Ebola is a dangerous virus that can cause people to get very sick and even die. The virus is causing the biggest problems in western Africa, where it has spread quickly.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}But it can get worse and cause life-threatening symptoms (症状), such as bleeding and trouble breathing.

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    Ebola does not spread like colds or the flu because it does not float through the air. Ebola also doesn't spread through food or water, like some other viruses. Instead, Ebola spreads when someone touches the body fluids(液体) of a sick person.

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    An outbreak is when many people are getting sick with the same illness around the same time. You may have heard of a flu outbreak, which is when lots of people get sick from the same types of flu virus. When an outbreak happens because of a virus, more people could get sick because there is a lot of that virus around.

    Where did Ebola come from?

Scientists aren't sure how the first person gets Ebola at the start. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Tropical animals in Africa believed to carry the virus include great apes, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, fruit bats, porcupines, and forest antelopes.

    What do kids need to do about Ebola?

    Ebola is making many people sick in Africa, but no matter where you live, it's always a good idea to wash your hands well and often. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. What is an outbreak?

B. How do people catch Ebola?

C. Why do I need to wash my hands?

D. It's very important that infected people get treatment right away.

E. Ebola symptoms can start with fever and headache, kind of like the flu.

F. But they think that people may pick up the virus by touching or eating infected animals.

G. Keeping hands clean can help protect you from common illnesses like colds and the flu.

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.

    Starting college is a difficult transition for many students. Here are some ways to make the transition a little bit easier.

    Get involved.

    By joining a team, you not only get to meet older students who can help you get through the transition, you also make friends quickly and have things to do. One of the huge differences from high school to college is the amount of free time you have.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Have an open mind.

    Especially if you are going to a bigger school, it's important to have an open mind. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Yet when you get to college, there are people from all over that have different views on things and act in a different way.

    Stay focused.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It is so easy to get caught up in your social life and forget about the academics. Remain focused on your schoolwork and figure out what you want to study, but be sure to have time for social activities as well.

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    Take care of your body. Being away from home and no longer having parents looking after you doesn't mean you have to throw away all the things you learned about staying healthy. Eat healthily and play sports as you did in high school to stay in shape.

    Again, the transition from high school to college can be extremely challenging. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} By following some of these tips, hopefully your transition will be a little smoother and you will get the most out of your freshman year in college!

A. Enjoy the sports.

B. Work to stay healthy.

C. When you are healthy, you feel better.

D. It may not come as easy to you as it does for some students.

E. How you decide to use it determines how well you do in school.

F. You may be used to the people from your town and your high school.

G. The main thing to remember when starting college is what you are actually there for.

Enjoyable Family Picnics

    Going for a picnic is great at any age. It can either be a simple lunch in the park or a family barbecue at the beach. Whether with little kids or just as a romantic afternoon date, picnics can be fun and relaxing. Just remember to prepare.

    Check the weather forecast.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Picnics are never much fun when it gets too hot or starts to rain. If it is likely to rain, but you still make up your mind to go, think about bringing umbrellas.

    Pick a location suitable for your family's needs. Different locations are for different types of picnics.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Choose one with a playground for them, and perhaps some bathrooms nearby. Do you want a quiet afternoon to read, or a park with a big field to play soccer on？

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Food is the most important part of a picnic, so don't forget it! Remember to bring any utensils (器皿) you might need, as well as napkins and a garbage bag to clean up afterwards. Bring some books, balls or anything else that could be fun. Finally, don't forget your camera.

    Other ideas. If it gets hot in the afternoon, why not try a morning picnic to enjoy the songs of birds in the fresh morning air？{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It can be fun to have a picnic in your backyard. If you're going on a hike, pack a lunch and turn it into a picnic. But remember to bring extra water!

    Remember to prepare, and you'll soon be enjoying picnics wherever you are. But keep in mind that not everything always go as planned.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. What to bring.

B. Do you have little kids？

C. Just learn to laugh and enjoy it anyway.

D. Another idea is to stay at home.

E. Not everybody likes eating outside.

F. It may seem obvious but it's often forgotten.

G. Do you need big trees to keep the heat off on a sunny day?

How to live with someone in chronic pain?

    Do you know that 100 million people in the United States suffer with chronic(慢性的)pain? Living with someone in chronic pain can be demanding at times because the person doesn't feel well and wants your help to feel better. Yet you are powerless to do much about stopping their pain. As a result, much of the relationship can become focused on pain which is depressing for both of you. But people in pain need emotional support. They need to know that you understand their feelings. So, express it in your words and show it by your presence.

    Now, realize, there is a fine line between helping and hurting when talking with people in chronic pain. You help by encourage pain free talk, by focusing on tfie positives of your relationship and other aspects of the person's life. Instead of asking, "How is your pain today?" ask, "How is your day going?" Then, focus on what is going right or is positive despite the pain. This isn't ignoring the reality of their pain, rather focusing away from the pain. Constant conversations about pain increase pain. The more attention you give pain, the more it multiplies pain.

    The more you do things for the person in pain, the more likely they are to become disabled by their pain. For example, if your partner can move, get up or get their own drink, let them. Even if it takes a while to accomplish something, movement is good for chronic pain. The goal is not to do things they can do for themselves. Otherwise, you are enabling sick behavior. Therefore, encourage, but don't enable! You don't want anyone's identity to be developed around the pain.

    Remember, chronic pain has caused your partner to limit his behavior and not do the things he used to do. He is dealing with loss and has to find a new normal. Talk about what can be done to improve functioning despite the pain. You may have to get creative! Can you throw a ball to the grandkids sitting down? Maybe you can find a more comfortable position for closeness.

    Finally, do all you can to help him remain social even though the pain may lead to a cancellation with friends now and then. When that happens, you are supposed to keep inviting him to gatherings as he wants to remain active and involved. The worse thing a person in pain can do is get separated from others. Not only will they become depressed but it is much easier to lose hope. And there is so much you can do to improve functioning and get on with your life.

    In sum, chronic pain can cause relationship tension, but a focus on small things that turn down the volume on pain and improve your day to day functioning will help your relationships.

The secrets of successful listening

"When people talk, listen completely." Those words of Ernest Hemingway might be a pretty good guiding principle for many managers, as might the saying by Zeno of Citium, a Greek philosopher, "We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say." {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Some firms use a technique known as a "listening circle". {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In such a circle, only one person can talk about the issues they face at a time and there is no interruption. A study cited in the Harvard Business Review found that employees who had taken part in a listening circle then suffered less social anxiety and had fewer worries about work-related matters than those who did not.

Listening has been critical to the career of Richard Mullender, who was a hostage (人质) negotiator, dealing with everything from suicide (自杀) prevention to international crimes. He defines listening as "the identification, selection and comprehension of the key words". {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Plenty of people think that good listening is about nodding your head or keeping eye contact. But that is not really listening, Mr Mullender argues.

A good listener is always looking for facts, emotions and indications of the speaker's values. Another important point to bear in mind is that, when you talk, you are not listening. The listener's focus should be on analysis.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} One approach is to make an assessment of what the other person is telling you and then check it with them ("It seems to me that what you want is X"). {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The fundamental aim is to build up a relationship so the other person likes you and trusts you, Mr Mullender says.

A. It is vital to all effective communication.

B. However, a listener needs to speak occasionally.

C. For people like listening to others.

D. That gives the other party a sense that they are being understood.

E. Therefore, a listener shouldn't just listen.

F. In it participants are encouraged to talk openly and honestly.

G. For people like being listened to.