1 . Have you heard of mental toughness? Often talked about in relation to sports, mental toughness is characterized by the ability to always perform well under stress. Research has shown that it is also a useful quality (品质) for students, with benefits for school achievement, classroom behavior, and relationships with others.

However, mental toughness is often misunderstood. It is sometimes related to hiding your feelings. or not acknowledging (承认) your weaknesses, which can harm student well-being, as well as school performance and socializing.

So, what actually is mental toughness, and how can it be developed in schools?

Students who show mental toughness are aware of (意识到) and able to control their emotions. This helps them to think clearly under stress, on the day of exams for example. One way to help with this is to encourage students to talk to themselves in a positive and helpful way. Students may be upset if they don’t do as well on a task as they hoped. By asking themselves questions, such as “What would I do differently next time?”, they can stop focusing on the negatives and direct their attention towards improving in the future.

Mental toughness means asking for help. Many students are too ashamed to do it, for fear they would show weakness by acknowledging they don’t understand something. However, others actually consider it a positive quality. Recognizing when they are experiencing difficulties takes courage for students, but it also shows a willingness to learn and get better.

Mental toughness is also about being open to learning, not being a know-it-all. Over time, the students who grow the most are those who like to explore (探索) things, looking for answers in books, online, or by paying attention to what’s happening around them. They also work together, helping each other with challenges.

What’s more, mental toughness involves having a strong sense of self-belief and confidence in one’s abilities. Mentally tough students have a clear idea of their goals, and their wills to achieve them are unwavering. They are not easily influenced by others’ opinions and are willing to step outside of their comfort zone to reach their goals.

To create mentally tough students and classrooms, it is important for teachers themselves to be role models. Teachers can develop their mental toughness in much the same way as students. In order to develop mental toughness, both students and teachers should recognize that it is about having positive behaviors and attitudes that help them learn and improve.

2 . The Science of You

You already know that you are an amazing person, but it’s not just your wonderful personality. Your body itself is an unusual machine.

Lots of information has been written on the subject of “you”. You might wonder about your body. Most people think that the big picture of how your body systems work together is important to understand. Sometimes the details interest us the most. Let’s go on the way to get a haircut.

Why don’t haircuts hurt? Snip, snip—the scissors fly around your head. Your hair grows from living cells, but the hair that’s cut is not alive. What’s the story here?

Each hair on your head grows from a root that is under your skin. The root produces hair cells in a special tube called a follicle (毛囊). When new hair cells are made at the root, they push older hair cells up the follicle.

As older hair cells move toward the surface of your skin, they change. They join together and harden. Then they die. The strand (股) of hair that comes out of your head does not have living cells in it. That’s why a haircut doesn’t hurt!

You probably have about 100, 000 hairs on your head right now. Hair strands grow all the time, then fall out and start to grow again. It usually does this in different stages. That’s why you don’t lose all of your hair at once.

In fact, your hair is just a part of all those interesting things of your body. You might be wide-eyed and staring at one of these creations. If you want to know more about them, keep reading.

4 . Sleeping

Sleeping is important for your health and fitness. It’s often overlooked(被忽视) as a key part of your health. Why is sleep so important and what happens when you’re sleeping?

Sleeping is actually a very active time for your body. It’s not just you are closing your eyes and waiting to wake up. Sleep is made up of stages. In the first couple stages, your mind stops worrying about what is happening around it and your body relaxes. Your heart rate(速率), temperature and breathing are all lower as your body relaxes. As you fall more deeply asleep, your muscles(肌肉) relax and your cells(细胞) start to rebuild. Growth hormones(激素) are released(释放) in deep sleep to help you grow and build muscle. Your body repairs itself.

Later, you will fall into REM sleep. This is probably the most important part of your sleep when you are dreaming. Your muscles turn off completely, but your brain is very active. It helps provide energy(能量) for the brain and gives you daytime energy. You usually drop into dream or REM sleep about every 90 minutes you are asleep. That’s why sleep is important.

