Most students have had experienced or suffered from procrastination(拖延症). Here are some tips to help you reduce procrastination.
Set Goals
Students often procrastinate because they think that they can put off the work for a while and enjoy their time at the moment. 1 when the deadline becomes one day away and the essay has yet to be started. In order to stay on track, you should constantly set and update goals. It can be beneficial to mark all deadlines in a planner and think about how much time you need to meet them all. Update your plan for the upcoming two weeks so that you do not get overwhelmed, and continue to update as other assignments and events arise. Additionally, make a daily schedule in order to reach necessary goals before going to bed.
Reward yourself
It can become extremely difficult to work for hours straight in order to finish school work. In order to keep productivity, set breaks at the end of a period of time or once you finish a section of your work so that you can reward yourself with some deserved, scheduled, and controlled procrastination-like activities 2 Breaks like these are proven to increase productivity and keep you focused, and they will make the process of studying much more bearable!
Remind yourself of what you’re doing
Sometimes you may begin to think that what you are working on has little to do with what you ultimately want to do. You may consider some work or a class pointless and not useful to your further studies. However, when these thoughts arise, remind yourself what the ultimate goal of your schooling is. Remind yourself why you wanted to go to school and take this program in the first place. 3
Turn off the Internet
4 If you do not need the Internet to do your work, turn it of so that you are not receiving notifications while completing your work, and you are not as tempted to search for sites. The same goes for your cell phone; you can take a break from being connected to the cyber world in order to do your school work. If you feel the need to check messages and websites often, set times when you will allow yourself to do so rather than constantly staying connected.
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Being productive for all hours of every day does not work — you do need breaks, and as a student you are entitled to have a lot of fun. So, in order to balance productivity and amusement, plan times to go out with friends or do something relaxing. But ideally, social and relaxation plans should be made for after a significant portion of work is complete. This way, while you are working, you can keep in mind that once you finish your work you can go out and not worry about your assignments.
A. Enjoy every minute in school.
B. Have something to look forward to.
C. The Internet has become an essential part of our daily life.
D. You may understand why you should focus on completing your work.
E. This thought tends to make things worse, though,
F. Some of the most common distractions are those found on the Internet.
G. You may have coffee with a friend, cook, or watch an episode of a television show.
(二)
Of the many unpleasant emotions we can experience, fear may top the list. 1 Fear can also keep us from pursuing the things in life that really matter — like following our dreams, and developing important relationships. I have some ideas, though, of how to be free from fear.
Experience fear
I used to be very afraid of speaking in front of people. I would get sweaty palms and my stomach would be so tied up that I wouldn’t be able to eat. However, each time I spoke, I noticed afterwards that it wasn’t that bad. Things I fear are never as bad in reality as I make them out in my mind. 2
Create space
The first and most important step to being fearless is to create some space between ourselves and the emotion of fear. This isn’t accomplished by ignoring the fear, or tying to talk ourselves out of it. 3 In fact, a recent research shows that by simply admitting the emotion we actually begin to reverse the “fight or flight(逃避)” response in the body.
Control the breath and feel the fear
Once we acknowledge the presence of fear, the second step is to control the breathing so that it becomes slower and gentler. We try to make the breath just a little bit longer, and feel how fear manifests(展现)in the body.
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With practice, we can create enough space between us and the emotion of fear so that we’re able to replace a fearful thought with a positive one. 5 For instance, before I get up to speak in font f a group of people, I imagine that the audience is positively impressed by what I say and that I manage to complete the speech successfully.
A. Space is created only when we can honestly acknowledge that fear exists.
B. We can imagine a positive outcome for whatever we’re about to do.
C. Fear, if left uncontrolled, can even destroy our life.
D. So one way to get rid of fear is to simply push ourselves to do things that we fear.
E. When we can see a positive outcome in our mind, fear no longer holds us back.
F. But fear is more than just physically unpleasant.
G. As we pay attention to the physical symptoms of fear, we can see fear objectively.
(三)
Real-life Room Escape Games
Real-life room escape games are a type of physical adventure game in which people are locked in a room with other participants and have to use the things in the room to settle a series of puzzles, find clues(线索), and escape the room within a set time limit.
The games are based off Escape the Room video games, such as Crimson Room and QP-Shot, created by TAKAGISM Inc. by Toshimitsu Takagi in 2005, in which the player is locked inside a room and must explore his or her surroundings in order to escape. 1 Other inspirations include adventure board games and movies. Real-life room escape games are becoming popular in the United States, Japan, and China. 2 For example, some games require you escape prison cells while others require you escape space stations.
3 Soon, they were exported to North America, Asia and Australia. Examples include the two pioneer companies Hint Huni and Adventure Rooms.
The games were so successful that new locations began opening up across China, in cities big and small, according to Want China Times. In the southern city of Shenzhen, for example, the first escape game location opened last August. 4 “These real-life escape games can help those who stay at home on their computers and iPads all day to experience real social circles,” Tian Xiaochuan, who owns two room escape game stores in Jinan, told Want China Times.
Earlier this year, The South China Morning Post said the real-life escape games are a hit among “highly stressed students and overworked young professionals”. 5 Some players get so involved that they tear down equipment or decorations inside their “prisons”, as Zhu Yumeng, chief operating officer of Beijing room escape game store Taoquan told China Daily.
