阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项

    Newborns begin to develop language skills long before they begin speaking. And, compared to adults, they develop these skills more quickly. People have a hard time learning new languages as they grow older, but babies have the ability to learn any language easily.

    For a long time, scientists have tried to explain how such young children can learn the complicated grammatical rules and sounds of a language. Now, researchers are getting a better idea of what's happening in the brains of the tiniest language learners. This new information might help kids with learning problems as well as adults who want to learn new languages. It might even help scientists who are trying to design computers that can communicate like people do.

    Most babies go “ma ma” by 6 months of age, and most children speak in full sentences by age 3. For many years, scientists have wondered how the brains of young children figure out how to communicate using language. With help from new technologies, scientists are now finding that babies begin life with the ability to learn any language. They get into contact with other people, listen to what they say and watch their movements very closely. That is why they quickly master the languages they hear most often.

    Studies show that, up to about 6 months of age, babies can recognize all the sounds that make up all the languages in the world. Starting at around 6 months old a baby's brain focuses on the most common sounds it hears. Then, children begin responding only to the sounds of the language they hear the most.

    In a similar way older babies start recognizing the patterns that make up the rules of their native language. For example, English children who are about 18 months old start to figure out that words ending in “-ing” or “-ed” are usually verbs, and that verbs are action words.

    Although environmental problems have existed for centuries, some people still care little about our environment. Problems like ice melting, electronic waste are lighting up news programs and becoming part of an ongoing dialogue about the environment.

    As a teenager, what do you think all the problems mean for your future and for the future of the planet? For our October 2016 writing contest, we want you to really consider what you think about environmental problems.

Use these questions to help focus your essay

● What environmental problem do you think should cause the greatest alarm and action?

● Do you think that you have a personal responsibility to help solve environmental problems or do you feel helpless against the struggle?

● What do you think could help a specific environmental problem?

Don't try to answer all these questions. Use one of them to make a personal essay.

The title of the essay

    When you hand in your essay, title it as: Environmental Problems: _______.

    Include the phrase “Environmental Problems” as the beginning of your essay title, but then make the rest of your story title unique. Examples:

● Environmental Problems: Trashy Behavior and the Plastic Bottle

● Environmental Problems: We Can't Exist If We Refuse to Change

Rules:

1) This is a non-fiction essay contest.

2) Essays are 500 words or less.

3) Essays must be your original work.

The deadline:

Midnight Oct. 30, 2016

Results:

    The winner will be posted on our writing contest website or on Teen Trend Report after Nov. 26, 2016.

    Greece's finance minister says his country's financial situation is “terribly urgent” and the crisis could come to a head in a couple of weeks. Yanis Varoufakis gave the warning after eurozone finance ministers met in Brussels to discuss the final €7.2bn tranche(援助资金) of Greece's €240bn EU/IMF bailout(紧急援助).

    Ministers said Greece had made “progress” but more work was needed.

The Greek government is struggling to meet its payment obligations（责任）.Earlier, Greece began the transfer of €750m (£544m, $834m) in debt interest to the International Monetary Fund - a day ahead of a payment deadline.

    “The liquidity（资产流动性） issue is a terribly urgent issue. It's common knowledge, let's not beat around the bush,” Mr Varoufakis told reporters in Brussels. “From the perspective of timing, we are talking about the next couple of weeks.”

    Greece has until the end of June to reach a reform deal with its international creditors. Its finances are running so low that it has had to ask public bodies for help. The crisis has raised the prospect that Greece might default（违约） on its debts and leave the euro.

    In a statement, the eurozone finance ministers said they “welcomed the progress that has been achieved so far” in the negotiations,” but added: “We acknowledged that more time and effort are needed to bridge the gaps on the remaining open issues.” Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem said there had to be a full deal on the bailout（紧急财务援助） before Greece received any further payments. “There are time constraints(限制；约束) and liquidity constraints and hopefully we will reach an agreement before time runs out and before money runs out.” he said.

    There had been fears that Greece would default on its IMF debt repayment due on Tuesday. However, a Greek finance ministry official was quoted as saying that the order for repayment had been executed（实施） on Monday. Almost €1bn has been handed over to the IMF in interest payments since the start of May.

    It is unclear how the government came up with the funds, but the mayor of Greece's second city Thessaloniki revealed last week that he had handed over cash reserves in response to an appeal for money.

    The FBI is investigating the disappearance of a visiting Chinese scholar from a central Illinois university town as a kidnapping（绑架）as her whereabouts（下落）have remained unknown since Friday.

    Zhang Yingying, 26, was last seen on June 9 near the north end of the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign（UIUC）, wearing a charcoal-colored baseball cap, a pink and white top, jeans and white tennis shoes and carrying a black backpack. She boarded a Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District bus and exited the West Springfield and North Mathews avenues at 1:52 pm local time（1852 GMT）, police said.

    The FBI has labeled the case as a kidnapping but isn't ruling out anything, said Campus police spokesman Patrick Wade. The suspect appears to be a white male who was in a car and stopped to talk to Zhang on Friday afternoon, the FBI said. Almost one month into a yearlong appointment at the UIUC campus, Zhang's friends told police that she was heading to an apartment complex in Urbana to sign a lease（租约）.

    Security camera footage（连续镜头）on Monday released by university police showed that Zhang talked to the driver of a black Saturn Astra, about five blocks from where she got off a bus in Urbana on Friday afternoon. She entered the car shortly thereafter. Zhang has not been seen or heard from since then and attempts to contact her by phone remain unsuccessful. Authorities have asked the public to help identify that vehicle.

    A massive search has been launched in Urbana in the US state of Illinois since Zhang's disappearance. Police are interviewing with her colleagues, checking local hospitals and coordinating with ride-hailing（打车）companies as part of their investigative efforts.

    In an interview with Xinhua through Wechat on Thursday, Zhang Ronggao, father of the missing visiting scholar from China's Fujian Province, expressed gratitude to all the people involved in the search and asked US police to accelerate the search.

    Tom arrived at the bus station quite early for the London bus. The bus for London would not leave until five to twelve. He saw a lot of people waiting in the station. Some were standing in lines, others were walking about. There was a group of school-girls. Their teacher was trying to keep them in order. Tom looked around but there was nowhere for him to sit.

    He walked into the station cafe. He looked up at the clock there. It was only twenty to twelve. He found a seat and sat down, facing a large mirror(镜子) on the wall. Just then, John, one of Tom's friends, came in and sat with Tom.

    "What time is your bus?" asked John.

    "Oh, there is plenty of time yet," answered Tom.

    "Oh, I'll get you some more tea then," said John.

    They talked while drinking. Then Tom looked at the clock again.

    "Good heavens! It's going backward!" he cried. "A few minutes ago it was twenty to twelve and now it's half past eleven."

    "You are looking at the clock in the mirror," said John.

    Tom wanted to kick himself for being so foolish. The next bus was not to leave for another hour. He has never liked mirror since then.