How to manage your time
Does it seem like you never have enough time and wonder where all your time goes? Do you know someone who usually gets work done before it is due? Maybe they use their time well. You can learn how to spend your time wisely, too. These steps may help you find that you have more time than you think!
   1 
Write down major due dates on your calendar. Estimate how long it will take to do each project. Allow yourself more time than you think you will really need.
Make a master schedule which should include the following activities.
— all required school activities
— work schedule
— after-school activities
— blank spaces for unknown activities
A master schedule can help you keep track of all the things that you need to do during the semester. If you know what you have to do and when you need to do it, you can prepare better to meet the deadlines.
   2 
Plan when to do all your tasks for the week. Schedule time to study for tests, read your textbooks, write papers, go to work, be at meetings. Leave enough time for your chores（零星琐事）and household duties.
  3 
Make a “to do” list the night before or the first thing in the morning. If you write down what you need to do, your mind will be free to study. You won’t worry and spend time thinking about what you have to do next.
   4 
Use it for a few weeks, then ask yourself some questions. Are you getting your schoolwork done on time? Are you getting more things done? Do you feel you have control of your time?
Yes? Then your new schedule is working well.
No? Then you should look at your schedule to see how it can be improved.
   5 
Even a well-planned schedule can’t help if you don’t follow it.
It is very important to manage your time wisely.
As you get older, you will have more responsibilities. You will find it easier to succeed if you learn to manage your time well.

How to manage your time

Does it seem like you never have enough time and wonder where all your time goes? Do you know someone who usually gets work done before it is due? Maybe they use their time well. You can learn how to spend your time wisely, too. These steps may help you find that you have more time than you think!

   1 

Write down major due dates on your calendar. Estimate how long it will take to do each project. Allow yourself more time than you think you will really need.

Make a master schedule which should include the following activities.

— all required school activities

— work schedule

— after-school activities

— blank spaces for unknown activities

A master schedule can help you keep track of all the things that you need to do during the semester. If you know what you have to do and when you need to do it, you can prepare better to meet the deadlines.

   2 

Plan when to do all your tasks for the week. Schedule time to study for tests, read your textbooks, write papers, go to work, be at meetings. Leave enough time for your chores（零星琐事）and household duties.

  3 

Make a “to do” list the night before or the first thing in the morning. If you write down what you need to do, your mind will be free to study. You won’t worry and spend time thinking about what you have to do next.

   4 

Use it for a few weeks, then ask yourself some questions. Are you getting your schoolwork done on time? Are you getting more things done? Do you feel you have control of your time?

Yes? Then your new schedule is working well.

No? Then you should look at your schedule to see how it can be improved.

   5 

Even a well-planned schedule can’t help if you don’t follow it.

It is very important to manage your time wisely.

As you get older, you will have more responsibilities. You will find it easier to succeed if you learn to manage your time well.

A. See how well your new schedule works.

B. Plan by the week.

C. Cut out wasted time.

D. Follow your schedule closely.

E. Plan by the semester.

F. Plan each day.

G. Learn how to save your time.

A woman from Japan was telling a friend about her trip to the United States.The woman had visited major businesses and investment companies in New York City and Chicago.

“I studied English before I left home，”she said.“But I still was not sure that people were speaking English.”

Her problem is easy to understand.Americans in business are like people who are in business anywhere.They have a language of their own.Some of the words and expressions deal with the special areas of their work.Other expressions are borrowed from different kinds of work such as the theater and movie industry.

One such saying is “get your act together”．

When things go wrong in a business，an employer may get angry.He may shout，“Stop making mistakes.Get your act together.”

Or，if the employer is calmer，he may say，“Let us get our act together.”

Either way，the meaning is the same.Getting your act together is getting organized.In business，it usually means to develop a calm and orderly plan of action.

It is difficult to tell exactly where the saying began.But，it is probable that it was in the theater or movie industry.Perhaps one of the actors was nervous and made a lot of mistakes.The director may have said，“Calm down，now.Get your act together.”

Word expert James Rogers says the expression was common by the late 1970s.Mister Rogers says the Manchester Guardian newspaper used it in 1978.The newspaper said a reform policy required that the British government get its act together.

Now，this expression is heard often when officials of a company meet.One company even called its yearly report，“Getting Our Act Together.”

