Do you know how to pick a good book you'll really like? Here are some tips.

Start with your interest. 【小题1】 You can pick something that you love to read, not for school. They can be ancient martial (武术) arts, computers, or fashion design.

What's your type? Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction (or both)? Fiction books, like novels, can transport you to another world or help you imagine something beyond your own experience. Nonfiction books give you the who, what, when, and why of something. 【小题2】 Many of them read like novels from start to finish.

Read the description. The reviews and quotes on the back and inside covers of many books give you an idea of what the book is about. They can also help you pick future books, too. If you find a book you really like, take a minute to read the quotes and see which authors praised the book. 【小题3】.

Find a family favourite. Which book did your mother love best when she was at your age? 【小题4】 Find out and give them a read—then you can share your thoughts about the book.

Finally, you'll probably enjoy what you're reading a lot more if you find a quiet place and make time for the book. 【小题5】 You can put on some good music, get yourself some tea and let yourself be carried away by the book. You'll see that time does fly when you're reading something you love!

Too many people think that intelligence (智力) is a gift of nature and that there is little anyone can do to improve theirs. In fact, it’s not. Just like swimming, cooking, dancing, and many other things, being smart is a skill that requires training. I discovered some of the most important tools to be smart. Now I will share them with you.

Practice self-critical thinking

Critical (批判性的) thinking is the act of questioning the arguments that are put before us. It is a valuable skill—without it, we will get influenced easily. When we use critical thinking to our own ideas, we use self-critical thinking. If you practice self-critical thinking, you can come up with a better idea.

Be persistent (坚持不懈的)

Smart people don’t give up. They believe that they can do it, so they spend months, even years trying until they succeed finally. You might know that Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before he succeeded. Actually, almost all scientists experience failure lots of times. So if you want to be smart, be persistent.

Learn to express your ideas

You may have your good ideas, but if you don’t sell your ideas, no one will know their worth and consider you smart. So you need to learn how to express your ideas. Express your thoughts in a proper way, and most importantly, let your enthusiasm (热情) about your ideas shine through.

Finally, you must also believe in yourself. Those who appear smarter than you simply have used the right tools to exercise their minds. You are smarter than you think.

Do you know that every year volunteers collect millions of rubbish on beaches around the world? More and more people are searching for ways to reduce plastic use. A few small changes of your daily habits can quickly lead to less plastic waste.

【小题1】It only takes a few minutes to drink a bottle of water, but the plastic bottle has to take hundreds of years to break down. Make sure you have a reusable bottle to fill up instead of buying bottled water.

Choose reusable bags instead of plastic bags. 【小题2】 You can either keep your fruit and vegetables loose (零散的) or use reusable cloth bags. When you’re ready to check out, put your things into cotton shopping bags.

Take your dinner set with you. It’s helpful to carry a diner set and a cloth napkin in your bag. 【小题3】Drink directly from the cup. Drinking straws (吸管) are one of the most common waste things that are collected during the beach cleanup. Instead of drinking your iced coffee tea through a straw, just drink it from the cup. 【小题4】

Keep reusable bags or boxes nearby. Plastic-free living is easier if your reusable bags or boxes are easy to get, so make sure you keep them in your bag, car, or at your office. 【小题5】Remember that our small efforts make a big difference in waste reduction.