Why do parents have such a difficult time to communicate openly and honestly with their teens? For this, there are many reasons but most of them stem from not being able to properly understand their teens. It is a dangerous gap because parents will have to communicate with their teens about a wide variety of issues during the most important years of their lives. Thus, parents must know how to communicate openly and honestly with their teens.

    Here are a few tips to make communication easier between parents and teenagers.

    1）Try not to talk down to your teens. Make them feel as if their views really matter, which not only helps your discussions with your teen but bring you closer to him.

    2）Imagine what it would be like to be a teen. Try to remember some of the negative feelings you experienced as a teenager and apply it to your teen's situation.

    3）Never make negative remarks to your teen about what he has said or done.

    4）Remember how much courage it would have taken for your teen to come and talk to you about his personal issues. So listen respectfully.

    5）Don't ignore your teen's feelings because it is usually a cry for help. For instance, if your teen is unusually angry, it may be time to spend a bit of quality time with your teen to determine what is wrong and where he is coming from.

    It is, therefore, necessary for parents to strive to keep lines of communication open at all times with their teens. Try to remember what it was like to be a teenager and how vulnerable（脆弱的）you felt. Then you will be well on your way to help your teen communicate more openly and honestly.

    Growing up in Wyoming,everyday life was an adventure—I spent my time camping,and exploring mountains. When I was little,my mom became the state's first female U.S. Marshall.I'll never forget how the local newspaper praised her for her success in a field that's traditionally run by men.Under her influence,I made up my mind to achieve something great.Now,I've become famous for sailing,a sport often considered "a man's world".

    Sailing is considered a hard-to-break-into sport.And,generally,there are only two ways to get into it—either through a strict sailing education that leads to experience or by growing up on the water and racing in the Olympics. Most of my teammates became professional sailors in one of these two ways but I skipped both.

    In the summer of 2008,I went to St.Croix through a college internship（实习）program focusing on educating locals about HIV and AIDs.There,I discovered my love for sailing.Then,SCA,a global hygiene（卫生保健）company, made the decision to support an all-female team,and when they began accepting applications,I knew it was the chance of a lifetime.I made it my task to become a part of the team.Even when it seemed like there were no positions left,I never gave up.

    After a stressful,two-year application process,I finally got the call.I moved to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands and began training with the team immediately.The process was physically,mentally and emotionally exhausting,but I finally achieved my goal.I sailed in the "Everest of sailing" with only six years' experience.Later,there was an all-female team competing,and I was lucky enough to be a part of it.

    As women,we need to approach our dreams as if we deserve to achieve them as much as men,because we do. There are plenty of professions,including sailing,in which women are absent or have a minor presence—but that's not because they shouldn't be there.We need to push the boundaries and focus on obtaining our goals and passions,no matter how unobtainable and challenging they may seem.

    The first person in the world to receive two facial transplants says he is feeling well, three months after his latest groundbreaking operation.

    Jerame Hamon had his first transplanted face removed last year after signs of rejection following a treatment with an antibiotic (抗生素) during a cold.

    The 43 year old remained in a hospital in Paris without a face for two months while a compatible donor was sought.

    He said: “The first face I accepted immediately. This time it's the same.”

    Mr. Hamon suffers from neurofibromatosis (多发性神经纤维瘤), a genetic condition that spoiled his face severely.

    His first transplant, in 2010, was a success, but he caught a common cold in 2015 and was given antibiotics. The drug was incompatible with the immunosuppressive (免疫制疫的) treatment he was having to prevent a rejection of the transplanted material.

    The first signs of rejection came in 2016 and last November, the face, suffering from the death of most of cells, had to be removed.

    Mr. Hamon lived without a face in a room at Georges-Pompidou hospital in Paris without being able to see, speak or hear until January, when a face donor was found and the second transplant carried out.

    To avoid further rejection, Mr. Hamon—dubbed “the man with three faces” by French media ―had special treatment to clean the blood prior to the transplant.

    His new face remains smooth and motionless, and his skull, skin and features are yet to be fully matched. But he is positive about his recovery.

    “If I hadn't accepted this new face it would have been terrible. It's a question of identity… But here we are, it's good, it's me,” he told AFP news agency from the hospital, where he is still recovering.

    The hours-long operation was led by Prof Laurent Lantieri, a specialist in hand and face transplants who carried out Mr. Hamon's initial surgery eight years ago.

    “Today, we know that a double transplant is practicable, it's no longer in the field of research,” he told Le Parisien newspaper.

    Anaesthetist Bernard Cholley said: “Anyone who loses their face and then has to wait for a possible and imagined transplant for an unknown length of time—that's something that nobody has ever had to go through here.”

