How teens can stay fit

    Any type of regular, physical activity can improve your fitness and your health.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Exercise should be a regular part of your day, like brushing your teeth, eating and sleeping. It can be in gym class, joining a sports team, or working out on your own. Keep the following tips in mind:

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} A good attitude is important. Find an activity that you think is fun. You are more likely to stick with it if you choose something you like. A lot of people find it's more fun to exercise with someone else, so see if you can find a friend or family member to be active with you.

    Take it one step at a time.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, walk or ride your bike to school. Get on or off the bus several blocks away and walk the rest of the way. Use the stairs instead of taking the elevator.

    Get your heart pumping. Whatever you choose, make sure it includes aerobic (有氧的) activity that makes you breathe harder and increases your heart rate. This is the best type of exercise because it increases your fitness level and makes your heart work better.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Examples of aerobic activities are basketball, running, or swimming.

    Don't forget to warm up with some easy exercises or stretching (拉伸) before you do any physical activity. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It is also important to stretch out after you exercise to cool down your muscles.

A. Do the activity as often as possible, but don't exercise to the point of pain.

B. The most important thing is that you keep moving!

C. Make physical activity a habit.

D. Small changes can add up to better fitness.

E. Stay positive and have fun.

F. This warms your muscles up and may help protect against injury.

G. It also burns off body fat.

    It's easy to spot signs of physical suffering, but much emotional pain can be easily masked.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} “We don't tend to have conversations about mental well-being,” says Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a clinic psychologist. Simply asking someone “How are you” may just get “Fine, thank you”, says Van Dahlen. “It's important to be aware of what could lead to somebody needing help they're afraid to ask for,” she adds. The following are four signs a friend might need help.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you sense something different about the way your friend is acting — maybe he's not smiling much these days, for instance — trust your feelings and reach out. “Try saying, ‘I see these things. I care about you. Can I be of help?'”, Van Dahlen says.

    He's unusually unhappy or annoyed.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} “It may take more than one time to follow up if you're talking to someone who is upset,” Van Dahlen says, “but if a friend responds with anger, that could mean you're onto something.”

    He's less put together than usual.

    Drinking more and ignoring personal hygiene (卫生) can be signs that someone is in trouble. Don't consider these behaviors are nothing.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} He seems overwhelmed (压倒) by life.

    No one is happy all the time, but if your once optimistic friend can't find anything to be hopeful about, he may be having thoughts of worthlessness, sadness and something negative. “{#blank#}5{#/blank#}” says Van Dahlen, “so that more people can get the help they need.”

A. He's acting a bit more withdrawn.

B. He doesn't seem like himself lately.

C. Instead treat them as a sign to care for your friend.

D. Getting angry quickly and easily can be a sign that something is wrong.

E. It's a constant effort to bring into the open discussions about mental health.

F. Many people avoid talking about it no matter how close they are to someone.

G. We want people to get comfortable being more open and discussing mental health.

    Natural herbal medicines have been a part of the medicine world for a long time.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some people use them for therapeutic (治疗的) purposes while others use them for medicinal purposes.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}That is because the ingredients (成分) are natural and therefore have very few side effects when they're taken. Nowadays, different doctors are advocating for the use of herbal medicine for the well—being and the health of the body.

    The main purpose of natural Herbal medicines is to help the body return to its normal state so that it can be restored wholly.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} For instance, they can restore the body's natural balance and health in cases where the body is sick or has low immunity. They work by making the immune system (免疫系统) function well and also promote the well - being of the body before any illness sets in. They can make one better at remembering something as they improve blood circulation to the brain. Additionally, natural herbal medicines can reduce anxiety, depression, exhaustion, stress, etc.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Despite many advantages of natural herbal medicines, you should take something into account when you use them. For instance, don't use them in cases where the conventional drugs are supposed to be used.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} That is because getting the correct dosage (剂量) and also the exact type of drug for the particular disease is of vital importance.

