With time going on, dogs have developed a special relationship with people. Recently, however, some dogs have taken a different role in people's lives — therapy dogs.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some therapy dogs visit patients in hospitals or nursing homes, while others visit children in schools and libraries. They are there to help children become better readers.

    Reading programs that use therapy dogs have been in existence for more than ten years. All therapy dogs of this program are registered with an organization that tests the dogs to make sure they have the right personality for the job.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Both the dogs and the handlers are volunteers with the reading program.

    At the start of a reading therapy session, a child and a dog are introduced. The pair is allowed to settle down in a quiet corner together. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} An adult handler stays nearby but generally lets the dog perform its job without being interrupted. Sometimes, a handler may ask a question that encourages the child to work with the dog to help the child feel more comfortable.

    Not every child will be able to be part of a reading therapy program that uses dogs. A few children might be allergic to dogs or afraid of them; some children might have cultural traditions that prevent them from touching a dog. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Reading therapy programs inspire learning and change for human beings. The readers benefit a lot, gaining confidence and learning that reading aloud can be a relaxing experience.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They spend time with human friends. For dogs that love human companionship and a quiet place to rest, being part of a reading therapy program can be a great way to spend a few hours being with humans each day.

A. As the child reads, the dog usually lies quietly and listens.

B. A dog's handler also takes a class and must pass a test to work in the therapy program.

C. When reading to an animal, some children may become relaxed.

D. A therapy dog is more of a companion and is trained to help people in different ways.

E. But therapy animals also serve in many other areas.

F. In these circumstances, other animals are available, such as cats and parrots.

G. But how do the therapy dogs benefit from it?

    The key to dealing with test-day jitters（焦躁）is through preparation! {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It is important to prepare your mind and body before the test for the experience of working under pressure.

    Get some sleep.

    I know you've heard this before, but it's often repeated because it's so important. Get plenty of sleep the night before the test! If you don't have enough rest, you'll end up with less concentration. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Leave early.

    Be sure to leave earlier than normal on the day of a test to avoid the added fear of arriving late. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The embarrassment will cause you to be distracted and lose valuable time.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Once you arrive at school or at the testing center, find a quiet space where you can be all alone. You can use your car if you drive, or you can find an empty locker room or office (ask a teacher). Once you locate a cozy nest in a quiet place, do a relaxation session (=period). Close your eyes and try to relax completely. Take deep breaths and remain calm.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    It's possible that some students start to stress out as other students discuss the material. When you hear others chatting, it might sound like you ignored something important or you misunderstood a concept (概念). It's probably not even true—but it can seem like it!

A. Take a quiet moment.

B. A sleepy brain is a foggy brain.

C. Watch out for chatting with others after a test.

D. Attending an exam late is the last thing you need.

E. You can find time to eat some snacks during a break.

F. Don't talk with other students in the minutes before a test.

G. But full preparation means more than knowing the test material.

    A new urban sport, parkour, is hitting the streets. It has evolved from obstacle course training into a fitness option for young people. In parkour, the outside world is the gym! {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The goal of parkour is a direct route from one place to another. You meet an obstacle, you overcome it.

    Mark Toorock, who teaches the techniques of parkour at his fitness gym, says that parkour is a method to train the body and mind using obstacles as the medium. He says that this new sport is demanding and takes years to master. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    But Toorock, who used to be a martial arts expert, says that everyone can benefit from learning the basic skills involved in parkour like running, jumping and crawling (爬行). These are the things that humans used to have to do all the time. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The original idea of parkour was to return to running and jumping as basic elements in moving from one place to another.

    Georges Hebert, a French navy officer, was so impressed by the effortless athleticism of African tribes that he devised a training method based on running, climbing, jumping, balancing and throwing. The word parkour comes from parcours de combatant, the French term for a military obstacle course. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Dr Kenneth Kao explains that the sport of parkour is not extreme – it is the environment which is extreme and dangerous. Being outside, jumping off railings and flipping over park benches can be quite frightening, so parkour courses in gyms concentrate on practicing all the individual moves to make everything easier. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} However, that is not real parkour because it's indoors with a fixed obstacle. The goal for everyone is to go outdoors.

