Do you know that over ten million American kids go to camp every summer ?{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Back then, hot city summers made people feel bad and even unhealthy for children, so escaping to the country for a few weeks became popular. Today, kids have different reasons for making camp a part of their lives.

To meet new people

    Camp is a great way to make new friends and learn about different places and cultures. Michiko, 13, put it like this, “I loved camp. I met this girl named Manny who lives in New York and she is cool.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}We taught each other words.”

    To challenge (挑战) yourself

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Activities like trying new sports, learning new games, or pushing yourself to achieve something need a lot of courage. Arabella, 13, told us, “I went to summer camp and I passed my swimming test! I can hardly swim, so it was a big progress.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}”

    To experience nature

    There's a great big natural world out there, and going to camp helps you learn how beautiful and important it really is.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Getting out into the woods or mountains can give you a better understanding of the world.

A. Not all the things that kids do at camp are easy.

B. She speaks Spanish and I speak Japanese.

C. I felt great afterwards.

D. It's also a great way to learn about teamwork.

E. Summer camp has been a U.S. tradition for over 150 years.

F. Going to camp is all about having a good time.

G. Without trees, soil, water, and wildlife, the Earth couldn't survive.

Ways to create calm in your daily life

    Most of us need some space for calm in our lives. A few simple minutes can create much needed moments of calm.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}You can use these small skills to create calm in your busy schedule.

    Go walking. Walking is perfect and you can do it well anywhere. Simply walking and taking in the view is stress reducing.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It makes room for new ideas to develop.

    Appreciate nature when we think of nature we think of getting into the countryside or forests, and that is great if you can.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Actually, nature is everywhere. Find a park or a small patch(小块地)of green, or just stick your head out of the window! You have many ways to appreciate nature.

    Listen to music. Many people listen to music to calm themselves down. Music actually lifts us out of ourselves. It can also draw our attention from boring and tiring things{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Certain activities like yoga and tai chi need quiet focus. They are perfect for active calming. They are good for the body, mind and spirit.

    Try out some of these ways and you'll soon be practicing “moments of calm”.

A. Do some activities.

B. But what if you are in the city?

C. Notice the animals around you.

D. It is a time to get stressful thoughts out of your head.

E. Music is a way to express the way that they are feeling.

F. With enjoyable music even work can be “music to your ear”.

G. You don't have to find a mountain to sit on, or empty your mind of all thoughts for hours.

    A new report says plastics are responsible for $13 billion in damage to the oceans and the undersea environment. The findings were announced recently at a United Nations conference. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Plastic thrown away carelessly makes its way into rivers and other waterways.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} After a while, it collects in the sea. And plastic never goes away. Plastic is not biodegradable—destroyed by bacteria or natural processes. Instead, it just breaks up into smaller pieces over time. The oceans contain a lot of chemicals and other pollutants(污染物). {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. That means harmful material may get into our food supply.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Human beings cause pollution and they can take steps to stop it. They can use fewer single use product containers and throw plastics away correctly. Plastic recycling programs also works—where old bottles and other plastics are collected, broken down and used to make new products. We could reuse bottles in our households many times if we wish to, rather than end it after the first use. We could, when we get rid of that plastic, recycle it and reuse it, which replaces the need for raw materials.

    The report also calls on companies to improve methods for using plastics. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. And it calls for information about the way plastic is thrown out or removed from use. By putting a new value on plastic, industry has a special reason to clean up the environment. But all of the companies must join to deal with the problem.

    "Fire! Fire!" What terrible words to hear when I 1 in a strange house in the middle of the night! It was a large, 2 house —the kind that burns easily — and my room was on the top floor. I jumped out of bed, 3 the door and stepped out into the passage. It was full of 4.