A. Each game adds local themes to settings.
B. And seven new game locations quickly followed.
C. They should also be brave enough to face their fears.
D. Sometimes the excitement becomes a bit much, though.
E. Weekend or day event escape games have been held in some stores.
F. Permanent real life escape games in a fixed location were first opened in Europe.
G. Players must be observant and use their critical thinking skills to escape the room.
(四)
Being Left-handed in a Right-handed World
The world is designed for right-handed people, but why does a tenth. of the population prefer the left? 1
The answer to it remains a bit of a mystery. Since scientists have noticed that left-handedness tends to run in families, it’s assumed that left-handedness has a genetic(基因的)component to it.
2 In fact, identical twins, who share the same genes, can sometimes prefer to use different hands. There are also plenty of theories on what else might determine which hand you write with, but many experts believe that it’s kind of random.
Historically, the left side and left-handedness have been considered a negative thing by many cultures. 3 In some areas, the left hand became known as the “unclean” hand. In many religions, the right hand of God is the favored hand. For example, Jesus sits at God’s right side. God’s left hand, however, is the hand of judgement. Various activities and experiences become rude or even signs of bad luck when the left hand becomes involved. In some parts of Scotland, it is considered bad luck to meet a left-handed person at the start of a journey. 4 A person giving directions will put their left hand behind them and even physically try to point with their right hand if necessary. In some Asian countries, eating with the left hand is considered impolite.
5 People come to realize that left-handedness is natural. People even noticed that many famous people are left-handed, including Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Charlie Chaplin. Some researchers find out that lefties are more creative and can deal with abstract thinking better. The left-handedness is more easily adaptable to the right-handed world as well. Being left-handed is no longer a sad story now; instead, it is a wonderful gift or maybe it is something you should take pride in.
A. In other words, left-handers are born that way.
B. Left-handedness used to be regarded as a disability.
C. The unfavorable associations of the use of the left hand among cultures are varied.
D. Why do they prefer to use their left hand rather than their right hand for routine activities?
E. Why do some parents force their left-handed children to become right-handed when writing?
F. In Ghana, pointing, gesturing, giving or receiving items with the left hand is considered rude.
G. Fortunately, nowadays most societies and cultures no longer reject left-handedness like before.
(五)
Companionship of Books A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.
1 It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.
Men often discover their affinity(喜好)to each other by the mutual love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both entertain for a third. 2 But there is more wisdom in this: “Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them.
A good book is often the best um of a life enshrining the best that life could think out; for the world of a man’s life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. 3 They become our constant companions and comforters.
4 And they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what hey said and did; we see them as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe.
The great and good do not die, even in this world. Embalmed in books, their spirits walk abroad. 5 It is an intellect to which one still listens.
Books introduce us into the best society.
A. A good book may be the best of friends.
B. Books introduce us into the best society.
C. There is an old saying, “love me, love my dog.”
D. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words and golden thoughts.
E. The book is a living voice.
F. Good books are like wise friends.
G. I love books as I love friends.
(六)
Last year over 1. 5 million people were diagnosed with cancer. But few people stop to think about if the foods they are eating contain deadly carcinogens(致癌物)or are harming them in a way that might cause cancer. We all eat. Is what you are eating killing you?
Highly Processed White Flours
After refining, processed white flours not only lose most all of their nutrients but they are also bleached(漂白了的)with a chemical called chlorine gas. The EPA sites this gas as dangerous, irritant(刺激的), that can be lethal(致命的). 1 Not only are they making us fat they might also be contributing to rising cancer rates.
Microwave Popcorn
2 Making it in the microwave is easy and convenient. Unfortunately, according to wikipedia the bags of microwave popcorn are lined with perfluorooctanoic acid(PFOA全氯辛酸). Studies have shown that this chemical can be linked with infertility(不孕)in women and exposure significantly increases risk of kidney, bladder, liver, pancreas and testicular cancers.
Artifical Sweeteners(代糖)
If you have to avoid sugar, are on a diet or have diabetes you might be using artificial sweeteners. However, many studies show that people usually GAIN weight when using them and can make it harder to control blood sugar. More studies are coming out that show aspartame(阿斯巴甜), when broken down becomes a deadly toxin(毒素)called DKP. 3
Alcohol
Many of us enjoy a nice drink now and then but over consumption of alcohol can lead to many health issues including diabetes, obesity and many types of cancers. 4 Experts working with the World Health Organization Research on Cancer found evidence that alcohol is the main cause of mouth, esophagus, liver, colon, mouth, rectum, and female breast cancers.
Refined Sugars and Soda Pop
Many believe that refined sugars are the preferable food for cancer cells which helps them grow. 5 This puts most cakes, sodas, sauces, juices, etc. on the NO NO list. Sorry sweet teeth!
A. Excessive sodium, colors and refined ingredients are often added to make up for flavor loss.
B. Alchohol is the 2nd leading cause of cancer following tobacco.
C. It is also very highly glycemic(血糖的)and bad for your blood sugar.
D. This breakdown of chemicals is known to cause certain brain tumors.
E. High Fructose Corn Syrup is one of the main culprits(罪犯)because it is most easily metabolized by
cancer cells.
F. Most of them have excessive salts and chemicals.
G. Everybody loves a yummy(美味的)bag of popcorn.