Why Walking Your Dog Is Great Exercise

    Having trouble sticking to an exercise program?Research shows that dogs are actually nature's perfect personal trainers-loyal,hard-working,energetic and enthusiastic.Your friends may skip an exercise session because of appointments,extra chores or bad weather.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Is dog walking really effective exercise?Many people are becoming interested in exercise to help lose excess weight.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Dog owner-ship and obesity were evaluated in Seattle,Wash.,and Baltimore,Md.,in a study published in the journal Preventive Medicine in September 2008.Dog owners who reported walking their dogs were almost 25 percent less likely to be obese than people without dogs.

    What are the benefits of regular exercise?Dr.Joanna Kruk reviewed medical literature describing the health benefits of exercise.Her research showed that the risk of developing a number of serious health problems is reduced by physical activity and exercise.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}It's easy to forget about healthy walking plans,so set the stage for a successful program: Establish a walking schedule; plan to walk 30 minutes total each day.This might include a 10-minute neighborhood walk in the morning and a 20-minute romp at the dog park after work.Or maybe three 10-minule walks or one 30-minute walk fit in better with your day.

    If dog walking is "scheduled" each day,you'll feel more responsible for sticking with your program.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Most importantly,daily walking your dog will keep it fit and give it an opportunity to utilize their senses while also engaging their mind.

    So,grab a leash,whistle to the pup,and go for a walk-today and every day! Take action!{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A.Plan for success.

B.Track your progress.

C.This will reinforce your good behavior.

D.Dog walking is a great way to start a healthy lifestyle program.

E.However,dogs never give you an excuse to delay exercising.

F.Plus,your dog will also get used to the routine and remind you when "it's time"!

G.Obesity is affecting about one in every three to four adults in the United States and Europe.

How to help children improve the ability to study

    Children often have trouble studying because they haven't developed good study habits. Teaching your child study skills early will give those skills to become habits.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Create a Positive Learning Space. To increase concentration, set up a workspace for your child.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.  His or her desk should have as few distractions as possible and be well equipped with school supplies, like pencils, erasers, rulers, calculators, loose leaf paper and even a computer if your child is at a grade level where a computer is helpful or necessary. The environment should also be cheery and fun so that he or she has a good mental association with it.

Maintain a Reliable Schedule. Make sure your child studies at the same time every evening. This habit keeps children from wasting time ,and helps them focus. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Most children have trouble focusing for more than an hour. Encourage your child to take a brief break can help him or concentrate more deeply when it's time to do so.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.Encourage your child to turn off his or her cell phone, video games and computer unless the computer is needed for the task at hand. These devices often distract children and can lead to wasting time. You should also be reasonably quiet and calm while your child is studying. Avoid noisy activities like talking loudly on the phone, vacuuming or watching television while your child is studying.

    Give Positive Reinforcement(强化).Positive reinforcement is not simply a matter of rewarding good study habits or high test scores, but also of acknowledging a child's progress no matter how small. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.It will help to improve his or her study skills in effective ways.

A. Studies show kids and teens are more willing to study when praised.

B. A loving, caring and optimistic reaction will often be just the thing that your child needs.

C. The following tips can help your child study better.

D. Keep your child away from electronic devices.

E. If possible, only use the space to complete homework.

F. Avoid Distractions.

G. Also, let your child take a brief break every hour or so.

How to be realistic

    In order to be realistic, you must understand yourself and the world around you. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}You still need to challenge yourself, but if you have tried something several times, then you need to accept that maybe you can't do it. Keep yourself firmly on the ground and read on.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Try new things and do your best at them, but if you find that it is something you can't do after many tries, accept the failures and be realistic.

      Explain to others that you are being realistic in your approach. When you hit the wall, back off. You can't continue to bang your head against the wall. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Some people don't accept them, but they are there.

    Challenge yourself. You need to try before you can be realistic and say, “I can't do that.” No one ever got anywhere without trying. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Sometimes you need to find the one that works for you.

    Follow what you believe. People may tell you that you can do something if you try hard enough, and sometimes they are right. But if you know that you can't do it, follow what you believe.

    See what is there. You don't need to analyze everything. Don't look below the surface. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Always expect what you know to be realistic. Don't look for miracles.

