If you are interested in studying at an American university, you have to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language. The test is widely known as the TOEFL. It is the most widely used language exam for American universities.

    There are two major kinds of the TOEFL test. The first is the IBT，or Internet based Test. It is offered in most of the world and accepted by nearly every university and scholarship program in the United States. The other kind of the test is called the Paper­based Test or PBT. The PBT is less costly to take and does not require use of the Internet.

    But how to get started with TOEFL? Here are some tips.

    ⒈Plan ahead — It takes a long time to improve your TOEFL score. Do not expect a big lift in your test results after two weeks. You will have to spend a lot of time and energy.

    ⒉Master the basics first — You should have to be good at basic English before you take the test. If you score below 500 on the PBT or 70 on the IBT, study for a few months and come back to the TOEFL later.

    ⒊Get a study guide — It is easy to find study guides for the IBT. Pearson, Barron's, ETS, and Kaplan all produce quality materials, take a practice test once or twice a month. The best study guides will have explanations in the answer key.

    ⒋Use outside resources — Remember, you are learning a language, not a test. You can improve your TOEFL score by making English part of your daily life. Some simple ways are listening to English speakers, watching movies and reading newspapers. Some others are reading English textbooks, sending and reading text messages in English, and writing online in English.

    The best way to do well on the TOEFL is to know English well. The real goal of the test is to measure how well a student can communicate in English­speaking classroom.

    If you want to know more, please click here.

Great women

    When it comes to changing the world, these women have invented, researched and collected their way to a place in scientific history.

    Hedy Lamarr

    More widely known as a Hollywood star during the 1930s and 1940s, Hedy Lamarr（1914－2000）was much more than a pretty face. After her home country Austria was taken over by the Nazi, highly intelligent and fearless, Lamarr worked with scientist and inventor George Antheil to develop a secret communication system. Without her work, wireless（无线的）technology as we know it today would not exist. Today she is considered as the mother of WiFi.

    Ameenah Gurib-Fakim

    Ameenah Gurib-Fakim was born in 1959 in Mauritius, the country for which she now serves as the first woman president. She is a scientist who has spent many hours researching the local plants of Mauritius and their values as medicine. She has held many high positions in the fields of both politics and science and was awarded（授予）the 2007 UNESCO Award for Women in Science.

    Mae C. Jemison

    On June 4,1987, Mae C. Jemison became the first African-American woman to enter the space program. On September 12,1992, she joined several other astronauts on the Endeavour, becoming the first African-American woman in space. Born in Decatur, Alabama in 1956 and raised mostly in Chicago, Jemison holds many awards and degrees, As a child, Jemison spent a lot of time in her school library ,reading especially books space.

    Younger students experience school bullying (欺凌) more frequently than older ones, and male students are bullied more than their female peers, a survey found.

    It also found that nearly half of the students had been intentionally hit or knocked down by classmates. About 6 percent said they are targeted by bullies on campus every day. The survey also found that students from ordinary schools experienced more bullying than peers from key institutions, and children from poor families are more likely to be bullied at school.

    Being bullied can have a negative impact on a child's personal development and academic performance, according to Zhou Jinyan, a researcher who led the study at Beijing Normal University. 揅hildren being bullied will find it hard to trust others,? Zhou said. 揟hey may often feel anxiety, anger, resentment or depression. These emotions will further undermine their ability to control their own life.”

    In recent years, bullying on Chinese campuses has been frequently reported and has attracted widespread attention and concern. The most recent incident to arouse heated discussions took place in December at Beijing's Zhongguancun No.2 Primary School. A fourth-grade student was bullied and laughed at by classmates, causing him acute stress disorder.

    The Supreme People's Procuratorate (最高人民检察院) received about 1,900 cases related to school bullying in 2016. Meanwhile, there was a notable increase in bullying reports involving middle school students from 14 to 18 years old.