The Japanese visitor was confused by another expression used by American business people.It is cut to the chase.

She heard that expression when she attended an important meeting of one company.One official was giving a very long report.It was not very interesting.In fact，some people at the meeting were falling asleep.

Finally，the president of the company said，“Cut to the chase.”

Cut to the chase means to stop spending so much time on details or unimportant material.Hurry and get to the good part.

Naturally，this saying was started by people who make movies.Hollywood movie producers believe that most Americans want to see action movies.Many of their movies show scenes in which the actors chase each other in cars，or in airplanes or on foot.

Cut is the director’s word for stop.The director means to stop filming，leave out some material，and get to the chase scene now.

So，if your employer tells you to cut to the chase，be sure to get to the main point of your story quickly.

1.After the woman visited the United States she might feel that ________.

A．her English was poor

B．it’s easy to master English

C．it’s difficult to make money

D．people there weren’t very friendly

2.In which situation could the words “get your act together” be used?

A．A task is completed successfully.

B．Players perform badly in a match.

C．Audience is satisfied with the actor’s performance in a movie.

D．Visitors make a tiresome and unpleasant trip to someplace.

3.According to the text，the expression “get one’s act together” ________.

A．was first used by a Japanese businesswoman

B．was forbidden to be used in the government policy

C．originally came from a yearly report of a company

D．was commonly read by readers in a newspaper in 1978

4.What do the sayings “get your act together” and “cut to the chase” have in common?

A．Their use.? B．Their meaning.

C．Their origin.? D．Their popularity.

I was thirteen years when Dad called my two younger brothers and me into the game room of our house．I was   1  ! I thought we would play games or even see movies together! "Bring a notebook and something to write with," said my dad   2   we reached the game room．My brothers and I   3   dead in our tracks and stared at each other in horror! His   4   was unusual, and our excitement turned to fear．We  5   that games or movies were not the reason we were called out．

       As we went back for a notebook and pencil, we   6   to think about the reason for this gathering．We thought family meeting was not   7   because Mom was out shopping．In the game room, we   8  three chairs facing a huge blackboard．Dad asked us to sit down．"I want your full   9 ．We are going to have a weekly meeting every Saturday morning．That is why I've called you here," he said,   10  businesslike．"I'm going to teach you what I've learned about   11 ．So take it seriously．"

       For the next five years, rain or sunshine, in sickness or in health．Dad   12   us once a week．He instructed （教导） us on a variety of   13   —manners, the importance of education, respect for others, home repairs, and the   14   goes on．We filled one notebook after another, which we all   15   well．

       As I came to my eighteenth birthday, the lessons became   16   lessons and then every other month, until they slowly drifted away．My brothers and I were older, and we had school activities, sports activities and job responsibilities that became very   17   to manage．

       It's been years now since we had those classes with Dad．We are   18   with careers （事业） and wives of our own．Very often,  19  , one of us has a situation where we need help from Dad．At this time, we   20   take out our notebooks; we needn't call home．

1．A．surprised                  B．excited                    C．disappointed            D．anxious

2．A．before                      B．unless                     C．until                       D．since

3．A．turned                      B．fell                         C．felt                         D．stopped

4．A．reaction                    B．idea                        C．request                   D．invitation

5．A．decided                    B．realized                   C．hoped                     D．admitted

6．A．wanted                     B．refused                   C．continued               D．forgot

7．A．convenient                B．important                C．interesting               D．possible

8．A．found                       B．took                       C．put                         D．shared

9．A．imagination               B．attention                  C．attraction D．consideration

10．A．going                      B．becoming                C．getting                    D．sounding

11．A．nature                     B．school                    C．life                         D．family

12．A．taught                     B．helped                     C．visited                    D．joined

13．A．methods                 B．contents                  C．problems                D．subjects

14．A．list                         B．goal                        C．plan                       D．note

15．A．used                       B．kept                        C．understood             D．knew

16．A．weekly                   B．regular                    C．monthly                  D．informal

17．A．foolish                    B．difficult                   C．necessary               D．unusual

18．A．grown                    B．familiar                   C．bored                     D．careful

19．A．instead                    B．therefore                 C．however                 D．besides

20．A．even  B．seldom      C．still    D．just