Your comfort zone is a behavioral space where your activities and behaviors fit a routine and pattern that minimizes stress and risk．1.You benefit in obvious ways： regular happiness， low anxiety， and reduced stress．
Leaving your comfort zone can have very positive results， though． For one thing， you'll surely be more productive if you're willing to move out of it． With the sense of unease that comes from having deadlines and expectations， you'll have the drive and ambition to do more and learn new things．2.For another， learning to live outside your comfort zone can prepare you for life changes that force you out of it． Fear and uncertainty always exist in our life． By challenging yourself to things you normally wouldn't do， you can experience some of that uncertainty in a controlled and manageable environment．
While outside your comfort zone can be a good place to be，3.． You can start by doing everyday things differently． For example， you can take a different route to work or try a new restaurant． Besides， you should remember to break out in small steps． You get the same benefits whether you go with long strides （大步） or you start slow． If you're socially anxious， don't suppose you have to gather the courage to ask your crush （爱慕之人） on a date right away．
4. Identify your fears， and then face them step by step．
Trying new things is difficult， so it's important to understand how habits form and how we can break them．5.
A．It provides a state of mental security．
B．it's of great necessity to find ways to break out of it
C．it's a pleasant experience to stay in the comfort zone
D．You have to manage that stress and risk in a clever way．
E．Just say hello to them and see where you can go from there．
F．That means you will get more done and find smarter ways to work．
G．And it's as important to press yourself out of your comfort zone by doing specific things．
Suggestions for Senior Year
Senior year is finally here. We are sure being one of the oldest students in school sounds great. You’ve reached the most important year. 1. Three graduates are here to give you some suggestions.
Zhao Yuebei, 18, Hainan University
Find a suitable study method and create your own system of knowledge. In the review stage, I’ve been studying physics and chemistry with the help of mind maps. 2. I usually wrote down a scientific term in the center of a blank page, and added related points around the term. I enjoyed this process as it forced me to reflect and organize all my knowledge.3.
Zhao Yujie, 18, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang
Don’t bury yourself all day in your studies—it’s tiring and not that useful. Life may be stressful during senior high, but we also need to find ways to refresh ourselves.
When I felt discouraged, I often had a heart-to-heart talk with my mother or my head teacher. 4. Some of my classmates preferred to run around the playground. One of them even made up funny stories and read them out during breaks.
Song Yu, 18, Northwestern University, US
5. Besides the gaokao, some universities hold the independent enrollment (自主招生) exams in the middle of June, which can give you an advantage in the hunt for a top university place, if you do well in the exams. But you don’t need to waste too much time preparing specially for them because both the written test and the interview are based on your everyday performance and intelligence.
A. It was a great relief for me.
B. So how can you make the most of it?
C. Keep your eyes open for other choices.
D. Mind maps can encourage your creativity.
E. But that is when the hard work really begins.
F. It allows me to see the relationship between different concepts.
G. Mind maps are used to visually organize and classify information.
1. When we meet with something we're not familiar with or something frightening, our brain and body start making changes to help prepare us for the unknown. Dr. Kerr says. "For some people, choosing to be scared can be fun. ”
What good is fear?
2. It tells a person to hide, run away, or defend oneself. Faster heartbeat and breathing send more blood and oxygen to the muscles so they are ready when they are needed. Stress chemicals can make a person more alert.
Our memories also help protect us. We keep a close eye on babies because they don't understand what might hurt them. As babies grow, they learn what's unsafe, their brains store those memories. Then their brains use fear to warn them of dangers. "We don't want to be fearless; Dr. Kerr says. “3.!”
Too much can be harmful
Experiences can lead to long-lasting fears that may stop a person from trying new things. We’re born with the ability to feel fear, but a lot of what we're afraid of is learned.
"Being afraid doesn't mean you’re weak," Dr. Kerr says. A long-lasting fear can mean you\e had a bad experience, and your brain doesn't want you to have it again. 4. Other people may have no special fear of dogs but may be afraid of other
things, such as heights, snakes, or spiders.
How to feel less afraid
Many people have beat their own fears. Here is one method: Instead of listening to their imagination, they learn the facts about anything that seems scary. 5..
Dr. Kerr grew up on a farm. As a seven-year-old, she was scared of black bears in the woods. Later, she read about them. " Understanding the facts gave me a sense of confidence, she says. "I knew for sure what to do if I ever met with a bear and how to protect myself."
A. Knowledge can help a person feel less afraid
B. Being scared is not always a bad thing
C. Fear is a tool that brain uses to keep the body safe
D. That is why our brain works faster in time of danger
E. It is good to have a healthy sense of what's dangerous
F. Some people are scared to death by his own shadow at night
G. If a dog bit someone, that person might feel afraid of all dogs
Are people less or more happy when they get older? A study in 2018 found that people generally become happier and experience less worry after age 50. In fact, it found that by the age of 85, people are happier with their life than they were at 18.
Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were the highest among adults between the ages of 22 and 25. 1.
Happiness was the highest among the youngest adults and those in their early 70's. But the people least likely to report feeling negative emotions were those in their 70’s and 80’s. The survey also found that men and women have similar emotional patterns as they grow older. 2.The researchers also considered possible influences like, having young children being unemployed or being single. Bu, they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age.
3. One theory is that, as people get older, they become more than thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotions. They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences.
4.In another study, people in their 80’s reported the fewest problems with the quality of their sleep. The original goal was to confirm the popular belief that aging is connected with increased sleep problems. 5.But except for that, people reported that they felt their sleep quality improved as they got older.
A. So why will happiness increase with age?
B. Researchers surveyed more than 150, 000 American adults.
C. At that time, the people were between the ages of 18 and 85.
D. Stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their 50's.
E Happiness is not the only thing that apparently improves with age.
F. The survey did find an increase during middle age, especially in women.
G. However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men.
Conflict is on the menu tonight at the café La Chope. This evening, as on every Thursday night, psychologist Maud Lehanne is leading two of France’s favorite pastimes, coffee drinking and the “talking cure”. Here they are learning to get in touch with their true feelings. It isn’t always easy. They customers—some thirty Parisians who pay just under $2 (plus drinks) per session-care quick to intellectualize (高谈阔论), slow to open up and connect. “You are forbidden to say ‘one feels,’ or ‘people think’,” Lehane told them. “Say ‘I think,’ ‘Think me’.”
A café society where no intellectualizing is allowed? It couldn’t seem more un-French. But Lehanne’s psychology café is about more than knowing oneself: It’s trying to help the city’s troubled neighborhood cafes. Over the years, Parisian cafes have fallen victim to changes in the French lifestyle-longer working hours, a fast food boom and a younger generation’s desire to spend more time at home. Dozens of new theme cafes appear to change the situation. Cafes focused around psychology, history, and engineering are catching on, filling tables well into the evening.
The city’s psychology cafes, which offer great comfort, are among the most popular places. Middle-aged homemakers, retirees, and the unemployed come to such cafes to talk about lover, anger, and dreams with a psychologist. And they come to Lehance’s group just to learn to say what they feel. There’s a strong need in Paris for communication, says Maurice Frisch, a cafe La Chope regular who works as religious instructor in a nearby church. “People have few real friends. And they need to open up” Lehanne says she’d like to see psychology cafes all over France. “If people had normal lives, these cafes wouldn’t exist”, she says, “If life weren’t a battle, people wouln’t need a special place just to speak.” But then, it wouldn’t be France.
1.What are people encouraged to do at the cafe La Chope?
A.Learn a new subject
B.Keep in touch with friends.
C.Show off their knowledge.
D.Express their true feelings.
2.How are cafes affected by French lifestyle changes?
A.They are less frequently visited.
B.They stay open for longer hours.
C.They have bigger night crowds.
D.They start to serve fast food.
3.What are theme cafes expected to do?
A.Create more jobs.
B.Supply better drinks.
C.Save the cafe business.
D.Serve the neighborhood.
4.Why are psychology cafes becoming popular in Paris?
A.They bring people true friendship.
B.They give people spiritual support.
C.They help people realize their dreams.
D.They offer a platform for business links.
Your house may have an effect on your figure. Experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off. You can make your environment work for you instead of against you. Here are some ways to turn your home into part of your diet plan.
Open the curtains and turn up the lights. Dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating, for people are often less selfconscious (难为情) when they’re in poorly lit places—and so more likely to eat lots of food. If your home doesn’t have enough window light, get more lamps and flood the place with brightness.
Mind the colors. Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites. In one study, people who ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room. Warm colors like yellow make food appear more appetizing, while cold colors make us feel less hungry. So when it’s time to repaint, go blue.
Don’t forget the clock—or the radio. People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories (卡路里) per meal than those who rush through their meals. Begin keeping track of the time, and try to make dinner last at least 30 minutes. And while you’re at it, actually sit down to eat. If you need some help slowing down, turn on relaxing music. It makes you less likely to rush through a meal.
Downsize the dishes. Big serving bowls and plates can easily make us fat. We eat about 22 percent more when using a 12inch plate instead of a 10inch plate. When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one, total intake (摄入) jumps by 14 percent. And we’ll pour about 30 percent more liquid into a short, wide glass than a tall, skinny glass.
1.The text is especially helpful for those who care about ____________.
A.their home comforts B.their body shape
C.house buying D.healthy diets
2.A home environment in blue can help people ______________.
A.digest food better B.reduce food intake
C.burn more calories D.regain their appetites
3.What are people advised to do at mealtimes?
A.Eat quickly. B.Play fast music.
C.Use smaller spoons. D.Turn down the lights.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Is Your House Making You Fat? B.Ways of Serving Dinner
C.Effects of SelfConsciousness D.Is Your Home Environment Relaxing?
