How to Protect Your Ears

    You and your friends are leaving a concert on a Friday night. When you get outside, your ears are ringing. You have to shout to be heard. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So no harm done…right?

    Not quite. Temporary buzzing may be easy to ignore, but repeated exposure to loud noise will eventually cause serious— and irreversible(无法治愈的)—hearing loss. A new study conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston shows that one in five people between the ages of 12 and 19 are experiencing slight hearing loss, and one in 20 have mild hearing loss. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    But the good news is that there plenty of ways you can protect your ears from further damage — and still listen to the music you love:

    Ask around. Put your earbuds in or your headphones on, and then ask a friend next to you whether or not he or she can hear what you're listening to. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Turn it down.

    Buy noise-canceling headphones. A pair of earbuds or headphones that fits comfortably will limit outside noise so that you can hear your music better at lower volumes.

    Take breaks. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} So when listening to music, take your headphones off for 15 or 20 minutes and let your ears enjoy the quiet.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You can buy a cheap pair at any drugstore as an easy way to lower volume at concerts — or while playing or practicing your own music — without changing the quality of the sound.

A. Use earplugs.

B. Keep the volume below 70 percent.

C. If the answer is yes, your music is too loud.

D. Like every other part of your body, your ears need rest.

E. But by morning, your hearing is totally back to normal.

F. Unfortunately, there's no way to get back hearing you've already lost.

G. The exposure to noise is louder and longer than in any previous generation.

    Listening to others requires entering actively and imaginatively into the situation and trying to understand a frame of reference different from your own, and yet so many of us don't listen properly as we should. Listening means more than just sitting silently while someone else talks{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Here are some ways to become a better listener.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Make sure you actually hear fully what your friend is saying, and you can't cut your friend off verbally carelessly. While you might intend to help move the conversation along, your friend might feel as if what he has said need to be continually talked over or sound anything but interesting.

    Nod to encourage the conversation along. A better option to let your friend know you're interested in what he says is just to nod along from time to time. Sometimes you nod along but then start thinking about something unrelated to what he could say{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Turn out background noise. If you're easily distracted by laughter, glasses clinking, children crying, you might need to work extra hard to focus only on your friend{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Don't hesitate to tell them that the background noises are getting in the way. If you can't focus, try moving to another area.

    Don't text or look at your phone!{#blank#}5{#/blank#} For you see, when you're sitting in front of someone, he is the most important person in your world at that moment.

A. Stop the speaker whenever you have a question.

B. Practice silence when someone else is talking.

C. If necessary, ask your friend to repeat himself.

D. Whoever is calling or texting can wait until you're done with your conversation.

E. It means trying to see the problem the way the speaker sees it.

F. In this case, try to push away your thoughts until you're absorbed in what your friend is saying.

G. Remembering ideas from previous conversations proves that your attention is kept and encourages your friend to continue.

    The color of animals is by no means a matter of chance; it depends on many considerations, but in the majority of cases tends to protect the animals from danger by making it less outstanding Perhaps, it may be said that if coloring is mainly protective, there ought to be fewer brightly colored animals. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. The kingfisher itself, though so brightly colored, is not easy to see.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Thus, for instance, the lion, and the wild donkey are all sand—colored. “Indeed, in the desert, neither trees, brushwood, nor even undulation (起伏) of the surface afford the slightest protection to its enemies.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.” says an expert.

    The next point is the color of the mature caterpillars(毛虫), some of which are brown. This probably makes the caterpillar even more outstanding among the green leaves. What would you do if you were a big caterpillar? Why, like most other defenceless creatures, you would feed by night, and lie hidden by day. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. When the morning light comes, they go down the stem of the food plant, and hide among dry sticks and leaves around the ground, and it is obvious that under such circumstances the brown color really becomes a protection. While we may say as a general rule that the large caterpillars feed by night and hide by day, it is by no means always the case that they are brown: some of them still remain green.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}, and that the brown color is a later adaptation.

