Newborns begin to develop language skills long before they begin speaking. And, compared to adults, they develop these skills more quickly. People have a hard time learning new languages as they grow older, but babies have the ability to learn any language easily.

    For a long time, scientists have tried to explain how such young children can learn the complicated grammatical rules and sounds of a language. Now, researchers are getting a better idea of what's happening in the brains of the tiniest language learners. This new information might help kids with learning problems as well as adults who want to learn new languages. It might even help scientists who are trying to design computers that can communicate like people do.

    Most babies go “ma ma” by 6 months of age, and most children speak in full sentences by age 3. For many years, scientists have wondered how the brains of young children figure out how to communicate using language. With help from new technologies, scientists are now finding that babies begin life with the ability to learn any language. They get into contact with other people, listen to what they say and watch their movements very closely. That is why they quickly master the languages they hear most often.

    Studies show that, up to about 6 months of age, babies can recognize all the sounds that make up all the languages in the world. Starting at around 6 months old a baby's brain focuses on the most common sounds it hears. Then, children begin responding only to the sounds of the language they hear the most.

    In a similar way older babies start recognizing the patterns that make up the rules of their native language. For example, English children who are about 18 months old start to figure out that words ending in “-ing” or “-ed” are usually verbs, and that verbs are action words.

    Beverly Cleary has sold 85 million copies of 41 books and — if those numbers weren't impressive enough — she turns 100 on Tuesday. Though the world was a very different place when Cleary was a child, she has always maintained that kids pretty much stay the same — which explains the ongoing popularity of her beloved characters, like Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins and Ralph S. Mouse.

    Cleary was in her early 30s and working part time in a bookstore when she sat down at a typewriter to see if just maybe she could write a book for kids. She had worked as a librarian before World War II, and she wished she'd had books for young readers about children living everyday lives.

    "I think children want to read about normal, everyday kids," she told NPR in 1999. "That's what I wanted to read about when I was growing up. I wanted to read about the sort of boys and girls that I knew in my neighborhood and in my school. ... I think children like to find themselves in books."

    Her first book, Henry Huggins, came out in 1950. Henry had a friend named Beezus, and Beezus had a mischievous（爱恶作剧的） but lovable little sister named Ramona. Over the next five decades, Cleary took Ramona all the way from nursery school （托儿所）to the fourth grade. Cleary says when she was writing Ramona, she took inspiration（灵感） from a little girl who lived in the house behind her as a child.

    Her books have hooked generations（几代） of children, including a young Jeff Kinney, who grew up to become the author of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series.

    "I must have been about 8 or 9 years old when I first read Beverly Cleary," Kinney recalls. "The book that really grabbed me was Ramona Quimby, Age 8. She looked feral. I needed to get to know this character."

    "Most kids have parents, teachers, bullies（欺凌） — we all experience these things,"Kinney says. "And Beverly Cleary tapped into that. Her work is still as relevant today as when it first came out."

    Now, generations of children have been fortunate enough to enjoy her stories of Klickitat Street.

    Some of the world's biggest companies—Apple, Amazon, Facebook—didn't exist 30 years ago. So what firms are we working for in 2050? That's a question put forward by historian Yuval Noah Harari in his new book "21 Lessons for the 21st Century".

    He argues that because technology is changing so fast, it's one of the first times in human history when we don't know what jobs will look like in the coming three decades." So the best bet is to focus on emotional intelligence（EQ）," he said. "Information is the last thing the kids need. They have too much of it."

    In this book, he focuses on the various challenges facing us today. As he writes in the book's introduction: "What are today's greatest challenges? What should we pay attention to? What should we teach our kids?" One area where these questions crop up is artificial intelligence（AI）Harari believes that AI will completely affect the job market for the next generation of workers.

    His first two books—"Sapiens" and "Homo Deus"—became international bestsellers, selling more than 12 million copies worldwide. They were praised by the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Barack Obama and Bill Gates. Harari's books, about the past and future of humanity, attract a great number of fans. Fellow Israeli, actress Natalie Portman, is a fan. So is American R&B star Janelle Monae.

    As for Bill Gates, he might be Harari's biggest fan. So when the New York Times asked him to review Harari's latest books, he jumped at the opportunity. "All the three books wrestle with some version of the same question: What will give our lives meaning in the decades and centuries ahead?" Gates wrote in his review. "So far, human history has been driven by a desire to live longer, healthier, happier lives. If science is eventually able to give that dream to most people, and large numbers of people no longer need to work, what reason will we have to get up in the morning?"

