Good morning everyone! Today I want to talk about how to deal with our children's homework. As we know, homework is a great way for children to develop learning skills. So as parents, you should pay attention to it.

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    Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with different noises, such as people coming and going.

    Make sure your child has all the materials he needs.

    Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some subjects and get them in advance.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Help your child use time properly.

    Tell them not to watch TV unless they finish their homework in time.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Don't let your child leave homework until just before bedtime.

    When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers.

    Giving answers means your child will not learn the material.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}At the same time, you should keep in touch with teachers, which shows your child that the school and home are a team.

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    If your child has been successful in homework and is working hard, celebrate that success with a special event to make him happy.

    I am sure your child will be interested in doing homework if you take my advice.

Thank you!

A. Praise progress in homework.

B. Tell your child how important homework is.

C. Make sure your child has a quiet place to do homework.

D. For example, you should buy some paper, pencils, dictionaries and so on when you do some shopping.

E. Make a set time each day for doing homework

F. Be positive about homework.

G. Too much help is bad for your child's study.

    Recently, I've been following a simple rule that is helping me crush procrastination(拖延症) and making it easier for me to stick to good habits at the same time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are two parts to the 2-Minute Rule.

    Part 1—If it takes less than two minutes, then do it now.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, washing your dishes immediately after your meal, tossing the laundry in the washing machine, taking out the garbage, sending that email, and so on.

    If a task takes less than two minutes to complete, then follow the rule and do it right now.

    Part 2—When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.

    Can all of your goals be accomplished in less than two minutes? Obviously not. But, every goal can be started in 2 minutes or less. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    It might sound like this strategy is too basic for grand life goals, but I beg to differ. The 2-Minute Rule works for big goals as well as small goals because of the inertia(惯性)of life. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} I love the 2-Minute Rule because it embraces the idea that all sorts of good things happen once you get started.

    The most important part of any new habit is getting started—not just the first time, but each time. It's not about performance, it's about consistently taking action.

    I can't guarantee whether or not the 2-Minute Rule will work for you. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Anyone can spare the next 120 seconds. Use this time to get one thing done. Go.

A. I call this little strategy the "2-Minute Rule".

B. And that's the purpose behind this little rule.

C. Here's what you need to know to stop procrastinating.

D. Once you start doing something, it's easier to continue doing it.

E. But, I can guarantee that it will never work if you never try it.

F. The goal is to make it easier for you to get started on the things you should be doing.

G. It's surprising how many things we put off that we could get done in two minutes or less.

    A young woman sits alone in a café sipping tea and reading a book. She pauses briefly to write in a nearby notepad before showing her words to a passing café waiter: "Where are the toilets please?" This is a familiar scene in Tokyo's so-called "silent cafés", where customers are not allowed to speak, and only communicate by writing in notepads.

    The concept rises by a desire to be alone among young Japanese, a situation brought by economic uncertainty, a shift in traditional family support structures and the growing social isolation. The phenomenon is not limited to coffee shops but covers everything from silent discos, where participants dance alone wearing wireless headphones connected to the DJ, to products such as small desk tents designed for conversation-free privacy in the office. One Kyoto company even offers single women the opportunity to have a "one woman wedding"—a full bridal affair, complete with white dress and ceremony, and the only thing missing is the groom. The trend has its own media expression-“botchi-zoku”, referring to individuals who consciously choose to do things completely on their own.

    One recent weekday afternoon, Chihiro Higashikokubaru, a 23-year-old nurse, travelled 90 minutes from her home, to Tokyo on her day off in order to enjoy some solo time. Speaking quietly at the entrance of the cafe, Miss Higashikokubaru said: “I heard about this place via Twitter and I like the idea of coming here. I work as a nurse and it's always very busy. There are very few quiet places in Tokyo, and it's a big busy city. I just want to come and sit somewhere quietly on my own. I'm going to drink a cup of tea and maybe do some drawings. I like the idea of a quiet, calm atmosphere.”

