Trampolining

    What's more fun than standing still? Jumping up and down on a springy piece of fabric (织物)! This activity is known as trampolining and it's sweeping the nation.

    The idea of trampolining is ancient. Eskimos have been throwing each other in the air for thousands of years. Firemen began using a life net to catch people jumping from buildings in 1887. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    A gymnast named George Nissan and his coach Larry Griswold made the first modern trampoline in 1936. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They named their equipment after the Spanish word trampolín, which means diving board. The men wanted to share their idea with the whole world. In 1942 they began making trampolines to sell to the public.

    Trampolines may be fun, but they can also be dangerous. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Clubs and gyms use large safety nets or other equipment to make it safer. Most trampoline injuries happen at home. Since trampolines are more affordable than ever, injuries are even more common.

    These injuries happen for many reasons. People may bounce too high and land out of the trampoline or onto the springs. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Perhaps the worst injuries happen when untrained people try to do flips (快速翻转). Landing on your neck or head can cause injuries or even kill you.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} There are many things that you can do to practice safe trampolining. Trampolines have been around for a while now. They have brought a lot of joy to many people. They can be a good source of exercise and activity. They can help people improve their balance and moves. But they can also be deadly. It is important to follow some professional guidance. Be sure that you are practicing safety while having a good time. Happy bouncing!

A. Be well-organised.

B. Close with a Q & A.

C. Don't be contradictory.

D. Bring it to a specific end.

E. Speak slowly and pause.

F. Drop unnecessary words

    Speaking to a group can be difficult, but listening to a bad speech is truly a tiresome task—especially when the speaker is confusing. Don't want to confuse your audience? Follow these suggestions:

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    When it comes to understanding new information, the human brain needs a little time. First, we hear the words; then, we compare the new information to what we already know. If the two are different, we need to pause and think. But a breathless speaker never stops to let us think about what he or she is saying and risks confusing us. Slow it.

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    Sometimes we all start a sentence one way and then switch directions, which is very difficult to follow. When you confuse your listeners with opposing information, you leave the audience wondering what part of the information is right and what part they should remember. Instead of relying and keeping correcting yourself, work to get the facts clear and straight.

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    Jumping from point to point as it comes to your mind puts the onus (责任）on your listeners to make up for your lack of organisation. And it's confusing for them to listen, reorganise, and figure out what you're saying all at once. But going smoothly from one point to the next helps them understand information more easily. You can arrange things from beginning to end, small to large, top to bottom or by some other order. Just be sure to organise.

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    Repeated use of um, ah, like, you know and some other useless noises can drive an audience crazy. It makes the speaker sound uncertain and unprepared, and it can leave listeners so annoyed that they can't pay attention. Recently I attended a speech that was marked by so many ums that audience members were rolling their eyes. Was anybody grasping the intended message? Um, probably not.

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    Many speakers finish up their speeches with question-and-answer (Q & A) sessions, but some let the Q & A go on without a clear end. The audience is often left confused about whether the meeting is over and when they can get up and leave. Do your listeners a favour by setting a time limit on questions, and close your speech with a specific signal—even if it's something simple like, “If you have any more questions, you know where to reach me.” Or even more to the point, conclude your speech with “Thanks for your time. ”

    Color is fundamental in home design-something you'll always have in every room. A grasp of how to manage color in your spaces is one of the first steps to creating rooms you'll love to live in. Do you want a room that's full of life? Or are you just looking for a place to relax after a long day?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}, color is the key to making a room feel the way you want it to feel.

    Over the years, there have been a number of different techniques to help designers approach this important point.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, they can get a little complex. But good news is that there're really only three kinds of decisions you need to make about color in your home: the small ones, the medium ones, and the large ones.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.They're the little spots of color like throw pillows, mirrors and baskets that most of us use to add visual interest to our rooms. Less tiring than painting your walls and less expensive than buying a colorful sofa, small color choices bring with them the significant benefit of being easily changeable.

    Medium color choices are generally furniture pieces such as sofas, dinner tables or bookshelves.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.They require a bigger commitment than smaller ones, and they have a more powerful effect on the feeling of a space.

