How to Become an Activist （活动家）

    Activists are people who see the need for change and devote their time to doing something about it.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}If you are interested in it you can do so.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}This could be anything from a student club to a national organization （like the American Civil Liberties Union or the National Organizers Alliance）. Most activist organizations offer different levels of involvement, so you can do whatever you feel most comfortable with, whether that means attending meetings and demonstrations or just donating a little money when you can.

    Volunteer your time. One of the best ways to make a difference is to volunteer your time. Reach out to organizations in your community that do work for your cause, and ask how you can help.

    Donate money or supplies.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}If you can't afford to donate money to an organization that supports your cause, you may be able to donate other things they need, like clothing or canned food.

    Reach out to family and friends. Tell your family and friends about your cause, and invite them to get involved. If they are interested, share literature about your cause or just talk to them about what you have learned.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Promote your cause on social media. You can use social media to help keep your friends and followers informed about the causes you support.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Also, you can invite your friends to attend events or donate to fundraisers for your cause.

A. Take classes on issues related to your cause.

B. Join an organization that supports your cause.

C. They are driven by passion and a vision for a better future.

D. If you do volunteer work, invite them to volunteer with you.

E. Most activists or charitable organizations need resources to do their work.

F. Post useful articles and write about what you are doing to stay involved.

G. If you can't reach out to them in person, then try connecting to people online.

    It is easy to keep your spirits bright when life is going along smoothly and good news seems to turn up at every turn. It is an entirely different picture when life goes off course or bad news appears. The question then becomes: How do we keep our spirits bright throughout the different stages of life? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Get Enough Sleep

    It wasn't until I became a mother that I realized how important a good night's sleep truly is. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Sleep is such an amazing gift to recharge and start.

Back to Basics（基本）

    When I feel tired with too much to do, I love to put on my shoes and get outside for a run. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Getting back to basics can include things like: getting outside, having real conversations with real people, enjoying a meal with a loved one or doing an activity that brings you joy.

    Time Management

    If life feels like it is out of control and you can't keep up, see what happens when you try to manage your time. There are many time management systems out there that can help. Have event reminders（提醒）on your phone and computer. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Start your day by writing a list of what you plan to achieve. And sometimes we also need to let go of things that aren't important.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Keeping our deepest desires and dreams alive is the very fuel that keeps our spirits bright. Give yourself the gift of having goals and dreams, and don't allow fear to have a say in how big your dreams may be.

A. Dream Big

B. We can keep your spirits bright anytime

C. Set an alarm to remind you to leave early

D. Try out the following if they sound like a fit for you

E. For this reason, I should never feel tired in the outside

F. Getting enough pillow time has a way of making us feel more human

G. There's something about nature and fresh air that gets my stress away

    Did you know that money is not worth the paper it is printed on? Money is really just a symbol.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Long ago, people did not use money. They made or grew food, clothes, and other things they needed. Later, people started trading. They would trade what they made to someone else in order to get different foods and goods. To trade like this is to barter（物物交换）.

    The barter system was a good system. Bakers could trade bread for wheat. Weavers could trade cloth for meat. Trading not just let people work at certain jobs.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    But one problem with bartering was that not everyone agreed on prices. People had to work out a price each time they wanted to trade. Another problem was that the goods might be too heavy to carry. What if the cow farmer wanted to trade a cow for a horse with the horse farmer? They would have to carry their animals with them.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} What if the cow farmer wanted to trade a cow for a chicken? A cow is worth more than a chicken. The farmer should get “change.” But how can you make change from a cow?

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} People used to use all kinds of small things for money. They used shells, beads, feathers, seeds, and even salt. A group of people would decide the worth of a kind of shell. Other kinds of shells would be worth more or less. Then people had money that was worth a certain amount. It was easy to carry. It was easy to make change.

    With time going by, we finally have the money that we use today.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. This is where money comes in.

B. That means it stands for something else.

C. They made clothes from wool from their sheep.

D. Bartering did not have a way to make change, either.

E. It also gave people a way to buy things they needed.

F. With money, we don't have to travel with chickens, cows, or clay pots!

G. When people traded, they no longer had to make everything they needed.

    Food safety is a problem in all places around the world and people in different areas of the world prepare foods in different ways. The WHO released （发布）five simple rules for preparing food in a safe way. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Key 1: Keep clean.

