2 . A calorie deficit is a state in which you burn more calories than you consume. As one of the most popular approaches of losing weight, how does it work? For example, if you burn 2,500 calories per day but only eat 2,000，you have created a deficit of 500 calories per day. There is mathematical certainty. But, this by no means tells the whole story about how calories deficit affects our lives.

Before wondering what a calorie deficit is, it’s probably best to learn what a calorie is. A calorie is a unit that we use to track our body’s energy expenditure (消耗) and storage. In order to just stay alive, human beings (and animals) burn calories. This means, even before we perform any activity, our bodies are already using energy (measured in calories) to keep us alive. Around 70% of the calories we consume are spent on just keeping our vital organs running. Thus, if a person consumes calories far more less than needed to look thin，it may have negative effects on the body.

When people pick up a calorie deficit, they often merely note that the calorie math is irrefutable (无可辩驳的). The question here is that not all calories are the same. If you eat a few bags of potato chip worth of calories to support the calorie intake needed to maintain or cut down on your weight, it will work. But, this doesn’t have the same effect on your body and overall health as a balanced nutritional meal containing the same amount of calories.

It seems like a simple unit of energy has become an object of our society’s obsession. It needn't be that way. Remember, calorie deficits are just a tool, which serves a purpose in losing some weight and keeping track of your calorie intake seems simple enough.

3 . Fourth-grader, Sarah Haycox, made it her mission to right a wrong. And in doing so, she has shown the world what one _______ person, with passion, can do.

One day, when _________ by an athletic field near her school, Sarah noticed a small _______ with the name Edwin T. Pratt and the year 1930 - 1969 on it. She _______ who he was and what he did.

After some _______, she learned that he was a civil rights leader who had done many good things to _______ others. Sadly, he was _______ just because someone disagreed with what he was doing.

Feeling that the small memorial was _______ big enough for a man who had so much _______ on others, Sarah ________ to do something!

There was a new ________ going up nearby for young kids. She found out who were ________ the building project and asked them if it could be named after Mr. Pratt. Through great efforts, her vision came to reality! Almost 50 years after his death, Edwin Pratt’s life and impact will be celebrated as the name of the new school.

Most kids simply had walked by the memorial without thinking about who Mr. Pratt was. But Sarah had the ________ to learn more, the vision to imagine something better and the courage to ________ her idea. Her amazing actions have ________ many other young people around the world.

4 . Music makes you more creative.    1    , they come up with more creative solutions, according to researchers. It may be because music improves your brain’s flexibility. Another reason may be that it relaxes you enough for the creative juices to flow. But don’t play music   too loudly.

Music can help during surgery.     2    . After surgery, it helps reduce pain. An analysis   of 73 studies confirmed that listening to music before, during or after surgery reduces anxiety and pain levels, which in turn means less pain medication.

    3     Studies have found that when you’re running, biking or walking, you’ll go farther with music on. Music relieves your discomfort and motivates you to stay on. The effect is so obviously great that the author of a review examining the psychological effects of music   on exercise called music “a type of legal performance-improvement drug”.

Music aids sleep. Listening to music before bed can help you fall asleep faster and wake up less often during the night.     4    . In one study, seniors with sleep problems who listened   to 45 minutes of soft slow music before bed reported a 35 percent improvement in their sleep.

Music gets you to ignore the passing of time. Scientists have shown repeatedly that people judge a period of waiting shorter when music is playing. Businessmen use that to their advantage, playing music so you stay longer and spend more. For instance, more drinks and food are sold in bars and restaurants when music is played.     5    , grocery sales increase by 38 percent.

5 . Muir Woods and Sausalito Half Day Tour

Wander through an ancient coastal redwood forest and explore the artistic bayside on this half-day tour from San Francisco. Travel across the Golden Gate Bridge to visit Muir Woods,   home to some of the oldest and tallest   trees   on   Earth.   At   the   end   of   your   tour   choose   between getting dropped off at Union Square in San Francisco or taking the ferry back to San Francisco.

Yosemite National Park and Giant Sequoias Day Trip

Discover the beauty of the Sierra Nevada on this full-day trip to Yosemite National Park from San Francisco. Travel aboard a comfortable van through historic Gold Rush towns to reach the park, where you’ll be amazed by supersized natural wonders. Take a hike among ancient trees, and enjoy several hours to explore the park’s wonders on your own.

Niagara Falls Tour

Escape from New York City and head north to see both sides of the Canadian border on this guided, 2-day tour to Niagara Falls. Visit Niagara Falls on both the American and Canadian sides and take a ride on the famous Maid of the Mist boat. Then, on the road back to New York City, make a stop to shop at the Crossings Premium Outlets, one of the largest outlet malls in the US.

Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Tour

Escape to California’s famous wine country on this full-day tour from San Francisco. Taste regional varietals at three different wineries including both big-name and family-run estates (庄园). Learn about the winemaking process during guided tours, and appreciate the regional culture with   a stop for lunch.