Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a better student in several ways.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Second,your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you,are studying for a test.Third,note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest.

    You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.Whenever or however you take notes,keep in mind that note-taking is a selective process.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The following methods may work best for you.

    Read the text quickly to find the main facts arid ideas in it.

    Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and supporting facts.

    Write your notes in your own words.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Note any questions or idea you may have about what was said or written.

    As you take notes,you may want to use your own shorthand（速记）.When you do,be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A.Use words,not complete sentences.

B.There are three practical note-taking methods.

C.You must write your notes on separate paper.

D.Otherwise,you may not be able to read your notes later.

E.You will also want to develop your own method for taking notes.

F.That means you must first decide what is important enough to include in your notes.

G.First,the simple act of writing something down makes it easier for you to understand and remember it.

    Cold blesses us all

    It's November, the time of year when people often get blessed more. This is not because God likes cold weather, nor because others are feeling generous with Thanksgiving just around the corner.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Colds and the flu are the most common illnesses people get in autumn and winter as the weather gets colder. They are all caused by viruses, but colds are generally milder—you'll feel annoyed but not as if you want to die.

    Teenagers catch average six to ten colds a year, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health, while adults average two to four. More than 200  viruses cause cold symptoms.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}You can be contagious（传染的）one day before symptoms develop and for up to five days after becoming sick.

    The signature symptom of a cold is a runny nose. The flu will make you burn with fever, ache all over, feel extremely tired and cough intensely. The flu can sometimes lead to more serious diseases, such as pneumonia.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}A doctor can test you to see whether you have the flu in the first few days of the illness. But some treatments for both are pretty much the same:

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Many doctors consider water a weapon against the common cold. It helps your blood drive off viruses and flood them out.

    Keep warm. You might be cold one minute and hot the next, and wearing several layers is very important.

    Wash your hands frequently. You don't want to make it worse by spreading the flu to everyone else. Also, avoid sharing cups and eating utensils(餐具) with other people.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}But if your flu symptoms get worse, go to a hospital or clinic right away.

A. Most people who catch the flu get better without having to see their doctor.

B. Sometimes, it's hard to tell a cold from the flu based on symptoms alone.

C. Drink lots of water.

D. Taking medicine on time is a good way to prevent the illness.

E. "Bless you!" is a common response to sneezes, the symptom of catching a cold or the flu.

F. Get lots of sleep and take it easy.

G. You can pass on the flu before you even know you have it.

    Quick tips for better time management

    Are you a good time manager? If your answer is “no”, here are some tips on how to be a better time manager:

⒈Create a daily plan. Plan your day before it starts. The plan gives you a good description of how the day will go on. That way, you will be ready to deal with most of the things you meet. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⒉Focus. Are you multi-tasking so much that you're just not getting anything done? {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Only focus on what you're doing. You'll be more efficient that way.

    ⒊Stay away from your time wasters. What takes your time away from your work? QQ? Email checking? {#blank#}3{#/blank#}One thing you can do is make it hard to check them— remove them from your browser quick links.

    ⒋{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Don't take on more than you can deal with. For the distractions that come in when you're doing other things, give a firm no. Or do it later.

    ⒌Decide to be early. When you prepare to be on time, you'll either be on time or late. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}However, if you decide to be early, you'll most likely to be on time. For appointments, try to be early. For your deadlines, meet them earlier than required.

A. Learn to say “No”.

B. Most of the time you'll be late.

C. Great ways to know your time spent.

D. Cut off when you need to.

E. Stop checking them so often.

F. Your job for the day is to follow the plan as best as possible.

G. If so, focus on just one key task at one time

    Color is fundamental in home design-something you'll always have in every room. A grasp of how to manage color in your spaces is one of the first steps to creating rooms you'll love to live in. Do you want a room that's full of life? Or are you just looking for a place to relax after a long day?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}, color is the key to making a room feel the way you want it to feel.

