What Teenagers Can Do to Earn More Respect?

    As teenagers continue to grow and develop into young adults, the transition (过渡) into adulthood has begun. With so many physical and emotional changes going on, certain manners are often forgotten and other adult traits are not yet accepted as a way of life. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} By doing the following things, you will earn more respect.

Contribute to the household

    At the very least, clean up after yourself. As a teenager, you are old enough to clean up after yourself. When you make a mess, clean it up. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} All chore (杂活) that you do help to reduce the load of the person who did them before. Now that you're old enough and capable, why shouldn't you contribute to the household? {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Be responsible

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Whether they are basic things, like brushing your teeth or doing your homework, or more involved chores that contribute to the household, simply fulfill your responsibilities on time. When adults know that they can rely on you, their trust and respect for you will increase.

Solve more of your own problem without asking for help

    Instead of taking the easy approach and asking for help, make an effort to solve your problems on your own first. The “easy way” is only easy for you, but it is an extra task for the person from whom you are seeking help. Seek help only after you have made an honest effort to solve your own problems. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When you become a good problem solver, you increase your value to the community.

A. Everyone has certain responsibilities.

B. By being aware of these manners and traits, you can manage them sooner.

C. When speaking to a group, speak loud enough.

D. The people doing the chores before will greatly appreciate the help.

E. Depending on the problem, 15 minutes of effort is usually a good guideline.

F. It will make your life more pleasant.

G. This includes, but is not limited to, your dishes and your room.

    The UN has recognized the contributions of volunteers on Dec.5, International Volunteer Day. Here, the four things are offered to consider before taking the leap into overseas volunteering.

    Choose your organization carefully

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. volunteering may be a fundraising mechanism(筹资机制) for a development project. For others, volunteering is fundamental to their programs, and those serving take on professional roles in longer-term development.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Volunteers want to help and make a difference, but most know this isn't a purely selfless act. You will learn new skills, broaden your horizons and come to better understand yourself and the world. You want to help reduce global poverty or protect the natural world, and that's all OK. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}? Have you always wanted to travel, but not as a tourist? Work with kids? When you understand your motivations, you'll be in a better position to choose the option that is right for you.

    Work alongside the local community

    Often times, travelers volunteer in isolation(隔离) from the local community in which they are working in. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. This enables you to ensure you are committing to a project that promotes long term and sustainable change.

    A volunteer trip is just the beginning

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Further ignite(点燃) the global change maker in you by taking your experience one step further when you return home. Spread the message of your transformative experience to others, helping to spark the change within them.

A. But what else

B. Know why you are going

C. Believe you know it all

D. Communities always welcome volunteers

E. Volunteer travel is a life-changing experience

F. Some organizations require you to pay your own way, and often include a fee

G. Make sure to travel with organizations that have strong partnerships with local communities

    May the first is an important date in the college admission process in the United States. This is the last day for high school seniors to accept or reject offers of admission in the fall. But according to a recent report, there is a great change. Acceptance rates at the top colleges this year were lower than ever. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    These days, college applicants are applying to more colleges because online and common applications make the process easier. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}On the other hand, deciding students for top colleges to accept can be difficult because it takes much time. Students may not like being put on waiting lists. Also, common colleges work more to get the students they accept to accept them. Some colleges hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight. Some universities send gifts. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    For many families, the most important thing colleges can do is show them the money, especially this year; the weak economy makes parents nervous. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}The recent problems that spread from the housing market to credit markets have even affected student's loans. So lately, top schools have to spare lots of money to increase their financial aid for students. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The Education Department expects the number of high school graduates to start to go down. This will happen as the last of the children of the baby boom generation finishes high school. The number is not expected to start rising again until 2019.

