If you think your vocabulary is weak, a little effort every day over six to nine months can go a long way in improving it. Here are some tips for increasing your vocabulary.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. You may be comfortable reading a particular part of the newspaper but make an effort to read different articles on every page. The editorial (社论的) page is highly recommended not only for vocabulary but also for structuring and presenting thoughts.

    Make it a habit to read a new book every week. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. You can consider becoming a member of the local library. Make a list of new words and look up their meanings in the dictionary.

    Watch English movies and television shows. It's an interesting way to enrich your vocabulary. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Use vocabulary cards. Vocabulary cards are used by students who are trying to learn many words in a short time. You can make your own cards by writing the word on one side and the meaning on the other side of a piece of paper. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Use the Internet. The Internet is an unlimited resource for reading material.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. You will come across plenty of material to read. The Internet will also introduce you to new words. Be sure to look them up in a dictionary.

    A study published Monday found that people who sleep less tend to be fat，and experts said it's time to find out if more sleep will fight fatness.

    “We've put so much emphasis on diet and exercise that we've failed to recognize the value of good sleep，”said Fred Turek，a physician at Northwestern University.

    Monday's study from Eastern Virgnia Medical School in Norfolk covered 1,000 people and found that total sleep time decreased as body mass index－a measure of weight based on height increased.

    “Men slept an average of 27 minutes less than women and overweight and fat patients slept less than patients with normal weights，”it said.In general the fatter subjects slept about 1.8 hours a week less than those with normal weights.

    “Americans experience insufficient sleep and fat bodies.Clinicians are aware of the burden of fatness on patients，”the study said.

    “Our findings suggest that major extensions of sleep time may not be necessary，as an extra 20 minutes of sleep per night seems to be associated with a lower body mass index，”it added.

    “We caution that this study does not set up a cause­and­effect relationship between restricted sleep and fatness，but investigations indicating success in weight loss via extensions of sleep would help greatly to set up such a relationship.”

    The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine along with an editorial by Turek and Northwestern colleague Joseph Bass commenting on it and related research.

    In an interview，Turek said some studies have shown the lack of sleep causes declines in an appetiteholding back protein hormone，and increases in another hormone that cause a longing for food.“In addition neuropathies(神经疗法)in the brain governing sleep and fatness appear to overlap(部分重叠)，”he said.

    “Fatness has been rising dramatically in developed countries and reached epidemic(流行病)levels in the United States，”it added，“leading to a variety of health problems.”

Making Peace with Your Parents

    As a teen, you're going through big changes physically and mentally. Your interests are increasing.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here is the challenge: Kids need to explore the world in new ways, and parents need to protect them from the dangers that are all out in that world. These conflicts can easily set off fireworks in otherwise calm houses. Sometimes conflicts can't be avoided. But by paying attention to the building blocks of successful relationships, you can work towards making home a happy and healthy place for you and your parents.

    For example, try to find a time to talk when your parents are not angry, tired, distracted or hungry. A good time to talk is when you're all relaxed. Timing is everything if the conversation begins to turn into an argument, you'd better calmly and coolly ask to stop the conversation for now.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Listen to what your parents are saying, and repeat it back to them. This shows them that you're listening. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Respect is the building block of good communication. People who respect each other and care about each others' feelings can disagree without getting things ugly.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} How do you build trust? Trust comes by actually doing what you say you're going to do. Some teens find that doing fun activities with their parents can improve their relationships. Sometimes we forget that parents are more than rule-maker—they're interesting people who like to watch movies and go shopping—just like their teenagers!

    What do you do if you are trying your best, but your relationship with your parents continues to be rocky?{#blank#}5{#/blank#}You can find supportive adults, such as a teacher or a coach, who can lend an ear. Remember you can only change your own behavior. Your parents are the only ones who can change theirs.

