In the town of Lampang in northern Thailand, there is an unusual group of musicians. They play many different kinds of music—everything from traditional Thai songs to music by Beethoven. Both children and adults love this group. What makes them so popular? Is it their music? Their looks7 Yes, it's both of the things, but it's also something else: they're elephants.

    These musical elephants started at the TECC in Lampang. The TECC protects elephants. It teaches people to understand and love them. And, like many zoos around the world, the TECC encourages elephants to paint.

    Richard Lair works for the TECC. He loves his job there and knows a lot about elephants. He says some of the animals' paintings are very good. But, in fact, elephants hear better than they see. And so he had an idea: if elephants are smart and they have good hearing, maybe they can play music. To test his idea, Lair and a friend started the Thai Elephant Orchestra. During a performance, the elephants play a number of instruments, including the drums and the xylophone (木琴).

    But can elephants really make music properly? Yes, says Lair. They are very creative. Human encourage the animals to play, but the elephants make their own songs; they don't just copy their trainers or other people. There are now CDs of the group's music which make money for the TECC. And the music these artists create is pretty amazing

    It seems like every time you turn around, someone is talking about dieting. During gym class your best friend always complains about her "big" hips and how she's going on a diet to get rid of them. This focus on weight and dieting may leave you wondering whether you need to go on a diet yourself.

    The truth is that not all teens who diet actually need to lose weight. Because teens are still growing, dieting can sometimes be harmful to their developing bodies. Other teens may mistakenly think that in order to be in top form for their chosen sport, they need to be as thin as possible.

    The best person to see when you have a question about dieting is your doctor. Your doctor can help you determine what is a healthy weight for your body size and shape. He or she can help you decide whether you need to be on a diet at all.

    There are healthy and unhealthy ways to lose weight, and in the long run you are better off taking the healthy route. If you and your doctor do decide that going on a diet is the right thing for you, he or she can help you come up with a plan.

    Even without seeing your doctor, you can make smart food choices that will keep you healthy. Instead of chewing (嚼) down on chips when you get home from school, try a piece of fruit or some vegetables.

    Simple low—fat substitutions (替代品) can make a huge difference in your calorie intake as well. For example, skim or low—fat milk or water are better drink choices when you're thirsty—soda and fruit drinks are loaded with calories and sugar and short on nutrition (营养).

    Another thing to keep in mind is that exercise can help you feel and look better. Regular exercise tones your muscles while you burn calories and fat, and it makes you look slimmer. Remember that toning up takes time. Running the mile in gym class once a year won't make a difference in overall weight loss, so start slowly and work up to it.

    Whether you go on a diet or not, exercising and healthy eating are excellent ways to keep your body in great shape Cutting down on the time you spend in front of the computer or TV can help you boost your activity level and may even help you snack less. And research shows that people who exercise regularly are more likely to maintain their new weight if they've lost weight. So, get moving and keep your health on track!

    It's hard to make friends if you stay at home all the time, so get out of the house and do things that will put you in touch with(接触)other people. It's easier to make friends with them when you find you like the same things as other people.

Don't be afraid to show people what you're really good at. You can talk about the things you like and do best. People will be interested in you if they, hear something interesting about you.

    Look at people in your eyes when you talk to them. That way, they'll find it easier to talk to you, or people may think you're not interested in them and may stop being interested in you.

    Be a good listener. Let people talk about themselves before talking about "me, me, me” You can ask people lots of questions and show that you are interested in their answers.

    Try to make friends with the kind of people you really like, respect(尊敬)and admire(羡慕). You shouldn't just make friends with those people you will meet them easily. Try to be friendly with all kinds of people. That way, you'll have a bigger group of people to choose from. Then you'll be easier to make friends with other people.