How to Live Peacefully with Your Parents

    As a teen,you are going through big changes physically and mentally.Your interests are expanding.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Here is the challenge: kids need to explore the world in new ways,and parents need to protect them from the dangers that are all out in the world.These conflicts（冲突）can easily set off fireworks in otherwise calm house. Sometimes conflicts can't be avoided.But by paying attention to the building blocks of successful relationships,you can work towards making home a happy and healthy place for you and your parents.

    For example,try to find time to talk when your parents are not angry,tired,or hungry.A good time to talk is when you are all relaxed.Timing is everything.If the conversation begins to turn into an argument,you'd better calmly and coolly ask to stop it.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.Listen to what your parents are saying,and repeat it back to them.This shows them that you are listening.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} .

    Respect is the building block of good communication.People who respect each other and care about each other's feeling can disagree without getting things ugly.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.How do you build trust?Trust,comes by actually doing what you say you are going to do.Some teens find that doing fun activities with their parents can improve their relationships.Sometime we forget that parents are more than rule makers—they're interesting people who like to watch movies and go shopping—just like their teenagers!

    What do you do if you are trying your best,but your relationship with your parents continues to be rocky?{#blank#}5{#/blank#} You can find supportive adults,such as a teacher or a coach,who can lend an ear.Remember you can only change your own behavior.Your parents are the ones who can change theirs.

A.You may consider seeking outside help.

B.Faced with this challenge,children don't know what to do.

C.And then you will be able to accept what your parents say.

D.You are more likely to get along with your parents and have more independence if your parents believe in you.

E.And your desire to take control of your own life is growing.

F.It also gives them a chance to clear things up if you are not on the same page.

G.You can pick it up again when everyone's more relaxed.

    Summer is the season to dive into new activities and relax. And right now is the time to make sure that you're ready for the great outdoors, the holiday planning and travel, and the bathing suit beach days.

    If you want to lose weight before summer, concentrate on dropping no more than a pound or two a week.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} And when you trouble yourself, sooner or later you，re going to gain it back. Operate on a 500-calorie-a-day deficit (亏损).{#blank#}2{#/blank#} So if you cut 500 calories a day for seven days straight, you'll lose a pound a week right there.

    Operating at a decrease of 500 calories a day should involve both eating less and moving more. For example, you could consume 300 fewer calories and bum 200 extra per day.

    Include both healthy eating and exercise in your weight-loss plan, and break the 500-calorie goal into small groups to make it more reachable.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    To cut 100 calories:{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Have vegetable pizza instead of pepperoni (意大利辣香肠). Use our Nutritional Needs Calculator to determine how many daily calories you should consume in order to lose, gain, or maintain your healthy goal weight. Once you've reached your goal, recalculate your nutritional needs for keeping extra weight off all summer long.

    To burn 100 calories: spend 15 minutes biking. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Spend 20 minutes gardening. Keep on exercising at least 30 minutes daily a week. Reading food labels and counting calories or writing down what and when you eat can give you more control as well.

A. Here are some simple ways to get there.

B. Walk or run one mile.

C. A pound is 3,500 calories.

D. It is okay to have some snacks between your meals.

E. You should always make sure you get a lot of sleep.

F. Anything more than that usually means you're troubling yourself.

G. Eat a chicken breast without the skin.

    How to prepare for exams?

    Here are some tips you can read with your child.

    The first step in preparing for examinations is to set a fixed time each day to study and a schedule to say when to start the revision and for which subject. The plan should include how many chapters to revise and how many worksheets (活页练习题) to work on. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Parents who do not know the examination schedule can search “exam timetable” to see the official examination schedule. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The second thing is to decide on the place to study. Some need total silence in a library before they can concentrate while others like to have some background music like in the cafeteria, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}So there is no need to tell your child to change the study place if he is producing the desired results.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}For lessons, pupils must participate in lessons and discussions actively. For exercise, work on the simple ones in the textbook. For theory, pupils can use the mind map method to summarize the facts.

    At last, be smart. Focus on chapters that are the core of the subject or difficult chapters. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Next the most effective way to revise is to use an active approach.

B. Making good preparations counts.

C. The mind map can help you a lot in your revision work.

D. Your child has to be self-disciplined (自律的) to follow the plan.

E. It is not necessary to read from the first to the last page.

F. The best time to start revision is one or two months before the examination.

G. Both are alright as long as your child is comfortable with it.

    Why is life worth living?