    The first key tells about the importance of washing. People should wash their hands often——before touching food, while they are preparing food, and any time after they go to the toilet. People should wash all surfaces and equipment used for preparing food. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Key 2: {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    People should separate raw生的, or uncooked food from foods that are already cooked and foods that will not be cooked. People should store raw meat, chicken, and fish in containers, or in separate areas. Raw foods should not touch prepared foods.

    Key 3: Cook completely.

    People should cook eggs and meat, like birds, seafood, and animals, especially carefully. These foods may carry more micro­organisms than other foods. Food like soup must be boiled for at least a minute to make it be cooked completely. It is also important that people re­heat cooked food completely.

    Key 4: Keep food at safe temperatures.

    When people are finished with eating, they should keep the left food in a refrigerator below 5℃ and shouldn't store it for too long. At room temperature, about 20℃, the amount of micro­organisms微生物 can increase增加 very quickly. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They cannot grow as quickly in a very hot or very cold environment.

    Key 5: Use safe water and raw materials.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Damaged or old food may develop harmful chemicals化学物 as it gets older.

A．They call these rules the “Five Keys to Safer Food.”

B．Eat cooked food immediately, while it is still hot.

C．People should also protect cooking areas and food from insects and animals.

D．Keeping everything clean helps people to avoid micro­organisms.

E．People should use safe water and choose fresh foods.

F．Separate raw and cooked.

G．But temperatures above 60℃ or below 5℃ control控制 the growth of micro­organisms.

Five Steps to Better Handwriting

    Some kids love handwriting, but others hate when it's time to put their pen to paper. Maybe they are worried about their handwriting. Are you one of them？{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are five steps that really work!

    Get a great grasp

    Try this—hold your pencil at the top and try to write your name. Pretty hard？ But when you hold your pencil the correct way, writing is much easier. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Hold it in place with your thumb, and your index(食指) and middle fingers.

    Let the lines be your guide

    Lined paper is your friend！ Those lines can help you create letters that are the right size and proportion(均衡)．{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Also be sure to fill up the lined space completely. Those capital letters should be from the bottom line to the top one.

    Slow down

    If your writing is hard to read, try slowing down a little. If you rush, it's hard to control where you stop and start your letters.

    Lower the pressure

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} That makes it harder to make the smooth lines. Try easing up and don't hold the pencil too tightly.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Lots of games require you to write or draw pictures. So even though it's not schoolwork, you're still using the skills you need to control your pen better.

A. Play games.

B. Ask for more advice.

C. You've been writing since you were a little kid.

D. So "a" should be half the height of a capital "A".

E. Some kids press down really hard when they write.

F. The good news is that just about everyone can improve their handwriting.

G. The best way to hold a pen or pencil is to let it rest next to the base of your thumb.

Claustrophobia

    Claustrophobia, or fear of enclosed spaces, in one of the most common fears. Claustrophobia can be deep fear or even panic as a result of being in a small space.

    Claustrophobia can develop after a troubling childhood experience, or from another unpleasant experience later on in life related to small spaces. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. This response then becomes programmed in the brain, making an association between being in a tight space and feeling anxious or out-of-control. As a result, the person often develops claustrophobia.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Claustrophobia symptoms can include: sweating, accelerated heartbeat, upset stomach, shaking, breathing problem, etc. The claustrophobia sufferer will look for an exit when inside a room, avoid driving on the highway or major roads where there is heavy traffic when inside a car, or stand near a door when at a party. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Claustrophobia can have harmful social and psychological effects, since the patient will often avoid situations in which she thinks she will have an anxiety attack, leading to hiding and sadness.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Exposure treatment, a form of mind-behavioral treatment, usually results in a total reduction in anxiety symptoms if conducted properly. Flooding is a type of exposure treatment in which the person is exposed to a situation until the anxiety attack passes. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Medications to help treat claustrophobia include things which help to ease the heart beating to fast often associated with anxiety attacks.

A. According to some doctors, claustrophobia is worse than the fear of heights

B. The past experience can trace back to the moment of birth

C. The good news is that claustrophobia is very treatable

D. When a person with claustrophobia finds herself in a restricted space, her body responds in certain ways

E. In extreme cases, the very sight of a closed door can lead to feelings of anxiety in a person

F. Treatment for claustrophobia can also include medication or a combination of several treatments

G. When a person experiences such an event, it can often cause a frightening panic attack