Make Your Brain Smarter

    You know that eating a proper diet and getting plenty of exercise help make your body healthy and strong. But did you know that there are ways to make your brain healthier and smarter? Studies show that when the brain is forced to do something new, it creates new neural (神经的) pathways. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} 

    ● Limit your TV viewing.

    Watching an average TV show requires very little brain power and brings the same result as neglecting (忽视) physical exercise.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you watch TV, choose something educational and informative.

    ● Use your non-dominant (非支配的) hand.

    If you are right-handed, use your left hand for everyday activities, or use your right hand if you are left-handed. Doing familiar things in a new way will cause your brain to create new neural networks. Brushing our teeth is something we do daily. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} But maybe we should. Experts suggest that we can force the brain to work by changing things up and working with our non-dominant hand. So the next time you brush your teeth, open the tube, apply your toothpaste and brush with the opposite hand.

    ●{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Jump in the shower and shut your eyes. Even if you drop the soap—that's okay. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Searching for the soap while feeling the textures (质地) with your eyes closed works. Using your fingers to make fine distinctions between objects or textures can reconnect the brain areas involved in touch, suggests Larry Katz, a professor of neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center and author.

A. Shower with your eyes closed.

B. Smart people rarely follow a set pattern.

C. The more pathways you have, the smarter you will be.

D. Use your different senses.

E. We really don't put that much thought into it.

F. Put your brain to best use.

G. Your brain will become weak just as your muscles do.

    Evaluating Sources (来源) of Health Information

    Making good choices about your own health requires reasonable evaluation. A key first step in bettering your evaluation ability is to look carefully at your sources of health information. Reasonable evaluation includes knowing where and how to find relevant information，how to separate fact from opinion，how to recognize poor reasoning，and how to analyze information and the reliability of sources.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Go to the original source. Media reports often simplify the results of medical research. Find out for yourself what a study really reported，and determine whether it was based on good science. Think about the type of study.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Watch for misleading language. Some studies will find that a behavior “contributes to” or is “associated with” an outcome；this does not mean that a certain course must lead to a certain result.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Carefully read or listen to information in order to fully understand it.

    Use your common sense. If a report seems too good to be true，probably it is. Be especially careful of information contained in advertisements.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Evaluate “scientific” statements carefully，and be aware of quackery(江湖骗术)．

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Friends and family members can be a great source of ideas and inspiration，but each of us needs to find a healthy lifestyle that works for us.

Developing the ability to evaluate reasonably and independently about health problems will serve you well throughout your life.

    There is no way to make somebody stop smoking,and just like with users of any drug,it is very unlikely a person will stop unless he or she wants to.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Step One: Make Observations

    Smoking use can affect memory and make it difficult for people to do well at work or school.Other bad effects that you may notice include:{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Is she getting sick more often than she used to?

    Write down your concerns using “I” statements,such as “I feel sad that when you smoke you give up your artwork.”{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Step Two: Approach the Person

    Bring up your concerns to your friend at a relaxing time.Express your concerns using the statements you wrote down.Tell him you will be there to support him if and when she decides to give up smoking.He will likely give you one of three responses:

    He wants to quit.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    He wants to stop,but not yet.

    You must be willing to calmly accept any of these responses.If he says he does want to stop,go on with the next step.If not,they will have to be visited later when he is ready.

    Step Three: Prevent Him Giving Up Halfway

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}However,symptoms only appear after some time of quitting smoke.This causes some who are addicted to believe that they are not actually addicted and to start using again.

A. He doesn't want to quit.

B. Does this person appear more nervous?

C. Are you lazy because you smoke too much?

D. It's best to approach the person in this manner.

E. People can become physically dependent on smoking.

F. The drug can stay in the system for a long period of time.

G. But there are steps you can take to support a friend or family member.

    Africa is a very diverse land with many different tribes. One tradition that many of these groups share is painting or marking their bodies and faces in color. They do this for many reasons. Some marks are used to identify people as part of a group.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Let's look at some different examples of body painting.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Among the Masai of East Africa, when men are old enough to marry and make decisions for their people, they participate in a special ceremony in which they paint their heads and faces red. This ceremony takes place every seven to fourteen years, so there is not an exact age for participating in it. The Samburu, also from East Africa, like to paint their faces and hair red because they think it looks attractive.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} To show that he has killed a lion, a man will paint his body with a natural white material, making special marks to represent this accomplishment. The Masai men also use this white to show that they are no longer boys and are considered adults.

