1 . The age range between about 13 and 19 is an important time in an individual’s life.
First, participate in extra-curricular activities. Schools give students opportunities for staying active. Pick an activity that appeals to you such as athletics, academic clubs, or special-interest clubs. Extra-curricular activities build character through team work, time-management, and competition. Don't be too worried if you aren't very good at what you like, for the important thing is passion.
Besides, volunteer.
Third, use your summer for academic programs. Getting a head start at college could mean sacrificing your summer vacation. Various universities offer programs for future college students based on interests such as journalism, photography, art, sports, etc.
Finally, know when to ask for help and advice. Being responsible and independent does not mean being alone.
A.Make sure your maturity level and interests are leveled. |
B.Making and meeting goals can motivate you to progress. |
C.Huge steps are taken within that period. |
D.They give teenagers the chance to earn college credits. |
E.Offering help is a symbol of kindness. |
F.It will drive you to put in your best effort. |
G.Taking on new tasks and meeting goals will be hard work. |
2 . You will have an opportunity to meet your new neighbors after you move into the neighborhood. And getting to know your neighbors will help you feel like you're at home and settle into your new space.
Careful observation.
What if you have nothing in common? No problem. There's absolutely nothing wrong with just walking up to the from door, and introducing yourself or inviting them to a small get-together. Let them know you just moved in and where you moved from. If that still feels uncomfortable, then ask about garbage pick-up or recycling centers in the neighborhood. Remember that you live on the same street, in the same neighborhood.
Host a get-together. Though it might be the last thing you warn to do while you're still unpacking, hosting a casual get-together is a great way to meet your neighbors all at the same time.
A.Meet neighbors outdoors. |
B.Spend more time walking. |
C.Check out your neighborhood. |
D.If the weather is nice, host it outside. |
E.That's enough to start any conversation. |
F.If they're interested, they'll say so or even invite you in. |
G.The following suggestions do necessarily make it easier to do. |
3 . Reading is good for more than just entertainment.
Reading can boost intelligence
People who exhibit strong reading skills early in life grow up to be more intelligent. That was the finding of a study published in 2014 that measured the cognitive development of 1, 890 sets of identical twins. When two twins shared the same genes and home environments, early reading skills appeared to be the factor that decided which twin would be better at both verbal tests (like vocabulary( and non-verbal (like reasoning tests).
Reading helps increase empathy
Feel stressed at the end of a long day?
Even after you put down a book, the effects of reading it are still present in your brain. A 2013 study discovered that when people read books, their brains continue to behave differently hours and even days later. The brains of readers show increased connectivity in the left temporal cortex — the region responsible for language receptivity — even hours after they’ve stopped reading. This suggests that reading can train the mind and boost neural function through a process that’s similar to muscle memory.
A.Reading improves your passion |
B.Reading may change your brain |
C.Since reading is of significance |
D.Reading books doesn’t just make you smarter |
E.Opening a book is a good way to wind down |
F.Because reading ability is something that’s learned |
G.Committing part of every day to reading books can make you smarter, kinder, and more relaxed |
4 . Office Manners
Be punctual. As a newcomer, you should arrive early, not just on the first day and don’t be the first to leave at the end of the day.
Respect other people’s privacy. Knock before you enter someone’s office and do not read any correspondence lying on somebody’s desk. If you need to discuss a private matter with a colleague, make sure nobody else can overhear you.
Be neat and clean.
Don’t disturb others. Always apologize if you interrupt a discussion, someone’s concentration or other activities. Be aware of how loudly you may be speaking. If people in other offices comment on your conversations, perhaps your voice is too loud.
In short, office manners are about being respectful and polite in the office. It is an essential part of growing professionally and becoming a more mature person in the business world.
A.Be considerate. |
B.Be polite to everyone. |
C.Don’t be late for any appointment. |
D.Show appreciation for any help offered to you. |
E.Personal issues should not be made into a public topic. |
F.You should either close your office door or lower your voice. |
G.Take a shower regularly and wear appropriate office clothes. |
5 . Taking pressure off sports competitions
Sports are a great way to have fun and stay active. Competitions can make sports more exciting. But because somebody wins and somebody loses competitions can also make kids be under pressure. A little pressure can be OK. But too much pressure is bad news.
What is a competition?
There are different kinds of competition in sports.
Why do I feel under pressure?
Do you ever have “butterflies” in your stomach? It's that nervous feeling some people get when starting to attend a new school or preparing for a big soccer match. Believe it or not, the best player on your team gets nervous before a big game.
How can I deal with pressure?
When you're competing in sports, you need a lot of energy.
A.Read on to learn more about sport pressure. |
B.What if you want to give up? |
C.But usually only one person or team does. |
D.It takes a lot of work to become skilled at a sport. |
E.Even professional players feel nervous sometimes! |
F.One secret to having lots of energy is to get plenty of sleep. |
G.You may compete by yourself, as part of a team, or both. |
6 . Many people, including some successful men, wear the same clothing daily to focus their decision-making energy on more important things.
Available online or from various shops, it allows everyone to adopt the latest fashion trends instantly. Though that sounds like a win-win for all, the rapid change in styles and the affordable prices result in impulse (冲动) purchases, many of which are thrown away after being worn just once or twice.
