How to Care for Your Ears?

    Ears not only let us hear, but they also paly a role in maintaining our balance, which is vital to our ability to function in daily life. Yet, we ignore them. We can't even see our ears, except in a mirror. We take it for granted what they do for us day in and day out—until we notice something worng, such as when an earache strikes or when we start having to ask people to repeat what they say. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

◆Clean your ear with a washcloth—covered finger only.

    Never put anything inside your ear canal, including cotton swabs (药签). {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

◆Leave earwax(耳垢) alone.

    Wax is your ear's way of eliminating （消除）anything foreign that gets into the ear canal. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you find you have too much earwax, use a few drops of earwax remover（去除剂）in the canal. After a few minutes, wash the ear with warm water.

◆Avoid noisy places.

    Rock concerts and construction sites are just a few places that frequently have noise levels that can damage

hearing.Any place where you have to shout to be heard should be avoided.

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    Be careful not to play MP3 too loud, especially if using earphone.

◆Be careful with illness and medications.

    Respiratory illnesses should be treated to avoid their spread to the ears. Certain medications can damage hearing, so follow the directions carefully before taking them.

    See your doctor if you suffer from sudden hearing loss or hear noises in your head. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A．Most people don't need to clean wax out of their ears.

B．In such case, go to see a doctor as soon as possible.

C．These can be symptoms of a serious illness which needs to be treated.

D．This article will show you how to care for your ears.

E．Turn the volume down.

F．Avoid using earphones while listening to MP3.

G．Your ear canal is very narrow, and a swab can damage it.

Be an inventor

    The biggest secret about inventing is that anybody can do it! Perhaps this sounds crazy, but it's true. Maybe you have the wrong idea about inventing, so read on to discover the truth.

Wrong idea number 1:{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Well, inventing means creating something “new”, but the idea could come from something that already exists.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

Wrong idea number 2: Inventors are born, not made.

    There are a lot of factors that make invention possible. Take Mozart, for example. He was born with a special talent for music.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}His father was a music teacher, and Mozart practiced for hours every day, from the time he was in kindergarten.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Very successful creators don't give up when they get something wrong. As one inventor said, “A failure is the right answer to the wrong question!”

    Wrong idea number 3: Inventors are always old people.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Here is an example of a young inventor: Louis Braille went blind when he was a child. When he was 15, he invented a system of reading and writing for blind people that is still used in most countries today.

A. Everyday things can give people lots of ideas.

B. An invention has to be something completely new.

C. But other factors were also important for his creativity.

D. As a young man, George Nissen invented the trampoline (蹦床).

E. Don't believe that you can't invent something when you are young.

F. Thomas Edison said that being an inventor was “99% hard work and 1% inspiration”!

G. The Wright brothers, for example, got the idea for building a “flying machine” from watching birds.

    Swim-with-dolphins

    Humans have always been fascinated by dolphins and there has been a long history of association between the two.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. The “swim-with-dolphins” tourist industry is becoming more popular every year. The chance to see dolphins in the wild is often a lifetime dream for many people and tour operators are always on the lookout to give their tourist swimmers the best experience they can. After all, it can cost a large amount of money to have this kind of holiday experience. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Research has shown that while dolphins can move away if they do not want to interact with human swimmers, they do not like it at all if the swimmers slip into the water directly on top of them or if humans are in their path of travel. However, if swimmers enter the water to one side of them, the dolphins do not avoid the swimmers to the same extent.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    In all cases, the dolphins seem to have become more sensitive to the presence of the swimmers. For dolphins, swimming with humans is not necessarily a high priority(优先权). {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is a new and unusual experience for them.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}The advice is that dolphins should be given adequate periods of time throughout the day when they are not exposed to tourism. Humans' lifelong dreams of swimming with dolphins in the wild have severely affected them, leaving not enough time for them to rest and take care of their own babies.

