Testing the five-second rule

    You may have seen a friend drop food on the floor, pick it up, and eat it, while declaring, “Five-second rule! ” It's said that food dropped on the floor for five seconds or less is still likely to be clean. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Students at Britain's Aston University, led by microbiology professor Anthony Hilton, tested the rule and found it to have some scientific basis. The study's results show that food dropped for five seconds is less likely to contain bacteria than if it sits there for longer, according to Hilton.

    The students also found that the type of flooring where the dropped food lands has an effect. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Bacteria are most likely to transfer from tiled (铺瓷砖的) surfaces to moist food when the food has stood there for more than five seconds.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Therefore, consumers should still be cautious. “However, the findings of this study will bring some light relief to those who have been employing the five-second rule for years, despite a general consensus that it is purely a myth,” professor Hilton said in a statement.

    The research team at Aston also surveyed 500 people to find out who employs the five-second rule. Of the people surveyed, 87% said they would eat food dropped on the floor, or have done so in the past. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} “Our study showed people are also more likely to follow the five-second rule, which our research has shown to be much more than an old wives' tale,” Hilton says.

    Still, scientists say you should be careful about eating food dropped on the floor, especially if you have doubts about the cleanliness of the surface. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. But is that true?

B. Carpeted surfaces posed the lowest risk.

C. Of those people, the majority were women.

D. We've just lost our last excuse to eat food off the floor.

E. Usually people recover from the infection in five to ten days.

F. There is still a risk of infection if certain bacteria are present on the dropped surface.

G. A biologist points out that one in six Americans get sick from food poisoning every year.

    There are so many things we do in our daily lives that have become a “habit”, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} How you answer the phone is a habit. The way you sit in the car when you drive is a habit. Have you ever tried to change the way you do something, after you've done it in a certain way for so long? It's easy to do as long as you think about it. The minute your mind drifts to something else, you go right back to the old way of doing things. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's a way of doing things that has become routine or commonplace. To change an existing habit or form a new one can be a tedious(单调乏味的) task.

    Let's pick something fairly easy to start with, like spending 15 minutes in the morning reading the  Bible. If you want to turn something into a habit that you do every day, you have to WANT to do it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Make a firm decision to do this on a daily basis.

    Imprint(铭刻) it in your mind. Write several notes to yourself and put them in places where you will see them. By the alarm clock, on the bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator door, in your briefcase, and under your car keys are good places to start.

    After the newness wears off, then you will have to remind yourself, “Hey, I forgot to. . . ”. Keep using the notes if you have to. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Some people say it will take over a month to solidify(变得稳固) it and make it something you will do without having to think about it. I tend to agree with the last statement. Two to three weeks will help you to remember, but thirty days or more will make it a part of your everyday routine. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. What is a “habit” anyway?

B. Is doing things in an old way good?

C. Brushing your teeth is a habit.

D. Forming a bad habit is easy.

E. It takes 16 to 21 times of repeating a task to make it a habit.

F. If you don't, you will find a way to do everything but that.

G. That's something you won't necessarily have to think about before you do it — habit.

    Have you ever felt a sudden feeling of joy because you heard a favorite song playing? Then you know that music can have a strong effect on your emotions.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}It can help get you out of a bad mood (心情) or stay in a good one, says Alicia Ann Clair, professor at the University of Kansas. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    To cheer up, listen to Latin music or anything with a strong beat or a fast speed {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When you want to relax after a busy day, music with a slower speed can calm you down.

    Listen to calming music before you start any stressful activities, advises Dr. Clair. "Once you' re in a good state of mind, it' s easier to keep it." You can lower stress at work with music, too, by playing relaxing tunes (曲调).{#blank#}4{#/blank#}"If you listen to them all day long, you' 11 stop noticing them," Dr. Clair explains. Then the music won't have any effect.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}"To feel energetic, start with something relaxing, and then gradually increase the speed and beat," says Dr. Clair. For example, first play some nice slow love songs, and then listen to something more energetic. When you want to calm down after a busy week at work, just do the opposite.

A. Music can also help you relax and feel active.

B. Try to take advantage of this power of music.

C. But only play them when you really need them.

D. Loud and fast music can fill you with energy.

E. There are different kinds of music around the world.

F. Put on your favorite song, but only if it is one that can lift your spirits.

G. You can change your mood by changing from one kind of music to another.

    Do you have a health problem, such as high blood pressure or obesity? Did your doctor tell you that you can improve your condition with better nutrition? Do cancer, heart disease, or diabetes run in your family?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Meanwhile, you also need to improve your eating habits for better nutrition.

