【推荐1】As technology and supermarkets have made buying food easier and more convenient than ever, researchers believe people are growing more distant from the food they eat. As knowledge about crops, food production, and healthy eating is lost over generations, some school districts are looking to reconnect children with their food by educating them in a garden setting. Researchers observed one “school garden” in a rural Midwestern school district, in which teachers held classes outside in a garden one or two times per month.

“We have lost touch with a lot of basic skills related to food, which raises concerns for the future of food production and the eating habits of our children. And we wanted to see if allowing children to ‘taste’ their education in a garden setting could have the potential to reorient (重新定位) them toward environment and health issues that will only become more important as they grow. This case study showed that the answer is ‘yes’. The potential is there.” says Mary Hendrickson, an associate professor of rural sociology at the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

The idea of school gardens is not new, but most of these programs have occurred in wealthy urban settings. Beginning as an after-school club led by volunteers, the program eventually changed to the control of the school district. The district joined it into the school day an average of one or two times per month, when students would attend classes outside surrounded by fruits and vegetables. Each grade level received their own garden.

Researchers found that school garden education affected the children beyond the classroom, with students expecting healthier choices on the school’s salad bar and starting their own gardens at home, as well as generally expressing more interest in food production and preparation, encouraging them to develop an appreciation for fresh, healthy foods.

“What we heard from the people involved in this program is that their children are more interested in eating healthier food and have choices of food systems like organics and farmer’s markets, giving children more control over their lives.” says Mary.

“I think that people recognize that we are a rural community, but we are not healthy eaters,” one participant said. “We do have cattle and chickens, but we don’t have gardens because when I was growing up … we didn’t talk about healthy food. Nobody really grew food.”

【推荐2】Do you intend to study at an American university? It takes a long time to get accepted at most American schools, perhaps as much as a year. That’s why you should start choosing a school as soon as possible. It’s a good idea to apply to several different institutions, so that you’ll have a better chance of acceptance at one. You should start looking for information now, because the more information you have about each college, the better choice you can make.

There are two good ways to get information you need. One is a general reference (参考) book, called Guide to American Colleges and Universities. The other good source of information is the catalogue (目录) published by each school.

You can study the general guide in almost any American library. This book has many useful statistics, such as the number of students, the average test scores for people accepted to the school, the number of books in the library, and the number of teachers. You can also find the address of each school in this book.

Although the general guidebook has helpful information, some of the facts may be out-of-date. For example, many schools raise their tuition every year. Since you’ll need to know what your education will cost, out-of-date information will not be good enough. Also, schools sometimes change their requirements for entrance. To be sure that you are getting present information, write to the university and ask for its catalogue. The catalogue has more detailed information. For example, the catalogue can tell you if there is a special foreign student advisor, what kind of courses are offered, and what kind of housing is available. Some universities have dormitories, but at others you have to find your own place to live.

With all of this information, you should be able to pick out several good schools.

【推荐3】In many walks of life and in many situations, persuading people to do what you want them to do is the key to success. Researchers have looked into different aspects of persuasion and come up with some interesting results which are surely helpful to us.

One advertising copywriter came up with an approach to selling a product on a TV shopping channel via phone sales. Instead of being instructed “Operators are waiting, please call now”, viewers were told “If operators are busy, please call again”. The results were extraordinary. The ad suggested operators weren’t sitting around hoping people would call. Instead there were so many people wanting the product that people might have to wait until they could get it.

What role does choice have in persuading people to buy or get something? One study in a supermarket showed the effect of choice. A particular supermarket displayed either 6 or 24 different kinds of jam. The large display attracted more interest than the small one. But when the time came to purchase things, people who saw the large display were one-tenth as likely to buy. If they do buy, they are less satisfied with their selection, even though they have made a good choice. A wider range of choices require more time and effort and lead to unreasonably high expectations.

Another aspect of persuasion concerns getting someone to change their mind. It’s hard to prove to someone that a previous decision is wrong, and as people get older they get less and less willing to change their minds. People want things to be unwavering; they want their attitudes, statements, values and actions to follow a set pattern. The only way to persuade them to change is to acknowledge this by agreeing that the previous decision they made is a perfectly understandable one. This allows them to focus on your suggestion without feeling their previous decision is wrong. As a result, they may be persuaded to break out of their established pattern.

【推荐1】By far the most common difficulty in study is simple failure to get down to regular concentrated work. This difficulty is much greater for those who do not work to a plan and have no regular routine of study. Many students muddle along, doing a bit of this subject or that, as the mood takes them, or letting their set work pile up until the last possible moment.

Few students work to a set timetable. They say that if they did construct a timetable for themselves they would not keep to it, or would have to alter it constantly, since they can never predict from one day to the next what their activities will be.

No doubt some temperaments take much more kindly to a regular routine than others. There are many who shy away from the self-regimentation (严格控制) of a weekly timetable, and dislike being tied down to a definite programme of work. Many able students claim that they work in cycles. When they become interested in a topic they work on it intensively for three or four days at a time. On other days they avoid work completely. It has to be confessed that we do not fully understand the complexities of the motivation to work. Most people over 25 years of age have been used to a work routine, and the majority of really productive workers set aside regular hours for the more important aspects of their work. The “tough-minded” school of workers is usually very contemptuous (蔑视的) of the idea that good work can only be done spontaneously, under the influence of inspiration.

Those who believe that they need only work and study as the fit takes them have a mistaken belief either in their own talent or in the value of “freedom”. Freedom from discipline leads to unhappiness rather than to “self-expression” or “personality development”. Our society insists on regular habits, timekeeping and punctuality, and whether we like it or not, if we mean to make our way in society we have to comply with its demands.

【推荐2】In modern times, many teenagers have idols (偶像) of their own who are always some stars on TV on the Internet, etc. These stars always think that a slimmer figure may be perfect for themselves. However, does size really matter? Are teenage fans trying hard to become like their idols? Do famous stars really have the power to influence people especially teenagers?

For the longest time, many parents blame (责备) teen idols for influencing the way their kids act. Have you noticed how teens idolize the stars these days? Even, their personal affairs are being followed by kids these days. Take for example the case of Lindsay Lohan or Mary Kate Ashley, They are famous teen stars. However, since they are trying to project an image to satisfy a lot of people in show business, their health and body suffer. Many kids realized this problem. But they are easily influenced by these stars to exercise and eat less.

It is a fact that the media and especially famous teen stars can influence people powerfully. But teenagers are easily influenced because teenage years are the period when our personality and identity developments take place. Teens watching TV shows and reading magazines are easily pulled into the dieting and harmful eating habits because the media have some ways to pull these acts. They use thin models and stars to endorse (宣传) products or to star in an up-and-coming shows or movies. With strong competition, stars are forced to eat less and do extreme exercise routines to get the roles or offers that come their way.

Living in today’s time and generation is a bit disturbing to a lot of parents. Media,especially as well as the stars, have a very powerful influence to drive teenagers to good or bad. It’s good that we can control ourselves to avoid bad things from happening. If not, parents should really realize and guide their teens to decide what’s in and what’s out.