When you set a big goal, you’re really assigning yourself       1     small tasks. When people give up on these big goals, it’s often because they haven’t figured out what those small tasks are or planned for the time and work needed.

No one wants to talk you out of a big goal. You should definitely pursue what you are     2     about in life. However, you should be realistic about where you are today, where you want to go and what you can reasonably achieve in the time frame and with the resources you’ve got. If you don’t really have the time or knowledge required to get where you want to go, it    3     to set a more achievable goal.

Once you meet that first goal, you promise yourself to set another and another. The approach is more effective because it guarantees at least some progress towards your big,     4    goal. It doesn’t have to be an “all or nothing” situation.

Once you’ve set a goal, you need to make achieving that goal part of your daily life. A new “habit stack” is needed. A habit stack is a series of small actions you do relatively in the same order each day. Most of us have a habit stack when getting ready for bed that includes washing your face, brushing your teeth, and setting your alarm, for example. You never or rarely     5     a step because the habit is set and you go from one activity to the next without even thinking about it. So, if you want to run a 10K this year, you’ll need to run nearly every day to practice. You should set out your running clothes and confirm your route the night before.

This is just one example of doing small things daily to help you achieve a larger goal. Goals that are “right-sized” relative to the amount of time and work you’re willing and able to invest are much more satisfying because you’re more likely to achieve them. Achieving a goal is an extremely       6     experience, and one that will build confidence so that you can work up to something more remarkable over time. As you set goals this year, overcome the “all or nothing” mindset and enjoy more success in the long term.

There is no doubt that human activities have warmed the atmosphere, oceans and land. To improve the situation, what can we do? Here are some tips on how to help protect our planet.

The first and most important thing you can do is keep talking about climate change to everyone. The greatest challenge in the history of our     1     should not be a taboo (禁忌) subject. Just one idea shared with one of your friends or relatives can     2     in protecting our planet.

As consumers, let’s try to make better choices. Think about these questions before you buy something. Can I reject all that packaging? Do I really need the new product? Besides, use     3     bottles and throwaway coffee cups less. You should keep refillable and     4     alternatives to hand. In addition, fix things when they are broken.     5    , you can replace your smartphone’s battery or screen instead of buying a whole new device.

If you use cars less, there will be less harmful     6     sent out to the environment. At the same time, there will be fewer     7    . You can get to your destination by walking, cycling or using public transport. If you need a car occasionally, hire an electric one. If you really need your own set of wheels, choose the most environmentally friendly one possible.

How an Individual Can Make a Difference

In the face of a multitude of global problems, it can be difficult to feel like an individual or small groups can make a difference. Our minds and hearts are in the right place but what can one person really do? It turns out quite a lot.

With Martin Luther King Day just around the comer in the United States, it’s the perfect time for all of us to     1     and remember just how much of an impact one person can make on the world. In his iconic speech at the Lincoln Memorial for the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, King told America, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

The social impact King had in the United States is tangible,     2     and real. All of us here at Up with People are     3     of the power of individuals to make a difference. In fact, it’s our mission.

Through music and action, we empower young people to be a positive     4     of change for a more hopeful, trusting, and peaceful world.

You might think the difference you can make is     5     . No matter what corner of the world you call home, what you do everyday matters and even small acts can make giant ripples of good in this world we all share.

It’s a myth that what we do has to be     6     to make a difference. You don’t have to be Martin Luther King Jr. to have a positive social impact on your community. Margaret Mead put it best, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and     7     citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

So, start small. Do daily, small acts of kindness. Pay for someone’s coffee, open a door, let someone cut in front of you in line or smile. Spread kindness because the world needs it.

    8     money or your time. Pick an organization close to home or volunteer around the world with Up with People!

Be a(n)     9     or join a meaningful campaign. Googling “join a campaign” will result in millions of responses from supporting children to the elderly. Whatever you get     10     in will advance the campaign greatly because of your actions. Pick one thing to start so you don’t get overwhelmed.

As a high school student, you’re definitely struggling for writing a great argumentative essay now. Here are some tips for help.

First, be sure of your argument. What are you trying to demonstrate,     1     or disagreement about the topic? Select the one you are able to     2     and support later in the essay. Second, provide enough     3     of your argument, which can be facts,     4    , research findings or even personal experiences, and should be reliable, sufficient and closely     5     to what you’re arguing. It is also essential to consider and analyze the reasons from the     6     side in order to better     7     you points.     8    , your essay should be written with a clear and appropriate     9     including an introduction, a body, and a conclusion, and accurate and persuasive language.

In     10    , writing argumentative essays requires skills and practices. By following above tips, hope you can write a convincing argumentative essay.

The best bosses know how to subtract work

Companies are used to celebrating addition. Profits, customers and share prices should go up rather than fall. Innovation is the adding of new products. Larger numbers are a measure of career success.

Firms are not always opposed to subtraction. There are good kinds of cuts. Reducing costs is a necessary part of management, though not a welcome one. But the value of doing less is     1    . The best bosses are those who take things away as well as add them on.

That means     2     time for employees to get work done. Meetings are almost always called by bosses. Some are useful; many of them are not.

