Kids and food: advice for parents

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

    Parents control the supply lines.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Though kids may keep asking for less nutritious 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 “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 likely to overeat.

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    Food preferences are developed early in life, so try to offer different kinds of food. Likes and dislikes begin forming even when kids are babies. Parents may need to serve a new food on several different occasions(时机) 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 food, eat at the table, and don't forget breakfast.

A. Start them young.

B. Rewrite the kids' menu.

C. Be a role model and eat healthy yourself.

D. Offer praise and attention instead of food treats.

E. Let kids stop eating when they feel they've had enough.

F. You decide which foods to buy and when to serve them.

G. Let kids choose what to eat and how much of it they want.

    Imagine looking out of your window and seeing a whale swim by. That's the sight that surprises New York City residents recently. In the past years, humpback whales have been spotted in the two rivers surrounding the island of Manhattan, the Hudson River and the East River, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Experts say that river cleanup efforts have improved water quality and led to an increase in the number of fish there. Fish are on the humpback's menu.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}The sighting is also an encouraging sign that conservation efforts are helping humpback whales come back. In 1973, the species was listed as the endangered. Now scientists say humpback whales are making a comeback.

    By the middle of the 20^th century, hunting whales for profit had nearly wiped out many whale species. In 1973, the U.S. set up the Endangered Species Act. People were no longer allowed to hunt them in the U.S. waters. In 1982, the International Whaling is illegal worldwide.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Last September, it was announced that nine groups of humpback whales are no longer endangered. Four groups are still endangered and a fifth is threatened.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The number of them is growing particularly faster in the Southern Hemisphere like Tasman Sea and Coral Sea. And the number of humpback whales in Hawaii has made an amazing recovery. In 1966, there were fewer than 1,500 humpbacks there. Today there are about 10,000. But humpbacks in other parts of the world are still struggling.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}“We still have a lot of work to do,” says Angela Somma, head of NOAAS Fisheries' endangered species division. "But with the right protection, the number of humpback whales should continue to grow.

A. These efforts to save whales are paying off.

B. People are frightened when seeing whales in the river.

C. Last year, one even swam past where the mayor lives.

D. Today there are about 100,000 humpback whales worldwide.

E. The extra food in the rivers is mainly what's attracting the whales.

F. Scientists have carried out further research on the number of the whales.

G. Scientists say that the focus needs to be on the whales that are still struggling.

    There are some people who seem to always be surrounded by friends, and there are others who always seem to be standing on the outside, looking in at the crowds of friends. If you are one of the outsiders, it is time to break out of your shell and start making new friends. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⒈Be yourself. Nobody likes a phony(虚伪的人). In fact, if you aren't yourself, others won't become friends with you. When the time comes that you feel comfortable enough to act like yourself again, you may not be well received, because you are a totally different person.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    ⒉Use technology. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For instance, Weibo is a great place to meet new people. It creates experiences and you get to meet like-minded people who share your interests.

    ⒊Start with people you know. Reach out and contact new friends, and reconnect with old friends you haven't seen in a long time. Don't forget about friends of friends. You may connect with some really cool people just by hanging out with your friends and their friends. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you stay home, you aren't going to meet people.

    ⒋Keep in touch. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} With the Internet and social media, there is absolutely no need to worry about that these days. Look up old friends and contact them.

A. There are all kinds of online groups that you can join.

B. Knowing others well is very important.

C. Therefore, let people get to know the real you.

D. If you are invited to go out, go.

E. All too often, people lose touch with one another.

F. Here are some tips that will help.

G. You need to trust yourself, whatever happens.

    UK readers set a new record in translated fiction sales in 2018, with Chinese novels contributing to the boom.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} . It says the sales have increased by 20% in 2018 compared with the previous year in an article on March 6. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} , such as Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem and Jin Yong's A Hero Born. According to annual research commissioned by the Man Booker International(MBI) prize, total sales of translated fiction in the UK increased last year by 5.5 percent, amounting to a value of 184m yuan (£20.7m)-the highest figure since the research was first conducted in 2001.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} . "The rise in sales of translated fiction shows how hungry British readers are for terrific writing from other countries," said the administrator of the MBI prize, "This in really exciting news, and welcome confirmation that publishers have responded to the proven popularity and marketability of translated literature," said Charlotte Collins, co-chair of the UK's Translators Association.

