School uniforms (校服) are becoming more and more popular in the USA. It is not surprising, because they offer many benefits. They immediately stop the powerful social sorting and labeling (标记) that result from clothing. When every student in the school wears the uniform, nobody has to worry about fashion (时尚) and some of them will not be laughed at for wearing the “wrong” clothes.
A number of people disagree with the rule of school uniforms, but they do not realize that students have already accepted it. Because they want to look just like their friends. The difference is that the clothing students choose for themselves creates social barriers (隔阂). Now school uniforms tear those barriers down.
As in other places, people can keep their purposes and duties in mind by wearing uniforms. For example, when a man wears a police uniform, he becomes the symbol (象征) of law and order. The uniform reminds the wearer of his special duties and sends the same message to everyone the wearer meets. For students, the school uniform reminds them that their task for the six or seven hours in school is to get education. By wearing the school uniforms, the students could feel that they are part of a particular group as well.
Some parents are unhappy about uniforms. They believe that school uniforms will influence students’ “creativity” . First of all, the clothes that students choose to wear do not necessarily express their individuality (个性). They just copy their classmates. Then, students can live a creative life in the rest of the day. When they are in school, their task is to master the knowledge they are supposed to learn. Mastery of these knowledge will be good for the students to build up their creativity in every way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This holiday season, millions of children will soon open presents containing the latest computer chip-operated toys, but many lucky children will be thrilled to find timeless classics under the tree-wooden toys.
Although traditional wooden toys have been around since ancient times, they have been, rare since the introduction of computerized, high-tech toys. But the popularity of wooden toys appears to be making a comeback, says Betsy Komes, associate publisher of Playthings magazine, a 105-year-old trade publication serving all aspects of the toy industry. She and her associates have seen an increase in demand for these traditional wooden toys.
Traditional wooden toys are among the top themes her company focuses on as part of their move toward more eco-friendly toys to appeal to the environmentally conscious consumers. But Komes thinks that the environment isn’t the only reason for the increased demand. Many parents are looking for toys that encourage more creative play.
“In today’s market where toys are often computerized with a lot of lights and sounds, many parents feel the traditional wooden toys encourage children to be creative and imaginative,” Komes says. “And sometimes there’s a fear with electronic games that play is often too individualized and doesn’t encourage interaction with other children. Parents don’t want their kids to sit in front of a computer all day and are looking for toys — like wooden blocks, for example — that encourage group play.”
There is also a nostalgia (怀旧) factor: “Given everything going on in the world, there are a lot of parents and grandparents right now who see the traditional toys as things that remind them of their own childhoods,” she says. “I think it’s their way of sharing the memories they have of a time when the world seemed less complicated.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A psychologist once said. “If you’ve conquered every one of your fears, congratulations — you’re dead.” This humorous quote points to a simple truth — no one can escape fear completely.
However, fear can be a good thing. It is a natural, healthy reaction to danger. In fact, sometimes we are afraid of things that aren’t dangerous such as public speaking, failing a test or being rejected. These unhealthy fears can keep us from achieving our dreams. So how can we successfully face our fears?
First, admit what you fear and then share it with someone you trust. Perhaps you worry that others would look down on you if they know what you fear, but you might be surprised at how many other people share the same fears. Learning you’re not the only one who fears something will give you self-esteem (自尊心) a push. Second, ask yourself, “What is the worst scenario (最坏的情况)?” This question can help you gain perspective (洞察力). If you think about it, the worst might not be that bad, after all. Compared with the fear of losing a contest or being turned down, the regret of having missed opportunities can be even harder to bear. Even worse, you will never know what you might have accomplished. Finally, take more steps toward conquering your fears. If you fear public speaking, start by giving a small talk to a few people. If your talk doesn’t go well, try again. Each small success will increase your confidence and persistence is one of the keys to success.
You might never completely conquer your fear of certain things, but what is important is that you can bring yourself to do what you fear. True bravery is feeling afraid but doing what you have to do anyway. It’s also true that you struggle with fear and don’t let your fear stop you from getting the most out of life.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Importance of English
As is well-known, English is very important. The reasons are as follows.
Firstly, English is now one of the most common languages in the world and is one of the official languages of the UN.
Secondly, it is said that over 90% of the websites on the Internet and over 80% of the world’s mails are in English. More than 70% of the printed books are in English, too.
What’s more, it is spoken not only as a native language but also as an official language and as a foreign language. In China, it is necessary for us to learn English well. If you wish to go to any key university, you have to achieve high grades in the English examinations.
Last but not least, there are some differences between the English spoken in different countries. However, people usually have no difficulty understanding each other. As long as you can speak English, you can communicate with each other easily in most cases.
