Testing the five-second rule

    You may have seen a friend drop food on the floor, pick it up, and eat it, while declaring, “Five-second rule! ” It's said that food dropped on the floor for five seconds or less is still likely to be clean. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Students at Britain's Aston University, led by microbiology professor Anthony Hilton, tested the rule and found it to have some scientific basis. The study's results show that food dropped for five seconds is less likely to contain bacteria than if it sits there for longer, according to Hilton.

    The students also found that the type of flooring where the dropped food lands has an effect. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Bacteria are most likely to transfer from tiled (铺瓷砖的) surfaces to moist food when the food has stood there for more than five seconds.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Therefore, consumers should still be cautious. “However, the findings of this study will bring some light relief to those who have been employing the five-second rule for years, despite a general consensus that it is purely a myth,” professor Hilton said in a statement.

    The research team at Aston also surveyed 500 people to find out who employs the five-second rule. Of the people surveyed, 87% said they would eat food dropped on the floor, or have done so in the past. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} “Our study showed people are also more likely to follow the five-second rule, which our research has shown to be much more than an old wives' tale,” Hilton says.

    Still, scientists say you should be careful about eating food dropped on the floor, especially if you have doubts about the cleanliness of the surface. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. But is that true?

B. Carpeted surfaces posed the lowest risk.

C. Of those people, the majority were women.

D. We've just lost our last excuse to eat food off the floor.

E. Usually people recover from the infection in five to ten days.

F. There is still a risk of infection if certain bacteria are present on the dropped surface.

G. A biologist points out that one in six Americans get sick from food poisoning every year.

    Everybody gets stressed time to time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some ways of dealing with stress like screaming or hitting someone don't solve much. But other ways, like talking to someone you trust, can lead you to solving your problem or at least feeling better.

    Try taking these four steps the next time you are stressed:

    ⑴Get support. When you need help, reach out to the people who care about you. Talk to a trusted adult, such as a parent or other relatives. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They might have had similar problems, such as dealing with a test, or the death of a beloved pet.

    ⑵Don't take it out on yourself. Sometimes when kids are stressed and upset they take it out on themselves. Oh, dear, that's good idea. Remember that there are always people to help you. Don't take it out on yourself. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    ⑶Try to solve the problem. After you're calm and you have support from adults and friends, it's time to get down to business. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Even if you can't solve it all, you can solve a piece of it.

    ⑷Be positive. Most stress won't last long. Remember stress does go away, especially when you figure out the problem and start working on solving it.

    These steps aren't magic, but they do work. And if you can stay positive as you make your way through a hard time, you'll help yourself feel better even faster. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Ask for a helping hand to get you through the difficult situation.

B. Notice your friends' feelings and find a way to help them.

C. Different people feel stress in different ways.

D. Ah, it feels so good when the stress is gone.

E. You need to figure out what the problem is.

F. And don't forget about your friends.

G. Then, find a way to calm down.

    We need to do more to help the teachers who are exhausted and stressed

    Teaching should not be one of the most stressful jobs in the US. But it is. “The only other profession that comes close to us for stress is nursing and we still have the numbers… by a lot. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}”

    “Nobody realizes how horrific working conditions are for teachers throughout the country,” Brice-Hyde says, an experienced teacher in New York who is part of the national group Badass Teachers Association (BAT).

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} So they did a national study of teacher working conditions around issues like stress, work-life balance, respect, and more. The results are both surprising and not. If you've been seeing the stories about teacher walkouts and pay inequality, you probably aren't all that shocked to see these things like: 61 percent of educators find work “always” or “often” stressful; 27 percent of educators said they've been threatened or bullied; 86 percent of educators feel disrespected by US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

    Teachers are stressed out, and turnover is high. No wonder we're seeing more stories about the importance of self-care, classroom burnout, and mental health days for teachers. Yet, self-care doesn't seem to come easily for people, and this is definitely true for teachers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    We think it's time to change that, though. So in honor of World Mental Health Day, we are working to change the dialogue about teacher mental health. Below are some of the top challenges people give for not seeking therapy, or even basic self-care, along with possible solutions and workarounds for each one.

    We hope you share this article widely, giving support and love to your fellow educators. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} And it's pretty much guaranteed to help you do what you set out to in the first place be a good teacher.

A. BAT wanted to take action.

B. Those who gave more tended to gain less.

C. The data are ridiculous, and no one is really paying attention.

D. By nature, educators are taught to give care and support others not themselves.

E. Although respected for its own sake, teaching is under suspicion in today's world.

F. After all, self-care, good mental health, positive well-being is one of the single best things you can do for yourself.

    With 17 million residents and 23 million bicycles, the Netherlands already has more bikes than people.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    The Dutch government recently announced that it will invest $ 390 million in cycling infrastructure to get 200, 000 more people commuting(通勤)by bike in three years time. Fifteen routes will be developed into “cyclist freeways”, 25, 000 bike parking spaces will be created and more than 60 bike storage facilities will be upgraded.

