【推荐1】Most teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends. They believe that their family members don’t understand them as well as their friends do. In large families, it is quite common for brothers and sisters to fight with each other, and then they can only go to their friends for some ideas.

It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or a group of friends. Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking on the phone. This communication is very important in children’s growing up, because friends can discuss important things. These things are difficult to say to their family members.

However, parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them. Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends. Have you ever thought of the following questions?

Who chooses your friends?

Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?

Have you got a good friend your parents don’t like?

Your answers are welcome.

【推荐2】Last month we asked our students about their free time activities. Our questions were about exercise, use of the Internet and watching TV. Here are the results.

We found that only fifteen percent of our students exercise every day. Forty-five percent exercise four to six times a week. Twenty percent exercise only one to three times a week. And twenty percent do not exercise at all.

We all know that many students often go online, but we were surprised that ninety percent of them use the Internet every day. The other ten percent use it at least three or four times a week. Most students use it for fun and not for homework.

The answer to our questions about watching television were also interesting. Only two percent of the students watch TV one to three times a week. Thirteen percent watch TV four to six times a week. And eighty-five percent watch TV every day! Although many students like to watch sports, game shows are the most popular.

It is good to relax by using the Internet or watching game shows, but we think the best way to relax is through exercise. It is healthy for the mind and the body. Exercise such as playing sports is fun, and you can spend time with your friends and family as you play together. And remember, “old habits die hard”. So start exercising before it’s too late!

【推荐3】To sum up history in one sentence, it would be "Life gets better — not for everyone all the time, but for most people most of the time." And the reason is energy. Without access to energy, poor people are stuck in the dark and deny all of these benefits and opportunities that come with power. For thousands of years, people burned wood for fuel and their lives were hard. But when we started using coal in the 1800s, life started getting better a lot faster. Pretty soon we had lights, refrigerators, elevators, cars, planes, and all the other things that make up modern life. So if we really want to help the poor, we need to find a way to get them cheap and clean energy.

Millions of the poorest families work as farmers. Changes in climate often mean that their crops won't grow because of too little rain or too much rain. That's particularly unfair because they're the least responsible for emitting (排放) CO2, which is causing the problem in the first place.

Scientists say that to avoid these great long-term changes to the climate, the world must cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 percent by 2050, and eliminate them entirely by the end of the century. Many scientists agreed that wouldn't be enough. The problem is that CO2 lingers (残留) in the atmosphere for decades.

In 2015, the world emitted 36 billion tons of CO2 to produce energy. Someone may tell you they know how to remove 100 million tons of CO2 per year. That sounds like a lot, but if you do the math 100 million divided by 36 billion you'll see that they're talking about 0.3 percent of the problem.

As you learned in math class, any number multiplied by zero will equal zero. So if we want to get to zero CO2, then we need to make at least one of the four factors zero. But the world's population(P) is currently 7 billion and expected to increase to 9 billion by 2050. In terms of services used by each person (S), there are a lot of things like food, living, transportation and so on, which means the need of much energy in providing them. Therefore, it is carbon dioxide produced by energy (C) that matters the most in cutting down CO2.

【推荐3】Would you like to live in a city where buildings turn the light off for you, and self-driving cars will find the nearest parking space themselves? Although it might sound a little far from you, living in a “smart” city like this could happen sooner than you think.

Great changes have taken place in towns that we have lived in for centuries, while completely new cities are being built. One such place is the city of Songdo. Every home there will have a “telepresence” system(远程遥控系统)---allowing users to control the heating and looks, take part in video meeting, and receive education, healthcare and around the city, escalators(自动扶梯) will only move when someone is on them, and offices and schools will all be connected to the system.

The great mind behind Songdo is from the company Cisco. In fact, technology companies around the world such as IBM, Siemens and Microsoft are already in the business.

About 75% of the world's population will live in cities by 2050, so cities will need to be more modern to deal with the coming problems. “Making cities smarter is one way out, and I think this will in turn make cities greener," said Dan Hill, head of a research company.

