1 . With more people concerned about the environment, you can expect to see many more electric vehicles( EVs电动汽车) on the road in future.     1     Drivers say there are a few things to get used to when switching to a vehicle powered by electricity. First of all, there’s no clutch (离合器). Instead, drivers use a simple selector to put EVs in park, drive, and reverse.

Since they’re powered by electricity, EVs also apply full power as soon as the driver hits the accelerator (加速器).     2     Also, EVs slow down as soon as the driver lifts their foot off the accelerator. Drivers end up using their brakes much less.

    3     The most obvious is that EVs don’t rely on gas. This means drivers of electric cars don’t need to stop at the gas station—in the long run, this can save a great deal of money. EVs are also low maintenance (维护). For example, they don’t need oil changes.     4     This is likely because of the placement of the battery, which sits just below the seats. This helps keep the vehicle’s center of gravity low.

Of course, there are also disadvantages. Most EVs can drive over 200 miles on one full charge.     5     With limited charging stations in many areas, this could cause problems on long trips. Additionally, the batteries are expensive to replace. Finally, while EVs may save drivers’ money on gas and maintenance in the long run, the price of buying an EV is often higher than that of a gas-powered vehicle.

2 . 5 Easy Ways to Tackle a Decluttering Project

Clutter (杂乱) can be stressful. Try a few simple changes to create a sense of calm in your home—and your head! The New York Times recently explored the connection between clutter and mental health, including tips for how to think about managing your own piles of stuff, especially when it feels overwhelming.     1    

KCDavis, a professional author of How to Keep House While Drowning, told The Times she recommends “five-things tidying”.     2     There is trash, laundry, dishes, things that have a place, and things that don’t have a place. During any one clutter-clearing session, limit yourself to just one of those categories to keep overwhelm at bay.

Much like closing down a restaurant or retail store for the night, Davis suggests having a routine for the end of your day that involves some easy, satisfying tasks. Maybe it’s having the coffee pot clean and ready to help you wake up in the morning.

Five, eight, 10, or 20 minutes are all acceptable amounts of time to spend chipping away at a cluttered area in your home. Progress is progress, whether it’s incremental (渐进的) or one-and-done. Be patient with the big picture of your clutter-clearing needs, and you’ll feel accomplished.     4    

Whether you recruit a trusted friend or family member, or hire a home organizing professional, you do not have to be alone in your journey toward a calmer home. Define a specific job to take on, like clearing out a pantry closet or dresser drawer, and bring in someone who will support you emotionally and even make it fun time together.

Maybe you’ve also been struggling lately to fit a regular workout into your routine. Lean into the physical aspect of clutter-clearing to feel like you’re meeting two goals at once by relocating some stacks of books or bringing bags of clothes to the donation bin.     5     Celebrate yourself for getting moving while you clean up.

3 . The term “mental health” refers to mental, emotional and social well-being. Mental health matters because it can influence nearly every part of a person’s life.     1     Mental health can even impact physical health.

Are you wondering how to care for your mental health? There are many ways to do so.     2     Getting the right amount of sleep is equally important. Taking part in activities you enjoy can also improve mental health. Try a new craft, read a book or play outside with friends or family members. These are all great ways to achieve well-being.

    3     If you’re feeling down, talk with a friend or family member. Many people find that this usually helps, even when they don’t feel like talking. Consulting a doctor or other mental health professionals can also make a difference. They can help people find the right practices and tools to help them feel better.

Are you worried that someone you know may be going through a difficult time? What is the best way to help someone struggling with mental health?     4     Invite the person to fun events and activities. Make sure they know you’re available if they want to talk. If you start to worry that someone’s mental health may put them at risk of hurting themselves or others, tell a trusted adult as soon as possible.

So, how are you feeling? Spend some time today checking in with your mental and emotional state. Take a few deep breaths and think about the things you’re grateful for in life.     5    

4 . How to make a small talk

Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, mastering how to use a small talk is very important if you attend social and networking events.

