1 . A new book, the bestseller, Willpower, says that having strong willpower (意志力) is necessary to a successful life. The book starts by describing a famous experiment: The Marshmallow (软糖) Test. In 1972, a psychology (心理学) professor Mischel tested the willpower of 600 kids. In the experiment, each child was left alone in a room for fifteen minutes with a marshmallow on a table in front of them. They were given two choices: they could either eat the marshmallow or, if they waited fifteen minutes, they’d be given a second marshmallow (and then they could eat both).

So, what did the kids do? 70% ate the first marshmallow within the fifteen minutes, but the other 30% showed willpower—they didn’t eat the first one and waited for the second marshmallow quietly.

Twenty years later, Mischel discovered something interesting. He got in touch with the children and found that those with strong willpower were getting better marks at university, were better behaved and were more popular. So, how important it is to have strong willpower!

But don’t worry if you aren’t good at controlling yourself. The authors say that willpower is like a muscle (肌肉). The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. However, just like any muscle, your “willpower muscle” can get tired. So, if you have to do lots of things that need willpower, take a break. That way, you’ll build up your willpower again.

Lastly, the authors mention that people who learn foreign languages usually have a lot of willpower. So, congratulations!

Mother’s Day is coming. Have you planned something good for your mom? If not, here are some suggestions about how to make her happy.

Most children don’t know what their mom’s favorite thing is. You do? Then, what are you waiting for? Buy her something she likes. The best time to give it to her is that while she is sleeping at night. Put it on the table next to her to give her a surprise when she wakes up.

Your mother is without doubt the queen in your life and in your family, though her duties(职责) make her look like she is not: Give the lady a day off. You can do the housework and make some delicious food for her. It’s also a good choice to go shopping with her.

Mothers have special memories in mind. It is the time that they are with their babies. How about you? What’s your best moment with her? Maybe you can tell her how happy you were when she looked after you during terrible days in your life.

Those three words can make her heart jump for joy, you know? Just tell her “I love you!” And it would make her smile so sweet. Just try! We don’t want to. miss such a wonderful thing, right?

6 . Are you learning English and do you need help with grammar? Do you want to learn new vocabulary or slang(俚语)? Well, you can find help online with these top 4 English-learning websites.

7 . Today, weight problems, heart disease and many forms of cancer (癌症) are becoming more common because many people have unhealthy diets. Everywhere, people are thinking about how they can eat better. There are many different answers to this question. Some people think that (A) 糖对你的健康有害. Others say that eating food with sugar is the best way to give your body energy. Some people eat meat while others do not. ①

However, most doctors agree on one thing: you need a balanced diet to (B) stay healthy. A balanced diet means eating different kinds of food from each of the (C) _______ food groups: grains, vegetables, fruit, dairy products and protein. Having different kinds of food in your diet is important. ② In fact, doctors warn us that not eating certain kinds of food is dangerous. (D)Your body cannot work properly without a balanced diet. On the other hand, having too much of anything, including your favourite food, is dangerous too. Doctors say, for example, if people eat   (E) plenty of food such as hamburgers and pizza, they will probably become fat. This may increase the risk (风险) of heart attack.

③To help you decide what to eat and what not to eat, you should do some research and have a medical examination. Information about your body’s need for fats, proteins, minerals (矿物质) and vitamins (维生素) can help you decide (F) _______ the right thing to eat and the right amount to eat. It can also help you understand your body better. If you learn how to have a balanced diet, you will have a healthier future.

Everyone has their favorite food. Some might love chocolate. Some might love potato chips. Think about your favorite food. Have you ever wondered why your favorite food tastes so delicious? The answer is about your tongue（舌头）and nose. There are some taste buds（味蕾）on your tongue. They give you the sense of taste. How do the taste buds work? In fact, there are many tiny hairs on the taste buds. These tiny hairs send messages to your brain about how something tastes. In this way, you know whether it is sweet, sour, bitter or salty.

A person has about 10,000 taste buds. They keep working all the time when we enjoy our food. The taste buds don’t always stay the same. They are replaced（更新）every two weeks or so.

However, as a person gets older, some of these taste buds don’t get replaced. The old may only have 5,000 working taste buds. That’s why some foods may taste stronger for you than they do for the old.

Besides your tongue, your nose also helps you learn about the taste of food. Sometimes,   strong smells can even confuse（使困惑）your sense of taste. Try holding an onion under your nose while eating an apple. What do you taste?

So next time you enjoy salty pizza and sweet ice cream, thank your tongue and your nose. Without them, you won’t have any sense of taste at all. Without the sense of taste, life will be boring.