【推荐1】Harry Peter taught science at a high school. Once he went to a bookshop and bought some books. All of them were expensive ones. He left them in his car in a quiet street. Then he went to buy some fruits in the market. At six o’clock he came back to his car. He was surprised to find one of the windows was open, and the books were gone. Harry drove back to his home in Lake Street. That night he wrote a letter to a newspaper. The next day he went to the police.

On Friday people read an advertisement（广告） in the newspaper:

Books wanted

Have you any books that you no longer want? I buy old and modern books. Open all day on Saturdays. Harry Peter,18 Lake Street.

Harry stayed at home on Saturday. His first visitor came at nine o’clock. Harry took him to the kitchen（厨房）. He was sure that another man was coming. At ten o’clock, the second man arrived. He had a bag under his arm.

“Mr Peter?” The man asked.

 “That’s right,” Harry said, “Can I help you?”

“I have some books. You buy books, don’t you?”

“Yes. Bring them in. I’ll have a look at them.”

Soon the books were on the table. “Come in now,” Harry called out, “And bring the list（目录）.

A policeman came in. He read the titles（书名） on the books, and then those on the list on his hands. They were the same. “Come with me, sir,” the policeman said to the man.

【推荐2】I remember the green coat in my fifth and sixth grades. When I needed a new jacket, my mother asked what kind I wanted. I described something like bikers wear. She listened long. I thought she understood for sure the kind I wanted.

The next day when I got home from school, I discovered, on my bed, a jacket which was not what I had expected. I went close to the jacket slowly, as if it were a stranger.

From the kitchen mother shouted that my jacket was in the closet. I rushed and pulled at the clothes in the closet, hoping the jacket on the bed wasn't for me but my brother. No luck, I wanted to cry because it was so ugly and so big. But I knew I'd have to wear it for a long time before I'd have a new one. I looked at the jacket, like an enemy, thinking bad things before I took off my old and small jacket.

I put the big jacket on. I stood in front of the mirror, turning right and left. I looked ugly. I threw it on my brother's bed and looked at it for a long time before I put it on and went out, smiling a "thank you" to my mom.

The next day I wore it to school. At the morning break, my best friend, Steve, looked at me for a long time. The girls turned away to whisper. The teachers looked my way and talked about how foolish I looked in my new jacket. When it was time for the whole school to get together on the playground, ________. Although they didn't say out loud, "Man, that's ugly!" I heard their talk and even laughter.

And so I went in my jacket. So embarrassed, so hurt, I couldn't even do my lessons the rest of the day. I received Cs on tests. I wore that thing for three years. All in those years no love came to me.

I blamed (指责)that jacket for those bad years. I blamed my mother for her bad taste and her cheap ways. It was a sad time for the heart. Anyway, I spent my sixth-grade year, looking forward to something good to happen to me.

And it was about that time I began to grow, still in that green ugly jacket, which had become my brother who went along wherever I went.

Has your mother or grandmother ever made embroidered(刺绣的) clothes for you? In the past, Chinese people often embroidered on hats, shoes and dresses to show the beauty of nature or the best wishes to others. Some girls would even embroider on a sachet(香囊) as a gift for their lovers.

Shu embroidery comes from Sichuan. It is said that Shu embroidery is the oldest kind of embroidery in China. People began to make it during the Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD). They sold it to other countries such as ancient Rome.

Shu embroidery takes time. It might take as long as a whole day to finish just 10cm. Embroidery workers need to divide each silk thread (丝线) into more than 10 or even 30 smaller threads. Each smaller thread is thinner than a human hair.

Meng Dezhi, who used to work at the Chengdu Shu Embroidery Factory, has been making Shu embroidery for 40 years. She loves this form of art and wants more people to try it, so she gives lessons in universities. She said, “Although the work is hard, Shu embroidery stands for thousands of years of Sichuan culture. It is a symbol of Chinese culture as well.”

