Cell phones are used everywhere, but on the road they are a dangerous distraction (分心) to drivers and should be forbidden.
The New England Journal of Medicine reported that "drivers using a cell phone were four times more likely to have an accident than those not using a phone." The major problem is that the driver is not focused on the road, but on his or her conversation. Cell phone drivers are very unpredictable: they drive too fast or too slow, make improper turns, run red lights and even stop at green ones. It's not only annoying; it's dangerous. Accidents related to cell phones include off a road and crashing into a tree, fences, and buildings and even turning over.
In October at the California Traffic Safety Summit, experts showed that "cell phones used by drivers lead to at least 1,000 deaths per year in California." These are the same problems that occur with drunk driving, which is against the law and strictly enforced. For the same reasons, California needs laws that ban the use of cell phone in cars.
Until we take action to pass new laws, drivers at least need to be more responsible when using cell phones. The American Automobile Association recommends that drivers pull off the road before using a cell phone, have a passenger use it for them, or use voice mail to answer calls. Another suggestion is to keep the phone off while moving or simply not to use it in the car. Before using a cell phone, drivers should ask themselves, "Is this call really that important?"
Cell phones can be a very important link in emergencies, but drivers need to use them wisely. As professional NASCAR racer John Andretti says, "Driving safely is your first responsibility." The best road to safety is to just hang up and drive.
What are you going to do with your old computer after you buy a new one? You have paid high prices for the old computer, but how much do you think it is worth now? Few people want to buy an old computer. Unfortunately, the only thing you can do is to throw it away.
What do many people do when they try to sell their old computers? Foolishly, they think about its original cost and then reduce the price according to the age of computer---- rather like a second hand car. They are wrong. They forget that new computers are becoming cheaper every day, making old computers almost worthless. In 1985, for example, a good computer cost over US $4,000. Ten years later its owner would be lucky to get $400.
You must be careful about buying a second hand computer. The microchips in a computer may last a long time, but the hard disk will not. It will probably cost more to replace the hard disk with a new one than the computer itself is worth. So saving or repairing an old computer is like building a car from spare parts. It is far cheaper to buy a new car.
One magazine recently listed some suggestions. One suggestion was to give it to charity. The final one was to store it somewhere and hope that it would become a collector’s item in fifteen or twenty years. But in fifteen or twenty years there may be so many old computers that they will all be worthless.
Whatever you decide to do with an old computer will not change the fact that it will be useless soon. The world of computers is quickly changing and eventually all computers will not only be integrated with video telephones and run DVD ROM disks, but also be able to perform many tasks which as yet we cannot even imagine. All these uses will require much more advanced computers today to the garbage can of the next century.
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There is nothing unusual about a single language dying. Communities have come and gone throughout history, and with them their language. But what is happening today is extraordinary, judged by the early standards. According to the best estimates(估计), about half of the total 6,000 languages are going to die out in the next century. On average, there is a language dying out somewhere in the world every two weeks or so.
It is too late to do anything to help many languages, where the speakers are too few or too old, and where the community is too busy just trying to survive to care about their language. But many languages are not in such a serious position. Often, where languages are seriously endangered, there are things that can be done to give new life to them.
There are some famous cases showing what can be done — Welsh alone among the Celtic languages, is not only stopping its steady decline towards extinction(灭绝) but showing signs of real growth. Two Language Acts protect the status of Welsh, and its presence is increasingly in evidence wherever you travel in Wales. Maori in New Zealand has been maintained by a system of so-called "language nest", which provides children under five with a setting in which they are frequently exposed to the language. The hope is that the children will in turn become role models to a new generation of young children as they grow older. If good descriptions and materials are available, even extinct languages can be saved. Kaurna from South Australia, is an example. This language had been extinct for about a century, but had been quite well documented. So, when a strong movement grew for its revival(复活), it was possible to bring it back from death.
It is too soon to predict the future of these revived languages, but in some parts of the world they are attracting the very range of positive attitudes and grass roots support. In such unexpected but heart-warming ways we might see the grand total of languages slightly increased.
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Bullying has been an exceeding issue over the years. Bullying is a major problem that we haven’t been able to stop. Every year more and more people become bullied at school and online.What is worrying us most is that the numbers of kids who are starting to become victims are increasing. Bullying doesn’t just affect the victims of bullying but harms everyone around it, including the bullies themselves.
