Volunteering at a nursing home is an often overlooked volunteer area and yet one of the most needed. Statistics show that only 50 percent of nursing home residents have no close relatives and 46 percent have no living children. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}However, the self gratification and relationships you will receive is too unusual to be replaced.

    Make a list of nursing homes you are able to volunteer at on a regular basis. When doing this, use any resources from family members, friends, or even use an online search engine to find nursing homes. When choosing your home, also keep in mind your schedule; make sure that you can be fully committed to any obligations that the nursing home may give you. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Before calling, choose your times wisely, anytime between 9am-11am and 2pm-5pm would be a good option. By avoiding meal times or later at night, you'll have a better chance for getting information and finding people who are free to talk with you.

    Ask for an application form. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}This step is also where your applicant process begins. They will hand you all necessary applicant information. Most nursing homes will conduct interviews, do background checks, and may even have you receive vaccines and take drug tests.

    Become a "volunteer in training" at the nursing home. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Because of the wide variety of possible areas, you may experience variations in your training length and the content may vary.

A. Expect to attend training if your application is approved.

B. Call or visit the top three of your chosen nursing home options.

C. Volunteering at a nursing home can be a really wonderful experience.

D. From your list, choose the top three that cater to what you are looking for.

E. You will be taken into training depending on the area you are assigned to train in.

F. The process of becoming a volunteer at a nursing home can often be a little too long.

G. The activity director or volunteer coordinator will handle all of your information from here.

    Ebola is a dangerous virus that can cause people to get very sick and even die. The virus is causing the biggest problems in western Africa, where it has spread quickly. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But it can get worse and cause life-threatening symptoms(症状), such as bleeding and trouble breathing.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Ebola does not spread like colds or the flu because it does not float through the air. Ebola also doesn't spread through food or water, like some other viruses. Instead, Ebola spreads when someone touches the body fluids(液体) of a sick person.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    An outbreak is when many people are getting sick with the same illness around the same time. You may have heard of a flu outbreak, which is when lots of people get sick from the same types of flu virus. When an outbreak happens because of a virus, more people could get sick because there is a lot of that virus around.

    Where did Ebola come from?

    Scientists aren't sure how the first person gets Ebola at the start. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Tropical animals in Africa believed to carry the virus include great apes, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, fruit bats, porcupines, and forest antelopes.

    What do kids need to do about Ebola?

    Ebola is making many people sick in Africa, but no matter where you live, it's always a good idea to wash your hands well and often. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. How do people catch Ebola?

B. But they think that people may pick up the virus by touching or eating infected animals.

C. Why do I need to wash my hands?

D. It's very important that infected people get treatment right away.

E. Ebola symptoms can start with fever and headache, kind of like the flu.

F. What is an outbreak?

G. Keeping hands clean can help protect you from common illnesses like colds and the flu.

    Natural herbal medicines have been a part of the medicine world for a long time.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some people use them for therapeutic (治疗的) purposes while others use them for medicinal purposes.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}That is because the ingredients (成分) are natural and therefore have very few side effects when they're taken. Nowadays, different doctors are advocating for the use of herbal medicine for the well—being and the health of the body.

    The main purpose of natural Herbal medicines is to help the body return to its normal state so that it can be restored wholly.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} For instance, they can restore the body's natural balance and health in cases where the body is sick or has low immunity. They work by making the immune system (免疫系统) function well and also promote the well - being of the body before any illness sets in. They can make one better at remembering something as they improve blood circulation to the brain. Additionally, natural herbal medicines can reduce anxiety, depression, exhaustion, stress, etc.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Despite many advantages of natural herbal medicines, you should take something into account when you use them. For instance, don't use them in cases where the conventional drugs are supposed to be used.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} That is because getting the correct dosage (剂量) and also the exact type of drug for the particular disease is of vital importance.