    One quite unusual example of face painting is done by the Wodaabe people of West Africa. Once a year, they have a beauty contest for men.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Then they add white and black circles and lines. Black paint is used near the eyes and on the lips to draw attention to the whiteness of their eyes and teeth, which the Wodaabe consider most beautiful.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    As you travel, enjoy the beautiful and bright colors of Africa.

A.Red is the common color in body painting because it often represents health and long life.

B.Other marks are used for ceremonies such as weddings and during times of war.

C.The ceremony expresses hope for rain.

D.The Masai men also have a unique way of showing that they are brave.

E.The women then decide which man they like best.

F.The men pretend to fight each other.

G.The men paint their faces yellow and red.

    Want to improve your language skills? Follow the tips.

    Embrace authentic language

    Go to find what you love—movies, audiobooks, podcasts, or comics. Or travel back in time to your favorite childhood Disney songs. You may find that you even want to sing along with them.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Language teachers call these “authentic texts”,which is simply another way to say that this is real, living, breathing language.

Use your devices

    Think of the technology you use on a daily basis. How about changing the display language?{#blank#}2{#/blank#}It might be worth making a mental note of how to change the language back though, just in case.

    Build associations with your environment

    Your environment is full of vocabulary. Sticky notes are your friends when it comes to labeling every object in your house. Handy tip: Don't just label stuff, build associations with useful vocabulary. For example, don't just write “the light switch” but also “to turn on”,“to turn off”,“bright” and “dark”.Reading these associations regularly will help solidify them in your mind.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Less is more—when you do it regularly

    Make it a habit to learn as much as you can every day—and “can” is the operative word here. You've got half an hour? Great. Only 15 minutes today? No problem. It's still better than cramming for a weekend and then doing nothing for a couple of weeks.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you're able to integrate language learning into your day instead of trying to set aside “extra” time for it, the chances of it becoming a habit are much better.

    Find someone to talk to, even if it's you

    Finding a native speaker to talk to is an absolute must if you want to learn a language.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} And don't be afraid to chat in the language you're learning: everybody who's ever learned a language has done this at one stage or another. It's perfect for building your confidence, or trying out new words, so it becomes the second nature.

A. What's important is that you learn regularly, and that you find time for it in your daily routine.

B. Waiting at a cafe? Scan the headlines on China Daily, of course, the English version.

C. Try making little sentences with them as you go about your day—talking to yourself can be invaluable.

D. While you're walking the dog, listen to that foreign language podcast.

E. Jingles and songs learned in any language stick in the mind for decades.

F. Your computer, your smart phone, your browser, your apps, your GPS, and of course any games you play.

G. Get someone else who's learning the language, a classmate or colleague.

    Tourism can be both good and bad. Yes, it brings in money for the local economy and creates lots of jobs for locals.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    One growing problem is tourists who want to prove that they have visited a destination. They have used paints, rocks, or even keys to write on the Luxor Temple in Egypt, the Colosseum in Rome, Stonehenge in the UK, and many, many other places. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Another big problem in some places has been tourists disturbing (打扰) the local people and life. Some tourists walk around and take pictures of local people without asking for their permission(准许). For example, Chiang Mai University in Thailand and Yonsei University in South Korea have great numbers of tourists visiting their campuses and walking through their libraries, taking pictures of students, and disturbing their studies. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Some tourists love to party there late into the night, making it difficult for locals to sleep.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Walking in large groups without considering others who need to walk by, crossing roads without thinking of local traffic laws, and many more, can be seen everywhere.

      The only way to solve the problem of terrible tourists is to make sure that you are not one! {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Remember, whenever you step out of your country, you are representing (代表) your country to the rest of the world.

A. But it may also bring some problems.

B. Pass kindness along to future generations.

C. Thousands of tourist sites are being destroyed.

D. Be the best, kindest, most polite tourist possible.

E. The number of problems from tourists is endless.

F. Enjoy the excellent food, and go shopping at the local markets.

G. Another example is Sanlitun, a neighborhood in Beijing, China.