A few things to do during weekends to improve your life

    Weekend at last! Something you're so looking forward to after a tiring week at work. Here are several tips on how to make the most of your weekends.

    Spend time with loved ones. Reconnect with family members or friends you neglected(疏忽) lately. Don't do it out of guilt or because you have to. Do it because you want to. Reach out to them to see how they are doing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Return their calls if you were busy when they last tried to reach you. Talk to them. Listen to them. Be there for them.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Stay away from TV, iPad, iPhone and any other electronic devices. Unplug! Your brain needs to clear up from all the stress you've put on yourself during the week. Why not read a book instead? A paper one. Seriously, when was the last time you did that?

    Laugh, laugh and laugh again. You can never have enough of it. Laugh is the best medicine ever. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, it helps you manage stress, strengthen your immune system and you are 40 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack.

    Express appreciation. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Be grateful for your family, friends, health, the food you put on the table, the clothes you wear and the air that you breathe.

    There you are. Doing a few things during weekends will have a positive long-term effect on your life. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Apply the “no technology” rule.

B. Pause and pay attention to your thoughts.

C. Friendship is the best source of happiness.

D. Don't call them only when you need them.

E. Put them into practice and you'll beat the Monday Blues.

F. It benefits your mental and physical health in so many ways.

G. This is something you should be doing every day, not only on weekends.

    Do you know some surprising innovations (创新) came from World War I? Here are some introductions to you.

    ⒈Daylight Saving Time The idea of fiddling with (拨弄) the clock has been around since ancient times, but it was not until World War I that governments around the globe officially adopted daylight saving time. Why? To save resources such as fuel and extend the workday for the war effort. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, and the Allies followed shortly after. To clear up confusion about the concept, the Washington Times used a comic strip to explain the first “spring forward” in the United States in 1918.

    ⒉Blood Banks {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, but doctors rarely performed them before World War I, when they were accomplished by transfusing blood directly from one person to another. Captain Oswald Robertson, a U.S. Army Reserve doctor consulting with the British army, recognized the need to stock blood before casualties (伤亡) occurred. .

    ⒊Hollywood With so much of Europe in the line of fire, the European film industry had to scale back (相应缩减) dramatically. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Hollywood was still in its early stage, but its studios soon made fortunes producing wartime movies. The war itself provided material for countless movies in the 1920s and '30s, including Wings, the winner of the first Academy Award for Best Picture.

    ⒋Plastic Surgery {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. British army surgeon Harold Gillies and his colleagues performed more than 11,000 operations, mostly on soldiers suffering from facial wounds from gunshots. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    There were other innovations made during World War I, such as wristwatches, modern passports, zippers, drones, etc.

A. The Germans did it first, in 1916

B. That opened the door for the Americans

C. Blood transfusions (输血) date back to the 1600s

D. Gillies' operation became successful immediately

E. World War I left thousands of men scarred and maimed (伤残的)

F. Gillies became known as the father of modern plastic surgery

G. After World War I the blood banks appeared in the United States.

    I've been keeping an English blog for many years. These practical tips have helped me over the course of my blogging.

    ●Read quality books, blogs, journals, etc. which are written in English. Blogging is not always about writing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Reading also improves your English comprehension, grammar, spelling, vocabulary and writing.

    ●Practice helps, so continue writing. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Trying to make a perfect post (帖子) free from grammar and spelling mistakes is good but you're not making use of your time efficiently (有效地).

    ●{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Think about the main points you want to raise. I prepare an outline of my post and a list of the points I want to talk about. Doing this has helped me stay on track and focus on my main points. The outline and the list of points I want to write about serve as my guidelines when I'm writing.

    ●When writing, use simple words and sentences. Using simple sentences makes your job as a blogger easier. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Always remember this: The aim of your writing is to get your message across and the only way to become an effective writer is successfully conveying your message to your readers.

    ●Write your posts ahead of time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} To free yourself from the pressure of making a post on daily basis, which might affect your writing, consider making your posts ahead of time.

    Have you ever realised how much one moment of locking eyes can mean？As one of the best attributes(属性)of human expression, eyes can show a million different emotions in just one look.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}So it's easy to answer why it's good to practise eye contact in your life.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}From talking to your teacher to thanking someone, eye contact shows you see the person as important. Therefore, respect will be received if you pay strong attention through your eyes.

    Looking the person in the eyes shows interest. If you like someone, why not look him in the eyes when you're talking to him？{#blank#}3{#/blank#}In order to put the most effort into showing the interest, look the person in the eye and smile.

    You can convey appreciation quite easily with eye.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}People are able to recognise how you feel. It's a good way to make a good impression on people and show your thanks with sincerity.

    Sometimes eye contact can be all you need to have someone understand what you mean.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}It's possible to guess what someone's thinking based on his eyes and how he looks on you.

A. Eye contact shows respect.

B. Good eye contact is different from glaring.

C. Even one glance can tell you a lot about a person's character.

D. Open your eyes, because you never know who might be watching.

E. Give a meaningful look into their eye while you're thanking people.

F. Looking away from him is unfriendly, especially if the person is trying to get your attention.

G. If you're trying to get a point across, eye contact can be an important way to express yourself.

    Training for a marathon (马拉松) requires careful preparation and steady, gradual increases in the length of the runs. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, buy the best-fitting running shoes you can find. No one can say which brand will work best for you or feel best on your feet, so you have to rely on your experience and on the feel of each pair as you shop. When you have found shoes that seem right, walk in them for a few days to double-check the fit. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. As always, you should stretch (伸展) at least ten minutes before each run to prevent injuries.

    During the first week, do not think about distance, but run five minutes longer each day. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, it is wise to take a day off to rest. But during the next week, set a goal of at least a mile and a half per run. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. After two weeks, start timing yourself. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Depending on the kind of race you plan to enter, you can set up a timetable for the remaining weeks before the race.

A. After six days

B. For a good marathon runner

C. Before you begin your training

D. With each day, increase the distance by a half mile

E. If they still feel good, you can begin running in them

F. Time spent for preparation raises the quality of training

G. Now you are ready to figure out a goal of improving distance and time

Large meals make people full and sleepy. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} We want our children to learn, not falling asleep at their desks, so let's keep those lunches on the lighter side. You can do this if you provide them with a good breakfast.

By working beside your children and discussing what they eat for lunch, you are helping them understand the importance of whole foods and the avoidance of junk foods. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} As they get older, these good habits will stay with them. They will learn that these types of food are beneficial to them. Try to let them see that the food choices they are making will help them feel so much better.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} I know of one family that actually had the food pyramid on the wall of their kitchen and it helped their children pick out what foods they wanted. Everyone got a chance to decide what to eat, but they had to pick protein, vegetables and fruit. Besides, the mother had a book with recipes for healthy foods. All of the recipes had pictures of what the food looked like. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

Unlike today, when we grew up we played outside, rode our bikes, ran around, and the list goes on and on. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} So apart from the above healthy eating choices, you need to plan some activities for your children today other than the television or video games.

A. We didn't have TV or computer games.

B. How are children helped to choose their food?

C. You are helping them make smart informed choices.

D. Think what large meals do to your children at school.

E. What adults eat daily has a great effect on their children.

F. So children knew what healthy foods they should choose.

G. The recipes for children should mainly include healthy foods.