A. You may consider seeking outside help.

B. And then you'll be able to accept what your parents say.

C. You can pick it up again when everyone's more relaxed.

D. Faced with the challenge, children don't know what to do.

E. And your desire to take control of your own life is growing.

F. It also gives them a chance to clear things up if you're not on the same page.

G. You are more likely to get along with your parents and have more independence if your parents believe in you.

    Questions to Ask Before Getting Your Child a Cellphone

    At what age should you get your child a cellphone？{#blank#}1{#/blank#}However，before you decide to add your child to your family plan，ask yourself these questions.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    If you and your child are not often apart beyond school hours，a cellphone may not be a serious necessity，but if he is independent or involved in extracurricular (课外的) activities outside your home，a cellphone could be useful，especially during emergencies as a convenient means of communication with you.

    Does your child understand the cost?

    Make sure your child understands the cost of having a cellphone.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Some options to help control costs include prepaid and postpaid phones，setting a monthly budget for your child.

    How can you keep your child's phone usage safe and under control?

    Before you get your child a phone，you should discuss what it can be used for，rules he is expected to follow，and consequences if he fails to follow them.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}If you prefer to take an extra step towards monitoring his phone use，these application programs allow you to track your child's mobile activity.

A．Who needs a cellphone?

B．How can you determine whether or not to buy a cellphone for your child?

C．Also be sure that he can be trusted to stay within his limits from month to month.

D．You ask your child to make use of his cellphone for learning.

E．Also, educate yourself on what social media apps are popular with teens.

F．According to Pew Research Center, the average age is between 12 and 13.

G．For example, is the phone only to be used to call family, or can it be used socially?

    Over the past twenty years, American country music has become more and more popular. Song writers are no longer writing about the modern values of the USA—money, success or expensive things to buy. Instead, they are writing once more about things that are common for everyone: feeling alone in the modern world, the value of having good friends and so on.

    In the 1950s, American music was about other things, for example, love—getting or losing a boyfriend or girlfriend. Money was also thought to be important.

    Then in the 1960s, song writers turned to other subjects. During these years many young students were angry with society, so songs were often full of anger. Political leaders were not well thought of.

    Today country music has returned. It has become big business and brings in between 200 and 400 million dollars a year. Once, the home of American country music was Nashville, Tennessee. Now, however, the music has reached all parts of the States, from Los Angeles in the west to New York in the east. Singers do not just come from the States but from all over the world. There are many famous singers from Britain, Canada and Australia. A lot of them appear on television too.

    The first country singers sang while playing the guitar. It was easy for them to carry a guitar on their travels. Now, however, a lot of electrical equipment is needed for large theatres.

    Country music today still remains very popular.

    This past week I was assigned to go without technology for six hours for study. I assumed that it was going to be impossible. Nowadays, people have become so dependent on technology. We are so addicted to it that we will panic when we can't remember where we have put our phone.

    I began my day at 9 am, turning off my phone. I grabbed my wrist watch and some textbooks and set off for my day. I went to a coffee shop for breakfast and as I sat down, instead of pulling out my phone, I pulled out the book I was currently reading. As I ate my bread, I felt like it was more delicious and that I could actually enjoy reading because I wasn't checking my phone every few seconds. I could actually appreciate what I was reading and absorb it. I had entertainment and I was able to keep track of time with my watch.

    In the afternoon I found myself in the library, I had to study for an upcoming math test. So the lack of technology was actually a blessing for me. I took out my textbooks and began to work on writing out all the definitions I had to learn in pencil. During the process, I found that I just never had the patience or attention span before.

    Those six hours taught me that we don't really need technology. We have just psychologically tricked our brains into thinking that we need to constantly be on it, checking what our friends are doing and making sure we are also doing something. Technology constantly bombards (轰击) us with information. That day I wasn't stressed over why a friend of mine was texting me, and I was just doing something for myself. Technology takes away all the simple moments, which we now take for granted because we are so addicted to it that we don't take the time to notice the world and the small things around us.