Too many of us are waiting too long to live our best lives. We keep putting everything off until tomorrow. Then, before we know it, we find ourselves asking, "How did it get so late so soon?"

    So we'd better make today the beginning of our new life. Take time to realize what we want and need. Take time to love, laugh, cry, and learn. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are five things we should start doing today:

    Accept ourselves. The secret to happiness and success is the acceptance of ourselves. We will never become who we want to be if we rely on everyone else to qualify us.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} So always go with ourselves, never against ourselves. Be who we were created to be and we will set the world on fire.

    Make ourselves a priority. To tell the truth, there are only a few people in this world who will stay 100% true to us, so we should stay true to ourselves. Put our own needs into the list of things to do.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Don't sit back and let things happen to us. Go out and make things happen. We are what we do, not what we say we'll do. Stop saying "I wish" and start saying "I will". Turn our dreams into plans.

    Do the work. We can't underestimate(低估) a person who always works hard. Be that person.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Always remember that the task ahead of us is never greater than the strength within us. Do what's right, not what's easy. Our dreams are worth it.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} We can't force things to happen; we can only drive ourselves trying crazily. There's a time and place for everything. So don't force what's not yet supposed to fit into our life. When it's meant to be, it will be. Work hard, and be patient.

A. Take positive action.

B. Enjoy every moment of life.

C. Life is shorter than it often seems.

D. Everyone has a different way of life.

E. Accept ourselves just the way we are.

F. Allow life to happen like it's supposed to.

G. In life, we don't get what we wish for; we get what we work for.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Safety in the highway is not totally out of our hands. Here are four ways we can protect ourselves when we travel.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} people in small cars are injured more often and more severely than people traveling in large cars. Factories of small cars are strengthening their products' safety, which helps. But the mix of large cars and small cars on the road is the main reason of the problem.

    Being thrown into glass and mental cars parts, or being thrown from the car can really hurt or even kill you.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}The safety belt's main purpose is to pull you back if your car has a sudden crash with another vehicle or object, or if it rolls over. A belt can reduce the chance of deadly injury by 45% and the chance of serious injury by 50%.

    Air bags are important. More than half of all new cars sold have air bags. Air bags provide protection in frontal crashes—the type of crash that kills the most drivers—when they are also wearing safety belts. Most people are demanding air bags in the cars they buy.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Effective as they are, they can't take the place of safety belts.

    Drunk driving crashes are less likely to happen if you don't drink. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Many people have realised that drunk driving can lead to death and injury, prison time and other results. There are movements to strengthen penalties(处罚) for drinking and driving.

A. How to drive safely?

B. You are safer in a large car

C. How to protect ourselves in the highway?

D. Air bags are not installed in all cars.

E. That's why safety belts should be worn.

F. Drunk driving is the most serious problem.

G. But the protection provided by air bags is limited in side or rear crashes.

    Many people think of guys as being carefree when it comes to their appearance. But in fact, a lot of guys spend plenty of time in front of the mirror. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Body image is a person's opinions and feelings about his or her own body and physical appearance. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. You appreciate your body for its capabilities and accept its imperfections.

    So, what can you do to develop a positive body image? Here are some ideas:

    Recognize your strengths. Different body types are good for different things. What does your body do well? Maybe your speed, strength, or coordination makes you better than others at a certain sport. That may be basketball, table tennis, mountain biking, dancing, or even running. Or perhaps you have non-sports skills, like drawing, painting, singing, playing a musical instrument, writing, or acting. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Exercise regularly. Exercise can help you look good and feel good about yourself. Good physiques (体形) don't just happen. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. A healthy habit can be as simple as exercising 20 minutes to one hour three days a week. Working out can also lift your spirits.

    Respect your body. Practicing good habits — regular showering; taking care of your teeth, hair, and skin; wearing clean clothes, and so on — can help you build a positive body image.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Your body is just one part of who you are. Your talent for comedy, a quick wit (智慧), and all the other things make you unique. So try not to let small imperfections take over.

A. Be yourself.

B. Just explore talents that you feel good about.

C. Use this as an opportunity to discover what you're good at.

D. They care just as much as girls do about their body image.

E. They take hard work, regular workouts, and a healthy diet.

F. The good news is that self-image and body image can be changed.

G. Having a positive body image means feeling satisfied with the way you look.

    We are told that 'a family that eats together stays together'. We even follow it by making the whole family sit in front of the television while eating, right? Wrong. Television does nothing to help make the family relationships better. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It's thus better to give the TV a break and to sit at the dinner table. Family dinners need another important part－conversations that bring in a pleasant atmosphere.