    It can be hard to change your eating habits. However, you are sure to benefit from making changes to your diet if you have diseases that can be made worse by things you are eating or drinking. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Find the strengths and weaknesses in your present diet. Do you eat 4-5 cups of fruits and vegetables every day? Do you get enough calcium（钙）? Do you eat whole grain, high-fiber foods? If so, you're on the right track. Keep it up!{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you eat a lot of fat at present, cut back and change your habits. For example, reduce any extra fat. This includes butter on bread, sour cream on baked potatoes, and salad dressings.

    Keep track of your food intake（摄入量）.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}This record will help you assess（评价）your diet. You'll see if you need to eat more or less from certain food groups.

    Think about asking for help from a nutritionist. They can help you follow a special diet, especially if you have a health issue.

A. Cut back on unhealthy fat.

B. Write down what you eat and drink every day.

C. Below are suggestions to improve your health

D. If not, add more of these foods to your daily diet..

E. You should eat foods that contain vitamins and minerals.

F. If your answer is yes, talk to your doctor about your health.

G. Balanced nutrition and regular exercise are good for your health.

    Lizzy Greene's official website says it all: "Actress, Artist & Animal Lover. " At 13, Lizzy has performed in children's theater, and she is a trained gymnast. She is most known for her role as Dawn Harper on Nickelodeons Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn. Now Lizzy is taking on another role—as a voice for animals.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} She grew up with dogs, and her family's pet is a 110-pound German shepherd(牧羊犬) named Jett. On the show, Lizzy shares the screen with a lovable 20-pound dog named Squishy Paws. In second grade, she stationed herself outside her school to ask for donations (捐款) to a local animal shelter. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Now Lizzy is also speaking out for farm animals. She's recently joined The Humane Society of the United States, Meatless Monday movement. She encourages young people to take a break from eating meat on Mondays. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} And she's encouraging the under-20 crowd to take part.

    Lizzy knows that raising animals for meat causes pollution, uses a lot of natural resources (资源) like water and also harms animals. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Choosing meat-free meals one day a week is also a great way to feel healthy.

    Many K-12 schools, universities and hospitals nationwide have started Meatless Monday programs.

    "It's so easy to love animals." Lizzy says. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For some kid-and-animal-friendly meatless recipes(食谱), visit humonesociety.org/kindnezws.

A. It's easy to eat animal-friendly foods, too.

B. Lizzy has only just begun her bright career.

C. Animals have always been a big part of Lizzy's life.

D. And Lizzy says she has always wanted to help animals.

E. Cutting meat from our diet once a week helps the environment and animals.

F. Kids'breakfast can be as simple as trying a vegetable burger instead of a hamburger.

G. After the movement, Lizzy says she wants to save a few more lives and force humans to eat healthier.

As the world struggles to deal with the climate crisis, some companies are working to remove polluting carbon dioxide from the air. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But two US companies have recently made important progress. 

Scientists say large amounts of CO₂ must be removed from the CO₂ atmosphere and stored. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But there's so much CO₂ in the atmosphere that just planting trees and protecting forests won't solve the problem. And, when plants and trees die, the carbon they've stored gets released again. 

That means humans need to come up with ways of removing carbon from the air and storing it. This is called Direct Air Capture (DAC). The science of removing carbon from the air is challenging, and it's still pretty new. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}So one puzzle for these companies is how to remove carbon without creating more pollution. 

A company called Heirloom has just opened the first DAC plant in the United States. The company heats up the limestone to separate out the CO₂, which is concrete. The process is extremely expensive. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}That's a tiny amount compared to how much carbon needs to be removed from the atmosphere, but the company says it hopes to remove a billion tons per year by 2035. 

 {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Some people worry that it will take too long for DAC technology to become powerful enough to make a difference. Others worry that focusing on removing carbon could take attention away from more important climate actions, like switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy. But experts say the decision isn't to do one or the other. The world needs to end fossil fuel use and pull carbon out of the air. 

A. Plants and trees do this naturally.
B. That's a huge and challenging goal.
C. Not everyone is excited about carbon removal.
D. Graphyte is another US company working on DAC.
E. The new plant can remove 1,000 tons of CO2 a year.
F. Most DAC processes require a large amount of energy.
G. As a matter of fact, CO₂ is just a small part of the gases that make up air.