Scientists often see the first ten years of a child's life as the “window of opportunity”.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}And studies show that the following activities can benefit their brain greatly.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Free playtime has always been an important part of “being a kid”, but it is also important to a child's development. “Free play” not only helps kids develop different skills, it also helps them develop into happy healthy adults in the future.

Read with kids

    Reading has long been known to improve children's intelligence.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} For parents who don't have much time, just surrounding your kids with books goes a long way too.

Put kids to bed early

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Preschool children should get at least eleven hours of sleep and kids up to age 12 should try to get at least ten hours of sleep.

Learn a second language

    Early studies in this field have shown that bilingual （双语的）kids can perform better under pressure. Young children can learn new languages with nearly perfect fluency （流利）and pronunciation.

Praise good effort not intelligence

    Your kids may be smart but you should mainly praise the effort they put into tasks. Kids, who are praised on intelligence, often feel it is a fixed quality, and mistakes or failures badly hurt their self-confidence. Kids who are praised on effort often focus more on learning.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Play some helpful games

B. Give them enough playtime

C. And they are not afraid to fail and try again

D. Kids still need time away from the TV to do homework

E. Kids who read often develop earlier writing and number skills as well

F. Everything at this time is very important to the development of a person's brain

G. Studies show that kids with regular bedtimes are better at languages, math and reading

Home on the Way

    People need homes: Children assume their parents' place as home; boarders call school “home” on weekdays; married couples work together to build new homes; and travelers…have no place to call “home”, at least for a few nights.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Don't they have the right to a home? Of course they do.

    Some regular travelers take their own belongings like bed sheets, pillowcases and family photos to make them feel like home no matter where they are; some stay for long periods in the same hotel and as a result become very familiar with the service and attendants; {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Furthermore, driving a camping car during one's travel and sleeping in the vehicle at night is just like home.

    And how about keeping relationships while in transit？ {#blank#}3{#/blank#}; some send letters and postcards, or even photos；others may just call and say hi, just to let their friends know that they're still alive and well. People find ways to keep in touch. Making friends on the way helps travelers feel more or less at home. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Nowadays, fewer people are working in their local towns, so how do they develop a sense of belonging? Whenever we step out of our local boundaries, there is always another “home” waiting to be found. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} we can make the place we stay “home”.

How to Love Your Parents

    Even if you think that your parents are mean-spirited at times, loving your parents is a normal and fulfilling part of life. You love them for the fact that they created you, raised you, and are in part, a source of who you are. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Tell them you love them every morning. A gentle "good morning" and "I love you" will warm a coldest heart. Remember that they brought you into this world. Without your parents, we might still wander at an unknown corner in an unknown world.

    Respect them more and cherish these moments. You can use these moments to learn from them, preparing yourself for when you're off on your own. It's OK to get angry but angry actions don't help you or your parents. Act calmly, cool off, write down your feelings, or talk to a friend. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Obey their requests. It will make your attitude better and earn you more respect from them. It may seem like you are going through hell when you don't get what you want or you have to clean. However, you had better remember they keep a roof over your head when it's cold, raining, snowing, or too hot. Understand that parents are human beings and make mistakes. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Since you can forgive your friends, why not forgive your parents?

    Keep company with them. Do things with your parents like watching TV, or go somewhere with them. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Listen to their old stories and learn from them. You will find they are your teachers in this way or another.

    Some people simply may not be able to love their parents. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Seek help if you are being abused（虐待）in anyway. Parents do not have a right to harm you.

A. Parents will in turn express their love to you.

B. Forgiveness is the key.

C. Here are some ways to love your parents.

D. There can be realistic reasons for this, family violence for example.

E. Anyway, spend as much time with them as you can.

F. After this, share your feelings with your parents.

G. Please remember parents are as important as friends.

Habits to Make You a Happy Person

    Habits remain the same even if everything around us is changing fast. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So they are beneficial to our achievements.

    However, positive habits are hard to develop. People fail and make mistakes when making changes and trying new things. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} That's just life and nothing to feel upset about. What you are supposed to do next is trying again, and develop the positive habits gradually. Here are three little habits that can make a big difference in your life.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} How you take care of yourself will make a difference in the quality of your life. The tiny habits of caring for your body and spirit will give you the energy to achieve your goals-plus increase your well-being.