A. What contributes to it?

B. Besides, top colleges are facing changes in the population.

C. But a mistake can be costly if it happens.

D. It can mean several acceptances to choose from.

E. They have international students who know English.

F. But top colleges ignore them.

G. They cannot afford college as planned.

    China has been the birthplace of many of the world's greatest inventions. It was, for example, the first country to produce paper money. Before the invention of paper money and coins, people used many different kinds of things for buying and selling{#blank#}1{#/blank#}This exchange of goods and services for other goods and services is called bartering.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}In 1200 BC, people in China began to use shells (贝壳) as money. Usually the shells used as money were very small. This made it easier for people to carry money over long distances, and allowed for trade to develop between different parts of the country.

    In the years which followed this invention, many other countries around the world began to do the same.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    The next development was in 1000 BC, when China started making bronze and copper shells. It wasn't long before the Chinese made round coins out of metal.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}By 500 BC, metal coins had begun to appear in countries like Persia and Greece, and later in the Roman Empire.

    About 1,000 years later, leather was used as money in China, and in 806 AD, the first paper banknotes were produced by the Chinese people.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. People also began collecting foreign coins as souvenirs.

B. During that time, for example, buying a chicken might cost several potatoes.

C. It was still many years before paper currency appeared in Europe.

D. However, as economies developed, such exchanges became impractical.

E. They also used tiny shells as money for buying and selling.

F. As time went by, trade between countries increased.

G. The first coins often had holes in them so that people could string them together.

Evaluating Sources of health Information

    Making good choices about your own health requires reasonable evaluation. A key first step in bettering your evaluation ability is to look carefully at your sources of healthy information. Reasonable evaluation includes knowing where and how to fins relevant information, how to separate fact from opinions, how to recognize poor reasoning, and how to analyze information and the reliability of sources. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Go to the original source. Media reports often simplify the results of medical research. Find out for yourself what a study really reported, and determine whether it was based on good science. Think about the type of study. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Watch for misleading language. Some studies will find that a behaviour "contributes to" or is "associated with" an outcome; this does not mean that a certain course must lead to a certain result. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Carefully read or listen to information in order to fully understand it.

    Use your common sense. If a report seems too good to be true, probably it is. Be especially careful of information contained in advertisements. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Evaluate "scientific" statements carefully, and be aware of quackery (江湖骗术).

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Friends and family members can be a great source of ideas and inspiration, but each of us needs to find a healthy lifestyle that works for us.

    Developing the ability to evaluate reasonably and independently about the health problems will serve you well throughout your life.

A. Make choices that are right for you.

B. The goal of an ad is to sell you something.

C. Be sure to work through the critical questions.

D. And examine the findings of the original research.

E. Distinguish between research reports and public health advice.

F. Be aware that information may also be incorrectly explained by an author's point of view.

G. The following suggestions can help you sort through the health information you receive from common sources.

How to Take Effective Notes During Lectures

Effective note-taking is an active part of the learning process that requires you to get the main idea and write down its key words in your own way.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Prepare for the lecture in advance.

Teachers hand out outlines of their lectures before they begin.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}It can help you focus on the difficulties you have in understanding and you will be able to ask better questions in class.

Find your style of taking notes

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}For example, some visual learners could draw certain shapes to represent important concepts. Some people prefer writing words, and some may find it most helpful to record a lecture and listen to it while studying. You have to find the style works best for you.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Rather than writing complete sentences or even complete words, create a form of fast and brief writing with some signs or phrases to make note-taking easier. This will help you take notes quickly and keep up with the lecture.

Take down key points.

It is important to write down key points from the lecture.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Things like key ideas, definitions, and descriptive phrases can help you remember the subject. For example, if the lecture is based on a specific battle in history, try to write down the date, the major characters involved and the overall outcome of the struggle.

A. Develop your shorthand.

B. Write questions as you are listening.

C. Skimming them will warm up your brain.

D. Everything you learn may be helpful in the future.

E. Different people may have different ways of note-taking.

F. It means you need to focus on the most meaningful information.

G. With the following tips, you can become a better lecture note-taker.