Clara Barton，founder of the American Red Cross，gained worldwide honor for her dedication to easing human suffering and earned the nickname  “Angel of the Battlefield.”

    Barton was born into a liberal (开明的) freethinking family in 1821. Her elder brothers and sisters happily tutored her in math and reading, so when she entered school at three years old, she could read and spell three-syllable words. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Concerned about Barton's difficulty in making friends, her parents sent her to a boarding school, hoping it would make her more comfortable with her peers. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Barton lost her appetite and cried constantly. After only one term, she had to be brought home. Then, Barton stayed out of school to nurse her older brother through a serious injury and also volunteered to care for poor families during a smallpox (天花）outbreak.

    In 1861，the Civil War broke out. The sight of wounded soldiers touched Barton deeply. She began to collect and distribute food, bandages, medicines, and other supplies for the Union army.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} There, with little concern for her own safety, she cooked meals, assisted surgeons, and comforted wounded soldiers.

    Eventually，because of working too hard，Barton collapsed，ill with typhoid fever (伤寒症). {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It was there that she learned of an organization based in Switzerland — called the International Red Cross, whose work mirrored her own.

    Shortly after Barton arrived back home in 1873，her sister died. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When recuperating (休养）at a health facility in New York，she began planning for the establishment of an American wing of the International Red Cross. Although at first the government resisted，her efforts finally paid off. The American Red Cross was officially organized on May 21, 1881. Her influence lives on today in the work of the organization she founded.

Four simple ways to stay positive

    Trying to stay positive, both in good times and bad, is a great way to improve your quality of life. Try these four methods on a daily basis.

1）. Don't think a lot about negativity.

    Of course. Staying positive 24 hours a day, seven days a week is a bit difficult. Letting things get to you is normal, and it's actually healthy to cry or express frustrations once in a while.

    It's when those negative moments control your life that your emotional balance is at risk. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, don't give that sadness another second in your day.

2）. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    What you put into your body directly affects how you feel on the outside. Fill yourself with good, healthy foods like fruits and vegetables and limit snacking. Exercise is equally of great importance. Take a few days out of your week for at least half an hour of activity, and try to stick to it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

3）. Be kind to others.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Making someone's day a bit brighter not only puts a smile on his or her face, but also yours as well. Remember to smile and treat each person with pity and respect. Good deeds are contagious（传染的）, and your positive attitude may spread among others.

4）. Take it one day at a time.

    Being positive isn't an instant thing. It's a steady effort that we follow every hour of every day. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Instead, focus on living at the moment and doing what you can to make each moment better.

A.Eat healthy and stay fit.

B.Take your lunch breaks outside.

C.Don't worry about what the future may bring.

D.Gratefulness helps you appreciate life in bad times.

E.Good feelings come from acts of kindness and selflessness.

F.Take a few minutes to feel sad and accept what happened.

G.Even going outside for a walk and enjoying the sunshine improves your mood.

    “Why is life worth living?” If you ask this question, you will get different answers.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} But we have put together a few reasons from different people as to why life is worth living.

    Learning. This is the reason we heard from school and college-going kids.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Right from studies to games, the eagerness (渴望) to do better and learn more makes their lives worth living.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. When we speak to a few office workers and professionals, this is the reason they give. The ability to create things that is a weekly report or a new document or a painting or composing a new song seemed to make life worthwhile for many.

    New Opportunities. This is another reason that is put forth by people in different professions. Both professionally and personally, these people look forward to moving ahead and getting appreciation. They like to catch the new opportunities life throws at them which can make their lives worth living.

    Exploring. Some people just like to say that they want to explore more and discover new horizons. Touring around the world, learning about the world history and visiting the most famous places do make life worth for many people.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Love. Well, this reason is an evergreen one. Life is worth living for the loved ones around that is a wife/husband, children or friends.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Being able to love someone and being loved back can certainly makes life worth living.

A. Creating.

B. There is no definite or right answer in this case.

C. Such relationships make life worth everything.

D. Get together and share special moments.

E. Getting wiser makes life worth living for many people.

F. Exploring religious and spiritual boundaries also seemed to be another reason.

G. People all look forward to knowing, learning and finding out more about everything.

How to make friends at a new school

    Starting with a new school can be difficult. Everything seems to be different, and you don't even know where to go for your own classes.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}However, if you use these skills, you can quickly turn some of those strangers into friends.

