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 healthy information. Reasonable evaluation includes knowing where and how to find relevant information, how to separate fact from opinions, 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 the health problems will serve you well throughout your life.

A. Make choices that are right for you.

B. The goal of an ad is to sell you something.

C. Be sure to work through the critical questions.

D. And examine the findings of the original research.

E. Distinguish between research reports and public health advice.

F. Be aware that information may also be incorrectly explained by an author's point of view.

G. The following suggestions can help you sort through the health information you receive from common sources.

Five Steps to Better Handwriting

    Some kids love handwriting, but others hate when it's time to put their pen to paper. Maybe they are worried about their handwriting. Are you one of them? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are five steps that really work!

    Get a great grasp

    Try this—hold your pencil at the top and try to write your name. Pretty hard？But when you hold your pencil the correct way, writing is much easier. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Hold it in place with your thumb, and your index(食指) and middle fingers.

    Let the lines be your guide

    Lined paper is your friend！Those lines can help you create letters that are the right size and proportion(均衡). {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Also be sure to fill up the lined space completely. Those capital letters should be from the bottom line to the top one.

    Slow down

    If your writing is hard to read, try slowing down a little. If you rush, it's hard to control where you stop and start your letters.

    Lower the pressure

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} That makes it harder to make the smooth lines. Try easing up and don't hold the pencil too tightly.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Lots of games require you to write or draw pictures. So even though it's not schoolwork, you're still using the skills you need to control your pen better.

A. Play games.

B. Ask for more advice.

C. So "a" should be half the height of a capital "A".

D. You've been writing since you were a little kid.

E. Some kids press down really hard when they write.

F. The good news is that just about everyone can improve their handwriting.

G. The best way to hold a pen or pencil is to let it rest next to the base of your thumb.

    Many teenagers may have a very confusing time filled with anxiety in high school. Here are some powerful tips which can help you succeed in the years.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}You may be faced with too many choices in your life and it's unwise to try everything. Just focus on your favorite. Consider all the benefits that it brings into your life and then see how you can develop your passion into a possible career option.

    Get away from the friends that offer poisonous advice and negativity. There is no place for that kind of behavior at any stage of your life. And you should value yourself highly enough to get rid of these people{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Read as much as you can. Pick up a book on anything that expands your knowledge base Stop spending hours in watching your favorite TV shows{#blank#}3{#/blank#} You'll notice in a few days how you begin to see things in a different light.

    Limit the time spent on social media. I am 19 years old, so I understand just how much time can be wasted on technology, especially the Internet and cellphones{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Instead once you spend that time enriching yourself, your life begins to shape and turn into exactly what you want It to be.

Make mistakes. Look at a mistake you've made from every possible angle and take the lessons from it{#blank#}5{#/blank#}You can't achieve this by trying to be perfect all the time. It's okay to make mistakes.

A. Get ready to try different things.

B. Know yourself and pick a direction.

C. Instead use that time to invest in yourself by reading.

D. Spend less time doing things that add no value to your life.

E. This does wonders for self-confidence and overall positivity.

F. Your teenage years are meant to be spent getting to know yourself.

G. It's important for you to work hard to improve your scores in your study.

    Identical twins are born when an egg divides into two, resulting in the birth of two children with identical genes. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some believe, however, that there is also a close connection between twins in the way they think, not just in the way they look. Twins finish each other's sentences, and share the same tastes in clothes or music. Some have argued that identical twins have mysterious, even psychic, powers.

    Although many identical twins claim to know what the other is thinking, there is no evidence to suggest that this is because of special powers. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Most of us have met up with a brother or sister, or close friend, and immediately asked, “What's wrong?” because we have unconsciously recognized, in their facial expression, that they are upset in some way. Signs we would miss in a stranger's behavior are instantly obvious in the way those close to us act. It is hardly surprising that twins notice the way their brother or sister's facial expressions or body language gives away how they feel. Indeed, the closeness of their bond is likely to improve this ability over the years.

