1 . With gas prices rising and airport security lines snaking longer than ever, why not book your next domestic vacation on a train? Compared to other alternatives, it’s comfortable and relaxing. Here is some advice on how to make a trip by rail as pleasant as possible.
Plan ahead. Most long-distance trains, especially the sleeping car accommodations, sell out very quickly.
Use a travel agent. Consider turning your travel plan over to a travel agent and letting him double-check all the details, make suggestions, and then handle the actual reservations. A good one can sometimes find you discounted tickets.
Bring a blanket. When you’re riding on trains, you won’t be provided with a blanket for free, even if your trip is an overnight one.
Arrive early. Most trains operate just once a day and some run only three times a week, so missing yours can be a disaster.
Have fun.
| A．Train trips aren’t for impatient types. |
| B．You’ll have views from both sides of the train. |
| C．The temperature on rail cars is often hard to control. |
| D．That’s particularly true during busy summer months. |
| E．You might have to wait longer than 24 hours to catch the next one. |
| F．Chances are the cost will be a lot less than the cost of one bedroom. |
| G．He may also book you in a sleeping car that’s right next to the diner. |
2 . Stepping out of your comfort zone (区域) helps you to improve yourself and become a happy and fun person. You’ll experience greater enjoyment as you try out new experiences.
Unplug (拔掉插头)
Take a break from today's interconnected world.
Go to another country
You will experience new cultures, different customs, unique landscapes and another language from travel.
Try diving, skydiving or a roller coaster ride. If those are too frightening, try giving a speech or taking a dance class. Once you overcome your inner fear, you will have a sense of satisfaction that comes from overcoming it.
Talk with someone new
This doesn’t have to be a complete stranger. Start a conversation with someone new at work, the barista (咖啡师) in your local coffee shop, a neighbour or someone in the queue.
| A．Do something that is fearful for you |
| B．Become uncomfortable with the Internet |
| C．You can end your conversation with your friends anytime |
| D．Leave your phone at home, turn off the TV and the Internet |
| E．Here are some ways that can probably lead you to a new life |
| F．See if you can continue the conversation for 30 seconds or longer |
| G．Besides, using cash from different countries is also good for your brain |
3 . If you’re new to a school or you are shy or tend to not get out of your comfort zone, making new friends at school might seem like a challenge. Luckily, you can overcome that challenge by looking for people with the same interests as you and by being friendly when you meet new people. Also, participate in after-school clubs and events whenever you get the chance, since that will help you meet people outside of class!
Look for people who have the same hobbies as you.
You’re more likely to be friends with someone if you have something in common with them. Try to find clubs or groups based on your favorite hobbies, then join them to meet like-minded people. Also, pay attention to people who spend their free time doing the same things you love to do.
If you’re a passionate reader, join a book club, go to public readings, or start a conversation with someone who carries novels around with their textbooks.
Spend time around people who show kindness.
Finding someone who will treat you well and support you is more important than popularity. Avoid spending time with people who talk bad about others or put them down. Instead, look for people who invite others to sit with them at lunch, who encourage others when they speak up in class, or who are always willing to help when someone needs a hand.
Introduce yourself to new people whenever possible.
When you’re around someone you don’t know, it is not unusual to just sit there quietly, especially if you’re shy. However, you and the other person will both be more comfortable after a simple introduction. Make eye contact with the person, smile, and try to seem warm and relaxed instead of nervous or anxious. Then, break the ice by talking about whatever is going on around you.
Keep the conversation going with open-ended questions.
When you start talking to someone, try asking them questions about what they like to see what you have in common with them. However, avoid simply asking yes or no questions, since one-word answers don’t necessarily keep a conversation alive. You can ask questions about whatever you’re already talking about, or you can change the subject if you feel that ran its course.
1. Who is the passage intended for?| A．Teachers. | B．Students. | C．Parents. | D．Adults. |
| A．join a club to make friends |
| B．approach people with lots of hobbies |
| C．spend your free time meeting different people |
| D．talk to people with the same interests |
| A．One who enjoys the popularity. |
| B．One who talks bad about others. |
| C．One who wants to help you. |
| D．One who always put others down. |
| A．Start with a warm handshake. |
| B．Make eye contact with the person. |
| C．Start with a brief introduction of yourself. |
| D．Start by talking about a serious topic. |
| A．keep the conversation going | B．end the conversation |
| C．show kindness | D．respect others |
4 . According to a study done by University of Michigan researchers, shopping to relieve stress was up to 40 times more effective at giving people a sense of control and shoppers were three times less sad compared to those that only looked around for items.
More than half of the 1,000 respondents said they have impulsively shopped to deal with feelings of stress, anxiety or depression.
In order not to be overwhelmed by retail therapy, you might refer to the following tips.
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Whether you’re purchasing Christmas presents or buying groceries, having the items you need written down will provide you with clarity and order while you’re shopping. Reward yourself for sticking to your list and you’ll be more likely to commit to it: buy a cup of coffee while shopping or plan a. fun activity for when you return home.
·Think about what you struggle with most financially.
Do you spend too much money at the mall? Eating out? Vacations?
·Give up the need to keep up with your neighbors, co-workers, and friends.
Everyone’s financial situation is different and it’s dependent upon a variety of factors, least of all being one’s self worth.
| A．Prepare a list prior to shopping. |
| B．This may encourage consumerism and impulse buying. |
| C．However, the side effect of retail therapy cannot be overlooked. |
| D．More men tended to purchase alcohol when stressed than women. |
| E．23％ said they’ve maxed out (刷爆) a credit card in the past year． |
| F．Comparison leads to debt and dissatisfaction with what you already have. |
| G．Track down where your money is going and then try to avoid temptations. |
5 . How to give effective feedback (反馈)
In the ever-evolving landscape of personal and professional growth, feedback serves as a compass (指南针) guiding our journey towards improvement.
