1 . The great chef Julia Child is quoted as saying, “The dinner hour is sacred, happy time when everyone should be together and relaxed.”     1     Here are some simple ways to bring joy and peace around the table after a long, busy day.

Set the table

Even if you’re standing up at the counter for a quick bite before heading out to an evening activity, take a moment to set out a placement (餐具垫), napkin, and plate.     2     Making physical space for your evening meal cues your whole family to tune in and chill out at supper time.

Seed the conversation

    3     You can pick them up for a fresh supply of questions, reflections, or facts. It will elevate (提升) the conversations beyond “How was your day?” or “Don’t forget to…” Everyone will come to the table knowing they can leave the stresses of the day behind and enjoy a fun, relaxed family dinner.

Give your eaters more choices

At dinnertime, you can make additional options. You can offer a simple sandwich, a bowl of cereal, or scrambled eggs as an alternative for those who aren’t thrilled with the menu, which will let your eaters make their own choices.     4    

Don’t force it

Maybe someone has a major homework project due to tomorrow, or they had an exhausting day at work.     5     Let them be exhausted. You can show them that you know they’ re not in the right place for family time. Remind them that you’ll be right there at the table tomorrow, ready to relax together.

2 . 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 . Overcoming Procrastination: Strategies for Taking Action

Procrastination (拖延症) is like a thief, stealing time and opportunities from us.     1    , often accompanied by the pain of last-minute stress. But fear not, for there are ways to conquer this common challenge.

The first step in overcoming procrastination is understanding why you do it. Is it fear of failure, perfectionism, or simply a lack of interest in the task?     2    , you can address it directly. For example, if perfectionism is to blame, remind yourself that done is better than perfect.

Large tasks can seem challenging, leading us to procrastinate.     3     This not only makes the task seem less demanding but also provides a series of quick wins that raise motivation. By celebrating these mini-victories, you can transform a huge task into a series of manageable challenges.

    4    . Instead, set specific, achievable goals with clear deadlines. For instance, instead of saying “I need to start a project,” say “I will complete the project outline by Friday.” Having a clear deadline can create a sense of urgency that drives you into action.

Your environment can significantly influence your productivity. Remove distractions by creating a supportive workspace. This could mean tidying up your desk, turning off notifications, or using noise-cancelling headphones.     5    

By applying on these strategies, you can create a comprehensive plan to fight procrastination. With persistence and practice, you can transform your relationship with time and achieve your goals with greater efficiency and less stress.

5 . Finding the best person to fill a position is essential for a company. The process can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates.     1     They may rely on resumes (简历), interviews, and skills assessments to make their decisions. However, one commonly ignored aspect of the hiring process is checking character references.

    2     They reveal the candidates personality, work ethic, and professionalism. While resumes and interviews can give you a general idea of a candidate’s qualifications and experience, character references can offer a more comprehensive view of their suitability for the role. By speaking to individuals who worked with the candidate in the past, you can gain a better understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and overall performance.

However, research suggests reference checks have some limitations that are worth keeping in mind.     3     Normally, a good selection method produces a steady evaluation of a candidate’s suitability. In other words, reliability enables an apples-to-apples comparison of each candidate. But research into reference checks found different referees tends to give different ratings to the same candidate. In addition, a candidate’s performance in a previous position may not always be relevant to the job he/she is applying for.     4    

In conclusion, checking references is an essential step in the hiring process that can help an employer find the best candidate for a job.     5     A recent systematic review of employee selection methods suggests a combination of structured interviews, work samples, and pre-employment assessments can provide useful information on whether the candidate will be a good fit for your company culture and team dynamics.

6 . Children experience the joy and wonder of new experiences almost daily. However, for many adults, these emotions get lost in the day to day repetition of everyday life and routine.     1    

Trying new things is good for our brain. It helps us think more creatively and enhances confidence. It also helps us destress in that a new experience can help break harmful or negative routines.     2     We will consider things from new and different perspectives.

It is obvious that trying new things is good for our mental health.     3     Participating in new physical activities can improve our physical fitness, boost our energy levels, and enhance our overall health. For example, trying a new sport or exercise routine can increase our flexibility and strength. Having new experiences can also have a positive impact on our social lives.     4    . When we step out of our comfort zones and engage in new activities, we· meet people with different backgrounds and perspectives, which can broaden our horizons and enrich our lives. Building new relationships can provide us with a sense of belonging.

Still, it can be scary to break routine and try something totally different.     5     Start small by breaking a goal into smaller steps. And be very specific about the goal. For example, instead of aiming to work on arm strength, make a goal of doing twenty arm curls (弯曲) a day. In addition, be realistic and make sure the goal î s practicable in terms of finances and free time.

While it is easy to get caught up in the daily tiring activities of life, always keep in mind that doing something new can be the best thing we can do for ourselves. So we’d better make the wise choice.

