1 . We try to escape from the hurt and pain by pretending it doesn’t exist, but although we can try this as we want, in the end, we can’t hide from ourselves.
Breathe into pain
Whenever a painful situation arises in your life, try to embrace it instead of running away or trying to mask the hurt.
Ask your heart what it wants
We’re often confused at the next step to take, making pros and cons lists until our eyes bleed and our brains are sore. Instead of always taking this approach, what if we take a few deep breaths then ask, “Heart, what decision should I make here? What action feels the most right?”
Accept your shadow
Many of us who are on the personal development path get caught up in embracing characteristics we want to have, like happiness, compassion, love, and passion. In this process we end up losing parts of ourselves that make us whole. Try asking yourself a question:
Get outside of yourself
After you’ve explored the depths of yourself, you come away with a new understanding. Now, it’s time to share that — not through telling others, but through being with others. Lose yourself in the beauty of others; see what they can teach you about yourself.
A.What else can I do to improve myself? |
B.Is there anything I’m hiding from myself? |
C.Trying to escape is a good way to protect ourselves. |
D.See what comes up, then engage and evaluate the outcome. |
E.When sadness strikes, take a deep breath and lean into it. |
F.Remember, there’s no need to do every one of these at the same time. |
G.We need to learn to open our hearts to the potentials of life and let the world soften us. |
2 . Traditional feedback (反馈), which often involves criticizing past actions and performance, can sometimes be discouraging. However, there’s a powerful alternative that has been gaining popularity — feedforward. Feedforward is about sharing constructive and forward-looking comments to help individuals and groups move forward together, building a positive path to collective progress.
Constructive feedback has long been a cornerstone of personal development. It helps individuals identify their weaknesses and areas for improvement, but it can sometimes feel like a constant spotlight on one’s shortcomings. Feedforward, on the other hand, shifts the focus from past missteps to future possibilities. It is a tool that fosters (培养) a culture of growth, emphasizing what can be done to enhance one’s performance and contribute to the overall betterment of a group or organization.
Instead of focusing on past mistakes or weaknesses, feedforward encourages people to recognize their strengths and potential, highlighting the possibilities of what they can achieve. This approach not only boosts confidence but also motivates individuals to struggle for excellence. In a world where negativity can often overshadow positivity, the power of feedforward lies in its ability to uplift and inspire people.
When applied in group settings, feedforward becomes a powerful tool for building unity and cooperation. Teams and organizations that welcome feedforward form an environment where team members feel valued and supported. By focusing on future improvement, teams can collectively work towards their goals, fostering innovation, and achieving better results.
Feedforward can also be valuable in building personal relationships. It can be used in families, friendships, and romantic partnerships to encourage personal growth and strengthen bonds. Feedforward instead of being judgemental increases confidence. By offering constructive and forward-looking comments, you can support your loved ones in their pursuit of happiness and self-improvement.
To successfully implement feedforward, it is essential to foster open and honest communication. It’s about providing advice that is specific, practical, and, most importantly, constructive. The emphasis should always be on helping individuals identify their potential and offering suggestions for growth.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?A.By analyzing a scene. | B.By stating a phenomenon. |
C.By providing an example. | D.By making a comparison. |
A.Developing optimism. | B.Enhancing interaction. |
C.Focusing on potential. | D.Learning from experience. |
A.Ask for. | B.Pick up. | C.Carry out. | D.Reflect on. |
A.Giving Effective Feedback | B.The Power of Feedforward |
C.Feedback and Feedforward | D.Looking Forward, Not Backward |
3 . 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 |
4 . How to Read Candidates’ Body Language in an Interview
Body language matters, especially in interviews.
Reading body language during interviews can provide valuable insights into a candidate’s personality.
Observe extreme behaviour. A candidate’s harmless action doesn’t mean they won’t fitin well at your company. But be careful about extreme behaviours, like a person constantly checking their phone.
Connect the dots.
Candidate experience greatly depends on an interviewer’s body language. Positive body language can make candidates relax and open up. Negative body language can spark (引发) defensive and reserved reactions.
A.Spot the difference. |
B.Ask detailed questions. |
C.It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. |
D.They don’t necessarily act the same way all the time. |
E.However, understanding body language isn’t an exact science. |
F.You can’t always tell what a specific gesture means on its own. |
G.Be aware of mistakes to preserve a positive candidate experience. |
5 . Living and studying abroad can be a rewarding and enriching experience. And living with a host family is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in its culture. However, living with a foreign family can be difficult and adjusting to it can take some effort.
