The first time I went abroad was when I went to London. It was in the summer holidays about five or six years ago and I went with my friends. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, so we decided to travel by coach. We left at five in the morning and the journey to London took about sixteen hours.

    We stayed in London for three days, in a youth hotel not far from the centre. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. the beds were not very comfortable and the bedroom was very small but it had a wonderful view overlooking the Thames.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. First, we went to see all the famous sites: Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace. Then we went shopping in Oxford Street. On the last day my friends and I went to Camden market. You can buy all kinds of jewelry and clothes there.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. it was really sunny in the afternoon, so we went to watch a football game. Unfortunately, I think the ring fell out of my pocket during the game, and I had to buy another one.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} although the youth hotel was not perfect. Next time, I will stay at the Ritz but I will never feel as excited as I did that first time.

A. I really enjoyed visiting London

B. I bought a silver ring for my sister

C. We were all very excited on the coach

D. The plane and train were quite expensive

E. While we were in London we walked a lot

F. My friends and I had a big room on the top floor

G. I've been back to London several times since then

Tips for making family movie night a success

    We say this a lot, but we think it's worth repeating: It's important to get involved in your kids' media lives - and your kids will love it too.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} what's a good way to stay involved with your kids' media picks and create an opportunity to discuss them? Host a family movie night! Some tips for making it work:

    Schedule it.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Turn off cell phones and avoid multitasking during the show.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you've pot little kids, pre-select a group to choose from. Avoid watching the same movie over and over again. If you've got teens, tell them you'll watch anything they choose as long as they return the favor when it's your turn. Obey a “no complaining” rule.

    Choose a location (场所). Hang a sheet in the backyard, prepare the necessary equipment, and sit on beach chairs to enjoy a classic like The Wizard of Oz.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Talk about it. The next day, make time to chat about what you watched. Kids might be interested in learning more about Hollywood's history.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Talking with kids about how movie characters handled fictional situations can be a way to form your family's values or get kids to open up about their lives.

A. Make it a theme night.

B. Take turns choosing the movie.

C. This can be simple or complicated.

D. Make it a regular date and time and don't break it.

E. Visit the library to follow up on interests excited by the movie.

F. But helping them become wise media consumers can be easier said than done.

G. Or spend the family movie night on the road during vacations or at the grandparents' house.

    If you were like most kids, your mother told you there were three no-no's when it came to your fingers: Don't put them in an electrical outlet, don't stick them up your nose ( at least not in public ), and don't use them when you are counting.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}But experts in education and cognition now believe that using your fingers to do math is not only a perfectly good idea but may even help children become superior students.

    It certainly makes sense. When children count on their fingers, they take an abstract concept— mathematics—and translate it into the most basic and visual form.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Even when we aren't actually counting on them, they still can help us on math problem,

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}It activates when we respond to heat, pressure, pain, or the use of a given finger. Studying brain scans, researchers discovered that when students aged 8 to 13 work on subtraction (减法) equations, this region “lights up” on the scans, even if the students aren't using their fingers. The more complex the problem, the more activities are detected.

    The connection between finger use and math ability has been shown on old-fashioned math tests as well. With their eyes closed, first graders were asked to identify which of their fingers a researcher was touching,{#blank#}4{#/blank#}When college students were given the same quiz, the highest scores once again performed best on calculation tests.

    So what does all this mean? For one thing, parents and teachers shouldn't discourage children from counting on their fingers.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Memorizing the multiplication tables may help, but it is not the best option. “I would like to see interesting and creative representations of ideas.” says Jo Boaler, a professor of math education.

    Recently, a series of activities have been designed to strengthen students' perception of their fingers. Maybe in the near future, there will be only two no-no ¹s regarding the use of fingers.

A. The first two laws of fingers are as true as ever.

B. There is a section of the brain, called the somatosensory finger area.

C. Researchers also stress that students simply learn better using visual tools.

D. Researchers are unimpressed by those students who finish quickly as well.

E. In fact, experts believe the brain is able to “see” a representation of our fingers.

F. That may sound simplistic, but the researchers offer an interesting explanation.

G. Researchers found those scoring highest on the finger-ID questions scored higher on a math test.

A Diet Without Enough Protein Can Cause Depression

    Depression is a condition so common, the World Health Organization (WHO) calls it "a leading cause of disability."

    Difficulty in falling asleep, loss of appetite, and loss of ability to concentrate are just a few of the other effects of depression. WHO estimates that worldwide, at any one time, 350 million people suffer from the condition. While life events such as the loss of a spouse or a job may create a happening of depression, many cases come from within and are not caused by a life event.

    Now scientists are working on a new aspect of cure: nutrition. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The Indian Journal of Psychiartry reports that both before and during a happening of depression, those with the condition will show a "poor appetite…" {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Many cases of depression, if not most cases, affect those who don't eat properly.

    So what does protein have to do with all this? It all comes down to amino acids (氨基酸). Proteins are made up of amino acids, chemicals known as the "building blocks of life." There are 20 different amino acids. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Both the human brain and nervous system use amino acids as a substance that creates a signal from one brain cell to another or one nerve cell to another, thus relaying information between the cells. What the final result then? {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Since amino acids make up protein, a diet which lacks in protein will cause weaker communication between the brain cells. This lessens the signal being sent from one brain cell to the next during a thought. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This is why depression can often express itself as anger or aggression.

A. The ultimate effect is how we think.

B. Don't ruin your appetite by eating between meals.

C. Skipping meals itself can create a depressed mood.

D. A new research suggests that nutrition can lessen some of the risks of depression.

E. India is perhaps the world's leader in researching the connection between diet and depression.

F. Many of them are made by the human body, but nine others, the "essential" amino acids, must be eaten in one's diet.

G. The process can lead to twisted signals, which can not only lead to depression, but also, according to many scientists, aggression.

    It's reported that a male waiter recently poured boiling water over a female customer at a hot pot restaurant after the woman was caught complaining about the waiter's bad service online. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    The female victim, surnamed Lin, reportedly got into an argument with the waiter, surnamed Zhu, when Zhu refused her repeated request for additional soup for her pot. Lin was rushed to hospital and was diagnosed with severe bums on up to 40% of her body. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Many netizens criticized the waiter for being too impulsive and ignoring the possible consequences, but some also accused Lin of being too picky. Meanwhile, some came up with a question worthy of discussion: {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Many tragedies are caused by arguments and if the victim can control his or her anger and try to reach a compromise, the tragedies could possibly be avoided. Sometimes so­called "cowardliness" can be a form of self­protection, especially when you are faced with strangers and you know little about their personalities.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When they calm down afterwards, they would regret their "ridiculous" behavior and have to pay the price for the consequences.

    In May, a male driver in the southwestern city of Chengdu was captured on film intercepting a woman's car and dragging her out of her seat, throwing her on the ground, before cruelly kicking her several times on the head, simply because the woman suddenly changed lanes in front of his car.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Forgive others' mistakes and avoid fueling others' anger. Accordingly, you may be less likely to suffer from unexpected troubles.

A. Will the situation be out of control because of your anger?

B. Intolerance has contributed to lots of violent incidents.

C. How to keep ourselves safe when we argue with others?

D. The waiter has been arrested for further investigation and trial.

E. This incident caused an outcry among netizens and opinion leaders.

F. But it is difficult to control our anger when we have conflict with others.

G. So next time you deal with conflict, it is mere advisable to control your temper and say "sorry" with a smile.