1 . I moved from America to Italy 14 years ago and I have learned a lot along the way. Here are several money-saving tricks I have picked up from living in Italy — most of which can apply to wherever you live too!
Buy fewer groceries at a time.
Italians tend to buy more fresh food — and buy it in smaller quantities. We have just what we know we’ll consume in a few days, before anything has a chance to spoil and go to waste.
Eat seasonally.
I love strawberries, cantaloupe and watermelon, but in Italy, I can only get them in the summer, when they’re ripe. Out of season, these fruits would have to be imported.
Cook more meals at home.
I live in a small town where we have no fast-food restaurants other than a pizzaria that does carry-out. OK! Not only do we save money on expensive restaurant meals, but we get more quality family time by cooking, eating and cleaning up together.
Yes, bigger cities have more options for fast food, delivery and carryout.
A.Of course, it takes a little more meal planning. |
B.We also end up having healthier meals. |
C.Another way Italians save is by growing their own produce. |
D.It takes a long time to transport goods from foreign countries. |
E.McDonald’s plans to open 200 new restaurants and hire 12000 staff in Italy by 2025. |
F.They’d be a lot more expensive, of lesser quality and quite possibly grow n in an industrial greenhouse. |
G.But even where the community is less closely connected, cooking and sharing meals with family and friends is still a big part of the social structure in Italy. |
2 . In today’s society, kids are interested in films, music and video games. However, many parents are looking for exciting, protected and educational hobbies which their kids can get pleasure from.
One of the several reasons why collecting coins is a hobby that is fantastic for children is that it is an activity that can be enjoyed by oneself or as a family activity. It can teach them the significance of collecting potentially worthwhile items.
In terms of coin-collecting supplies, a lot of parents choose to obtain coin-collecting starter kits (入门套件). Coin-collecting starter kits may be different.
Depending on kids and their age, parents can educate them on collecting coins and the possibilities it holds. For instance, even if kids are just interested in collecting coins for entertainment, they must know that their coins collected may turn lucrative (赚钱的) one day. Of course, for that to take place, all coins collected need to be properly stored and cared for.
As previously stated, collecting coins is an excellent, protected and fun hobby for children of all ages to take pleasure in.
A.There are a number of choices |
B.Kids can learn how to save money from it |
C.Coins collected by kids can be handed to their parents |
D.But a lot come equipped with how-to guides or coin albums |
E.Not only can this hobby be a single activity that is educational for children |
F.Depending on kids’ age, parents can supply them with useful guides for collecting coins and coins resources |
G.An additional reason why collecting coins is a hobby excellent for youngsters is that it is relatively affordable |
3 . While you might not realize it, the environment where you sleep can make a great difference in the actual quality of sleep that you get every night. With a few simple lifestyle changes, you can create a healthy sleep environment that helps improve your sleep quality.
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, holidays and days off. Studies show that people who do so are more rested than those who sleep irregularly (不规律地).
Go to sleep only when you start to feel sleepy. If you don’t fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Go back to bed when you are tired.
Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Don’t go to bed either hungry or stuffed. Your discomfort might keep you up. Avoid caffeine (咖啡因) 6 hours before you sleep. Having a cup of coffee within a few hours of bed time can keep you awake for hours when you are trying to sleep. Coffee isn’t the only product containing caffeine. Avoid chocolate and tea, too. Also limit how much you drink before bed to prevent trips to the toilet at night.
Many people turn on the TV before they go to bed. TV influences your natural sleep habits by making you stay up longer than you usually would, especially if you are watching something exciting. Instead of turning on the TV, read a book. Light reading before bed can help you fall into a deep sleep quickly.
If you suffer from serious sleep problems, go to your doctor. Your doctor will help treat the problems or may advise you to see a sleep specialist.
1. What should you do to make sure you have a good sleep at weekends according to the text?A.Get up a bit later than usual. | B.Go to bed at a regular time. |
C.Watch some relaxing TV programs. | D.Avoid drinking coffee or tea in the day. |
A.To drink some water. | B.To do some light reading. |
C.To listen to light music. | D.To get up and relax. |
A.Having slept too much. | B.Having eaten too much. |
C.Feeling too sad. | D.Feeling too tired. |
A.What to do before going to bed. | B.The importance of sleeping well. |
C.How to improve your sleep quality. | D.The effect of sleeping well. |
4 . How To Find Spring Fashion Trends
Fashion changes faster than most people can keep up with.