Hormones that control mood, energy level, your immune(免疫的) system and appetite(食欲) are all affected(影响) by sleep. Getting the proper amount of sleep allows your body to function(运转) at its very best. It also helps you to grow. Your memory doesn’t even work as well when you are tired. How can you make good decisions and concentrate without proper sleep?

6 . We all need healthy food and lots of vitamins（维生素). Fruit and vegetables are important, but other things are healthy, too! Don’t be afraid to eat something you like, sometimes.

Here’s a surprise. Chocolate is good for you! Everybody knows that milk chocolate has got lots of sugar in it. But dark chocolate has 70—80% cocoa, and it doesn’t have much sugar. It has flavonoids. Flavonoids can help the body in lots of ways and stop us being ill.

Is coffee good for us? Well, it’s unhealthy to drink it before we go to bed! And too much coffee can make you unhappy. But some scientists say that drinking coffee in the morning or afternoon can help us remember things. Some people also say that it’s good to drink coffee before you do exercise, to help you run faster, for example.

Potatoes are a popular vegetable, but not many people think they’re healthy. Fried potatoes are delicious, but often fatty. If possible, eat boiled（煮) potatoes. Also, do you know that the outside part of the potato, the peel, is healthy and has lots of vitamin C? Many people don’t eat it. So next time, keep the peel!

Here’s another surprise. You know popcorn, that delicious food you eat at the cinema? Well, it has got lots of phytonutrients. Lots of other food, like tomatoes, broccoli and other green vegetables, also has got phytonutrients. But be careful! Popcorn has sometimes got lots of sugar, salt or oil on it. So don’t eat too much.

For centuries dolphins have been thought of as special animals. Plutarch, a Greek writer, praised their friendliness 2,000 years ago. Scenes of people riding on dolphins have appeared in the art of many countries.

There are more than 38 kinds of dolphins. Most types live in the ocean. They are related to whales. Dolphins are very smart. They can learn, remember, and solve problems. They are natural entertainers who love to perform. You can see them do tricks at marine amusement parks.

Dolphins travel in herds. They are social animals who like to play. They often toss seaweed and driftwood in the air. Dolphins become very unhappy and lonely if they are separated from their companions (与同伴分开). Dolphins mate in the spring. A baby is born a year later. The other dolphins surround (包围) the mother while she is giving birth. They do this to protect her from danger. Soon after birth the mother pushes the baby to the surface so that it can breathe. The baby nurses, or drinks the mother’s milk, for about 18 months. The mother teaches the baby and protects it from harm.

Many tales have been told of dolphins helping people. One famous dolphin was named Pelorus Jack. Jack lived in Cook’s Strait between the North Island and the South Island of New Zealand. From 1888 until the 1920s, Jack guided ships through Cook’s Strait. People came from around the world to see him.

In 1978, a small fishing boat was lost off the coast of South Africa. It was caught in a thick fog and dangerous water. The fishermen told of four dolphins who led their boat to shore (岸边). There are many other stories of dolphins saving drowning people by pushing them to shallow water.

10 . Monkey Business

Monkey Homes

There are about 200 different kinds of monkeys, and they live in many of the world’s forests and grasslands. Most monkeys spend their time up in the trees. They have long arms and are good at climbing. They can jump from tree to tree, high above the ground. Other monkeys, such as baboons (狒狒), live on the ground. They walk around on their hands and feet.

Monkey Bodies

Monkeys use their fingers to hold food when they eat. Monkeys’ feet look a lot like their hands. Most monkeys have long tails. Their tails help them balance (平衡). Monkeys are clever animals. They have good eyesight. They can hear well, too.

Monkey Meals

Monkeys spend a lot of time looking for food. Most monkeys eat almost anything: leaves, grass, fruit, nuts, birds, frogs, and other small animals. Some monkeys even fish for crabs.

Monkey Families

All monkeys live in groups. Some monkeys live in small family groups. Some monkeys live in large groups called troops. While resting, monkeys groom (清洁) each other. Grooming is one way that monkeys clean and care for each other.

Monkey Talk

If you visit a rain forest, you would hear “monkey talk.” Monkeys call to each other to keep in touch with their group. They call to warn (警告) each other of the danger. Monkeys talk by making sounds, clapping their hands, and jumping up and down.