If you cut down on the time you spend sitting，you might live longer. New research shows that sitting less than three hours a day might extend your life by two years.

【小题1】 But modern lifestyles and office jobs rarely give us the chance to move around. Sitting is something we do all the time and everywhere. We sit while we're eating，we sit in the car and we sit while we are watching TV. And many of us sit for many hours at work. So on average，Americans report that they sit between four and a half to five hours a day.

Exercise is important. But so is not sitting.

You may exercise often. But it does not mean you can sit for the rest of your waking hours. 【小题2】 Even if you exercise for 30 minutes a day，what goes on in the other 23-and-a-half hours a day is also very important，according to a study on how sitting all day affects the length of life. It shows that cutting television time to less than two hours a day could add one point four years to life.

【小题3】

Change is already coming to some offices，especially in the design of desks. A "standing desk" lets people stand while they work. Another new design is called the "treadmill（跑步机）desk". A treadmill is an exercise machine that lets you walk in one place. Even some U.S. schools are beginning to experiment with desks that are part bicycles to keep children moving.

Exercising while working.

【小题4】They may have got five "standing desks" for their employees or a "treadmill desk". Some other companies may not buy one for everybody but they'll have a bank of these desks where people can go for an hour a day and answer their emails or talk on the phone. People are really trying to limit the amount of time spent sitting at the desk.

Suggestions for sitting less.

If you work in an office or have a sedentary（久坐不动的）job，scientists suggest a few simple changes. Get up from your desk as often as you can. 【小题5】 Instead of emailing colleagues，walk to their offices and talk directly. If you are sitting down reading this，stand up. Move your legs. Touch your toes，if you can. Do anything but sit.

All these activities may help you live longer.

   Maybe you are an ordinary student. 【小题1】 This is not necessarily so. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here’s how:

Plan your time carefully. When planning your work, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First arrange your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc, then decide a good, regular time for studying. 【小题2】 A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you realize what is happening to your time.

Make good use of your time in class. 【小题3】 Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.

Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes, review the important points that your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material. 【小题4】 If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you will remember it longer.

Develop a good attitude towards tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. The world won’t end if you don’t pass a test, so don’t be over worried.

【小题5】 You will probably discover many others after you have tried these.

   To become a flexible reader, you need to know how to select and use a reading style that is consistent(一致的) with your purpose of reading. 【小题1】 Each has its own purpose. Read to learn about the three reading styles used by flexible readers.

   Have you ever had the following experience? You have been given the task of organizing a conference, which includes a must-do list about a mile long. There are the conference site, the guest list, the materials, the technology and even the food and drink to think about and plan. If you are beginning to feel the stress, slow down and take a breath. 【小题1】

Write down your goals. You will need to clearly define what you hope to accomplish with this conference because this will shape the rest of your decisions.【小题2】

Develop your budget.【小题3】 Then break that budget into different parts such as the conference site, materials and speakers’ fees. Stick to your budget, and make sure your assistants are keeping their monetary limits as well.

【小题4】 When searching for locations, keep in mind the number of participants, the convenience of the location, parking and closeness to public transportation, airports and hotels. Your goal in finding a place to hold the conference should be making it as easy as possible for participants to attend.

Seek help from the staff of the conference site. If you have chosen a site that is known for holding conferences, you can seek help from the staff there as organizing meetings is what they do every day.【小题5】 They should be able to answer any questions or concerns and provide advice when needed.

Of course, full preparations also include a walk-through. Go to the site and meet with the staff the day before to be certain that everything is in place and to take care of any small details.