1 . Give yourself a test. Which way is the wind blowing? How many kinds of wildflowers can be seen from your front door? If your awareness is as sharp as it could be, you’ll have no trouble answering these questions.

Most of us observed much more as children than we do as adults. A child’s day is filled with fascination, newness and wonder. Curiosity gave us all a natural awareness. But distinctions that were sharp to us as children become unclear; we are numb(麻木的）to new stimulation(刺激), new ideas. Relearning the art of seeing the world around us is quite simple, although it takes practice and requires breaking some bad habits.

The first step in awakening senses is to stop predicting what we are going to see and feel before it occurs. This blocks awareness. One chilly night when I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains with some students, I mentioned that we were going to cross a mountain stream. The students began complaining about how cold it would be. We reached the stream, and they unwillingly walked ahead. They were almost knee-deep when they realized it was a hot spring. Later they all admitted they’d felt cold water at first.

Another block to awareness is the obsession(痴迷) many of us have with naming things. I saw bird watchers who spotted a bird, immediately looked it up in field guides, and said, a "ruby-crowned kinglet" and checked it off. They no longer paid attention to the bird and never learned what it was doing.

The pressures of "time" and "destination" are further blocks to awareness. I encountered many hikers who were headed to a distant camp-ground with just enough time to get there before dark. It seldom occurred to them to wander a bit, to take a moment to see what’s around them. I asked them what they’d seen. "Oh, a few birds," they said. They seemed bent on their destinations.

Nature seems to unfold to people who watch and wait. Next time you take a walk, no matter where it is, take in all the sights, sounds and sensations. Wander in this frame of mind and you will open a new dimension to your life.

2 . What's your feeling when you step into senior high school? It is a completely new experience, but you shouldn't worry. We've got some tips to help you.

※You're not alone.

Remember that everybody else in your grade is in the same boat. You may not notice it, but they’re just as nervous as you are.

Moving up to senior high school is an opportunity, not a problem. Things are different, and all you need to do is to be polite and learn the new rules.

※The teachers will help you.

If you don't know what to do or are worried about something, then ask for help. Teachers are probably the best people to turn to because they have experience in helping new students. Pay attention to what your teachers say.

※Everybody changes.

There are lots of differences between junior high school and senior high school. You will have your lessons with different teachers in different schools. You will have homework for different subjects on different days, so make sure you get organised.

※Other points.

If you' ve got an elder brother or sister at senior high school, then ask them for hints.

Remember that things will become much better if you just act naturally.

Going to bed early makes a difference. You'll also find it easier to get up in the morning!

3 . In today's world, online social media' has become more powerful and the most destructive thing over worldwide, although with time all generations have come to accept the changes social network has brought about, teenagers and young adults are the most enthusiastic users of these sites. According to various research studies in the field of online social networks, it has been revealed that these sites are impacting the' lives of the youth greatly. When using these sites such as Twitter, Facebook or Myspace, there are both positive and negative effects on the youth.

Firstly, social media helps the youth and any other user updated with what is happening around the world, and helps the teenagers stay connected and interact with each other even if they are many miles apart. This strengthens their relationship. Even if they finished school and moved to different locations, they stay connected and update one another.

In addition, social media sites have provided a platform whereby the youth can create groups and pages based on their common discipline and end up building connections and opportunities for their respective careers by updating different topics to discuss. Youth who have been interviewed say that social media has become their lifestyle and it makes their lives easier and more efficient.

While on the one hand social network sites seem to bring people together and stay connected, on the other hand it causes many physical and mental health problems such as eyes infection, back problems, etc. Other negative effects of social networking various people suggested included encouraging poor spelling and grammar, exposing underage to online predators (捕食者), allowing spread of misinformation that is seen as fact, decreasing productivity as those who are supposed to be working spend time in the sites to chat, providing a perfect platform for cyberbullying and providing details that increase risks of identity theft.

“The more social media we have, the more we think were connecting, yet we are really disconnecting from each other.” One researcher said.

In conclusion, social networking clearly portrays both positive and negative effects on the youth. It is the decision of individuals whether to use it in a right way or wrong.

6 . While learning the science lessons, I used to get a doubt—why ears, nose, tongue and eyes should be called as special senses? The basic reason is that these are the channels through which we maintain contact with the surroundings. Though apparently it may feel like these are individual sensory organs, they do show some connectivity. Interestingly, our hearing is less sharp after we eat a heavy food. Isn’t it good for a sound nap after a stomach-full meal? That does not mean we go deaf after a meal, but the hearing pitch (强度) does change after a heavy meal.

