1 . No matter how old you are, your mom will always remain as one of the most important people in your life. Maybe you don’t know how to express your appreciation and love to her on an ordinary day.     1    Here are several things we can do this Mother’s Day to show how much we appreciate and care for our mothers.

Give her flowers.     2     You can show your love to your mom by giving her flowers that match her personality. Or, if you do not know your mom’s favorite, carnations (康乃馨) could be your best choice.

Cook for her. Mothers usually are the ones who cook for us. Your mom will absolutely love it if you surprise her by taking over the kitchen and cooking something for her. Just make sure you clean up afterwards.

    3     You can just do so describing how much your mother means to you. It can be very effective that your mom will keep them and always be reminded of how important she is to your lives as a family member.

Travel with her. Mothers work hard, so traveling can help her to relax and forget her problems. She will treasure the moment when t wherever you go, just your presence.     4    

Take her to a spa. Massages or spas (按摩保健) are for moms of all ages, and she will enjoy breaking the boredom of staying indoors the whole day.     5    

Mother’s Day is coming. It is a time to let Mom know she’s special to you.

2 . Living and studying abroad can be a rewarding and enriching experience. And living with a host family is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in its culture. However, living with a foreign family can be difficult and adjusting to it can take some effort.     1    

Involve yourself in family activities. If you spend all your time in your room, it’s going to be hard to feel like you belong. Getting involved in everyday activities with your host family will help you create a family bond. For example, some families like having dinner together on weekends.     2     Not only will they appreciate it but you will also feel like a part of their world.

Be patient with yourself. Keep in mind that you’ve just left everything you’ve known for years behind to start a new life. It’s okay to be confused.     3     While you may know the language, some expressions and slang can be hard to grasp at first. Take it easy. Remember you will adapt but it will take some time.

Communication is key. If you are unsure about something, ask! It’s normal to know few customs and habits at first.     4     Your host family will understand and help you. It’s also normal not to know a lot about unspoken social rules of the country.

    5     You have to understand that host families are not just providing a roof over your head. They are making significant changes to their daily routines. Thank them for their kindness, patience and understanding. Let them know how much their assistance means to you.

Remember, a grateful heart is a happy heart, and a happy heart will lead you to further success and fulfillment in your life abroad.

3 . What’s in a Game?

Picture you and your friends sitting around one Saturday, bored. You’ve read every book, watched every movie and played every game. There is absolutely nothing left to do.     1    ? Here are some guidelines to help you invent a new game that’s both playable and fun.

The Ohjective

The first thing you’ll need to design a great game is an objective or goal for players to work toward.     2    . For example, Hockey games and Risk, a kind of card game, have one thing in common — when one player or team reaches the final objective, they win.

    3    

Next, you’ll need rules to let your players know what they can and can’t do. It might seem like a game with no rules would be more fun. You can do anything you want! Unfortunately, this often results in confused players arguing about how the game should be played. Rules set limits and define what the game is — and what it isn’t. Players need to know what they can and can’t do, and what will happen when they do different things.

Meaningful Choices

While you are creating your rules, think about the choices players will make and what effects those choices will have.     4    . If the same thing happens no matter what choice the player makes, they’ll wonder why they have to choose.

Don’t Forget to Playtest!

Any game you see in stores has gone through many rounds of testing and revision. Rules that seem clear to you might be confusing for others. Situations might come up that you didn’t expect.     5    .

4 . Maybe someone you’ve been friends with for years is kicking up some conflict. Or, a person you’ve really trusted seems a little disappointing. However, we need to give people space to change, grow and readjust their own thinking. Learning to get the “good” out of people usually works.     1    

People unavoidably have some types of flaws (缺陷). For instance, people may keep important truths, but the real truth might be that they have trouble trusting others.     2     They are constantly rocking your boat and occupying your personal time.

Sam, an employee assistance program counselor says, “People we care about can drive us mad.” He insists that it’s easier to manage a relationship by setting boundaries and learning to draw the good out of people. “Deal with their flaws and accept them if possible” he advises.

