Playing is serious business for children．In fact, it's what they do best! Ask them why they do it, and kids will probably say, "Because it's fun!" But it's much more than that．It's also good for them．

    Studies show that from birth babies begin learning through playing．They use their five senses to get to know their new world．Touching allows them to discover how different things feel．Brightly coloured toys and clothing help develop a baby's sense of sight (视觉)．When small children choose which toy to play with, they begin developing their abilities in making decisions．

    Children love toys that allow them to use their imagination (想象力)．Sometimes an empty box is more fun than a high-tech (高科技) toy．That's because a box can become anything to a child．

    Crayons, paints and Play-Doh (彩色塑泥) are also good because they allow children to create．Traditional building blocks teach important pre-maths skills．

Playing doesn't become any less important once children start school．Many valuable lessons about life are learned on the school playground．Kids learn how to share, take turns and play by the rules．

    Keep in Touch

    You can keep in touch with your friends in many ways. You can call them. You can send letters or e-mails to them. You can even use a website like Facebook to keep in touch with them.

    Touch Luck

    "Touch Luck" is used when you feel sympathy(同情) about something bad that has happened to someone. But it is also used when you don't have any sympathy for someone's problems.

    Touch Screen

    You can find touch screens everywhere now, many mobile phones and music players have touch screens. Many ATMs have them, too. They are fun and easy to use! You can use them to buy tickets or shop online.

    Touchdown

    When you watch an American football game, you will hear the word "touchdown". A touchdown happens when a player carries the ball across the other team's goal (球门) line. When a player makes a touchdown, he scores (得分) six points for his team!

    The Midas Touch

    Midas was a king(国王) in an old Greek story. He loved money very much! He wished that everything he touched would turn to gold (金子). His wish came true. Everything he touched –his furniture(家具), his food, and even his daughter-turned to gold.

The Secrets of Happiness

    Most people want to be happy, but few know how to find happiness. Money and success alone do not bring lasting(长久的) happiness. 快乐取决于我们自己。 In other words, we make our own happiness. Here are a few suggestions to help you be happier.

    The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. You can read a good book or listen to your favorite music. People who have several close friends live happier and healthier lives.

    Another secret to be happy is to be active, 你应该学会忘记你的烦恼。 Many people do these activities, such as dancing, playing a sport, or skating or soccer.

    Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. If you want to feel happier, do something nice for someone. You can help a friend with his or her lessons, go shopping to buy food for your family members, or simple help to wash the dishes.

    Why do people cry? Scientists say the body produces tears because they need them. One kind of tears is for the eye, the other is for the heart. They both work as cleaners. If something else like dust(灰尘) gets into your eye, tears also come into the eye to clean it out. If you are hurt by something, your strong feelings produce some poisonous chemicals(毒素) in your body, and at the same time, tears come out with them. If these poisonous chemicals are not cleaned out of your body as soon as possible, they will do harm to the heart sooner or later.

    In the United States men have heart problems more often than women do. Doctors say heart problems have something to do with the pressures(压力) of living and working now. Perhaps men suffer more from these illnesses because they do not cry enough. They need to cry more.

    In fact, you can find many ways of reducing the pressures to keep fit. Crying is a natural and physical one.

    Everyone loves chocolate- kids and grown-ups alike, and no matter what your age is, you are sure to enjoy learning more about chocolate. Read on to learn some fun facts.

    All the chocolate we eat comes from a special plant- the cacao tree. These trees produce a special kind of seeds. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Then they are used to make chocolate.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} So they grow best when under the branches(树枝) of taller trees in the forest. They won't begin to bear fruit, however, until they are at least three to five years old. Cacao trees produce beautiful flowers all the year round. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} A kind of small flies pollinate(对......授粉) these small flowers. These flies are so small that they easily stand on the head of a needle(针状物). They beat their wings very fast—1, 000 beats a second! {#blank#}4{#/blank#} A cacao pod(可可果) has about 30—50 seeds. This is enough to make about seven milk chocolate candy bars!

What would you do if you see someone hurt badly? The following will help you to learn some important skills to give casualty (伤员) first aid.

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The first and most important thing you must do is to make sure the place is not dangerous. Can you see anything that might not be helpful to you? Can you hear anything that could be dangerous?

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When you see someone has been hurt, you may feel scared. If you feel yourself starting to be nervous, try to calm yourself down. For example, talk to people you trust about what happened, and you'll be relaxed.

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When someone needs first aid, talking to him will help him to stay calm and feel safe. Even if he does not answer you, you should still tell him what you are doing. It will let him know that you are helping him.

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Sometimes, the casualty will need more help than you are able to give. The best thing you can do is to phone some people for help. They can give you some useful advice or offer you some help.

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There are also many other things to do. Try your best to help the casualty. Asking people around you for help is really better than waiting for doctors. Besides, you can also try to keep in touch with his families and friends.