【推荐2】In many cultures, small talk is a big deal. Although it may seem like a pointless conversation to pass the time, it is actually very important for communicating with others.

“The small talk is about digging into possibilities (可能性),” said Melissa Wadsworth, a US speaker. Having good small talk skills can help you meet new people, make friends or even find a job. Not only that, small talk can also improve one’s ability to think by making you consider what another person feels or thinks.

The small talk is so important, how do you do it? What’s the best way to break the ice and start talking to people? Well, some of the most common topics include the weather, hobbies, work, family and travel. These topics are great for small talk because they are easy for people to talk about.

Another way to start small talk is to talk about things around you. For example, you can talk to your schoolmates about your teachers. If you’re at a party, you might say something about the food, music, or the number of people there. If you’re lucky, you might have a friend who will introduce you to others first to help you start a conversation.

Sometimes, it may seem a bit difficult to start a conversation with someone you don’t know. That’s OK! Everyone has this problem sometimes. Wadsworth has the best advice for this, “Approach the ‘stranger’ about a good laugh, an interesting story or a job chance.”

Small talk might just be the first step to something more important.

【推荐2】Did you feel the earth move? How can you stay safe during an earthquake(地震)?

All earthquakes send out waves(震波), like ripples(涟漪) in a lake. An earthquake can be so small that people can’t feel it, but a great earthquake sends out bigger waves and can be felt for hundreds of miles. Great earthquakes can hurt people and animals. They can bring down trees, roads, and houses.

Once an earthquake happens, it may be too late to escape from it. But there are some steps you can take to stay safe. Inside, remember to lie, cover, and catch. First, lie down on the floor. Second, cover yourself with your arms under tables. Third, catch something hard. Stay away from windows or things that can fall. And then help others do the same things. Outside, get away from buildings, trees, and other things that can fall.

Be prepared for a great earthquake. Put together a kit(成套设备) of things you may need. This kit needs water, food, and a first aid kit.

【推荐3】I spent a quiet year on the island. For most of my efforts, I did little more than feed the wild goats with my grain. But finally, I managed to catch several kids and an old male goat. Training the male seemed impossible and any contact with it was dangerous. So, I pushed a log into the trap and it ran out.

The kids I tied with strings were led back to my summer home. I visited regularly, feeding the goats from my hand so that they would not be frightened of me. I got milk from them and I even learned to make cheese.

I also checked on my boat often. I would take the boat out from shore for quick sails sometimes. It was one of these visits to check on my boat that I froze at an impossible sight. There was a footprint in the sand! Clearly, it was from a man. I looked around. I ran across the island, hurrying back to my home. I imagined each tree became another native man running after me. I hid in my home for several days, expecting an attack at any moment.

Finally, I calmed myself enough to give real thought to the footprint. Perhaps I was scaring myself over a print I had made myself. When I reached it, I placed my foot beside it. It was larger than mine in all ways. Perhaps, I told myself, a native from another island had been on the island. I carefully went back home, ready to fight or shoot if I saw anybody.

Still, I built a second wall around my home and cleared the land in front of it. Then I divided my flock so that any visitor could not carry off all of my food supply.

I planned to find another place to keep my goats on the far western part of the island, where I had never been. But when I went to the beach, I was horrified to see human bones lying on the sand. So great was my shock. I ran from here as quickly as I could. I couldn’t believe my good luck!

【推荐1】Does it really matter if we know how old animals are? To many scientists, it does.

When studying animal populations, it is of great importance to scientists to know how many animals there are and how old they are. This information can help scientists learn which animals are thriving and which ones need more care and help. Scientists usually use the following ways to tell animals’ age.

For many animals, their teeth can help scientists know their age. In some animals, some teeth don’t come in until a certain age. Take cows for example. Like humans, cows have two sets of teeth, milk teeth and permanent teeth. They normally get their first pair of permanent teeth when they’re two years old. Then they have the next pair at the age of three, the third pair at the age of four…

Hair and skin can also provide information about age. Some animals tend to get bad skin and gray hair as they get older. If you have an older dog, you may have noticed that its nose and mouth get grayer as it gets older.

Animals’ eyes and ears might also help scientists tell animals’ age. As animals get older, their hearing often becomes weak and their eyesight might begin to fail.

Scientists are continuing to discover new and more ways of telling the age of animals. Recently, scientists have learned that ▲ . That’s really good news!