【推荐1】Tips for Successful Gift Giving

Good gift giving is an art. The perfect present can lift a mood or improve a relationship. Whatever the occasion, gift giving is a social ritual that requires careful thought and consideration.    1     We spoke to some experts to help us craft a simple guide to gifting.

Don’t add a small gift to a big gift. When we receive gifts in a bundle, we tend to unconsciously average out their value, so a small gift tacked onto a big one will hurt the latter’s impact.     2    

    3     A dream vacation or seeing your favorite artist in concert will give you memories that last forever. Experiences often have more thought gone into them, and they create more vivid memories. We might remember the tablet that a friend or a loved one has bought us, but not as much as a two-week holiday to Florida—the memories and the emotional attachment to experiences are greater than to physical objects.

Think like the receiver.     4     That might seem obvious, but it happens far less   than we'd like. People tend to use gifts as jokes, encouragements to change one’s ways, or to signal something about themselves rather than providing utility or happiness to the receiver.

Remember there’s a reason why we say that it’s the thought that counts.     5     Most   people don’t want lots of money spent on them — they just want you to think about them, and that can be done in lots of easy ways.

【推荐2】How to Pick the Perfect Family Tent

People like camping. But to ensure everyone has a good time, choosing the right family tent is important.     1     Here's how to choose the perfect tent for your family.

First of all, consider the size of the camps. Generally speaking, four-and-six-person tents are popular with families.     2     But a couple of features（特点）can make all the difference. For families with small children, a tent with a single entrance is a better choice. This makes it easier to keep track of who’s coming and going. Of course, two doors can offer added more convenience.

Some tents require two full-grown adults to set them up.     3     Be sure to take into account the setup and breakdown needs of any model you’re considering. It may be necessary to go with a smaller model, or even two smaller tents, rather than one large tent for your family.

    4     Or, if friends have a tent, see if you can borrow it for an overnight in your backyard. You’ll quickly discover what you like and don’t like.

As an alternative, many outdoor shops have rental departments. Do your research to determine what style and size you think would work best, and find out if you can rent that model or one that’s similar. Finally, if you are in a rush, ask if you can climb inside the tent at the store.     5    

【推荐3】How to support a child with test anxiety

It’s normal for students to feel nervous before or during a test. Often, parents can be pretty in the dark. If you doubt your child is one of the many strugglings with test anxiety,     1     .

Focus on time and stress management skills. Many children with test anxiety fear that they won’t be able to complete the test in time, so for these kids, focusing on time management skills may help. Winnett says working with planners and calendars and breaking up large projects into smaller tasks can be a good way.     2    Talk to your child’s teacher about tools students can use and practice deep breathing with your child, which can be a good way to help ease your child’s nerves the night before.

    3    Children with test anxiety may express a fear of disappointing their parents. Zeltser says parents may enhance that fear and advises parents to focus on other values-trying your best, for example. Parents can reframe(再构造) these thoughts by telling the child that it’s more important to try hard than it is to get a perfect score on every exam.

Communicate with educators. Teachers are likely to notice test anxiety earlier than parents are. Things like going to the bathroom frequently or shaky hands during exams could be signs of test anxiety that parents may never see.     4    

Know when to seek professional help. If you’ve tried all of these techniques and nothing seems to help, it might be worthwhile to visit a therapist(治疗师). Therapists who are trained in techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy will be able to help children with particularly terrible test anxiety.     5    

【推荐2】Of all nature's disasters, forest fires are often considered the most frightening. Moving at lightning speed, huge walls of flames can burn acres of land in just a few minutes. And although technology, including the use of fire-retardant chemicals, has greatly helped the fight against forest fires, they still do great damage.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the fire season last year was the worst on record in terms of the number of fires and acres burned. There were 96. 385 fires and 9.873429 acres affected by fire in a year that was 125% more destructive(毁灭性的) than the10-year average. These fires cost the federal government $1.5 billion to fight, and this figure does not include the money spent by local and state governments as part of the effort.

Fires in the southern states represented half of the national total last year with Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas being home to a usually high amount of activity. Wildfire has also taken place in Western states such as California, Colorado and Alaska throughout the past 10 years.

It is said that two-thirds of forest fires are started accidentally by people. Almost one quarter are purposely set, while lighting causes 10%.

Forest fires can have advantageous effects. Charcoal(木炭) enriches soil and some plant species(种类) grow well after fire. The cones of the jack pine tree, for example, will not spread their seeds unless there is heat. Douglas fir trees grow best in open sunlight areas after fire.

【推荐3】Compared to other causes of natural disasters, volcanoes offer clues only when they are about to erupt. Now, however, developments in monitoring systems have allowed scientists to develop sensors to detect and forecast eruptions more accurately.

University of Cambridge volcanologist Marie Edmonds says that scientists are now able to use very accurate sensors to monitor the gases volcanoes give out, which can give clues on the location of the magma. The sensors help with prediction because different gases are released at different stages of an eruption. When magma rises, pressure is released along with gases. Carbon dioxide is released early on and then, as the magma goes higher, Sulphur dioxide is released. The ratio of the two gases is used to detect the location of magma relative to the surface, telling researchers the coming of the eruption.

Edmonds is connected to an international group known as the Deep Carbon Observatory that has worked to put new gas sensors on fifteen of the most active and dangerous volcanoes to improve the forecasting of various types of eruptions. The gas sensors continually measure water vapor, sulphur dioxide, and carbon dioxide. They are placed inside large boxes with surface antennae and buried underground. Advances in electronics have increased their accuracy and lowered their cost, allowing more of them to be used worldwide.

Putting these sensors atop active volcanoes is dangerous. Scientists wear reflective suits that protect against heat, plus gas masks for protection from dangerous gases. They sometimes hike long distances in remote areas to reach a site. However, according to Edmonds, the work they do to save people’s lives makes a dangerous job worth it. She enjoys doing something that helps people.

Edmonds’ team has also attached sensors to a certain plane to measure gases released from a Papua New Guinea volcano for a short time, a technique developed to gather “snapshots” of the activity. These snapshots help researchers to better understand activities that lead to eruptions.