A. So do these caterpillars

B. Therefore, the color of the animals is bright

C. We can say that they formed a good habit

D. Desert animals are generally the color of the desert

E. We may conclude that the habit of hiding themselves by day comes first

F. However, there are some cases where vivid colors are themselves protective

G. So the color of birds, snakes and even smaller animals, is of one uniform sand color

    Eyesight plays an important role in our daily life. Every waking moment, the eyes are working to see the world around us. Over forty percent of Americans worry about losing eyesight, but it's easy to include steps into our daily life to ensure healthy eyes. Here are suggestions for a lifetime of healthy eyesight.

    Schedule yearly exams. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Experts advise parents to bring babies from 6 to 12 months of age to the doctor for a careful check. The good news is that millions of children now can have yearly eye exams and following treatment, including eyeglasses.

    Protect against UV rays(紫外线). Long-term stay in the sun creates risk to your eyes. No matter what the reason is, it's extremely important to wear sunglasses. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Give your eyes a break. Two-thirds of Americans spend up to seven hours a day using computers or other digital products. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Experts advise that people practice the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} As part of a healthy diet, eat more fruits and vegetables each day. Vitamins C and E help protect eyesight and promote eye health.

    Practice safe wear and care of contact lenses(隐形眼镜). Many Americans use contact lenses to improve their eyesight. While some follow the medical guidance for wearing contact lenses, many are breaking the rules and putting their eyesight at risk. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Otherwise, you may have problems such as red eyes, pain in the eyes, or a more serious condition.

A. Eat your greens.

B. Eye care should begin early in life.

C. They can properly protect your eyes.

D. Stay in good shape by taking more vitamins.

E. Parents usually don't care about their own eyesight.

F. Always follow the doctor's advice for proper wear.

G. This frequent eye activity increases the risk of eye tiredness.

    Are you trying to find ways to be more efficient at your job? If so, please follow these habits of naturally productive people.

    They take breaks. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Studies show that prolonged tasks that require high levels of focus, energy, and attention can cause you to become less productive and focused over time. Take brief mental breaks. Setting aside a little time here and there to release your focus can significantly help maintain it for longer periods of time.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Settle down, super men and women. While it's fine to pride yourself on your abilities to multitask, it's in your best interest (and your employer's) if you stick to one to-do at a time. Somewhere along the lines, our culture has embraced and promoted this idea that the more we can do at once, the better. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} In fact, the more we multi-task, the less efficient and productive we become in all the tasks we are trying to accomplish.

    They have a full night's sleep. In school, you may have found that too many students stay up late to finish a paper or study for an exam, but, despite your best efforts, research shows this is not the way to do business. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Actually, studies have linked insufficient sleep to decreased levels of productivity, unsatisfactory work performance, and poorer safety outcomes.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You know the countless benefits of exercise. It also seriously improves your mood by releasing something to relieve stress and increase your brains productivity. Even 30-minute bursts of moderate-to-high physical activity just three to four times a day can go a long way in helping you accomplish your personal and professional goals.

A. They value fitness.

B. Pressing pause Is Important.

C. They prefer to do more every day.

D. However, research shows the opposite.

E. They don't try to do everything at once.

F Enough sleep makes great contribution to efficient work.

G. Poor sleep or lack of sleep carries some pretty negative rewards.

    Bullying (欺凌) is a problem in many schools. Maybe lots of you have ever come across school bullies. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Ignore the bully and walk away. It's definitely not a coward's response. Sometimes it can be harder than losing your temper. Walk tall and hold your head high. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Hold the anger. Who doesn't get really upset with a bully? {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Bullies want to know they have control over your emotions. Work out your anger in other ways, such as through exercise or writing it down.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} However you choose to deal with a bully, don't use physical force. Not only are you showing your anger, but you can never be sure what the bully will do in response. You are more likely to be hurt and get into trouble if you use violence against a bully. You can stand up for yourself in other ways, such as gaining control of the situation by walking away.

    Talk about it. It may help to talk to a guidance advisor, teacher, or friend. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Talking can be a good outlet for the fears and frustrations that can build when you're being bullied.