Researchers have shown that your talent for happiness is, to a large degree, determined by your genes（基因）. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} We can do this by overcoming negative emotions and developing positive emotions.

    Strategy（策略）1: {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    The first step is to make a choice to be happy. In Seeking Happiness, Bertrand Russell said, “Happiness must be an achievement rather than a gift of the gods, and in this achievement, effort must play a great part.”

Once you've decided to be happier, you can choose strategies for achieving happiness.

    Strategy 2: Develop gratitude（感激）.

    In Authentic Happiness, psychologist Martin Seligman encourages readers to perform a daily “gratitude exercise”. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    Strategy 3: Remember, money can't buy happiness.

    Research shows: {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Yes, “we always think that some things are wrong because they cannot bring us happiness.” writes Daniel Gilbert in Stumbling on Happiness.

    Strategy 4: Take part in meaningful activities.

“People are seldom happier,” says Jackson, “than when they're doing meaningful activities.”

    Yet, he has found that the most common leisure（休闲）activity — watching TV — produces some of the lowest levels of happiness.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Active leisure that helps a person grow does not come easily, he writes in Finding Flow.

A. Choose to be happy.

B. Seek happiness.

C. However, psychologists believe we can pursue happiness.

D. This drives bitterness from our heart, and promotes happiness.

E. Happiness is decided by many things.

F. To get more out of life, we need to put more into it.

G. More money doesn't often bring more happiness.

How to make Quick Decisions For Your Life

    We make decisions every day{#blank#}1{#/blank#}When it comes to making decisions, choosing the right one can at times be stressful, especially if the decision must be made quickly. Indecision often weighs us down, but there are some useful tips for making quick decisions more easily.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Sometimes the key to making a quick decision comes down to planning ahead of time for just such an occasion. We all know we're going to come to an important decision-making point sooner or later, so having a plan already in hand can put our mind at ease when that time comes.

    Overcome fear.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}While it may seem difficult to overcome the fear of making the wrong choice, many experts agree that we shouldn't be afraid to make the wrong decision, even if it seems important. The vast majority of wrong decisions can be corrected, while delaying decisions can often lead to more problems.

    Write down all the advantages and disadvantages of your decision. Even if you don't have all the information, writing down all the pros and cons（优缺点） is a good starting point for figuring out what to do. In cases where there simply isn't enough time to write things down, make a mental list in your mind. Thinking of the pros and cons can help you organize your thoughts.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Determine criteria. Remember that every decision you make should come with a certain list of criteria.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}But once you know the requirements you're looking for, making a decision will become easier. Look for the choice that satisfies the list you've made, and once that choice is found, you should move ahead with it.

A. Have a plan.

B. The list may be short or quite long.

C. Communicate your decision with others.

D. And this can always lead to a clear answer.

E. So cut out any options that you know you will not choose.

F. Often, one thing that keeps us from making decisions is fear.

G. Some can be very important while others are not serious in the long run.

How to Do Man-on-the-Street Interviews

    The man-on-the-street interview is an interview in which a reporter hits the streets with a cameraman to interview people on the sport{#blank#}1{#/blank#} But with these tips, your first man-on-the-street interview experience can be easy.

    When your boss or professor sends you out to do man-on-the-street interviews for a story, think about the topic and develop a list of about ten general questions relating to it. For example, if your topic is about environmental problems in America, you might ask, “Why do you think environmental protection is important in America?”{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Hit the streets with confidence. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Say, “Excuse me, I work for XYZ News, and I was wondering if you could share your opinion about this topic.” This is a quick way to get people to warm up to you.Move on to the next person if someone tells you she is not interested in talking on camera.Don't get discouraged.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Each interview that you get on the street shouldn't be longer than ten minutes. As soon as you get the answer you need, move on to the next person. Make sure that as you go from interview to interview, you are getting a variety of answers. If everyone is giving you the same answer, you won't be able to use it. A safe number of interviews to conduct is about six to ten. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    If your news station or school requires interviewees to sign release forms to appear on the air, don't leave work without them.

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

    Find a quiet location. Keep a routine. Focus on one subject at a time. It all seems like sound advice for students who need to hit the books, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} . Here's a list of tips from Carey, a scientist, for getting the most out of your study time.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Doing practice quizzes can help you retrieve（检索）information on test day. “Tests have a very bad reputation as a measurement tool,” Carey says. But psychologists have found self-tests slow down the forgetting of material you've studied. “If you study something once, and then you test yourself on it,” Carey says, “you do better than if you study it twice over.”

    Move around

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} . “If you move around and study the same material in several places,” he says, “you may be forming multiple associations for the same material. So it's better anchored in your brain, and you can pull it out easier.”

    Mix it up

    Think about a football who does strength training, speed training and drills. Carey says alternating between different facets facts of a subject in a single sitting can “leave a deeper impression on the brain”. For example, when studying French, do some verbs, some speaking and some reading. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} .

    Space it out

    Information learned in a hurry is lost just as fast. So if you really want to learn, space out shorter, hour-long study sessions. “There's no doubt that you can cram for（突击备考）an exam.” Carey says, “{#blank#}5{#/blank#} . And once it's gone, “it's gone. You're not getting it back.”

A. Test yourself

B. Study it and practice more

C. and it turns out that some of them are in great help

D. but recent studies indicate the conventional wisdom is wrong

E. The problem is that it's so easy to forget what you just crammed

F. Changing up where you study can help you keep more information

G. Spending your time in deep concentration on just verbs isn't effective

Choosing the Right Path to Be a "Better" Person

    Life is a constant exercise in self-improvement. In the rush to achieve, the idea of being "better" can become lost sometimes. You may always wonder how to improve yourself and fulfill your dreams in an easier way. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} 

    Explore your talents

    Eveybody has some outstanding skills or interests. So it's often necessary to be patient and try many things before you find one that suits you.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}For example, people loving adventure may not be interested in the quiet chess club, but someone who enjoys other quiet activities might be. Determining who you enjoy being around may help you know what you'll enjoy.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    No matter how much money you make, you will not be happy if you spend your entire life doing something you hate. "It's important to at least, devote some of your lime to what makes you happy.

    If you're particularly unhappy at your job, consider why. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you feel your job isn't meaningful, or isn't in line with your values, consider finding another job.

    Experience something new.

    Research has shown that when we're in our comfort zone, we aren't as productive as we are when we sleep just beyond it. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Because of that, we may read slowly to our own positive experiences and interactions with others, even when those are little scary. Doing so can help you achieve more.

A. Do what you love.

B. Here are some lips for you.

C. Register in a class you're interested in.

D. Humans adapt very quickly to positive events.

E. It's possible that some changes may change your feeling.

F. Similar types of people may be attracted to the same activities.

G. Try not to allow yourself to focus so much on a certain aspect of your life.