Enjoyable Family Picnics

    Going for a picnic is great at any age. It can either be a simple lunch in the park or family barbecue at the beach. Whether with little kids or just as a romantic afternoon date, picnics can be fun and relaxing. Just remember to prepare.

    Check the weather forecast. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Prcnics are never much fun when it gets too hot or starts to rain. If it is likely to rain, but you still make up your mind to go, think about bringing umbrellas.

    Pick a location suitable for your family's needs. Different locations are for different types of picnics. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Choose one with a playground for them, and perhaps some bathrooms nearby. Do you want a quiet afternoon to read, or a park with a big field to play soccer on?

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Food is the most important part of a picnic, so don't forget it! Remember to bring any utensils(器皿)you might need, as well as napkins and a garbage bag to clean up afterwards. Bring some books, balls or anything else that could be fun. Finally, don't forget your camera.

    Other ideas. If it gets hot in the afternoon, why not try a morning picnic to enjoy the songs of the birds in the fresh morning air? {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It can be fun to have a picnic in your backyard. If you're going on a hike, pack a lunch and turn it into a picnic. But remember to bring extra water!

    Remember to prepare, and you'll soon be enjoying picnics wherever you are. But keep in mind that not everything always go as planned. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. It may seem obvious but it's often forgotten.

B. Do you have little kids?

C.Just lean to laugh and enjoy outside

D. Not everybody likes eating outside

E. Another idea is to stay at home

F. What to bring

G. Do you need big trees to keep the heat off on a sunny day?

    Things I Wish I'd Known in High School

    Sometimes high school seems like a necessary evil. Now at the end of my college journey, I know that there are still more things I could have done to make my high school experience more beneficial.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Take a class that scares you during high school. The experience will definitely prepare you for future academic challenges.

    Don't worry about your grades too much. Getting a B is not the end of the world.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}I started college with all A's since seventh grade, and it was hard to deal with not being able to repeat that. I stayed away from taking some harder courses I might have done well in because I was afraid of doing poorly. Now, I can fully accept that if I try my best in at least one harder class and get a B+, that is still something to be proud of.

    Find your own de-stressing routine. Another essential skill to begin building in high school is how to manage work and stress. Maybe you deal with stress by going for a run, or watching a silly movie. Talk with a friend for a while or play with your dog.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Spend your summers wisely. Don't take on a full-time job the first summer you decide to work.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Do find something to do that will make the ten weeks worthwhile. Look for programs that take you to interesting places, or a job that will give you insight into something you might be interested in.

    Finally, remember to have fun. Your life does not depend on high school.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}You will have plenty of time to work hard in college and beyond. Be prepared, but don't stress out too much about it. If you can make your high school experience fun, you will have no problem doing the same for your life in college and beyond.

A. In fact, it's kind of a good thing.

B. Take full advantage of your brain.

C. You do have to be active about making friends.

D. Do your best, but leave time for fun with friends.

E. Forty hours a week will be a huge shock and you'll have plenty of time for that in the future.

F. Find out what relaxes you, and you will feel less stressed.

G. They will be improved if you make great efforts.

    How to Make Small Talk

    There's nothing small about small talk. Many great friendships and relationships have started with small talk. Small talk helps you build a meaningful relationship with a person.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}If you want to know how to master small talk, just follow these steps.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}If you want to make a person feel comfortable, the best thing to do is to have an ＂open attitude＂ and to direct your body toward that person without being too forceful. Just make eye contact, don't cross your arms, and face your shoulders toward that person. This will make the person feel like you're giving him all of your attention.

    Put away your phone. There's nothing more annoying than talking to a person who is constantly checking his cellphone.

    Though you should look eager to talk to the person, don't look too eager. Don't lean(倚靠) so close that you scare him away.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Give a friendly greeting. If you're seeing someone you already know, just say hello and greet her by her name, ＂Hi, Jen, it's good to see you.＂{#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you don't know the person, introduce yourself first so you feel more confident and in control of the conversation.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Just a simple ＂I love your shoes — where did you get them?＂ can get you into a fun conversation about shoe shopping. Even if the praise(称赞) doesn't lead anywhere, it will still make the person feel more appreciated before you start discussing other subjects.

A. Have friendly body language.

B. Start with a small compliment.

C. Focus your attention on their shoes.

D. Many people are turned off by a close-talker.

E. It also benefits you in the professional world.

F. You will feel uncomfortable when close to others.

G. This is simple and direct and lets the person know you're excited to talk.

    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.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    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.

Why Is Sorting Important When Recycling?

    We all agree that we should recycle more at home, in the office or when out and about. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Consequently, they can be collected and taken to the right place for recycling. This is what the process of sorting allows us to do.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}And the effective sorting needs to happen first, in our own home and second, in sorting plants to which waste is collected. When you put a plastic bottle in the right recycling bag or bin, you are helping sort recyclables so that the right material can be fed into the right recycling process. If sorting does not happen, a lot of recyclable materials can end up in landfills. It will lead to valuable resources lost from our economy.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}For instance, in Brussels consumers put plastic packaging, cans and beverage cartons in blue bags designed for recyclable packaging; paper in yellow bags for recycling; and glass needs to be taken to specific collection bins. Somewhat differently, in Vienna (Austria), citizens can expect their paper, metal, glass and plastic to be separately collected in different weeks of the year.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Once recyclable materials are collected from your home, they are further sorted in specialized facilities which ensure the quality of the recycling process. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Traditionally, sorting has been done either manually with workers sorting what can be recycled and picking out the materials to be discarded or mechanically. Today, however, new sorting technologies are being developed in order to speed up the process of sorting but to also cause better results. Exciting technologies using magnets or optical systems are being used to effectively sort materials so more of it can be recycled.

A. For effective recycling we need effective sorting.

B. Packaging at work is the first step towards recycling.

C. This is where different sorting techniques come into play.

D. So citizens need to be aware of their local collection system

E. Collection systems can be very different from country to country.

F. The rest was landfilled or burned even though they could have been recycled or reused.

G. But for materials to be recycled, they first need to find their way to the right waste stream.

You would want to make a good impression when you introduce yourself on the first day in class at your school wouldn't you? In this post, it will cover what to include in your introduction.

The start

You can start with the obvious (明显的) information — your name.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} You can be a bit creative by starting with something different. You can start with an unusual experience or an interesting fact about your city or an unusual hobby.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

The city you come from. You may add a sentence or two about the city as well if there is something interesting to talk about.Maybe the city is known for its historic monuments (历史遗迹).{#blank#}3{#/blank#} And if you've lived in different cities, you may briefly (简洁地) mention their names and,as mentioned above, a sentence or two on the most interesting parts of them.

What are your interests and hobbies?

Playing a sport? Traveling? Reading? Kite flying? Or something unusual,such as toy collecting?{#blank#}4{#/blank#} For example if you' ‘re into reading, mention your favorite books, your favorite author, and how reading has influenced you.

Where can you help others?

If you have a strength (长处) others in your class can benefit (受益) from, feel free to share it.For example, if you're good at dancing, you can teach anyone who's interested. If people know your strengths, they'll readily turn to you when they need help.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} And if you think helping others may be a waste of time, you should remember that you too may need help in areas where others are stronger.

A. Where are you from?

B. But that's a common start.

C. Where did you last attend the school?

D. Maybe it's famous for its natural beauty.

E. This is an easy way to make friends in high school.

F. Describe small facts if you've followed the hobby with serious interest.

G. The organizer may ask to include your family and the place you come from in the introduction.