    It often serves well to start the conversation right before dinner so that setting the table and doing other things may become less boring. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} as a result, there are no embarrassing moments when people are actually eating. Also, you can change the topic if you feel that it might start arguments.

    Children aren't usually very good at sharing information and don't know how to reply when you ask them questions like 'How was your school today?' {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For this, you can ask them about the after-class activities that they might be taking part in.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Therefore, all controversial (有争议的) topics should not be talked about. Actually, if you have had a funny incident in your day at the work, share it with others. What's more, it serves well if you share your childhood memories with your family. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In a word, it is always important to choose the right topics for the family dinner conversations.

A. Try to know more about them than just their school life.

B. It's often difficult to start a conversation at a family dinner.

C. But try to keep in mind some family dinner conversation ideas.

D. Doing things together can make family members feel interested.

E. In fact, it only increases the distance between members of the family.

F. They, especially your kids, will feel excited to hear about what you did as a child.

G. Conversations during dinnertime should encourage family members to eat well.

Gardening 380 Kilometers above Earth

    Astronauts have to go through physical, psychological, and technical training. They also go through training in how to care for plants. These “astronaut gardeners” share their work and living space with plants.

    Taking seeds and plants along on a trip isn't a new idea. As space trips become longer, it will be necessary to grow food in space. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Because of this, it's not practical to send everything needed for a long journey, only to be used once and thrown away.

    Plants can serve many uses on a space journey. They can provide more fresh things. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Also, plants can help to make air quality better because they produce oxygen. They can improve the quality of the air inside the spacecraft—the only air the astronauts can breathe.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Due to the lack of gravity in space, the oxygen that the plants produce stays around the plants. This can actually kill them, so fans are needed to circulate the air. Without gravity, roots don't “know” to grow down, leaves don't “know” to grow up, and water doesn't easily travel up the roots to the leaves. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Besides, soil is too heavy to send to space, and special liquid gels (胶) are used to help plant growth.

    Scientists are also working on the plants themselves. They are trying to make plants grow more rapidly and grow with less water and light in space, and they are looking for ways to make plants more resistant to disease. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Imagine that deserts may one day provide lots of fresh food for local people, saving transportation costs. Similarly, plants that are resistant to disease could provide an important food supply. With the world's population now at seven billion (十亿) people, our astronaut gardeners may help discover ways to feed those billions.

A. Every plant grown in space must have several uses.

B. However, there are challenges with growing plants in space.

C. Such methods may result in improvements back here on Earth.

D. The cost of taking anything into space is about $22,000 per kilogram.

E. Specialized containers are being developed to help the plants grow correctly.

F. Astronauts will welcome the addition of fruits and vegetables to their diet of dry foods.

G. Currently all oxygen is taken aboard in tanks and then caught again so it can be reused.

    Successful people not only have healthy morning habits, but also know how to finish off their day right. And they all have particular habits.

    Read a book. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They all know the importance of educating themselves every single day in order to achieve better results in their professional and personal lives. Reading will make you more likely to succeed.

    Organize the following day. Having a well-written plan can really benefit the tasks you have set for the day. It is really difficult to remember all the things you need to do. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Successful people know the importance of a well-planned day. So before you go to bed, write down your 3 most important goals for tomorrow.

    Spend time with family. Life is not all about work. We all need to enjoy ourselves and spend quality time with the people we love. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Going for a walk, playing a game with your kids or just enjoying a movie night, can all be really great exercises to strengthen your close relationships.

    Get a workout. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} I am sure you have heard this many times, but exercise can really benefit your body, mind, and build your self-confidence to help you keep a healthy lifestyle.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you like getting things done in the evening, this could be the best time of your day to work on some art. By creating something artistic, you might even discover some hidden talents.

A. Create your art at night.

B. It is useful for improving your thinking.

C. Many successful people read every day.

D. We must create something meaningful.

E. So why not write them all down in a journal?

F. Successful people know how to make time for their family.

G. After a tiring day, it is important for you to go out and get your body moving.