We usually give credit of the taste to our tongue, but do you know that unless saliva (唾液) dissolves something, our tongue cannot recognize the taste of the food eaten. Taste is nothing but the food chemicals dissolved in the saliva being sensed by the taste buds present on the tongue. Try to dry off your tongue and mouth with a tissue paper and then taste something.

Women are much better smellers than men. They are born with this characteristic ability and can correctly pinpoint the exact fragrance of the sample. We all can store almost 50, 000 different scents (气味), which are strongly tied to the memories.

Pupils (瞳孔) do not respond to light alone, but to the slightest bit of noise around too. Thus surgeons, watchmakers and those professionals who have to perform a much delicate job do prefer to have a sound-free environment. Even a small noise can dilate (扩大) their pupils, change the focus and blur (使模糊) their vision. If you do not wear glasses or contact lens due to having a 6/6 vision, you are just among the one third of the human population. It is now statistically proved that only one third of the population has perfect vision, rest all are either wearing glasses or are trying to read with a compromised vision.

Each and every one of us has a particular or individualistic or characteristic smell, which is unique to us, except for the identical twins. This smell is very subtle (微妙的) yet can be sensed even by a newborn. It may be due to this scent that the newborn recognizes the presence of his parents around. Many of us can pinpoint the smell of our significant friends and colleagues. A significant part of this phenomenon is guided by genetics but it is also changed by the environment, diet and personal hygiene. This all together creates the unique chemistry that is individualistic for each person.

7 . Encouragement and praise can come in many forms, and some ways are better for child development than others. Researchers at the University of Chicago who studied mother-child interactions found that the type of praise children receive affects their attitudes toward challenges later in life. Specifically, praise coming with feedback about their behavior helped them to deal better with difficult experiences five years later, compared with compliments that focused more on the child himself, like “You’re a good boy.”

“This is something we suspected that would be the case based on a lot of experimental research, and it’s exciting to see it plays out in the real world,” says Elizabeth, a professor of psychology at Temple University, who led the study. “Praising the efforts, actions and work of the kid is going to be more beneficial in the long run.”

Such “process praise” includes comments such as “You worked really hard” or “You’re doing a great job,” which emphasize the child’s actions. “Person praise” includes comments like “You’re so smart” or “You’re so good,” which focus on a child’s inner qualities. These distinctions aren’t new in the field of psychology, but exactly how they affect children’s development over the years hasn’t been clear.

As part of the study, researchers visited the homes of more than 50 toddlers between the age of 1 and 3 years old, and filmed their daily interactions with their parents during multiple 90-minute sessions. Five years later, the researchers followed up with the families, using questionnaires to measure the children’s attitudes toward challenges and problem solving. The children who grew up with more process praise were more open to challenge, and could identify more ways of overcoming difficult problems. While person praise didn’t seem to have any negative effect on the children, process praise teaches children that their talents and abilities can be developed and improved, while person praise sends the message that their abilities are fixed and therefore not easily changed.

10 . I used to travel to make myself relaxed. Two years ago, I was rather busy with my business and under a lot of ______ , so I went to Las Vegas for a holiday. I just wanted to get away and ______   for a while.

When I was on holiday, an ______ suddenly came to me. I had long wished to pay a visit to the Greek island of Sanatorium. Therefore, the idea of a two-week European ______ alone was born.

I'd driven ______ across the US before, but traveling to other ______ whose languages aren't the same as mine ______ me. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to ______ with anyone.

But I soon ______ that if I wanted to follow my dreams, I had to ______ out of my comfort area（舒适区）. If I let ______ take control of me, I'd get nowhere.

As I was ______ more places to visit on my trip, I found Mykonos, Greece, which I ______ just as much as I liked Sanatorium. When I arrived in ______ , it was like I was in a dream.

What I appreciated best was the bus ride to Venice. As I rode the bus and enjoyed every new thing I saw, I was completely ______ from the pressure of my work. How ______ it was to see people riding their bikes to the ______ they would like to go to!

Some people might say, "It's not a big ______ ; it's just Venice. Thousands of people go there every day." But it was more than that to me. It was about having a ______ and when it was time for it to come true, don't let it ______ .