A. Thus, they help your nerves calm down.

B. The use of herbs is widely known to be safe.

C. Different cultures have used them in various ways.

D. Historically, the Chinese people used them to treat illness.

E. Moreover, it's a good idea to consult your doctor before using them.

F. Different herbs will work differently and bring desirable healing effects.

G. Herbal medicine is an effective means of helping humans stay healthy.

    There are some people who seem to always be surrounded by friends, and there are others who always seem to be standing on the outside, looking in at the crowds of friends. If you are one of the outsiders, it is time to break out of your shell and start making new friends. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⒈Be yourself. Nobody likes a phony(虚伪的人). In fact, if you aren't yourself, others won't become friends with you. When the time comes that you feel comfortable enough to act like yourself again, you may not be well received, because you are a totally different person.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    ⒉Use technology. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For instance, Weibo is a great place to meet new people. It creates experiences and you get to meet like-minded people who share your interests.

    ⒊Start with people you know. Reach out and contact new friends, and reconnect with old friends you haven't seen in a long time. Don't forget about friends of friends. You may connect with some really cool people just by hanging out with your friends and their friends. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you stay home, you aren't going to meet people.

    ⒋Keep in touch. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} With the Internet and social media, there is absolutely no need to worry about that these days. Look up old friends and contact them.

A. There are all kinds of online groups that you can join.

B. Knowing others well is very important.

C. Therefore, let people get to know the real you.

D. If you are invited to go out, go.

E. All too often, people lose touch with one another.

F. Here are some tips that will help.

G. You need to trust yourself, whatever happens.

    Do you know some surprising innovations (创新) came from World War I? Here are some introductions to you.

    ⒈Daylight Saving Time The idea of fiddling with (拨弄) the clock has been around since ancient times, but it was not until World War I that governments around the globe officially adopted daylight saving time. Why? To save resources such as fuel and extend the workday for the war effort. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, and the Allies followed shortly after. To clear up confusion about the concept, the Washington Times used a comic strip to explain the first “spring forward” in the United States in 1918.

    ⒉Blood Banks {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, but doctors rarely performed them before World War I, when they were accomplished by transfusing blood directly from one person to another. Captain Oswald Robertson, a U.S. Army Reserve doctor consulting with the British army, recognized the need to stock blood before casualties (伤亡) occurred. .

    ⒊Hollywood With so much of Europe in the line of fire, the European film industry had to scale back (相应缩减) dramatically. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Hollywood was still in its early stage, but its studios soon made fortunes producing wartime movies. The war itself provided material for countless movies in the 1920s and '30s, including Wings, the winner of the first Academy Award for Best Picture.

    ⒋Plastic Surgery {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. British army surgeon Harold Gillies and his colleagues performed more than 11,000 operations, mostly on soldiers suffering from facial wounds from gunshots. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    There were other innovations made during World War I, such as wristwatches, modern passports, zippers, drones, etc.

A. The Germans did it first, in 1916

B. That opened the door for the Americans

C. Blood transfusions (输血) date back to the 1600s

D. Gillies' operation became successful immediately

E. World War I left thousands of men scarred and maimed (伤残的)

F. Gillies became known as the father of modern plastic surgery

G. After World War I the blood banks appeared in the United States.

Habits to Make You a Happy Person

    Habits remain the same even if everything around us is changing fast. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So they are beneficial to our achievements.

    However, positive habits are hard to develop. People fail and make mistakes when making changes and trying new things. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} That's just life and nothing to feel upset about. What you are supposed to do next is trying again, and develop the positive habits gradually. Here are three little habits that can make a big difference in your life.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} How you take care of yourself will make a difference in the quality of your life. The tiny habits of caring for your body and spirit will give you the energy to achieve your goals-plus increase your well-being.

    Don't forget to forgive others. Forgiving takes you one step closer to your happiness. Make a habit of not holding hatred(仇恨). It does nothing but hurts your own happiness and success. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Instead, you will be more likely to get relief and succeed.

    Encourage yourself to be curious(好奇的). There is no stage in life when we can't be learning something valuable. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. And as long as you follow your heart and your curiosity, you won't miss out on learning. The habit of being curious means you will always benefit from life.

A. Try to be healthy.

B. Never forget to take notes.

C. Trying things again will bring you happiness.

D. Forgiving yourself doesn't mean you are a loser.

E. As long as you live, there will be something to learn.

F. They will probably not succeed the first time they do it.

G. Good habits can bring us happiness and help us to achieve our goals.