Making Peace with Your Parents

    As a teen, you're going through big changes physically and mentally. Your interests are increasing.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here is the challenge: Kids need to explore the world in new ways, and parents need to protect them from the dangers that are all out in that world. These conflicts can easily set off fireworks in otherwise calm houses. Sometimes conflicts can't be avoided. But by paying attention to the building blocks of successful relationships, you can work towards making home a happy and healthy place for you and your parents.

    For example, try to find a time to talk when your parents are not angry, tired, distracted or hungry. A good time to talk is when you're all relaxed. Timing is everything if the conversation begins to turn into an argument, you'd better calmly and coolly ask to stop the conversation for now.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Listen to what your parents are saying, and repeat it back to them. This shows them that you're listening. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Respect is the building block of good communication. People who respect each other and care about each others' feelings can disagree without getting things ugly.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} How do you build trust? Trust comes by actually doing what you say you're going to do. Some teens find that doing fun activities with their parents can improve their relationships. Sometimes we forget that parents are more than rule-maker—they're interesting people who like to watch movies and go shopping—just like their teenagers!

    What do you do if you are trying your best, but your relationship with your parents continues to be rocky?{#blank#}5{#/blank#}You can find supportive adults, such as a teacher or a coach, who can lend an ear. Remember you can only change your own behavior. Your parents are the only ones who can change theirs.

A. You may consider seeking outside help.

B. And then you'll be able to accept what your parents say.

C. You can pick it up again when everyone's more relaxed.

D. Faced with the challenge, children don't know what to do.

E. And your desire to take control of your own life is growing.

F. It also gives them a chance to clear things up if you're not on the same page.

G. You are more likely to get along with your parents and have more independence if your parents believe in you.

Cowboys in the US

    Cowboys played an important role in the settling of the west. Ranching (牧场经营)was a big industry and cowboys helped to run the ranches.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

The Roundup

    Each spring and fall the cowboys would work on the “roundup”{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Cattle would walk freely much of the year and then the cowboys would need to bring them in. In order to tell what cattle belonged to their ranch, the cattle would have a special mark burned into them called a “ brand “.

Horse and Saddle (马鞍）

    The most important item of any cowboy was his horse and saddle. The saddles were often custom-made (定制的) and, next to his horse, probably the most valuable item a cowboy owned.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Clothing

    Cowboys wore special clothing that helped them with their jobs. They wore large 10-gallon hats to protect them from the sun and the rain. They wore special cowboy boots that helped them to get in and out of the stirrups (马镫）when riding a horse{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Many cowboys wore chaps on the outsides of their legs to help protect them from sharp bushes that their horse may rub up against.

Cowboy Code

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The code included such rules as being polite and respectful, always saying “howdy”, not waving at a man on a horse (you should nod) , never riding another man's horse without his permission,always helping someone in need, and never putting on another man's hat.

A. They herded cattle, repaired buildings, and took care of the horses.

B. The cowboys of the Old West had an unwritten code that they lived by.

C. This when the cowboys would bring in all the cattle from the open ranch.

D. Horses were so important that anyone caught stealing a horse was usually hanged!

E. Their clothing grew out of practical need and the environment in which they worked.

F. This was especially important if they fell, so they wouldn't get dragged by their horse.

G. They have deep historic roots dating back to the earliest European settlers of America.

    A great life doesn't happen by accident. It is the result of allocating（分配）your time, energy, thoughts, and hard work towards what you want your life to be. Stop setting yourself up for stress and failure, and start setting up your life to support success and ease. It is the result of using what you get in a creative and thoughtful way, instead of just what comes next{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    S – Simplify. A great life is the result of simplifying your life. People often misinterpret what simplify means{#blank#}2{#/blank#}When you focus on simplifying your life, you free up energy and time for the work that you enjoy and the purpose for which you are here. In order to create a great life, you will have to make room for it in yours first.

    E – Effort. A great life is the result of your best effort. Creating it requires that you make some adjustments. It may mean re-evaluating how you spend your time, or choosing to spend your money in a different way. Life will reward your best effort.

    C – Create priorities（首要事情）. A great life is the result of creating priorities.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} instead of intentionally using the time, energy and money you have in a way that's important to you. Focus on removing the obstacles that get in the way of you making sure you are honoring your priorities.

    R – Reserves. A great life is the result of having reserves—reserves of things, time, space, energy, and money. Reserves are important because they reduce the fear of consequences, and that allows you to make decisions based on what you really want instead of what the fear decides for you.

    E – Eliminate distractions（使人分心的事）. A great life is the result of removing distractions{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Find ways to free up your mental energy for things that are more important to you.

    T – Thoughts. A great life is the result of controlling your thoughts so that you accept and allow for the possibility that it actually can happen to you!{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Motivated people have specific goals and look for ways to achieve them. Believing there is a solution to the same old problems you encounter year after year is vitally important to creating a life that you love.

