Management books have a     1     poor reputation. Too often they are written by people who confuse insight with technical terms, the types who love to call a spade a "manual horticultural utensil". At the other end of the     2     are thick books containing a wealth of conventional wisdom and clichés(陈词滥调).

So it was a joy to read "It Doesn't Have to be Crazy at Work", by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, who run a software company in Chicago called Basecamp. The authors argue that it is perfectly possible to run a business with consistently growing profits (as they do) without requiring employees to work madly long hours. Sleep-    3     managers are likely to be counter-productively impatient.

Basecamp employees have a 40-hour week, except in the summer when the company runs a four-day, 32-hour week. They also get three weeks' holiday every year and a monthly massage at a spa.

Meetings are avoided, especially those     4     lots of people. The firm encourages JOMO, the "joy of missing out", so employees can concentrate on their own work projects. Another way to reduce stress is to avoid turning deadlines into "dreadlines"—unrealistic targets for project     5     accompanied by ever-changing requirements.

"Goals are     6    ," the authors write. In their telling, made-up numbers function as a source of unnecessary stress until they are either achieved or abandoned. Nor should workers     7     that their colleagues deal with a problem straight away. In almost every situation, the expectation of an immediate response is unrealistic. Allowing workers more time means they can come up with a more     8     and helpful decision.

The overall aim of the firm should be stated in     9     terms. Too many businesses talk about "changing the world" and becoming a "disrupter". Such aims are far too grand and put everyone under too much pressure.

A relaxed working philosophy in the office might work better in the long run than the hard-charging     10     that, at the moment, is all too common.

A psychologist once said, “If you’ve overcome every one of your fears,     1    （congratulation）—you’re dead.” This    2     (humor) saying points to a simple truth- no one can escape fear completely.

    3    , fear can be a good thing. In fact, sometimes we are afraid of things that aren’t dangerous, such as public speaking, failing a test，or    4     (reject). These unhealthy fears can keep us from achieving our dreams. So how can we successfully face our fears?

Admit what you fear and then share it with someone you trust. Perhaps you worry that others would look down    5    you if they know what you fear, but you might be surprised at how many other people share the same fears.    6     (learn) you are not the only one who fears something will give your self-confidence    7    push.

Ask yourself, “What is the worst-case scenario(最坏的情况）?” If you think about it, the worst might not be that bad after all.    8    (compare) with the fear of losing a competition or being turned down，the regret of having missed opportunities can be even    9    ( hard) to bear. Even worse, you will never know what you might have accomplished.

Take small steps toward overcoming your fear. If you fear public speaking, start by giving a small talk to a few people. If your talk doesn’t go well, try again. Each small success will increase your confidence and persistence（坚持）, which is one of the keys to success.

You might never completely overcome your fear of certain things, but what is important is    10    you can bring yourself to do what you fear.

A small town in England is teaching the world that it is important     1    (grow) your own food. Any open space     2    (use) to grow fruit and vegetables. There are apples, pears, peaches, strawberries, cabbages and carrots, here and there. Everyone can pick them     3     free. Eight years ago, a woman named Pam in Todmorden dug up her rose garden. She planted vegetables, knocked down the garden wall and put up a sign     4    (say), “Help yourself?” Today, Pam has     5    (complete) changed the town. A new town has been born,     6     is called “Incredible Edible Todmorden”. Pam explained why she thought the idea was popular. “It’s possible and positive. Many people know we have to change,     7     how we do that is a question. So one day, she gathered all the     8    (villager) together. They decided to do something different at once. They didn’t write reports. They didn’t ask for permission. They just did it. Only a short time     9    (late), Todmorden became a big garden of fruit vegetables. In Todmorden, there is a motto: If you eat, you are in. But that’s not all. There are     10    (many) than 700 edible towns popping up around the world, from Canada to Mali. People there think about food and protect environment at the same time.

Spending my childhood at the farm is a truly unforgettable experience so far. The life    1     I led there with my parents was full of attraction, and     2     is memory of it yet. I can call back the scenes of sunsets , the mystery of deep forests, the early smells, the faint odors(味道) of wild flowers , the shiny appearance of rain-washed leaves, the gentle sounds of drops when winds    3    (shake) the trees,     4    the far-off drumming of wood long-tailed birds in the distance of the forests,       5    disturbed wild creatures were seen to move through the grass quickly---I can call it all back and make it as real     6    it ever was. I can call back the grasslands, and its     7    (lonely) and peace, and a huge eagle hanging still in the sky, with his wings spread     8    (wide) in the blue sky. I can see the woods in their autumn dress, the oak purple, the hickories(山核桃) washed with gold, and the maples shining with crimson(深红的) fires, and I can hear the rustle made by the     9    (fall) leaves as we walked through them. I can see the blue bunches of wild grapes hanging     10     the leaves, and I remember the taste of them and the smell.