    I began to run, but as I was still only half awake, 5going towards the stairs I went in the opposite direction. The smoke grew thicker and I found it hard to 6. The floor became 7 under my feet. I ran into another room and tried to reach the 8 for fresh air. Suddenly, one of my feet got caught in something 9 and I fell down. The thing I had fallen over felt like a package of 10, and I picked it up to 11 my face from the smoke and heat. Just then the floor 12 under me and I fell through to the floor below with pieces of burning wood all around me.

    13, there was a doorway in front, so I put the package over my face and 14. My feet were terribly burned, 15 I got through. As I reached the cold air outside my package of clothes gave a 16. I nearly dropped it in surprise. Then I saw there were many people in the street. A woman screamed as she saw me and came running 17.

    "My baby! My baby!" she cried. Those people 18 loudly as she took the smoke-blackened package out of my arms. I almost 19 to see who she was—my boss's wife. I had saved her baby, and become a(n) 20!

How to Beat the Procrastination Habit

    I am a procrastinator (拖延症患者). I always have been. I've tried all sorts of things to beat the habit. Here are some techniques I've been using:

    Set aside blocks of time to do things.

    When I was talking with my wellness (健身) coach earlier this year, she asked me why I didn't exercise more often. " {#blank#}1{#/blank#}," I said. "Something always comes up." She wasn't impressed. "J.D.," she said, "You have to make time. Make an appointment with yourself to run or to go for a bike ride." The same principle applies to other things you might procrastinate.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Often I'll be sitting on the back porch reading a book, and it will occur to me that some chore needs to be done － mending the fence, for example. "{#blank#}3{#/blank#}," I tell myself. Wrong! What usually happens is that I forget to write it down, and even if I do, I just look at the list and procrastinate for weeks on end. The best move is to actually do the chore when I think of it. (Assuming, of course, that I have the time at that moment, which I usually do.)

    Use a timer to bring you back to reality.

    Part of the reason I procrastinate is that I'm a daydreamer. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. One way to keep on track is to use a timer. I use the Ultrak Jumbo Countdown Timer, but not as often as I should. I set it for 48 minutes. When it goes off, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}：Am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing?

    Do not multitask.

    I often start many things at once, but I never actually do any of them. In order for me to get something done, I need to focus my attention on it. Trying to do several things at once is a sure way to be sure they'll all be unfinished tomorrow.

A. I'm always lost in thought

B. it brings me back to reality

C. If it comes to mind, then do it

D. I don't have the time

E. it serves as an instant reality check

F. Do it right away if you are asked to do something

G. I need to write that down so I can remember it

Is Fresh Air Really Good for You?

    We all grew up hearing people tell us to "go out and get some fresh air." {#blank#}1{#/blank#} According to recent studies, the answer is a big YES, if the air quality in your camping area is good.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If the air you're breathing is clean-which it would be if you're away from the smog of cities-then the air is filled with life-giving, energizing oxygen. If you exercise out of doors, your body will learn to breathe more deeply, allowing even more oxygen to get to your muscles(肌肉)and your brain.

    Recently, people have begun studying the connection between the natural world and healing(治愈). {#blank#}3{#/blank#} In these places patients can go to be near nature during their recovery. It turns out that just looking at green, growing things can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and put people into a better mood(情绪).Greenery is good for us. Hospital patients who see tree branches out their window are likely to recover at a faster rate than patients who see buildings or sky instead. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It gives us a great feeling of peace.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}While the sun's rays can age and harm our skin, they also give is beneficial Vitamin D. To make sure you get enough Vitamin D—but still protect your skin— put on sunscreen right as you head outside. It takes sunscreen about fifteen minutes to start working, and that's plenty of time for your skin to absorb a day's worth of Vitamin D.

A. Fresh air cleans our lungs.

B. So what are you waiting for?

C. Being in nature refreshes us.

D. Another side benefit of getting fresh air is sunlight.

E. But is fresh air really as good for you as your mother always said?

F. Just as importantly, we tend to associate air with health care.

G. All across the country, recovery centers have begun building Healing Gardens.