    “{#blank#}2{#/blank#},”says Stientje van Veldhoven, state secretary for that department, who is spearheading the project.

    It's not that people aren't already cycling in the Netherlands. In 2016, over a quarter of all trips made by Dutch residents were by bike. But only 25％of those trips were work—related, compared to 37％which were made for leisure. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    According to van Veldhoven, more than 50％of people in the Netherlands live less than 15 kilometers from work, and more than half of commuters car trips are under 7.5 kilometers long—a distance that “can easily be covered by bike, ”she says.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. The Netherlands currently rewards commuting cyclists with tax credits of $0.22 per kilometer. Companies and employees would agree on the distance of a person's cycling route.

    However, this is currently a little—known benefit not supported by many employers, according to the infrastructure ministry. That's something the government is hoping to change by better promoting the scheme and getting more companies on board. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. The government is urging employers to provide better facilities for commuting cyclists, such as showers at the office, according to the ministry.

A. The rest were for school, shopping, or other activities

B. To get people to ditch their cars, money is being laid on the table

C. Now, it wants to get even more cyclists on the roads—and will pay people to do it

D. Today the Netherlands is known for its cycling culture, but that hasn't always been the case

E. My ambition is to ensure that people can easily get to work or school, or visit family and friends

F. The Netherlands is now one of the few countries that takes cycling seriously as a mode of transportation

G. There are already 11 major employers in the Netherlands committing to measures such as financing employees' bikes

    If you stayed up or had a bad night of sleep last night, you know it's difficult to stay awake in class today. Your teacher's voice might begin to sound like a lullaby（催眠曲）.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}To keep yourself awake, some tips are worth trying in class.

    Sit in the front of the room. Why?{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Besides, it'll be easier to pay attention and participate when you're in the front. You'll also be near the people who are more likely to participate, and the sound of their voices might keep you awake.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Ask and answer questions and pay attention to the lecture. This will help if you're tired or discouraged by the content of the lecture, because you can ask your teacher questions to get to the bottom of the problems. Talking will also keep you engaged and alert. It might be helpful to make a goal for yourself to answer or ask at least 3questions per class.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}For example, you might say "I didn't understand the last part of the proof. Could you explain it again in more detail?"

    Listen actively to the lesson. Active listening is a great way to force yourself to stay awake because it requires engagement of your mind as well as your body.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}To effectively listen to your teacher, you should try to maintain eye contact, face the speaker, pay close attention to what the speaker is saying and ask questions during a pause in the lecture.

A. Participate in class activities.

B. Develop interest in the subject.

C. If so, classrooms can be boring because you're tired.

D. Keep silent all the time and try to catch as much information as possible.

E. To avoid annoying your teacher you should try to keep your questions on topic.

F. You'll be more motivated to stay awake if you know that the teacher can see you easily.

G. Practicing active listening can help you keep your eyes open for the length of the lesson.

Happier Babies Have an Edge

    Parents and teachers want children to grow up to be happy and successful.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} A wide range of research, however, indicates happiness brings success in adults, and achievements do not always make adults happier.

    Recently in new study, John K. Coffey II, assistant professor of psychology at Sewanee, the University of the South, found that happiness during infancy (婴儿期) predicted childhood IQ and adult educational success.

    In his 29-year study, Coffey used the Fullerton Longitudinal Study (FLS). In 1978 the FLS research team recruited 130 parents with babies for a study that now has run for more than 30 years. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} When each baby was 18 months old, one parent reported how often his or her baby expressed positive and negative emotions and researchers measured the infant's IQ. When babies were children (ages 6 to 8), they completed IQ tests. When babies had grown into 29-year-old adults, they reported how many years of education they had completed and their life satisfaction.

    As expected, Coffey found that regardless of intelligence during infancy or parents' wealth, happier babies were more likely to graduate from high school and college. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It suggests that happier babies learn more between infancy and childhood.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Parents wishing to help their children enjoy greater happiness can focus on small changes they can make in their day-to-day lives to create more positive moments. Parents do not need to aim for intense experiences or "best day ever" for their children. Although peak experiences can be fun, they also tend to be tiring for both children and their parents, which can lead to anxiety and conflict.

    Currently, Coffey and other researchers are exploring when and why some children are happier than others or whether we can increase it. Happiness during infancy and childhood is predicted by relationships with caregivers and teachers or by learning new skills. Inexpensive and easy-to-do activities like practising acts of kindness or appreciation can boost happiness. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. We often think that achieving success will ultimately make us happy.

B. We can use these activities to help children grow into happy and successful adults.

C. To test his theory, Coffey looked at how intensely children's emotions are experienced.

D. These happy babies aren't just growing up to be successful, but they are also happy adults.

E. Further, happier babies had more growth in their IQ scores between infancy and childhood.

F. Another important clarification is that happiness is about how often emotions are experienced.

G. Early on, parents reported on their background, for instance, education level and employment.