Ceremonial bathing has existed for thousands of years and has many forms, one of which is the sauna. The Finns have perfected the steam bath, or sauna, which may be taken, usually in an enclosed room, by pouring water over hot rocks or as a dry heat bath.     1     Dry heat and steam baths had advocates in ancient Rome and pre-Columbian Americans used sweat lodges .

The earliest saunas were probably, underground caves heated by a fire that naturally filled with smoke as chimney making was unknown at that time. A fire kept in a fire-pit would heat the rock walls of the cave.     2    

A few people today say that the smoke sauna, ''savusauna'', is the only true sauna experience and that all saunas should have at least a background odor(4wk)or smoke. Today most saunas use electric stoves, although gas and wood-burning stoves are available .

Saunas are relaxing and stress relieving. Those with muscle aches or arthritis (关节) may find that the heat relaxes muscles and relieves pain. Asthma(哮喘)patients find that the heat enlarges air passageways of the lung and facilitates breathing. Saunas do not cure the common cold but they may help to speed recovery time.     3    The sauna could be considered to follow the old saying ''Feed a cold, starve a fever''. The regular sauna may decrease the likelihood of getting a cold in the first place .

Sauna is good for your skin as the blood flow to the skin increases and sweating occurs. Adults sweat about 2 lbs of water per hour on average in a sauna. a good sweat removes dirt from pores and gives the skin a healthy glow. The loss in water weight is temporary as the body's physiological mechanisms will quickly restore proper volumes The cardiovascular (心血管) system gets a work out as the heart must pump harder and faster to move blood to the surface for heat exchange. Heart rate may increase from 72 beats per minute on average to 100-150 beats per minute .

    4     The elderly and those with diabetes should check with their doctor prior to taking saunas. Pregnant women should not take saunas, particularly in the first three months. Indeed, everyone just starting out should take short sessions at first to become accustomed to this type of bath.

6 . Were you into skateboarding，surfing or snowboarding when you were a kid？We can remember our first (less than successful) go at skateboarding，as well as the first time we managed to stand up on one of those surfboards.

It was so much fun that we were hooked for life. However，not everyone thinks that introducing children to extreme sports is a good idea.

In the article from The New York Times，writer Jon Lackman considers whether sports like snowboarding，climbing and skateboarding could be dangerous to the growing bodies of young children and looks for advice from medical professionals.

“Kids aren’t mentally ready for these activities，” says professor of orthopaedics(矫形外科)，Dr. Vani Sabesan. “They tend to underestimate(低估) the risks，and their parents can’t always be trusted to keep them in check. ”

Sabesan is particularly worried about the effects of extreme sports on TV and the Internet on children. “What we’re seeing is a lot of kids thinking maybe they can do what these professional athletes can do. ”

As someone who was encouraged to give bodyboarding a go by the age of five and then presented with a surfboard aged seven，I think these worries are a little overstated(夸大的)，if not misplaced.

Extreme sports can be dangerous，yes，but there’s as much chance of falling off your bike or your roller skates as off a skateboard or surfboard.

My own experience of extreme sports leads me to think that I’ll allow my own kids to try them in the same way my parents allowed me.

In sports such as surfing and snowboarding，there’s a sense of adventure and courage that is important to instill(慢慢灌输) in young children.

Did I fall off my surfboard？All the time. Did I get back on？Every time.

Are the more extreme sports too dangerous for younger kids and better saved for teenagers？Are extreme sports a great experience for all children to have and a great way to make the most out of your childhood?

I’m very glad to be invited to an English summer camp.

I prefer to going in July because I’ll have to prepare ourselves for the new school term in August. It seemed that all the activities you offer are attracted and meaningful. But after have a discussion with my parents, I’ve decided to attend the English lectures, from them I can get more information on British and American culture. With a large group international people working, living or traveling in our country, communication become very important. I hope to teach foreigner Chinese and spread Chinese culture.

Thank you very much.

Yours,

Li Hua

9 . Children's Games in Ancient China

Unlike the children nowadays, the children during ancient times didn't have smart phone, iPad or computer to entertain(娱乐) themselves.     1     Let's take a look.

Flying kites

Kites have quite a long history. The earliest kites were made of wood, instead of paper. Nowadays, the three most famous kites are the Beijing kite, Tianjin kite and Weifang kite.     2     For example, the swallow-shaped kite is a well-known Beijing style.

Playing hide-and-seek

Hide-and-seek is a traditional game for children, popular around the nation. Even nowadays, many children like playing it. There are two ways to play. One way is covering a child's eyes while other kids run around to tease(戏弄) him.     3    

    4    

The closest thing to watching a film or television for entertainment during ancient times was going to see a shadow play. Folk artists manipulate puppets behind the screen, narrating stories and accompanied by music.

Setting off firecrackers(鞭炮)

Firecrackers have a history of more than 2,000 years. It is said that there was a beast (野兽)named Nian in ancient China.     5     After gunpowder was invented, it gradually replaced the bamboo joint cracker. Crackers are still set off during Spring Festival to symbolize auspiciousness(吉利).