Ways to sleep smarter

    Studies show that poor sleep influences people to make good decisions, concentrate on tasks or even manage a friendly mood(情绪) at work. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Today we've got our top favorite sleep tips and facts.

Set a regular bedtime

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Choose a time when you normally feel tired. Try not to break this routine(惯例) on weekends when you will probably stay up late. If you want to change your bedtime, make the change gradually, such as 15 minutes earlier or later each day.

Eat the right food

    Some foods are more helpful to a better night's sleep than others.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Others like bananas, potatoes, and whole-wheat bread are also helpful.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Exercising provides lots of good health benefits(好处). A good night's sleep is one of them. But make sure you exercise in the morning or afternoon. The National Sleep Foundation reports that exercise in the morning or afternoon can help deepen sleep. However, those who worked out in the evening hours saw little or no improvement in their sleep.

Reduce(减少) screen time before bed

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} A recent study shows that people who use electronic media(媒体) just before bedtime report lower-quality sleep even when they get as much sleep as those who don't.

A. Avoid the alarm clock.

B. Exercise to improve sleep.

C. Try to solve problems in your sleep.

D. Go to bed at the same time every night.

E. There are many ways to increase the quality of your sleep.

F. Everybody knows that warm milk helps people sleep better.

G. Stop watching TV just before bedtime and you'll sleep better.

    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

    Test anxiety can be a real problem if you're so stressed out over a test that you can't get past the nervousness to focus the test questions and do your best work. Feeling ready to meet the challenge can kept test anxiety at a manageable level.

    Be prepared. Some students think that going to class is all it takes to so well on tests. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You will find your test anxiety eases when you start to study more regularly. The reason is that the more you know the material, the more confident you'll feel. Having confidence going into a test means you expect to do well.

    Watch what you're thinking. If expecting to do well in a text can help you relax, what about if you expect you won't do well? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They can contribute to your anxiety. If you find yourself having these thoughts, replace them with positive ones. Not unrealistic positive message, of course, but ones practical and true.

    Accept mistakes. Another thing you can do is to learn to keep mistakes in view-especially if you are a perfectionist or you tend to be hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes, and you may have heard teachers refer to mistakes as learning opportunities. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If sitting for a test gets you so stressed out that your mind goes blank and causes you to miss answers that you know, then your level of test anxiety probably needs some attention. Your teacher or your school guidance counselor（顾问）can be good people to talk to.

    Take care of yourself. For some people, this might mean learning a simple breathing exercise. Practice breathing exercise regularly when you feel stressed. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Then you can calm yourself down and get centered.

A. Ask for help.

B. Learn to praise yourself.

C. This helps your body receive a signal to relax.

D. But good study habits and skills are more important.

E. So it's time to regard small failures as valuable experiences.

F. Then you will become more interested in asking questions.

G. You may send yourself some negative messages about the test.

    Most successful people attach importance to why learning from mistakes is important. Every unsuccessful attempt can help you gain important experience. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Here are some of the top reasons why mistakes are valuable.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Do you remember your first bad grade for a test? Do you remember an embarrassing moment when a teacher caught you cheating during an exam?

    These are common struggles but they are actually a great way to build good future habits. Once you have the experience, you will no longer make the mistakes you did before. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Encourage different thinking

    As we make mistakes, we remove certain ways of reaching our goal. When an approach is proven wrong, people immediately start looking for different ways to resolve a situation. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. If your initial idea did not work, you are more likely to take a different stand and think of ideas you wouldn't have thought if that didn't happen.

    Build characters

    This is quite the tricky benefit since people can go either way when it comes to building characters. Very often, too many mistakes make people depressed. Too many failures convince them to just give up on their dreams. However, once you start learning from mistakes, you'll gain confidence from them. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. And they will help you become a more passionate, successful person.

A. Give us experience

B. Reveal weaknesses

C. As we make mistakes, we learn from them

D. We have to practice, fail and rise up again

E. They will help you build a stronger character

F. Basically, mistakes encourage you to find a new solution

G. And mistakes can even be more valuable than achievements

    Successful students have good study habits. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Read about study habits below. Work to develop any study habit you do not have.

    Plan specific times for studying. Study time is any time you are doing something related to schoolwork. It can be completing assigned( 指定的) reading, working on a paper or project, or studying for a test.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Studying at the same time each day establishes a routine that becomes a regular part of your life

    When a scheduled study time comes up during the day, you will be mentally prepared to begin studying.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You may delay( 延误) starting your studying because you don't like an assignment or think it is too hard. If you keep delaying for any reason, you will find it difficult to get every thing done when you need to. You may rush to make up the time you wasted getting started, resulting in careless work and errors. So it is important to make preparations in advance and act as they are.

    Work on the hardest assignment first. Your most difficult assignment will require the most effort.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Review your notes before beginning an assignment. Reviewing the notes can help you make sure you are doing an assignment correctly. Also, your notes may include information that will help you complete an assignment.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.So call another student when you have difficulty with an assignment.

A. Start studying as planned

B. They apply these to all of their classes

C. Developing good study habits will help you study properly and efficiently.

D. Start with it since this is when you have the most mental energy.

E. There is a case where “two heads may be better than one”.

F. Concentrate on what you are studying.

G. Try to study at the same time each day.

Tips for Foreign Students in China

China is a very popular destination for foreign students today. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} At this point, the most popular choices for study are management and technical courses, though the interest in other disciplines is growing every minute. Here is a short list of some great tips for you if you want to study in China.

Learn the culture

China has a history of over 5,000 years. Depending on where you come from, you might find it hard to fit in. This is the rule that applies to any transfer you make in the world. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}The more you learn, the sooner you'll make friends.

Learn the language

Even when travelling for a short time, it's always wise to learn the basic phrases of the language people speak in your target country. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This will help you connect better with the people and show that you've made an effort.

Know your budget

Wherever you go, you need to set your budget before you depart. This is extremely important if you plan to live on a budget for a certain period of time. Before you leave for China to study, check the costs in your selected city or area and plan your budget accordingly. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Don't limit yourself

Moving across the world to study in a place you don't know with people you have never seen can seem daunting. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Don't limit yourself. Go all in.

A. Get a Chinese phrasebook and learn the must-knows.

B. Then, make sure to keep track of it and follow your plan.

C. Once you choose the program, arrange the rest of the details.

D. If you're moving to a place with a different culture, learn a bit before you go.

E. The colleges and universities are known for their excellence and high standards.

F. Studying abroad is a big step, but also one of the best experiences students get to live today.

G. However, students who have gone to China to study always regret not spending more time there.