A. Thus, they help your nerves calm down.

B. The use of herbs is widely known to be safe.

C. Different cultures have used them in various ways.

D. Historically, the Chinese people used them to treat illness.

E. Moreover, it's a good idea to consult your doctor before using them.

F. Different herbs will work differently and bring desirable healing effects.

G. Herbal medicine is an effective means of helping humans stay healthy.

    It is not so easy to disagree with your parents. Here are a few quick tips on how to show your opinion in the right way.

     {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Don't let angry words fly out of your mouth if you don't really want to say them，or you will have a lot of work to do later.

     {#blank#}2{#/blank#}How would you feel if you were your mother or father？ Why do they do that？ Is it really bad？

    Try to stay calm. If you find yourself getting too angry, ask for some time to be alone.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Learn to listen. Maybe your parents aren't as persuasive as you think.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Pay attention to needs rather than problems. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Tell your parents that you want to discuss the problem with them rather than work against them.

A. Think before you speak.

B. Never listen to your parents.

C. Think about the problem from your parents' point of view.

D. It is quite common to disagree with one's parents.

E. Hear them out and then decide how to deal with the problem.

F. Be clear about what you need，rather than focus on why you disagree.

G. If you can, try to discuss the problem with your parents at another time.

Some Steps for Breaking Through Your Comfort Zone

    A comfort zone is a self-­imposed boundary where a person will refuse to push past. Doing so usually fills him or her with nervousness and anxiety. So let's talk about breaking out of this comfort zone.

    Get information. To break through your comfort zone you need to first educate yourself. Your goal here is to find out about whatever skill you're pursuing. You'll talk to people who have done the same thing.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} And you'll check out articles on the Internet about this subject.

    Have a plan. After educating yourself it's important to create a plan of action. With this step you're going to write down a step ­by­ step blueprint for how you're going to break through your comfort zone.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Then you create a plan to get to each level. In this plan you need to create benchmarks. These are mini ­goals that put you one step close to pushing past your comfort zone.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This is an important step because the people in your life will keep you on track. You want them to give you that "push" as you're pushing your boundaries. They will make it hard for you to quit because you know you'll look foolish if you did.

    Remain positive. There will be times when you experience a negative outcome, something that shakes your confidence and makes you feel scared. The trick is to not let anything prevent you from blasting past the point of comfort. Recognize that you will have negative outcomes.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Keep expanding your comfort zone{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Find stuff that you never imagined you would do. Like teaching a class on the subject that once filled you with fear. Or you could work on a related skill.

A. Look for new challenges.

B. You can't become an overnight success.

C. Have people around you know of your plan.

D. You start with the easiest thing to do.

E. It's a natural part of the process.

F. You won't have time to think about your fear.

G. You'll read books on the subject.

    Lots of people find it hard to get up in the morning, and put the blame on the alarm clock. In fact, the key to easy morning wake-up lies in resetting your body clock.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here's how to make one.

    ●{#blank#}2{#/blank#} In order to make a change, you need to decide why it's important. Do you want to get up in time to have breakfast with your family, get in some exercise, or just be better prepared for your day? Once you are clear about your reasons, tell your family or roommates about the change you want to make.

    ●Rethink mornings. Now that you know why you want to wake up, consider re-arranging your morning activities. If you want time to have breakfast with your family, save some time the night before by setting out clothes, shoes, and bags.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} That's a quarter-hour more you could be sleeping if you bought a coffee maker with a timer.

    ●Keep your sleep/wake schedule on weekends. If you're tired out by Friday night, sleeping in on Saturday could sound wonderful. But compensating on the weekends actually feeds into your sleepiness the following week, a recent study found.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    ●Keep a record and evaluate it weekly. Keep track of your efforts and write down how you feel. After you've tried a new method for a week, take a look at your record.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} If not, take another look at other methods you could try.

A. Get a sleep specialist.

B. Find the right motivation.

C. A better plan for sleep can help.

D. And consider setting a second alarm.

E. If the steps you take are working, keep it up.

F. Stick to your set bedtime and wake-up time, no matter the day.

G. Reconsider the 15 minutes you spend in line at the cafe to get coffee.