Look through fashion magazines to get fashion ideas. Magazines like GQ, Vogue, and Cosmo are generally considered “taste makers”.
Find your favorite fashion blogs. What’s on the catwalk isn’t necessarily what’s on the streets, so I also like getting inspiration from travel blogs, fashion blogs, and smaller designers. Many brands, designers, and fashionistas post their inspiration online, as well as recommendations on where to find the best new fashions.
Explore social media. More and more often, people are using the Internet to broadcast their personal fashion recommendations, which is a great way to get a pulse on spring fashion. Sites like Tumblr and Pintrest have specific sections devoted to fashion.
Make your own spring trends. Having confidence in yourself and rocking your outfit is more important than following any trend. Sometimes you still can’t figure out what spring fashion trend to follow.
A.Make notes of fashions you see often |
B.Look to warmer areas for inspiration |
C.They are selling the right clothes for the right season |
D.Find an outfit you like and make up your own trend |
E.They are in touch with the big clothing designers |
F.Spring is often when people launch new and inventive fashion for the warming weather |
G.Search “Spring Fashion Blogs” and browse through a few to see styles you enjoy |
5 . Do you love holidays but hate the increase weight that follows? You are not alone.
Holidays are happy days with pleasure and delicious foods. Many people, however, are worried about the weight that comes along with these delicious foods.
With proper planning, though, it is possible to control your weight. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don’t have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. The following suggestions may be of some help to you.
Do not miss meals. Before you leave home for a feast (宴会), have a small, low-fat snack (小吃). This may help to keep you from getting too excited before delicious foods. Begin with clear soup and fruit or vegetables. A large glass of water before you eat may help you feel full. Use a small plate; a large plate will encourage you to have more than enough.
Better not have high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy have much fat in them.
Choose lean meat (瘦肉). Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables.
If you have a sweet tooth, try mints (薄荷) and fruits. They don’t have fat content as cream and chocolate.
Don’t let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off excess (过多的) calories.
1. Holidays are happy days with pleasure but they may ________.A.bring weight problems | B.bring you much trouble in your life |
C.make you worried about your foods | D.make you hate delicious foods |
A.drink much water and have vegetables only | B.not eat the food in high fat |
C.not accept invitations to feasts | D.turn away from delicious foods |
A.vegetables | B.water | C.mints | D.physical exercise |
A.can’t control themselves | B.go to too many feasts |
C.enjoy delicious foods | D.can’t help turning away from the foods |
A.Ways to Enjoy Holidays | B.Suggestions to Control Weight During the Holidays |
C.Dishes for a Feast During the Holidays | D.Diets to Keep Healthy During the Holidays |
6 . A great skill to have is the ability to solve problems effectively, specifically interpersonal and behavioral problems. In order to achieve this, you need to follow a few key requirements.
First, you should understand “why” the problem exists.
Once you have clearly identified the problem, you need to understand what you have control over and what don’t.
Don’t jump to conclusions. Once you have all of your information, analyze it carefully and look at it from various viewpoints. Be as objective as possible and don’t be quick to judge.
A.Now determine your options for solutions. |
B.Remain judgment-free as much as possible. |
C.Ask yourself questions about what options you have. |
D.That means figuring out the actual root cause of the problem. |
E.Read on to find how to become a more effective problem solver. |
F.The strategies in problem-solving are good lifelong skills to have. |
G.Your efforts must be within the areas where you are in the driver’s seat. |
7 . Creative is just a simple short word. However, creative thinking is the key to success, but how to think creatively? Here are tips you can try.
Think that all can be done. Be sure that we can do it for something we are working on.
Increase the quantity and quality of work.
Improve the habit of asking. Asking questions is a sign that our minds are still “alive”.
Become a good listener. A good listener can listen to information from the outside.
A.Don’t get satisfied quickly enough. |
B.Look at things from a different view. |
C.Remove conservative way of thinking. |
D.With it we have many opportunities to think about what we hear. |
E.By asking, we can show that we're trying to test our critic power. |
F.Critical and creative thinking are the two most basic thinking skills. |
G.Throw away your pessimistic expression like “I might be able to do it”. |
8 . Hop on the Silent Walking Trend
Silent walking involves walking outdoors without distractions like music or conversations, focusing on the mind-body-nature connection.
Select a natural setting and fully engage your senses. For reaping the mental health benefits, it is recommended to find a quiet and peaceful natural location.
