Walk Out of the Comfort Zone and Try New Things

    For most high school students, free periods are useless. From what I have seen, few do homework, instead many are on their phones and talking, making it impossible for those who actually want to do work to complete any. As a senior next year, I think extra periods should be used to take optional subjects.

    Our school offers many classes. Now is the time to experiment in different fields of study. We will never know if we are interested or talented in a subject if we don't try it.

    In my 8th grade, I was told that I had to take an art class as a graduation requirement; so in the 9th grade I took Studio and Art. One of the projects was to build a clay pot, but I built mine incorrectly, so it broke in the kiln (窑). I found out that I have no artistic ability at all, and now I know for sure that I do not want to be an artist. However, the class was one of my favorites that year. I was able to try new activities and test my ability.

    Walk out of our comfort zone and try new things! College is when we should focus on a specific major, but high school is when we have to figure it out.

    Half of all college students change their major at some point. By doing that hundreds of dollars are wasted on classes that they would have never needed to take. So use our extra periods to find out what we want to do in college. The classes we choose can impact us in future. Taking optional subjects will enrich our mind. It will also show colleges we are diverse students.

    Every student is eager to achieve the goals they have set earlier. Here is what experts advise on how to do it.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}When it comes to choosing your goal, make sure that it states exactly what it is that you want to achieve. If your goal seems too big, divide it into simpler, easier tasks.

    Write down your goal. You can write it in a journal or write it on a sticky note. Writing keeps your memory fresh and helps you clear up the clutter (杂乱) in your brain. Try to keep a journal or a diary.

    Break your goal down. By chopping your goal up into manageable sections, it allows you to mentally make your way through the goal until the end of a year.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Therefore, you're far less likely to give up or dodge (逃避) your goal by taking shortcuts or refusing to do anything.

    Put a brake (阻力) on distractions. Turn off all distractions like TV, the Internet, your phone and every other gadget you have at home.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Make it happen.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Thinking is a useful start but thinking doesn't do the heavy work and thinking certainly won't move mountains. Go out every morning knowing what you need to do and then do it!

    Stay positive. Keep saying that you can do it. Stay motivated and be confident.

    Reward yourself.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Every once in a while, if you complete a goal, treat yourself than extra bar of chocolate or make time to read that book you've been wanting to read since two months ago.

A. Don't think to yourself that over time you will manage to do it

B. Choose a specific, realistic and important goal

C. It is necessary to choose a proper way to finish the goals

D. Carry out your goal as soon as possible

E. Don't be too hard on yourself

F. This method makes it easier to deal with

G. Keep emails, phone calls, texts, etc. to a minimum.

Hobbies

    Hobbies play an important role in our life. Most people have a lot of free time available but seldom use it gainfully.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}There are many hobbies from which you can pick and you can choose one that suits your talents.

    Once you have decided to start a hobby, it will be wise to go through a list of popular hobbies and choose one that is close to your heart and can make you feel confident. Some of the most popular hobbies that people generally take to are reading, listening to music, gardening, fishing, sports, music, exercise and computer-related activities.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Once you start, you seldom think of giving it up.

    Learning a new hobby is really a wonderful experience. As you progress, you will be living in a new world and learning new skills. You will begin to discover your hidden talents that you didn't know. You will start reading more about your hobby, meeting other hobbyists with similar interests, exchanging views and building friend circles both near and far.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}In these games you will get the opportunity to meet others on a regular basis and develop great relationship.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}They can help you keep good health and remain fit. On the other hand, if you are young and take a great interest in sports, you can develop your skills and finally get financially rewarded too. Similarly, gardening provides the hobbyist with enjoyable pastime and opportunity for relaxation. At the same time they get the rewards of their labor.

    People take up hobbies for interest, enjoyment and relaxation. Over a period of time, you might develop outstanding skills and get financially rewarded.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Each of these hobbies can give you great benefits.

B. This will change when you play games like golf, basketball or tennis.

C. Most importantly, the main aim of having a hobby is for personal satisfaction.

D. Physical hobbies like sports and gardening can be very rewarding.

E. This will be more so if you take up games like golf, basketball or tennis.

F. Although these hobbies can benefit you a lot, you may not keep them forever.

G. They would rather chat with their friends than use their talents and start a hobby.

    If one thing on your wish-list is a stress-free holiday, then here are some shopping tips prepared for you, which will save both your time and money.

