to distract you, even if they are not ringing or “pinging” with text messages. People asked to carry out electronic tests of their attention spans were found to perform worse when a mobile phone was present than other people performing in the presence of a paper notepad.

    Scientists from Hokkaido University in Japan said that their findings show that it is harder to concentrate when one of the electronic devices is present. The effect was most marked on people who are not regular users of phones. In tests on 40 undergraduates. Associate Professor Junichiro Kawahara and a colleague divided the subjects into two groups — one asked to carry out tests in the presence of an Apple iPhone next to a computer monitor, and the other in the presence of a notebook.

    The test involved asking the participant to search for a particular character among a mess of other characters on the screen. Researchers measured the time it took to find the target. The results of the experiment found that those with the mobile phone took longer to find the character, indicating that participants were automatically distracted by the presence of the phone. The researchers suggest that people are drawn to the presence of a mobile phone, although there are individual differences in how one attempts to ignore it. In conclusion. Professor Kawahara said. “The mere presence of a mobile phone was a distraction among infrequent internet users.”

    Another finding is that listening to one half of a mobile phone conversation also distracts people, and other studies have found that placing a mobile phone in view has a negative impact on the quality of face-to-face communications. Holding a mobile phone makes you less likely to get a fair hearing from others.

    Certain activities can be good or bad for our brains, so let's see which of the seven habits you should carry on doing or give up.

    Many of the world's most well-known people were once successful failures. Here are the stories of a few of them.

    Abraham Lincoln(1809-1865)

    Abraham Lincoln was one of America's greatest leaders, taking the country through the Civil War(from 1860 to 1865). However, his life was never easy. He started numerous businesses that failed. He went bankrupt twice, and was defeated in 26 campaigns for public office. He later said, “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure. ”

    Vincent Van Gogh(1853-1890)

    Van Gogh is one of the most famous and influential painters in the history of Western Art. He's renowned for paintings such as TheStarryNight, ThePotatoEaters and Sunflowers. However, during his lifetime, Van Gogh sold only one painting for a very small amount of money. Despite this, he carried on painting, sometimes even going without food so he could complete his collection of over 800 known works.

    Albert Einstein(1879-1955)

    Albert Einstein won the Noble Prize in Physics in 1921. However, he wasn't always considered as a “genius”. He didn't speak until he was four, and couldn't read until he was seven. His teachers and parents thought he was slow, so he was expelled from school and couldn't get into the Zurich Polytechnic School. He later famously said, “Success is failure in progress. ”

    Stephen King(born 1947)

    Stephen King is one of the best-selling authors of all time, but his first book,  Carrie, was rejected by about 30 publishers. Eventually, Stephen threw it in the bin,  but his wife fished it out and encouraged him to resubmit it, which he did successfully this time!