Think about vitamin D when you're catching up on summer rays. It's sometimes called the “sunshine vitamin” because it's produced in your skin in response to sunlight. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble (脂溶性的) vitamin in a family of compounds that includes vitamins D-1, D-2, and D-3. It can affect as many as 2,000 genes in the body.

    Vitamin D has several important functions. Perhaps the most vital are regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorous（磷）, and promoting normal immune system function. Getting enough vitamin D is important for normal growth and development of bones and teeth, as well as improving resistance against certain diseases.

    In addition to its primary benefits, research suggests that vitamin D may also play a role in: reducing your risk of multiple sclerosis（多发性硬化）, according to a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association decreasing your chance of developing heart disease, according to 2008 findings published in Circulation helping to reduce your possibility of developing the flu, according to 2010 research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition regulating mood and warding off depression losing weight or preventing heart disease.

    How do you get it? Your body produces vitamin D naturally when it is directly exposed to sunlight. A little can go a long way. All you need is 10 minutes a day of midday, pre-sunscreen sun exposure,especially if you have fair skin. Besides getting vitamin D through sunlight, you can also get it through certain foods and supplements to ensure adequate levels of the vitamin in your blood.

    Finding summer jobs for teenagers has not always been easy, but now you no longer have to worry about what your kids can do to earn their own money. Recently I found some different sites online that offer information about what kids can do. Below issome of that information, along with questions to think about to help you come upwith your own ideas.

Ideas for summer work:

●Parks and Recreation Programs.

●Babysitting (当临时保姆) during the day of school.

●Working part-time at a day care for the summer.

●Car washing.

●Working at local vegetable stands.

    The easiest way for you to find ways for your child to make money is to think about others' inconveniences (不方便). Think of things you need done, or would like to have done, and what you would consider paying for these things to get done. Once you have some ideas, you can sit down with your children and talk to them aboutwhat they would be interested in doing. Then once you have an idea of what theywant to do you can help them come up with fair prices.

    Preferably you would want to only have your child working with people you know and trust, or in the least bit you could have your child pick a partner. That way with each of them carrying cell phones, even those without service can call 911, they will be much safer.

    You can find out more information and many more ideas for kids to use to make money during their summer holidays by visiting http://www.kidswantmoney.com.

    People who multitask all the time may be the worst at doing two things at once, a new research suggests. The findings, based on performances and self-evaluation by about 275 college students, indicate that many people multitask not out of a desire to increase productivity, but because they are easily distracted and can't focus on one activity. And “those people turn out to be the worst at handling different things,” said David Sanbonmatsu, a psychologist at the University of Utah.

    Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues gave the students a set of tests and asked them to report how often they multitasked, how good they thought they were at it, and how sensation-seeking (寻求刺激) or imperative (冲动) they were. They then evaluated the participants' multitasking ability with a tricky mental task that required the students to do simple mathematical calculations while remembering a set of letters.

    Not surprisingly, the scientists said, most people thought they were better than average at multitasking, and those who thought they were better at it were more likely to report using a cellphone while driving or viewing multiple kinds of media at once. But those who frequently deal with many things at the same time were found to perform the worst at the actual multitasking test. They also were more likely to admit to sensation-seeking and impulsive behavior, which connects with how easily people get bored and distracted.

     “People multitask not because it's going to lead to greater productivity, but because they're distractible, and they get sucked into things that are not as important.” Sanbonmatsu said.

    Adam Gazzaley, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not a member of the research group, said one limitation of the study was that it couldn't find out whether people who start out less focused tend toward multitasking or whether people's recognizing and understanding abilities change as a result of multitasking.

    The findings do suggest, however, why the sensation-seeker who multitask the most may enjoy risky distracted driving. “People who are multitasking are generally less sensitive to risky situations.” said Paul Atchley, another researcher not in the group. “This may partly explain why people go in for these situations even though they're dangerous.”

    Imagine you are opening your own company and want to hire a manager. You have two candidates and they are both capable and experienced, so who would you rather hire: Julia Watson or Shobha Bhattacharva? Chances are that you would prefer Watson, right? But why?

    "Easy names are evaluated as more familiar, less risky and less dangerous," Eryn Newman, a scientist at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, told Scientific American. As a result, people with easier names are often assumed to be more trustworthy. This is what Newman and her teammates have found in their recent study.