Bullying has gone viral in the new communication era. People have been bullying over the internet on social media sites such as Facebook, twitter as well as social networking sites. People have also used our new technology of texting to harass people. Cyber bullying is what it's called when you bully someone over the internet. It is really not rare to see people bullied through the internet. People who are bullied feel great pressure and many of them committed suicide. Just in 2020, as many as 1,200 teens were reported to have acted suicide because of cyber bully.
Bullying in school is still in play as well. It may be the “old fashioned” and it is still just as effective! School teachers should be aware that it IS HAPPENING!!! Parents think that bullying in schools is just “a part of school” , which is complete utter nonsense! When students get bullied they feel unsafe, scared and sad. Statistics show that on a daily average 160, 000 children miss school because they fear they will he bullied again.
Nobody likes a bully and being one may be a nightmare of the kids. It is high time that we attached great importance to it. Bystanders could really help stop bullying if they stood up right when it is happening! Stop bullying on the spot therefore it cant go anywhere or develop anymore, If a teacher or anyone sees the bullying, don’t be afraid! When adults respond quickly and consistently, they sent the message that it is not acceptable. When stopping bullying on spot you should intervene immediately, separate the kids involved and make sure everyone is safe. If we all take a stand against bullying and not ignore it or even encourage it, I believe that we can put an end to it!
Most children are taught the virtue of honesty from fairy tales and other stories. The story of Pinocchio, who begins life as a puppet, teaches the importance of telling the truth. In the United States, young children learn the tale of young George Washington, who finally admits to his father that he cuts down a cherry tree. This kind of story shows children that "honesty is the best policy". Still, if this is the case, then why so many people lie? The fact is that human being lies for many reasons.
One reason for lying has to do with minimizing a mistake. While it is true that everyone makes a careless mistake from time to time, some people don't have the courage to admit their errors because they fear blame. For example, students might lie to their teachers about unfinished homework. They might say that they left the work at home when, in fact, they didn't do the work at all. These students do not want to seem irresponsible, so they make up an excuse-a lie to save face.
If a company decides to have a weekend meeting, one of the managers might not feel like attending. She may call her boss and gives excuse: "I've been fighting off a cold all week, and I truly can't risk getting the others sick. I'll be sure to get all of the notes on Monday." When individuals do not want to admit the truth and then face the consequences, they use lies to avoid difficulties.
A somewhat different reason for lying has to do with self-protection. Parents, particularly those with small children, may teach their children to use this type of "protective" lie in certain circumstances. What should children do if a stranger calls while the parents are out? Many parents teach their children to explain that mom and dad are too busy to come to the phone at that time. In this situation, protective lying can prevent harm or disaster.
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Most teens need about 8 to more than 9-hours of sleep each night. The right amount of sleep is essential for anyone who wants to do well in tests or sports. And lack of sleep affects everything from a person's ability to pay attention in class to his or her mood. It also damages teens' ability to do their best in athletics. Unfortunately research shows that many teens don't get enough sleep, and more than 20% of high school students fall asleep in class.
Until recently, teens were often blamed for staying up late, oversleeping for school, and falling asleep in class. But recent studies show that adolescent sleep patterns actually differ from those of adults or kids. These studies show that during the teen years, the body's biological clock is temporarily reset, telling a person to fall asleep later and wake up later. This change might arise from the fact that the brain hormone melatonin（褪黑素）is produced later at night for teens than it is for kids and adults This can make it harder for teens to fall asleep early.
These changes in the body's biological clock are in line with a time when they're busier than ever. For most teens, the pressure to do well in school is more intense than when they were kids, and it's harder to get by without studying hard. And teens also have other time demands---everything from sports and other extracurricular activities to fitting in a part-time job to save money for college.
Early start time in some schools may also play role in this sleep deficit（不足额）. Teens who fall asleep after midnight may still have to get up early for school, meaning that they may only squeeze in 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night. A couple hours of missed sleep a night may not seem like a big deal, but can create a noticeable sleep deficit over time.
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注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Tourism can be both good and bad. Yes, it brings in money for the local economy and creates lots of jobs for locals, but it may also bring some problems.
