How to Keep a Diary

In an age of blogs and social media postings，diaries still have a huge following. Here you can be completely honest，and protect your privacy. What's more，you can keep your writings forever. 【小题1】 Diaries have also been shown to help regulate（调节）moods and emotions. If you are interested in keeping a diary，you can refer to the following rules.

Be honest. Diaries can be very beneficial. A study at the University of California showed that writing about feelings honestly helps the brain regulate emotions. 【小题2】This is good for your emotional well-being.

Decide what to write about. There are many different types of diaries. Some people use diaries to record daily events. 【小题3】 If you're working towards a goal，like losing weight or completing a creative project，a diary can be a great means to discuss your feelings and progress.

【小题4】 Many people struggle to find the time to write a diary entry（记录）each day. If you're interested in keeping a diary，try to stick to a schedule. Write your diaries around the same time each day. In this way，it will become as much a part of your schedule as brushing your teeth at night or showering in the morning.

Write short entries when you're pressed for time. 【小题5】 If you're in a rush，just write a shorter entry. Write down the bare minimum of your feelings and thoughts quickly. You can always record more about an event later in the week when you have time. Simply try to write down the basic details before you forget.

How to read more and learn more

These days, more and more Chinese people enjoy sending and receiving messages on the phone. It can help them to get the latest news and communicate with friends. But I think I should read more books besides the textbooks, the more, the better. It can broaden my mind and improve my language skills.【小题1】  Here are some tips for you.

【小题2】Most people read for two main reasons, pleasure or knowledge. Clearing about your reading purpose can not only help you choose the books you really need to read, but also remind you why reading the book is important to you, so you will keep reading and complete the book faster.

【小题3】

No matter what you are reading, it is important to enjoy what you read. Your friends may introduce you the books they love, but those books might not necessarily be the ones you enjoy.

You may have chosen books that you are interested in, and they are right purpose. But while you are reading them, there may still be some books that you don’t enjoy reading. Whenever you realize that you aren’t enjoying the book you are reading, give it up. 【小题4】

【小题5】Before you read each book, ask yourself what time you need to complete this book by.

   Many people would like to change various things in their life in order to be more eco-friendly. 【小题1】 They range from changing their jobs to their vehicles and even their homes. In what follows, I am going to talk about the most energy-efficient（节能的）small green homes. Keep on reading, as this article is very useful if you would like to change your home into a more eco-friendly one.

【小题2】 This happens because a green home will contain green devices（设备）which need alternative sources of energy such as solar power and wind power. They do not pollute the atmosphere as much as the regular sources of energy. 【小题3】 The process of installing them is kind of expensive but in the long term, it will save you a lot of money.

【小题4】 It will be made out of recyclable and renewable materials. For example, the furniture will be made out of bamboo instead of materials which take years to grow. This means that there is not a risk of them to be used up as in the case of certain types of wood or other materials.

A green house will be decorated by using non-toxic（无毒的）materials. 【小题5】 They contain harmful chemicals which can be dangerous, but the most energy-efficient small green homes do not have this problem.

   Communication is one of our most important ways of being in the world as human beings. 【小题1】 It is an art because if you practice it enough times you will master it. It is a science in that there are rules that must be followed for communication to occur. It is the communication that has changed our world. However, many of us have difficulty communicating with each other effectively. 【小题2】.

·Important contexts. For communication to occur there has to be a sender and a receiver. There needs to be someone who is speaking and someone who is listening. There has to be a context for that communication to locate the message. 【小题3】 The receiver can better understand the message behind the message, the subtext of the message and so on with the help of the context.

·【小题4】 Communication requires that barriers (障碍) be laid to rest so the sender and the receiver of the message can be in contact with each other. Barriers to communication include noises, not giving your full attention, speaking on your cellphone while the other is talking. In today’s multi-task work, it’s no wonder there are so many troubles — not only at home, but also in workplaces, places of worship, meetings, etc.

·Rewarding listening. Listening is hard work. It is difficult but with practice, listening can become as natural as eating an apple pie and an ice cream. 【小题5】 When you are not listening, the communication is not getting through. Listening does not mean being quiet and pretending you are giving your whole attention while your mind wanders to what’s for dinner or something like that.

   We often focus on building relationships with others but we forget the important first step: being friends of ourselves. 【小题1】. How can we have good relationships with others if we don’t even have good relationships with ourselves?

The problem might be worse than we expect. Maybe we don’t like ourselves without realizing it. Here is a simple checklist: Is there anything you don’t like about yourself from these lists?

Your past: Maybe you have made mistakes in the past which you feel bad about. 【小题2】 . Even if that happened in the distant past, your mind still has a reason not to like yourself.

Your background: You might wish that you were born in a different family, or that you had different background. 【小题3】. They seem to get whatever they want effortlessly because of their background.

Your personal characters: You might have some personality traits that you don’t like. For example, you may be an introvert（内向的人）and you don’t like it; you wish you were an extrovert. Others might have better achievements than you, and no matter how hard you tried, it might seem impossible for you to match them. 【小题4】. Is there anything that resonates（产生共鸣）with you? All these give reasons to the idea that you don’t like yourself. That in turn makes it difficult for you to be a good friend to yourself.

【小题5】. Here are some tips:

Forgive yourself.

Accept things you can’t change.

Focus on your strengths.

Write your success stories.

Stop comparing yourself with others.

Always be true to yourself.