    Over the years, there have been a number of different techniques to help designers approach this important point.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, they can get a little complex. But good news is that there're really only three kinds of decisions you need to make about color in your home: the small ones, the medium ones, and the large ones.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.They're the little spots of color like throw pillows, mirrors and baskets that most of us use to add visual interest to our rooms. Less tiring than painting your walls and less expensive than buying a colorful sofa, small color choices bring with them the significant benefit of being easily changeable.

    Medium color choices are generally furniture pieces such as sofas, dinner tables or bookshelves.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.They require a bigger commitment than smaller ones, and they have a more powerful effect on the feeling of a space.

    The large color decision in your rooms concern the walls, ceilings, and floors. Whether you're looking at wallpaper or paint, the time, effort and relative expense put into it are significant.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. While all of them are useful

B. Whatever you're looking for

C. If you're experimenting with a color

D. Small color choices are the ones we're most familiar with

E. It's not really a good idea to use too many small color pieces

F. So it pays to be sure, because you want to get it right the first time

G. Color choices in this range are a step up from the small ones in two major ways

How to Beat the Procrastination Habit

    I am a procrastinator (拖延症患者). I always have been. I've tried all sorts of things to beat the habit. Here are some techniques I've been using:

    Set aside blocks of time to do things.

    When I was talking with my wellness (健身) coach earlier this year, she asked me why I didn't exercise more often. " {#blank#}1{#/blank#}," I said. "Something always comes up." She wasn't impressed. "J.D.," she said, "You have to make time. Make an appointment with yourself to run or to go for a bike ride." The same principle applies to other things you might procrastinate.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Often I'll be sitting on the back porch reading a book, and it will occur to me that some chore needs to be done － mending the fence, for example. "{#blank#}3{#/blank#}," I tell myself. Wrong! What usually happens is that I forget to write it down, and even if I do, I just look at the list and procrastinate for weeks on end. The best move is to actually do the chore when I think of it. (Assuming, of course, that I have the time at that moment, which I usually do.)

    Use a timer to bring you back to reality.

    Part of the reason I procrastinate is that I'm a daydreamer. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. One way to keep on track is to use a timer. I use the Ultrak Jumbo Countdown Timer, but not as often as I should. I set it for 48 minutes. When it goes off, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}：Am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing?

    Do not multitask.

    I often start many things at once, but I never actually do any of them. In order for me to get something done, I need to focus my attention on it. Trying to do several things at once is a sure way to be sure they'll all be unfinished tomorrow.

A. I'm always lost in thought

B. it brings me back to reality

C. If it comes to mind, then do it

D. I don't have the time

E. it serves as an instant reality check

F. Do it right away if you are asked to do something

G. I need to write that down so I can remember it

    How old is "old"? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Two hundred years ago, you were old at 35. That was the average life then. At the turn of this century, as medical knowledge advanced, the average life span(长度) increased to 45. In 1950, 70-year-olds were really old. Today, a healthy 70-year-old is looking forward to many more active years.

    So, how old is old? The answer is one you've heard many times, from all sorts of people. "You are as old (or young) as you feel!" The calendar(日历) simply tells you how many years you have lived. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Once an unknown author wrote, "{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Nobody grows old by living a number of years; people grow old by giving up their goals."

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Alice Brophy, when she was with the New York City commission for the Aging, said, "It upsets me when people say, 'Gee, you look young for your age!' What does that mean? Is there some model that you're supposed to look a certain way at 65 and 75 and 85? You know you can die old at 30 and live young at 80"

    There are many wrong ideas about aging. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Here are some of the more common ones. For example, most older people are in poor health, or older people are unable to change.

A. The answer has changed over the years.

B. Old is a point of view.

C. Older people are stubborn, unable to change.

D. Youth is not a time of life but it is a state of mind.

E. These ideas stereotype (固化) people on the basis of age.

F. Your body tells you how well you've lived.

G. It's extremely terrible to be grown old.