    The large color decision in your rooms concern the walls, ceilings, and floors. Whether you're looking at wallpaper or paint, the time, effort and relative expense put into it are significant.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. While all of them are useful

B. Whatever you're looking for

C. If you're experimenting with a color

D. Small color choices are the ones we're most familiar with

E. It's not really a good idea to use too many small color pieces

F. So it pays to be sure, because you want to get it right the first time

G. Color choices in this range are a step up from the small ones in two major ways

Four benefits of writing by hand

    Today is National Handwriting Day! Although we don't write like we used to, here are four ways handwriting is still helpful in.

    It's better for learning.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} That's because putting ink to paper stimulates (刺激) the brain. One study from 2010 found that the brain areas related to learning “lit up ”much more when kids were asked to write words like "spaceship" by hand versus just studying the words closely.

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    Many famous authors prefer writing by hand to the use of a typewriter or computer. Writer Susan Sontag once said that she penned her first drafts (草稿)before typing them up for editing later. She said, “{#blank#}3{#/blank#} ” A 2009 study seems to support Sontag's preference for writing by hand: Elementary school students who wrote essays with a pen not only wrote more than their keyboard-typing friends, but also wrote faster and in more complete sentences.

    It will prevent you from being distracted (分心).

    The computer in front of you is really a distraction. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  In 2012, scientists even suggested that taking a five-minute break to browse Tumblr or BuzzFeed could make you a more productive worker. However, when it's time to work on that essay, have only a pen and paper in front of you.

    It keeps your brain sharp as you get older.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} According to The Wall Street Journal, some physicians say that the act of writing is good exercise for those who want to keep their minds sharp as they age.

A. It makes you a better writer.

B. Writing is good for your brain.

C. Of course, the Internet isn't all bad.

D. I like the slowness of writing by hand.

E .Try writing by hand at least 20 minutes each day.

F. Many writers have a preference for writing by hand.

G. One of the most effective ways to study is to rewrite your notes by hand.

How to Save Your Laptop after a Spill

    Spilling coffee, juice or water on a laptop might seem like the end of the world, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Here's a five-step plan to rescue a laptop after a liquid spill.

    Switch the laptop off

    Shut down the laptop. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Remove the power cord, unplug any peripherals and remove the battery. The biggest danger at this time is the device shorting out.

    Remove excess liquid from the laptop

    Remove excess liquid with a soft cloth or paper towels. Do not use a wiping motion as that just spreads the liquid further.

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    With the laptop facing away from you, move it from side to side and from front to back in a gentle rocking motion to help the liquid to escape from all four sides.

    Use compressed air to dry the laptop

    Make sure that you have removed all excess liquid. Then, if you have one, use a can of compressed air to help dry the laptop. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Keep the dryer moving all the time and hold it at least 20cm above the laptop.

    Leave laptop to completely dry out

    Leave the laptop opened in an inverted "V" shape in a warm area, to completely dry out. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Wait for 24 hours or longer, making sure the keyboard is completely dry, before reinstalling the battery and peripherals.

    If you must replace your laptop keyboard, please remember: most laptop keyboards can be replaced by a technician, or you can purchase a new USB or wireless keyboard to use with the laptop.

    We all have to make decisions all the time, and we have an abundance of choices, ranging from tiny issues to vital ones. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} That means the skill of good decision-making counts a lot. If you would like to improve your skill of decision making, here are four suggestions for you.

    Don't expect to have it all.

    Decisions force us to close the door on other possibilities. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And there will be paths not taken, careers not chosen, to name a few. You can imagine some "what if" situations if you must, but do not let them take up too much space in your brain.

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    It's often good to think through your decisions. But don't overdo it. Research can reach a point where returns begin to reduce, which makes it confusing more than clarifying. Many good decisions can be made based as much on intuition (直觉) as on careful assessment of endless data.

    Don't delay making decisions.

    Yes, there is a time to put off making a decision. Perhaps you need more information. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Or it's likely that you wait for a less stressful time. Just don't wait so long that the decision is made by your own indecisiveness.

    Don't be hard on yourself.

    You decide to go on a voyage. You choose an expensive liner. Everything should work out just right. Only you didn't expect a bug that ran around on the ship, making you and your family sick for five days. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But please remember it is unavoidable sometimes.