【推荐1】Antarctica （南极洲） is in the most southern part of the world. It is like nowhere else on the earth. It is much larger than Europe, and nearly twice the size of Australia. The South Pole is at its centre. Antarctica is the coldest and windiest place in the world, even colder and windier than the North Pole. In summer, the sun shines for twenty four hours a day, but in winter it’s completely dark for about three months. Very few plants grow there, but there is some wildlife, including whales, seals, and penguins.

When Captain James Cook travelled around Antarctica in the 1770s by ship, he found no one living there. Today, a few scientists work in Antarctica, but they only spend very short time there. Many scientists in Antarctica are studying the ozone layer （臭氧层） . It is getting thinner and thinner. The biggest “hole” is over Antarctica, and the weather there is getting warmer. Scientists think that this cold and lonely place can teach us a lot about the earth and how to keep it safe.

What is the most stressful thing in school? It is probably exams.     1     But some students do better under stress, while others do not. So, why do some students behave better under stress?

It all comes down to dopamine（多巴胺）.     2     It has many important roles: influencing memory, attention and how we learn.

Our brains work best when there is a balance of dopamine—not too much or too little.     3     It either takes out dopamine quickly, or bit by bit. Exam success can be connected to how fast dopamine goes back to a balance.

    4     If you become stressed, your brain will start to overload on dopamine, like a cup overflowing with water. The quicker you are able to go back to a balance of dopamine, the quicker you can focus, helping you do better on a test.

Scientists found that, during a test, people who slowly got back to a balance of dopamine scored 8% lower.     5    

But don’t fear. There is good news for every student. The study also found that the more practice you get, the less stressed you will be.

【推荐3】Air Jordan (飞人乔丹) shoes are very popular and expensive. The first Air Jordan shoes were made in 1985. The next Air Jordan shoes came out in 1986. These shoes were special for basketball shoes, because they were made in Italy in 1990, which gave them a luxury (奢侈的) feel. Two years later, the third Air Jordan shoes were produced.     1    

If you want to make your shoes look new, first, get out a toothbrush and some cleaning oil. Second, spray (喷) the oil on the shoes. Third, wash the dirt off with the toothbrush repeatedly while you are scrubbing (擦). Finally scrub the shoes with a paper towel or clean cloth. If you did a good job, your shoes should look as nice as when you first got them.     2    

If you go to a dance party, you'll need to wear dress shoes. However, wearing dress shoes for a few minutes can be really painful. To solve the problem, you can bring a box of band-aids (创可贴)with you. When your feet hurt, put on those band-aids. The band-aids will create something that will reduce pain.     3    

When playing golf and bowling (保龄球), people need to wear special shoes. Golf shoes have sharp metal spikes (鞋钉), while bowling shoes have almost no spikes at all. Both these shoes help players perform. Besides, looking silly golf shoes and bowling shoes do not have soles (鞋底) that are fit for street use.     4    

Are you wearing shoes? Why? People wear shoes for many reasons. The first and most important reason is to protect their feet. Shoes keep people from hurting their feet while walking on hard roads. Some people wear special shoes designed to help them play a game. Some people wear expensive shoes to look fashionable. And a lot of other people wear shoes so that their feet won't stink (发臭) up the room.     5    

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【推荐1】Do you play with your phone before bedtime? According to a US study, looking at screens at night can cause us to sleep badly.

In the evening, our bodies make melatonin (褪黑素). Melatonin helps us feel sleepy and relaxed. It’s an important part of our sleep cycle (周期). However, our electronic screens stop that cycle from working normally. That’s because phones, computers and TVs make blue light. Blue light stops our bodies from making melatonin. Even just a little bit of blue light can make a difference. Eight minutes of blue light can keep our brain (大脑) “awake” for another hour, according to the study. Even if we fall asleep, we may have lots of dreams. Our brain won’t have a good rest.

It’s even worse if you play an exciting game before going to bed. Games make our hearts beat faster, so we have a harder time falling asleep. Then, when we fall asleep, we don’t get enough “deep sleep”. So next day we will feel very tired.

Use these following tips to get a good night’s sleep.

★Have a relaxing habit every night. Take a warm shower, or read a book, and then you can relax yourself.

★Sleep in a dark, quiet room and the room is not too warm or too cold. This can help you fall fast asleep.

★Count sheep. It’s the oldest way, but it can really work! So if you can’t get to sleep, try this one.

★Don’t eat a big meal or have caffeine, but you can drink some milk. Don’t run around or exercise for three hours before bedtime.

【推荐2】Chinese Longtaitou Festival, or Dragon-Head-Raising Festival is an important Chinese traditional festival with a very long history. It falls on the second day of the second lunar (农历) month every year. It celebrates the start of spring and farming.

Ancient people believed that after this day, rainfall increases because the Dragon King has woken up from his winter sleep. A well-known saying goes, “Er yue er, long tai tou,” meaning, “On the second day of the second month, the dragon lifts his head.”

As time goes by, some traditional ways to celebrate it die out, while others persist. The most famous way is getting a haircut. Some believe that having a haircut on this day takes away bad luck. Even today it is a tradition to line up outside the barber’s (理发店) on the day of Longtaitou.

Another way to celebrate it is through foods. People eat tofu balls which are made of tofu and vegetables in Fujian Province during the festival. Fried beans are the traditional festival food for people in parts of Shandong Province. Eating chengyao cakes during the festival is a tradition in Suzhou. As the old saying goes, “If you eat chengyao cakes on Longtaitou, your waist (腰) won’t hurt all year.” People believe after eating these foods, they can get more good luck for their family and the coming year.

We all believe Longtaitou will continue to pass on. Without doubt, it is these traditional cultures that make us who we are.

【推荐3】The Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on May 5 of the lunar calendar (农历). Eating zongzi and racing dragon boat are the most important traditions to memorize Qu Yuan. He jumped into Miluo River and died. Local people decided to throw food into the river to feed the fish so that they wouldn’t eat Qu’s body.

Tomb-Sweeping Day

Every year in early April, people in China visit that tombs (墓) of their ancestors. It is Tomb-Sweeping Day. On that day, Chinese families will sweep the tombs and clean away the grass around them. Then they burn paper money and put flowers and fruits in front of the tombs.

The Laba Festival

There is a festival called the Laba Festival before the Spring Festival. It has been a long tradition that people eat Laba porridge to celebrate the event that day. Laba porridge is the most important dish for the Laba Festival. In general, It is made by rice, nuts, grains (谷物) and dried fruits.

Dragon head-raising day

People believe that getting a haircut during the first lunar month is not a good idea. After a month’s wait, people usually cut their hair on Dragon Head-Raising Day—the second day of the second lunar month. It was once a tradition to line up outside the barber shops on this day.