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Paying attention to what the person is saying and putting your devices away are some of the gestures of expressing interest. Take this as an opportunity that has presented itself, so you can know each other better.

Be an active listener

    2     Even when you feel you have something to say, first give the other person the opportunity to speak. Do show them you are attentive by using non-verbal cues, such as eye contact and nodding.

Use open-ended questions.

Most people like to start the conversation by talking about their life and things. Using open-ended questions such as “    3    ”, “Where are you from?”, and the things they love doing is a great way of encouraging in-depth responses and provides an opportunity to learn more from one another.

Respond enthusiastically.

If it’s your turn to respond, make sure to do it enthusiastically. You’re talking to someone who doesn’t know you very well, and how you respond can go a long way in helping establish a great rapport(和谐)from the start.    4    

Be mindful of your body language.

Your body language can tell whether you are attentive to what your conversation partner is saying.    5     Even if you are an introvert, try to maintain body language that shows you’re interested in what they’re saying.

5 . Planning the perfect memory-worthy camping trip can be overwhelming and often quite frustrating. Everyone wants to have a great time but everyone also knows there’s a lot of planning to be done to make a successful trip.     1    .

Most people decide to go camping in summer as that’s when they can usually get time off work.     2    . If you want some peace and quiet, go camping during the off season but take time and effort to research the location and weather conditions in advance.

Once you’ve planned out when and where, you can move on to planning your camp meal as well as all the camp equipment you might need.     3    . Be adventurous or keep it simple. If you’re a foodie, bring your favourite ingredients and spices and cook up a feast!

Making a good camping plan means reserving your campsite in advance. This is particularly important during the peak season when campgrounds are full. Also, some campsites have restrictions regarding the number of guests in an attempt to preserve the delicate balance of the natural environment. This means you might need to get a permit even months in advance.

    5    . Some people prefer to lounge around and enjoy the camping grounds whereas others love the call of the wild so they go out exploring, mountain biking, rock climbing , hiking and seeking adventures. Figure out what it is that you like and plan accordingly.

Going camping is a perfect opportunity to experience the outdoors. Hopefully, the tips listed here will help you cover all spots, from finding a perfect campground to bringing the right gear.

6 . Try to picture the world before refrigerators. That may be difficult!     1     They may also help store leftovers there after dinner. Yes, life today would be quite different without refrigerators. How did people keep their food fresh before these machines were around?

    2     In cold areas, ancient people could freeze their food. They could then store it in ice and snow. Warmer places allowed for drying food in sunlight. Experts say these early practices gave people the option to settle and form communities.

One advanced method of food storage arose in Persia around 400 BC. People there stored food in structures called Yakhchal, which were buildings made from mud brick to keep ice frozen during even the warmest summer months. During the Middle Ages, people stored meat by salting or smoking it.     3     These foods could then be stored in cool places, like caves, allowing people to save food for difficult times.

Later, buildings called ice houses or ice pits were built upon the idea of the Yakhchal. Such ice houses were very common by the 1800s. At the end of the 19th century, many people kept their food fresh in iceboxes made of wood.     4     Ice delivery businesses grew with more homes requiring ice to store food.

By the 1930s, many people were using electric refrigerators to keep food fresh.     5     Many refrigerators today come with built-in ice makers. Some people even choose smart refrigerators that can help them with meal plans and grocery shopping.

7 . Have you ever looked up at the clock at the end of the workday and felt that you just didn’t get enough done?     1    Here are some ways that might be of some help to you.

Set reasonable goals. We can create goals to help shape our paths. This can be an effective way to improve our work efficiency.     2     When your goal is too high to achieve or too low, you can’t clarify it or properly focus your mind and efforts on it.

