Do you have any problem with time? Start doing these and you will see the difference.

●Write it down

    Don't rely on your memory to keep track of every little detail. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Write down the things you need to do in a small notebook, or use online tool to create and update your “to-do” list.

●{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Working for long periods without a break can waste your time. It is more efficient to work or study for a shorter period of time, take a break, and then go back to work. You may get more done in tow focused 45-minute sessions.

● One thing at a time

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Do one thing at a time, and do it well. As the Chinese proverb says, “One cannot manage too many affairs. Like pumpkins in the water, one pops up while you try to hold down the other.”

● Schedule email time

    On your cell phone you get a notification every time someone sends you an email. If so, you have to check your email many, many times a day. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Schedule time to check your email. It doesn't matter when.

● Choose to say “No”.

    It's easy to become overwhelmed if we say “yes” to everything. Think about the task before you commit to it. Do you need to do it? Can someone else do it? Avoid saying “yes” to every request. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

● Keep a goal journal

    Write down your goals in a journal and evaluate them regularly. Mark your progress for each goal. Be sure you take the necessary step to achieve your goals.

Think Positive and Feel Positive

    When you're in a stressful situation, are you confident or unsafe? Do you react positively or negatively?

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}A study by researchers at the University of Notre Dame found that negative thinking, and depression coming from it, can be catching in certain circumstances.

    For example, the researchers studied 103 freshman college roommates who'd been paired casually.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Specifically, the researchers measured the subject's likelihood to see negative events as a reflection of their abilities and disadvantages.

    After only six months, it became clear that thinking patterns and styles can be catching.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}And students paired with more positive thinking roommates were more likely to become more positive in their thinking and report less depression.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}So they might be particularly accessible to adopting the thought and behavior patterns of people around them — perhaps more so than people in less intense situations at other stages of life.

    But maybe not. Other research has shown that, in general, people are affected by how those around them think.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. The answer may depend in part on whom you're around.

B. Now college freshman are in a unique, life changing environment.

C. However, think positive and feel positive is quite important for college students.

D. Students paired with a negative-thinking roommate “caught” that style and became more depressed themselves.

E. They measured each roommate's cognitive weakness, or tendency to give in to negative thinking and depression.

F. So surrounding a negative, depressed person with people who think positively could be a powerful form of treatment.

G. But what was to the researchers' embarrassment was that the subjects never talked with each and stayed apart from each other for most of the time.

    Most people know that chocolate is made from cocoa and that the origins of chocolate can be traced back to Central and South America. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But how did chocolate go from being the food of the gods to being the food of love?

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} They established the first cocoa plantation and used the cocoa beans as the main ingredient in a dark，bitter drink that we would call “chocolate”. The Mayas believed that chocolate had mystical properties.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} In fact，cocoa beans were used as a form of currency that was worth its weight in gold.

    Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortez was the first European explorer to realize cocoa's commercial possibilities.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} In 1529，Cortez returned Spain and introduced chocolate—as a drink mixed with sugar，vanilla，and cinnamon—to European society.

    It caught on，especially with the nobility. As its popularity spread，people found new ways to make and use chocolate.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Whether it is in delectable desserts or crunchy candy，people all over the world are still in love with chocolate.

A. But cocoa also had commercial value.

B. But not all the people all over the world love cocoa.

C. For centuries，the native there regarded cocoa as a gift from the gods.

D. When he arrived in the New World in 1519，he soon established his own cocoa plantation.

E. Around A.D.600，the Mayas were the main aboriginal group in Central America.

F. These days，chocolate is enjoyed as both a tasty treat and a romantic indulgence.

G. Doctors said cocoa plays an active part in medicine.

How to Survive Being Stuck in a Lift

    Being stuck in a lift, also known as an elevator, can sometimes be scary, especially if you are a fan of those kinds of movies which have a lot of elevator tragedies. You may think being stuck in an elevator in real life is not like in the movies.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Remain calm and do not panic! You may have heard of this a lot of times and it is true that panicking will do you no good. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Press each of the floor buttons one by one. Then, try the “doors open” button. If none of the buttons works, the lift is broken, and you need to let someone know about it.

