A punctual person is in the habit of doing things at proper time in a     1     (plan) way and is always keeping his appointment. He knows     2     if he wants to succeed in his work and society he must observe regular or appointed time. The     3     (punctual) man, on the contrary, seldom does what he has to do at the set time. If he has made an appointment with someone, he never cares about the appointed time and is     4     (like) to be late for half an hour.

Unpunctuality is very harmful. Friends sometimes grow cold to wards each other, or even become     5     (enemy), because one of them has been remiss in keeping     6     (appoint). Imagine how it would be if those who are     7     (trust) with important tasks failed to be at their proper place at the appointed time. A man who is known to be habitually unpunctual is never trusted by his friends, his     8     (classmate) or colleagues.

There is a proverb which says, “There is a time     9     everything.” This is true. In fact time is life     10     (it), and the man who really has a great deal to do is very careful of his time and is no doubt fond of punctuality.

6 . Being responsible outside of class

Manage your time wisely

Managing your time will greatly help you become a better and more-productive student. Time-management skills are highly valued by teachers.     1    .

Study for tests and exams ahead of time

    2    . If your teacher hasn’t specified(详细说明)how he or she arranges tests and exams and which materials will be covered, you’ll need to ask your teacher outside of class. That way you’ll be able to fully prepare for the test more efficiently(有效率地).

Get help if your grades fall behind

Whether you miss an important class, have trouble with certain concepts, or are dealing with a stressful family emergency, there’s a chance that your grades might fall at some point.     3    . Remember that you don’t have to feel dissatisfied with grades if you’re actively absorbed in your studies.

    4    

If you fail to finish your homework, turn in a paper on time, or show up to your task on time, it’s no one’s fault but your own.    5    . Accepting responsibility is a major mark of maturity(成熟), in part because taking your responsibility can help you stay focused and decide what to do in the future.

It was a cold winter Monday morning. Manu an eight-year-old was sleeping comfortably in his bedroom upstairs, at the Khagal house. Mondays are usually very difficult for him after a weekend break from his school. “Manu, wake up! It’s school time!” shouted out Manu’s mother Akhila, from the kitchen. Manu pulled the blanket over him and ignored his mother’s repeated attempts to wake him up. “Manu! It’s already 6 o’clock and your school bus will be here by 7. So please wake up and get ready. Manu continued sleeping.

Finally, after much pestering and pampering (纠缠和纵容), Manu got out of bed and started getting ready for school lazily. The school bus was already honking (按喇叭) in front of his house while Manu was brushing his teeth. Akhila requested the driver to wait for a few minutes. She quickly helped Manu get ready and helped him get to his school bus.

“Phew! Manu didn’t miss his bus today” Akhila sighed. She was really concerned about her son. Manu couldn’t do anything on time, waking up in the morning or any of his daily tasks. Akhila thought to herself “need to work out a plan to teach him a lesson in self-discipline (自律). Repeated advice and warnings haven’t changed him.”

The next day it was the usual scene at the Khagal house except that there was no effort from Akhila to wake up her son. The time was 7. The school bus honked and Akhila, unlike her usual self, asked the bus driver to leave. There was unusual confidence on Akhila’s face. Manu finally woke up at around 9 o’ clock. He ran down to the kitchen and cried out “Mom! Why didn’t you wake me up? The school bus has already left and I am really late for school today.” He couldn’t stop crying. “I have a math test today and Mrs. Mangat will punish me if I miss her class and the test.” The calm face of Akhila made Manu feel more anxious.

“Mom, what should I do now? Please help!” said Manu weepingly.

The scene the next day at the Khagal house was a little different.