    Don't be tough on your brains. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Don't be afraid to look for clues and ask for ideas. First, see whether the folks on your to-buy-for list have already dropped some valuable hints of their dreamed items. If you strike out, encourage your lucky recipients to post items they wish someone would buy for them. You can also find inspiration in the many online gift guides. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} — Gifts for Dads, Gifts for Golfers and such. Then you'll get the idea.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You really can enlist your own personal helpers. Don't feel guilty about that—after all, Santa employs helpers too. Many stores have free professional shoppers who can pick out presents for you. We're not talking just high-end stores such as Blooming-dale's and Nordstrom. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They're all hungry to win your business away from online retailers. But you'll likely need an appointment, so call ahead or search stores' websites for “personal shopping”. You'll typically find a link on the home page under Contact Us or Services.

    Have gifts delivered. Time is money, and for not a lot of money you can save a lot of time by having your gifts delivered right to your door. Some mom-and-pop shops offer delivery service while chain stores tend to charge for that, but it still might be worth paying for the convenience. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} First go to postmates.com or download the free app and see whether it's available in your area. Then type the name of a store into the search bar, click on the store, and enter the item you want.

A. Make an appointment ahead.

B. Can't figure out what to buy?

C. Do you wish for a stress-free holiday?

D. Get someone else to do shopping for you.

E. They are typically organized by recipient, interest, and/or price range.

F. Others like Macy's and J. Crew will also let you leave the shopping to them.

G. For local stores that don't offer this convenience, try the Post-mates delivery service.

    Eyesight plays a very important role in our daily life. Every waking moment, the eyes are working to see the world around us. Over forty percent of Americans worry about losing eyesight, but it's easy to include steps into our daily life to ensure healthy eyes. Here are five suggestions for a lifetime of healthy eyesight：

    Schedule yearly exams.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Experts advise parents to bring babies 6 to 12 months of age to the doctor for a careful check. The good news is that millions of children now can have yearly eye exams and following treatment, including eye- glasses.

    Protect against UV rays. Long-term stay in the sun creates risk to your eyes. No matter what the season is, it's extremely important to wear sunglasses.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Give your eyes a break. Two-thirds of Americans spend up to seven hours a day using computers or other digital products.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Experts recommend that people practice the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}As part of a healthy diet, eat more fruits and vegetables each day. Vitamins C and E help protect eyesight and promote eye health.

    Practice safe wear and care of contact lenses （隐形眼镜）. Many Americans use contact lenses to improve their eyesight. While some follow the medical guidance for wearing contact lenses, many are breaking the rules and putting their eyesight at risk.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Otherwise, you may have problems such as red eyes, pain in the eyes, or a more serious condition.

A.Eat your greens.

B.Eye care should begin early in life.

C.They can properly protect your eyes.

D.Stay in good shape by taking more vitamins.

E.Parents usually don't care about their own eyesight.

F.Always follow the doctor's advice for appropriate wear.

G.This frequent eye activity increases the risk for eye tiredness.

    Every animal sleeps, but the reason for this has remained foggy. When lab rats are not allowed to sleep, they die within a month. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    One idea is that sleep helps us strengthen new memories. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} We know that, while awake, fresh memories are recorded by reinforcing (加强) connections between brain cells, but the memory processes that take place while we sleep have been unclear.

    Support is growing for a theory that sleep evolved so that connections between neurons(神经元) in the brain can be weakened overnight, making room for fresh memories to form the next day. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Now we have the most direct evidence yet that he is right. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}The synapses in the mice taken at the end of a period of sleep were 18 per cent smaller than those taken before sleep, showing that the connections between neurons weaken while sleeping.

    If Tononi's theory is right, it would explain why, when we miss a night's, we find it harder the next day to concentrate and learn new information — our brains may have smaller room for new experiences.

    Their research also suggests how we may build lasting memories over time even though the synapses become thinner. The team discovered that some synapses seem to be protected and stayed the same size. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} "You keep what matters," Tononi says.

A. We should also try to sleep well the night before.

B. It's as if the brain is preserving its most important memories.

C. Similarly, when people go for a few days without sleeping, they get sick.

D. The processes take place to stop our brains becoming loaded with memories.

E. That's why students do better in tests if they get a chance to sleep after learning.

F. "Sleep is the price we pay for learning," says Giulio Tononi, who developed the idea.

G. Tononi's team measured the size of these connections, or synapses, in the brains of 12 mice.