    “I'm amazed by the courage of a patient who has been able to get through such a different experience.”

    The first face transplant was carried out in 2005 in northern France. Since then, some 40 operations have been performed around the world.

    Shyness is the cause of much unhappiness for a great many people. Shy people are anxious and self-conscious; that is, they are excessively concerned with their own appearance and actions.

    Worrisome thoughts are constantly occurring in their minds: what kind of impression am I making? Do they like me? Do I sound stupid? Am I wearing unattractive clothes? It is obvious that such uncomfortable feelings must negatively affect people. A person's conception of himself or herself is reflected in the way he or she behaves, and the way a person behaves affects other people's reactions. In general, the way people think about themselves has a profound effect on all areas of their lives.

    Shy people, having low self-esteem, are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others. They need reassurance that they are doing "the right thing." Shy people are very sensitive to criticism; they feel it confirms their feelings of inferiority. They also find it difficult to be pleased by compliment with a statement like this one, "You're just saying that to make me feel good. I know it's not true." It is clear that while self-awareness is a healthy quality, overdoing it is harmful.

    Can shyness be completely eliminated, or at least reduced? Fortunately, people can overcome shyness with determined and patient efforts in building self-confidence. Since shyness goes hand in hand with a lack of self-esteem, it is important for people to accept their weaknesses as well as their strengths. Each one of us is a unique, worthwhile individual, interested in our own personal ways. The better we understand ourselves, the easier it becomes to live up to our full potential. Let's not allow shyness to block our chances for a rich and fulfilling life.

    This may be music to your ears. Researchers P. Jason Rentfrow and Samuel Gosling gave 3,500 people a personality（人格、个性）quiz. "We found that the musical styles people like are closely linked to their personalities," Gosling says.

    RAP/HIP-HOP

    Known for their quick speech, some rappers can say more than 700 syllables（音节）a minute! If you like rap/hip-hop, you are energetic and have a way with words. You put a fresh spin on things, whether it's new moves on the dance floor or your hip style.

    CLASSICAL

    In the 18th century, classical musicians were like rock stars. Beethoven and Mozart, for example, played in crowded concert halls. If you like classical, you are open to new ideas and like debating with friends. Creative and imaginative, you can easily spend many hours scrapbooking（剪贴）, writing or painting.

    COUNTRY

    Country music came from the folk songs of English, Scottish, and Irish settlers of the southeastern United States. If you like country, you express your opinions well, which makes you the ideal class president or team captain. Traditional and loyal, you enjoy spending time with your family.

    POP

    Pop music is designed to attract almost everyone, and it does. Each year, the industry brings in about 30 billion dollars! If you like pop, you are attractive to your friends. You can make big things happen, like planning for a huge party or inspiring your team to victory.

    ROCK/ALTERNATIVE

    In the 1950s, rock music created a brand-new culture. Teenagers, for the first time, had an identity separate from adults and children. If you like rock/alternative, you are a risk-taker who never accepts no for an answer. You rise to any challenge, like doing very well in a big exam or landing the lead in the school play.

    If these personality profiles（人格剖析）don't match you, that's OK. These are just for fun.

    As the temperature rises, sweaty humans are making a response that is further worsening the problem of climate change. At present, the world just has 1.6 billion air conditioning units, but these units use a surprising total of ten percent of all global electricity supply. While less than a third of families globally are so equipped, the most AC-addicted countries are Japan (in 91 percent of families), the US (90 percent) and South Korea(86 percent).

    New research by the International Energy Agency (IEA) guesses that the total number of AC units is likely to increase to over 5.6 billion by 2050－equal to ten new units being sold every second for more than 30 years－with sales driven particularly by India, China and Indonesia. This will make the use of air conditioning one of the world's largest demands for energy.

    "Growing electricity demand for air conditioning is one of the most critical blind spots in today's energy debate," argues Faith Birol, executive director of the IEA. "With rising incomes, air conditioner ownership will skyrocket, especially in the developing world. While this will improve daily lives, it is quite necessary that efficiency performance be prioritized."

    Birol and the IEA stress the need for new efficiency standards to ensure that consumers are at least buying units that require significantly less power to function, therefore decreasing the total energy demand. Variations on the traditional "vapor compression" technology, which has formed the basis for AC units for more than a century, may appear really important. A water-based system was recently developed by researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS), which uses 40 percent less electricity and produces only one by-product: drinkable water.

    "Our cooling system can be tailored for all types of weather conditions, from wet climate in the tropics to dry climate in the deserts," says associate professor Ernest Chua at NUS. "While it can be used for indoor living and commercial spaces, it can also be easily used to provide air conditioning for blocks of buildings in an energy-efficient manner."