In my spoken English class, I asked the students about their university life. To my surprise, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} . After their highly controlled(控制) high school lives, they were having difficulty getting used to (习惯) the free time in the university. When I asked them to describe their high school lives, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} they got up at six in the morning and studied until ten or even later at night. Most of this time was spent doing lots of homework.
When they entered the university, in my opinion,{#blank#}3{#/blank#} to spend all their waking hours studying. They should also take an active part in social activities. They should learn to divide their time outside of class between sport sand clubs. What's more, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} watching TV and chatting with their roommates. But what surprised me most was that many of them did not seem happy because{#blank#}5{#/blank#} . They felt that they should be doing something else what ever they were doing. That's why they were not happy.
To those students, my advice is: Get used to it and learn to make decisions for yourselves.

    One of the biggest mistakes a person can make is to try not to make mistakes. As you make decisions in your life, you will very likely make some mistakes. But making mistakes is a big part of how you gain(获得) experience.

    A simple example. You do poorly on a test because you didn't study hard enough. One bad test is not the end of the world, but it can quickly teach you that if you don't study, you won't do well.

    Mistakes sometimes lead to arguments(争论) between people.  But if you learn to understand things from another person's point of view, you will be able to learn very quickly from the mistakes you make and the mistakes you think other people have made. You can turn mistakes into opportunities(机会) .

    For example, if you learn to understand others' feelings and problems, you will understand the people you work with much better instead of getting angry. And you will learn to talk about problems and be more patient with people you don't agree with—a friend, or a mate in your workroom or company.

    So next time you think you've made a mistake, stop and ask yourself what you've learned from it, and what you will do differently in the future.

    Show me the person in the room who has made a lot of mistakes, and I'll show you the person who has probably learned a lot.

    Mr White works in a factory. There are not many people in the factory. They make shoes there. The workers go to work very early in the morning. On Saturday and Sunday they don't go to work. They stay at home. Mrs White cooks for the workers in the factory. She likes cooking and she cooks well. In the middle of the day the workers have lunch in the factory. They are very friendly. They like the food Mrs White cooks.

    I finished my cooking course(课程) at the age of 21. I thought I was going to become a world-famous cook. I hoped people would travel from all over the world just to get a taste of my food. But three months later, I knew I was wrong. Since(既然) nobody was travelling to taste my food, I decided I should travel to taste theirs.

    During my travel, I visited many different countries, such as Japan and France, where different kinds of food opened my eyes. I liked the travelling in Italy and China most.

    When in Italy, I learned how to make pizza and salads. We had long lazy lunches in the sun and evening meals where the conversations went on long into the night.

    In China, I loved the hot Sichuan food and enjoyed the delicious Beijing snacks. I also found the joy of making dumplings with good friends.

    My year of travel came to an end too quickly, but I had decided what I should do for the rest(剩余的) of my life. I want to bring the wonderful food of the world into my kitchen in New York.

    Most teens need more than 9 hours of sleep each night. But about 1 in 4 teens has trouble in sleeping. Lack of sleep can affect everything from our feelings to how well we focus on tasks like studying. It can also influence sports performance, increase our chances of getting sick, and may lead to weight gain in some people.

    How can we get the sleep we need? Here are some ideas:

    Be active during the day. Get at least 60 minutes of exercise a day. Physical activity can decrease stress and help people feel more relaxed. Just don't work too close to bedtime because exercise can wake you up before it slows you down.

    Say goodnight to electronics. Experts suggest using the bedroom for sleep only. At least shut everything down an hour or more before lights out.

    Keep a sleep routine. Going to bed at the same time every night helps the body expect sleep. Creating a bedtime routine can improve this relaxation effect. Reading, listening to music, spending time with a pet, writing a diary or doing anything else can relax you.

    Expect a good night's sleep. Instead of worrying that you won't sleep, remind yourself that you can. Say "Tonight, I will sleep well." several times during the day. It can also help to practise breathing exercises or gentle exercises before bed.

    Everyone has a sleepless night once in a while. But if you regularly have trouble in sleeping and you think it's affecting your mood or performance, talk to your doctor.