Eyesight plays a very important role in our daily life. Every waking moment，the eyes are working to see the world around us. Over forty per cent of Americans worry about losing eyesight，but it's easy to include steps into our daily life to ensure healthy eyes. Here are five suggestions for a lifetime of healthy eyesight：

    Schedule yearly exams{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Experts advise parents to bring babies 6 to 12 months of age to the doctor for a careful check. The good news is that millions of children now can have yearly eye exams and following treatment, including eyeglasses.

    Protect against UV rays(紫外线)．Long­term stay in the sun creates risk to your eyes. No matter what the season is，it's extremely important to wear sunglasses.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}  Give your eyes a break. Two­thirds of Americans spend up to seven hours a day using computers or other digital products.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Experts recommend that people practise the 20/20/20 rule：every 20 minutes，take a 20­second break and look at something 20 feet away.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}As part of a healthy diet，eat more fruits and vegetables each day. Vitamins(维生素) C and E help protect eyesight and promote eye health.

    Practise safe wear and care of contact lenses(隐形眼镜)．Many Americans use contact lenses to improve their eyesight. While some follow the medical guidance for wearing contact lenses，many are breaking the rules and putting their eyesight at risk.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Otherwise，you may have problems such as red eyes，pain in the eyes，or a more serious condition.

A．This frequent eye activity increases the risk for eye tiredness

B.  Eye care should begin early in life.

C．Eat your greens.

D．They can properly protect your eyes.

E．Stay in good shape by taking more vitamins.

F．Parents usually don't care about their own eyesight.

G．Always follow the doctor's advice for appropriate wear.

    Idioms are one of the hardest parts of learning a language. For those of you who don't know, an idiom is a phrase which has a meaning, but if you translate it word for word, it sometimes makes no sense at all. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Get your act together

    This might be something your teacher says to you if you score badly in an exam or if you misbehave in class. It means you need to improve your behavior or work.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Yes, it's longer and more difficult to say than “I'm sick.” But if your English teacher asks you why you haven't done your homework, he or she is more likely to forgive you if you say that you were feeling under the weather.

    It's a piece of cake

    I don't know why this means what it does, but sometimes you just have to accept that English people use the phrase. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Break a leg

    This is perhaps one of the most confusing yet well-known English idioms. If someone says this to you, do not take offence or think they are threatening you. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is most often used for people wishing success to actors and actresses before they perform on the stage, but it can be said in other situations, too.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It's definitely not a piece of cake, especially when there are so many confusing idioms. However, with enough hard work and interest, you will succeed in no time. Break a leg!

A. It shows it's so easy.

B. Pull yourself together.

C. I'm feeling under the weather.

D. They are just wishing you luck.

E. Try your best to use them in various situations.

F. All in all, learning a new language can be challenging.

G. Here are four common English idioms that you can use in a variety of situations.

    There are many expressions with the word “dog”.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They take their dogs for walks, give them goof food and medical care. However, dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of life. The expression, lead a dog's life, describes a person who has an unhappy existence.

    When we say we live in a dog-eat-dog world,{#blank#}2{#/blank#}A person has to work hard like a dog to be successful. Such hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation would be even worse if they became sick as a dog.

    Still, people say every dog has its day. This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Yet, some people say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks. They believe that older people do not like to learn new skills and will not change the way they do things.

    Some people are compared to dogs in bad ways. People who are unkind or uncaring can be described as junkyard dogs living in places where people throw away things they do not want. Junkyard dogs are often used to guard this property. They bark or attack people who try to enter the property. However, sometimes a person who appears to be mean and threatening is really not so bad. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Dog expressions are also used to describe the weather. The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But we do not want it to rain cats and dogs.