Lay stress on behavior, not personality. Your feedback should target how they act, what effects it has on you or how it makes you feel. Remember that you are making no comment on what type of person they are, or what they believe or value.
Focus on improvement rather than criticism. It is expressed in a manner that encourages growth and avoids being negative. To take it a step further, it also provides suggestions for change.
Offering effective feedback to others is a win-win act.
| A．Be timely and specific. |
| B．Adopt a tolerant attitude. |
| C．It’s just like sharing a pizza with a friend. |
| D．So giving feedback is like making sandwiches. |
| E．But you can get better at it after reading the principles. |
| F．However, it can be difficult to give feedback effectively. |
| G．This reduces the risk of making the receiver feel attacked. |
6 . How to Make Friends
Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leave us without a friend.
1. Associate with others.
The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.
2. Start a conversation.
Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.
3.
Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together. Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.
4. Let it grow.
It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend.
5. Enjoy your friendship.
The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves.
| A．Be cheerful. |
| B．Do things together. |
| C．Do not wait to be spoken to. |
| D．Try not to find fault with your friends. |
| E．Making new friends comes easy for some people. |
| F．For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch. |
| G．So you will need to give your friend time to react to you. |
7 . Up to 80% of premature heart disease can be prevented by making specific lifestyle choices. Some strategies, such as exercising and managing weight, are well known.
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“We know that loneliness is a risk factor for heart health,” says Abramson. “Volunteering gets you out and creates a social network.” Research published in Psychosomatic Medicine in 2020 showed that a feeling of purpose in life is linked to a lower likelihood of heart attack.
Avoid polluted airExposure to this kind of pollution over time raises your risk of heart disease. Breathing in pollutants may irritate arteries (动脉) and increase inflammation. Even short periods of exposure are unhealthy for people who already have other cardiovascular risks, such as high blood pressure.
A recent study found that healthy people who skipped breakfast were almost twice more likely to have heart disease six years later than those consuming a substantial morning meal. One possible reason, “If you eat a proper breakfast, you’re less likely to be hungry later and make poor food choices,” says Abramson.“
| A．Engage in voluntary work |
| B．Socialize to enhance health |
| C．Others, as a result, slip your mind easily |
| D．But others may not have crossed your mind |
| E．We need to keep a balanced diet as part of a healthy lifestyle |
| F．Everything that happens in your life gets stressful when you stay up |
| G．Try to get your exercise far away from highways and industrial areas |
8 . Regular exercise is a vital part of leading a healthy lifestyle.
* Take a break from exercising for 1 to 2 weeks. If you experience tiredness, mood swings, or any other symptoms of over-training, give your body a break. In most cases, 1 to 2 weeks is all it’ll take. You can do yoga or stretching during the time off. When you start exercising again, take it slow, and rest a muscle group for at least a day.
* See your doctor if resting for 1 to 2 weeks doesn’t help.
*
* Talk to an advisor about compulsive exercise or an eating disorder.
| A．Schedule an appointment with your primary doctor. |
| B．However, exercising too much can cause significant health risks. |
| C．When you begin exercising again, stick to 45 minutes or less per day. |
| D．Ask your doctor if they need to recommend a drug to treat depression. |
| E．It might be tough to distinguish between devotion to a sport and compulsive exercise. |
| F．If you think you might be overdoing it, stop exercising for 1 to 2 weeks. |
| G．For instance, if you work out using a bicycle on Monday, exercise your upper body the following day. |
9 . Sometimes, you are not good at some of your subjects.
Plan your time carefully. When you plan your work, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc., then decide a good, regular time for studying.
Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, free of everything but study materials. No games, radios, or television! When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject.
Make good use of your time in class.
Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes, review the important points that your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material.
Develop a good attitude about tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. It helps you remember your new knowledge. The world won’t end if you don’t pass a test, so don’t be over worried.
| A．Maybe you are an average student. |
| B．This will help you understand the next class. |
| C．Don’t forget to set aside enough time for entertainment. |
| D．No one can become a top student unless he or she works hard. |
| E．There are other methods that might help you with your studying. |
| F．Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teachers say. |
| G．Make full use of class time to take notes of what the teachers say in class. |
10 . When it comes to studying, most of us bank on being able to focus on our subject like a shooter on his mission target. It is when we actually sit down to study that our minds begin to slip away. This is because focus is like a muscle. Unless you build it, you’ll be distracted by everything!
●Make a to-do list
Sometimes the simple act of writing down everything that’s on your plate makes it more manageable. You get it out of your working memory, so it’s no longer part of the free-floating anxiety cloud around you.
●Meditate (冥想)
●Listen
Focused listening is a life skill, one that can be applied in many areas.
●Read difficult works
Read long-form pieces of work at a slow, deliberate pace. Reading difficult material successfully requires real concentration and determination, and your willpower will grow accordingly.
Focus is a skill you can nurture in yourself.
| A．You can cross things out, one by one |
| B．Doing it isn’t supposed to be necessary |
| C．It takes effort, but the results are well worth it |
| D．One simple practice is to focus on your breathing |
| E．Let’s see what you can do to build your focus power |
| F．You’ll be physically strong if you can power up your focus |
| G．It’s important to do your listening actively and single-mindedly |