    Don't forget to forgive others. Forgiving takes you one step closer to your happiness. Make a habit of not holding hatred(仇恨). It does nothing but hurts your own happiness and success. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Instead, you will be more likely to get relief and succeed.

    Encourage yourself to be curious(好奇的). There is no stage in life when we can't be learning something valuable. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. And as long as you follow your heart and your curiosity, you won't miss out on learning. The habit of being curious means you will always benefit from life.

A. Try to be healthy.

B. Never forget to take notes.

C. Trying things again will bring you happiness.

D. Forgiving yourself doesn't mean you are a loser.

E. As long as you live, there will be something to learn.

F. They will probably not succeed the first time they do it.

G. Good habits can bring us happiness and help us to achieve our goals.

Sleep and Teens--Biology and Behavior

    How much sleep do teens need? And how much sleep are they realistically getting? Based on current data, most teens need about 9-plus hours to have the best or most suitable sleep night. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Many factors combine to decrease sleep in adolescents. We can think in general of two major factors: biological, the brain processes that regulate the amount and timing of sleep, and behavior, all the psychological, parental, societal, cultural features of teen's life.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}These changes lay the ground work for the biological night to occur later during the teen years than before. Circadian Rhythms (daily biological clock) seems to slow down as young people progress through the middle school years. At the same time, the sleep pressure system appears to change in a way that makes it easier to stay awake longer, though without changing the amount of sleep that is needed.

    Moreover, many teens have a "technological playground" in their bedrooms: television, computer with 24/7 Internet access, telephones, electronic game stations, MP3 players, and so forth. These technologies provide instant and constant contact with peers. Societal and media pressure to consume these technologies is now higher than ever. Yet society also requires that teens go to school at a time of day that is at odds with their biological and social lives. So we see teens turn to caffeine, late-night Internet and cramming in activity after activity as a means to keep awake.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Problems emerge for lack of sleep. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}For some, grades begin to suffer as they struggle to keep awake during class and while doing homework. And others may simply feel moody, never knowing how to feel or do their best. Worse still, many teens suffer from both physical and mental illness.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}The earlier teens can start this good sleep habit, the easier it will be for them to stay healthy, happy and smart.

A. Sleep experts recommend teens keep consistent sleep and wake schedule

B. Teens may schedule sleep like any other daily activity and make sleep a priority

C  Then they are trapped into a terrible situation where they would never get enough sleep

D. The sleep-wake bio-regulatory factors appear to change significantly during adolescence

E. Some teenagers struggle to wake up in the morning  often resulting in late or missed school

F. Teens may be driven to things that can wake them up because they'll fall asleep if they do not

G. However, it is indicated that most teens fall short of this goal, many by a considerable amount.

Need a good adventure?

You don't have to climb a mountain or go on safari. Any adventure where you stretch yourself and learn something new counts. For some, it may be jumping out of a plane. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Ready for your adventure? Here's some advice.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Pick a manageable activity you can do soon－this weekend!－close to home. This will break your inertia (惰性), build your confidence and help you ramp up to bigger adventures.

Shift how you view anxiety.

Research shows that people who interpreted their nervousness about activities such as karaoke singing and public speaking as excitement enjoyed the experiences more and performed better than those who tried to press down their anxiety.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} says Samantha Boardman, a New York psychiatrist: Turning Stress into Strength. Try talking to yourself out loud, saying "I am excited" or "Let's get excited."

Use your imagination.

Envision the worst-case scenario. Say you want to go on a hike but are worried you'll become lost, hurt or too exhausted to get home. Try to picture this. Next, visualize the best-case scenario: the beautiful view, the fun you'll have, your sense of accomplishment afterward.

Ask yourself what will probably happen. Are you more likely to feel happy after your hike, or to be carried off the mountain in a sedan chair (轿子) ? {#blank#}4{#/blank#} says Boardman.

Make full use ofregret.

It can be very motivating. Think about whether you'll feel disappointed if you miss out on this interesting, expansive experience or glad you stayed home. 

We tend to regret actions we don't take rather than ones we do. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Start small.

B. Be confident.

C. For some, it may be climbing Mount Qomolangma.

D. So the fear of missing out can help you. 

E. This exercise helps put fear in perspective.

F. For others, trying a different workout may do the trick.

G. This changed their threat mindset into an opportunity mindset.