【推荐1】Looking for a way to reconnect with nature but you’re not sure how to when you live in the city? Here are a few ways to live in harmony with nature and reduce your stress.

    1    , so you can go to your city parks to get some valuable information. You can also enjoy the natural beauty in the city. A wildlife walk is one of the easiest ways to connect with nature because it helps you to realize that you’re surrounded (围绕) by nature.

Nothing will make you feel as closely connected with earth as walking without shoes on grass for a couple of minutes. This very direct connection with nature will make you realize that you’re part of the huge world, helping you to relax and feel calmer.

One of the best ways to connect with nature is to make it come to you.    3    . You can also fill some tubs with flowers to attract butterflies. Create a friendly place for nature and you’re sure to attract all kinds of beings passing close to your home.

Plants and flowers are part of nature as well and even the tiniest amount of space can be turned into a beautiful garden. If you’ve got a balcony (阳台), fill it with pots full of flowers.    4    . Imagine how satisfying it would be to share them with your friends and family.

Use these tips for connecting with nature and living a more comfortable lifestyle in a big city.    5    .

【推荐3】Around the world there is an increase in the demand for reforestation. This is because the consumption of the forests has affected not only the animals living in the area but also the people. And reforestation is about the rebuilding of the forests that have been severely destroyed. It can offer a lot of benefits when the recreation is successful.

    1    This includes collecting seedlings (幼苗) that are native in the area to make sure that there is a natural reconstruction of the area. Some additional trees which are not native in the area also need to be planted.     2    The importance of having multiple species of trees is considered to make sure that the needs of other species that will live and grow in the area are met.

Destroying a forest is easy but rebuilding it is really hard.     3    The plan must include accurate spacing on plants and trees. This is to ensure that they won’t cover each other while they grow.     4    

The forest greatly helps in the reduction of the air pollution. Trees are responsible for the production of oxygen and absorption of carbon dioxide.    5    It is there for a reason just like everyone else on this planet.

There cannot be a better way to restore the balance of nature than to increase the forest area. We must remember that the forest is a natural habitat of wide variety of animals and plants. In this manner, there is no substitute for reforestation.

【推荐1】Almost all theme park accidents can be prevented．Here, based on coverage of theme park safety, are some tips to help you and your family stay safe on your next visit．

If you are visiting with a child, take a moment to explain the ride to them, and tell them how they should behave．They are depending upon you to keep them safe．Set a good example for them by following the rules of the park, and make sure that they know you expect them to follow those rules, too．

Tell them to stay seated, to hold the grab bar or put their hands in the laps, and not to stick their knees and feet outside a ride vehicle．Make them look to you for the okay to get on or off a ride, too．

And never put a crying child on a ride．If your child starts to cry, let others pass you in line until your child is calmed．Or, gently exit the queue and find something more relaxing to do． 

Young kids can’t keep an adult’s pace in a theme park．Let them take plenty of breaks．

“Kids get tired,” said TPI reader Matt Johnson, a father of four．“Tired kids make parents even more tired．And tired kids and parents may get hurt — physically and emotionally．” He advises that parents plan a mid-day break, perhaps a swim back at the hotel, to avoid mid-day heat and crowds．“You will see cranky families having a miserable time while you are refreshed and having a great evening．”

【推荐2】When John was growing up, other kids felt sorry for him. His parents always had him weeding the garden and carrying out the garbage. But when John reached adulthood, he was better off than his childhood playmates. He had more job satisfaction, a better marriage and was healthier.

These are the findings of a 40-year study that followed the lives of 456 teenage boys from Boston. The study showed that those who had worked as boys enjoyed happier lives than those who had not. “Boys who worked in the home or community gained competence (能力) and came to feel they were worthwhile members of society,” said George Vaillant, the psychologist who made the discovery.

Vaillant’s study followed these males in great detail. Interviews were repeated at ages 25,31 and 47. The researchers compared the men’s mental-health scores with their boyhood-activity scores. Points were awarded for part-time jobs, housework, effort in school, and ability to deal with problems.

The link between what the men had done as boys and how they turned out as adults was surprisingly sharp. Those who had done the most boyhood activities were twice as likely to have warm relations with a wide variety of people, five times as likely to be well paid and 16 times less likely to have been unemployed. Working—at any age—is important. Childhood activities help a child develop responsibility, independence, confidence and competence—the underpinnings (基础) of emotional health. They also help him understand that people must cooperate and work toward common goals. As Tolstoy once said, “One can live magnificently (极好地) in this world if one knows how to work and how to love, to work for the person one loves and to love one’s work.”

【推荐3】Languages like Italian or Finnish can be spelled more easily because each letter of the alphabet matches to one sound. Students studying these languages can have 90 percent reading accuracy after the first year. However, students even after years of learning English are still far below Italian or Finnish students in reading accuracy.

English started as a Germanic language. It is most closely connected to German and Dutch, especially in grammar and basic vocabulary. During the Norman invasion in the 12th century, Old English was spoken but French was used in government and legal documents. And Latin was used in religious and educational activities. As a result, more French and Latin words entered the English language. The printing press invented in the late 1400s helped to establish English spelling. The English of today is how the language was written at the time. However, the spoken language started to change in the 1500s with the pronunciation of all long vowels (元音). For example, “bite” was pronounced closer to “beet” in the 1400s, before changing through the years to its current sound. The effect was that the English language had old spellings, but new sounds.

English has 26 letters in the alphabet, but over 44 individual sounds depending on the variation of spoken English. There are several sounds represented by only one letter. For example, the letter “C” can sound like an “S” as in “city”. And it also sounds like a “K” as in “cat”.

There are only 5 or 6 vowel letters in the English alphabet. They include A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y. But there are 20 different ways to sound them. At the centre is the most common vowel sound of “uhhh”. It is the most relaxed and natural sound. It takes almost no effort of the tongue or throat to create the sound. Since it takes little effort, the sound “uhhh” often makes its way into pronunciations. For example, the word “please” often turns into “PUH-lease” when someone is trying to call attention. This is another reason why spelling in English is so difficult!