One growing problem is tourists who want to prove that they have visited a destination. Tourists have used paint, rocks, or even keys to write on the Luxor Temple in Egypt, the Colosseum in Rome, Stonehenge in the UK, memorial stones at the bottom of Qomolangma, and many, many other places. Thousands of tourist sites are being destroyed by tourists who “love them to death”. I have three words for people like this: please stop it. If you want to leave a mark on the world, do it by changing someone’s life with kindness and love. Pass kindness along to future generations, not destruction.
Another big problem in some places has been tourists disturbing the local people and life. Some tourists wander around and take pictures of local people without asking for their permission. For example, Chiang Mai University in Thailand and Yonsei University in South Korea have great numbers of tourists visiting their campuses and walking through their libraries and other public areas, taking picture of students, and disturbing their studies. Another example is Sanlitun, a neighbourhood in Beijing, China. Some tourists love to party there late into the night, making it difficult for locals to sleep. I have three words for tourists like this: please be considerate. Have fun in a way that does not disturb others.
The number of problems from tourists is endless: walking in large groups without considering others who need to walk by, crossing roads without thinking of local traffic laws, and many more. The only way to solve the problem of the terrible tourist is to make sure that you are not one! Be the best, kindest, most polite tourist possible. Remember, whenever you step outside your country’s borders, you are representing your country to the rest of world.
Parents always want the best for their children and giving them; the best education is always on top of the list. But if you think education is all they need, maybe you should think twice. Sure, you learn a lot of things in school, but there are important lessons and skills you will need in life that one can only learn at home. Therefore, teaching the children to do household chores is very helpful in their growth. Most families nowadays hire housemaids to do the chores, so children don’t get to experience doing it anymore. But studies argue that it’s still necessary to let children do them.
Helping at home can be a training place for your children to whatever responsibilities they may have in the future. By doing so, they can learn what might be of their advantage when they grow up. “Performing chores offers kids a feeling of self-sufficiency, helps them develop a work ethic, is tied to academic success in school, makes them feel useful and teaches them the importance of helping others and contributing to the greater good.”
Although, most parents can also argue that it is not easy to force their children to do chores. It is a nature for the children to refuse to do chores when they are told to. But there are ways that can turn household chores into a more likely activity for the children. First, start them young. This doesn’t mean that you let your children do huge tasks at an early age. You can gradually increase the level of tasks as they grow old but never ever push them too hard. Second, appreciate every little achievement. Praise them or give them something. Children love rewards and it drives them to do better.
Most importantly, let them know that asking them to help-out is not a punishment. Chores should never be used as a punishment. They might get done in the short term, but the effects won’t last. This approach does not give the child the feeling of doing something because it is the right thing to do. It only makes them hate chores and hoping out even more. Chores should be used as a sense of purpose. Explain to them that it is for their benefit and everything they learn from it is for their advantage.
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There is an old saying that goes like this, “The grass looks greener on the other side of the fence.” It means that other places often look better, more interesting than the place where you live. Nowadays, a large number of Chinese kids prefer to enjoy American food and Japanese movies. They are often heard to say to each other, “Let’s go to the KEC for dinner and then watch some Japanese cartoons!” Some people are worried when they see young Chinese buying Japanese cartoon books, watching Korean soap operas and even celebrating western holidays.
Foreign books and soap operas are good, but actually, Chinese writers and actors are just as good. As for holidays, Christmas is nice, but it can never have the meaning for Chinese that the Spring Festival has, and the West has nothing to compare with the Mid-Autumn Festival. Besides, China has lots of cool things that are unique to its culture, such as calligraphy, Beijing Opera and so on. And let’s not forget the part of Chinese culture I like best: its friendliness. Not all countries are as warm as China.
It’s good to enjoy other cultures and to learn from them, but they can never replace your own culture. It’s good to look on the other side of the fence, but make sure you take a good long look. You will find that the grass isn’t always greener.
Although some people become worried about that, I don’t think it necessary. Will we get more powerful without learning from other countries? Will Chinese people live more happily without American fast food? Besides, Chinese kids can learn about other cultures and have fun, but what is important is that they also need to learn more about their own culture and be proud of Chinese culture and of being Chinese.
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