【推荐1】Visiting a theme park is a wonderful activity for a family during summer or other holidays.    1     Don't be worried if you're on a budget because through patient planning and research, you can still enjoy your trip without breaking the bank. Below are some guidelines on how to visit a theme park on a budget.

1. Determine your budget.

This is a very difficult part of your task since determining how much you can spend means going through a number of things.     2     Decide on how many days you will be staying in your selected destination.

2. List the activities where you'll spend money.

List down items that will definitely cost you money such as your housing, food fuel/fare, and other luxuries like souvenirs. If you ’re a parent, then negotiate(商定)with the children about rules and regulations like pocket money.     3     Bring cash because there will be times when banks and ATM machines won’t be online.

3.     4    

Ensure that you book air tickets months ahead because most airline companies offer discounts to early birds. You can call your preferred airline or check its website. And you can also subscribe to online travel services.

4. Ensure that you'll bring all essentials before traveling.

Bring travel essentials like toothbrush, shampoo, towel, and so on.     5     Making a list of things to bring will certainly help do it better.

【推荐2】Life often requires people to join in unpleasant situations. Rather often, these unpleasant situations do not happen on their own, but happen because of other people’s actions and words. Fortunately, there are useful ways to deal with conflicts(冲突).

The best way to solve a conflict is not to let it happen. Nothing useful comes out of a conflict. It is a total waste of time and energy for both sides and thus everyone should try his best to prevent conflict. To do this, you will need to learn the points of view your potential opponents (对手) share and the benefits of understanding people around you.

If the conflict has already arisen, one of the best methods to settle disagreements is to treat the situation with humor. It does not mean, however, that you must ignore（忽视） your opponent’s arguments and make jokes about them; it means that you should be in a friendly atmosphere, saying difficult-to-express things with a bit of humor. Humor will help you reduce anger and re-think problems to make them look easier to settle, and set your opponent’s mind to working on a problem with you, not against you. This way, a conflict can become an opportunity for building a greater connection between you and your opponent.

If the situation turns verbally abusive (恶语中伤), put a stop to it. Firmly but calmly state: “You’re very angry right now and you’re saying things you don’t mean. I’m going to excuse myself. We can talk again after you calm down.” Then leave the room or ask them to leave.

【推荐3】How to Succeed in School

Become a voracious(求知欲强的)reader. Go to your school library or the public library and check out books that interest you.     1     If you don’t know where to start, ask the librarian for suggestions based on your interests. Reading books that you enjoy (outside of school requirements) will help build your vocabulary and increase your understanding skills.     2    

Be an excellent student. Do your homework, show up for class on time, keep your schoolwork organized, and have a planner of important dates to help you turn in assignments on time and with less stress. During class, pay attention and ask questions to further your understanding of the material.

    3     Think ahead to what you see yourself doing in the future, whether that’s getting a degree, volunteering, or jumping right into the career of your choice.     4     Just start to think about what you might want to do in the future based on your interests, passions, and skills.

Set realistic academic and personal goals. Set realistic goals for yourself to feel a sense of accomplishment regarding your school and personal life.     5     As for personal goals, you might set an intention to learn how to bake bread. Studies have shown that teens who set goals tend to have higher rates of success and achievement.

【推荐2】I’ve been taking time this week to stop and smell the roses. Literally, I bend over in my neighbors’ front yard, check that nobody is watching, and then bury my head in the flowers.

I’ve also been walking into bakeries, walking around without buying anything.

After having surgery on my broken nose 18 months ago, I haven’t been able to smell or taste things.

This week, however, my nose is back in business.

I’ve been overwhelmed by smells, and it’s given me a new way of thinking. A pleasant smell is just one of the little bits and pieces that make life enjoyable, but which we often ignore. I remember once, when my son was five months old, I was carrying him down the street. Wind swept through and almost tipped us over. He threw his little head back and giggled. He’d never felt the wind on his face. When is the last time I laughed at the weather?

The first time I ate bacon, I rushed home to my parents, determined that we ate this deliciousness at every meal. My father smiled and agreed.

We don’t write postcards about the small things. We don’t frame them in photographs. They aren’t that great or grand, but without them, life is altogether too loud. These quiet experiences give us a chance to enjoy the simple fact of being alive.

As my sense of smell returns to me, it’s like I’m smelling things for the first time. They’re full of memories and magic. Food tastes better, and the air is indeed sweet. I know what the poets mean now. It almost makes my broken nose worthwhile. Now, I am waiting for this bandage to come off. There’s an itch I can’t reach!

【推荐3】Students and Technology in the Classroom

I love my blackberry (黑莓手机) — it’s my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me. I also love my laptop computer, as it holds all of my writing and thoughts. Despite this love of technology, I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices (设备) and truly communicate with others.

On one occasion, I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers. My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas. Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom, I have a rule-no laptops, IPads, phones, etc. When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy.

Most students think that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology. There’s a bit of truth to that. Some students think that I am anti-technology. There’s no truth in that at all. I love technology and try to keep up with it so I can relate to my students.

The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversations and engage complex ideas. Interruptions by technology often break concentration (专心) and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas. I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas. I want them to push each other to think differently and make connections between the course material and the class discussion.

I’ve been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create. Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge, they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom.

I’m not saying that I won’t ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a rally good reason for the change, I’m sticking to my plan. A few hours of technology-free dialogue is just too sweet to give up.