My 10-year-old Donna said, “Mom, I made a new friend at school today. Can she come over tomorrow?” Donna was a shy girl and I wanted her to make some friends to bring her out of her shell.

    “Sure, honey, that sounds great.” I said, thinking back to my own best friend, Lillian. We lived across the street from each other in Washington Heights, New York. We met at the age of 10, too. Like my daughter, I was shy, but Lillian drew me out. She was one of the friendliest people in school, with shiny black hair and a mile-wide smile.

    In senior high school, Lillian went on a trip to Florida. This was the first time we had to be away from each other for a few days. “I'll be back soon.” she told me. But three days later, Lillian's sister told me that she had fallen into a river and hadn't come out any more. Soon, my family moved to New Jersey. Whenever I thought of her, tears came into my eyes.

    The next day Donna brought her new friend home. “Hi, Mrs. Loggia.” the little girl said. Her hair was so shiny and black and she shot me a big smile. “My name is Laura.”

    My daughter's new friend was so much like Lillian. I was still puzzled (迷惑) when Laura's mom came to pick her up later that afternoon. I opened the door to let her in. “Judy!” she cried. “It's me, Lillian's sister, from Washington Heights.” Yes, my daughter's friend looked familiar. She was Lillian's niece.

    Will it matter if you don't take your breakfast? Recently a test was given in the United States. Those tested included people of different ages, from 12 to 83. During the experiment, these people were given all kinds of breakfasts, and sometimes they got no breakfast at all. Special tests were set up to see how well their bodies worked when they had eaten a certain kind of breakfast. The results show that if a person eats a proper breakfast, he or she will work with better effect than if he or she has no breakfast. This fact appears to be especially true if a person works with his brains. If a student eats fruit, eggs, bread and milk before going to school, he will learn more quickly and listen with more attention to class.

    Opposite to what many people believe, if you don't eat breakfast, you will not lose weight. This is because people become so hungry at noon that they eat too much for lunch, and end up gaining weight instead of losing. You will probably lose more weight if you reduce your other meals.

D

    We've all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.

    What's the problem? It's possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It's more likely that none of us start a conversation because it's awkward and challenging, or we think it's annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it's an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.

    Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can't forget that deep relationships wouldn't even exist if it weren't for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease (润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. "Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk," he explains. "The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them."

    In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction(互动) with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. "It's not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband," says Dunn. "But interactions with peripheral(边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also."

    Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. "Small talk is the basis of good manners," he says.

    Nowadays, parents worry a lot because their children spend hours and hours in front of the TV screen. Because this doesn't happen to only one specific family, many experts warn us that there can be some serious effects of children watching violence on television.

    Children who become addicted(上瘾的) to TV sit down and turn on the TV as soon as they get home. Although they have lots of homework, they become absorbed in TV programs.

    Since they spend tons of time watching TV, they have less time to enjoy real life activities such as playing with friends, playing outdoor sports, or enjoying other kinds of entertainment.

    There are too many violent scenes on TV. Some experts say there are 25 acts of violence per hour on TV. In addition, there are many experiments by psychologists which show how TV violence influences children. Finally, people worry that children tend to imitate what they watch on TV and may start to behave more violently.

    What should be done? First of all, the government should regulate TV violence. It should also encourage people to invent and develop new technology which can block violent scenes from the programs children watch. For example, with a rating system(分级制度) and the V-chip, unfit scenes of violence and sex can be blocked out. Second, parents should monitor what their children watch. At the same time, they should make their children interested in real life activities. Then when the children start to spend more time playing with friends or reading books, parents can stop their monitoring.

    It is a fact that there is more violence on TV today than there was ten years ago. Moreover, violent incidents occur more frequently in real life. It's time to realize how harmful watching TV violence is, and it's time to keep our children from watching violence.

    Looking for new and creative ways to reach your fitness goals? Now's the time to check out the following hottest fitness apps for the new year.

    Hot5

    Platform: iOS

    Cost: Free

    Hot5 contains pages and pages of 5-minute video workouts that are easy to follow. You can find video workouts of all varieties and difficulty levels that will work you out with only five moves. Hot5s are modern. It is also beautifully designed and user friendly.

    GymPact

    Platform: iOS, Android

    Cost: Free

    We all need a little motivation when it comes to working out, and GymPact is a perfect way to get inspired. Make a commitment to working out a certain number of times a week. Choose the amount of money you are willing to risk. If you don't achieve your goal? Your credit card gets charged. Achieve your goal? You get paid!

    Fitocracy Macros

    Platform: iOS

    Cost: Free

    More than just a calorie-counting app, Fitocracy Macros tracks only the calories you take in. You'll have to research how many calories are actually in the food you eat. That aside, it's a simple and easy app that will help you achieve your dieting goals.

    Zombies, Run! 2

    Platform: iOS, Android

    Cost: 25yuan

    Zombies, Run! 2 mixes games and stories into your run as you complete missions in a world full of zombies. Whether you're gathering supplies, saving a fellow human, or avoiding a crowd of the undead, this app adds excitement to your normal jog with imagination and competition.

    Welcome to Oxford University Museums

    Ashmolean Museum

    Established in 1683, the Ashmolean Museum is the oldest museum in the UK and one of the oldest in the world. It houses the University's extensive collections of art and antiquities, ranging back over four millennia.

    Location: Beaumont Street   Tel: 01865278000

    Open: Tue. Sun. 10: 00-17: 00.

    Charge: Admission is free; special exhibitions are ticketed and a charge may apply

    Note: For group bookings   Tel: 01865278015

    Oxford University Museum of Natural History

    The University Museum of Natural History houses the University's collections of zoological, entomological, paleontological and mineral specimens. With 4. 5 million specimens it is the largest collection of its type outside of the national collections.

    Location: Parks Road   Tel: 01865 272950

    Open: 10: 00-17: 00 daily

    Charge: Admission is free

    Note: Groups must book in advance

    Museum of the History of Science

    The Museum of the History of Science is housed in the world's oldest surviving purpose-built museum building. It contains the world's finest collection of historic scientific instruments.

    Location: Broad Street   Tel: 01865277280

    Open: Tue.Sun.12: 00-17:00

    Charge: Admission is free

    Note: Booking required for groups of 15 or more

    Pitt Rivers Museum

    The Pitt Rivers Museum holds one of the world's finest collections of anthropology and archaeology, with objects from every continent and from throughout human history.

    Location: Parks Road enter via the Oxford University Museum of Natural History

    Tel: 01865270927

    Open: Tue. Sun. and Bank Holiday Mondays: 10: 00-16: 30

    Charge: Admission is free

    Note: Groups must book in advance