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.     1     But no matter when you travel, it’s a good idea to make your reservations at least 90 days in advance.

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.     2     Then you won’t have to walk through several cars on a moving train three times a day for your meals.

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.     3     In the summer in particular, the air conditioning can make them quite cold.

Arrive early. Most trains operate just once a day and some run only three times a week, so missing yours can be a disaster.     4     Note: The times listed on the schedules are departure times, not arrival times.

Have fun.     5     Read a book, knit, do a crossword puzzle, or simply watch the world unfold outside the window. To calculate your speed as you do, divide 3,600(the number of seconds in an hour)by the number of seconds it takes you to travel one mile(the distance between two mileposts). If it takes the train 53 seconds to travel one mile, you’re going 67.92 mph.

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.     1    .

Unplug (拔掉插头)

Take a break from today's interconnected world.       2    .   You may feel a little uncomfortable at first, but you will know that is just part of the process to let you know better about yourself.

Go to another country

You will experience new cultures, different customs, unique landscapes and another language from travel.     3    . Additionally, the excitement of exploring different scenery and experiencing different cultures are lifelong treasure.

    4    

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.     5    . By focusing on other people rather than your own internal thoughts, you can improve your own mental health.

3 . Museums become the next stop many students want to visit at their leisure.    1     However, the experience of visiting a museum could be quite disappointing if not done right, even for the experienced museumgoers.

    2    . No matter how much you’re enjoying yourself, many museums can take hours, days, or even weeks to fully explore. If you try to put it all in, you will get worn out to the point that you won’t really be seeing anything. Pick a few paintings and explore them in a detailed way, and your museum experience will be more relaxing.

Have you ever started your visit by waiting in line in front of the museum for a few hours just to get in? And that’s the sad reality when visiting many of those world-famous museums. Thus, be smart to browse the instructions for visiting and book in advance online.    3    .

What if you don’t like some museums? Then don’t visit them! I’m not a massive fan of parks, so I would hardly ever end up in any park while travelling.    4    Do they have a nice collection of an art style you love? Just ask yourself and visit the museum website to see what the highlights are.

There is nothing worse than impolite manners while visiting. We’ve all witnessed that guy being yelled at by the security for touching or taking flash photos.    5    .Otherwise, not only will you absolutely get embarrassed by security guards, but you can actually ruin artworks!

All of these ground rules are often neglected by us. Bear them in mind before setting off, and you will enjoy your museum tour!

4 . Ladies, low self-esteem can negatively affect your mental health. No one is perfect. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses can help you lead a more confident life.    1    

In order to improve your self-confidence, you must first accept yourself for who you are.    2    , whether that be by their job, their physical appearance or their social status. If you’re unhappy with the way you look or feel, you have the power to do something about it. If you’re feeling bored with your look, https://www.bustle.com/articles/140442-13-easy-ways-to-change-up-your-hair-if-you-want-to-freshen-up-your-lookexperiment with a new hair style.

    3    , is one of the best ways to relieve unnecessary stress and tension from your life. Resentment, along with bitterness, can create a relentless cycle of anger and negativity. You can’t change what has already happened, but you can learn from it and move forward.

Remaining focused on activities that you enjoy can help to keep your mind off of your stress and give you a sense of accomplishment. Studies have shown that exercisehttps://www.livestrong.com/article/438937-how-does-exercise-affect-your-self-esteem/ has a positive impact on self-esteem. If running or lifting weights isn’t your thing, painting and knitting are also great methods to reduce stress in order to improve self-esteem.

Most importantly, never shy away from who you are. Many people choose to be followers and align themselves with what’s popular and trendy at the time.    5    . Whether it’s the music you listen to, the clothes you choose to wear or even the skin care products you use, don’t let others influence the decisions you make.

7 . When you’re meeting someone new, concentrate your full attention on him.     1     Instead, look the person in the eye, shake hands, and listen carefully to his whole name as it’s said.

Speak the name back to the person in the form of a question. “Hi, I’m Katherine. I’m sorry, did you say Don or Dom?” Or “Robert, is it? Nice to meet you. I’m Katherine.”     2     Thus, by repeating the name this way, you’re increasing your chances of remembering it. To up the odds even more, try working in another question if possible: “Are you Stephen with a ‘ph’ or a ‘v’?” “Ty...Is that short for Tyler?”

    3     If your new acquaintance goes by Bill, make quick mental associations with famous people named Bill, relatives named Bill, or any other kind of bill. Creating mental connections and supporting them with a statement said aloud further cements the name in your memory. 

After repeating the name and then commenting on it, use it once or twice more in conversation. Do this either by addressing the person directly or referring to him while speaking to someone else (“Hey, Jim! Bill and I were just talking about that new Brad Pitt movie!”)     4     Be careful not to overuse the name, though, since that can come off as awkward or insincere. 

Using a person’s name is a key to opening doors for you and to maintaining an initial rapport(和谐的关系) that could make this person a new friend for life or a lifelong business partner.     5    

8 . What’s better: private school vs public school? Choosing which school to send your children to can be a very hard decision to make.     1    

Ask about testing scores. Students at private schools tend to outscore public school students on standardized tests, which can affect your child’s ability to get into college.     2     Researchers have used the same data to come to conflicting conclusions. Other factors like socioeconomic status, can influence student’s scores, regardless of where they are educated.

    3     In general, public schools tend to have larger class sizes than private schools. If you need a school that can give more attention to individual students, you might consider a private school or a smaller public school.

Tour the school. Before you even begin to choose between a public or private one, you’ll need to schedule a tour of the school you’re interested in. Do the students look happy and engaged? Are the learning spaces bright and clean?     4     Taking your children along gives the them chance to see the school and decide if it feels like a comfortable environment to them.

Don’t put too much stock in online ratings.     5     But they could also have fantastic teachers and principals. Talking to others help you figure out if this is true. Therefore, don’t write a school off just because its ratings are a little low.

In a word, knowing what matters to you in terms of the differences between public and private education can make your decision a little easier.

9 . Some Ways to Improve Your Study

As a high school student, it is important for you to do well in study. The better ways you have, the better you will learn. But do you know how to improve your study?     1    

●Pay attention in class. First, don’t make any noise in class.     2     Last but not least, get yourself involved in classroom activities.

●    3     If you are not sure how to take notes, start by writing down the important points that your teacher mentions or writes on the blackboard. It’s a good idea to keep your notes in order by subject. It can help you master what you have learnt.

●Go over your lessons.     4     By going over your lessons, you can understand and remember better. So you should review your lessons now and then after class.

●Learn from your classmates. Everyone has his own advantages. You should learn not only from your teachers but also from your classmates. You can learn in pairs or in groups to solve problems.     5    

I’m sure you will improve your study sooner or later if you follow the ways above.