No one can deny that buttons are an important device. Whenever we see a button, we are eager to press it because we know something will happen. This is true in most cases, for example on a doorbell and on the “on/off” button on the TV. But some buttons are actually fake, like the “close” button on a lift.

    Many people are in the habit of pressing the “close” button because they don't have the patience to wait for the lift doors to shut. But lifts' “close” buttons are a complete scam (骗局), at least in the US － the doors will not close any faster no matter how hard you press.

    It started in the 1990s when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in the US, making sure that all lifts stayed open long enough so that people with disabilities could enter. Only US firefighters and repairmen can use the buttons to speed up the door-closing process if they have a code or special keys.

    But to normal lift riders, the buttons aren't completely useless. According to psychologists, fake buttons can actually make you feel better by offering you a sense of control.

     “Perceived (能够感知的) control is very important. It reduces stress and increases well-being,” Ellen J. Langer, a psychology professor, said, “ having a lack of control is associated with depression.”

    Experts have revealed that a lot of buttons that don't do anything exist in our lives for this same purpose. For example, many offices in the US have fake thermostats (温度调节器) because people tend to feel better when they think they can control the temperature in their workspace.

    But psychologists found it interesting that even when people are aware of these little “white lies”, they still continue to push fake buttons because as long as the doors eventually close, it is considered to be worth the effort.

     “That habit is here to stay,” John Kounios, a psychology professor, said. “Even though I have real doubts about the traffic light buttons, I always press them. After all, I've got nothing else to do while waiting. So why not press the button in the hope that this one will work?”

    As we all know, children are our future, and it's up to us to arm them with the tools to succeed. Sadly, today's children are sometimes being armed with more dangerous tools like weapons, drugs and gangs in the USA. Once a relatively peaceful environment, many schoolyards of today are becoming unsafe for both students and teachers.

    Home schools are available to give you choices. Home schooling provides top-quality education, flexibility and freedom to create your own schedule. At Sunny Home School we believe the choice should be yours.

    Thanks to modern technology, home schooling information is becoming readily available across the nation. A recent study by the ITBS (Iowa Tests of Basic Skills) and TAP (Tests of Achievement and Proficiency) shows us that students of home schools do particularly well when compared with the nationwide average. In every subject at every grade level, students of home schooling scored obviously higher than those in public and private schools.

    If you're new to home schooling, you may be asking yourself, “Will home schools really work for my children?”

Fact: A nationwide study using a random selection of 1,516 families found students of home schooling to be scoring, on average, at or above the 80^th percentile (百分位的第80位) in all areas, on standardized achievement test. (Note: The national average on standardized achievement test is the 50^th percentile.)

    Collectively, the staff at Sunny Home School brings 65 years of experience in home schooling curriculum. We've placed students in the top 2% of the nation in math and many are successfully moving on to college.

    One study found that of the home schooled students, 94% said home education prepared them to be independent persons.

    For more home schooling information, call us today toll free at (1800)542-8668.

    Are you carrying too much on your back at your back at school? I'm sure lots of children of your age will say “Yes”. Not only the students in China have this problem, but children in the United States also have heavy school bags.

    Doctors are starting to worry that younger and younger students are having back and neck problems as a result of school bags being too heavy for them.

    “It's hard for me to go upstairs with my bag because it's so heavy,” said Rick Hammond, an 11-year-old student in the US.

    Rick is among students who have common school bags with two straps（带子）to carry them, but many other students choose rolling（有滚轮的）bags.

    But even with rolling bags, getting up stairs and buses is still a problem for children. Many of them have hurt their backs and necks because of the heavy school bags.

    But how much is too much? Doctors say students should carry no more than 10% to 15% of their own body weight.

    Scout Batch, a back doctor, said children under Grade 4 should stay with 10%. But it is also important that older children don't stay with over 15%, because their bodies are still growing.

    “Children are losing their balance and falling down with their school bags,” he said.

    Parents and teachers are starting to tell children to only take home library books they will be reading that night. Some teachers are using pieces of paper or thin workbooks for students to take home.