【推荐1】Some people think only school children do not agree with their parents, however, it is not true. Communication is a problem for parents and children of all ages. If it’s hard for you to communicate with your parents, don’t worry about it. Here is some advice for you to eliminate the generation gap (代沟).

Don’t argue with your parents. Don’t get to your parents when you are angry. Your parents probably won’t consider your ideas if you are shouting at them. And you can’t express yourself well if you are angry. Go someplace to cool off. Make sure you understand why you are unhappy. Then think about what you want to say to your parents. If you don’t think you can speak to them at the moment, try writing a letter.

Try to reach a compromise (和解). Perhaps you and your parents disagree on something. You can keep your disagreement and try your best to accept each other. Michael’s mother didn’t agree with him about buying a motorcycle. They argued over it. But they finally came to a compromise. Michael bought the motorcycle, but only drove it on certain days. Of course, your parents might refuse to compromise on something. In these situations, it is especially important to show love and respect (尊敬) to them. Showing respect will keep your relationship strong.

Talk about your values. The values of your parents are probably different from those of your own. Tell your parents what you care about and why. Understanding your values might help them see your purposes in life.

A good relationship with your parents can make you a better and happier person. It is worth having a try!

【推荐2】In the countryside in Cambodia, a woman is preparing a meal for her family. She begins by pressing （压平） some garlic （蒜） and cutting up some chicken, and then adds them to a pot of boiling water. Next, she puts in a little salt and some lime （酸橙汁）. Finally, she drops a 200g piece of iron （铁） into the pot, which is shaped like a fish.

Fish is a symbol of luck in Cambodia. However, asking for luck is not why thousands of Cambodians add an iron fish to their food. The fish is actually a new solution （解决方法） to a health problem. Nearly 50% of Cambodians suffer from anemia （贫血）. It results from too little iron in the diet.

When Canadian scientist Christopher Charles visited Cambodia in 2008, he noticed that many people were anemic. Then he got the idea of getting people to place a fish-shaped piece of iron in their pots. As the water boils, the fish releases tiny amounts of iron. Another Canadian, Gavin Armstrong, created the Lucky Iron Fish program. Through the program, 9,000 fish were given out to local families, hospitals, and non-governmental organizations.

Further studies, however, have found that anemia in Cambodia is caused by much more than just short of iron. It appears that the iron fish may not be the complete solution to anemia.

Even if iron fish can't bring an end to anemia, it has a good effect on iron deficiency （缺乏）. Whether Cambodians continue using it or not, the idea could be used in other places where iron deficiency is also a problem.

【推荐3】Smile Train is a charity ( 慈善团体) that helps the millions of children around the world, who suffer from a facial defect（ 缺 陷 ）. The defect happens when a baby’s top lip or mouth doesn’t form properly before birth. Eating and drinking is very difficult for these babies. The charity provides free operations, which give these children a new smile, and with it, new hope and a new beginning.

Children with the defect need all the help. Although many sufferers are accepted by their families, sadly, others are not. In some countries, children   with   this   defect   are   often abandoned at birth because their parents feel ashamed（ 尴 尬 ）of them or cannot afford the operations. The good news is that the operation is not difficult. It takes less than an hour and costs the family nothing. The charity raises money and finds the right medical volunteers to perform the operations.

A Smile Train doctor from the UK said, “Each child who has the operation is given a second chance at life. After years of staying at home, the children can finally go to school and be happy. Every year I perform hundreds of operations free of cost through Smile Train. Some of the stories I have heard are quite surprising.

One newborn baby girl was found abandoned on a train. Luckily for her, she was found and adopted（收养）by a passenger. This lady then heard about Smile Train and brought the baby to our hospital. I did the operation and gave hope to the family. Experienced doctors like me share   our skills with local doctors. In this way make sure that these operations will always be available（可获得的）.”