“As easy as falling off a log” is often used to describe a job that does not take much effort. You might hear a student say to her friend that her spelling test was “as easy as falling off a log”. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. It is easier to fall off the log than to stay on it.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. One is “easy as pie”. Nothing is easier than eating a piece of sweet, juicy pie unless it is a “piece of cake”.

    “Piece of cake” is another expression that means something is extremely easy to do. A friend might tell you that his new job was a “piece of cake”.

    Another expression is “as easy as shooting fish in a barrel”. It is hard to imagine why anyone would want to shoot fish in a barrel. But, clearly, fish in a barrel would be much easier to shoot than fish in a stream. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Sometimes, things that come to us easily, also leave us just as easily. In fact, there is an expression —“easy come, easy go”—that recognizes this. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Easy come, easy go.

    When life itself is easy, when you have no cares or problems, you are on “Easy Street”. Everyone wants to live on that imaginary street.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. It means to treat a person kindly or gently, especially in a situation where you might be expected to be angry with him. A wife might urge her husband to “go easy on” their son, because the boy did not mean to damage the car.

    A lot of kids and adults say they get nervous during social situations. Maybe it's speaking up in class or making a phone call or just trying something new. You might feel butterflies in your stomach, or your heart may beat faster or you get suddenly sweaty. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} And if fear of being embarrassed or making a mistake is getting in your way, there are some things you can try on your own to help.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Experts agree that avoiding situations that make us anxious can actually make things worse in the long run. Getting out of something you didn't want to do might make you feel better in the moment, but you will still feel anxious the next time you're asked to do it.

    Push yourself.

    While leaving your comfort zone isn't easy, it can be very good for you. That's because anxiety tends to go away when you start doing the things that make you anxious.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}You might find you have the skills to handle it. And next time you're in that situation you might feel less self-conscious.

    Practice a lot.

    As an experiment, try doing something that makes you nervous.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Whatever you do, you'll find that it gets easier over time. That's because by practicing the things that make you nervous you are actually improving your ability to easily handle them.

    Relax yourself.

    Instead of trying to relax by watching television or visiting a website, try a deep relaxation practice that has a physical effect on the mind.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Don't avoid something.

B. Being nervous is uncommon.

C. Pay no attention to your original thoughts.

D. Those things are your body's reaction to fear.

E. Start with little things like answering questions in class.

F. So try to face your anxiety and fear and see what happens.

G. For example, doing things like yoga can also help you stay calm.

How to Make Plans

    Most people get scared when talking about planning or writing plans. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.  And you need to plan for success as planning really works and inspires you to go straight ahead. However, how to create effective plans is still a problem. Don't worry, and just follow the steps below.

    Step 1 {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    What plans have you had in the past？Probably, in some of your plans, you haven't ended up where you thought you were going to end up. Get a good understanding of what you have done and what you haven't done in the past. It is a primary foundation for your new plan. If having no plan, just take actions and make plans right now.

    Step 2 Think about the What-Ifs

    When you are building your plans, you should consider where you are going and make clear the What-Ifs. Because not everything just goes smoothly as you believe. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

Step 3 Document the plans

    When starting to make plans, you should try to write them down. It is of key importance for the future.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} In addition, make sure you have the plans fully written out with all the key elements concerned, including details.

    Step 4 Update the plans

    According to your written plans and actual situation, you should check out the plans you have completed and haven't completed. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Make sure all the assumptions are there and work out the details. After hanging on for some days, planning will be getting simpler and easier.

A. Review historical plans

B. Make new plans immediately

C. Actually, people are more likely to succeed in a planned way

D. And you need to continue what you haven't done and update it

E. Not all people can memorize every word they said and thought well

F. And what you should do next is to check your plans monthly or quarterly

G. For your benefits, you need to make Plan A and Plan B in case of changes and contingencies（偶发事件）

Test-taking tips

    Do you sweat, check your pencil, and feel butterflies in your stomach as your teacher hands out the test paper? A lot of people feel anxious when it is time to take a test. Here are some tips for taking tests:

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Your memory recall will be much better if you have had enough rest. In a scientific study, people who got enough sleep before taking a math test did better than those who stayed up all night studying.