    One of the best answers is, as some children said, to have no homework at all!

    In 2015, a man named Nigel Richards memorized 386, 000 words in the entire French Scrabble Dictionary in just nine weeks. However, he does not speak French. Richards' impressive feat is a useful example to show how artificial intelligence works—real AI. Both of Richard and AI take in massive amounts of data to achieve goals with unlimited memory and superman accuracy in a certain field.

    The potential applications for AI are extremely exciting. Because AI can outperform humans at routine tasks—provided the task is in one field with a lot of data—it is technically capable of replacing hundreds of millions of white and blue collar jobs in the next 15 years or so.

    But not every job will be replaced by AI. In fact  four types of jobs are not at risk at all. First, there are creative jobs. AI needs to be given a goal to optimize. It cannot invent, like scientists, novelists and artists can. Second, the complex, strategic jobs—executives, diplomats, economists — go well beyond the AI limitation of single-field and Big Data. Then there are the as-yet-unknown jobs that will be created by AI.

    Are you worried that these three types of jobs won't employ as many people as AI will replace? Not to worry, as the fourth type is much larger: jobs where emotions are needed, such as teachers, nannies and doctors. These jobs require compassion, trust and sympathy—which AI does not have. And even if AI tried to fake it, nobody would want a robot telling them they have cancer, or a robot to babysit their children.

    So there will still be jobs in the age of AI. The key then must be retraining the workforce so people can do them. This must be the responsibility not just of the government, which can provide funds, but also of corporations and those who benefit most.

Porcelain(瓷器)is a material made from well-chosen porcelain clay through a series of technological {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(process)like mixing, molding, drying and firing. Although porcelain developed from pottery, it is superior in both practical {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.artistic terms. Perhaps that is {#blank#}3{#/blank#} it gradually replaced pottery in history.

The{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (early) porcelain, commonly called "primitive porcelain", appeared during the Shang Dynasty, But the first porcelain in real sense was not produced until the Eastern Han Dynasty. Later with the processing techniques{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (mature)all the way, famous kilns(窑), including what are known as the "Five. Great Kilns", emerged {#blank#}6{#/blank#} quantity during the Song Dynasty. In the Yuan Dynasty, Jingdezhen, the Capital of Porcelain, produced blue and white porcelain which later became the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (represent)of porcelain. Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty is classical, graceful, delicate and splendid, thus becoming superb goods popular at home and abroad.

Porcelain is the creative fruit of {#blank#}8{#/blank#} working people of ancient China. Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, porcelain {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (export)worldwide. It promotes economic and cultural exchange between China and the outside world, and {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (dramatic)influences he traditional culture and lifestyle of people from other countries.

If poetry is not your cup of tea, then you will be afraid of the assignments that ask you to analyse poetry. However, even though you "hate" poetry, your final analysis may find you citing(引用) lines from Emily Dickinson or Edgar Allen Poe. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

Select the poem carefully. In a poem analysis, you will generally be given a selection of two or three poems. You must pick one to analyse. Be careful. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Sometimes the shorter poems are very difficult poems. Often, longer poems are more like stories.

Research the poet. There will be research already performed on the poet you've selected. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Often the poet's personal life has a direct effect on his or her works.

Research the poem. If you are analysing a poem, it is probably quite well known. Research and read about the poem. Other literary criticism can help you in your analysis. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You must come up with a new thought and a new analysis for the poem. Simply copying someone else's ideas will not be enough.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Your outline should consist of an introduction, a thesis statement(论点), three pieces of analysis, and a conclusion to bring it all together. Put these basic sentences into an outline structure, which will make the writing of the paper much easier.

A. Create an outline.

B. Communicate with other readers first.

C. Here are some tips that help you analyse a poem.

D. However, remember not to copy, or ignore the original poem.

E. Many students select short poetry as their preference for analysis.

F. Read about the poet's life, history and style as you begin your analysis.

G. Become familiar with different poem structures before you finish the analysis.