1 . Want to read more books? Research shows that reading books provides surprising benefits, including better brain function and a longer life. Since reading is so beneficial, can it be made easier? Yes, and the following tips may help.

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Ideally, the book you choose should be one you’ re interested in. So, if you find a book’s not grabbing you, don’t force yourself to keep going in a literary forced march. That could make you sick of reading. Unless it’s a book you must read for work or school, put it aside and choose a different one. Libraries, bookstores, and various websites are happy to recommend books.     2    .

Fit reading into your schedule

If your schedule is already tight, you may be wondering how you’ ll find the time to read.     3    , but some solutions can help. For example, consider loading e-books onto your phone. Besides, if you spend a lot of time driving, consider audiobooks, which can really help pass the time when you’re stuck in traffic.     4    .

Find companions to read with

One of the best ways to stay on track with reading is to join a book group either in person or online. Sometimes it can have a theme, so if you’ re particularly interested in science or world history, you can find a group that fits your tastes.     5    . Gather a few friends or colleagues; invite them over for a book discussion.

Reading books is so good for you in so many ways. It’s well worth the effort to keep experimenting until you find the right approach.

2 . The woman bringing Mandarin to Uganda

Wang Lihong Sooma, who moved to East Africa from China more than two decades ago, is determined to teach Ugandans how to speak Mandarin (普通话).     1     The first 30 teachers have now completed their training and have started holding Mandarin classes in schools across the country.

Forty more teachers are now enrolled (入学) and classes start at 8:00 and finish at 22:00 from Monday to Friday.     2     However, Pavin Mulokwa, a teacher from Mbarara, sees it as an opportunity to broaden her job prospects. Another trainee, Praise Twebaze, agrees and hopes it will enable him to travel too.

    3     Gao Yahui, who has been teaching Mandarin in Uganda for a year, says it has changed her understanding of Africa. From Xi’an city in central China, the 39-year-old left her husband and child behind to come and teach but was warned by her family and friends not to because of “diseases and war”. “    4     When I go back to China, I will introduce the real Africa to the people in China and change their way of looking at Africa.”

Wang’s goal is to have 100 teachers trained up and teaching Mandarin in 60 Ugandan schools by 2023. She sees it as a win-win situation, giving the example of how Chinese have benefited from learning English. “    5     We learnt their technology and skills and then we developed.”

3 . Online grocery shopping is a way of buying food and other household necessities using a web-based shopping service. There are two basic methods that people can use to purchase these items online.     1     The other way is to order groceries from a large company that will ship the items to one’s home.

Ordering groceries online became popular in the 1990s in the United States during what has been called the dot-com boom (网络繁荣). The popularity was short-lived. Several online shopping companies soon faced bankruptcy. Over the next few years, others survived economic hardship and remained strong in the market. And today there are many online grocery retailers.     2    

Grocery shoppers have local, national, and international options available to them. Some companies provide delivery service throughout the country.     3     For those searching for unique, organic, or international products, there are stores that sell those products online, as well.

    4     If a customer has a specific list of items to buy, he or she may be less likely to make impulse (冲动) purchases. In addition, shoppers can usually use online and some manufacturers coupons (优惠券) with their orders for more savings when ordering online from the local grocery store.

Every coin has two sides and online grocery shopping is no exception.     5     In addition, some merchants have a limited selection and customers may not receive the exact things they order. Many of the large r companies do not offer fresh produce or refrigerated products.

4 . If you have ever interacted with a playful puppy, a darling kitten, or any other adorable creature, chances are that you’ve experienced an overwhelming urge to pet, squeeze, or even pinch them.     1     It is a response that is likely linked to our innate drive to nurture and protect our young.

    2     A questionnaire to measure the levels of cute aggression experienced was given to the participants of the study. Researchers found that people tend to feel a stronger “cute aggression” response towards baby animals and pictures of digitally enhanced human babies with enlarged features. They also found that seeing cute things triggers the brain’s emotion and reward systems. Someone may feel so overwhelmed with emotions that they have become unmanageable. The brain’s strategy to regulate this imbalance is to express an “opposite” emotion to avoid excessive emotional exertion.    3     This phenomenon is called a dimorphous expression (二态表达) of emotion.

A second study also confirmed that cute aggression is a way of regulating emotions. When people are overwhelmed by a strong emotion, they develop distorted negative behavior called “duplicity”, in which what they do does not correspond to what they think. But cute aggression doesn’t equal abusive violence.    4    

Now that you know why you feel the urge to squeeze unbearably cute and fluffy things, there’s no need to worry about these aggressive tendencies.    5     If you feel the urge to pinch, bite, or even “grind your teeth” when you see cute animals, don’t worry — this is not “sadistic tendencies”, but the brain is trying to control itself.

5 . Are you refused when you ask for help from others? The following simple tips will increase people’s acceptance of your request for help.

Demonstrate that you’ve tried to help yourself. People are more willing to help those who have attempted to help themselves first. When asking for help, briefly explain what you’ve tried independently.     1    . Imagine you’re giving a key point list — and be specific.

    2    . People want to help those who they’re sure will act on the help or ad vice offered. Therefore, when you get help from someone who you expect you’ll ask for help again, make sure they’ re aware that you’ve acted on their prior advice — and appreciated it.

Consider the timing of your request. Here’s a personal example. My family love to ask me for tech support. So I started a policy that tech support requests could only be made from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm each day.     3    . This system works great for everyone.

Don’t make someone guess what you want. When asking for help, make sure the person knows what you want. The more you practice asking for help in these situations, the easier it will get. Sometimes people are shy about offering help, or are just stuck in their own head and don’t think of offering.     4     By asking someone for help, you’re actually giving that person the opportunity to boost their mood.