    3     Sam emphasizes, “Usually, we can change something about our own methods of dealing with a person. It doesn’t have to end.” Remember, too, that if someone hides important information or tells straight lies, this is not acceptable.     4    

To handle the flaws, always focus on the strengths of people in your circle. One friend might be a great babysitter for your kids while another helps you find good vacation deals. While you don’t want to “use” anyone, you do want to count on him for your own needs.     5     We all need a variety of people. Besides, life is much more interesting if we have a little bit of drama going on.

6 . How to Read Candidates’ Body Language in an Interview

Body language matters, especially in interviews.     1     Our posture, gestures, movements or facial expressions can shape our reputations. Learning to read body language is about understanding candidates’ motives.

Reading body language during interviews can provide valuable insights into a candidate’s personality.     2     Here are some common interview body language signals that you can learn to read.

Observe extreme behaviour. A candidate’s harmless action doesn’t mean they won’t fitin well at your company. But be careful about extreme behaviours, like a person constantly checking their phone.

    3     You can read people’s body language by observing changes in their movements or posture. Imagine, for example, that a candidate suddenly starts tapping their foot. Maybe they feel the interview is taking too long. Or perhaps they’re facing an uncomfortable question.

Connect the dots.     4     For example, people may cross their arms when they’re cold. But, when you see a candidate crossing their arms, crossing their legs and balling their fists at the same time, prepare yourself for an aggressive (咄咄逼人的) answer.

Candidate experience greatly depends on an interviewer’s body language. Positive body language can make candidates relax and open up. Negative body language can spark (引发) defensive and reserved reactions.     5    

9 . Do you feel like there are too many things to do in a day, but not enough time to do them? If so, you’re experiencing what researchers call time poverty.

    1    . The standard reply to “How are you?” is often “I’m so busy!” Many people find it increasingly difficult to spare time to see friends, pursue a hobby, or take a vacation. Some people even take great pride in how busy they are because it’s become a status symbol.     2    . Fortunately, here are specific steps we can take to feel more time affluent (富足的) and more socially connected.

If you want a satisfying social life, buy time for it. You might pay to have a disliked housework done by others, get a direct flight instead of a cheaper one with a stopover, or pay extra to drive the fastest route home.     3    , like calling a friend or hanging out with your kids.

Another way to get more time is to give it away. In one study, researchers asked people to devote part of their Saturday morning to doing something for themselves that they weren’t already planning to do or doing something for someone else. The people who gave away their time later felt like they had more of it.     4    .

If you have too many things to do and not enough time to do them, try to cut back on some things.     5    . You can probably choose to slow down a little and make more time for casual chats with co-workers and unplanned get-togethers with friends.

10 . Helena Blumen, a cognitive (认知的) scientist, says the complicated mental multi-tasking that dancing requires engages various parts of the brain at the same time, leading to the strengthening of neural (神经系统的) connections across different regions.     1    . “It’s socially, cognitively and physically demanding,” she says.

Anyone who’s ever felt the irresistible urge to dance to a favorite song knows that combining music and movement can lift your mood and melt away stress. But there’s a lot more happening in your brain when you’re trying to follow even the easiest choreography (编舞).     2    . Tasks like getting around the kitchen or walking to the bus stop can become more attainable if regarded as choreography.

To learn how the mechanisms of dancing work in the brain, researchers conducted MRI scans on older adults who engaged in either dance or a traditional exercise program over six months.     3    , the dancers grew more white and gray matter in the parts of the brain responsible for cognitive processes.

The researchers assume that these brain changes contribute to more neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new connections and pathways.     4    . Brain plasticity is similar to the city’s ability to build new roads, repair old ones or even change the direction of traffic based on how often the routes are used and what the city needs.

    5    . A Finnish study of people with severe brain injuries showed that dance-based recovery might improve mobility, cognition and overall well-being. Additionally, research shows that dancing can reduce the risk of brain-related diseases such as dementia (痴呆).