If you find yourself signing up for things that, in reality, you don’t want to do, you’re not alone. Hershfield has found that we often agree to things we don’t want to do because we tend to hold a more brilliant version of our “future selves”. 【小题1】 .

Use your current schedule as a guide. 【小题2】 . So before you commit to something a few months away, glance over the last two weeks of your schedule to give yourself a clear idea of how much time you usually have in a given week.

【小题3】 . If an event is months away, Hershfield said, imagine that it takes place next week, or the week after. Would you commit? If the answer is no, it probably won’t feel any more appealing a few months from now, he said.

Are you still hesitated? Weigh the cost. If you are unsure about an event, weigh the benefits by asking yourself a few questions. 【小题4】 . Or, Hershfield said, you might ask whether the thing you’re afraid of is “A one-off event, or will it lead to other invitations?”

Treat your future self. If you’ve committed to an event, as a result, you know that life is going to become busy or stressful, be kind to yourself by practicing “pre-care”. What feels comfortable is different for everyone. 【小题5】 .

Summer is hot. One of the best ways to cool off on a hot summer day is to jump into a swimming pool. Swimming is great exercise, and .trip to a pool or beach is a good way to have fun with friends. But swimming can also be dangerous, so it's important to stay safe as you do it. 【小题1】

Swim only in areas set for swimming.

Don't swim unless there is a lifeguard on duty. If you're on a beach near the ocean, this is especially important. In some places, fast currents(急流)can sweep swimmers away without warning. 【小题2】

Be careful when diving into the water headfirst.

【小题3】In natural water, don't dive unless you know that the water is deep enough. Or you could hit your head on the bottom, causing injury or death.

Make sure you have a partner with you.

Nobody knows what will happen while you swimming. 【小题4】In this situation, a few seconds can make a big difference.

【小题5】

Kids who don't know how to swim should wear life jackets. But by themselves they are not enough, so an adult should always be present. If you have a pool at home, put a fence around it in case children fall in. And if a child disappears, check the pool first.

How Do You Get Better at Speaking English?

Many Learning English fans write to us with this question: How do I get better at speaking English? All right. I’ll give some suggestions as following:

Try to speak English each day

Every day, you can speak English anytime and anywhere. 【小题1】 Begin by saying “good morning,” and “good afternoon or evening” to a family member or a friend. As you travel to your school or work, think about how you feel (like “happy” or “sad”) and say it to yourself in English. When you arrive, give greetings to a friend who is also learning English. 【小题2】 Speaking English every day will help you get better.

Accept a few mistakes

We all make mistakes. You will probably make some mistakes while learning to speak English. But you can still say how you feel. And you can learn from your mistakes. 【小题3】 Practice saying the words many times so you can say them correctly the next time.

Learn some skills

Another way to practice speaking is to read a story from our website and listen to the audio. Stop after a few sentences. Listen again, and notice how the speaker’s voice goes up and down. 【小题4】

Practice speaking with a partner

With a friend, choose a conversation from Let’s Learn English. 【小题5】 Use a phone to record and listen to yourself. Do you say the words the same way as Anna and her friends? Next week, we will talk about continuing a conversation in English.