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.

They Just Can't Help It

    My theory is that the female brain is mainly built for empathy — the ability to understand other people — and that the male brain is mainly built for building systems. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For example, women are more likely to read magazines on fashion and parenting, while men will choose magazines that feature computers and sport.

    You may think that these preferences are influenced by the way people are taught to behave when they are growing up. However, this is not the case. A new study carried out at Cambridge University shows that newborn girls look longer at a face, and newborn boys look longer at a mobile.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It has also been observed (that girls are better at noticing signs of changes in other people's feelings. Boys, however, seem to enjoy building toy towers and playing with toys which have clear functions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} People whose jobs are in the construction industries are almost male. Math and engineering, which require high levels of systems-thinking, are also male-chosen disciplines. Why do men and women have the difference? Actually women have four times as many brain neurons (神经) that connect the right and left part of their brains. Because of it, women have a better ability to multitask than men. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Men tend to focus on a limited number of problems at a time. They will separate themselves from problems and view tasks as independent from one another.

    Some people may worry that I am suggesting one gender (性别) is better than the other, but this is not the case. My theory says that males and females differ in the kinds of things that they find easy, but that both genders have their strengths and weaknesses. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It is not true. The study simply looks at males and females as two groups, and asks what differences exist, and why they are there.

A. Generally speaking, there are clear differences.

B. Their preference for building systems may change over time.

C. You can see the same kind of pattern in the adult workplace.

D. They will consider many sources of information at the same time.

E. It is important to stress that the female brain may be built more for empathy.

F. That suggests certain differences between male and female brains are biological.

G. Others may think the theory creates a belief of what a particular type of person is like.

    We need to do more to help the teachers who are exhausted and stressed

    Teaching should not be one of the most stressful jobs in the US. But it is. “The only other profession that comes close to us for stress is nursing and we still have the numbers… by a lot. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}”

    “Nobody realizes how horrific working conditions are for teachers throughout the country,” Brice-Hyde says, an experienced teacher in New York who is part of the national group Badass Teachers Association (BAT).

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} So they did a national study of teacher working conditions around issues like stress, work-life balance, respect, and more. The results are both surprising and not. If you've been seeing the stories about teacher walkouts and pay inequality, you probably aren't all that shocked to see these things like: 61 percent of educators find work “always” or “often” stressful; 27 percent of educators said they've been threatened or bullied; 86 percent of educators feel disrespected by US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

    Teachers are stressed out, and turnover is high. No wonder we're seeing more stories about the importance of self-care, classroom burnout, and mental health days for teachers. Yet, self-care doesn't seem to come easily for people, and this is definitely true for teachers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    We think it's time to change that, though. So in honor of World Mental Health Day, we are working to change the dialogue about teacher mental health. Below are some of the top challenges people give for not seeking therapy, or even basic self-care, along with possible solutions and workarounds for each one.

    We hope you share this article widely, giving support and love to your fellow educators. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} And it's pretty much guaranteed to help you do what you set out to in the first place be a good teacher.

A. BAT wanted to take action.

B. Those who gave more tended to gain less.

C. The data are ridiculous, and no one is really paying attention.

D. By nature, educators are taught to give care and support others not themselves.

E. Although respected for its own sake, teaching is under suspicion in today's world.

F. After all, self-care, good mental health, positive well-being is one of the single best things you can do for yourself.

    Is there a best way to pack clothes? The following ideas are of great help to those who are always on the way.

    Where to start?

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Once you see how much you lay in front of you, be brave and reduce about a third. Because the truth is like your wardrobe, you never seem to use as much as you take.

    How to deal with clothing?

    Start with your shoes. Put underwear or socks inside them to hold the shape of your shoes. Thus, you can make use of every square inch of space. Once your shoes are firmly in place, fill small gaps with very soft items. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Lay out the first clothes with one end inside the suitcase and the other end dropping over the edge. Put the next clothes on top of this, but place them the other way around. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} In this way, you'll get another flat layer soon. Finally, one by one, fold the clothes back in.

    Where to put non-clothing?

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} These awkward shaped items are difficult to pack. You'd better put them towards the middle give maximum protection. Remember.to double bag your toiletries kit (洗漱袋) to avoid spotting your clothes.

    Top tips:

    If you take a belt, slip them along the inside of your case. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That will take more space. Next, use the hard shape of the case to offer protection. Leave your toiletries kit in your suitcase, when you return home. It's ready for the next time you travel.

 A. Don't roll belts up.

B. Be sure to put away socks.

C. This idea will create a flat first layer.

D. And then continue laying other clothes.

E. That will make the job a whole lot easier.

F. Lay everything you want to take with you on the bed.

G. Non-clothing items are things like books, toothbrushes and cameras.

Green: More than just a colour

    Green is an important colour in nature. It is the colour of grass and the leaves on trees. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Sometimes, the word green means young. fresh and growing. Sometimes, it describes something that is not yet ripe or finished.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that woman next door has a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.

    The Green Revolution is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}The Green Revolution was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}The green－eyed monster is not a frightening creature from outer space. It is an expression used about four hundred years ago by British writer William Shakespeare in his play Othello.

    In most places in the world，a green light is a sign to move ahead. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}In everyday speech, a green light means approval to continue with a project. We want you to know we have a green light to continue this series next week.

A. For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience, who is new to a situation.

B. Someone is also the colour used to describe the powerful emotion, jealousy.

C. Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb.

D. A green light on a traffic signal means your car can continue on.

E. The new plants produced much larger crops

F. It is also the colour of most growing plants.

G. About one hundred years ago, having a green thumb was a popular expression in the American west.

    Many students have trouble staying focused in class. Some of them easily become absent-minded or fall asleep. As a result, they turn to study drugs in order to stay focused in school. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Get some sleep.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And it is important to stick with it. Having irregular sleep cycles can really affect concentration and physical well-being. Try to go to sleep at the same time every night and get eight to nine hours of sleep. Your body will thank you in the morning.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Eating first thing in the morning provides fresh energy throughout the day, and it doesn't even have to be a big meal. Something as small as a bowl of oatmeal can make students more energetic and efficient for the rest of the day. And foods like peanut butter, berries, and whole grains have even shown to improve memory.

    Turn off your phone.

    An obvious way to maintain concentration is to avoid distractions that take your attention away.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When students need to channel their energy into studies, turning off the phone or even putting it on airplane mode is a good way to centralize their drive and keep distractions at bay.

    Break a sweat.

    Trying to concentrate in class will feel as challenging as a marathon if you're not in good physical health. On the other hand, actually running a marathon may help boost your ability to concentrate, as exercise is shown to have many benefits for the brain. While you don't necessarily have to run 26 miles before class or work, doing exercise in the morning can get your blood flowing towards your brain. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Do not skip breakfast.

B. Sit in the front if you sleep in class.

C. That helps in strengthening the mind.

D. Probably the biggest one is the smart phone.

E. Students should have a regular bedtime routine.

F. But many study drugs have proven harmful to human health.

G. However, there are other all-natural ways to help with concentration in class.