In short, what an important language English is !
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Americans clearly love their museums.One of the most famous, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met), saw a record 6.5 million visitors in 2015．But record attendance doesn't necessarily translate into record revenue（收入）. Last month,the Met said it was trying to erase a US$10 million budget deficit（赤字）. Meanwhile, one of its rivals, the Museum of Modern Art（MoMA）, was abundant in cash, but only about three million people stopped by in 2015. Why do some museums flourish while others flounder? My research leads me to believe there are three reasons: fashion, billionaires and demographics．
First, underlying the Met's financial challenges is the problem with the acquisitions policy．Recent directors of the Met did not add much to the museum's modern collection．The argument was that museums such as the MoMA were already providing such works in their collections and that the acquisition of contemporary art by living artists was problematic and risky.However, given the fact that museum-goers increasingly favor contemporary art, the revenue of the Met will likely fall if it isn't able to keep up with the tastes of the customers.And by the time it might recognize this, it's already too late to do much about it because the costs to acquire the in-demand art is sky-high.This leads to a second critical issue-the changing distribution of income and its effects on museum finance and operation．
We are living in a boom period for contemporary art. The number of auctions（拍卖）and art fairs has grown enormously to accommodate this growing market.In a world with about 1,800 billionaires, it only takes a relative few to drive high-end art prices to astronomical levels.Works by the German artist Gerhard Richter have generated $1.2 billion in sales in recent years.The soaring prices mean museums simply can't keep up and must usually depend on donations to assemble the best works, or they're priced out.Moreover, billionaires themselves are increasingly setting up their own private museums, further distancing the ability of public museums to get the good stuff．
A third interrelated problem is that demographic issues have put pressure on the revenue side．
Unemployment, early retirements and the aging of the population in the US have contributed to increased attendance at museums. You might think it's a good thing, but more traffic means higher costs, and when those additional visitors don't result in more revenue, profitability goes down. This is because of the longstanding movement toward making museums “free” by having individuals, government or businesses “sponsor” the cost. But when that support gets reduced by budget costs or another reason, museums must either cover the cost themselves or lose patrons by suddenly charging fees.There is evidence that attendance rises when economic growth slows, but that's also when those “sponsors” are more likely to begin to disappear．
Museums will certainly continue to exist and provide us with invaluable insights into our culture.But they must exist under economic principles, and it'd be wise for their administrators to consider the economics in their calculations．
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A survey of more than 2, 000 people living in the UK has found that those with a higher IQ are more likely to live a longer life. Researchers analysed data from the Scottish Mental Surveys — in which almost every 11yearold in Scotland was given the same IQ test on the same day in 1932 — and tracked the participants’ lives up to when they passed away. Even when factors such as economic status and employment level were accounted for, the smarter kids ended up living longer than those with lower IQs. These results correlate to several previous studies that have found a link between IQ and mortality (死亡率) when other factors were filtered out.
We don’t yet understand why this is the case, but there are some interesting hypotheses (假设): one is that intelligent people are more likely to strap themselves in while driving, choose to eat a healthy diet, avoid smoking, and exercise more often. Whalley and Deary found that those with a higher IQ were more likely to quit smoking after its negative health effects were published in the 1950s. In other words, smart people might just be better at avoiding things that are going to kill them.
Another hypothesis is that a high IQ is a signifier of a sturdy (强壮的) constitution and a body that’s going to last — it’s essentially a signifier rather than a cause, some scientists believe. One study published in 2005 found that better reaction times specifically helped people live longer — so a high IQ is possibly an indication of an efficient nervous system, rather than being itself a cause of longer life, the researchers proposed.
It’s a complicated area of science, particularly as an IQ score doesn’t necessarily directly represent intelligence, and can be affected by social class, education standards, and other cultural factors. Nevertheless, the link is there — and researchers are still trying to find out why.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Do you do flexibility training as part of your daily workout? Do you do any stretching exercises on a regular basis? If you are trying to lose weight, you should. Flexibility exercises are not big calorie burners, but they play an important role in a weight loss program.
The best thing about flexibility training is that you don't have to do it very often to enjoy the benefits. Just a few minutes of stretching each day will help to improve the range of motion in your joints, decrease the risk of injury during exercise and reduce stress.
So what flexibility exercises should you do? You can do simple stretches when you get out of bed each morning. This will help to loosen up your joints and start your day with healthy movement. There are also some great stretches that you can do at your desk while you are at work. You can also take a yoga class to lose weight or learn the practice of t'ai chi to improve your health.
Even though you won't burn many calories during a short stretching session, your body functions better when your joints move more comfortably. This can boost your weight loss program in several different ways.
