Now there is an increasing number of inactive people, namely the “mouse potato”. A mouse potato is someone who sits in front of his or her computer all day and eats junk food instead of regular meals. Why are we becoming potatoes and what can we do to avoid it?

One reason behind it is our modern way of life. We don’t have as much time to prepare and eat food as we used to.     1    Not all of these are bad for us, of course, but they make it more difficult for us to control what we eat.

If we want to be healthy, we should make good choices about what we eat.   It is not necessary to become a vegetarian, but we must make sure that our diet is varied and balanced. A healthy diet should give us the calories we need but not contain too much fat and sugar. The number of calories our body needs depends on what our body type is, how much we weigh and how active we are.

Teenagers need about 2,500 calories a day.    2    Getting the calories we need is not enough. If we want to be healthy, we must make sure that we get the calories in the best way possible. The best source for calories is carbohydrates, which are found in gains, vegetables and fruit. Our bodies store carbohydrates in our muscles so that we can get energy when we need it.

Junk food has a lot of calories but few nutrients, vitamins and minerals, Some food does have nutrients, for example pizza, but because it contains too many calories, it is still called junk food. A healthy diet should include a variety of food, most of which should be rich in nutrients.     3     Those of us who love French fries, sweets, ice cream and cheeseburgers can still enjoy an unhealthy bite every now and then. All we have to do is to be careful how often and how much we eat of it.

If we make the right choices about what we eat, we will be healthier and have more energy to enjoy the good things in life.     4    And remember, it is better to eat a potato than to be one.

2 . Math anxiety is a feeling of worry or fear people have when they have to do a math task. Kids can feel anxious about math without it becoming a problem. A little stress about a math problem can even help kids be more productive.     1     It can even cause kids to lose interest in school. This fear of math is very common. Researchers believe about 3 to 5 percent of kids experience math anxiety.

    2     They may worry they’ll do poorly on a math test, even though they understand the material and have studied hard. They try to avoid going to math class when there’s a quiz or a test. Some of them get good grades on math homework, but not on tests.

We don’t know exactly what causes math anxiety.     3     We can’t prove that tests cause math anxiety, either. Math anxiety runs in families, so genetics may play a role. Repeated bad experiences with math could, too. Having underlying (潜在的) trouble with math can also lead to math anxiety.

Understanding basic math concepts (概念) can help reduce math anxiety. But it’s just as important for kids to believe in their ability to do basic math.     4     What you don’t want to do is completely remove math from a child who’s feeling math anxiety. That’s not helpful. Some stress can be good. The goal is for kids to feel the right level of challenge. Parents and teachers should work together to help kids with math anxiety.