【推荐1】When you’re heading out for a day at the beach, sunscreen (防晒霜) is a must. You diligently apply it to every bit of your exposed (暴露) skin. But what about your fur baby?     1     Here’s how to protect your dog and prevent the serious consequences of long-lasting sun exposure.

The sun’s UV rays can be harmful to both people and pets.     2     So, do you need to apply dog sunscreen to your dog before every walk? It depends on the breed (品种) of your dog and specific situations, but in most cases, no. Most dogs can play outside without sun protection, but dogs with thin coats and hairless dogs need extra protection every time.

The best way is to watch the clock and time for walks appropriately.     3     And keep your pet inside during these times. If you cannot keep your pet inside during these hours, it is best to apply sunscreen to exposed skin areas.

    4     Surprisingly, yes. Most human sunscreen is safe for dogs, but there are a few ingredients you should watch out for. Do not use sunscreen containing octyl salicylate and zinc.     5     There are also dog-specific sunscreen available but you should seek advice from a veterinarian before buying one.

【推荐2】How to Deal with Awkward Silences

We all know what it’s like when a conversation dies off and you’re left to sit in silence.     1     Thankfully, filling these silences isn’t as difficult as it may seem. Read on to learn how to initiate small talk and deal with awkward silences.

• Think of topics ahead of time.

Before attending a social event, think of a few “go-to” topics to jumpstart a dead conversation. This will help you to fill the silences instead of struggling for words in the moment. Recent news, local events, popular books and television shows are all good fallback options.     2    

• Ask open-ended questions.

Ask questions that have more than one possible answer.     3     They help avoid resulting in short response. For example, instead of asking, “Did you like your high school?”, you could ask, “What did you like about your high school?”

•     4    

As with any good conversation, the biggest key is to listen. If they respond to your question with a short statement such as “Yes”or “No”, that might indicate that they aren’t comfortable talking about a particular subject. Instead, talk about something that you know they're interested in. For example, “I heard you won your football game the other night. I’d love to hear about it.”

• Give a compliment (表扬).

    5     For example, you could say, “I really like your shirt. Where did you get it?” This could move the conversation in another direction while making the other person feel good. Stick to saying nice things if you’re trying to make small talk.