Easy Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp

    Everyone is forgetful, but as we age, we start to feel like our brains are slowing down a bit — and that can be a very annoying thing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Read on for some techniques worth trying.

    ⒈ {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    People who regularly made plans and looked forward to upcoming events had a 50 percent reduced chance of Alzheimer's disease (早老性痴呆症), according to a recent study. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Something as simple as setting a goal to have a weekly coffee date with a friend will do. There's evidence that people who have a purpose in life or who are working on long or short-term goals appear to do better. In other words, keep your brain looking forward.

    ⒉ Go for a walk.

    Mildly raised glucose (葡萄糖) levels can harm the area of the brain that helps you form memories and physical activity can help get blood glucose down to normal levels. In fact, exercise produces chemicals that are good for your brain. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    ⒊ Learn something new.

    Take a Spanish class online, join a drawing club, or learn to play cards. A study found that mental stimulation (刺激) limits the weakening effects of aging on memory and the mind. But the best thing for your brain is when you learn something new and are physically active at the same time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Or go dancing with your friends.

A. Focus on the future.

B. This can be especially harmful to the aged.

C. It should be something like learning gardening.

D. So take a few minutes each day to do some reading.

E. But don't worry if your schedule isn't filled with life-changing events.

F. Luckily, research shows there is a lot you can do to avoid those moments.

G. In other words, when you take care of your body, you take care of your brain.

    Have you ever had a wonderful idea and thought it would make a great invention, but didn't know what to do next?{#blank#}1{#/blank#} They will help you make your dreams come true and become a famous inventor. 

    The first thing that you should do is do some research on the Internet to see if anyone else has invented it. If not, you should search through the US Patent (专利) information to see  if a patent was ever created for your type of invention.  {#blank#}2{#/blank#}  

    The easiest thing to do is working with a company that can help you to make your dreams a reality. It can help you present your ideas and get your product to the right companies. One company that has good fame is “Lambert and Lambert”.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} If they think your product is marketable (有销路的), they will help you to get it to the right company.

    Call the company and make an appointment. You will be required to bring in a model of your invention and a complete description of your ideas.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Then when you meet with them, you can present it and they will tell you how marketable it is. If they decide to help you,they will work to present it to different companies and help you to go to the next step.

    Once your invention has been sold to a large company, get ready to get the benefits of becoming the next great inventor. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But the benefits are worth the wait.

A. Write down exactly about your invention.

B. Here are some steps that you can take.

C. It may take a year or two.

D. You will find something new on the Internet.

E. If there is no patent, go to the next step. 

F. They offer free advice for good ideas.

G. You will be the next inventor.

    Does your mood change with the seasons?

    Some people find that when the temperature goes down, so do their spirits.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}They eat more and gain weight. They have trouble sleeping. They can't think clearly. Here are some ways you can beat the winter blues：

    Get out in the sun. Some experts say that winter blues happen because we get less sunlight in the winter than we do in other seasons. Some say that the decrease in sunlight can make us feel sad{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Get some exercise. A walk or other exercise will make chemicals called endorphins (内啡肽）flow through your body. Endorphins are natural “feel good” chemicals.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Avoid having too much sugar. If you crave sugary foods (like cookies or candy), it may be a sign that you need more protein (蛋白质), like meat, chicken, or fish.

    Avoid holiday stress. Cut back if you have too many things to do. Make sure you have some quiet time to yourself{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Get some rest. Studies show that most teens need about nine hours of sleep each night. The average teen, though, gets only about six or seven hours of sleep per night.

    Get help. Be cautious if you feel sad all the time and the feeling won't go away.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Talk to an adult who you trust or get help from a doctor.

A. Eat more healthful foods.

B. Choose different foods in season.

C. Don't be so busy that you get run-down.

D. Those people sometimes feel sad for no reason.

E. You may have a bigger problem than the winter blues.

F. Getting extra sunlight each day can help brighten your mood.

G. A regular pattern of sleep is the most important thing to maintain.

M: Remember Paul from our old school?

W: {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

M: I met him at the checkout in the supermarket the other day, and he was queuing right in front of me.

W: {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

M: Well, he started out as a manager in charge of sales. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} He teaches commercial English there.

W: Why did he get this new job? {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

M: Yes. It is tiring, though. After all, he has got a family to take care of.

W: I see. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

M: Exactly!

A. Isn't he working in a company as a sales manager?

B. Then he transferred to work for an international giant.

C. Of course I do.

D. But he ended up getting a job at the local university.

E. Isn't it interesting to travel around as a sales manager?

F. That's a good point.

G. Sometimes it is a painful choice, career or family.

    The Panda Ant is a most unusual species with a lovely appearance. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They look like ants but actually they belong to the wasp（黄蜂）family. The differences between the two sexes of the species are also very pronounced in both appearance and behavior. When fully grown, the male, possibly attaining a length of approximately 0. 8 centimeters, is several times larger than the female. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Cute as panda ants may look, they are dangerous and capable of knocking out an animal much larger than they are with a few stings（刺）.

    Panda ants primarily depend on flowers sweet liquid as their food. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The female panda ant often lays its eggs in a bee or wasp nest. When the young ones. hatch, they will eat their pupa（蛹）hosts.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} So although a female panda ant lays approximately 2, 000 eggs a year, a considerable amount of eggs to support their survival, this species is still on the edge of dying out.

    This species was first discovered in the coastal region of Central Chile in 1938. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Today, they are likely to be found in dry desert and sandy areas such as Southwestern United States and parts of Mexico.

A. It's a new fashion to raise panda ants as pets.

B. The name comes from their colors as pandas.

C. Yet young panda ants are meat-eaters.

D. No one believes the panda ant is the relative of bees.

E. Besides, the males are active at night while the females opposite.

F. Unfortunately, many panda ants are eaten for their bright colors.

G. Then little attention was given to it until recently.

How to Stay Out of Trouble

    Sometimes it may seem like you're always getting into trouble with your teachers or your parents. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The best thing to do is to stop trouble before it starts. It's always possible to turn over a new leaf.

    ⒈{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Joining a sports team is a great way to stay out of trouble. Whether you're playing soccer or baseball, team sports are a great way to find something to do rather than get into trouble.

    ⒉Join a club. If sports aren't your thing, you can always join a club. You can join an art club, chess club, French club, cooking club and so on. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Therefore, you won't have time to annoy your teachers or parents.

    ⒊Go volunteering. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you're too young to do it on your own, go with a parent to a volunteering event. You can help people learn to read, clean up a local park, or work in a soup kitchen. Find something that is meaningful to you and commit to it at least once a week.

    ⒋Read as much as you can. Reading can help you improve your vocabulary and comprehension skills. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Getting truly interested in stories can help you forget the hours passing by. Reading for just 20 minutes before bedtime every night can help you develop an addicting lifelong habit.

A. Join a sports team.

B. Play soccer or baseball.

C. Then you can have a good time with your friends.

D. Volunteering is another great way to stay out of trouble.

E. These clubs can help you focus on something you care about.

F. What's more, if you're reading, then you're not getting into trouble.

G. And no matter what you do, you just can't seem to get things right.