Involve yourself in family activities. If you spend all your time in your room, it’s going to be hard to feel like you belong. Getting involved in everyday activities with your host family will help you create a family bond. For example, some families like having dinner together on weekends.
Be patient with yourself. Keep in mind that you’ve just left everything you’ve known for years behind to start a new life. It’s okay to be confused.
Communication is key. If you are unsure about something, ask! It’s normal to know few customs and habits at first.
Remember, a grateful heart is a happy heart, and a happy heart will lead you to further success and fulfillment in your life abroad.
A.Be open and respectful. |
B.Make time for those moments. |
C.The language barrier can also be a struggle. |
D.So instead of doing things blindly, just ask! |
E.Showing your gratitude will take you a long way. |
F.You may well recall the memorable moments with friends back home. |
G.Here are some tips on making the most of your host family experience. |
6 . We all know your student loan will only go so far. So what can you do to save those pennies and eventually a pretty substantial amount in the long run? Here is some advice from L&S Editor Marianne Lampon.
FOOD Buy the supermarket’s Own Brand products: When it comes to items such as cheese, milk, and more, the Own Brand products can be bought much cheaper but without lowering the quality. Coupons (优惠券), coupons, coupons: It’s really worth hitting the Internet for some extra coupons, especially for meals out with a big group of your classmates. Keep an eye on restaurants that offer a cheaper Set Menu or that do 2 for 1 deals on main courses. |
STUDENT-ONLY OFFERS Fresher’s Fair: Say hello to free stationery, bottle openers and a bunch of things you never knew you needed. Freshers get involved! Student discount in stores and online: Showing your University ID card will save you at least 10% with a lot of online or offline businesses. As a result, you’ll feel slightly less guilty about buying those new pair of Nike’s. |
FASHION The shift from summer to autumn can be a sad time, but it needn’t hurt your wallet! Accessories (配饰): Basically, wear your summer clothes with warm and comfortable accessories. How about those shorts? Just team them with a pair of tights and you’re good to go. Charity shops: The perfect way to stay on-trend and at a super affordable price. |
So there it is! Sticking to some of these ideas will really help save some money in the long run, proving a little really does go a long way.
1. What can you do to save money when eating out?A.Use online coupons. | B.Order Own Brand products. |
C.Choose main courses in a Set Menu. | D.Visit student-only restaurants. |
A.Online stores. | B.Charity shops. |
C.The supermarket. | D.Fresher’s Fair. |
A.Teachers. | B.Parents. | C.Students. | D.Businessmen. |
7 . 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. |
8 . How do people respond when you have a talk with them? Maybe they brush your emotions aside or never listen to you.
Use confident body language. This type of body language can increase your self-respect and help you earn people’s respect. Confident body language can include good eye contact and appropriate postures (姿势). Keep your eyes forward instead of down.
Improve your listening skills. Good listeners often come across as sympathetic and caring, which are admirable qualities. A skilled listener can make others feel valued and appreciated.
Avoid oversharing. It’s common to talk too much and start rambling (瞎扯) when you get nervous or want to make a good impression. But to gain others’ respect, you can’t ramble or talk too much about yourself.
A.Keep calm and your anger in check. |
B.There’s no need to fill every silence. |
C.Therefore, he may be respected in return. |
D.Try to make your message as clear as possible. |
E.You might feel that you just don’t matter to others. |
F.Don’t leave your arms crossed or hands in your pockets. |
G.Instead, you need to slow down and find some common ground. |
9 . 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) . |
10 . Micro habits are simple practices that you can usually do in a few minutes.
Read an inspiring story
Set a productivity timer
Having difficulty concentrating at work? Setting a productivity timer will help you focus on the task at hand. You can set that timer for whatever amount of time you have-fifteen minutes, thirty minutes, sixty minutes — and develop the habit of working consistently during that period.
Set a break timer
Much like the previous micro habit, set a break timer for yourself in between your periods of productivity. Set that timer and commit to giving yourself a break.
Text a friend
As we find happiness in our own life, what can we do to bring happiness to others? Take two minutes out of your day to text a friend and tell them how much you care about them. List out how they have had a positive effect on your life. You’ll be surprised how much this micro habit will bring a smile to their face, and your own.
A.Just remember, it’s not a race |
B.That’s why micro habits are so great |
C.Use that time to step away from your work |
D.But that doesn’t mean they are less impactful |
E.Nothing creates happiness faster than spreading it |
F.You can do this by calling up a friend to tell them a funny story |
G.Reading about other people’s success stories can give you motivation |