Don’t judge a book by its cover

“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” the old saying goes. Unfortunately, as a teenager, that is often exactly what you do to yourself. Dark thoughts about your physical appearance can hang over you all the time like a rain cloud. Do I look fat in these jeans? Do others think I am too short? What are the causes behind them?

Standards of beauty in the media can have a big influence on what you think of your physical appearance. Teens who try to copy the looks of their favourite stars are fighting a losing battle—these standards are simply impossible for most of the population to live up to. They will only end up feeling worse about themselves. Your friends also influence the way you view your physical appearance. If you have friends who are good-looking or have a great fashion sense, it can feel like you are living in their shadow.

These external influences are always present, but there are certainly ways to deal with them. First of all, be careful not to follow popular beauty standards blindly. They are out of reach for 99% of us, so it is better to just forget about them. Another tip is to remind yourself that you are unique. Everyone has their own talents—you may be good at painting or playing the piano, so take pride in things you do well instead of worrying about things you cannot change. Focusing on your strengths helps you build your confidence.

Finally, it is a good idea to try to direct your attention away from negative thoughts. To achieve this, you should do something you enjoy. Read a book you like, or take part in a social activity, like playing a ball game with your friends. These things can help you take your mind off matters that worry you and make you feel good about yourself.

If you can learn to see the good things about yourself—your individuality, your value to others, your achievements—you will soon begin to love yourself just the way you are.

Antarctica is the center of important scientific research. However, with an increasing number of day, scientists have to leave their work to greet a group of tourists who are taking a vacation in this continent of ice. Even though their desire to enjoy this vast and beautiful landscape can be appreciated, Antarctica should be closed to tourists.

Tourists in Antarctica can damage scientific research and hurt the environment. When tourist groups come, they take scientists away from their research. The work is difficult and some of the projects can be damaged by such simple mistakes as opening the wrong door or knocking against a small piece of equipment. In addition, tourists in Antarctica can also hurt the environment. Members of Greenpeace, one of the world’s leading environmental organizations, complain tourists leave trash on beaches and disturb the plants and animals. In a place as frozen as Antarctica, it can take one hundred years for a plant to grow back.

The need to protect Antarctica from tourists becomes even greater when we consider the fact that there is no government here. Antarctica belongs to no country. Who is making sure that the penguins, plants and sea are safe? No one is responsible. It is true that the number of tourists who visit Antarctica each year is smaller compared to the number of those who visit other places. However, these other places are controlled by local governments. They have an interest in protecting their natural environments. Who is concerned about the environment of Antarctica? The scientist, to be sure, but not necessarily the tour companies that make money from sending people south.

If we don’t protect Antarctica from tourism, there may be serious consequences for us all. We might lose the results of scientific research projects. It’s possible that these results could teach us something important about the causes and effects of climate change. Some fragile plants and animals might die and disappear forever. This could damage the balance of animal and plant life in Antarctica. We know from past experience that when things get unbalanced, harmful changes can occur.