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.

    There are three things that will get you ahead in life: good looks, smarts, and being considered as being smart.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} And unluckily most of us are not good-looking. Let's explore some different ways to become smarter.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}College doesn't necessarily mean you'll be smarter, just educated. It means you'll be exposed to many different ideas and hopefully you'll learn how to think. Being able to think outside the box and for yourself are features smart people possess.

    Read books and educational magazines.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Educational magazines are a wealth of knowledge you can share with others, thus making you sound very smart. If you do watch television, try watching something that you can learn.

    Expand your vocabulary. Try to learn one new word a week. It doesn't seem like much, but adding 52 new words to your vocabulary will really make you appear much smarter. Subscribing (订阅) to vocabulary.com is a good start.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} This way you're actually getting 365 words a year, but that is usually more than most people can absorb.

    Don't repeat everything people tell you until you know that it's true.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}They hear a strange claim and they repeat it to the nearest ear. You can do much harm to your seek for being smart if you are known for giving bad information.

A. Go to college and get an education.

B. The first is God-given.

C. Get educated inside or outside college.

D. You will have a new word sent to your email address daily.

E. The programs actually provide you with information you can use.

F. Uneducated people and people not considered as being smart tend to do this.

G. Reading books works the brain out more than viewing television.

    Why do we go to zoos? Millions of people around the world visit zoos each year, but the reason is hard to explain .{#blank#}1{#/blank#} But the animals they see in zoos are little like the toys, cartoons, and decorations that fill their homes. For such children, meeting with real animals can be confusing, even upsetting.

    The great interest that children have in animals today might lead one to suppose that this has always been the case. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}That was also when zoos became an important part of middle-class life.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}They lived together with our ancestors in a shared natural environment. In the Industrial Era, the human domination (支配)of animals could be seen in the popularity of real-looking animal toys. Children rode rocking-horses that had realistic features, and they slept with bears, tigers, and rabbits that looked and felt almost real. The Twentieth Century marked a further development--the change of animals into people.

    This was the age of Babar the Elephant, Hello Kitty, and the Lion King. Parents and children had previously wanted animals that looked like animals.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    In a zoo they hope to see the living breathing versions of their character friends. They find instead unfamiliar creatures who cannot speak, smile, or interact with them. For this reason, a visit to the zoo can be disappointing for children today.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Meeting real animals reminds us forcefully of the boundary between imagination and reality.

    When we visit animals in a zoo, perhaps we will recall our true relationship not only to animals but to the entire world.

A. Animals are the best friends of the human beings.

B. Most of children are looking forward to visiting zoos.

C. Perhaps that disappointment is the best gift a zoo can offer.

D. But now they want animals that look and act like humans

E. Yet, it was not until the Industrial Era that animals became part of childhood.

F. In prehistoric times, there had been no zoos, as animals were a real part of the human world.

G. Many of those visitors are children, whose lives are already surrounded by animals' images.

There is no doubt that the first day of school can be crazy for most of students. New kids wander (徘) around in circles, waiting for the opening of the school door. The school nurse needs your medical records. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The freshmen are running in all directions, looking for their new classrooms.

    How can you overcome the first-day chaos? If you will go to a new school, try to arrange a visit before classes begin. Explore any areas, such as the playground, library, or school labs.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Get one and read it before your school, starts-then keep it in your school bag until you're familiar with your new surroundings. Your first day is also the time to bring in school supplies and books.

    You should arrange your schoolbag well the night before you go to school so that you won't look for what you need at the last minute.

Did you try on eight different coats before deciding on what to wear?{#blank#}3{#/blank#} The best choice is to wear what makes you feel good, whether it is a new coat or an old sweater. If you plan to wear a pair of shoes, make sure they fit you well.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Some start with a gathering, while others may jump right into the first-period class. You'll meet your new teachers, and they will probably give you an overview of the courses, class rules, what the semester will be like, what supplies you'll need, and expectations of your performance and behavior. Some teachers will jump into their first lesson, while others may have some activities.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Some schools even offer maps.

B. But you forget to bring it with you.

C. It all depends on the class and teacher.

D. Don't depend on your parents any more.

E. Each school has different opening-days.

F. You can also try to ask the teachers for help.

G. Lots of students have difficulty deciding on what to wear on the first day of school.

    Different weather makes people feel different. It influences (影响) health, intelligence (智力) and feelings.
    In August, it is very hot and wet in the southern part of the United States. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In the Northeast and the Middle West, it is very hot at some times and very cold at other times. People in these states have more heart trouble after the weather changes in February or March.

    The weather can also influence intelligence. For example, in a 1983 report by scientists, IQ (智商) of a group students were very high when a very strong wind came, but after the strong wind, their IQ was 10% lower. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Very hot weather, on the other hand (另一方面), can make it lower. Students in many schools of the United States often get worse on exams in the hot months of the year (July and August).

    Weather also has a strong influence on people's feelings. Winter may be a bad time for thin people. They usually feel cold during these months. They might feel unhappy during cold weather. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They even don't like to outdoor activities.

    Low air pressure (气压) may make people forgetful. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There is a "good weather" for work and health. People feel best at a temperature of about 18 centigrade (摄氏度).

    Are you feeling sad, tired, forgetful, or unhappy today? {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A．It may be the weather's problem.

B．Warm weather can have a bad effect on health.

C．The wind can help people have higher intelligence.

D．But fat people may have a hard time in hot weather.

E．People may have higher intelligence when low air pressure comes.

F．People leave more bags on buses and in shops on low-pressure days.

G．People there have heart trouble and other kinds of health problems during this month.

Try This at Home!

    Are you looking for a new pastime that will create a balance between physical activity and relaxation? Then yoga may be the perfect choice for you. Yoga can be practiced by people of all ages and levels of fitness.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It's a great way to strengthen your muscles and become more flexible.

    In the 1930s, Indian Sri Tirumali and K. Pattabhi developed one of the most popular forms of yoga practised worldwide today. They worked together using an ancient Sansknt text called Yoga Korunta to create a set routine of yoga movements and breathing exercises. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Ashtanga is different from other forms of yoga. It is a very powerful form of aerobic (有氧的)exercise which creates deep heat in the body. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} In other forms of yoga, however, the routine can change each time and the stretching exercises aren't aerobic.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}As well as making you stronger and more flexible, it can also help you to stay calm. By focusing on your breathing while doing physical exercise, you are able to get a balance between mind and body. In addition, yoga helps to make us healthier so we are less likely to get common illnesses like colds.

    Furthermore, yoga encourages you to think about what you're doing. Often you will close your eyes while doing certain movements. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}After a few lessons you'll stop looking at what the others around you are doing. You will stop comparing yourself and start focusing on yourself.

A. It can also be done anywhere at any time.

B. The result of their co-operation was ashtanga yoga.

C. Whatever kind of yoga you choose, there are many long-term benefits.

D. This allows you to concentrate better and it makes you less competitive.

E. Every time someone practices ashtanga, he or she does exactly the same movements.

F. If you're interested in yoga, but can find a class near you, then it might be an excuse to travel.

G. Recently, it has become extremely common for beginners as well as advanced yoga students to go on yoga holidays.