Julia's idea for the “One Outfit (服装), 100 Days” began as a comment she made to her husband during the summer.
A.Julia is also tired of making decisions on small things. |
B.The experiment has aroused curiosity of many students. |
C.Julia's “One Outfit, 100 Days” challenge, however, has a selfless aim. |
D.Thanks to Julia's idea, the whole school began to follow her challenge. |
E.She hopes more people will learn from her and apply the 3Rs to their life. |
F.Over 21 billion pounds of cloth ends up being waste yearly in the US alone. |
G.Thinking further, she decided it would be a way to show her eco-friendly lifestyle. |
7 . Since the beginning of my scientific training, I was encouraged to seek multiple mentors (导师) to help me find my way. With many efforts, I became comfortable, confident, and strategic in building my network of mentors.
Cast a wide net.
Sending cold contacts was scary, so I focused on the thrill of emailing people who had some of the coolest jobs I'd ever heard of. If I was inspired by someone's work, I emailed. If
I loved the way they ran their lab, I emailed. If I was interested in learning more about their company, I emailed.
As a grad student, I met someone at a conference who I hoped would be a future mentor—and followed up with a five-paragraph email. Their reply was simple, “I cannot respond to this. Too long.” Over the years, I learned to clearly include the what, the ask, and the when —for example, a 30-minute meeting to talk about X, offering three or four specific times. A clear, concise email encourages a quick, positive response.
Consider the context (情景).
In graduate school, I asked a senior faculty member to serve as my departmental adviser.
Come prepared.
A.Get to the point. |
B.Here's what I have learned. |
C.Prepare for negative responses. |
D.My one strength was preparation. |
E.My mentors offered many suggestions to me. |
F.Though a few people failed to respond, many did. |
G.The response was a direct without any explanation, and I was left confused. |
8 . Many people think of guys as being carefree when it comes to their appearance. But in fact, a lot of guys spend plenty of time in front of the mirror. They care just as much as girls do about their body image.
Body image is a person's opinions and feelings about his or her own body and physical appearance.
Recognize your strengths.
Different body types are good for different things. What does your body do well? Maybe your speed, strength, or coordination makes you better than others at a certain sport. That may be basketball, table tennis, mountain biking, dancing, or even running. Or perhaps you have non-sports skills, like drawing, painting, singing, playing a musical instrument, writing, or acting.
Exercise regularly.
Exercise can help you look well and feel good about yourself. Good physiques(体形) don't just happen.
Respect your body.
Practising good habits-regular showering; taking care of your teeth, hair, and skin; wearing clean clothes, and so on-can help you build a positive body image.
Your body is just one part of who you are. Your talent for comedy, a quick wit(智慧), and all the other things make you unique. So try not to let small imperfections take over.
A.Be yourself. |
B.Just explore talents that you feel good about. |
C.So, what can you do to develop a positive body image? |
D.Use this as an opportunity to discover what you're good at. |
E.The good news is that self-image and body image can be changed. |
F.They take hard work, regular workouts, and a healthy diet. |
G.Having a positive body image means feeling satisfied with the way you look. |
9 . For many of us, being alone is a negative state of being, implying isolation, being on the outside. Even further, it may imply that there is something actually wrong with a person who remains alone.
Aloneness enhances your creativity.
Being alone also prevents you from burning out. Sometimes you may wonder why you easily feel tired. One reason could be not giving yourself enough solitary time. Especially for people who go to work every day, it is unavoidable to feel exhausted when you have to deal with work, family, and your own passions at the same time.
Being alone makes you a more creative person and helps with personal growth.
A.But it's necessary to learn how to be alone. |
B.Learning to be alone therefore sounds scary. |
C.Aloneness is often associated with mad artists. |
D.How about giving yourself a few solitary moments? |
E.It frees us from the limits of the world's opinions. |
F.Self-exploration is perhaps the biggest benefit of aloneness. |
G.So spend some time alone today to become a brighter and better person. |
10 . Everyone may face difficult circumstances.
Be Flexible.
When you are pursuing your goals, you may suddenly hit a roadblock and all movement comes to a standstill. When you hit a roadblock, don’t throw out your entire plan. Take a moment to step back from the situation and figure out how to adapt your plan to handle the roadblock. Be flexible in your approach.
Build Support.
Long before you encounter any obstacles, it is important that you are always building your network of support.
During times of adversity, it’s important that you don’t focus on negative emotions. Rather than dwelling on events and mistakes that you may have just made, leave them in your past. You can learn lessons from those mistakes and then let them go. Move on by focusing on the future and what your life will be like when you achieve your goals.
It’s the Small Things that Matter.
When hardships occur, and threaten to permanently spoil your plans, it can make you desperate. At these times, it’s especially important to positive emotions to give you the ability to persist and improve performance.
A.Focus on the Future. |
B.Learn to ignore mistakes. |
C.Look for people who believe in you and your vision. |
D.Remember that small accomplishments add up to greater successes. |
E.The difficult circumstances manage to force you to give up your goals. |
F.In these situations, courage is a must if you want to achieve your goals. |
G.You never know what good things this unexpected roadblock might uncover. |