    Zhou came up with some ways to solve the problem, including boosting communication between teachers, parents and students and trying to establish more harmonious relationships among children. She said it was strongly suggested that parents try to be involved in their children's educational experience, as their presence and companionship have proved effective in reducing bullying and its negative effects.

    Tonya, Elsa and Mark are students at LaGuardia High School in New York City. It's a school with regular academic (学术的) classes, but it also gives special attention to the performing arts. Tonya likes dancing, Elsa wants to be an artist and Mark is a singer.

    The students are all 15, and they're in 10th grade. They study subjects like English, math, social studies, science and PE. They also choose a foreign language: French, Italian, Spanish or Japanese. Students have many academic classes, but during the school day they also take classes in the arts, like theater, art, dance and music. Mark says, “I get the basic classes, but I also take a voice class and a music history class.”

    There is even more for LaGuardia students after school. There are more than 40 clubs for students. For example, there's a movie club, a music club and an environment club. “We have so many choices here,” says Tonya. “My favorite club is the camera club. I like taking photos. It's also a great way to meet people with common interests.”

    Students at LaGuardia can also do many sports. For example, they can play basketball, tennis, volleyball and soccer. Elsa is on the gymnastics team. She says, “I like being on a team. It makes me work hard and do my best.” Students practice after school. They compete against other high schools. Mark says, “At school, I study by myself. I'm a singer, and I do that alone, too. That's why I like playing on the basketball team. We work together and compete against other teams.”

    LaGuardia offers many great classes, clubs and sports for students. Students at LaGuardia get a good education and they also develop their own interests. Many LaGuardia students become dancers, singers and actors!

    Guide dogs are going to be available for the children who are unable to see normally in the UK for the first time, as the age limit is to be removed. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is to begin training dogs to help blind people under the age of 16.

    The association says too many youngsters with impaired eyesight are lacking in independence. They have only a limited social life because of their disability. Giving some of them guide dogs at a younger age is intended to help them to widen their range of activities and to improve their sense of self-confidence and independence. Guide dogs for these teenagers will begin to be provided from next year. There has been an experimental project to test the use of guide dogs with younger people.

    Charlotte, aged 14, was among the youngest guide dog owners. She had been gradually losing her eyesight since the age of eight, and lost her eyesight completely this year. She has been assisted by a two-year-old guide dog. Charlotte used to have a long stick to help her move around, but having a guide dog allows her much more freedom and makes her feel safer.

    However, the association says there is a worryingly patchy supply of services for the young blind people across the UK, and it calls for a sharp increase in the number of guide dogs all over the country. As with adult blind people, only a small number of them are likely to be considered suitable for a guide dog. Most will continue to rely on extra help and training from education and social services.

    You've heard of the fat suit and the pregnancy suit; now meet AGNES—the old person suit.

    AGNES stands for "Age Gain Now Empathy(换位体验)System" and was designed by researchers at MIT's AgeLab to let you know what it feels like—physically—to be 75 years old. "The business of old age demands new tools," said Joseph Coughlin, director of the AgeLab. "While focus groups and observations and surveys can help you understand what the older consumer needs and wants, young marketers never get that ‘Ah ha!' moment of having difficulty opening a jar, or getting in and out of a car. That's what AGNES provides. "

    Coughlin and his team carefully adjusted the suit to make the wearer just as uncomfortable as an old person who has spent a lifetime eating poorly and not doing much exercise. Special shoes provide a feeling of imbalance, while braces on the knees and elbows limit joint mobility. Gloves give the feeling of decreased strength and mobility in the hands and wrists, and earplugs make it difficult to hear high-pitched sounds and soft tones. A helmet with straps(带)attached to it presses the spine(脊柱).

    VAGNES has been used most recently by a group of students working on a design of an updated walker. By wearing the suit they could see for themselves what design and materials would make the most sense for a physically limited older person. Coughlin said the suit has also been used by clothing companies, car companies and retail goods companies to help them understand the limitations of an older consumer. An unexpected benefit they've found with AGNES is that it has become a powerful tool to get younger people to invest in their long-term health.