Is it possible to be born shy? Many scientists say yes. They say 15 to 20 percent of babies behave shyly. These babies are a little quieter and more watchful than other babies. Interestingly, these shy babies usually have shy parents. As a result, scientists think that some shyness is genetic.
    Family size might causepeople to be shy as well. Scientists at Harvard University studied shy children. They found that 66 percent of them had older brothers and sisters. As a result, they became shy. At the same time, children with no brothers and sisters may be shy as well. Growing up alone, they often play by themselves. They are not able to learn the same social skills as children from big families.

    You may also be shy because of where you were born. When scientists studied shyness in different countries. They found surprising differences. In Japan, most people said they were shy. But in Israel, only one of three people said so. What explains the difference? One scientist says the Japanese and Israelis have different opinions of failure. In Japan, when people do not succeed, they feel bad about themselves. They blame（责备）themselves for their failure. In Israel, the opposite is true. Israelis often blame failure on outside reasons, such as family, teachers, friends, or bad luck. In Israel, freedom of opinion and risk taking are strongly supported. This may be why Israelis worry less about failure and are less shy.

    For shy people, it can be difficult to make friends, speak in class, and even get a good job. But scientists say you can get over your shyness. They suggest trying new things and practicing conversation. And don't forget—if you are shy, you are not the only one.

①Have you got many friends around you? Have you ever complained about not having good friends in your life? If yes, do you think that your own company(陪伴)is not enough to make them happy? As a matter of fact, in order to get along well with others, the first thing you need to do is be friends with yourself.

②Listen to your inner(内心的) voice. Remember that inner voice keeps speaking softly to you about what you really want and need as well as what you do not really want and need. It is time you start listening to it. In order to get to know yourself well, it is important to learn and accept what you want and what you do not want.

③Learn to enjoy your own company. You will be surprised to find out how many things you can do by yourself and how much fun you actually have in the process. Reading romantic novels, poetry or science fictions is only a few of the things that you can do by yourself, which can not only offer you hours of enjoyment, but also the chance to get to know yourself better.

④Satisfy yourself. Pay special attention to your personal hygiene(个人卫生). Do you often have your hair and nails cut? Follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly to stay in good shape. No matter how busy you are, always find at least an hour per day for yourself to relax either by doing nothing or by doing something that you enjoy.

⑤Learn to respect your own boundaries (底线). Find out what your boundaries are and learn to respect them. You are the only one who knows what you can and what you cannot accept. No one else can point this out to you, or force you to compromise(妥协).

⑥Only by getting along with yourself will you succeed in developing healthy relationships with others.

The International Day of Families

 "The best mianshi lies in China and the best Chinese mianshi lies in Shanxi." Can you imagine that in North China's Shanxi Province, there are over 280 kinds of mianshi, or cooked wheaten (小麦的) food?

Shanxi people's love for mianshi is closely connected to the local natural conditions. The dry weather on mountains and plateaus (高原) makes it a good place for growing wheat. Therefore, as time passing by, Shanxi people not only developed an eating habit for mianshi, but also invented different ways of cooking wheaten food.

Among the many Shanxi manshi, the sliced (刀削的) noodle is the most famous one. It is sliced with a special knife. When making it, the cook needs to hold hand. The length and thickness of each sliced noodle are required to be the same. Experienced cooks can even turn the way of slicing noodle into an excellent show. They can slice 200 noodles in one minute, and make sure each noodle falls exactly into the soup pot 1.5 meters away.

In Chinese food culture, people like to give special meanings to the food. For example, they would have a bowl of Changshoumian on their birthday, carrying good wishes for health and long life. In many places, the tradition is to serve jiaozi to a person leaving home, and noodles to a person returning home, as both food have their own important meaning.

Well, seeing all these Chinese mianshi, do you feel enjoyable? Would you like to have a try?

Taking Care of Your Eyes

Eyes are important to you, and good eyes help you see the world clearly. But it's very common to see many people wearing glasses these days. You must want to know how to take good care of your eyes. Here are some questions for you to think over.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} When you stare at computers or phones for a long time, your eyes often feel tired. So, try to spend less time on screens and enjoy more time with your friends and family.

Do you give your eyes lots of rest? When you are watching TV or playing online games, remember to take breaks. After 20 minutes of work on the screen, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. It's really useful. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} When you have enough sleep, your eyes can get ready for the work of the new day.

How many hours should you spend on outdoor activities? {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The natural light and the real beauty help your eyes stay healthy.

Do you like to eat fruit and vegetables? {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  Your eyes need them. They help your eyes get the things they need to work at their best.
 

How do you protect your eyes? (no more than 10 words){#blank#}5{#/blank#}