A peer is a person who is about the same age as you. Peers affect your life, whether you know it or not, just by spending time with you.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in solar system. Maybe you got others excited about your new favorite book and now everyone's reading it. However, sometimes peers affect one another in another way{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Maybe a kid in the neighborhood wanted you to steal with him.

    Some kids give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked, to fit in, or because they worry that other kids may make fun of them if they don't go along with the group.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} The idea that “everyone's doing it” may influence some kids to leave their better judgments or their common senses behind.

    Peer pressure can be extremely strong and hard to get rid of. Experiments have shown how peer pressure can influence someone to change her/his mind from what she/he knows for sure is a correct answer to the incorrect answer-just because everyone else gives the incorrect answer!{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do. Inner strength and self-confidence can help you stand firm, walk away and resist doing something when you know better.

A. Peers can have a good effect on one another.

B. Peer pressure is the direct influence on people by peers.

C. Good peers may give you a hand when you are in trouble.

D. That holds true for people of any age in peer pressure situations.

E. Maybe one kid in school tried to get another to cut class with him.

F. It can be hard to walk away from peer pressure, but it can be done.

G. Others may go along because they are curious to try something new that others are doing.

    A major source of teen stress is school exams, and test anxiety is not uncommon. When you recognize your teen is under stress, how can parents help your teen stay calm before an exam?

    Be involved. Parents need to be involved in their teen's work. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}What they look for is your presence - to talk, to cry, or simply to sit with them quietly. Communicate openly with your teen. Encourage your teen to express his worries and fears, but don't let them focus on those fears.

    Help them get organized. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Together, you and your teen can work out a time-table in which she can study for what she knows will be on the test.

    Provide a calm setting. Help your teen set up a quiet place to study and protect his privacy. Give them a nutritious diet. It's important for your teen to eat a healthy, balanced diet during exam times to focus and do her best. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}If this happens, encourage your teen to eat light meals or sandwiches. A healthy diet, rather than junk food, is best for reducing stress.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Persuade your teenager to get some sleep and/or do something active when she needs a real break from studying. Making time for relaxation, fun, and exercise are all important in reducing stress. Help your teen balance her time so that she will feel comfortable taking time out from studying to spend time with friends or rest.

    Show a positive attitude. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Your panic, anxiety and blame contribute to your teen's pressure. Make your teen feel accepted and valued for her efforts. Most importantly, reassure your teen that things will be all right, no matter what the results are.

A. A parent's attitude will dictate their teen's emotions.

B. Exam stress can make some teens lose their appetite.

C. They will only make the situation worse.

D. Encourage your teen to relax.

E. Help your teen think about what she has to study and plan accordingly

F. The best thing is simply to listen.

G. Your teen may also make negative comments about themselves.

    Recently, I've been following a simple rule that is helping me crush procrastination(拖延症) and making it easier for me to stick to good habits at the same time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are two parts to the 2-Minute Rule.

    Part 1—If it takes less than two minutes, then do it now.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, washing your dishes immediately after your meal, tossing the laundry in the washing machine, taking out the garbage, sending that email, and so on.

    If a task takes less than two minutes to complete, then follow the rule and do it right now.

    Part 2—When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.

    Can all of your goals be accomplished in less than two minutes? Obviously not. But, every goal can be started in 2 minutes or less. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    It might sound like this strategy is too basic for grand life goals, but I beg to differ. The 2-Minute Rule works for big goals as well as small goals because of the inertia(惯性)of life. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} I love the 2-Minute Rule because it embraces the idea that all sorts of good things happen once you get started.

    The most important part of any new habit is getting started—not just the first time, but each time. It's not about performance, it's about consistently taking action.

    I can't guarantee whether or not the 2-Minute Rule will work for you. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Anyone can spare the next 120 seconds. Use this time to get one thing done. Go.

A. I call this little strategy the “2-Minute Rule”.

B. And that's the purpose behind this little rule.

C. Here's what you need to know to stop procrastinating.

D. Once you start doing something, it's easier to continue doing it.

E. But, I can guarantee that it will never work if you never try it.

F. The goal is to make it easier for you to get started on the things you should be doing.

G. It's surprising how many things we put off that we could get done in two minutes or less.

    You can't choose friends for your child, but you can help him learn to choose friends wisely. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are a few ways to help your child make friends.

    Build your child's self-confidence.

    When he succeeds or has made a great choice, tell him you are proud of him.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Your middle school student is going through many changes and may feel like he isn't “good enough”. Building his self-confidence will help him feel more confident and will make it easier for him to form healthy friendships.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Give him your full attention when he talks, and really listen to what he has to say.

    Discuss the qualities in a friend with your child.

    Discuss with your child the qualities that matter most, such as being reliable and kind, and making good choices when it comes to avoiding alcohol and cigarettes.

    Get to know your child's friends.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It's more important to talk with them and find out what they like to do. Allow your child to invite his friends over and get to know them better.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    After-school clubs and sports programs are good places for meeting new people. Be open to exploring different activities with your child to find something that he enjoys.

A. When he does not succeed, help him feel better and keep trying.

B. You can teach him ways to find friends who will have a positive influence on him.

C. There are many types of friends and we should be careful when making our choices.

D. Introduce your child to new groups of people.

E. Friends are very important for us.

F. Talk with your child every day and listen to his concerns.

G. Try not to judge your child's friends according to how they dress.

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.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    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.

About 5% of all children experience anxiety over school. Not only can this affect their education, but it can also be difficult for you, especially if you have to take time off work because your child won't go to school. Luckily, there are tips that can help you.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Speak with your child to find out why he is anxious. Your child may have a clear-cut reason for not wanting to attend school and knowing what it is that may help you to ease his anxiety. If your child cannot or will not explain the issue, talk with his teacher, who may also be able to help you develop a solution. What also deserves your attention is any recent change at home that may be causing anxiety. Common changes can be such as moving, the loss of a pet, or a divorce. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Encourage your child to return to school

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}He may lack the courage to go back to school. So, when you intend to encourage your child, don't ask your child how he feel or place emphasis on his anxiety. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Wake your child up at the same time each morning, and encourage him to do the same things in the same order each day. If your child refuses to go to school one day, it's important to avoid anything that makes him want to do it again.

Promote self-confidence

This can be achieved in several ways. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Try to get him involved in a club or activity that he can do outside of school hours, or at least arrange a few play dates for your child to help him see that being with other kids is fun. So, your child gets the confidence in joining others. Apart from that, teach your child self-comfort techniques so he may benefit from knowing how to calm himself down. All these do help him build self-confidence.

A. They may have affected your child

B. Identify the cause of your child's anxiety

C. Make him forget about what makes him anxious

D. Instead, develop a routine to make your child feel safe

E. Encourage your child to participate in more social activities

F. As your child is not grown-up, he may have been trying to escape from it

G. When the cause of anxiety is found, you may consider inspiring your child