    Be yourself.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If some people don't accept you, they're not the kind of friends you need. People often stay together because they have similar interests. For example, someone who does a lot of sport may make friends with those who also run or swim a lot.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Remember to be nice to the people you meet at your new school. If you think that you will say something that may make them feel sad, do not say anything and just nod your head if they talk to you. Also, remember to be as helpful as possible!

    Believe in yourself.

    A smile goes a long way. When you walk in the halls, don't keep your eyes on the floor. Raise your head and make eye contact (目光接触) with other people.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Introduce yourself. Tell them your name and where you're from.

Remember people's names.

    You like it when people use your name, and so do other people.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Besides, ask them in a kind way if they have a nickname (昵称). You'd be surprised how often this might come in handy.

A. Be friendly to others.

B. Making new friends can be hard, too.

C. Join after-school activities you like.

D. Never change who you are to try and fit in.

E. If you see someone you know, smile or say.

F. People may become angry if you just begin by saying “Hey” each time.

G. Don't sit at the back of the classroom where other people don't notice you!

How northern Europeans beat the winter blues

    Ask a child from northern Europe to draw two pictures—one on a rainy day and a second in the sunshine—and this is what you will get: in the first, as raindrops fall from the top of the page, the man behind the window has an unhappy expression. When a yellow sun sends out some light from the corner, the man is smiling.

    Northern Europeans associate rain with sadness and sunshine with happiness. They think this is true because they are so aware of how their environment affects them{#blank#}1{#/blank#}In October 2008, a group of researchers examined the influence of different daily weather factors, including temperature,wind and sunlight, on 1,200 participants. The conclusion was that good or bad weather had little effect on people's feelings{#blank#}2{#/blank#} A person who is upset on dark or cold days suffers from a negative mood, and he will be likely to experience a sad winter. This is the basis of an illness called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD){#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    AniKalayjian, professor of psychology at Fordham University, advises that we should take steps to strengthen the brain's system against weather-driven mood changes. Research on SAD has been focused on the brain's response to darkness and light. When our eyes detect darkness, the brain gives off melatonin, which starts sleep cycles{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It takes over to help us wake up and feel better when we detect light.“We can encourage people to take charge of their feelings,” says Kalayjian.“We tell them to leave the computers and the indoor games and get out there in the sun{#blank#}5{#/blank#}”

    A day of rain can potentially destroy your plan and affect your mood. But as the Scottish comedian Billy Connolly once said:“There is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing.”

A. Another chemical called serotonin, however, can make people happy.

B. It affects about10% of the population of northern Europe each year.

C. That's when people can recharge their serotonin and get a better mood.

D. Yet that link has no scientific basis.

E. Most studies prove that a negative feeling is associated with bad weather.

F. They determined that people actually differ in their sensitivity to weather changes.

G. It is seriously doubted among the people who suffer from SAD.

Much meaning can be conveyed clearly in our eyes, so it is often said that eyes can speak.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} On a bus you may look at a stranger, but not for too long. And if he senses that you are staring at him, he may feel uncomfortable.

The same is true in our dailylife. If you are stared at for more than necessary, you will look at yourself up and down to see if there is anything wrong with you.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Eyes do speak, right?

Looking too long at someone may seem to be rude and aggressive. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If a man stares at a woman for more than 10 seconds and refuses to look away from her, his intentions are obvious. He wishes to attract her attention, and let her know that he is admiring her.

However, when two persons are engaged in a conversation, the speaker will only look into the listener's eyes from time to time to make sure that the listener does pay attention to what the former is speaking. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If a speaker looks at you continuously when speaking as if he's trying to control you, you will feel awkward. A poor liar usually exposes himself by looking too long at the victim. He wrongly believes that looking straight in the eye is a sign of honest communication. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Actually, eye contact should be made based on a specific relationship and situation.

A. On the contrary, it will give him away.

B. Do you have such a kind of experience?

C. That's what normal eye contact is all about.

D. Actually, continuous eye contact is limited to lovers only.

E. After all, everybody likes to be stared at for quite a long time.

F. But things are different when it comes to staring at the opposite sex.

G. If nothing goes wrong, you will feel annoyed at being stared at that way.