Kids and food: advice for parents

    It is important for parents to know how to help their kids eat healthy. Here are a few easy ways:

    Parents control the supply lines.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Though kids may keep asking for less nutritious foods, parents should decide which foods are regularly provided in the house. Kids won't go hungry. They'll eat what's available in the fridge at home.

    Say goodbye to “clean-plate club”.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Lots of parents grew up under the clean-plate rule, but that way doesn't help kids listen to their own bodies when they are full. When kids feel full, they're likely to overeat.

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    Food preferences are developed early in life, so try to offer different kinds of food. Likes and dislikes begin forming even when kids are babies. Parents may need to serve a new food on several different occasions(时机) for a child to accept it.

    Food is not love.

    Find better ways to say “I love you.” When foods are used to reward kids and show love, they may start to turn to food when feeling worried or unhappy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Kids do as you do.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}When trying to teach good eating habits, try to set the best example. Choose nutritious food, eat at the table, and don't forget breakfast.

A. Start them young.

B. Rewrite the kids' menu.

C. Be a role model and eat healthy yourself.

D. Offer praise and attention instead of food treats.

E. Let kids stop eating when they feel they've had enough.

F. You decide which foods to buy and when to serve them.

G. Let kids choose what to eat and how much of it they want.

    Steel is a hard metal that people use to make many different products. Car bodies, bridges, building frames, and containers are just a few of the things made from steel. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But steel is better than iron in many ways. Steel is stronger but lighter than iron. Steel also lasts longer than iron.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Then they add carbon to the liquid iron. They may also add other materials to make different types of steel. For example, steel with added chromium（铬）is called stainless steel. It will not rust（生锈）or stain. Finally, workers use machines to cool the liquid steel into bars or long sheets.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    People made the first steel as early as 1400 BC. Ancient people heated iron inside a pile of burning charcoal（木炭）. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. The result was not the same as modern steel, but it was stronger than regular iron.

    In the 1800s people began to use huge ovens to make large amounts of steel. In the late 1800s builders used steel to make some of the first skyscrapers. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. In the 1900s new processes made steel-making easier. Today steel remains one of the most popular building materials in the world.

A. This added carbon to the iron.

B. Steel is quite different from iron.

C. The hardened steel may then be made into products.

D. Steel is basically iron mixed with a little carbon.

E. Then they will be cooled and put on the market.

F. To make steel, workers hear iron until it melts.

G. They also used steel to make large, modern bridges.

    Many young people want to be a driver. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Fortunately, there are things that you can do to help your teen become a more confident driver.

    Teach your teen the rules of the road

    Before your teen gets behind the wheel of a car, he or she should know well the rules of the road.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} If your teen understands the basic rules and how the car works, then he or she will feel a little better about getting on the road.

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    Actions speak louder than words. Many people will tell you that they learned how to drive by watching one of their close family members drive. You should show good driving skills with examples.

    Practice

    Practice makes perfect. The more your teen practices, the more confident he or she will become. Your teen should start off by driving in a place that is free of barriers (障碍).{#blank#}4{#/blank#} After your teen has gotten comfortable about this, he or she can start practicing on the road.

    Drive in different conditions

    In order for your teen to become a good driver, he or she has to practice driving in different conditions.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Get car insurance (保险)

    Many teens are worried about how much their parents would have to pay if an accident occurs. You should explain to your teen that car insurance can help one save a lot of money.

A. Model good driving

B. Teach your teen by yourself

C. Then he or she can start to drive on the road.

D. An empty parking lot is a good place for a new driver to practice.

E. This includes things such as heavy traffic, bad weather and freeways.

F. However, some of them are nervous about actually getting out on the road.

G. You should have your teen review the driver's handbook and the vehicle's instructions.

    Many of us deal with the rush every morning in preparation for work or school, but it doesn't have to be this way. With a little time management, these steps can help you cut down on your morning stress.

    Create an evening preparation routine.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} These simple tasks will take you less than 30 minutes to complete each evening and will save you a huge headache every morning.

    Get a good night's sleep.

    Make sure you start winding down for bed at a reasonable hour to allow enough time for a healthy night's sleep. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If needed, set a bedtime reminder alarm on your alarm clock. Always keep the temperature in your bedroom comfortably cool 

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    An extra 30 minutes in the morning will make a difference. As long as you go to bed on time, waking up 30 minutes earlier should seem natural after just a few days. Use this time to think, shower and eat breakfast.

    Plan a realistic day.

    Writing things down means you don't have to worry about forgetting to do them. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Write down anything that cannot be put off to the following day.

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    Getting up to face a new day is far more satisfying when you have something to look forward to. Make sure you manage your time better so that you have time to do something you love on a daily basis.

A. Morning stress is very common.

B. Schedule something you love daily.

C. Never fill your mind with unnecessary worries.

D. Make a summary of what you did in the daytime.

E. Wake up 30 minutes earlier.

F. Iron your clothes, locate your keys, plan a nutritious breakfast, etc.

G. Most people require between seven and eight hours' sleep each night.

    Healthy habits that stick

    Here are five rules that helped me develop good habits.

    ⒈Pick habits you honestly want to have

    I didn't choose habits I thought I should add because of what anyone else was doing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It was about listening to myself.

    ⒉Build your habit your own way

    When I started to build up an exercise routine(习惯), I only went when I wanted to go. For me, that was around 2 pm every day. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If I wanted to do 20 minutes on the bike, I'd do only 20 minutes and then leave.

    ⒊Start small

    I knew that if I tried to take on too much, I'd find a way to make an excuse. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} I started with two minutes of exercise, which were finally built up to 10, then 20 minutes. I realized that just doing something, no matter how small, meant I was more likely to do it again the next day.

    ⒋Be kind to yourself

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} When I got a cold and missed several days of exercise, I didn't beat myself up. Instead of punishing myself, I tried to love myself — and that had a more enjoyable and lasting effect.

    ⒌Celebrate every small victory

    When I began keeping a diary every morning, I put a number in the corner of each page to show how many diaries I had written. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Finally, after I filled up a notebook, I celebrated buying a new notebook.

A. If I missed a day, I let it go.

B. I can make exercise less boring.

C. So my daily purposes were very small.

D. I celebrated my pen running out of ink.

E. It wasn't about keeping up with other people.

F. I should celebrate my success with my friends.

G. It also meant that I would do whatever I wanted to do once I got there.

How to Stay Out of Trouble

    Sometimes it may seem like you're always getting into trouble with your teachers or your parents. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The best thing to do is to stop trouble before it starts. It's always possible to turn over a new leaf.

    ⒈{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Joining a sports team is a great way to stay out of trouble. Whether you're playing soccer or baseball, team sports are a great way to find something to do rather than get into trouble.

    ⒉Join a club. If sports aren't your thing, you can always join a club. You can join an art club, chess club, French club, cooking club and so on. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Therefore, you won't have time to annoy your teachers or parents.

    ⒊Go volunteering. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you're too young to do it on your own, go with a parent to a volunteering event. You can help people learn to read, clean up a local park, or work in a soup kitchen. Find something that is meaningful to you and commit to it at least once a week.

    ⒋Read as much as you can. Reading can help you improve your vocabulary and comprehension skills. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Getting truly interested in stories can help you forget the hours passing by. Reading for just 20 minutes before bedtime every night can help you develop an addicting lifelong habit.

A. Join a sports team.

B. Play soccer or baseball.

C. Then you can have a good time with your friends.

D. Volunteering is another great way to stay out of trouble.

E. These clubs can help you focus on something you care about.

F. What's more, if you're reading, then you're not getting into trouble.

G. And no matter what you do, you just can't seem to get things right.