A strong memory depends on the health and vitality （活力） of your brain. They say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but when it comes to the brain, scientists have discovered that this old saying simply isn't true. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

      Give your brain a workout. Memory, like muscular strength, requires you to “use it or lose it”. The more you work out your brain, the better you'll be able to process and remember information.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

        Don't skip the physical exercise. While mental exercise is important forbrain health, that doesn't mean you never need to break a sweat. Physical exercise helps your brainstay sharp. It increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss.

        Get enough sleep. There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get by on and the amount you need to function at your best.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Keep stress in check. Stress is one of the brain's worst enemies. Over time, stress destroys braincells. Studies have also linked stress to memory loss.

        Have a laugh.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} That holds true for the brain and the memory, as well as the body. Unlike emotional responses, which are limited to specificareas of the brain, laughter engages multiple regions across the whole brain.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Just as the body needs fuel, so does the brain. You probably already know that a diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, “healthy”fats and lean protein will provide lots of health benefits, but such a diet can also improve memory. For brain health, though, it's not just what you eat—it's also what you don't eat.

A. Eat a brain-boosting diet.

B. Play games with memory.

C. Laughter is the best medicine.

D. But oversleeping is not good for yourbrain.

E. Even skipping a few hours makes adifference!

F. You have to shake things up from timeto time!

G. The human brain has an astonishingability to adapt and change.

    Getting your children to study can be a little like getting them to eat their vegetables.

    One of the best ways to form good study habits for your kids is to design（设计、制定） a schedule that they keep to. Make a study time and have it at the same time every day. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} And it will also give them a sense of control over how they spend their time.

    Allow them to study in blocks（一段） of time. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Ideal study times are usually after dinner or right after school before dinner.

    Never allow your children to study in front of the television, as that will encourage passive（被动的） activity. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    You'll also need to help your kids find the right place to study. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} After you've set up a good study time for little learners, set up a good place where they can get those creative juices flowing.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} This includes helping them out with their homework sometimes and being there for them with the answers to any questions. The input（投入） you give your children during study periods will help form a bond（纽带、关系） and make studying enjoyable.

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.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    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.

    Accidents happen more often than you think. Every year in China, 3.2 million people die in accidents – that's an average of six people per minute. Experts say that the 10 minutes after an accident can make the difference between life and death. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    The second Saturday of September is World First Aid Day. It fell on Sept 8 this year. First aid refers to the first steps taken to help someone who's injured. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. It also includes getting help, either by telling other people or calling 120.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR, 心肺复苏), and treat things like burns, bleeding and broken bones. It takes as little as two hours to learn these skills.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. You can also read books or watch videos that can be found on free apps like First Aid(急救指南). {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. The Peking Union Medical College Hospital offers these options.

    “Learning first aid is good for everyone and it is better to start young,” Wang Jiangshan, a doctor in the hospital's emergency room, told the China Youth Daily. “It can benefit oneself and others for the rest of one's life.”

A. It includes keeping the person safe and staying calm

B. You can learn first aid by visiting the official website of China First Aid Training

C. This is why learning first aid is so important

D. Right now is a good time for us to learn more about first aid

E. Some hospitals also give courses or even hold first aid camps for kids

F. In the US, first aid is a basic skill that every student has to learn

G. Basic first aid training teaches you how to deal with emergencies

    Is “sorry” the hardest word？Not for the British Education Secretary Michael Gove,{#blank#}1{#/blank#}has apologized recently to his former French teacher{#blank#}2{#/blank#}his bad behavior in class. It took him 30 years to express regret. In a letter{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(publish) in a magazine, Mr. Gove says：“It may be too late to say I'm sorry. But, as my mom told me, it's never too late to set the record straight.”

    Researchers argue that people have too high expectations of the power of saying sorry. Some psychologists say in a study that{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(receive) an apology isn't as{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(help) as people think. Nevertheless, apologies might be an important social tool as they reaffirm(再次确定) the{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(exist) of rules that need to be observed.

    The Education Secretary's apology might have been accepted by his old teacher but he might get{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(he) into trouble. According to Daily Mail, Mr. Gove's mother didn't know her son was causing trouble at school and she{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(say)：“He would have been punished{#blank#}9{#/blank#}I had known he was being so naughty.” Later, Gove said：“I can never express my apology to him face to face these days—it just goes through to his answering machine. But when I do{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(eventual) speak to him, I will say sorry.”

How Laughing at Yourself Makes You Attractive

    Have you ever embarrassed yourself in public and got laughed at for it？{#blank#}1{#/blank#} And it's okay — we should even have a laugh about them.

    Laughing at yourself means accepting who you really are. You may feel bad about yourself because of past misfortune. However, it's normal to be imperfect. What's important is that you should be honest with yourself about who you are. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You won't be able to laugh at yourself without self-acceptance.

    Laughing at yourself helps increase your confidence. When you're able to stay optimistic and laugh at yourself, you are likely to be more successful in life. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} More importantly, it helps you realize your own weaknesses, so you know which areas to do better in.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Laughing at someone else may hurt their feelings even if you didn't intend to, while laughing at yourself does not. You might even bring a smile to their faces. Don't worry about losing respect from others, because people actually appreciate it when you laugh at yourself. Laughing at yourself shows that you have the courage to do so and you're being real about your imperfections, making people think you are likeable.

    Just remember that humans all make mistakes. So instead of blaming yourself, try to think of your mistakes, in a positive way and accept yourself just as you are. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Laughing at yourself makes you popular.

B. Accept yourself despite your imperfections.

C. You should try to understand yourself better.

D. Chances are that we all have these kinds of experiences.

E. Laughing at yourself changes an ideal image of yourself.

F. Learn to laugh at yourself and you will be more attractive.

G. This is because laughing at yourself helps lift your mood in face of difficulties.