How to Live Peacefully with Your Parents

    As a teen,you are going through big changes physically and mentally.Your interests are expanding.{#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 the world.These conflicts（冲突）can easily set off fireworks in otherwise calm house. 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 time to talk when your parents are not angry,tired,or hungry.A good time to talk is when you are all relaxed.Timing is everything.If the conversation begins to turn into an argument,you'd better calmly and coolly ask to stop it.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.Listen to what your parents are saying,and repeat it back to them.This shows them that you are listening.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} .

    Respect is the building block of good communication.People who respect each other and care about each other's feeling can disagree without getting things ugly.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.How do you build trust?Trust,comes by actually doing what you say you are going to do.Some teens find that doing fun activities with their parents can improve their relationships.Sometime we forget that parents are more than rule makers—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 ones who can change theirs.

A.You may consider seeking outside help.

B.Faced with this challenge,children don't know what to do.

C.And then you will be able to accept what your parents say.

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

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 are not on the same page.

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

    Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Buy Nothing Day is November 29. It's 25 days before Christmas. It's after Thanksgiving and often the first day of Christmas shopping.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}In California, parents and children get together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures. The children talk about why they don't need a lot of toys. This year, in Manchester, England, people dressed up in costumes to tell people that we buy too much.

    In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They made posters and talked to other students about it. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The students at high schools liked the idea of this new tradition. Next year, they want to have another dinner to tell more people about Buy Nothing Day.

A. They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate the food.

B. At this time, we see ads in Newspapers and, on TV telling us to “buy, buy, buy!”

C. Buy Nothing Day has successfully persuaded people not buy anything.

D. Many people think highly of the idea of Buy Nothing Day.

E. They don't want anyone to go shopping on that day.

F. Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day.

G. The dinner was a big success, and many students agreed not to buy anything on November 29.

Are you afraid of making mistakes?

    Learn to accept mistakes as opportunities, then you'll feel less stressed and fearful and you'll be more confident. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So what should you do?

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    Accept that you're human and that each of us will make mistakes.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you are open to learning from your mistake, you will be able to move on rather than wallowing in (沉湎于) regret.

Be aware

    In other words, look for areas of improvement. Be aware of what you are doing, why you are doing it, how you feel, and how you make others feel. Sometimes, your words just don't land right or you say something but it is not what you mean to say. People have difficulty expressing what they really mean.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

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    Whenever you make a mistake or you are involved in a misunderstanding, take responsibility. There is always something to be learned or improved even if the other person is wrong, too.

A. By being fully aware of how you impact others, you keep an open state of learning which allows you to practice being a better person.

B. Be open to making mistakes and consider them as opportunities to learn valuable life lessons.

C. Here are some ideas that can prevent you from making mistakes.

D. Be open to making mistakes.

E. In short, you will benefit from the mistakes.

F. Say your words again so that others can understand you.

G. Accept full responsibility.

    Many adults are not aware of the very active social lives that their children lead. You might think that your young child does not yet have a social life. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    They have minimal independence and are generally always supervised by an adult. Even so, it is a stage of their lives when huge amounts of personality development and emotional development take place. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    One of the things that always makes me chuckle is when I am in the supermarket or out and about and I see a young mother with her child. The mother is often busy multi-tasking, picking up items, calculating prices and soothing her young child all at the same time, while the child is engaging with the people around them. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Usually the mother is completely unaware that her child is engaging in social interaction. Some babies smile at every passing person, undoubtedly developing the charm that will open many doors for them in later life.

Aside from all of the incidental ways that your child engages in social interaction, it is important to purposely set up opportunities for your child to socialize and interact with other children their age. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Households with many children can be ideal for providing natural opportunities for children to interact socially. However today's typical household contains just one or two children.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Organizing play dates with other children their age is great, as is enrolling them in some type of activity for toddlers at the local library. Look around your community for activities that are safe, social and stimulating for your child and begin to purposefully involve your child in these activities for their social development.

A. Sometimes the child makes eye contact, some times an adult waves to the child or makes faces.

B. In reality though, even if your child spends the majority of their time right by your side, they interact directly or indirectly with everyone you interact with and more.

C. The fact is, many of the social skills that they learn as a young child will last them throughout their entire lifespan.

D. This development will affect their young social lives and, surprisingly to most, a lot of the social interaction that they will engage in for the remainder of their lives.

E. Anything aimed at children much younger than your child will bore them and anything aimed at children much older will frustrate them.

F. Taking young children to the local park to play while you watch and supervise is a great way to introduce them to playing with other children.

G. This gives them healthy opportunities to begin to develop socially.

    Q & A

    Question：I have recently got a senior position within my company. One of my new tasks is to make monthly progress reports on my department in front of other senior officials. During my first meeting，I presented and then opened the floor to questions. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} My first reaction was to answer defensively. Later I realized that I shouldn't have felt that way. But how can I keep cool and effectively answer questions in this type of settings?

    Answer：Congratulations on your new position！Presenting in front of your peers(同事) is a hard task in itself，and it becomes much more difficult when a question and answer period is required. Question -and-answer periods are a great way to clarify the message and strengthen key points. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    When a person is asking a question，show interest and a desire to understand the question by listening and asking for clarification.

    Buy time.

    When facing a hard question，most people can't give an answer immediately. Buy time by repeating the question in your own words. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}These techniques allow you to quickly organize your thoughts as well as to make sure you will be correctly answering the question.

    Suggest a private meeting.

    A one-on-one meeting is a calmer setting than speaking in front of your peers. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Show your true interest.

B. Restate the question with respect.

C. Some ideas can be quite concrete.

D. There were many difficult questions.

E. It can also be more effective in exchanging ideas.

F. You may also ask for clarification(澄清、说明) on the question.

G. Here are some ideas that can help you prepare for your next meeting.

Evaluating Sources of health Information

    Making good choices about your own health requires reasonable evaluation. A key first step in bettering your evaluation ability is to look carefully at your sources of healthy information. Reasonable evaluation includes knowing where and how to fins relevant information, how to separate fact from opinions, how to recognize poor reasoning, and how to analyze information and the reliability of sources. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Go to the original source. Media reports often simplify the results of medical research. Find out for yourself what a study really reported, and determine whether it was based on good science. Think about the type of study. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Watch for misleading language. Some studies will find that a behaviour "contributes to" or is "associated with" an outcome; this does not mean that a certain course must lead to a certain result. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Carefully read or listen to information in order to fully understand it.

    Use your common sense. If a report seems too good to be true, probably it is. Be especially careful of information contained in advertisements. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Evaluate "scientific" statements carefully, and be aware of quackery (江湖骗术).

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Friends and family members can be a great source of ideas and inspiration, but each of us needs to find a healthy lifestyle that works for us.

    Developing the ability to evaluate reasonably and independently about the health problems will serve you well throughout your life.

A. Make choices that are right for you.

B. The goal of an ad is to sell you something.

C. Be sure to work through the critical questions.

D. And examine the findings of the original research.

E. Distinguish between research reports and public health advice.

F. Be aware that information may also be incorrectly explained by an author's point of view.

G. The following suggestions can help you sort through the health information you receive from common sources.