Create a routine you love. Develop a routine that puts you in the best state to be productive at work. Routines look different for everyone. When you create a routine that makes you feel happy, healthy and clear-minded, your work efficiency will be greatly improved.     3    

Put away your digital devices. While heavy computer use might be part of your job, digital devices can be a major distraction (使人分心的事).     4     You may find that your memory improve when you’re visiting something done by hand instead of typing it into a computer.

    5     If your focus is stuck on a project where you can’t make any progress, you’ll have poor work efficiency. Changing your focus can help you change your state, so when you return to work, you’ll feel refreshed. Having short periods of relaxation during your workday, you’ll find that your work efficiency naturally increases.

8 . Self-esteem (自尊) is the opinion we have of ourselves. When we have healthy self-esteem, we tend to feel positive about ourselves and life. If we have low self-esteem, we may feel anxious and look down on ourselves.

Low self-esteem often begins in childhood. Our teachers, friends and parents send us positive and negative messages about ourselves.     1    . Besides, stress and difficult life events can have a negative effect on self-esteem. Personality can play a part, too. Some people are just more likely to have negative thinking.

    2    . If you have low self-esteem, you may hide yourself away from social situations, stop trying new things, and avoid things you find challenging. In the long term, this can backfire because it makes your doubts and fears stronger. You may also develop unhelpful habits, such as smoking and drinking too much.

To improve your self-esteem, you need to identify the negative beliefs you have about yourself, and then challenge them.     3    . Note these thoughts. Next, start to write some evidence that challenges these negative beliefs, such as “I’m really good at crosswords” or “My sister calls for a chat every week”. You could also write down other positive things about yourself on the list and add them to the list regularly. Then put your list where you can see it.       4    .

You can also learn to be assertive to improve your self-esteem. One trick is to look at other people who act assertively and copy what they do.     5    . It’s picking up tips from people you admire and letting your true self come out.

9 . Volunteering is a great benefit to the community. Many nonprofit organizations couldn’t survive without volunteers. However, you may not realize how much it also benefits your career.

●Volunteer in different areas.

You may be likely to just volunteer at one place, and that can be fine.    1    Doing so can help you explore what you’d like to do later in life if you’re younger or even choose a different career if you’re a little bit older.

●Use it to build skills.

Volunteering is the perfect opportunity to build your own skill set.    2    You’re basically working a job, and through that job, you gain experience that you can pass on to your work life.

●Network while you volunteer.

Another way to help work on your career is to use volunteering to help network. Really, you don’t have to go out of your way to network.    3    All networking is making a connection with other people that you and they can rely on later, and volunteering can help you do that.

●    4    

Studies have shown that people who volunteer are more likely to be hired than people who don’t volunteer. In fact, you have about a 25 percent higher chance of being hired if you volunteer than if you don’t. If you don’t have a high school diploma (毕业文凭), that number increases to a 50 percent higher chance.

●Put your volunteer experience on your college application.

If you’re still in high school, volunteering looks great on a college application. It shows leadership, initiative (主动性), and commitment, all things colleges love.    5    

10 . Life gets busy, and before we know it, exercise is one of the first things to go when we have a tight schedule. You may find it challenging to make time to stay active with your busy lifestyle.     1    

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I’m sure you’ve heard this, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” It may seem slightly cliche (陈词滥调), but this couldn’t be truer when it comes to planning for success. When we plan in advance, we’re less likely to lose focus of our goals when things get tough.

Join a fitness class

Working out in a group environment can give you the extra support you need to achieve your goals. When you join in a fitness class, you’re surrounded by a fun group of like-minded people.     3     You might just meet some friends along the way!

Find an activity you enjoy

When you find an activity you love, you’ll be much more likely to make time for it.     4     Try experimenting with a few different activities to see what you like. Once you find something you enjoy, you’ll find it easier to stick to it.

Pack your workout tools

Keeping a pair of running shoes, and workout clothes in your car or backpack will certainly come in handy on those busy days.     5     Some things I like to keep in my gym bag include a water bottle, headphones, running shoes and socks.