In many countries, it is important to have many children In the US, a few religious groups emphasize the importance of large families, but most people think one or two children are enough, and many couples have no children. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Having many children would restrict the freedom and individualism of the parents as well as the other children in the family.

    Parents teach individualism by the way they raise their children {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Parents begin teaching this self-reliance early, asking the child to do things on her own and praising her when she does.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They bring their children with them to church, to sporting events, to stores, and to social events. However, many places, such as expensive restaurants and live theatre productions, do not welcome children. Most formal social gatherings those with written invitations do not welcome children either.

    Children，especially boys are expected to be energetic and assertive(果敢的).

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Parents are expected to keep their children under control at all times, particularly in public places and in the homes of others. When a child misbehaves only the child's patents may discipline him. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Most patents discipline their children by rewarding good behaviors, not by punishing bad behaviors. while a spanking，a slap to the child's buttocks(屁股), is acceptable to some people, any punishment that wounds the child or leaves a mark is considered child abuse and is against the law.

A. The relationship between American parents and their children is harmony

B. That doesn't mean, though, that they are allowed to “run wild” in public.

C. Because taking care of a child is very costly, financially, emotionally, and socially, many couples view large families as a disadvantage.

D. Others adults should not interfere (干涉) unless the child is doing something which may be harmful to himself

E. American children are expected to accept invitations to a formal party.

F. Many parents want to expose their children to a variety of situations.

G. They want to create a self-reliant, independent child, who can make it on her own by age eighteen.

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.

    ⒈{#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.

    ⒉ 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#}

    ⒊ Learn something new

    Take a Spanish class online, join a drawing club, or learn to play cards. A study found that mental stimulation (刺激) 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 do some reading.

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.

Ways To Manage Stress Creatively

    Stress is a huge problem for us all. Here's what I've learned and applied to manage stress using my creativity.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Putting my creativity and my work first, I often neglected to eat, exercise, even stand up from my desk. I now realize that how I feel physically (and mentally) is more important than the work I create. Taking care of myself includes all natural remedies(疗法). I'm learning how to say no to social pressures, in favor of my own well being.

    Don't worry about what other people think of you.

    This is easier said than done, but I promise it does come with age{#blank#}2{#/blank#}A lot of people do offer unsolicited(自发的) advice. It is human nature to want to help other people. But if that advice is coming from a place of control or judgment, RUN in the opposite direction.

    Don't compare.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Most people are not as happy as they describe themselves to be. The best advice I ever heard was this：Don't compare your inside to other people's outside. Be open to new experiences, be kind to yourself and accepting of the journey which is life. Being present means not thinking into the future, or harping(唠叨) on the past. The coolest thing about being present is that CREATIVITY LIVES IN THE MOMENT.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Your intentions matter.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}What was your intention? I remind myself to enjoy the process of my creative fun stuff, it's for me. If others like it, great, but it's the enjoyment of my creative intention, in the moment, that I treasure.

A. Stop judging

B. Each moment is UNIQUE

C. We have to work in order to live

D. Take care of yourself--Mind AND Body

E. Stress is often caused by comparison to others

F. It's important to remember why you started doing something

G. No one cares about what you're doing unless what you're doing affects them

    A new study suggests that the timing of a wound affects the speed at which it heals(愈合). Wounds suffered during the day heal around 60 percent faster than those at night.

    The study showed how the body's circadian rhythm(昼夜节律) controlled the healing of wounds{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It tells our bodies when to wake up, eat and sleep in a cycle—a series of activities that repeat themselves day after day{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    In the study, researchers found that skin cells moved faster to repair wounds suffered during the day. Their findings were published in the journal Science Transnational Medicine.

    The researchers examined cells, mice, and burn injury databases{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Night-time burns—burns suffered between 8 o'clock at night and 8 o' clock the next morning—were 95percent healed after an average of 28 days.

    But after an average of 17 days, daytime burns-burns suffered between 8 o'clock in the morning and 8 o'clock at night—were 95 percent healed{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Wounds are very costly to treat{#blank#}5{#/blank#}In Britain's National Health Services, for example, such services cost around $6.56 billion per year. Experts say the high costs result, in part, from a lack of drugs that speed up the closure of wounds.

A. Each cycle lasts about 24 hours.

B. The circadian rhythm is like a clock or timer.

C. Specifically their investigation found the following information:

D. The new study's findings could help scientists develop better drugs.

E. In other words, nigh-time injuries took an average of 11days longer to heal

F. Worldwide, billions of dollars are spent every year on wound-treatment services.

G. That's what a group of researchers from a university in Canada recently published.

    You cannot choose your child's friends for him, but you can help him learn to choose friends wisely. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are a few ways to help your child make friends.

•Build your child's selfconfidence.

    When he succeeds or has made a great choice, tell him you're proud of him. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Your middle school student is going through many changes and may feel like he isn't" good enough". Building his selfconfidence will help him feel more confident and will make it easier for him to form healthy friendships.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    Give him your full attention when he talks, and really listen to what he has to say.

    Discuss the qualities in a friend with your child.

    Discuss with your child the qualities that matter most, such as being reliable and kind, and making good choices when it comes to avoiding alcohol and tobacco.

    Get to know your child's friends.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}It's more important to talk with them and find out what they like to do. Allow your child to invite his friends over and get to know them better.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Afterschool clubs and sports programs are good places for meeting new people. Be open to exploring different activities with your child to find something that he enjoys.

A. Friends are very important for us.

B. Introduce your child to new groups of people.

C. Talk with your child every day and listen to his concerns.

D. Try not to judge your child's friends based on how they dress.

E. When he does not succeed, help him feel better and keep trying.

F. You can teach him ways to find friends who will have a positive influence on him.

G. There are many types of friends and we should be careful when making our choices.

    Rainbows (彩虹) are one of the most beautiful works that nature creates. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you've ever seen one, consider yourself lucky.

    Rainbows can be seen when light passes through raindrops, says Kristin Calhoun, a research scientist studying the conditions of weather.

    When sunlight passes through raindrops, the light bends, as it enters a droplet. As it leaves the droplet, the light separates into different wavelengths (波长). {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The seven colors — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet — bend in seven different directions. Red light, for example, bends in a different way than violet light. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It also explains why rainbows look like an arc (弧). Sometimes, however, rainbows can actually form a circle that you can see in a plane with the right conditions.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} "There is an even better chance when the sun is at a lower level, early or later in the day," Calhoun says. And another key is to face the rain and have your back to the sun.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} "Small showers and storms often form in late afternoon in this area," Calhoun says. "These types of showers often produce heavy rain, but remain isolated (孤立的) over the center of the island."

A．There are lots of stories relating to rainbows.

B．Rainbows are created by light through raindrops.

C．And each wavelength appears as a different color.

D．With the conditions just right, Hawaii gets lots of rainbows.

E．The best time to catch a rainbow is when it's sunny and raining.

F．But they can be seen only if you are in the right place at the right time.

G．This is why the person on the ground sees each color at a different location.