7 . For some, owning a small house is a creative challenge, as Australian architect Wayne and partner Anthea have done. They are parents of two young adults, Darienne and Remony, and have recently started their own tiny house adventure in not one, but two! — One for the parents and the other for the two daughters.     1    

The two tiny homes are roughly similar. Each is equipped with a large storage space.     2     Some of the features are different according to the needs of children.

Stepping inside Wayne and Anthea’ s tiny home, we see a beautifully appointed space that feels airy yet comfortable.

There is a long counter (操作台)in the kitchen on one side, which is naturally lit by a line of LED lights above. There’s plenty of storage above and below.     3    . Opposite the kitchen, there is another counter for extra space for preparing food. This counter can also turn into a four-person dining table. The whole family would gather around the table for meals during most weekdays.

The sitting area is decorated with a number of colored cushions (软垫).     4     The huge sliding window here is a stroke of DIY genius. Wayne wanted to experiment with incorporating sunshades into the window itself. Besides that, there are also a couple of unique lamps which were made out of dried plants by a local artist.

    5    , in addition to $10,500 in solar equipment, and all of the family’s hours of loving labor. Finally, they were happy that the project brought the family closer together in a deeply rewarding way.

8 . The Practice of Buying More Books Than You Can Read

Are you one of us? Like to buy books but eventually leave them unread? The Japanese have a word for people like us: tsundoku. Doku comes from a verb that can be used for “reading”, while tsun means “to pile up”.     1    .

It’s interesting to consider the future of books right now. We have e-readers, phones, and tablets, which means the fate (命运) for the printed page. We have tiny houses and a major minimalism (极简主义) movement.     2    . We have increased awareness about resources and “stuff” in general: is there room for piles of bound paper in the modern world?

I am a minimalist.     3    . And I think that transferring my tsundoku to a list of digital editions rather than a pile of physical ones might be the way to go. However, the truth is, I love to hold a book in hand. Real books that one can hold in the hand are one of the things that I am unwilling to abandon.     4    . I love being able to easily turn back a few pages to reread a sentence. And maybe, I love buying books that I don’t seem to actually read. But, I can also buy used books, saving them from the landfill and giving them a home.

    5    . I will resist fast fashion and unsustainable food and a bunch of plastic litter that I don’t need. And in return, I will allow myself to engage in some tsundoku. Besides, it’s not actually a waste because I’m going to get to that pile of books someday.

9 . Final exams and big semester-end papers are among the most challenging aspects of the college experience,     1    . The following study tips can help reduce your stress and increase the grade point average.

Your peers might be encountering the same academic challenges as you.     2    . Then you can go over material together, brainstorm, and to support each other through challenges. Having other people to study with means you can explain the material to one another, quiz each other, and build a network you can rely on throughout the rest of the class and beyond.

The brain can only absorb so much information at a time. According to the National Institutes of Health, research has shown that taking breaks in between study session s boosts retention (记忆).     3    . Make sure that you are allowing enough time, relaxation, and sleep between study session s so your brain will be refreshed and ready to accept new information.

Studying can be mentally and emotionally exhausting and maintaining your drive can be challenging. Studies have shown that giving yourself a gift during your work can increase the enjoyment and interest in a given task. They have also shown small, frequent gifts can sustain your drive better than a single one in the end. Next time you finish a challenging study session, treat yourself to an episode of your favorite show.

According to the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve principle, we forget 75% of what we have learned within 24 hours. Going over new ideas a day after class will help increase retention and comprehension.     5    . Break chapters into sections and review the material at the end of each before moving on. Make notes by summarizing the critical aspects of the reading so you can easily review them without having to reread entire chapters.

10 . Learning a new language can be a tough challenge at any age, however it seems to be extremely difficult to get the hang of a foreign language as we age. This is because adults become a bit less adaptable than kids.     1    

As adults, we’ve spent years developing a mind system that’s great at organizing information. This makes us really effective at learning new things, except for languages.     2     But that’s exactly what you need to do, because you’re literally learning another system. This is why it can seem easier for kids to learn a new language. But the good news is that it isn’t really that hard if you’re open to opening your mind!

Firstly, it’s important to remember that learning a language is not really about learning a language.     3     Keeping that in mind can really help you achieve your goals. Try to connect with people you may know, or listen to podcasts and music in your target language, or read about the country’s history.

Secondly, make learning a language enjoyable. Watching TV shows in another language is an excellent way to get used to hearing a foreign language spoken in real-time.     4     TV shows, films, podcasts and even video games are all great forms of entertainment for learning a new language.

    5     While you are learning, be patient with yourself. Learn to love your progress and celebrate your success. The road to fluency can be hard, but the view along the way is really amazing, so it’s OK if you are driving slow. Don’t lose hope! You can master a foreign language sooner or later.