A. We could say his bark is worse than his bite.

B. That means many people are competing for the same things, like good jobs.

C. But there are many difficulties on the road to success.

D. People love dogs and treat them well.

E. To be successful, people often have to learn new skills.

F. Dogs are loyal to people.

G. A rainstorm may cool the weather.

Easy Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp

    Everyone is forgetful, but as we age, we start to feel like our brains are slowing down a bit—and that can be a very annoying thing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Read on for some techniques worth trying.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    People who regularly made plans and looked forward to upcoming events had a 50 percent reduced chance of Alzheimer's disease (早老性痴呆症), according to a recent study. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Something as simple as setting a goal to have a weekly coffee date with a friend will do. There's evidence that people who have a purpose in life or who are working on long or short-term goals appear to do better. In other words, keep your brain looking forward.

    Go for a walk

    Mildly raised glucose (葡萄糖) levels can harm the area of the brain that helps you form memories and physical activity can help get blood glucose down to normal levels. In fact, exercise produces chemicals that are good for your brain. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Learn something new

    Take a Spanish class online, join a drawing club, or learn to play cards. A study found that mental stimulation limits the weakening effects of aging on memory and the mind. But the best thing for your brain is when you learn something new and are physically active at the same time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Or go dancing with your friends.

A. Focus on the future.

B. This can be especially harmful to the aged.

C. It should be something like learning gardening.

D. So take a few minutes each day to think about your future.

E. But don't worry if your schedule isn't filled with life-changing events.

F. Luckily, research shows there is a lot you can do to avoid those moments.

G. In other words, when you take care of your body, you take care of your brain.

Being Left-handed in a Right-handed World

    The world is designed for right-handed people, but why does a tenth of the population prefer the left? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    The answer to it remains a bit of a mystery. Since scientists have noticed that left-handedness tends to run in families, it's assumed that left-handedness has a genetic (基因的) component to it. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In fact, identical twins, who share the same genes, can sometimes prefer to use different hands. There are also plenty of theories on what else might determine which hand you write with, but many experts believe that it's kind of random.

    Historically, the left side and left-handedness have been considered a negative thing by many cultures. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} In some areas, the left hand became known as the "unclean" hand. In many religions, the right hand of God is the favored hand. For example, Jesus sits at God's right side. God's left hand, however, is the hand of judgement. Various activities and experiences become rude or even signs of bad luck when the left hand becomes involved. In some parts of Scotland, it is considered bad luck to meet a left-handed person at the start of a journey. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} A person giving directions will put their left hand behind them and even physically try to point with their right hand if necessary. In some Asian countries, eating with the left hand is considered impolite.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} People come to realize that left-handedness is natural. People even noticed that many famous people are left-handed  including Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Charlie Chaplin. Some researchers find out that lefties are more creative and can deal with abstract thinking better. The left-handedness is more easily adaptable to the right-handed world as well. Being left-handed is no longer a sad story now; instead, it is a wonderful gift or maybe it is something you should take pride in.

Problems between parents and children are common. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Developing a better relationship with your parents involves knowing the causes of the problems and focusing on changing how you think and behave. There are some ways to help you develop a better relationship with your parents.

Act first. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you want to improve your relationship with your parents, you should start right away and act first.

Be appreciative. Consider everything that your parents have done for you. You may find yourself feeling grateful to your parents. Show your appreciation with your actions. Give them a nice gift, or if you live with your parents, do some extra housework without being asked. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Be open and honest. One way to improve your relationship with your parents is to be more willing to talk to your parents about things that you care about and your feelings and views about these things. Keep in regular contact, so your parents can get a better understanding of what upsets you and what makes you happy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}And it's hard for them to discuss things that can attract your interest and develop the relationship between you and themselves.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} They grow up in a different generation with different technologies and ways of thinking. Think about how these different histories may contribute to problems in your relationship. See if they can recall any problem in their relationships with their parents that is due to these generational differences. And try using this information when you talk about improving your relationship with them.

A. Accept that your parents are different.

B. Focus more on seeking your parents' agreement.

C. They will likely be happy with you for these actions.

D. There are a number of ways in which you can stay positive.

E. Don't wait for your parents to try to improve the relationship.

F. If you don't share your stories with your parents, they will not know you very well.

G. If you are looking to improve your relationship with your parents, you are not alone.