This year, I'm pushing myself to accept new things. Recently, I1 eating out alone. Asa socially anxious(焦虑的) person, I had always found this hard.
I walked into the restaurant completely alone: no phone, no book, nothing to draw or write with. It was just me and my wallet. I took the time to read the menu 2 . I paid attention to how everything was made. I was still nervous and I thought to myself, "What better comfort food is there than a classic burger and fries?"
The moments after I ordered were the 3 part of the experience. Waiting for my food with nothing to look at or read felt uncomfortable. I kept worrying about what other people were thinking. I 4 at everyone else in the restaurant and tried to calm down.
As I became more relaxed, I discovered ways to find 5 in the experience. In such a busy world, we seldom take a second for ourselves. Eating alone gave me a chance to enjoy ourselves. It pushes me to stop and be present in the moment.
On May 12,2008,a magitude-8.0 earthquake hit Wenchuan,Niu Yu,an11-year-old girl,lost her right leg in the disaster.
The first time I removed the outer prosthesis(假肢) around my leg, I was so1 that my whole body was shaking. At that moment, I remembered lying in the hospital, looking at the ceiling(天花板), but seeing only2 . I had no idea what a prosthetic leg was. All I knew was that I wouldn't be able to run anymore.
As it turned out, I felt sad for years. I wanted to be a"normal" girl, but it seemed 3 . I did anything I could to hide. But one day, my father told me something I'll never 4 : If you want to live a good life, you must 5 your body as it is.
My 6 only grew when I took part in for a teaching program in Tibet. And I started running again. In 2018, I ran Wenchuan's half marathon. After I ran to the finishing line, I pulled off the outer cover and showed my prosthetic leg— it was so cool!
In October 2021, I was invited to walk in a show in Shanghai. I'd never received any training before, 7 I was nervous when I stepped out onto the runway, prosthetic leg first. Then, I remembered a 8 I'd received from a fan. She told me that her dream was to become a model, but losing a leg made it impossible. She had seen many disabled models abroad, but she had9 seen one in China.
Suddenly, I felt powerful. I realized that I was standing on that runway not just as myself, but as someone who stood for everyone that was just like me. I was there not to look 10 , I was there for me— and them— to feel seen.
For the past years, Tokitae has been one of the biggest stars at the Miami Seaquarium(迈阿密水族馆). The blue whale has brought much fun to generations of Americans with her giant jump. Now, finally, people decided to release the whale to her" home waters. "
The decision came after years of efforts from animal lovers. An animal from the ocean, these people say, should not be kept in a seaquarium. Blue whales are known to stay with their birth families for their whole lives. Tokitae's skin becomes infected(感染) after such a long time in an aquarium. And because she is sometimes fed fish that go bad, the whale has also picked up some other illnesses. Tokitae stopped working last year because of her health problems.
Tokitae's sad story began in the calm waters of Whidbey Island, in 1970. Men made a group of blue whales get together. They separated the mothers from their babies. Many of these whales died during this process, and more than fifty were kept at the Miami Seaquarium. One of these baby whales was Tokitae.
Tokitae's family are still alive, including the 90-year-old whale believed to be her mother. But scientists are afraid that if Tokitae were to meet her family, she would infect her illnesses to the other whales. There are also worries about her ability to travel across the United States to a new, wild environment. The whale, after all, is already 57 years old and is not in excellent condition. And she will need to be taught how to catch fish again.
According to the United Nations, later this year, India's population will surpass China's. With 1, 428 billion people, it will be the most populous country in the world.
What is driving India's population growth? Well, one of the biggest reasons is its young people. Nearly half of the country's population is under the age of 25. Because of this, scientists believe that India's population will reach the top in 2065. They say that India has a lot to learn from China. Giving better education is actually one of the best ways to control population.
Becoming the world's most populous country means an important turning point in India's development. Have you ever heard the term"demographic dividend(人口红利)"? It means that the more working people a country has, the more likely its economy(经济) is to grow. In 2021, the working-age population of India stood at 900 million. That was a surprising number. However, the U. S. working-age population is only 207 million.
Nearly 40 years ago, many young, clever Indians started moving to the West. They were looking for better chances for their skills. At that time, many scientists were worried about this. Many of them have become CEOs of top companies in the world. They can help develop their home country.
▲ . There are, for example, not as many new non-farming jobs as people expected. Millions of young Indians feel hopeless about the future of their jobs. They choose to continue their studies rather than look for jobs. India's unemployment rate (失业率) climbed to 8. 11% this past April.
India still has a long way to go before it starts to take full advantage of its population size.
One day, Mathilde borrowed a diamond necklace(钻石项链) from her friend Forestier for a party.
The night arrived, Mathilde was a great success. She was prettier than any other woman. When Mathilde got home, she took off her coat before the glass to see herself once more when, suddenly, she cried, "I have—I have—I' ve lost the necklace!"