    The media is full of stories in which a twin senses her brother or sister to be in trouble. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Damien Croft developed a bad headache one evening and, concerned, felt the need to phone his brother to check if everything was OK. When there was no reply, he drove to his brother's home, only to find him unconscious, having had an epileptic fit (癫痫症) and fallen from a ladder while decorating. On the face of it, his sixth sense had saved the day. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Damien knew his brother was decorating, and knew that he was prone to epileptic fits. Subconsciously concerned, he had just imagined the worst-case situation. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. We all know such twins are often very similar in appearance.

B. The fact that something awful had happened was only a coincidence.

C. In contrast, there are many other stories which can be more easily explained.

D. In truth, of course, the events might also be explained in more ordinary terms.

E. Recent studies show the reasons of all those cases of mysterious happenings between identical twins.

F. In a recent, widely-reported case, for example, a young man survived a horrific fall thanks to a feeling his twin is supposed to have had.

G. A more believable explanation is that, like any pair of people who have grown up together, they are just good at understanding the thought processes behind what their twin does.

Are You a Prisoner of Perfection?

    Do you struggle for a goal that is beyond your reach?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Are you setting yourself up for failure and shame when you can't achieve the unachievable? Understanding what drives perfectionism is the first step toward releasing this self-created anchor that keeps us stuck.

    Shame and fear are often the hidden drivers of perfectionism. We believe that if we can fashion a perfectly polished personality, flash our intelligence, and perfect our humour, then no one can hurt us with criticism and we'll win respect and approval.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Politicians who display a desperate need to be right and refuse to acknowledge mistakes or uncertainty are often driven by a secret shame. They fear that showing vulnerability(弱点) will expose them to the accusation that they're weak. They stick to a desire to be right, perfect, and polished, even when it's obvious that the emperor has no clothes.

    Perfectionism keeps us leaning toward the future. We're constantly evaluating ourselves in order to do better.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}However, if we can't relax and enjoy lighter moments, then we become prisoners of our perfectionism. We get painfully self-conscious and take ourselves too seriously. Sadly, we deprive(剥夺) ourselves of the simple pleasure of enjoying the moment and being ourselves.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}We realize that failing at any enterprise doesn't mean that we are a failure. Without failures, we'll never learn from our mistakes; we'll never move forward in our lives. Those who succeed have made countless mistakes. The important thing is to learn from our error, forgive ourselves and move on.

    Being human, perfection is impossible.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Releasing ourselves from the desire to protect our image, we're freed to sail gracefully through our successes and failures—and enjoy our precious life.

A. Do you hold an idealized vision that is impossible to realize?

B. A cure to perfectionism is to make room for our human shortcomings.

C. Do you fear that others will be horrified by what you judge about yourself?

D. The addiction to staying perfect protects us from any sign of being imperfect.

E. There's nothing wrong with wanting to do our best and self-correcting along the way.

F. People who are addicted to perfection are often isolated, even if they seem outgoing and popular.

G. By accepting ourselves as we are and doing our best, we begin to rid the shame that drives perfectionism.

    Ways to Create Calm in Your Daily Life

    Most of us need some space for calm in our lives. A few simple minutes can create much needed moments of calm. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You can use these skills to create calm in your busy schedule.

    Go walking. Walking is perfect and you can do it well anywhere. Simply walking and taking in the view is stress reducing. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}It makes room for new ideas to take root. Appreciate nature. When we think of nature we think of getting out into the open air, and that's great if you can.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Actually, nature is everywhere. Find a park or a small patch (小块地)of great green, or just stick your head out of the window! You have many ways to appreciate nature.

    Listen to music. Many people listen to music to calm themselves down. Music actually lifts us out of ourselves. Discover what music works for you. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Do some activities. Certain activities like yoga and tai chi need quiet focus. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They are good for the body, mind and spirit.

    Classes are a good place to begin, but once you learn the skills, you can practice anywhere: home, school or even on the road.

    Try out some of these ways and you'll soon be practicing "moments of calm".

A. But what if you are in the city?

B. Notice the animals around you.

C. They are perfect for active calming.

D. Music is a way to express the way that they are feeling.

E. It's a time to get stressful thoughts out of your head

F. With enjoyable music even work can be "music to your ears".

G. You don't have to find a mountain to sit on, or empty your mind of all thoughts for hours.