Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is very popular among business people who want to improve their careers, but its rules can be applied to any area of life. For example, Covey’s rules can be used to improve relationships between parents and children or to improve the way you manage your time.
Covey begins by discussing habits and effectiveness, and why they are both important to success. According to Covey, for an action to become a habit, you must know what to do and why should do it. However, you also must want to do it. On the other hand, effectiveness means having a balance between success and a good relationship with the people around you. In order to be successful, you must have habits that make you able to deal effectively with others and your own personal life.
Next, Covey introduces the seven habits of highly effective people. The first three habits focus on personal growth. The next three habits are about how to get along with others. The seventh habit shows how to achieve physical, emotional and mental health.
Covey includes exercises to help you analyse your life. He challenges you to decide what you want to contribute to society in your lifetime. He does this by asking you to think about what people to say about you after you die. Your answer to this question will help you make better decisions about how to spend your time. In this way, you can challenge yourself to make your dreams and ambitions come true.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has the potential to really improve your life.
| Introduction |
This book can help you improve your career and your |
| For success |
l Habits: you must know what to do and why should do it. You also must want to do it. l |
| The seven |
The first three habits focus on personal |
| Exercises |
l They help you l Decide what l Challenge yourself to |
| The book has the potential to really improve your life. |
A little boy invited his mother to attend his school’s first teacher-parent meeting. To the little boy’s 36 , she said she would go. This would be the first time that his classmates and teacher 37 his mother and he felt 38 of her appearance. Although she was a beautiful woman, there was a severe scar that 39 nearly the entire right side of her face. The boy never wanted to 40 why or how she got the scar.
At the meeting, the people were 41 by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother
42 the scar, but the little boy was still embarrassed and 43 himself from everyone. He did, however, get within hearing of a conversation between his mother and his teacher.
The teacher asked 44 , “How did you get the scar on your face?”
The mother replied, “ 45 my son was a baby, he was in a room that 46 fire. Everyone was 47 afraid to go in because the fire was 48 , so I went in. As I was running toward his bed, I saw a long piece of wood coming down and I placed myself 49 him trying to protect him. I was knocked 50 but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us. ” She 51 the burned side of her face. “This scar will be 52 , but to this day, I have never 53 what I did.”
At this point, the little boy came out running toward his mother with tears in his eyes. He 54 her in his arms and felt a great sense of the sacrifice that his mother had made for him. He held her hand 55 for the rest of the day.
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How to Make Friends
Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leaves us without a friend1. But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.
1. Associate with others.
The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.
2.Start a conversation
Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.2You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.
3.3Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together, Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.
4.Let it grow.
It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend.4. The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.
5.Enjoy your friendship
The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves.5Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.
| A. Be cheerful. B. Do things together. C. Do not wait to be spoken to. D. Try not to find fault with your friends. E. Making new friends comes easy for some people. F. For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch. G. So you will need to give your friend time to react to you. |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余项。
It is not so easy to disagree with your parents. Here are a few quick tips on how to show your opinion in the right way.
________ Don’t let angry words fly out of your mouth if you don’t really want to say them, or you will have a lot of work to do later.
________ How would you feel if you were your mother or father? Why do they do that? Is it really bad?
Try to stay calm. If you find yourself getting too angry, ask for soft time to be alone. ________
Learn to listen. Maybe your parents aren’t as persuasive （具有说服力的） as you think. ________.
Pay attention to needs rather than problems. ______ Tell your parents that you want to discuss the problem with them rather than work against them.
| A.Think before you speak. B.Never listen to your parents. C.Think about the problem from your parents’ point of view. D.It is quite common to disagree with one’s parents E.Hear them out and then decide how to deal with the problem. F.Be clear about what you need, rather than focus on why you disagree. G.If you can, try to discuss the problem with your parents at another time. |
Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.
| A.post B.pressure C.paid D.negotiating E.abandon F.balance G.average H.entitled I.increasingly J.reluctantly |
Most women in France work. Their average salary is about 75% that of their male co-workers, even though laws passed in 1972 require “professional equality” between the sexes.
The good news is that women are __1__moving into middle management, but a handful are to top executives. The higher their position, the harder it is to __2__family and career. A 38-year-old woman who graduated from the National school of Administration remembers that when she took a senior __3__in a ministry, her male colleagues assured her,” you are one of us, one of the guys”. But when she became a mother, she found it difficult to stick to age-old traditions of being a housewife. Meanwhile, she couldn’t follow the office schedule. “It was too much__4__ to have long lunches and late-night meetings.”, she said.
For those who want to balance family with a job, France is a heaven. Women marry later, on __5__, than in America - at age 25. They stay in the workforce, and part-time jobs are easy to find. Maternity(孕产) benefits are generous, with over six months of __6__ leave. Women who’ve raised three or more children are __7__to get a state-funded pension, and the quality of publicly funded education for children is high.
French businesswomen dress elegantly, argue intelligently and play hardball at the __8__table. They show their wit, intellect, ability to make puns and understanding of politics, history and literature. Unlike most American female executives who dress conservatively in a dark, not particularly flattering suit, with no jewelry and little makeup, Frenchwomen see no need to __9__femininity(妇女特质) and elegance in the business world. They prefer soft colors, stylish clothes, silk scarves, light makeup, and simple but elegant jewelry.
Study for an approaching exam
Studying hard for a few days can be tiring, but it always pays off! Most people clearly recall the fear they felt when they realized that an exam was near. If you’re in this situation, don’t worry. Many people have proven that there is still enough time to study, if you do it properly. Here are some strategies to help you.
Calm down! Fear will only make your situation worse. __1__ Many times, fear can even hurt your chances of doing well in the exam. If you are nervous, take deep breaths, and tell yourself strategies to help you.
Study the most important topics first. Exams usually cover a few main ideas, concepts, or skills. When you are short of time, focus your energies on the key areas. Review the highlighted topics in textbooks and the parts your teacher stressed repeatedly. __2__.
Determine what subjects you don’t know enough about. __3__The parts you know more about still need reviewing, but they will come to you more easily. So try to focus on the more challenging topics.
__4__You don’t get extra points for going it alone. Classmates can be helpful in studying, and choose someone who will be able to help you. Ask for help from your parents, brothers or sisters. __5__ Form a study group. Not only do you have additional help, you also have the advantage of studying with people you know well.
| A．Do more study on these topics. |
| B．Studying together can be helpful. |
| C．They may really appreciate being asked. |
| D．This way, you will for sure get a better grade. |
E. You will be focusing on the horror, not the coming exam.
F. They are all clues as to what are really the vital topics.
G. Realize that last-minute studying is not the best way to study.