    The desire to be isolated is not a new concept in Japan, home to an estimated 3.6 million "hikikomori" - a more extreme example of social recluses(隐士) who withdraw completely from society.

    Regulating a complex new technology is hard, particularly if it is evolving rapidly. With autonomous vehicles(AVs) just around the corner, what can policymakers do to ensure that they arrive safely and smoothly and deliver on their promise?

    The immediate goal is to make sure that AVs are safe without preventing innovation. In America, experimental AVs are allowed on the road in many states as long as the companies operating them accept responsibility. Chris Urmson of Aurora says American regulators have got things right, working closely with AV firms and issuing guidelines rather than strict rules that might prevent the progress of the industry. “It's important that we don't jump to regulation before we actually have something to regulate.” he says.

    On the other hand, Singapore's government has taken the most hands-on approach to preparing for AVs, says Karl Iagnemma of Nutonomy, an AV startup that has tested vehicles in the city-state. For example, it has introduced a “driving test” that AVs must pass before they can go on the road. This does not guarantee safety but sets a minimum standard.

    Elsewhere, regulators have permitted limited testing on public roads but want to see more evidence that the vehicles are safe before going further, says Takao Asami of the Renault issan-Mitsubishi alliance(联盟). “Simple accumulation of mileage(里程) will never prove that the vehicle is safe.” he says. Instead, regulators are talking to car makers and technology firms to develop new safety standards. Marten Levenstam, head of product strategy at Volvo, compares the process to that of developing a new drug. First, you show in the laboratory that it might work; then you run clinical trials in which you carefully test its safety and efficiency; and if they are successful, you ask for regulatory approval to make the drug generally available. Similarly, autonomous cars are currently at the clinical-trial stage, without final approval as yet. It is not possible to prove that a new drug is entirely safe, but the risk is worth taking because of the benefits the drug provides. It will be the same for AVs, he suggests. After all, nowadays human-driven vehicles are hardly risk-free.

At the beginning of the century there was a big farm called Hollywood Ranch. It was near Los Angeles in California. A few years later Hollywood was one of the famous places in the world. From the 1910s to the 1950s Hollywood was the film center of the world. Every family knew the names of its film stars — Charlie Chaplin, Grela Garbo, Bergman and hundreds more.

The reason why people went to Hollywood to make films was the sun. At first people made films in New York on the east coast of the United States. But then they heard about Los Angeles where there are 350 days of sun every year. As they made all the films by sunlight, the west coast was a much better place to work. Also near Hollywood you can find mountains and sea and desert. They did not have to travel far to make any kind of film.

When TV became popular, Hollywood started making films for television. Then in the 1970s they discovered people still went to the cinema to see big expensive films. After twenty years they are still making films in Hollywood and people watch them all over the world.

Public libraries are an excellent resource for research, literacy(读写能力)education, and reading-centered events. Most towns have one or share library services with other towns through a mobile library, and the use of a public library is free to people who are willing to apply for a library card.

There are several primary sources of library funding(资金)， starting with national funds which are distributed to states or provinces. These regions send the funds on to public libraries. Local governments also play an important role in providing funding for libraries, and most librarians apply for grants(拨款). Finally, private donations help to maintain libraries—most libraries have an association of Friends of the Library which organizes fund-raising sales and pays annual dues to help maintain the library.

Grants and private donations can also be used to provide a large amount of funding for public libraries, and some large libraries maintain a separate staff to increase the amount of funding that they can obtain through these sources. Grants include technology grants which allow libraries to install and upgrade computer systems, grants which focus on a particular topic such as science, fiction, children's books, or local history, and education grants which support locally-based community efforts such as after-school reading programs. Many private donors are pleased to support their local public libraries by donating funds or including some library in their wills, and libraries reward their donors with treats like after-hours visits or privileged access to special collections.

By combining multiple resources, creative librarians can keep their libraries useful, informative, and fun for browsers. When it comes to supporting public libraries, every little bit counts: if you cannot afford to donate to a local library, think about volunteering time to help shelve, lead after-school programs, or organize fund raisers. Being active with your public library is a very important way to contribute to your local community.