Looking good can matter a lot when you are a teenager. Of course the budget(财政） matters a lot, too. Luckily, fashion trends (流行趋势) in the UK mean that getting the right image doesn't have to cost the earth. Here's a quick guide to which looks are hot this year.

    For girls, the 70s are back. Wide-legged jeans, platform shoes and skirts that reach the feet are again in fashion among UK teens, topped off with colored, shining eyeshadow. Girls can have fun mixing and matching bright shades. Colors like pink, orange and light yellow-green are all perfectly fit. Shorts and mini-skirts are still popular in cold weather. By wearing a pair of tights underneath ( 在..底下), girls can stay warm as well as fashionable in the winter.

    How about boys? To look lively, fans of skateboards and snowboards can dress in skinny jeans accompanied by a T-shirt topped off with a baseball cap or a woolen hat. Music is often an inspiration for fashion, and hip-hop music fans like to dress in baggy jeans, T-shirts, baseball caps and sneakers. For those who can afford it, designer clothing is a must, especially if the logo is showing.

    Many people think of guys as being carefree when it comes to their appearance. But in fact, a lot of guys spend plenty of time in front of the mirror. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Body image is a person's opinions and feelings about his or her own body and physical appearance. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. You appreciate your body for its capabilities and accept its imperfections.

    So, what can you do to develop a positive body image? Here are some ideas:

    Recognize your strengths. Different body types are good for different things. What does your body do well? Maybe your speed, strength, or coordination makes you better than others at a certain sport. That may be basketball, table tennis, mountain biking, dancing, or even running. Or perhaps you have non-sports skills, like drawing, painting, singing, playing a musical instrument, writing, or acting. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Exercise regularly. Exercise can help you look good and feel good about yourself. Good physiques (体形) don't just happen. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. A healthy habit can be as simple as exercising 20 minutes to one hour three days a week. Working out can also lift your spirits.

    Respect your body. Practicing good habits — regular showering; taking care of your teeth, hair, and skin; wearing clean clothes, and so on — can help you build a positive body image.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Your body is just one part of who you are. Your talent for comedy, a quick wit (智慧), and all the other things make you unique. So try not to let small imperfections take over.

A. Be yourself.

B. Just explore talents that you feel good about.

C. Use this as an opportunity to discover what you're good at.

D. They care just as much as girls do about their body image.

E. They take hard work, regular workouts, and a healthy diet.

F. The good news is that self-image and body image can be changed.

G. Having a positive body image means feeling satisfied with the way you look.

    A thief entered the bedroom of the 30th President of the United States, who met him and helped him escape punishment.

    The event happened in the early rooming hours in one of the first days when Calvin Coolidge came into power, late in August, 1923. He and his family were living in the same third­floor suite (套房) at the Willard Hotel in Washington that they had occupied several years before. The former President's wife was still living in the White House.

    Coolidge awoke to see a stranger go through his clothes, remove a wallet and a watch chain.

    Coolidge spoke, “I wish you wouldn't take that.”

    The thief, gaining his voice, said, “Why？”

    “I don't mean the watch and chain, only the charm (表坠). Take it near the window and read what is impressed on its back.” the President said.

    The thief read, “Presented to Calvin Coolidge.”

    “Are you President Coolidge？” he asked.

    The President answered, “Yes, and the House of Representatives (众议院) gave me that watch charm. I'm fond of it. It would do you no good. You want money. Let's talk this over.”

    Holding up the wallet, the young man said in a low voice, “I'll take this and leave everything else.”

    Coolidge, knowing there was $80 in it, persuaded the young man to sit down and talk. He told the President he and his college roommate had overspent during their holiday and did not have enough money to pay their hotel bill.

    Coolidge decided to offer the man and his roommate two rail tickets back to the college. Then he counted out $32 and said it was a loan (借款)．

    He then told the young man, “There is a guard in the corridor.” The young man nodded and left through the same window as he had entered.

    Food is necessary for offering energy to our bodies, but sometimes we buy too much of it at the store. When your food starts to go bad, there are many other ways you can still make use of it instead of throwing it away.