Flexibility exercises help to get your blood pumping, but not in a way that increases your adrenalin（肾上腺素）. Stretching and breathing exercises help to improve your mood and lower your stress level. This may be especially helpful for dieters who are trying to curb emotional eating. If you can replace the trip to the refrigerator with 5 minutes of healthy stretching, you're likely to eat less and slim down faster.
Aerobic（有氧的）activity and strength training for weight loss are more effective when you perform each exercise fully. Stretching helps keep your body in top shape so that you burn more calories during your workouts and you spend less time recovering from injuries or soreness.
Flexibility training alone won't burn enough calories to make a big difference in your daily energy balance. But when you pair stretching exercises with a complete workout program, you'll benefit from a healthier body and improve your chances of weight loss.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Herbal medicine，which has been used for medicinal purposes，is the use of plants to treat disease. Many herbalists use the entire plant，from the flowers，stems，leaves，and roots，in the form of everything from teas to tablets. These plants contain natural，chemical things that can treat the body for a variety of diseases，such as allergies（过敏症），asthma（哮喘）and cancer，among others.
Nowadays an increasing number of people prefer to adopt these plants to treat their diseases because，compared with chemical medicine，herbal medicine has its own advantages. Herbal medicine is more effective than chemical medicine for certain diseases. The chemical medicine prescribed by a chemist could have negative side effects，which，however，many of the herbal medicine does not have. If any，they are softer than chemical medicine. Obesity is the cause of many of the health problems. Herbal medicine can help weight loss more effectively and improve overall health.
However，cure using herbal medicine would take some time，and therefore people are supposed to possess enough patience. Worse still，herbal medicine contains a variety of ingredients（成分）and people have to be sure that their body agrees with the ingredients and that it is not allergic. A point worth mentioning here is that some herbal medicine for certain illnesses may have negative side effects. These side effects may not be shown at once，but would take months or even years. In the first stages，if the herbal medicine is not agreeing with you，it is wise to stop using it.
When used correctly，herbs can help treat a variety of diseases. But keep in mind that the herbal medicine industry is not regulated，so herbal products are sometimes labeled wrongly and may contain additives that are not listed on the label. Some herbs may cause allergic reactions or interact with conventional drugs，and some are poisonous if used improperly or at high doses（剂量）. Taking herbs on your own increases your risk.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Have you had a headache during a test? Have you ever been so worried about something that you have a headache or even can’t sleep at night? If so, then you know what stress is.
Stress is what you feel when you are worried about something. This worry in your mind can make your body feel bad. You may feel angry, sad, scared, or afraid——all of which can give you a stomachache or a headache.
However, there are different kinds of stress. Some kinds of stress are good and others are bad.
Good stress might happen when you’re called to answer questions in class or when you have to give a speech. This kind of stress can help you to get things better done. For example, you may do a better job on your test if the stress pushes you to prepare better before the test. On the other hand, bad stress can happen if the stress lasts too long. You may not feel well if your parents are fighting, if a family member is sick, if you’re having problems at school, or if anything else makes you unhappy every day. That kind of stress isn’t going to help you. And it can actually make you sick.
The best way to fight the stress is to have a balanced life. Make sure you keep yourself in mind: Sleep, Exercise, Leisure, and Food. If you get enough sleep and eat properly, and if you exercise and leave time for fun, you’ll probably feel less stressed.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Now another American education icon may be disappearing: the hardbound (精装的) textbook. More and more school districts are replacing traditional textbooks with electronic ones. Electronic textbooks are usually accessed either through an online server or are downloaded to student laptops.
In North Texas, Plano and Irving schools are introducing e-books into a few classrooms, and Lancaster school officials also are considering them. But no local district appears to be going as far as Forney. The district most likely would be the first in the state to use e-books in every classroom for grades five to twelve.
Officials point out several reasons for turning to e-books. For one, they are easier to update. Thus the publishers are able to find ways to do online textbooks and they can go back and change information. Using e-books will better prepare students for college and the workplace.
Rapid district growth is another reason. The number of the students in the district is expected to double within five years. It's difficult to know textbook needs in advance and some students wait months for their books. But e-books can be uploaded onto a“blank” laptop in a few hours.
Cost may eventually be a deciding cause for choosing e-books, but there are no big savings yet. Even if they get it electronically, they still have to pay for the book because they're buying the instructional material. That may change as more and more districts move toward e-books.
Today's students have little trouble adjusting to laptops and e-books, said Connie Cooley, who has taught at the Academy of Irving ISD for five years. But she said it could worry teachers. "It's harder for people who are right around my age and older," said Ms. Cooley, 36. "I'm laptop-savvy, so I was ready for it, but those that aren't area little worrying."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