Her husband Loisel stood up, "What! How? Impossible!"
They looked everywhere, but found nothing. Loisel said to his wife, "We must think about how to replace that necklace. "
The next day, they found a similar(相似的) necklace. They could have it for 36, 000 frances. Loisel had 18, 000 francs, which his father had left him. He finally had the money after borrowing the rest here and there.
Mathilde was afraid that Forestier would open the box when she gave her the necklace. Luckily, she didn't.
After that, the Loisels were going through a hard time. Mathilde washed the dishes and tried her best to save money. Her husband worked every day and night, in hope of making more money. This life lasted ten years. In the end, they had paid off all debts(债务). But Madame became what she once hated: strong and rough.
One Sunday, Mathilde saw Forestier who was still young and beautiful. She went up. "Good-day, dear. " Forestier didn't recognize her, "Madame! I don't know you. You must have mistaken. "
"No. I'm Mathilde Loisel. "
"Oh! How you have changed!"
"Do you remember that necklace you lent me?"
"Yes. Well?"
"I lost it, so we bought another exactly like it and it took us ten years to pay for it. You can understand it was not easy for us, who had nothing. But I'm very glad because we' ve done it. "
Forestier looked at her pitifully, "Why? My necklace was a fake! It cost only 500 francs!"
Three years ago, I started working at the University of Leeds and I was looking for things to do. I noticed that a community school was ___(提供) Chinese evening classes. I paid fora beginner class ___(没有) much thought.
I had no plans to move to China. I just wanted to learn a new l___ , which is also a good chance for me to know more about Chinese culture and Chinese ___(传统习俗). I used to speak fluent English and Spanish. But I think there should be a huge difference between learning something new as a child and learning as an adult.
I had Chinese lessons ___(严肃). There was only one lesson a week and each lasted 90 m___ . Mr. Kong, the teacher, was energetic. For each class, he would teach us what seemed like hundreds of new words. After ___(数个) months, I got used to this. Through weekly classes, my mind would reorder and make sense of the chaos.
There are more than 6, 000 international students. It was not difficult to find Chinese students who want to ___(练习) English in exchange for Chinese. My new Chinese friends helped me go over everything I had learned in class.
Now I'd like to describe Chinese grammar as an easier one than that of English or Spanish. I am ready to overcome any difficulty and become fluent in Chinese.
Liam Garner likes adventures and had some experiences with long-distance biking. He had once ridden 750 km from Los Angeles to San Francisco. He thought he could ___( easy) ride from Alaska, one of the northernmost places in North America, to Argentina, one of the southernmost ___( city) in South America. So, as soon as he finished high school, Garner began preparing for his adventure.
On August 1, 2021, Garner started his journey. Garner rode through Mexico, Colombia and ten other countries. He was especially surprised by El Salvador. The boy thought it was"one of the most peaceful countries in the world. "
However, while he ___( ride) through Colombia, Garner also met much trouble along the way. He was robbed at least five different times. Yet the boy faced an even ___( big) challenge on his way. In Mexico, he experienced extreme heat. He ___( fall) off his bike, landed on his head and had to spend a month in the hospital.
Garner first began cycling because he didn't have a car. But now, he considers it to be the best way to travel, "Since you go slow, you have the chances ___( smell) and touch things, " he says. "You develop a special fondness for the little towns along the way. "
Over the course of 527 days, he had cycled 32, 000 kilometers. When he gets home, he hopes to write ___ book about his journey. He hopes his ride will encourage others to start out on their own adventure.
Ways to increase confidence
Self-confidence is important for everyone's success. If you don't have confidence, it becomes very hard to move forward and make progress in life. With this in mind, here are some tips to increase confidence.
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One thing that's easy to do is to change your appearance. It's amazing how good a new dress, a haircut, or having your teeth whitened or your nails done can make you feel. Even a humble shower and a shave can give your self-image a lift. Looking confident will help you feel more confident.
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Leave behind the ones who put you down. If that's not possible, see them less. A survey of 48 studies by the American Psychological Association in 2019 found positive(积极的) social relationships improved self-confidence but poor-quality relationships had a bad effect. Actively meet them, as having fun with great people will make you feel better about yourself.
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Getting out of your comfort zone will give you a sense of achievement and help yourself-belief. When you try new things and accept new challenges, you will be surprised to find there will be dreams. Would you like to paint better? Look around for an art class. You'll will boost your self-confidence and get to meet like-minded people at the same time.
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Research has shown that getting out into a green space can increase self-confidence. Meanwhile, Canadian research found that joining some groups benefited self-confidence more than having lots of friends. So why not kill two birds with one stone and sign up for a walking group, a local conservation group or a gardening club?
A. Try something new B. Give yourself a new look C. Make plans with positive people D. Join lots of outdoor groups E. Cheer yourself up |
Please give one more way of increasing confidence and list at least two reasons. ___