    It's the 3rd Annual Family Fun Fair!

    • Games   • Crafts (工艺品)   • Apple pie contest

    • Food   • Face painting   • Door prizes (门票对号奖)

    … and more!

    What: A chance to celebrate spring, support our community (社区), and have fun!

    When: Saturday, February 8th from 9 a. m. to 3 p. m., rain or shine!

    Where: The big field next to Hopedale Elementary School

    For more information: Contact Peter Halm at 555-0191

    Don't miss the 3rd annual Family Fun Fair!

    This fair promises to be even better than last year's fair—no kidding!

    Last year the game booths (摊位) were a big hit. (Who could forget Principal Snyder winning a toy dog that was so big it took four students to carry it to her truck?) This year we have two new game booths. So get ready to take part in the games.

    Visit our craft tables. They will be better than ever! You can buy items such as clothing, backpacks, and gift baskets.

    Children aged 5 and under can have their faces painted for FREE by Mr. Garcia's third-grade art class.

    No fair would be complete without food. We will be selling hot dogs, ice cream, roasted nuts, and cotton candy at our booths. For those of you who love to bake, why not enter our new apple pie contest? Just bring your pie to the pie table on the morning of the fair. At 1 p. m., our judges, Coach Carter and math teacher, Mrs. Adams, will choose a winner.

    Won't you please support our school by coming to the fair? Tickets are only $2 each. Door prizes will be given. You could win sports equipment, a new camera, or dinner for four at Merino's Restaurant!

    This will be the best fair ever. Don't miss it!

    Sports accounts for a growing amount of income made on the sales of commercial time by television companies. Many television companies have used sports to attract views from particular sections of the general public, and then they have sold audiences to advertisers.

    An attraction of sports programs for the major U.S. media company is that events are often held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons — the slowest time periods of the week for general television viewing. Sport events are the most popular weekend programs, especially among male viewers who may not watch much television at other times during the week. This means the television networks are able to sell advertising time at relatively high prices during what normally would be dead time for programming. Media corporations also use sports to attract commercial sponsors that might take their advertising dollars elsewhere if television stations did not report certain sports. The people in the advertising departments of major corporations realize that sports attract male viewers. They also realize that most business travelers are men and that many men make family decisions on the purchases of computers, cars and life insurance.

    Golf and tennis are special cases for television programming. These sports attract few viewers, and the ratings(收视率) are unusually low. However, the audience for these sports is attractive to certain advertisers. It is made up of people from the highest income groups in the United States, including many lawyers and business managers. This is why television reporting of golf and tennis is sponsored by companies selling high-priced cars, business and personal computers, and holiday trips. This is also why the networks continue to carry these programs regardless of low ratings. Advertisers are willing to pay high fees to reach high-income consumers and those managers who make decisions to buy thousands of "company cars" and computers. With such viewers, these programs don't need high ratings to stay on the air.

Throughout our lives,we have been told to take care of our physical health.But what is often ignored is mental health.That's why World Mental Health Day was created.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

When is World Mental Health Day?

World Mental Health Day is on October 10th.Though there is one specific date for it,it is often times celebrated and observed over the course of a week.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, it allows more people to know about the importance of mental health and it educates the public about the "why", "how" and "what" of mental health.

What is the history of World Mental Health Day?

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.When it first started,the day had no theme,but instead was an excuse for medical workers to educate the public on what was not always openly discussed — what mental health is and the issues that surround it.Mental health affects everything from our emotional state to our physical state,and everything in between.In the first few years,organizers usually hosted a global live broadcast,leading to live telephone participation from all over the world.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}?

You can volunteer in or donate some money to mental health services to improve the livelihoods of people struggling with mental illnesses.Besides,too often we are too busy to slow down and take a breath.If you take a mental health day,you are giving yourself the space to grow and take care of your mental health.Lastly,you should check on your friends.Go for a walk with them or have an extended phone conversation if you are far away.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A.Why mental health is so important

B.How to observe World Mental Health Day

C.By celebrating it in a week instead of a day

D.If we value the importance of mental health

E.The first World Mental Health Day began in 1992

F.In this article,let's explore World Mental Health Day

G.You might be surprised at how much you can help them relax