3 . When faced with the decision to get out of bed or have a few more minutes of sleep, which do you choose? Believe it or not, that decision could make a world of difference in the rest of your day.

About 85 percent of Americans use an alarm clock to wake up in the mornings, according to sleep researcher Till Roennenber. And while there are no official numbers on snoozing (打盹), a quick survey of social media makes it clear that hitting the snooze button is a popular choice for many people.

As to how the snooze button will affect your day, scientists have mixed opinions. Some scientists think people who hit the snooze button in the mornings are actually clever, creative and happy while some said that hitting the snooze button will ruin your life, or at least your day. “I feel that hitting the snooze button has got to be one of the worst things that ever happened to human sleep,” researcher Jonathan Horowitz said. “The chances of you ‘snoozing’ and actually experiencing a meaningful rest are close to zero.”

According to some sleep experts, when hitting the snooze button, you are in fact confusing your body and mind, and throwing yourself into a deep state of being sleepy. The body needs some time to wake up, so, when returning to what will be a light sleep for a brief period of time, you are putting your body back into a sleep mode before waking it again. At that point your body won’t know what it wants, resulting in a sort of half awaken state.

If you really want to take advantage of an alarm clock, the key is to form a healthy sleep cycle. Focus your efforts on getting enough sleep each night and waking up at the same time each day so that when your alarm goes off you feel rested.

4 . Top Family Travel Destinations

5 . Henry was a middle-aged businessman whose repeated failure in career made him a depressed man, often ________ that he had been cheated by others. One day he told his wife he was so ________ with the city that he had to leave.

So his family moved to another city. It was the evening of a weekend. When Henry and his wife were busily tidying up their new home, the light suddenly ________. Henry was regretful to have forgotten to bring along ________ and had to wait in a low mood. Just then he heard light, hesitant knocks on his door that were clearly audible (听到) in the ________ night.

“Who’s it?” he wondered, since Henry was a ________ to this city. And this was the moment he especially hated to be ________, so he went to the door and opened it impatiently. At the door was a little girl, shyly asking, “Sir, do you have candles? I’m your neighbor.” “No,” answered Henry in anger and shut the door ________. “What a nuisance!” He complained over it with his wife. “No sooner had we settled down than the neighbor came to ________ things.”

After a while, the door was knocked again. He opened it and found the same girl outside. ________ this time she was ________ two candles, saying, “My grandma told me the new neighbor downstairs might need candles. She ________ me here to give you these.” At that moment, Henry suddenly realized what caused his ________ in life. It was his ________ and harshness (刻薄) with other people. The person who had cheated him in life was ________ nobody else but himself, for his eyes had been covered by his cold mind.

How do students spend their spare time after finishing their homework? Watch TV, play computer games, or go outside to relax? Here's a good example.

Tim and Kerry Meek are both teachers. They live in the UK with their two daughters: eleven-year-old Amy and nine-year-old Ella. Recently, the Meek family has become the focus of the whole country after they completed 100 different outdoor activities in one year.

The Meek couple didn't want their children to spend all their free time in front of the TV and become "couch potatoes". So about one year ago, the Meeks decided that watching TV and playing computer games were not permitted. Instead, they set 100 tasks for the two girls to do outside. Although Mr. and Mrs. Meek are not outdoor activity fans, they took part in all the activities to encourage their daughters. It turns out that the two sisters really had a good time joining activities.

Every holiday and weekend, whether it's sunny, rainy or snowy, the Meeks' would set off to try the activities on their list, including hiking, sailing, climbing, skiing, and so on. The two little girls not only had a wonderful time, but also learned a lot of skills from the activities. They were even able to stand up in front of their school to give a talk for charity. "Our friends spend a lot of their free time doing things which are harmful to their health. Luckily, we've had the chance to experience something different." Amy and Ella also helped their parents to draw up a new list of challenges for the next 12 months.