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.

   Good learners can inspire students or anybody to learn well. Here are some characteristics of good learners.

Good learners are curious. They wonder about all sorts of things，often about knowledge beyond their areas of expertise（专长）. 【小题1】 Finding out about something they didn't know satisfies them for the moment，but their curiosity is addictive.

Good learners don't give up easily. A few things may come easily to learners but most knowledge arrivesafter effort. Good learners are willing to put in time. They try to search out new information. They read，analyze，and evaluate（评估）the information they've found. 【小题2】

Good learners know that a lot of learning isn't fun. The journey to understanding generally isn't all that exciting. 【小题3】 Others need boring attention to detail，and still others need periods of intense mental focus. Your back hurts，your arms and legs get tired，and your coffee gets cold.

【小题4】 There's always more to know. Good learners are never satisfied with how much they know about anything. They are surrounded by questions — the ones they still can't answer, or the ones without very good answers. Those questions follow them like day follows night with the answers bringing daylight.

Good learners share what they' ve learned. Good learners are teachers committed to sharing with others what they' ve learned. 【小题5】 Good learners can also explain what they know in ways that make sense to others. They are connected to the knowledge passed on to them and committed to leaving what they' ve learned with others.

   What's the easiest way to stay warm in the super cold？【小题1】. At least that's what Santa Claus told me.

Over Christmas, Dennis and I went to Finland. We brought back some tips for keeping warm in a cold temperature.

Three layers（层）work wonders.

Start with the base layer, which sits right on your skin: choose something absorbent（有吸收力的）.【小题2】.

A sweater is a good choice. The most important layer is the outer clothes, which should be waterproof（防水的）and windproof.

【小题3】.

You lose heat from every millimeter of uncovered skin, which was the biggest lesson I learned on the trip. My whole body was well covered. But I missed one spot: my face. So it often felt like the wind was going to blow my nose off.

Exercise and don't just stand still.

When it's cold, exercising may be the last thing you feel like doing, but be smart.【小题4】. When we first got to Finland, we were freezing. But after a couple of minutes jumping around, we felt less cold.

Have a heater.

You may want to turn it on all the way up, but it's best to keep it between 18 and 20 degrees.【小题5】. Remember not to create a huge difference between inside and outside.

   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.

I’m glad to have received your letter，but feel worried about the problems describing in it. Now I’d like to give you some tip.

As the freshman，it’s normal(正常的) for you to feel homesick at first. Don’t be worried. As time went by，you will get used to your college life soon. Of course，you can chat with your parents and friends at online. You say you feel alone. You can change that by making new friends. Don’t shy and believe in yourself. Smile but say “hello” to everyone. I believe that we will get along well on your classmates.

I hope you will have a good time.

Yours,

Mark