1 . Being part of a club is such a great experience for people of all ages. Here are five benefits of joining a club.

You can meet new people.

Usually, the people you meet are easy to get along with because you both have something in common: your interest in the club.     1    That means you spend a lot of time with other members. Often, from my experience, members of the club become good friends with each other.

You can learn new skills.

Everyone in a club has a job to do. Your work might be something that you’re already great at or something that you don’t have much experience with.     2     I learned about how to communicate with other people. Some basic skills were also learned that can be used later on in life.

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The idea of joining a club between work, school, friends and family may seem overwhelming (令人难以应对的). However, once you get used to your role in a club and learn to manage your time, you will find there is still enough time left for other things that need to be done daily.

You can gain experience for the future.

The skills you learn will not only allow you to succeed in that profession but will also look great on a resume (简历) if you join a club that is similar to the career you want to enter! If you dream of becoming a lawyer, for example, you will be thankful for the practice you got from being part of such a club.     4    

You can improve confidence.

Joining a club requires courage.     5     But the more you practice your club function (功能), the better you’re going to be at it. Normally, the more time you spend in a club, the more you’ll be relaxed and confident.

2 . Traveling is a unique experience and it helps us forget about our problems, frustrations, and fears at home. During our journey, we explore new places, cultures, cuisines, traditions, and ways of living.     1     This is why traveling is such an invaluable life experience.

If you remain in your hometown or country for your whole life, it’s hard to fully understand the world.     2     Being exposed to other cultures allows us to become open-minded and understand that even though we appear to be different, we also have many similarities.

    3     By traveling, we get to experience how people around the world live their lives. We learn where their priorities (最重要的事) lie and how they view family, work, education, the environment, etc. This may question and influence our own ideas and beliefs on how to live life.

Traveling makes meeting new people very easy. We are constantly surrounded by other people, whether we find ourselves in a hotel bar or on an excursion (远足).     4     We also often have similar interests and values, making the conversation flow more easily.

Traveling often involves stepping out of our comfort zone and experiencing new things. These new experiences help us grow on a personal level.     5     By dealing with these situations, you will discover your own strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, etc. This self-awareness is important to your personal growth and discovering who you really are.

3 . If you’d like to have a group of family and friends over on the weekend, consider hosting a game-day party. This is an event when people come together to watch a sport, often college or professional football.     1     Here’s what you need to know to plan a great game-day party at your home.

Ask a parent to help you look online for the game schedule of your favorite team.     2     You also may want to choose an afternoon game instead of an evening game, which can end late.

Make a list of who you want to invite, then ask a parent to help you reach out to ask them. You and your family could also invite another family if your parent wants to take part in the party too.     3     This way people can chat and enjoy some food before the game begins. It can also be fun to watch the pregame when the players are announced.

As the host of the party, you can decide what kind of food to serve. You could provide the main course and then ask guests to bring snacks and sweets.     4     Have water and other drinks on hand or ask people to bring reusable water bottles.

    5     A few ideas: Use paper to make paper chains in the colors of the two teams playing and hang them around the room. Cut football shapes out of brown paper or cardboard and write messages on them, such as “Go Team” or “Touchdown”, and hang them around the room.

4 . What do you do when you have a few minutes to spare? If you’re like many people, you seize the opportunity to do puzzles on your phone.     1     Usually, they can be divided into certain types and here are four of the most common.

Word puzzles

One of the most popular word puzzles — the crossword — has been around for nearly 110 years. Crosswords can be done with paper and pencil or online. Sometimes word puzzles involve finding new words within a large group of letters. This type of word puzzle is called a word search. Word puzzles usually test your vocabulary.     2    

Mechanical puzzles

Mechanical puzzles have pieces that must be arranged in some way. The world’s best-selling puzzle, the Rubik’s Cube, is a mechanical puzzle. As of 2020, over 450 million Rubik’s Cubes had been sold.

Jigsaw puzzles also fall into this type.     3     Jigsaw puzzles have from two to over 550,000 pieces — the largest one on record.

Logic puzzles

    4     Mine Finder is an example of logic puzzles. In Mine Finder players must think clearly to determine where the mines are hidden in a grid(方格).

Math puzzles

Math puzzles involve numbers, words or objects and the use of math. Surprisingly, the ever–popular Candy Crush is classified as a math puzzle.     5    

There are many other kinds of puzzles. But no matter which you prefer, puzzles are a great way to spend your time.

5 .     1    

The best things in life are free. At least, creativity is free. Do you really want to spend $20 on popcorn and movie tickets when you can do much better things? Find out what other things you can do when your financial situation is not so good.

    2     Just have a look at the fashionable things. Window shopping can be an enjoyable way to relax.

Go for a bus adventure. Take the bus or subway. Plan a full-day trip with friends, get to your destination using cheap transportation, and you could discover all sorts of new places.

    3     Most museums have free days and give students discounts, so check out their websites before heading over.

Go for a picnic. There’s nothing like a picnic in a park with friends. Bring a huge blanket, homemade sandwiches/snacks, a ball, and have a good time under a nice, shady trees.

Host a movie night. Watching movies on DVD is a lot cheaper than going to the cinema. Invite some friends over.     4    .

Take a free class. Most yoga, dance, and art studios offer free trial classes or host walk-in days, so grab your friends and go try something new.

    5     Have all of your friends collect their old stuff, choose a proper place, and make some money selling the things. You’ll have a lot of fun, and in the end; each of you will have a little money to put into your pockets.

6 . How to Care for a Pet Fish

Taking care of a pet is a big responsibility, so you should make sure you learn all about your pet before bringing it home.    1     That's because fish can give them a good idea of whether or not they'll be able to take care of a more complicated (复杂的) pet later on.

First, choose what types of fish.     2     They are easier to raise and give you enough experience to take care of fish and their tanks (水箱). Some kinds of fish do not get along with others, so you'll need to choose what kinds to buy.

Next, make sure you have all of the necessary supplies. Fish need a fish tank. Make sure it is big enough for the number of fish. Fish tanks need a light and some machines to keep the water clean and at a comfortable temperature.    3    

Now you can set up your aquarium (水族馆). Wash sand and decorations (装饰物) clean and fill the bottom of the tank with them.     4     Follow the instructions on the heater to heat up the water to the temperature your fish will need. Make sure your light is ready to go, too!

    5     The pet store keeper can teach you how to make your fish get comfortable before you put them into your aquarium. Once the fish are in the tank, you have to watch them closely to make sure they don't get sick. Feed them in small amounts a few times a day. You will have to change some of the water at least once a week.

7 . First rains of the season always make everybody happy. However, as it begins to rain often, you will possibly feel bored.     1     Well, you can do many fun things, which will make the day a truly enjoyable one.

    2     Take a little time out for yourself. Then take a long walk and watch everything. You can walk in your neighborhood or even take the subway and discover new places in the town. If you like taking pictures, take your camera along with you to catch beautiful moments.

Host a rain dance party!     3     It can also be in your backyard. Make sure that the dance floor is hard and even to avoid accidents. Place the stereo (立体声音响) under the roof in case it gets wet. Call your friends and enjoy the party!

Watch and listen to nature. For example, you can take your bike and ride in a green hilly area.     4     If you can’t go outside your house, sit in the balcony (阳台) with a cup of tea and listen to the sound of water falling on different objects.

There are many things to do on a rainy day. But make sure you take a rain jacket or an umbrella while going out in the rains.     5     When it comes to preventing you catching a cold in the rains, you can eat a lot of vitamin C, and take a bath once you come back home.