A. Gyms provide thick floor matting (垫子) for rolling and rubberized boxes for jumping over.

B. The bridges, buildings and railings (栏杆) of each and every city are the equipment.

C. Every action in parkour is natural, so everyone must have the ability to move in this way.

D. Parkour was introduced into china in recent years and has gained popularity.

E. But today, due to modern transport, these basic skills are no longer used on a regular basis.

F. The French word for people who participate in the sport is traceurs or traceuses.

G. Beginners should realize that they won't be jumping over buildings any time soon!

My first career had been related to audiology (听力学)—one that allowed me to work part time while tending my growing family. But when my children grew up and left home, I found myself longing to be outside, not in a soundproof room in the hospital.

    So I began attending classes at the local university, hoping that might lead me to a new career. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} "What gave you pleasure as a child?" the counselor (顾问) asked. I thought for a while before responding, "Playing outside in the woods." Our discussion eventually led to a second master's degree, this one in zoology, and the job as a naturalist at a state park. I was 44 years old. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    But as I climbed the career ladder, my time in the field disappeared. I was chained to a computer screen. In the back of my mind, the career counselor's question sounded again. "{#blank#}3{#/blank#}"

    Shortly thereafter, an opportunity presented itself: a 4-month field research project at a university in the Netherlands. I found that field research allowed me to play in the woods again, but with a new purpose.

    At the end of the project, I was invited to participate in the "sandwich" Ph.D. program, in which students do research in their home country while receiving support and instruction in the Netherlands. I was 60 years old. I didn't think that earning a Ph. D. would further my career. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Still, my colleagues raised their eyebrows. "{#blank#}5{#/blank#}" they asked, "It is all about the journey," I responded.

A. What gave you pleasure as a child?

B. I also went to see a career counselor.

C. What do you intend to do with a Ph.D.?

D. But I wanted to follow my new passion.

E. But when it was no longer right, I changed direction.

F. Can you believe you're actually getting paid to have this much fun?

G. And I was delighted to once again experience the joy of being outdoors.

    Are you truly happy? What does it mean to be happy? What does it take to achieve happiness? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The following are a few tips that I follow to create happiness in my life.

    Make a plan for achieving goals that you believe will make you happy. Your moods (心情) will very likely increase if you are going after something you value.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It is easy to begin to think negatively when you are surrounded by people who think that way. On the contrary, if you are around people who are happy, their emotional state will be infectious.

    When something goes wrong, try to figure out a solution (解决办法) instead of being absorbed in self-pity. Truly happy people don't allow setbacks to affect their mood because they know that with a little thought they can.

    Spend a few minutes each day thinking about the things that make you happy. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} And this will lead you to continuous happiness.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Whether you treat yourself to lunch  take a long, relaxing bath or simply spend a few extra minutes on your appearance, you will be subconsciously putting yourself in a better mood.

    Finding the humor in situations can also lead to happiness. Find a way to make light of a situation that would otherwise make you happy.

    Keeping healthy is another way to achieve happiness. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Surround yourself with happy people.

B. There are some tips in life that lead to happiness.

C. Eating healthy foods or being fit can have a great effect on your mood.

D. These few minutes will help you focus on the positive things in your life.

E. What makes you happy may be different from what makes someone else happy.

F. It is also important to take some time each day to do something nice for yourself.

G. These are important questions for anyone who is seeking happiness to ask themselves.

Kids are begging parents for cell phones at younger and younger ages, leaving families with tough choices to make. It might take some time to teach kids how to use phones as tools, not toys. Here are a few ways to get the message across.

Tell them not to use phones at school. Phones can be a distraction (干扰) from learning when used in the classroom. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In fact, 43% of teens admit that they often or sometimes use their phones as a way to avoid face-to-face communication with others.

Encourage them to contact long-distance relatives. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They're also for keeping in touch with people who you may not get to talk to as often. If you have families who live in another city or state, ask your kids to strike up (发起谈话) a conversation.

Lead by example. Setting an example is not only about how you use your phone, but also about how much you use it. When you feel bored and expect to glance over social media, fight it by taking a short walk. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Advise them not to use phones at the dinner table. For many families, the only time they truly get together is breaking bread at the end of a long day. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Asking your children to leave their phones far from the dinner table is a great way to solve the problem.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Sometimes, kids need a little push in order to make better choices about their phones. If they're struggling with healthy habits, put some real-world events on the calendar. Good options include going to an amusement park, working together on a craft project or signing your kids up for sports.

A. Plan other forms of entertainment.

B. Prepare a dinner together with your children.

C. Screen time before bed reduces sleep quality.

D. They can also prevent students from connecting with one another.

E. So it is wise of parents to stress the importance of parent-child time.

F. Also, instead of reading a headline, why not pull out a book to read?

G. Phones aren't just for texting the best friend who lives two blocks away.