    Read the test through first. Once you have the test paper in front of you, read over the entire test, checking out how long it is and all the parts that you are expected to complete.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.If something seems unclear before you start, do not worry: ask the teacher.

    Focus on addressing each question individually. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Instead, answer the best way you can or skip over the question and come back to it after you have answered other questions.

    Relax. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Of course you cannot get up and move around in the middle of a test, but you can wiggle your fingers and toes, take four or five deep breaths. As we all know, it can be easy to forget things we know well. During a test, if you forget something and start to get nervous, it suddenly becomes much more difficult to remember.

    Finished already? Although most teachers will let you hand your test paper in early, it is usually a good idea to spend any extra time checking over your work. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. On the other hand, if you have 5 minutes until the bell rings and you are still writing, end up whatever you are working on without panic.

A. This will allow you to decide how much time you have for each section

B. Be sure you have studied properly

C. Get enough sleep the night before the test

D. As the teacher hands out the test paper, be sure you know what is expected of you

E. As you take the test, if you do not know an answer, do not worry about it

F. You can also add details that you may not have thought you'd have time for

G. If you are so nervous that you blank out, you might need a mini-break

注意：每个空格只填一个单词。

    Sometimes willpower is a lot like the television remote control- hard to find just when you want it most. Whether you're trying to lose weight, stop smoking, get to the gym regularly, developing your sense of willpower is an important part of changing any behavior. Breaking a bad habit or forming a new and healthy one can be difficult. But there are ways to increase your willpower.

    Don't try to change your social situation, win a high position and lose weight all on the same morning. Set one clear, specific goal and make a realistic plan for achieving it. Extra willpower sometimes requires extra energy, so don' push yourself too hard. Focus on one goal at time.

    Whatever your goal is, don't expect to achieve it immediately. If you are trying to break a caffeine habit, start by replacing your morning cup of coffee with a glass of water, instead of vowing （发誓） never to drink coffee again Congratulate yourself on the small achievements that will lead to a larger one. These successes help your willpower grow.

    Improve your willpower by a support network. Ask friends, family or colleagues for help and tell them exactly how they can help. If your credit card bills have increased sharply, for example, let friends know that you are reducing costs. Suggest having a common dinner instead of meeting at an expensive restaurant Find a support group or organization related to your goal and attend their meetings. You can get valuable advice, understanding and information there.

    If possible, change your environment to encourage positive behavior. Want to get in shape? Keep an extra set of workout clothes in your office as a reminder to stop by the gym on the way home. Giving up smoking? Don't go to bars or restaurants where you might be attracted to light up.

    Sometimes changing your behavior requires more than willpower. If you are struggling with a bad habit or want to make an important lifestyle change, seek the support of a professional. An expert may be able to provide related support or medical treatment if necessary.

    The autumn wind woke me up from my dream. I took a deep breath and looked around. Suddenly I saw two people approaching me. As there was no one else in the park, they caught my attention immediately.

    The two people were getting closer and I heard them laughing. At first, this laugh made me annoyed as if they had broken my unity with this park and disturbed my thoughts. But all of a sudden, I noticed the age of them — they were old. I could not clearly identify their age, but the woman looked as old as my grandmother. She had grey hair, blue eyes, and a smile on her face. And all the time she was looking at HIM...

    "Jim, I think we should change the park. It's the same every Saturday. You know..." "Sus! Hug me."— that was all he said. He looked at her, smiled and gave her a hug.

    At this very moment, I saw an old but strong man who knew his wife, and no matter how often she could be complaining, he loved her! I imagined the many things they might go through together — so many hardships that might make them cry, all the problems that they might be experiencing right now and the probability that one of them would outlive the other. And the one that outlives will think the life they spent together was the most beautiful period of their life.

    They left, and I was sitting on my bench, shocked, and I had a special feeling in my heart. This feeling was hope! The old couple with all the complaints and tons of mistakes behind their backs made me realize that it was happiness that mattered in life. Eventually, all people would get old and die, and what made a difference was the person you had dedicated your life to. I made a wish — waking up one day, being old and feeling proud of being together with the person I loved to overcome all the obstacles ( 障碍) and fight for happiness.