Make your requests using multiple channels. In customer-service situations, there are multiple options to ask for help. It might be best to use the phone, live chat, secure messaging, a face-to-face appointment or Twitter, depending on the situation. It especially helps not to be scared of using the phone if it is the best option for a particular concern.     5    .

6 . Research shows that friendships are really important to all of us. Friendship has a huge impact on your mental health since good friends can help relieve stress, provide comfort and joy, and prevent loneliness.     1     Research shows that lack of social connection may increase the risk of heart disease or diabetes.

    2     Spending time with friends helps reduce your stress and supports you through tough times. Friendship is a two-way street, so being there for your friends makes you feel needed and contributes to your own sense of self-worth.

A good friend will show a genuine interest in what's going on in your life and how you think and feel.     3     As friendship works both ways, a friend is also someone you feel comfortable supporting and accepting, and someone who will listen to you and with whom you can share trust and loyalty.

If you are introverted (内向的) or shy, it can feel uncomfortable to put yourself out there socially. But you don’t have to be naturally outgoing to make new friends.     4     You'll make far more friends by showing your interest rather than trying to get people interested in you.

Making a new friend is just the beginning of the journey. Friendships take time to build and deepen. Be reliable, trustworthy, and willing to share yourself and your time.     5     Everyone needs time to be alone or spend time with other people as well. Finally, be forgiving. No friendship develops smoothly so try to find a way to overcome problems.

7 . We live in an interruption-based culture that can be damaging to productivity. Most of the time, information from electronic devices only adds to the distraction. Here are some tips to help you increase your focus and complete the things that count:

    1     Write down what you want to finish each day and identify a single priority that you commit yourself to complete This will help focus your brain on what matters, dealing with the big jobs first and leaving the small ones till later.

Turn off the distractions. Actively checking for information may distract you from work. Consider checking email only four times per day and handling each inquiry only once. Try to control your devices, instead of having that technology control you.     2    

Get comfortable.     3     Comfort could be determined by the clothes, the chair, the music, the temperature of the room or the work location. Knowing what environment makes you comfortable yet focused at the same time can help you maintain focus through the workday.

Set smaller goals. Big goals may be great for motivational speeches.     4     Consider breaking down all goals into smaller pieces that can be finished more easily. As a result, this may only require focus for a shorter period of time, which may mean an increased possibility of completing the task.

Take a walk.     5     Taking even a short walk away from work can help relax the body and mind. Meanwhile, it can help you refocus on the next task upon your return.

8 . Do you know what carpet cleaning is and how it works? This article will discuss it with you.

Carpet cleaning is a service to remove the dirt, stains and other things from carpets and make them clean. People hire different carpet cleaning services to make their carpets look cleaner, more appealing and away from harmful infections. According to experts, people must clean their carpets once or twice a year.     1    .

According to carpet manufacturers, hot water extraction is one of the most professional and recommended ways of cleaning carpets.     2    

Dry cleaning is also used for cleaning the carpets but this is far easier than wet cleaning.     3     However, it is still used for cleaning the carpets which are not that dirty.

Vacuum (真空) cleaning is mostly used in offices and houses by people themselves. People use a vacuum cleaner to clean the carpets and it is an effective method.

    4     Therefore, carpet cleaning must be done minimum 1-2 times a year to prevent yourself from infections, allergies, and so on. Another benefit is that it saves you a lot of money. If you don’t clean them on a regular basis, you have to purchase them.

You have understood a lot about carpet cleaning.     5     Do not regard this as a trivial (琐碎的) matter. It concerns the health of you and your family.

9 . The Path of Diligence (勤奋)

Undoubtedly, diligence is one of the key factors in achieving success. While students are often encouraged to work hard at their academics, they may lack the right methods and a positive mindset.     1    .

Set clear goals

To succeed academically, it’s crucial to set clear goals.     2    . Clear goals stimulate motivation, enabling you to organize your time more effectively. Moreover, setting short-term and long-term goals provides a clear sense of direction in your academic journey.

Create plans and schedules

    3    . Break tasks into manageable steps, establish achievable daily plans, ensure adequate rest time, and avoid overexertion (用力过度). Properly planning your time to balance study and relaxation contributes to learning efficiency.

Foster self-discipline

Learning to control yourself and maintaining discipline are keys to cultivating diligence. Establishing regular sleep patterns, minimizing irrelevant social activities, and concentrating on academic tasks are essential components of self-discipline. Consistently practicing these habits allows you to effectively tackle academic challenges.

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Challenges are unavoidable during the learning process. Diligent students seek assistance from teachers, peers, or professional tutors when needed. Additionally, accepting feedback (反馈) and continuously refining your study methods and skills are crucial.

Maintain a positive mindset

Maintaining a positive mindset is crucial when facing difficulties and challenges. Believe in your abilities, view problems as opportunities, and approach academic challenges with optimism.     5    .

10 . When conflict or war makes the headlines, it can cause feelings such as fear, sadness, anger and anxiety wherever you live. Here are some tips on how to approach the conversation with your child and provide them with support and comfort.

    1     Kids can discover the news in many ways, so it’s important to check in on what they’re seeing and hearing. It’s an opportunity to correct any inaccurate information for them.     2     . Be sure to understand their feelings and tell them that whatever they are feeling is natural.

Children have a right to know what’s going on in the world,     3     Use age-appropriate language, watch their reactions, and be sensitive to their level of anxiety.

It is normal for you to feel sad or worried about what is happening as well. If you’re feeling anxious or upset, take time for yourself, so try not to overshare any fears with your child.     4     .

As you end your conversation, it’s important to make sure that you are not leaving your child in a state of pain. Try to rate their level of anxiety by watching their body language. Remind them that you care and that you’re there to listen and support whenever they’re feeling worried.