【推荐2】How to Be a Good Listener

Whether you’re communicating in person or on the phone, being a good listener is an important part of any healthy relationship.     1    If you’ve wondered whether you could be a better listener, the answer is almost certainly “yes”. Making sure the people in your life feel truly heard is something that you can improve upon.

You appear more interested when you invite the speaker to give explanations, by asking them things that need more than a “yes” or “no” answer. “An open-ended question is an invitation for the other person to say more, and continue going deeper into their train of thought, versus (与……相对比) a close-ended question that invites a factual answer,” Dr. Bobby explains.     2    

What you’re expressing through your body language is as important as what you say. It’s about looking in someone’s eyes, smiling and nodding. Showing with your face that you’re following what someone is saying is really important.     3    Remember that looking into your laptop camera is like making eye contact, while breaking it to look downward makes it appear that you’re doing something else.

    4     “People can be considered as poor listeners when they don’t understand what the conversation is actually about on a high level.” Dr. Bobby says.       5    Maybe they’re really just wanting to express their bad feelings, or talk about their day. So don’t try to give suggestions; just listen instead.

A．Listening requires looking at problems from other’s view.

B．In fact, people only want to get to know more about others.

C．This is equally key in virtual conversations on a video chat.

D．Sometimes, people simply want to talk about an unhappy situation.

E．This is something you can do to show that you’re really listening.

F．Being a bad listener can break that person’s trust in your relationship.

G．Listening doesn’t always require offering solutions — quite the opposite, in fact.

【推荐3】Self-discipline is the ability to control your behavior in a way that leads you to be more productive and have better habits. Whether you are trying to study for a test, lose weight, or kick a bad habit, self-discipline always plays a part. Wondering how to develop it? Here are some tips for you.

    1    

Figuring out what does and does not work for you is key to understanding how to be more self-disciplined. Some people succeed when working around others, while others do better working alone. Some people are motivated by rewards, while others prefer consequences to keep them in line.

Share your goals with someone

Telling your goals to people you respect is directly related to a better chance of achieving them. You can simply let your friends know that you have decided to work on your self-discipline in general, or you can share some of your goals with them.     2    .

Start small

Don’t begin your daily work with self-discipline by trying to achieve something huge.     3    .   Instead, work on daily, weekly, and monthly goals. You just need to make sure that they are moving you in the right direction.

Forgive yourself

    4    . We all make mistakes, and that’s okay! When you behave in a way that cannot realize your pursuit of self-discipline, forgive yourself.     5    . And if possible, change your environment so that it doesn’t happen again.

A．Find a partner

B．Recognize how you struggle

C．Self-discipline requires lots of effort

D．Review why and where things went wrong

E．The act will help you achieve them more easily

F．We are all humans, so perfection isn’t possible

G．This will take too much time to keep you on track

【推荐1】Still seeking a destination for your holiday? We want to inform you of four best places that are probably a mere walk away from your home.

Highlands

This Scottish destination, only accessible on foot or by boat, is Britain’s last wilderness. Over a week, you’ll hike into the Black Hills, cross the peninsula north to south and set sail for hikes on Skye, Rum and Eigg. Finish each day at a beach-side lodge (小屋), with dinner at the award-winning restaurant next door.

Snowdonia

The Snowdonia Way, the only low-level long-distance route, was only created in 2017, and remains unnoticed on the ground. Join the new guided walking trip and you won’t need to concentrate on directions, just the fine views as you pass falls, forests, riversides and Roman roads.

Hadrian’s Wall

Walking along Hadrian’s Wall is like travelling back in time—and even more so if you do it in expert company. Andante’s hike along the ancient barrier is accompanied by a historian every step of the way, who will point out every Roman road, fort, milecastle and inscription, and tell you all about Hadrian’s tactics and Roman daily life.

Dorest

The Isle of Purbeck is ideal for families: the walking is relatively gentle; the beaches are glorious; the range of other attractions varied; and the buses handy, if little legs get tired. Over a few days, mix rambling the coast and hills (routes are around five or six miles) with steam train rides and sea swims, playing knights at ruined Corfe Castle and fossil-hunting at Kimmeridge Bay.

1. What can we know about Highlands?

A．It is very modern.	B．It is a guided trip.
C．It can be reached by bus.	D．It provides quality dinner.

2. Which of the following is the best choice for families?

A．Snowdonia.	B．Dorset.
C．Hadrian’s Wall.	D．Highlands.

3. What do the four travel routes have in common?

A．They are all walking routes.

B．They are all high-level routes.

C．Their destinations are the same.

D．They are helpful to learn about history.

【推荐2】A couple has completed a tiring 4,500-mile bike ride around Europe in the shape of an enormous bicycle, in a creative attempt to promote sustainable travel.

Accompanied by their dog Zola, David Smith, 35, and Arianna Saraghi, 40, rode through seven countries to create the striking image, motivated by their desire to raise awareness about climate change. After completing their 7237-kilometer journey earlier this week, the pair said they had narrowly beaten the Guinness World Record for the largest GPS drawing made by any mode of transport.

They are also, unsurprisingly, confident that they have traced the biggest ever GPS bicycle, estimating that theirs is roughly 600 miles wide. “Being able to see it on^ the map is mainly a relief,” Ms Saraghi said after recounting the problems they had along the way.

They initially set off in the summer of 2019, armed with a computer-designed route which they had followed to avoid cycling through Paris’Charles de Gaulle Airport. However, they were forced to stop after Ms Saraghi sustained a knee injury.

The Anglo-Italian couple tried again that winter, before giving up because it was too cold to camp. The Covid-19 pandemic then delayed the trip’s completion by another two years. “We had so many obstacles. When we started this time we were thinking—what can go wrong this time? We felt we had let people down by not completing it, and our life felt kind of stuck. So we’re very happy,” Ms Saraghi said.

The pair said they want people who see the GPS image to consider cycling shorter journeys rather than choosing to drive. “Cycling is cheaper, it’s healthy, it’s fun, and it’s often pretty fast. Please give it a second and consider if there is an alternative to the car- there may not be, but often there is,” Mr Smith told The Independent. The 35-year-old added that they also hope politicians, who come across their GPS bicycle are motivated to improve cycling infrastructure (基础设施) to encourage the public to travel sustainably where possible.

1. What was the purpose of the couple’s bike ride?

A．To enjoy a journey with their dog.

B．To encourage green travel on bikes.

C．To give warnings on climate change.

D．To create a striking means of transport.

2. What does the couple think of their journey?

A．Long and comfortable.	B．Creative and inspiring.
C．Relaxing and relieving.	D．Challenging and profitable.

3. Why do the couple feel happy?

A．They successfully improved public facilities.

B．They let people down due to many obstacles.

C．They realized the dream of changing their life.

D．They finally meet the expectation of the public.

4. Which of the following would the couple agree with?

A．In many cases cycling can be an alternative to driving.

B．The GPS bicycle can inspire people to give up driving.

C．Better urban infrastructure prevents sustainable travel.

D．Cycling is cheaper, funnier and faster than driving a car.