Tips for Staying Sharp

    It's not abnormal to feel out of it from time to time or perhaps you're feeling a bit sluggish(迟钝的)when it comes to remembering things. If you're worried about your forgetfulness, try out these five tips to stay sharp.

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    You've probably heard the term “you are what you eat.” If you decide to eat sugary foods that are heavy with fats then expect to feel lazy and have no energy. But if you decide to eat fruits, vegetables and make other healthy eating decisions you'll find that you're full of energy.

Never stop learning

Challenge yourself constantly—whether it is puzzles, reading, cooking or other tasks that will keep your mind working. If your mind is always learning new things and active, you'll realize that it's much easier for you to learn new things and to function.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Stay fit

    Being in good health and staying in shape is a big part of staying sharp.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}If you choose to be lazy then your body is not going to give you the energy that requires remembering things and completing tasks. However, if you put forth the effort into being health then your body will expel(释放)the energy you need to achieve your goals.

Ensure enough sleep

    Be sure to get the necessary amount of sleep that your body needs to function on a daily basis.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}It also helps your body build up an energy reserve so you can improve your ability to focus and avoid distractions.

Socialize more

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Social interaction will help you develop multitasking, problem solving and other skills that are necessary in life to keep your mind sharp.

A. Feed your brain

B. Avoid eating too much

C. Your body will only give you what you put into it

D. Lack of sleep contributes to tiredness and slow reaction

E. Conversations require individuals to stay aware and active

F. According to studies, sleep helps strengthen and recover your memories

G. Remember you brain is a muscle and if you want to get the most out of it, you must use it

    Every living thing has genes. Genes carry information. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They make sure that humans give birth to humans and cows give birth to cows. They also make sure that a dog doesn't give birth to a frog, or an elephant to a horse. However, genetic engineers take genes from one species-for example, a snake, and transfer them to another-for example, corn. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Such new life forms have been described, by some scientists as a real-life Frankenstein(科幻怪人).

    Genetic engineers put duck genes into chicken to make the chickens bigger. They put hormones(激素) into cows to make them produce more milk. They put genes from flowers into beans and from fish into tomatoes. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It just makes them easier and faster for the farmer to grow.

    The effects of genetic engineering on the natural world may be disastrous. The engineers may create strange life beings, or monsters. that we cannot control. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They'll have to find one, fight for one-or kill for one. It may be your land they fight for-or you that they kill. Moreover, the effects of these experiments can often be cruel. In America, pigs were given human genes to make them bigger and less fatty. The experiment failed. The pigs became very ill and began to lose their eyesight. We would all like a better, healthier and longer life, and genetic engineering might give us this. On the other hand, it may be a dangerous experiment with nature. In the story of Frankenstein, the doctor created such a terrible and dangerous monster that he had to destroy it. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. The information tells us what to do or what not to do

B. We must make sure that this tale remains a story-and no more than that

C. This doesn't make them cheaper, tastier, or healthier

D. The new life forms have no natural habitat or home

E. Then they feed the tomatoes to the fish

F. In this way a new life form is created

G. They are passed on from generation to generation

    Have you ever wondered how the trainers at Sea World get the 19,000-pound whale to jump 22 feet out of water and perform tricks? They get that whale to go over a rope farther out of the water than most of us can imagine. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

So how do the trainers at Sea World do it? The first thing they do is reinforce(强化) the behavior that they want repeated — in this case, to get the whale to go over the rope.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, in a position where the whale can't help but do what's expected of it. Every time the whale goes over the rope, it's given positive reinforcement and gets fed with fish. But what happened when the whale goes under the rope? Nothing — no criticism, no warning and no feedback. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Positive reinforcement is the key of that simple principle that produces such splendid results. And as the whale begins to go over the rope more often than under, the trainers begin to raise the rope. It must be raised slowly enough so that the whale doesn't starve.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Make a big deal out of the good and little stuff that we want consistently. Secondly, under-criticize. People know they need help when they mess up. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, people will not forget the event and usually will not repeat it.

    So we need to set up the circumstances so that people can't fail. Over-celebrate, under-criticize…and know how far to raise the rope.

A. This is a great challenge

B. And the whale stays right where it is

C. If we figure out a way to motivate the whale

D. They start with the rope below the surface of the water

E. If we under-criticize, punish and discipline less than expected

F. Whales are taught that their negative behavior won't be acknowledged

G. The simple lesson to be learned from the whale trainers is to over-celebrate

Benefits of Sports

    Doing sports is a physical, mental and social adventure. It's a great way for children to take a break from academics and release extra energy. It also helps them lead fuller and happier lives as regular sports have proven to improve overall well-being.

