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, such as bleeding and trouble breathing.

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    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 (such as spit) of a sick person.

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    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 of an outbreak. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Tropical animals in Africa believed to carry the virus include great apes, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, fruit bats, porcupines, and forest antelope.

    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. Why do I need to wash my hands?

B. How do people catch Ebola?

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

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

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

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

G. What is an outbreak?

    Does your mood change with the seasons?

    Some people find that when the temperature goes down, so do their spirits.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}They eat more and gain weight. They have trouble sleeping. They can't think clearly. Here are some ways you can beat the winter blues：

    Get out in the sun. Some experts say that winter blues happen because we get less sunlight in the winter than we do in other seasons. Some say that the decrease in sunlight can make us feel sad{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Get some exercise. A walk or other exercise will make chemicals called endorphins (内啡肽）flow through your body. Endorphins are natural “feel good” chemicals.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Avoid having too much sugar. If you crave sugary foods (like cookies or candy), it may be a sign that you need more protein (蛋白质), like meat, chicken, or fish.

    Avoid holiday stress. Cut back if you have too many things to do. Make sure you have some quiet time to yourself{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Get some rest. Studies show that most teens need about nine hours of sleep each night. The average teen, though, gets only about six or seven hours of sleep per night.

    Get help. Be cautious if you feel sad all the time and the feeling won't go away.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Talk to an adult who you trust or get help from a doctor.

A. Eat more healthful foods.

B. Choose different foods in season.

C. Don't be so busy that you get run-down.

D. Those people sometimes feel sad for no reason.

E. You may have a bigger problem than the winter blues.

F. Getting extra sunlight each day can help brighten your mood.

G. A regular pattern of sleep is the most important thing to maintain.

    Sometimes when we are learning a new language it can be really frightening to start speaking it with other people. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} as it will help us gain confidence in ourselves. Here are some great tips that can help you overcome your fear of speaking English.

    Accept that you are going to make mistakes and learn from them.

    People make mistakes all the time, especially when speaking a new language. Don't be sad or feel disappointed if you make mistakes; it's part of the process of improving your speaking. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} As Albert Einstein said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving”.

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    Once you have started speaking English, don't be afraid to ask people questions about how to say or pronounce something. Most of the time people will be more than happy to help you if you have any questions.

    Don't be shy!

    One of non-native speakers' problems is being too shy to speak. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Be aware that most people speak more than one language and know how difficult it is to learn a new one. Also, most people really don't even notice if you say something wrong or if you are too shy.

    Enjoy yourself!

    You are learning another language for a reason, so go ahead, have fun, make mistakes and even invent new words! {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Ask for help.

B. Try to be curious.

C. It's all part of the process.

D. This fear of speaking makes us nervous.

E. This can be the biggest problem for a lot of people.

F. Once you have made a mistake, correct it and carry on.

G. Overcoming this fear of speaking our new language is extremely important

    Earth is home to around 7,000 languages, around half of which are expected to disappear by 2100.

    Languages disappear for many reasons. Sometimes younger generations stop learning a language because parents want children to fit in. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Native American children of the late-19th century were required to attend boarding schools where educators forbade them from speaking their native languages.

    The United Nations ranks endangered languages according to their risk level. For example, a "critically endangered" language is one that even grandparents don't speak often. New York's Onondaga language is an example with only 50 speakers left. An "extinct" language has no speakers. It is gone forever. Alaska's Eyak language is one example. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}In the same way, different languages contribute to cultural diversity. Saving these languages benefits our understanding of other cultures. Languages can show how a society looks at the world and what it values. A language may describe something in a way that is funny, too. In Welsh, it rains not cats and dogs, but old wives and walking sticks.

    The Endangered Language Alliance wants to save languages from disappearing. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} However, its efforts are limited. If an endangered language is going to make a real comeback, it'll probably get its start in schools. For nearly 100 years, public schools in Hawaii did not teach the Hawaiian language. Now students can keep learning in Hawaiian from elementary schools to college and beyond.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} At least one did. In 1881, a Jewish linguist named Eliezer Ben-Yehuda brought the 3,000-year-old language Hebrew back to life. Today it is one of the official languages of the country of Israel, with more than 4 million speakers.

A. The last person who spoke it died in 2008.

B. Why should we save endangered languages?

C. Various animals and plants benefit our environment.

D. With just 5 speakers left, it is absolutely endangered.

E. Can a language with zero native speakers come back to life?

F. Sometimes societies force minorities to give up their language.

G. The nonprofit group finds native speakers and records their stories.

    With the College Entrance Examination drawing near as a senior year student, you may have so many pressure coming from so many directions that you can't figure out what to do first.

    Balancing goals in life

    When you have many things to do and a lot of demands on your time, you can lose sight of what's important. One of the best ways to see the big picture—{#blank#}1{#/blank#} —is to lay out your goals.

    Pressure Points and How to Deal with Them

    Confused or overwhelmed- talk to someone you trust. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. They may help you find solutions to your problems and worries

    Being too hard on yourself - ease up, take a break and do something you enjoy. Daydream, read a book, go out with friends—anything that helps you relax.

    Problems, problems, problems—recognize your limits. It's too stressful to try to deal with all your problems at once. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

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    It's important to remember that goals belong to you—not to your parents, your teachers, or your friends. After you're set your goals, identify the skills you have to achieve those goals. If you're not sure what skills you'll need, do some research. Try the library, your guidance adviser and teachers, and other people who could help you.

    Goals exist to serve you. If your goal is something you no longer want, change it. Identify the barriers to getting your goals. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Don't get depressed by a big, long-term goal—see what steps you can take to achieve it and set those steps down as short-term, “do-able” goals.

A. Goal-Setting Tips

B. Consider ways to overcome them

C. what you want out of life

D. Choose what's most urgent and set aside the rest until later

E. Discuss your concerns with a friend, parent or teacher

F. As long as you know what skill is important and what isn't

G. Too much to do

    What is happiness? When you can feel inner peace and satisfaction, you are happy. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} This usually happens when we do something we love or achieve something that we value. It is our opinions that make us feel happy or unhappy. All of us constantly go through various situations or conditions, but we do not have to let them influence our reactions and feelings. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Try hard to make a change of the way you look at things. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} That means looking at the good and positive side of every situation. Pay attention to solutions, not problems. Listen to relaxing and uplifting music. Watch funny and interesting programs that make you laugh.

    Always look at what you have done and not at what you haven't done. Look at what you can do, not at what you cannot do. Each day do at least one act to make others happy. When you make someone happy, you'll become happy, and then people will try to make you happy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} On the contrary, be happy for their happiness. Communicate with happy people and try to learn from them to be happy. Remember, do your best to stay detached (冷静的) when things do not occur as intended and desired. Detachment has much to do with inner peace. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}