    See if your phone has any reception or Internet. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you have WiFi connection, contact a family member or friend. Don't forget to tell them what the address is of the building and possibly which elevator you are stuck in. If your phone is not available, the following tips can help you.

    Look through the gap between the doors of the lift. If you can see light between the doors, the lift has stopped near a floor, and you should be able to shout for help and be released. Do not try to force the doors open yourself. If you can't see light between the doors, the lift has stopped between floors, and no one will be able to let you out if you scream for help. Look for an emergency telephone. If there is no telephone, press the alarm button repeatedly. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}If you have waited for more than half an hour and nobody has come to get you out, shout and bang the inside walls of the lift. If no one is responding to you, then you'll have to accept that you will be in the lift overnight. If this happens, make yourself as comfortable as possible to save your energy. By morning, the building should be full again. You can try to get some help then.

A. It will cause you not to be able to think clearly.

B. Check the time.

C. Eventually, someone should hear you and get help.

D. Here are some tips to help you survive.

E. However, it is still a vital thing to know how to survive if it ever happens to you.

F. Use your watch.

G. If you do have reception, call emergency services.

    For many people, bicycling is not just a convenient way of getting around town but also an exciting sport. Serious cyclists often arrange to take part in races.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Each racer leaves the starting line at a different time and heads hard for the finish line. The cyclist who covers the distance in the shortest amount of time wins the race. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, because the bicycles are spread out and are not likely to run into each other.

    Another kind of race is more difficult. A few city blocks are closed for competition. Then all the racers line up in a tight pack and begin racing at the same time. They cover many laps, going around and around the city blocks.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. It also requires skillful handling of the bicycle as it runs at full speed around other bicycles. The racer who completes all the laps first is the winner.

    Road races are usually the longest cycling contests.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. The race course may be a straight stretch of road or a long series of roads across the country. The prize goes to the first person who crosses the finish line.

    Between races cyclists stay in condition by doing exercise that builds their strength so that they can keep riding for long periods of time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, they often join bicycling groups and become licensed racers. So they can enter professional races. Just keep practicing. Any cyclist could become a star.

A. One kind of race is the time trial

B. The race requires more than speed

C. As cyclists become more experienced

D. A time trial is a very safe race for beginners

E. Most people will seize possible chances to get around town

F. Racers have to cover anywhere from 35 miles to almost 3,000 miles

G. When cyclists still need to build themselves up for those special races

Best Way to Lose Weight – Dieting Tips

    How do you eat right to lose weight fast? You'll discover there are a great number of weight loss diets which promise to help you drop the pounds fast.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Many weight loss diets are aimed at losing weight fast, but aren't necessarily healthy and won't create a long-term change for the better. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} That means you'll choose a diet which doesn't cut out any necessary nutrients(营养物). Most diets suggest that you stop eating fat or carbs(含碳水化合物的食物).{#blank#}3{#/blank#} You'll need to make clear of your own body type before making a diet plan. You might also need to try different ways before finding the best way.

    If you just need to shake a few pounds off, your plan won't be the same as one to lose weight in the long term. The best short-term weight loss plan will be stronger than the best long-term weight loss plan, but it shouldn't get rid of necessary nutrition. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Your body will go into "starvation mode" and your metabolism(新陈代谢) will slow down. As a result your body will keep more weight.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Spread out your meals evenly throughout the day. Any larger meals should be eaten earlier in the day. That gives your body more time and opportunity to burn calories. If you eat a lot before bed, those calories won't burn but become fat.

A. In fact many people feel it hard to lose weight.

B. Once you start your plan, you shouldn't stop.

C. But do they really work?

D. If you try to make yourself feel hungry, you won't achieve long-term results.

E. The best way to lose weight should be useful in the long term.

F. While this may help some people, there is no plan that is perfect for all.

G. Besides improving your metabolism, you also should pay attention to when you eat.