    The physical benefits of doing sports are probably the most obvious. Regardless of your fitness level when you start playing sports, you'll notice an increase in your overall fitness once you're involved. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Basketball players focus on strength training; football players work on speed while track athletes train through longer runs. The training process helps promote physical fitness and performances in competitions.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Playing sports contributes to mental health, helping to increase confidence and self-worth. A pat on the back, high-five from a teammate, or handshake after a match really boosts a child's confidence. Words of praise and encouragement from the coach, parents and other players raise the self-worth. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} So after a game, it's a better idea to ask "Did you enjoy the game?" rather than "Did you win?"

    Children who participate in sports might also benefit from the social aspect, feeling part of a group, building up accountability and leadership. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Teamwork involves both being dependable as a teammate and learning to rely on your teammates to achieve a positive outcome. Teamwork breeds accountability and challenges you to be responsible for your actions. Being part of a team gives you an opportunity to be a leader.

    Discipline is another social advantage. Most organized sports require a strict training and practice schedule. As a student-athlete, you need to balance academics and athletics. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    There is no shortage of reasons to find a sport to get involved in. Are you ready to go? Pick one and get moving!

A. It's not just your body that benefits from sports.

B. Therefore, playing sports is going to make you more fit.

C. But remember, a child's self-worth should not be distinguished by victory or loss.

D. If you play group sports, you'll be part of a team that takes direction from a coach.

E. Nearly every sport requires physical activity and the skills needed to be competitive.

F. Among these, learning how to function as part of a team is the most important advantage.

G. Only with strict discipline can you be successful both in the classroom and in the sports field.

    A new law came into use in Shanghai on Monday, requiring every individual, families and companies to sort (分类) their trash into different trash cans. Locals are now required to separate trash into four kinds: food waste, residual waste, harmful waste and recyclable waste. According to the new law, a 200-yuan fine can be given to individuals or families who do not follow it. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    On the first day of practice of the rules, it was found that 38.1 percent of hotels and 33.2 percent of companies didn't meet the requirements. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The success in residential (居民的) neighborhoods was a result of early practice in pilot（试点的） neighborhoods around the city, which had caused mixed feelings among the public since June.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Some people praised Shanghai for being a role model and taking active steps to solve the trash problem in big cities, while others complained about the inconvenience the rule has brought to their daily lives, and made jokes about sorting their garbage.

    The final goal of the trash sorting program is to reduce waste and increase recycling. Shanghai's 24 million residents produce 56, 000 tons of trash every day. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Actually, Shanghai is not fighting alone in the battle against trash disposal, as trash sorting has been popular nationwide. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Those cities will set up a basic system to classify and dispose of their household garbage by 2020, and by 2050, cities at the prefecture level (地级) and above should have the system in place.

A. Only 7.4 percent of the residential neighborhoods needed to be corrected.

B. Sales of trash cans on Taobao also increased before the regulation took effect.

C. On Sina Weibo, the topic of trash sorting has caused a heated discussion.

D. People in different cities have different attitudes towards sorting their trash.

E. Most of the trash ends up being buried, which wastes precious land and can pollute water and soil if not solved properly.

F. The country plans to have 46 major Chinese cities to join in it, including Beijing and Guangzhou.

G. And for companies, the fine can hit 5, 000 to 50, 000 yuan.

Reversal—change your perspective and solve your problem

It's often your definition of a problem that limits you in finding a suitable solution. Creative solutions require a change of perspective. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

The reversal technique is a creative thinking technique that is based on the thought that to change your perspective, you sometimes need to change the order of the words in your problem definition.

How you change the order of the words doesn't matter much, as long as the key words are reversed. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Your challenge is "How do we make sure that fewer people take cars to their work?". Swapping the key words, you could rephrase this challenge as "How do we make sure that fewer cars take people to their work?" In this case, the first statement will make you think of alternative means of transportation, like trains or bikes, while the second statement will probably make you think of solutions like carpooling—fewer cars for the same number of people.

Not every problem statement is suitable for a reversal. Sometimes using this technique requires you to first rephrase the question altogether. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}For instance, the question "how might we sell more washing machines?" is not easily reversed—there is no key word to swap with "washing machines". Yet, when you rephrase the question to "How might we sell more washing machines to young parents?" you can easily change it to "How might we sell more young parents to washing machines? {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You could interpret this last sentence as "the washing machine pays the young parents to try it out". Then, you could start communicating to potential buyers how much they will save each year when they choose your energy efficient washing machine.

As this example shows, some reversals will require a very flexible way of thinking. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} However, thinking about the tiny amount of time it will "cost" you to try out a reversal, you have very little to lose and, potentially, lots to gain.

A. The second problem statement is much more logical.

B. Often it helps to add one more key word to the sentence.

C. Rephrasing your challenge is to change the problem statement.

D. A great way to do this is by "reversing" your problem statement.

E. For instance, imagine you are responsible for limiting the traffic jam in your area.

F. Admittedly, it is a very unusual challenge, but it might just stimulate a creative thought.

G. Not everyone will be able to move from an unreasonable statement to a useful solution.