    S – Start. A great life is the result of starting. Don't wait for a raise, or until the kids get older. Today, right now, is the right day to start to take a step in the direction of your heart's desires. It's what you do TODAY that will make a difference in your life tomorrow.

A. Keeping it simple is a fashionable way of life now

B. Now please use “secrets” to fit your own needs and style, and start creating your own great life today

C. Up to 75% of your mental energy can be tied up in things that that are draining and distracting you

D. Your belief in the outcome will directly determine how successful you are

E. It's not a way to remove work from your life

F. Concentrating on your priorities is the key to success

G. It's easy to spend your days just responding to the next thing that gets your attention

    Sleep and Teens--Biology and Behavior

    How much sleep do teens need? And how much sleep are they realistically getting? Based on current data, most teens need about 9-plus hours to have the best or most suitable sleep night{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Many factors combine to decrease sleep in adolescents. We can think in general of two major factors: biological, the brain processes that regulate the amount and timing of sleep, and behavior, all the psychological, parental, societal, cultural features of teen's life.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}These changes lay the ground work for the biological night to occur later during the teen years than before. Circadian Rhythms (daily biological clock) seems to slow down as young people progress through the middle school years. At the same time, the sleep pressure system appears to change in a way that makes it easier to stay awake longer, though without changing the amount of sleep that is needed.

    Moreover, many teens have a "technological playground" in their bedrooms: television, computer with 24/7 Internet access, telephones, electronic game stations, MP3 players, and so forth. These technologies provide instant and constant contact with peers. Societal and media pressure to consume these technologies is now higher than ever. Yet society also requires that teens go to school at a time of day that is at odds with their biological and social lives. So we see teens turn to caffeine, late-night Internet and cramming in activity after activity as a means to keep awake.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Problems emerge for lack of sleep{#blank#}4{#/blank#}For some, grades begin to suffer as they struggle to keep awake during class and while doing homework. And others may simply feel moody, never knowing how to feel or do their best. Worse still, many teens suffer from both physical and mental illness.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}The earlier teens can start this good sleep habit, the easier it will be for them to stay healthy, happy and smart.

A. Sleep experts recommend teens keep consistent sleep and wake schedule

B. Teens may schedule sleep like any other daily activity and make sleep a priority

C. Then they are trapped into a terrible situation where they would never get enough sleep

D. The sleep-wake bio-regulatory factors appear to change significantly during adolescence

E. Some teenagers struggle to wake up in the morning, often resulting in late or missed school

F. Teens may be driven to things that can wake them up because they'll fall asleep if they do not

G. However, it is indicated that most teens fall short of this goal, many by a considerable amount.

    Sticking to a vegan（纯素食的）diet might sound difficult. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} According to Huffpost, more than 3 million people in the US are vegans. And in the UK, about 542,000 people turned vegan during the last decade.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    One reason could be that people want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions（排放）. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} In fact, it's believed to account for 18 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, according to a 2013 study by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. This amount is even greater than that of all the world's cars, trains and planes combined.

    A growing number of people are also starting to believe that it's wrong to kill animals for food. Therefore, some of them made an ethical（道德的）choice to become vegan.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Vegan celebrities often use social media to spread the message of veganism and share tips on how to live a vegan lifestyle.

    But experts also want to remind people that meat is important for our health. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} So, if you're thinking about becoming vegan, you should do some research before making your decision.

A. Meat production is very bad for the environment.

B. So why exactly has veganism become so popular?

C. It is up to you to decide whether to go vegan or not.

D. Social media is also believed to be behind the increase in veganism.

E. Fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and nuts are all key to a vegan diet.

F. But in recent years, veganism has become a popular lifestyle in many places.

G. They say that a strict vegan diet may not offer everything that the human body needs.

    For the rest of March, a disease will sweep across the US. It will keep kids home from school.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Employees will suddenly lose their ability to concentrate.

    The disease, known as "March Madness", refers to the yearly 65 – team US men's college basketball tournament (锦标赛). {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Teams compete against each other in a single – elimination (单局淘汰) tournament that eventually crowns a national champion.

    Nearly 20 million Americans will find themselves prisoners of basketball festival madness. The fun comes partly from guessing the winners for every game. Friends compete against friends. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Colleagues against bosses.

    Big – name schools are usually favored to advance into the tournament. But each year there are dark horses from little – known universities.

    This adds to the madness. Watching a team from a school with 3,000 students beat a team from a school with 30,000, for many Americans, is an exciting experience. Two years ago, the little – known George Mason University was one of the final four teams. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    College basketball players are not paid, so the game is more about making a name for their university and themselves.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}About $ 4 billion will be spent gambling (赌) on the event. According to Media Life magazine, the event will bring in $ 500 million in advertising income this year, topping the post – season income of every US professional league, including that of the NBA.

A. Husbands against wives.

B. The players will go all out for the games.

C. But that doesn't mean money isn't involved.

D. College students will ignore piles of homework.

E. People are willing to spend more money on watching it.

F. It begins on March 15 and lasts through the beginning of April.

G. Many people had never even heard of the university before the tournament.