Planning a September trip to France

    September is one of the very best months to visit France．Not only will you enjoy plenty of sunshine and warm weather, but the tourist season is beginning to wind down—which means cheaper airfares, lower prices at hotels, and fewer crowds．{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

●Go wine tasting

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}And there are plenty of wine-related events and festivals around the country．So September is a great time to visit the vineyards around the country and go wine tasting．The Bordeaux, Loire and Burgundy regions are all lovely and great places to visit vineyards．Besides that, going to the castles of the Loire region in between visiting vineyards on such warm and Sunny days is also very enjoyable．

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    The temperatures are slightly lower，but plenty of sunshine makes for perfect conditions to enjoy a barge cruise on the canals of France．With such comfortable weather and beautiful scenery at this time of year, nothing equals hanging out on the deck of a barge．

●Visit the museums

    Many museums in France have extended opening hours during the summer to accommodate the extra tourists and locals. And some museums also have extended opening hours into September．Wandering around the Louvre will take you into a wonder world，where you can enjoy the world-famous art．{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Besides the above，riding a bike through France's villages is also a welcome activity for young visitors in September．You can shop for the most fashionable clothes or goods here．You can see the beautiful and fantastic scenery along the road．{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A．Take a barge cruise.

B．Enjoy the music concerts.

C．So, don't hesitate and start to plan your September trip to France flow!

D．France is a beautiful country．

E．September is the beginning of the grape harvest season in France．

F．Going out of the Louvre, you can walk to the modern and fashionable Champs Elysees to do some shopping．

G．If this is your first trip to France, here is some handy information to help you get started planning your vacation!

    Does your mood change with the seasons?

    Some people find that when the temperature goes down, so do their spirits.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}They eat more and gain weight. They have trouble sleeping. They can't think clearly. Here are some ways you can beat the winter blues：

    Get out in the sun. Some experts say that winter blues happen because we get less sunlight in the winter than we do in other seasons. Some say that the decrease in sunlight can make us feel sad{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Get some exercise. A walk or other exercise will make chemicals called endorphins (内啡肽）flow through your body. Endorphins are natural “feel good” chemicals.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Avoid having too much sugar. If you crave sugary foods (like cookies or candy), it may be a sign that you need more protein (蛋白质), like meat, chicken, or fish.

    Avoid holiday stress. Cut back if you have too many things to do. Make sure you have some quiet time to yourself{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Get some rest. Studies show that most teens need about nine hours of sleep each night. The average teen, though, gets only about six or seven hours of sleep per night.

    Get help. Be cautious if you feel sad all the time and the feeling won't go away.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Talk to an adult who you trust or get help from a doctor.

A. Eat more healthful foods.

B. Choose different foods in season.

C. Don't be so busy that you get run-down.

D. Those people sometimes feel sad for no reason.

E. You may have a bigger problem than the winter blues.

F. Getting extra sunlight each day can help brighten your mood.

G. A regular pattern of sleep is the most important thing to maintain.

Tips for taking care of friendships

    Some people are meant to come and go from your lives quickly. Other friends may grow with you as your life changes. One way to keep friendships of any level strong is to take good care of them.

    Send handwritten notes

    Just find a note card, write something by hand, and then mail it. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Since electronic communication is becoming popular these days, a handwritten note can really make an impression.

    Be active in contacting friends

    Many people call up friends only when they need something. The problem with this is it makes it look as if you don't really care about your friend. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Regularly check in with your friends so they know you are sincere.

    Call up friends

    Electronic communication is great, but there is nothing like hearing your friend's voice to give you a lift. Make a point to call up friends and check in with them. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Just a few minutes every month can make a difference in your friendship.

    Give meaningful gifts

    Put some thought into the gifts you give a friend. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In fact, often the smallest but most thoughtful ones are the biggest hit.

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    People who argue from time to time actually have healthier friendships than those who never discuss their points of conflict（冲突）. Learn how to argue in a healthy way and work through the issues in your friendship.

A. Talk things out

B. Get together with friends

C. The phone calls don't have to be long

D. The presents don't have to be large or expensive

E. This will really stand out in your friend's mailbox

F. Discuss your issues with the goal of making your relationship healthier

G. Remember to call up friends or send an email to see how they are doing

    Do you remember those times when your mother told you to avoid talking to strangers? But now you're not a child anymore. In fact, there are advantages of talking to strangers.

    You can meet a really great person.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You can meet a person who'll become your best friend in future. You can also meet someone who'll give you a chance to get your dream job or somehow help you in life.

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    You have some opinion about different subjects and you know your friends' and relatives' points of view about them too. But there are millions of other people who think differently and can give you unpredictable yet smart ideas that'll broaden your horizons.

    You improve your social skills.

    Whatever social skills you have, you can make them better when talking to strangers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You can better these skills when talking to a stranger.

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    If you belong to that shy type of people, talking to a stranger may seem to be a real challenge for you. I'm also extremely shy but I realize it's not an issue at all. You can overcome your fear of being judged by others by talking to strangers and become more confident.

    You can cheer someone up.

    The thing you'll definitely like about talking to strangers is that you can make someone's day better. Smile and people will smile in return. Compliment people and they'll think something pleasant about you. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    If you seriously and honestly take a look at how you think, act and respond to life, you will quickly realize that in most cases your actions and responses are from fear rather than from love and joy.

    Why is it so? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Humans, unlike animals or plants, are able to image hundreds of different possibilities about our future. But we cannot decide which will really take place and therefore we often feel confused and worried about our future. However, if we were certain about one outcome, we could get rid of any anxiety or anger. This is possible, only when we move from fear based living to love and joy based living. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The only way out is to be aware of our fears. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Then we can try taking baby steps and move up the uncertainty. When faced with any situation next time, try to change the habit of being you and try to act out of love. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} One step at a time, and try to change your habitual responses.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They can be in a parent, a teacher or in yourself. Once you are able to develop unshakable faith in the process of life, you won't bother about the outcome of most things. Instead, you will let go of your fears and learn to enjoy the process of life.

A. And see how things change for better.

B. The best way to lose your fear is to develop love and faith.

C. Only after we have the awareness can we accept our current position and uncertainty.

D. But how can we go from fear to love?

E. The main reason for this is that the future is unpredictable.

F. So it is from the fearful unknowing background that we act.

G. The amount of uncertainty we can think up about the future is unimaginable.

Five steps to better handwriting

Some kids love handwriting, but others hate when it's time to put their pen to paper. Maybe they are worried about their handwriting. Are you one of them? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are five steps that really work!

Get a great grasp

Try this — hold your pencil at the top and try to write your name. Pretty hard? But when you hold your pencil the correct way, writing is much easier. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Hold it in place with your thumb, and your index (食指) and middle fingers.

Let the lines be your guide

Lined paper is your friend! Those lines can help you create letters that are the right size and proportion (均衡). {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Also be sure to fill up the lined space completely. Those capital letters should be from the bottom line to the top one.

Slow down

If your writing is hard to read, try slowing down a little. If you rush, it's hard to control where you stop and start your letters.

Lower the pressure

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} That makes it harder to make the smooth lines. Try easing up and don't hold the pencil too tightly.

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Lots of games require you to write or draw pictures. So even though it's not schoolwork, you're still using the skills you need to control your pen better.

A. Play games

B. Ask for more advice

C. So "a" should be half the height of a capital "A".

D. You've been writing since you were a little kid.

E. Some kids press down really hard when they write.

F. The good news is that just about everyone can improve their handwriting.

G. The best way to hold a pen or pencil is to let it rest next to the base of your thumb.