1 . Are you happy with your appearance?
“Almost all the girls with single-fold eyelids (单眼皮) in our class have had double eyelid operations,” Zeng, a Senior 2 student from Chengdu, told Xinhua. Zeng had the same surgery done this summer.
From popular photo-editing apps to plastic surgery (整形手术), it seems that large eyes, pale skin and a skinny body are the only standard for beauty these days. But can following this standard really make us feel good about ourselves?
“Many teenagers are upset about their appearance because they believe in unrealistic standards of beauty,” experts say.
However, trying to live up to strict standards can make us feel anxious. What troubles us is not just our “imperfect” looks, but the fact that we criticize ourselves too much.
A.Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. |
B.Body image anxiety is common among teenagers. |
C.Guys care just as much as girls do about their body image. |
D.Some teenagers might feel negative about their appearance. |
E.It’s common for teenagers to feel confident about their appearance. |
F.She and many of her classmates believe bigger eyes look more beautiful. |
G.Perfect faces and bodies are everywhere in advertising, TV shows and social media. |
2 . My hometown is in a county (县) called Yongtai which is in Fuzhou of southern China.
Several days before the Chinese New Year, every family starts to prepare for the celebration. First of all, we do the spring-cleaning to welcome a new and clean year.
On the first day of the Chinese New Year, fathers will set off fireworks to “wake up the Chinese New Year”; mothers start to prepare a big breakfast.
On the first day just family members spend time together. From the second day on, every family will start to welcome the visitors and they can enjoy the get-together time, which is really nice.
A.My favourite dishes are niangao and fish |
B.Children will stay up late on New Year’s Eve |
C.A fish dish is a necessity on the table every year |
D.The next step is to prepare food for the New Year’s Eve dinner |
E.After the spring-cleaning, every family starts to decorate their house |
F.When the evening of New Year’s Eve comes, children will be very excited |
G.Everyone should wake up by themselves and appear at the table in their new clothes |
3 . Everyone complains. Even if you argue that you are the happiest person in the world, you still complain sometimes. Sometimes you complain without even realizing it, but rarely is it ever helpful.
When you find yourself thinking or saying a negative comment about something or someone, stop and force yourself to say something positive instead. Seek the help of a cheerful friend to change you when you complain and help you to see the positive in the situation.
Make a list of things you are grateful for.
You often complain about the things you don’t have without noticing those things you already have. Be grateful for what you have in your life because you are lucky simply for being yourselves.
Learn to adapt to the changes.
There are many things you can’t change.
Allow yourself to vent (发泄) your feelings every once in a while.
Constantly ignoring negative thoughts could add up. If you are really going through a rough time, don’t be afraid to share your feelings with a close friend or family member or see a therapist.
Find what makes you happy.
A.Sometimes this list can be easy, full of hobbies you enjoy. |
B.The best and only thing you can do is to accept them. |
C.Change the way you think. |
D.Are you constantly complaining about your present job? |
E.Set down things you are thankful for and you’ll see that you don’t have any reason to complain. |
F.Make friends with positive people. |
G.So how can you manage to force yourselves to end complaining? |
4 . Learning to read provides foundation for future learning in all areas of study. And experts say students need to have a working knowledge of 10,000 words. Now, a new vocabulary program claims to greatly speed up a child’s understanding of language.
Sofia Fenichell created the system.
Each word in the Mrs. Wordsmith system of teaching has a child-friendly definition.
For example, the word shriveled is defined as “ wrinkled, like hippo skin that’s been in the bath too long. ” Underneath the definition is a drawing of a very wet hippopotamus. There are also exercises to help strengthen the student’s understanding.
Fenichell spoke at a recent education technology show in London.
Mrs. Wordsmith is now set to expand into schools in other countries, including the United States.
A.Words bring meaning to life |
B.It is called Mrs. Wordsmith |
C.Children will search for the right words to use |
D.And each word has a picture showing how the word is used |
E.She said the Mrs. Wordsmith system has been popular in schools across Britain |
F.She worked with researchers from Cambridge University in Britain to develop the list of words |
G.These words are typically the words they find in the books they read, in newspapers, in adult conversation |
5 . Smartwatches and fitness trackers (健身追踪器) have gained popularity recently. These tools can record your daily steps, heart rates, etc.
It’s a struggle to overcome the addiction to fitness trackers.
Of course, failing to meet your daily goal can be discouraging. You might focus on your shortcoming rather than your progress. Another problem is that you might find yourself paying too much attention to the step number rather than how your body feels.
Therefore, if you’re spending too much time looking at your smartwatch, limit your daily step count to a comfortable level.
A.How can you tell whether you’re addicted to your fitness tracker? |
B.Actually this addiction to step count can be risky, mentally and physically. |
C.Don’t overuse your smartwatch. |
D.However, do you find yourself checking your steps and heart rates too often? |
E.After all, reaching a daily step count can be so appealing. |
F.Besides, you can find other things to do that don’t involve checking your fitness tracker. |
G.It doesn’t covey what you’re really feeling. |
6 . Moving to a new country—or even spending a year abroad—is an exciting experience.
