Problem: Article: ) of raisins. These should soak in warm water before you use them in order to get them plump, so put them in a small bowl and cover them in water while you look for the other things you will need for cinnamon raisin bread. ) of whole milk. You can use 2 percent milk if you want to reduce the fat and calories in your bread. ) of salted butter. If you prefer to use unsalted butter, that is fine, but if you do that, add 2 tsp. of salt to your flour. ) of flour and 1/2 cup (4 oz.) of white sugar. (0.5 oz.) of dry active yeast and 2 tbsp. of cinnamon. (9.85 mL) of water. Most things can be found in the baking aisle or refrigerated section.
Summary: Get 1 cup (6 oz. Measure 1 cup (8 oz. Melt 1/4 cup (2 oz. Measure 6 cups (48 oz. Set aside 1 tbsp. Beat an egg with 2 tsp. Purchase the ingredients that you do not have at home already at your local grocery store.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Be open to trying new activities in your town or school. This will allow you to meet and interact with people who could become new friends.  Volunteer. Take a music class. Join a team or a club. Walk your dog. Help out at local businesses. Explore your town more. If you're shy, or just don't have access to or time for meeting new people in-person, consider using social media more. Chatting with people from work or school online is a great way to get to know people more. Chatting online may reduce some nervousness and allows you to talk to people from the safety of your own home. Keep in mind to be careful when meeting or talking to new friends online. You may be getting inaccurate information about who someone is. To get good friendships to grow, actively try to spend quality time with new friends. Plan time for something fun or interesting, such as going to a movie, going on a hike, or sharing a meal.  Be wary of always having to be the one to make time for your friends. Your friends should also be initiating and making plans with you, too. Keep in mind not to overwhelm friends by calling them too much. Avoid calling or texting late at night. If you don’t have a lot of time to spend one-on-one, schedule a group activity. Notice what your new friends like. Try to schedule activities with them around their interests. Try to connect with them by showing interest in their opinions and experiences. Ask questions about them that require more than a “yes” or “no” answer. For example, you might ask:  What do you like to do on the weekends? Who is your favorite band? Where do you like to vacation? When did you meet your boyfriend? Why do you like that sports team? After you start a friendship with someone new, it is a good idea to reflect on the friendship to see if it is something you want to continue. Try asking yourself some questions to evaluate the friendship, such as:  Do we mesh well? Do we get each other and enjoy each other's company? Do I feel safe, trusting, and open?

SUMMARY: Meet new people nearby. Talk with people online. Make time for new friends. Pay attention. Reflect on the friendship.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Tell your teacher you need to use the restroom so that you can leave class a few minutes before the bell rings. This will give you time to go to your hiding place or to leave the school grounds before everyone is in the halls between classes. That way, there will be fewer people to see you skipping and it is less likely that you will get caught. To excuse yourself from class a few minutes before the bell, tell the teacher that you have a music lesson/sports practice, that you need to go and take medication, or that you desperately need to use the bathroom. The best thing about saying that you need to go to the counselor is that nobody will ask you why because that is private information and they'll just let you go without interjection. Tell one of your closest friends that is in the class you're skipping that you're not going to be in class because of some believable reason. Then if the teacher asks, your friend can chime in and let the teacher know why you're absent and the teacher won't become suspicious or keep thinking about it. Have your friend say that you are home, sick or that you are at a doctor's appointment with your mom. Remember that you can get in big trouble if you get caught, so you need to have a plan. If you can't come up with a good plan, maybe reconsider skipping in the first place. If you drive to school, try to remember to park off campus on the day that you are planning to skip. Most schools have closed parking lots, meaning that you can't take your car out of the school parking lot without a note until school is over. If you think it's possible that your parents might drive by the school parking lot during the day to make sure your car is there, it might be a better idea to park at school and just walk somewhere when you skip class. That way, your car will still be at school when your parents check up on you.
Summary: Leave class a few minutes early. Say you have to go see the school guidance counselor. Have an alibi. Park your car off campus.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: If a person rushes to respond or share their own opinions, they stand in the way of empathy. Hold mock conversations in which one person talks while the other person hears them out completely.  Encourage the listener to turn to face the speaker and make eye contact. The listener should be trying their best to understand what the other person is saying, not simply listening to reply. Those learning empathy need feedback to determine if they understand others' messages during communication. Saying what the person said back to them in a different way helps them double-check that they got the right message.  Paraphrasing may sound like, “From what I'm hearing, you seem very shocked and upset about the results of your doctor's exam. Is that right?” If the message was not received correctly, the speaker can try to relay it again so that the listener understands. Paraphrasing can also be taught in practice situations to help them feel confident doing it in real-life conversations. Identifying what someone is feeling can be challenging in the moment. To build the skill, start at the end: with the emotion you think the person felt. Then, reflect back and analyze other details, like facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and the actual words that were said.  For instance, if a wife guessed that her husband was angry, she might work backwards and recall that his arms were crossed, he was pacing, he had a sneer on his face, and his speech was overly sarcastic. Noting these details can help her read future nonverbal and verbal cues more easily. Help adults learn empathy by breaking down different scenarios and reflecting on the experiences of the people involved. This may work best by using scenes from popular movies or TV shows. For instance, a scene from a movie may portray two friends fighting. Have two people role-play the scene and discuss what each character may have been thinking and feeling, and what cues help you figure that out. Have everyone start by spending 5 or 10 minutes  breathing deeply and generating good vibes about themselves. This might include silently repeating affirmations, like “I am worthy," or simply envisioning giving oneself a warm hug.  In subsequent meditation sessions, they can start focusing on a friend or family member. Radiate positive thoughts towards that one person for the full exercise—just for about 10 minutes. After focusing on loved ones for a few sessions, they can then progress to radiating good vibes to a virtual stranger, such as the nice barista at Starbucks or someone they heard about on the news. Loving-kindness helps connect with the deeper human side of oneself and others, increasing a person's ability to feel empathy.
Summary:
Practice  listening without interrupting. Paraphrase what others say to verify understanding. Work backwards to read others' nonverbal and verbal cues. Imagine stepping into the shoes of others. Practice loving-kindness  meditation.