Kids' health: four steps for fighting stress

    Everybody gets stressed from 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:

    (1.)Get 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.

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

    (3.)Try to solve the problem. After you are 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.

    (4.)Be positive. Most stress is temporary（暂时的）. 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 tough time, you'll help yourself feel better even faster. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

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

    I was ten when I first sat with my grandmother behind the cashier（收银台）in her general store. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} I quickly learned the importance of treating customers politely and saying “thank you.”

    At first I was paid in candy{#blank#}2{#/blank#} I worked every day after school, and during the summer and on weekends and holidays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. My father helped me set up a bank account. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    By the time I was 12, My grandmother thought I had done such a good job that she promoted me to selling cosmetics（化妆品）. I developed the ability to look customers directly in the eye. Even though I was just a kid, women would ask me such things as “What color do you think I should wear?” I took a real interest in their questions and was able to translate what they wanted into makeup（化妆）ideas. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

The job taught me a valuable lesson: to be a successful salesperson, you didn't need to be a Rocket scientist—you needed to be a great listener. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Except they are no longer women purchasing cosmetics from me; instead, they are kids who tell me which toys they would like to see designed and developed.

    Kinds of friendships

    There are many different kinds of friendships to distinguish. If people are honest with one another and clearly define(界定) which kind of friendship they have, they can avoid a lot of misunderstanding. And if people can learn to move on from a relationship that is over, they will be better off.

    Then, what are the different kinds of friendship? Well, the first kind is the social friend. This is the kind of friend that people have most of. This kind of friend isn't someone who you hang out with all the time or live with, but you know them and associate with(与……交往) them at a bar, store or some other public places. They're nice to talk to when you see them and are usually good for a laugh. However, they are not good to talk about a problem with.

    The second kind is the counselor(顾问). This is a friend you go to when you need advice or just someone to listen. You value their wisdom or at least the fact that they are good at listening to you. You can tell this kind of friend almost anything without fearing gossip(闲言碎语). They are the kind of friend you can trust but you just don't hang out together, unless you want to talk about something important.

    The third kind is the fun boy/girl. This kind of friend can usually be counted on to go somewhere with you at a moment's notice. They like hanging out with you whether you're going to a store or a bar or wherever. They're good tension relievers because you know you're just going to have a good time. This kind of friend isn't someone you go to for advice; in fact you shouldn't affect your relationship by getting serious about something. They're trustworthy and you know they aren't going to gossip about what you do together. Don't expect anything else from this kind of friend; just have a good time.

    The fourth kind of is the work friend. This is the friend you have at work. You interact(交流) at work only. This may include having a break together, maybe even shopping with them or running an errand(差使) during lunch or after work. They're usually not good to get advice from but on some occasions things might be discussed and you might give each other advice. Mostly you talk about the job.

    The last kind is the lifetime friend. This friendship is very rare and usually is found in marriage relationships. This kind of friend is all the above rolled into one.

    Some years ago industries had more freedom than they now, and they did not need to be as careful as they must today. They did not need to worry a lot about the safety of the new products that they developed. They took little notice of the health and safety of the people who worked for them. Often new products were dangerous for the people who used them and conditions in the work place had very bad effects on the health of the workers.

    Of course, sometimes there were real disasters which attracted the attention of governments and which showed the need for changes. Also scientists who were doing research into the health of workers sometimes produced information which governments could not ignore. At such times, there were inquiries into the causes of the disasters or the problems. New safety rules were often introduced as a result of these inquiries; however, the new rules came too late to protect the people who died or who became seriously ill.

    Today many governments have special departments which protect customers and workers. In the U. S, for example, there is a department which tests new airplanes and gives warnings about possible problems. It also makes the rules that aircraft producers must follow. Another department controls the foods and drugs that companies sell. A third department looks at the places where people work, and then reports any companies that are breaking the laws which protect the health and safety of workers. Of course, new government departments and new laws cannot prevent every accident or illness, but they are having some good results. Our work places are safer and cleaner than before. The planes and cars which we use for travel are better. Producers are thinking more about the safety and health of the people who buy and use their products.

    Have you ever had the following experience? You have been given the task of organizing a conference, which includes a must-do list about a mile long. There is the conference site, the guest list, the materials, the technology and even the food and drink to think about and plan. If you are beginning to feel the stress, slow down and take a breath. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Write down your goals. You will need to clearly define what you hope to accomplish with this conference because this will shape the rest of your decisions. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Develop your budget. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Then break that budget into different parts such as conference site, materials and speakers' fees. Stick to your budget, and make sure your assistants are keeping their monetary limits as well.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. When searching for locations, keep in mind the number of participants, the convenience of the location, parking and closeness to public transportation, airports and hotels. Your goal in finding a place to hold the conference should be making it as easy as possible for participants to attend.

    Seek help from the staff of the conference site. If you have chosen a site that is known for holding conferences, you can seek help from the staff there as organizing meetings is what they do every day. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. They should be able to answer any questions or concern and provide advice when needed.

    Of course, full preparations also include a walk-through. Go to the site and meet with the staff the day before to be certain that everything is in place and to take care of any small details.

A. Decide on a schedule for the meeting

B. Choose your conference site

C. Read the following skills to figure out how to organize a conference

D. Knowing what you want to achieve can ease your stress

E. Make full use of this important resource

F. You can do nothing without knowing how much money you have to spend

G. Turn a blind eye to it

    Although most parents don't like doing it after a long and exhausting workday, reading bedtime stories does make a positive influence on your child's emotional and mental health. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    It helps to develop children's imagination.

Reading bedtime stories can develop your children's ability to form pictures or ideas in their mind. A healthy imagination makes their minds work well and teaches them to think quickly yet effectively. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    It improves children's language.

    Reading also improves your children's language. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}They'll most likely use those words in the stories you read right after they hear them. Listening to many stories helps kids to express their opinions better.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Reading books makes people more learned. When children hear the stories you tell, they learn grammar and vocabulary, for example. It helps them be successful in school as they already know a lot from your stories. What's more, every story has its moral aspect and tells them what's good and what's bad.

    These reasons leave no chances of doubting whether to read bedtime stories to your children or not. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}They will thank you in future, I promise.

A. It fosters children's affection for reading.

B. It makes children knowledgeable.

C. Take a look at the best benefits of it and you'll never be lazy to do that.

D. So however tired you are, find time to read bedtime stories to your children.

E. Bedtime stories create just unforgettable moments.

F. They remember most words you say and enlarge their vocabulary.

G. They'll be successful in many aspects thanks to a wonderful imagination.