    Before throwing away old bananas, you can use the peels (皮) to shine up metals and leathers. Press the peel against the surface, move it backwards and forwards and then polish clean it with an old cloth. Banana meat is also good for reducing wrinkles. Put a bit on those trouble spots, let it sit for a while, and then wash it off, and your wrinkles will go away. Lemons are great for lightening skin and hair. If you have trouble with some skin diseases, like red spots on your face, put a bit of fresh lemon juice on them and leave it overnight. You'll notice a difference in the morning. Apples will help ripen (使成熟) tomatoes quickly when they are placed together in a paper bag, and orange peels are great fire starters for your next backyard campfire party.

    If your dog or cat brings home fleas, using salt is a great way to get rid of them around the house. Just pour salt into the vacuum cleaner (真空吸尘器). Let it sit, then vacuum up the fleas. The salt can kill the fleas. Be sure to throw away the vacuum bag or empty the vacuum bin immediately, or some of the fleas can climb out.

    Beer is a great hair lightener. If you are out of lemons, try dipping your hair in beer before going outside. Just don't forget to wash it out afterwards. Milk is great for removing dirty marks, especially if it is some type of ink.

    As you can see, there are many other uses for everyday foods around the house. So next time, before throwing food away thinking it is of no use, stop for a moment and think about all their uses talked about here.

    I was asked by a reader recently why so many animals seem to have pink ears, when their bodies are all different colours? The truth is that most animals actually don't have pink ears. Let us explain.

    Near the equator (赤道), where the climate is hot, animals are likely to have darker skin, including on their ears. Think of the African elephant, which has quite dark ears. In colder climates, skin colour is usually lighter and often pink.

    Why is skin colour different in different climates？Skin pigmentation, which is what gives skin its colour, can protect against sunburn and skin cancer (癌症). When animals live in colder parts of the world, they don't need it as much to survive. Light-coloured skin also helps animals stay warmer because it reduces heat loss, which is useful if you're in a colder climate.

    For most animals, the colour of their fur or other body covering has generally developed as camouflage. That allows animals to mix into the background and avoid being eaten, or for predators (捕食者) to remain hidden during hunting. One example is the sandy-coloured coat of the desert fennec fox, which uses camouflage for both hunting and hiding.

    By the way, in many animals, ears come in many different shapes and sizes. For example, in bats, the serval (a type of African wildcat) and the fennec fox, the ears are large compared to their body size—this helps them hear better because it allows them to sense more sound waves. Naked mole-rats have tiny ears because they need to dig a lot. Big ears would get in the way. The other downside of big ears is that you can lose a lot of body heat. That's why animals that live in really cold places, like the Arctic fox, have quite small ears.

    Physical education, or PE, isn't required for all high school students. In some schools, it isn't offered for some different reasons. But should high school students have physical education? The answer is certainly "yes".

    Today many people don't do sports. But as is known to all, doing sports is very important for an adult. Teaching teens the importance of a healthy lifestyle and making fitness plans now can help teens put exercise in the first place as an adult.

    High school isn't that easy. Many students are under a lot of stress. Stress can be harmful to a student's studies and life. Doing sports can help them deal with stress better, helping them live a happier life at school.

    The American Heart Association says that 10 million kids and teens suffer from obesity (肥胖症). Teens should get 60 minutes of physical activity per day to control their weight and to help their bones get stronger. The increase in activities that don't get teens to move around, such as video games and computer activities, means many teens don't get their required exercise. PE classes act as a public health measure to encourage physical activities and help teens have healthy weights.

    Not doing sports increases teens' risk of developing many diseases. An active lifestyle offers a good way of protection from these health problems. As much as 75 percent of health-care spending goes toward treating medical conditions that can be hindered by lifestyle changes, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

    According to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN), students who performed five hours of physical activity each week improved their academic (学业的) performance. Students from programs with no physical activity, who used the extra time for classroom study, did not perform better on tests than those who gave up some study time in support of physical education.