Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father came to America from Kenya, which is a country in Africa. His parents, Ann and Barack, met when they were students at the University of Hawaii. Since Barack had the same name as his father, young Barack went by the nickname “Barry”.

    In 1979, after he finished high school, Barry went to Occidental College in Los Angeles, California. There, he started to learn about his African roots and decided to use his African name, Barack. After two years in L.A., he went to Columbia University in New York City to study politics.

    After college, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he worked to help poor people in his city. He traveled to Africa to meet his grandmother and cousins for the first time. He went back many times over the years to visit with his family and learn about where he came from. At work, he met a lawyer named Michelle Robinson. They worked together in a big law firm. Then he left Chicago to go to Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He did very well in law school.

    After he was done with school, Barack moved back to Chicago and in 1992 he married Michelle. He worked as a lawyer, devoted to helping poor people for free who had been treated unfairly. He worked hard to get the people he helped to vote.

    He made many people believe that their votes were important, and helped them feel like they could make a difference.

    In choosing a friend, one should be very careful. A good friend can help you study. You can have fun together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fair­weather friends. They will be with you as long as you have money or luck，but when you are down, they will run away. How do I know when I have found a good friend? I look for certain qualities of character，especially understanding, honesty and reliability(信任)．

    Above all else, I look for understanding in a friend. A good friend tries to understand how another person is feeling. He is not quick to judge. Instead, he tries to learn from others. He puts himself in the other person's place, and he tries to think of ways to be helpful. He is also a good listener.

    At the same time, however, a good friend is honest. He does not look for faults in others. He notices their good points. In short, a friend will try to understand me and accept me.

    Another quality of a friend is reliability. I can always depend on a good friend. If he tells me he will meet me somewhere at a certain time, I can be sure that he will be there. If I need a favor，he will do his best to help me. If I am in trouble, he will not run away from me.

    There is a fourth quality that makes a friend special. A special friend is someone with whom we can have fun. We should enjoy our lives, and we would enjoy our friendship. That is why I especially like friends who are fun to be with. A good friend likes the same things I like. We share experience and learn from each other. A good friend has a good sense of humor too. He likes to laugh with me. That is how we share in the joy of being friends. And I know that he is looking for the same quality in me.

    When I meet someone who is reliable, honest, and understanding，I know I've found a friend!

Your Teen Is Falling Asleep in Class

    Teens have a busy morning schedule as they need to wake up and get moving very early in order to catch a bus and get to school by the required time. This means teens need to get their rest the night before or they will be too tired to learn anything at school. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    When a teen falls asleep in class, two things happen: he/she misses what is being taught and he/she loses the respect of the teacher. He/She may also receive a consequence from the school, depending on the classroom discipline policy. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    To prevent your teen from being sleepy in class, try these three tips：

    *Set a time for “lights out” on school nights. This is never any later than 10 p.m. and preferably 9 p.m. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Soft music can be on and used to help calm your teen.

    *Help your teen develop a nighttime routine that involves activities that slow them down for the end of the day. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Turning off the computer and disconnecting from friends and the excitement of the day an hour before bedtime will also help your teen relax.

    * {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This will reinforce (增强) what it feels like to be rested and capable of accomplishing what he/she wants.

A．What's worse, they may even fall asleep in class.

B．Set a good example and show him/her your love for learning.

C．Taking a bath and reading are two activities that work well.

D．Point out the positives after your teen has had a good night's rest.

E．All of these things affect your teen's academic success and can be avoided.

F．“Lights out” means the computer, television, lights and cell phone should be off.

G．While your teen keeps his/her goals in line with your expectations, he/she may have his/her own goals.

    Lima, the capital of Peru (秘鲁), has countless museums that tourists can't afford to miss. Now start packing up and prepare for your perfect Peruvian history exploration at these wonderful museums.

    ◆Larco Museum

    Stepping inside, visitors get to learn the 5,000-year history of Peru through an unbelievable collection of objects. The best thing about the museum is that it keeps the door to the storeroom open to visitors so that they can admire its collection closely.

    ◆Gold Museum of Peru

    If you like shiny objects or precious metals, then plan a trip to the Gold Museum of Peru. In ancient times, the Peruvian people were celebrated for their skills in metals. And the museum is aimed at preserving this heritage.

    ◆Lima Art Museum

    Art experts are much pleased as the city is also home to the Lima Art Museum. Its permanent exhibit of over 1, 200 pieces is merely a small part of its amazing collection of more than 17, 000 artifacts. The highlight of the museum is its collection of Carlos Baca-Flor's masterpieces, which is considered to be the most complete set in the world.

    ◆Museum of Italian Art

    The only museum dedicated to European art in Peru, the Museum of Italian Art is a storehouse of classical and contemporary paintings and sculptures belonging to the 20th century. The property is easily accessible by a short walk from the Lima Art Museum.

    ◆Museum of Natural History

    Last but certainly not least is the Museum of Natural History. Giving a glimpse into the rich biodiversity in Peru, the museum has on display the skeletons of a sperm whale and fossils of several mammals.

    Laptop computers are popular all over the world. People use them on trains and airplanes, in airports and hotels. These laptops connect people to their workplace. In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.

    Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allows students to do schoolwork anywhere they want. Within five years, each of the 1500 students at the college will receive a laptop. The laptops are part of a $10 million computer program at Westlake, a 110-year-old college. The students with laptops will also have access to the Internet. In addition, they will be able to use e-mail to "speak" with their teachers, their classmates, and their families. However, the most important part of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without going to computer labs. They can work with it at home, in a fast-food restaurant or under the trees—anywhere at all!

    Because of the many changes in computer technology, laptop use in higher education, such as colleges and universities, is workable. As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar to desktop computers.

    In addition, the portable computers can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries and other resources. State higher-education officials are studying how laptops can help students. State officials are also testing laptop programs at other universities, too.

    At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff use computers. The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons. As one Westlake teacher said, "Here we are in the middle of Virginia and we're giving students a window on the world. They can see everything and do everything."

    Fire fighting is a serious matter. Knowing what to do during a fire can save people's lives. It is important to know the ways you can use and show them to everyone else in the family, such as stairways and emergency exits, but not elevators.

    From the lower floors of buildings, escape through windows is possible. Learn the best way to get out from a window with the least chance of serious injury.

    The second floor window is usually not very high from the ground. An average person, hanging by the fingertips will have a drop of about 6 feet to the ground. It is about the height of an average man. Of course, it is safer to jump a short way down than to stay in a burning building.

    Windows are also useful when you are waiting for help. Be sure to keep the door closed before opening the window. Otherwise, smoke and fire may be drawn into the room. Keep your head low at the window to be sure you get fresh air rather than smoke that may have leaked(漏)into the room.

    On the second or third floor, the best windows for escape are those which open onto a roof. From the roof a person can drop to the ground more safely. Dropping onto cement might end in injury. Bushes and trees can help you to have a soft landing.