Kids' health: four steps for fighting stress

    Everybody gets stressed from time to time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}some ways of dealing with stress— like screaming or hitting someone— don't solve much. But other ways, like talking to someone you trust, can lead you to solving your problem or at least feeling better.

    Try taking these four steps the next time you are stressed:

    (1.)Get support. When you need help, reach out to the people who care about you. Talk to a trusted adult, such as a parent or other relatives. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}they might have had similar problems, such as dealing with a test, or the death of a beloved pet.

    (2.)Don't take it out on yourself. Sometimes when kids are stressed and upset they take it out on themselves. Oh , dear, that's not a good idea. Remember that there are always people to help you. Don't take it out on yourself. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    (3.)Try to solve the problem. After you are calm and you have support from adults and friends, it's time to get down to business. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}even if you can't solve it all, you can solve a piece of it.

    (4.)Be positive. Most stress is temporary（暂时的）. Remember stress does go away, especially when you figure out the problem and start working on solving it.

    These steps aren't magic, but they do work.. and if you can stay positive as you make your way through a tough time, you'll help yourself feel better even faster. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Ask for a helping hand to get you through the tough situation.

B. Notice your friends' feelings and find a way to help them.

C. Different people feel stress in different ways.

D. Ah, it feels so good when the stress is gone.

E. You need to figure out what the problem is.

F. And don't forget about your friends.

G. Then, find a way to calm down.

    Less is more. This is why we say: reduce things by half instead of doubling them, relax instead of stressing, and slow down instead of speeding up. Apply these principles(原则) in your everyday life. You will then find yourself well along on your journey to simplification.

Separate Your Actions

    When you concentrate on one task, you find you have energy that you didn't even know you had. Just imagine: you have to carry two heavy pigs over 100 yards. If you carry two, it will take forever. But if you tie one pig in a place, pick up the other, gather all your strength and make a dash for the finish line, pause for a moment, run back and get the other one, and carry the second pig to the finish line, then you can be sure of success.

Say “No” Firmly

    If you have the feeling that 24 hours per day are not enough for all the things you need to do, then it's not because the day has too few hours, but because you have too many activities. The solution is equally simple: say no to accept so much work in your private life or your working life.

Allow Yourself to Be Weak

     “I can deal with stress” is regarded as a positive statement in the world of work. People who can deal with stress are given more and more to — until one day they break.

Pay careful attention to the signs that tell you that you are under more stress than you can deal with. If you become ill, or your work efficiency decreases, change your life goals. Say quite openly, “I can't manage that.”

Stop Expecting Everything to Be Perfect

     “If only I were slimmer, more beautiful, richer, more clever, then I would be happier.” This is a dream that makes a lot of people ill, and unhappy. Life is imperfect. Only those who accept this reality can lead a really full life.

    Of course there are activities in which errors are dangerous: driving a car; crossing the road. But life doesn't entirely have these things. In among them there is possibility that you may make small and large mistakes.

Escape Now and Then

    Successful people all have their own places where they can be left alone in order to work. Find out which places improve your creativity. For me it's the train. When I know that I'm going to be traveling for four hours without phone calls or people knocking on my door, I find my mind is free and I can read or write articles.

How to Be Confident

    We are all human and have weaknesses. Even if your physical appearance or social skills aren't what you wish they were, that doesn't have to stop you from being confident. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    *Make a list of special talents you have, or things you do that are good—morally（道德上） or otherwise. It doesn't have to be a specific skill；it can be an approach or an attitude that you hold through life. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Are you very patient with people? Do you always see the humorous side of things? Are you always there for your friends?

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When you feel strongly about something, speak loudly and clearly and make eye contact with people. People will judge you all the time, and usually they'll misjudge you anyway, so why bother trying to live up to their opinions at all?

    *Take care of yourself. Eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise. Don't abuse your body, don't overload it, and don't deny it any of the things it needs. At the same time, don't obsess(沉迷). {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Those things are only band-aids(权宜之计） and make-up. Confidence comes from within. In order to be confident, you must value yourself and understand that your well-being is important.