To stimulate the mind, consider exploring different routes than usual. Without your favourite podcast or playlist, you might slip into boredom on your walk.
Start off with five-minute silent walks and eventually build up to thirty minutes. If you’re usually a headphone wearer, it will feel super weird to walk without your go-to tunes, but give yourself a second to adjust. Chances are, once you’re a few minutes into your silent walk, you’ll feel the magic kick in.
Regular reflection and ongoing documentation are essential. After completing a silent walk, take time to reflect upon any emerging thoughts, feelings, or insights.
A.But being bored won’t hurt you. |
B.Taking different paths can lead to exciting discoveries. |
C.Adjusting the routine gradually can help ease into the experience. |
D.You’ll also start noticing the little things around you more clearly. |
E.They can deepen understanding and serve as a record of personal growth |
F.Unlike exercise-oriented walking, it isn’t about reaching certain speed or steps |
G.In such an environment, you can immerse yourself in the natural soundscape (音景) . |
9 . Digital mindfulness (正念) is the application of mindfulness practices in your digital life. According to Jon KabatZinn, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medicine School, mindfulness is “a means of paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally”. Here two main key points are emphasized when it comes to mindfulness as a practice in your digital life.
The first point is that you must learn to do things on purpose. For instance, you use your phone as a habitual escape from boredom or stress, which is thought by many as a quick solution to all those negative feelings. But what if you get only negative responses from your phone—the news or posts are negative? Instead of finding peace, you find more boredom and more stress. The solution that mindfulness provides is a purposeful and intentional choice. Therefore, you are empowered to choose how to respond to the stimulus (刺激) behind such feelings as boredom, loneliness, and stress and not just treat the symptoms.
The other key is going through the experience nonjudgmentally. When you feel sad or angry because of a post on social media, all you ever do is to go through the experience and let it flow. At its core, mindfulness involves the acceptance of your memories, feelings, and thoughts and minuses any judgment on yourself or others because of those things. These feelings, memories, and experiences come and go. After they have passed, you are still you and in control. You will become more aware of your inner world. It’s this internal monologue (独白) that pushes you to grab your digital technology (phone, Alexa speaker, TV, etc.).
Digital mindfulness is not about avoiding the negative things in life. Through mindfulness practice, you regain the power to learn from these experiences and healthily deal with the negative. Mindfulness will also teach you to be aware of all your emotions, so you learn to deal with the things that you used to avoid. Finally, digital mindfulness brings you peace of mind in an everchanging and increasingly connected world.
Now, I would rather prefer to think of it as one of many tools that we can use in our daily life.
1. What does the author suggest readers do when they feel stressed in their digital life?A.Find something interesting to do. | B.Use the phone as a habitual escape. |
C.Keep away from the negative responses. | D.Deal with the root cause of the problem. |
A.Negative feelings should be avoided or controlled. |
B.Mindfulness involves both acceptance and judgment. |
C.Mindfulness helps us fully experience life as it happens. |
D.Digital technology is the key to understanding our inner world. |
A.How Can You Avoid Negative Feelings? |
B.The Definition of Digital Mindfulness. |
C.How Can Digital Mindfulness Benefit You? |
D.Digital Mindfulness: One of Tools Used in Our Daily Life. |
A.Applications of mindfulness in communication. |
B.Ways of practising mindfulness in the digital age. |
C.Development of mindfulness in medical field. |
D.Benefits of practising digital mindfulness in daily life. |
10 . Health is wealth.
A study published in 2019 concluded that consumption of more than 4 servings of extra-processed food was associated with a 62% increased danger for all-cause deaths. For each additional serving, all-cause deaths increased to 18%. These foods can cause chronic inflammation (慢性炎症), a normal bodily process that can contribute to heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.
Get your cholesterol (胆固醇) checked.
When checking your cholesterol, your test results will show your cholesterol levels in milligrams per decilitre. It’s crucial to get your cholesterol checked because your doctor will be able to advise you on how to maintain healthy levels.
Watch your blood pressure.
Get up and get moving.
Throw away any common misconceptions about exercising like that it has to be in a gym or a structured environment.
A.Watch your body mass. |
B.Make healthy food choices. |
C.Frequency, intensity and time are what matter most. |
D.Sleep restores us and has a huge effect on how we feel. |
E.In turn it lowers your chances of getting heart disease and stroke. |
F.Normal blood pressure is defined as blood pressure <120/80 mmHg. |
G.This common saying holds a lot of weight because it has truth behind it. |