Many facts suggest that children are overweight (超重的) and the situation is getting worse, according to the doctors. I feel there are a number of reasons for this.

    Some people blame the fact that we are surrounded by shops selling unhealthy, fatty foods, such as fried chicken and ice cream, at low prices. This has turned out a whole generation of grown-ups who seldom cook a meal for themselves. If there were fewer of these restaurants, then probably children would buy less take-away food.

    There is another argument that blames parents for allowing their children to become overweight. I agree with this, because good eating habits begin early in life, long before children start to visit fast food shops. If children are given fried chicken and chocolate rather than healthy food, or are always allowed to choose what they eat, they will go for sweet and salty foods every time, and this will carry on throughout their lives.

    There is a third reason for this situation. Children these days take very little exercise. They do not walk to school. When they get home, they sit in front of the television or their computers and play computer games. Not only is this an unhealthy pastime (消遣), it also gives them time to eat more unhealthy food. What they need is to go outside and play active games or sports.

    The above are the main reasons for this problem, and therefore we have to encourage young people to be more active, as well as steering them away from fast food shops and bad eating habits.

    A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that's not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn't matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves — the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.

    We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We're usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn't be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.

    This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”

    Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner. Or harsh (刻薄的) and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.

    Words possess power because of their lasting effects. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it true? Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn't pass this test, then it's better left unsaid.

    Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem (自尊) and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.

    There are 115 distinct (独特的) species of pine trees with 35 native to North America. Pines are defined as evergreens with long, needle-like leaves and are only native to the northern hemisphere. Pine trees are an adaptable and tough species that can survive in many conditions where other plants cannot. The average pine tree is 45 to 60 feet tall, but some are nearly twice as high.

Western White Pine

    The western white pine grows the tallest of any pine tree, reaching up to 110 feet in height. They have blue-green needles arranged in bundles (束) of five and produce a long cone (球果).

Bristlecone Pine

    The bristlecone pine grows slowly, reaching about 20 feet tall. It is one of the oldest species of pine.

Mexican Pine

    The Mexican pine can grow to 50 feet tall, with long, slender needles that drape (下垂) off it like a weeping willow (柳树). Often nicknamed the “willow pine”, it is native to Mexico. Its leaves can droop up to 12 inches long.

Sugar Pine

    The sugar pine is another of the large pine species, such as the bull pine, but it also has the largest cones of any pine species, at 10 to 20 inches long. It grows from Oregon to California and is often used for construction.

Jack Pine

    The jack pine is one of the smallest species of pine with rare leaves. Compared with the pines mentioned above, it doesn't seem to belong in the family. It is considered a member of the scrub-pine family; it prefers sandy soil.

    A schoolgirl saved her father's life by kicking him in the chest after he suffered a serious allergic (过敏的) reaction which stopped his heart.

Izzy, nine, restarted father Colm's heart by stamping (踩) on his chest after he fell down at home and stopped breathing.

    Izzy's mother, Debbie, immediately called 999 but Izzy knew doctors would never arrive in time to save her father, so decided to use CPR.

However, she quickly discovered her arms weren't strong enough, so she stamped on her father's chest instead.

    Debbie then took over with some more conventional chest compressions (按压) until the ambulance arrived.

    Izzy, who has been given a bravery award by her school, said: "I just kicked him really hard. My mum taught me CPR but I knew I wasn't strong enough to use hands. I was quite scared. The doctor said I might as well be a doctor or a nurse. My mum said that Dad was going to hospital with a big footprint on his

"She's a little star," said Debbie, "i was really upset but Izzy just took over. I just can't believe what she did. I really think all children should be taught first aid. Izzy did CPR then the doctor turned up. Colm had to have more treatment on the way to the hospital and we've got to see an expert."

    Truck driver Colm, 35, suffered a mystery allergic reaction on Saturday and was taken to hospital, but was sent home only for it to happen again the next day. The second attack was so serious that his airway swelled, preventing him from breathing, his blood pressure dropped suddenly, and his heart stopped for a moment.

    He has now made a full recovery from his suffering.

    A handsome middle-aged man walked quietly into the café and sat down. Before he ordered, he couldn't help but noticed a group of younger men at the table next to him. It was obvious they were making fun of something about him and it wasn't until he remembered he was wearing a small pink ribbon(丝带) on the lapel of his suit that he became aware of what the joke was all about.

The man pretended not to notice it, but the whisper and laughter began to get to him. He looked one of the rude young men straight into the eye, placed his hand beneath the ribbon and asked, “This?”

    With that the young men all began to laugh out loud. The man he spoke to said, “Hey, sorry, man, but we were just commenting on how pretty your little pink ribbon looks against your blue jacket!”

    The middle-aged man calmly invited the joker to come over to his table, and politely seated him. As uncomfortable as he was, the young guy had to, not really sure why. In a soft voice, the middle-aged man said, “I wear this ribbon to bring awareness about breast cancer. I wear it in my mother's honor.”

    “Oh, sorry. She died of breast cancer?”

    “No, she didn't. She's alive and well. But her breasts nourished me as a baby, and were a soft resting place for my head when I was scared or lonely as a little boy. I'm very grateful for my mother's breasts, and her health.”

    “Umm,” the young replied, “yeah.”

    “And I wear this ribbon to honor my wife,” the man continued.

    “And she's okay, too?” the young guy asked.

    “Oh, yes. She's fine. Her breasts have been a great source of loving pleasure for both of us, and with them she nurtured and nourished our daughter 23 years ago. I'm grateful for my wife's breasts, and her health.”

    “Uh, huh. And I guess you wear it to honor your daughter, also?”

    “No. It's too late to honor my daughter by wearing it now ……”

    Shaken and ashamed, the young guy said, “Oh, I'm so sorry, mister.”

    “So, in my daughter's memory, too, I proudly wear this little ribbon, which allows me the opportunity to enlighten others. And here…” With this, he reached in his pocket and handed the young man a little pink ribbon. The young guy looked at it, slowly raised his head and asked, “……?”

    Hotshot jet pilots are no match for cliff swallows. The birds rocket over bridges and skim over lakes, rushing forward at accelerations that would knock an Air Force. By tracking these contests with high-speed cameras, a new study gives the first, in-depth peek into avian aerodynamics (鸟类空气力学) in the wild. "The findings may even provide insight into how to design better micro air vehicles-tiny drones. This technology will be brilliantly useful," says biomechanics expert Jim Usherwood of the United Kingdom's Royal Veterinary College in Hatfield. "High-resolution field studies like this have never been done before for birds."

    For cliff swallows, the trouble starts when they return from wintering in South America to their summer homes in North America. After arrival, they seek out their old mud nests—usually located under concrete bridges and freeways-and start rebuilding their homes. But rather than hunt down a fresh supply of mud, some swallows prefer stealing supplies from their more hardworking neighbors. Others take things further and will even lay an egg or two in their neighbor's nest before taking off.

    Battles in the air follow if the invaders are caught in the act, and a new study takes advantage of these fights to learn how birds perform high-speed maneuvers (演习). The team placed three cameras along a North Carolina lake crossed by a highway bridge that houses several cliff swallow nests and waited for the battles to commence.

The team was surprised to learn that most of the time, chasers copied the move of fleeing invaders. Swallows also pull very hard turns to escape an enemy, with one extreme case reaching 7.8 gravity. Fighter pilots usually pass out at about 5 or 6 gravity, which is why these experiments have earned interest, and partial funding, from the Office of Naval Research. The Navy may use the findings to build better guidance systems for micro air vehicles. However, the swallows' biomechanics are complex, and now the team is simply trying to collect a few tricks.