    *Improve your posture. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Don't drop your shoulders. Make sure that your back is straight, your shoulders are square, and your chest sticks out slightly (but stay loose, otherwise you'll appear stubborn （固执的）and nervous). Good posture also helps with deep breathing, which helps with feeling calm and relaxed.

    It is very important for kids to be courageous. A brave child is more likely to withstand negative peer pressure, say no to temptations（诱惑）and flight the good fight.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It boosts kids' resilience（适应力）, confidence and willpower as their as well as their learning, performance and school engagement. Here are several ways to develop kids' courage:

    Model courage. Kids who watch their parents stick their necks out to do the right thing are more likely to do the same.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Then express how good it feels when you conquer your fear instead of taking a shortcut. Your kids will learn how to take on the tough challenge they face by witnessing how you tackle your fears.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Research finds that kids are more likely to be courageous if they believe that their parent them to support those in need. Discuss bravery with your kids: Tell hem Courage is making the choice to do what you know is right even if you are afraid.”

    Ask your kids to share their acts of bravery. Learning to be brave takes practice, so encourage your children to do something courageous every day.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}A mom I talked to had her kids share their brave deeds at dinner time.

Teach your kids how to reduce their fears. If not kept under control, fear can be powerful.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} You might encourage positive self-talk, such as saying, “I can handle this” or “I have courage to do this.” Or teach your child to take slow, deep breaths to find courage.

A. Talk about values and courage.

B. Courage has other surprising benefits.

C. The good news is that courage can be taught.

D. Teach your child simple strategies to be brave.

E. Let your child see you step out of your comfort zone.

F. In today's uncertain world, kids will need courage and confidence.

G. Then take time to focus on their courageous breakthroughs.

    The universe has never failed to catch human's attention. The ancient humans came up with stories to explain the presence of the suns and other planets. As time went by, humans set their sights on exploring the vastness of space. In 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon's surface.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    It allows people to know more about the universe.

    Undoubtedly, space exploration has answered the question of whether the earth is round or not and proved the earth does circle around the sun and not the other way around.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It gives people a deeper understanding about the universe and provides them with more information about the world they live in.

    It paves the way to advanced technology.

    Scientists are always developing new technology for space programs, but the good news is that these new innovations(创新) aren't just useful for astronauts and space programs.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} In fact they have already led to the development of modern products and devices that many people use such as the GPS systems, and breast cancer test imaging, to name a few.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Space exploration doesn't just involve scientists and astronauts; it also requires the skills and labor of many engineers, research assistants, technicians, mechanics, and other professionals. If space exploration would be stopped today, these people would become jobless, and they wouldn't have the means to support themselves and their families.

    It can offer a solution to many problems.

    Aside from collecting information about the outer space, many space exploration programs are used to solve some of the problems with our modern society. Some programs, for example, help scientists learn more about the earth's atmosphere and know how to better predict weather and natural disasters.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} This may be the solution to the earth's growing population.

    Space exploration is one of the biggest achievements of humans as a whole, and it has paved the way to greater scientific understanding and technological advancement over the years. I can see no reason why we should stop our exploration.

A. It creates many jobs.

B. But it does much more than that.

C. It was a big step in space exploration.

D. They can also be used in other industries.

E. They also help scientists know more about the earth.

F. Others focus on looking for planets that can support human life.

G. Since then, space exploration has been going on and brought many benefits.

    When was the last time you sat on a park bench(凳子)? Did you stay for long? A new kind of park benches will limit the amount of time you can sit there. If you don't get up in time, it could be very painful: there are many sharp spikes (钉子) on the part that you sit on!

    Visitors who want a rest on the bench need to put a coin in a machine next to it. Once the money was accepted, the spikes disappear into the bench. Then visitors can sit down comfortably, but only for half an hour. When the time's up, the spikes slowly start moving up again. It doesn't hurt at first, but after a minute, they start coming up even more quickly. They aren't long enough to cause serious hurt, but they do cause pain, as tests have shown. But why have they been installed (安装)?

    "Our public park is very popular in summer," a spokesperson for the park explained. "But with all the thousands of people who visit the park, there aren't enough benches for everyone. We want to make sure that the benches are shared by more visitors, and to stop people taking a bench and staying there all day. Installing spikes seems to be the fairest way of stopping people doing this."