Shopify, an e-commerce firm, began the year by deleting 12,000 meeting s from corporate calendars, and asking everyone to think carefully before     3     them. The company reports a rise in productivity as a result of the     4    .

The only thing worse than having too many meetings is not being invited to them at all. So whenever meetings take place,     5     large numbers of people can turn up. Minus-minded managers will give employees permission not to attend if they are not needed.

Good bosses,     6    , will send messages when necessary, not every time a bright idea pops into their head. They will reduce the tempo of work, by leaving employees time to concentrate. They will be clear if something is urgent or not.

Subtraction is not just about removing day-to-day distractions. It’s also about taking decisions to kill off projects and products that are going nowhere, and to focus efforts on the most important bits of the business.

In “The Case for Good Jobs”, a new book, Zeynep Ton of MIT Sloan School of Management argues that doing less can often make     7     sense. Costco, a well-regarded American retailer has a deliberately limited product     8    . That means it can focus its buying power more effectively, forecast demand more accurately and use its employees’ time more productively.

Less may not sound like a great outcome for customers, but at some point choice is deeply     9    . When you have spent more time trying to decide what to watch on a streaming service than it takes to go to the cinema and watch “Oppenheimer” twice,     10     seems pretty attractive.

Make a Wish List

Most of us know of New Year’s Resolutions, where one sets intentions for the year ahead. But too often, people make their resolutions     1     — “I will no longer eat biscuits left at my desk”— and then feel unhappy. In the cold month of January, the last thing you need is to     2     your energy further by setting up a series of battles with yourself. And if you break a resolution, you feel     3    , which is a rubbish way to start the year. What you need instead are things to look forward to.

So instead, try a wish list. This involves writing down 100 things you would like to do in the year ahead. The items can be enormous or tiny, ranging from “Climb Everest” to “buy a new pencil sharper”. The main thing is that at some point it has     4     to you as something that you would like to do.

The key here is — write it down.

Do you feel any resistance to the ideas? If so, ask yourself why. What is wrong with     5     what you would like to do? Try not to say to yourself: “I can’t I don’t have the money/time/energy/skills.” Just write it down.

It helps to be     6    , so rather than “Get outdoors”,     7     a place you would like to visit. And take your time when creating it — a wish list is not built in a day. Think about it, polish it and     8     it.

Finally, you have your list. And what a work of beauty it is. Here are all the things that you would like to do. Remember to     9     them up where you can see them; let yourself consider how they can be accomplished. You’ll be amazed that so many of your dreams can be realized though the simple trick of writing them down and     10     to them.

Dealing with customer complaints

While we do our best to provide our customers with top-quality products and service, there are unavoidably occasional complaints. The vast majority of customers who complain have reasonable grounds for doing so and we should be grateful to them: the majority of unhappy customers will not make a complaint to us but will instead make it known to a(n)     1     of ten people, as well as possibly complaining online.

A professional approach

Some     2     complaints can be delivered forcefully. It is a challenge to remain calm in such situations, but this is what we, as staff, must do. It is worth bearing in mind that we shouldn’t turn it into a personal matter: just address the issue at hand. Take a professional approach if a customer gets angry or upset and keep your own emotions in check.

Finding out what’s wrong

Sometimes, you are     3     about what the customer really wants. Listen carefully and attentively to what the customer has to say and let him finish. Sometimes people just want to be heard. Ensure you know the exact nature of the problem and give the customer the     4     that you care and want to know what happened.

Providing solutions

When the customer has given you all the details, be sure to acknowledge the issue. If the customer has not opened an item or the item is faulty (有毛病的), give him a replacement if that is what he     5    . There is no need to have this approved by a manager but note it in the diary in the office and put faulty items in the returns area. However, if the customer demands a refund (退款), you will need to have this processed by management.

In the case of ongoing or more serious complaints, it may be wise to follow up with a phone call or email to make sure the customer is satisfied with the     6    .

Many students don’t understand how to get along with their classmates. When students don’t get along, the potential for success in the classroom     1    . Not only are the students involved often unable to concentrate on their work, but teachers must spend valuable classroom time dealing with those in conflict.

There are many different classroom conflicts, and not all can be dealt with in the same manner; however, there are four key conflict     2     strategies which can help create a better classroom environment for learning when used appropriately.

Negotiating. When both the goal and the relationship are highly important to the students, problem-solving negotiations are started to solve the     3    , which ensure both students fully achieve their goals and that any tensions or negative (消极的) feelings between the two die away.

Smoothing. When the goal is of little importance, but the relationship is of high importance, one person gives up his goal so that the other person can achieve his. This is done to maintain the highest-quality relationship possible. If the teacher     4     that relationships between two students in conflict are very important, he can facilitate a smoothing of the conflict. Smoothing should be done with good humor!

    5    . When both the goal and the relationship are important, and it appears that neither person can have his way, the students will need to give up part of their goals in order to reach an agreement. This strategy is often used when students wish to engage in problem-solving negotiations but do not have the time to do so.

    6    . When the goal is not important to the students and neither is the relationship, a student may wish to give up his goal completely. Sometimes it is good for both students to do so until they have calmed down and are in control of their feelings.