    If we are to enjoy these remarkable animals and not just use them for our entertainment, then we must carefully monitor the “swim-with-dolphins” industry worldwide.

A. They cannot fulfill their lifelong dreams.

B. This possibly seems like less threatening behavior to them.

C. In the long term there could be harmful effects on the dolphin's well-being.

D. It is frequently asked whether “swim-with-dolphins” tourism should be stopped.

E. So tour operators try to place eager swimmers as near as possible to the dolphins.

F. Over time this has turned into a worldwide tourist activity--swimming with dolphins.

G. In fact, only some baby dolphins will be relatively willing to participate in the interaction.

Kids and food: advice for parents

    It is important for parents to know how to help their kids eat healthily. Here are a few easy ways:

Parents control the supply lines.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Though kids may keep asking for less nutritious (有营养的) foods,  parents should decide which foods are regularly provided in the house. Kids won't go hungry. They'll eat what's available in the fridge at home.

Say goodbye to the “clean-plate club”.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Lots of parents grew up under the clean-plate rule, but that way doesn't help kids listen to their own bodies when they are full. When kids feel full, they're less likely to overeat.

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    Food preferences are developed early in life, so try to offer different kinds of foods. Likes and dislikes begin forming even when kids are babies. Parents may need to serve a new food on several different occasions for a child to accept it.

Food is not love.

    Find better ways to say “I love you”. When foods are used to reward kids and show love, they may start to turn to food when feeling worried or unhappy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Kids do as you do.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}When trying to teach good eating habits, try to set the best example. Choose nutritious foods, eat at the table, and don't forget breakfasts.

The Seven Cs of a Good Letter

    What is the secret of writing a good letter? Here are two main ones. Don't try to be fancy. Don't try to impress your reader. You will be successful if you follow these seven Cs.

    Clear. Use short, direct sentences. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Try your tone as if the reader were right there with you. Above all, don't use an introduction.

    Correct. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Don't guess, even for spelling. Refer to your dictionary. If you need to, check a reference book too. Use them as much as you need to.

    Complete. Don't scatter(分散) your points. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}This is good organization too.

    Courteous. Be friendly rather than overly casual. Present your information nicely even if you are complaining about something. In all letters, treat others as you want them to treat you.

    Concise. Make each point as clearly and briefly as you can.

    Conversational. This is really the secret of good writing. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Such a letter has a natural, friendly tone. Let your personality come through naturally.

    Considerate. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Write about what you believe the reader needs or wants to know. Try to be helpful. This will build good feeling toward you.

    The seven Cs are about writing letters. But how about school papers? Use the seven Cs. Write as if you are talking to your teacher or professor. You'll be surprised. You'll almost instantly become a good writer. And you might even enjoy writing from now on.

A. Just "talk" to the person.

B. Make them easy to understand.

C. Make sure what you say is correct.

D. Include long sentences in your letter.

E. Writing should not be taken too seriously.

F. Think of the readers' point of view as you write.

G. Finish one point completely before going on to the next.

    Life is full of surprises and events that sometimes change one's daily routine. Some of them might be good and pleasant. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For example, during an examination, you discover that you don't know the answers; one morning you are suddenly told that you get fired from your job. These unexpected events may cause anxiety and stress. So you need to find some ways to be less affected by them.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Even if you live the same kind of life, doing the same things day after day, there could be unexpected events. So you need to realize that such events can't be avoided and you need to be prepared for them. In this way, you'll find it easier to deal with whatever happens in your life.

    Have a positive attitude. Not all unexpected events are bad. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, even getting fired for work could finally turn out well, as you might find a more satisfying job.

    Introduce small changes into your life. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You can try eating a different breakfast or drink tea in the morning instead of coffee, or do things that you usually do, but in a different way.

    Always focus on the present moment, learning from it and making use of new changes that come your way. In other words, make the most of the present moment, instead of thinking about what you lost, or how bad the situation is. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}