    "Why is life worth living?" If you ask this question, you will get different answers. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But we have put together a few reasons from different people as to why life is worth living.

    Learning. This is the reason we heard from school and college-going kids.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Right from studies to games, the eagerness(渴望) to do better and learn more makes their lives worth living.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When we speak to a few office workers and professionals, this is the reason they give. The ability to create things, be it a weekly report or a new document or a painting or composing a new song seems to make life worthwhile for many.

    New Opportunities. This is another reason that is put forth by people in different professions. Both professionally and personally, these people look forward to moving ahead and getting appreciation. They like to catch the new opportunities life throws at them which can make their lives worth living.

    Exploring. Some people just like to say that they want to explore more and discover new horizons. Touring around the world, learning about the world history and visiting the most famous places do make life worth for many people.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Love. Well, this reason is an evergreen one. Life is worth living for the loved ones around, be it a wife/husband, children or friends.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Being able to love someone and being loved back can certainly makes life worth living.

A. People all look forward to knowing, learning and finding out more about everything.

B. Creating.

C. There is no definite(明确的) or right answer in this case.

D. Get together and share special moments.

E. Such relationships make life worth everything.

F. Getting wiser makes life worth living for many.

G. Exploring religious and spiritual boundaries also seems to be another reason.

How to Store Strawberries

    You've scored some beautiful strawberries and brought them home with great care. You've washed a few and eaten them immediately, but what to do with the rest? Strawberries can go bad easily, especially when not stored correctly.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    First things first, don't wash the strawberries until you're ready to eat them. Strawberries are ready to absorb water. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    If you plan on eating or cooking with the berries within a day and it's not too terribly hot in your kitchen, you can leave the strawberries out at room temperature. Put them in a pretty bowl within easy eyesight so people remember to eat them.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Take a shallow bowl or plate with a clean kitchen towel. Place the unwashed strawberries in more or less a single layer and refrigerate them. Stored this way, very fresh strawberries will keep for several days. The closer you can create this dry and un-pressed situation, the better. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    If you're not planning on using the strawberries within a few days, you'd better freeze them rather than keep them all fresh. Frozen strawberries are perfect for baking up in cakes, and other treats. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}They say frozen strawberries hold their shape better. Besides, whenever you have strawberries about to be not at their best, you can also place them in the freezer. By the end of strawberry season, you'll likely have enough of them to make jam.

A. Different people have different opinions.

B. They say frozen ones are to be more easily stored.

C. Actually, many bakers prefer frozen berries to fresh ones.

D. Again, don't wash them until you're going to use them!

E. And once they've met with water, they are quick to rot away.

F. For overnight storage, however, you'd better refrigerate them.

G. Here are some simple tips for storing strawberries to guarantee the least waste.

    There have always been a lot of commonly believed but false ideas about being fat and doing exercise. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} While others hold that if they stop exercising, their muscles will turn into fat. Here are some more myths(缪见):

    I'll never lose weight—I come from a fat family

    Wrong! While we can't change the body type we are born with, we can't blame our genes for making us fat. There's plenty of evidence that fatness runs in families.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Wrong! Fatness is not caused by a slow metabolism(新陈代谢). In fact, although fat people consume more energy than slim people, they also fail to realize how much they eat! Keeping a diary can help you work out your daily food intake more accurately.

    Exercise is boring

    Wrong!{#blank#}4{#/blank#} The key is to develop a balanced and varied program that's fun as well as progressive. If you enjoy a Sunday walk, take a different route. If you do yoga, try a tai chi class. If you like swimming, set yourself a distance or time challenge.

    No pain, no gain

    Wrong! Exercise is not meant to hurt. Indeed, pain is your body telling you something's wrong, and continuing to exercise could lead to serious injury. You may experience mild discomfort as you begin to exercise regularly, but this is your body adapting to the positive changes in your lifestyle and the aches should disappear relatively quickly.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. And the main reason is that they share the same habits of eating too much and exercising too little.

B. I am fat because I burn calories slowly.

C. Anything will be interesting if you do the same kind of exercise.

D. If they don't, rest and seek medical advice.

E. And the main reason is that their parents are fat.

F. Anything will become boring if you do it repetitively.

G. Some people believe that they can't help putting on weight as they get older.