A. Everyone has limitations.

B. Approach life realistically.

C. Just take everything at face value.

D. You can be realistic and just go with the flow.

E. Many things can be achieved in different ways.

F. Understand what you can do and what you can't.

G. You must be able to see exactly what you are capable of.

    I've always been interested in why we do the things we do, so last year I decided I'd like to study psychology. Most courses I found, however, were either too expensive, too long or were impossible to combine with work. I was about to give up {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    At first, I had no idea what they were talking about, but they explained that a MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course—a new type of course offered completely online to thousands of people, which is designed so that anyone can follow it, regardless of age, location or education—{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. You can search for hundreds of different subjects, and can usually watch a short introduction video to get an idea of what the course is about.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. At first, I didn't know what to expect or how much time I might spend studying. Each week there were video lectures to watch and readings to do as well as some short assignments. The lectures were really interesting and easy to follow, and it was great to be able to watch them again or pause them to go and do something else. Most MOOCs have online forums (论坛), too, where students can discuss what they are learning. These are often really fascinating because there are so many different opinions, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. If you read everything on the forums, you won't have time to finish the lectures!

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. There is a huge range of courses on offer in hundreds of subjects, and you have the chance to learn new things and be in contact with many different types of people, all from the comfort of your own home. Why not check out a MOOC and start learning something new today?

    For a bird, to fly hundreds or thousands of miles each spring and fall is a difficult and dangerous journey, one that not all birds can survive. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There is more than one single reason for different birds to migrate(迁徙), but it all comes down to survival.

    Birds are migrating for a meal.

    For all birds, one of the main driving forces behind migration is food. If all birds were to stay in the same places year-round, food there would become not enough. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But as the food supplies decrease in the fall, they return to the southern areas.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Over millions of years, birds have developed different migration patterns, times and destinations. This helps birds take advantage of a wide variety of suitable conditions to raise their young, which increases the survival chances of the young birds.

    Birds are migrating because of climate changes.

    Changes in climate can affect migration. Many birds leave the Arctic for example, when temperatures begin to fall. They need warmer habitats. Similarly, the hottest regions can be an unpleasant environment for raising young birds. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Birds are migrating because of predators.

    Habitats that have rich food sources also attract a greater number of predators who may kill birds. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Many birds even migrate to specialized habitats that are nearly inaccessible to predators, such as coastal cliffs or rocky offshore islands.

A．So why do birds migrate?

B．Birds are migrating for their young.

C．So how do young birds migrate?

D．Birds are migrating because of diseases.

E. It is beneficial to lay eggs further north in cooler areas.

F. Birds that migrate to different habitats can avoid being eaten by predators.

G. As food sources are rich in the north each spring, millions of birds migrate from south to those areas.

Tips for Procrastinators (拖延者)

    You manage to finish and hand the project in on time, but you feel exhausted. Then, your teacher says, "Get ready. We will start the test in 5 minutes." {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Many of us are guilty of delaying doing what we should do. At the same time, we might risk missing a deadline and not getting a good mark. It is also very stressful. Here are some tips for procrastinators on how to get your work done ahead of time.

    Create a to-do list. Creating a list will help organize your work and ideas while keeping you on track. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Keep it up to date by checking off completed tasks as you go along. This will keep you focused and orderly.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Chances are, you won't be able to get a lot of work done when you're tired. Finding a time of day when you are full of energy will get you to be more productive.

    Choose reliable study partners. Working with study partners will encourage you to complete the task at hand and ensure that you remain focused. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Divide the work into smaller parts. Procrastination is often a reaction to feeling overwhelmed (无法对付的). Dividing work into smaller parts will make it easy to handle. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You will find your ability and be more likely to finish what you need to do.

    Hopefully these tips will help you do away with the stressful, last-minute efforts of a procrastinator.

A. Work when you're feeling energetic.

B. Remind yourself to turn off all the devices.

C. You forgot that there's also an examination today.

D. Try to encourage yourself to stick to your work plan.

E. Deal with your tasks a bit at a time instead of wasting time wondering where to start.

F. Put the tasks that you feel less confident about or are likely to avoid on the top of the list.

G. You know that others are relying on you and they think that you deserve trust and are responsible.