    Anna Holmwood, translator of A Hero Born, has worked as a literary agent, and has seen firsthand how Chinese titles continue to gain a greater audience worldwide, particularly in the English speaking world. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} . She said the success of books by Louis Cha and Liu Cixin reflects British readers' growing appetite for new stories outside the English-speaking world. Publishers need to be more willing to introduce fresh work to readers. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} . "I think British readers are more open-minded because of the diversified culture in the UK," Holmwood said. She also said that cit typically takes a few books into a series for sales to truly pick up, and "book two (of Jin Yong's four-volume series, Legends of the Condor Heroes) only just came out" in late January, suggesting Yong may have another hit on his hands.

A. It means taking more of a risk though

B. She sees it as a sign of the UK's market shifting

C. The record of sales in the UK comes from Chinese fiction

D. Chinese science-fiction and fantasy novels were sold strongly

E. Reading is the best way of putting themselves in others' shoes

F  Award-winning science fiction have been put into many languages

G.The Guardian highlighted the "extreme growth" in translated fiction sales

Simple ways to improve your written English

    Lots of people think it is really difficult to improve their written English. Don't worry, here are some simple steps that you can take to improve your written English.

    Increase your vocabulary(词汇)

    To express yourself clearly, you need a good active vocabulary. That's not just being able to know lots of words-it means actually being able to use them correctly. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Tip: When you learn a new word, try to learn all the forms of that word.

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    People often say that we learn to write best by reading. Reading in English is useful in many ways. It is a great way to get an idea of the different styles of writing and see how to use words appropriately.

    Tip: {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Learning shouldn't be boring. Read each text several times to make sure you understand how to use new words and expressions in the text.

    Improve your grammar

    Grammar is very important because it improves the quality(质量)of your writing.

    Tip: {#blank#}4{#/blank#}The first time, look for general mistakes and the second time look for mistakes with the particular grammar point you are studying at the moment.

    Just do it!

    The best way to improve your writing is to get a pen and paper and write. Be prepared to write several versions(版本)of each text. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Read widely and often.

B. Know much about your readers.

C. Always check your writing twice.

D. Remember, practice makes perfect!

E. Choose books or articles that interest you.

F. Use simple languages and shorter sentences to show your ideas.

G. Do this by learning new words with example sentences, not just word lists.

If you text often, you likely have a "texting style". Do you often use emojis? Or what about using correct punctuation (标点)? What do all these texting habits say about you? To help you understand yourself, here are some texting styles that can tell you a lot about your personality.

Do you always use emojis when you're texting? You're most likely someone who is open to showing your emotions and is truthful. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} To make sure the other person doesn't get the wrong idea about your messages, you make sure to express the tone of messages with an emoji, which can be often used as effective signals in modern social communication.

If you like to respond in one-word texts like a quick "Good", then you most likely have a more reserved personality, and aren't as open with your true thoughts and feelings. Because you are not as open with your emotions in texts, you may not care how lengthy your response is. But be careful. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

Do you value punctuation and grammar in your writing? This love of grammar goes straight into your texts as well as your emails. This seems like a great thing, doesn't it? But in texting, people seem to think otherwise. Simply placing a period at the end of sentences in texts can make you come across as untrustworthy to others. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} With this texting style, you are rooted in logic and always pay attention to the little details.

Are your texts lengthy and thoughtful? {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Similar to someone who texts with perfect grammar, you are a thoughtful and detail-oriented person, who enjoys deep conversations and likes things that are controlled and stable.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Which texting personality are you? Are you a mix of several types? It's important to note that everyone has different ways of texting in different situations. Everyone texts their colleagues in a different style from their family or their friends. If you ever think someone may have left you an unclear or rude text, it's better to just ask them in-person what they meant or what they were feeling.

A. Do you relate to any of these texting personalities?

B. Do you know that you and your friends may have different styles?

C. Such texts may also be rated as less sincere than those that do not.

D. You may be the busy type who doesn't have a lot of time to respond.

E. You're the type of person who understands the importance of context.

F. You want others to know how you're feeling when you're using a message.

G. If you're texting someone with a different text personality, they may view your text as negative.