Network through personal connections. Most people don’t jump at the chance to show a stranger around town, but that changes as soon as you make a personal connection—even a tiny one.
Join a hobby club or a sports team. Committing to (全身心投入) a weekly hobby meetup is a great way to force yourself to socialize. There are always hiking clubs looking for teammates. You don’t have to master the local language to find partners.
Talk to strangers, When you’re the stranger in town, it’s easy to feel awkward and out of place, The more you push past that, the more you’ll find that almost everyone enjoys meeting new people. Talking about where you come from and what the weather is like is the first step to get to know someone.
A.Volunteer for a good cause. |
B.However, it has its challenges, too. |
C.So practice your small talk and use it often. |
D.These are great places to meet outgoing strangers. |
E.Ask friends back home if they know anyone in your area. |
F.Every trip out of the house is a chance to meet the right person. |
G.Exercising in a gym is another way to meet people with similar interests. |
7 . How to Fit In with a New Environment
When you step into a new environment, you must have a strong wish to fit in. Fitting in means making more friends, having more influence on others and getting more chances to live a happier life.
Be confident. Confidence attracts most people. Everyone is special and there is only one person like you in this world. Spend some time thinking about your strong points.
Be kind to everyone. Kindness is the bridge to your own happiness. When people notice your kindness, they will return it one day. Always give more than you receive, and think more of others than of yourself.
Be optimistic (乐观的). Optimism makes both you and others feel happy.
If you follow what is mentioned above, you will be accepted by people around you. As a result, you will fit in very well and enjoy your new life.
A.Be active in group activities. |
B.However, everybody needs friends. |
C.Here are some tips that can help you. |
D.A pleasant smile costs the least and does the most. |
E.A person who cares about others is popular everywhere. |
F.Even so, it often leaves one to wonder if we fit in well. |
G.If so, you will be able to build up confidence step by step. |
8 . We all want to keep fit and stay healthy, but a few things may prevent it: laziness, a busy schedule, and maybe even a limited spend.
Babysit.
If you have your own kids, you’ll probably agree that looking after kids can help keep you fit. If you don’t, you can experience the wonderful world of toddlerhood by volunteering or signing up for a babysitting job. The best ages to babysit are those toddler years (2 through 5). Why?
Care for your yard.
Have you checked your storeroom, basement and kitchen lately? Well, moving small items from their storage areas and turning them into boxes for sale, donation pick-ups or just further storage will get your blood exciting. Even just pushing around a dust cleaner, or sweeping your garage floor should oil your joints (关节).
Use someone else’s sports or exercise equipment (设备).
Have you checked under your bed lately? All around the nation, there is a flood of unused exercise equipment sitting around in garages and hiding in spare rooms and basements.
A.Be your own gardener |
B.Volunteer or get active work |
C.Clean out or organize your house |
D.Actually there are some free ways to move your body! |
E.You could have these things right under your very nose. |
F.It doesn’t really take much to get yourself into better shape. |
G.In that case, you have to carry, lift, run and follow them around all day. |
9 . Shared Reading is a unique experience and exposes us to great and varied literature.
Create a positive and supportive reading environment. When children and adults come together to read and explore a text, they develop a sense of community and a shared experience.
Develop a lifelong love for books. As children observe the pleasure and value their adult counterparts place on reading, they are more likely to develop a lifelong love for books themselves.
Promote social and emotional growth. During shared reading, children participate in discussions and share their thoughts and opinions. What’s more, they listen to others. As for them, it is of significance.
A.Learn more about the world |
B.This can enhance their motivations to read |
C.Expand vocabulary and comprehension skills |
D.It allows people to discover more about themselves and others |
E.It’s important for them to finish reading as many books as they can |
F.They learn to express themselves effectively and respect the ideas of others |
G.The affection can have a significant impact on their academic achievements |
10 . How to Succeed in Science
To succeed in science, you need a lot more than luck. In my view, you have to combine intelligence with a willingness not to follow conventions(常规) when they block your forward path. Thus, these have come to be my rules for success.
That might sound proud, but the fact is that you must always turn to people who are brighter than you. It’s like playing any game. Even as a child, I never wanted to play games with anyone who was as bad as I was. If you win, it gives you no pleasure. And in the game of science or life, the highest goal isn’t simply to win; it’s to win at something really difficult.
Take risks.
To make a huge success, a scientist has to be prepared to get into deep trouble. If you are going to make a huge jump in science, you will very likely be unqualified to succeed by definition.
Never do anything that bores you.
My experience in science is that someone is always telling you to do things, and then leaves you alone. I’m not good enough to do well in something I dislike.
It’s very hard to succeed if you don’t want to be with other scientists, because you have to go to key meetings where you spot key facts that would have escaped you. And you have to chat with your competitors, even if you find them objectionable.
So my final rule is:
A.Avoid foolish people. |
B.Meet challenges with great courage. |
C.If you can’t stand being with your real peers, get out of science. |
D.Put it another way, it’s to go somewhere beyond your ability and come out on top. |
E.Make sure you always have someone to save you from a deep mess. |
F.In fact, I find it hard to do well in something I like. |
G.Besides, you even have to be prepared to disbelieve your scientific heroes. |