    In the experiment, they picked 18 different foreign names, including difficult-to-pronounce ones like Yevgeni Dherzhinsky and easy names like Bodo Wallmeyer. They then attached each name with a statement such as "turtles are deaf" and "giraffes are the only mammals that cannot jump" and asked volunteers whether they thought the claims were true.

    The results showed that claims connected to easier names were more often ranked as believable than those attributed to difficult names, regardless of what the truth really was. In fact, previous studies have already found that our judgments about products can be affected by their names. For example, we tend to think of a food additive (添加剂) with an easier name as safer and a stock with an easier name as more lucrative (利润丰厚的)，according to Medical Daily.

    But researchers pointed out that this effect can change depending on where someone comes from. For example, a native British man may find "Yevgeni Dherzhinsky" hard to pronounce while Russian people could say it without effort. Newman hopes that this finding can make us better see our biases (偏见). It's not just unfair to people that we make judgments based on gut feelings (直觉) rather than facts, and it can sometimes have serious consequences.

    For example, we may choose to believe certain eyewitnesses in court simply because their names sound more trustworthy even if they are actually lying. Or, we may let go of qualified job candidates due to their "difficult" names.

    Now, if you could make that decision again, would you still prefer Julia Watson to Shobha Bhattacharva?

    Whether you're a child, teenager, young adult or are middle-aged, respect for your parents is an important value. Your parents are the people who raised you, devoting time, energy and money to your development. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} No matter your age is, there are 5 ways to show respect.

    Respect their belongings.

    One important way to show respect is to show regard for the things important to your parents. For younger children, this may mean not touching jewelry or other valuable things. For grown children, respect may mean returning a borrowed tool in good condition and on time. Lack of respect for a parent's belongings is a violation of personal boundaries. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}— And never borrow things without asking first.

    Punctuality.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Therefore, always be on time. For teenagers, showing up on time means coming home by curfew (宵禁).Adult children should show up on time for family dinners or events, or to pick a parent up for a medical appointment. Call if you're going to be late because parents worry about children, no matter their age is.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Remembering birthdays, anniversaries and other special days is a sign that you honor your parents. Make plans to take them to lunch or dinner or bake a cake or cookies. Most parents don't expect expensive gifts, but a handmade gift is always appreciated .A phone call from a grown child who lives too far for a visit is a welcome sign of respect.

    Be kind.

    Kind words and affection are simple ways to show respect. Tell your parents you love them. Listen and allow your parents to speak without interruption. Show a sincere interest in what your parents have to say. Be patient with your parents and don't rush them. Never talk back or be rude or disrespectful. Acknowledge your parents' achievements. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Celebrate with them.

B. Be a good listener.

C. Don't take advantage of your parents' kindness and generosity.

D. Treat your parents the way you would like to be treated.

E. Being respectful helps build positive relationships with others.

F. And they love you unconditionally throughout your life.

G. Lateness indicates a lack of respect.

Be a Green Child

What does it mean to be green? "Green" is more than just a color. It also means taking special steps to protect the environment. Why green? Plants are green, and without them the Earth wouldn't be such a lovely home for us human beings. What can we do? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Reduce It!

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} For instance, a shorter shower means you use less water and less fuel since your house uses fuel to run the heater that warms up the water.

Reuse It!

Sometimes people call ours a "throwaway society". It means that we're always throwing away old stuff (东西) and buying new stuff. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For instance, if your baby brother becomes older and loses interest in his plastic basketball hoop (篮圈), why not give it to another family who has a little kid?

Recycle It!

Recycling has never been easier. Many communities will pick it up right in front of your house and some towns even require it. Recycled goods go to a recycling center, where they can be turned into new cans, bottles, and paper.

Enjoy It!

It's true that rubbish and pollution are problems, but the Earth remains a huge and beautiful place that's ready for you to explore. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Go for a hike, visit local nature centers and gardens, and climb up mountains.

But before you travel the globe, take a look at your own backyard. Is there a spot where you could plant a tree or put in a little fruit or vegetable garden? {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Here's a four­step guide to being green.

B. Many times, even if you no longer need something, someone else just might.

C. You can start locally by visiting the naturally beautiful spots in your city.

D. Turn off the tap when you're brushing your teeth.

E. Get out there and get your hands dirty.

F. You can watch with pride as your tree takes root and your garden plants grow.

G. When you use less of something, you do a good thing for the Earth.