Matthew Youlden speaks nine languages fluently and understands more than a dozen more. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} When I told Matthew how I've been working hard to only pick up a second language, he had the following advice for me.

    Know why you are doing it

    This might sound easy , but if you don't have a good reason to learn a language, you are less likely to stay interested over the long-run. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Wanting to get to know a French person in his or her own language is another matter entirely. No matter what your reason is, once you've decided on a language, it's important to carry out .

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Matthew learned several languages together with his twin brother Michael. They learned their first foreign language, Greek, when they were only eight years old! Even if you can't get a sister or brother to join you on your language adventure, having any kind of partner will push both of you to always try just a little bit harder and stay with it.

    Have fun with it

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Think of some fun ways to practice your new language: make a radio play with a friend, draw a comic strip, write a poem, or simply talk to whomever you can. If you can't find a way to have fun with the new language, chances are you aren't following step four.

    Act like a child

    We learn by making mistakes. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}But as adults, mistakes become taboo(禁忌). Think how an adult is more likely to say, “I can't”, rather than, “I haven't learned that yet” (I can't swim, I can't drive, I can't speak Spanish). When it comes to learning a language, admitting that you don't know everything is the key to growth and freedom.

A. Find a partner

B. Leave your comfort place

C. We work in the same office in Berlin.

D. As kids, we are expected to make mistakes.

E. You are learning a language to be able to use it.

F. Using your new language in any way is a creative act.

G. Wanting to impress English-speakers with your French is not a very good reason.

    Reading is an interesting and useful thing. You can read a novel or a poem. But do you know how to read? Here's some advice for you.

    Define your purpose for reading. Before you start reading, ask yourself why are you reading this book.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Being specific and clear about your reading purpose not only helps you to eliminate books that you don't need to read. It also reminds you why reading the book is important to you as you are reading it.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Whether you are reading fiction or nonfiction, it's important to enjoy what you read. Your friends may recommend books that they love, but those books might not necessarily be the ones you enjoy.

    Give up books that you don't enjoy. You may have selected books that are aligned with (与……一致) your purpose.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} But as you are reading them, there may still be some books that you won't enjoy reading. Whenever you realize that you aren't enjoying the book you are reading, give it up. Remember reading shouldn't be a chore (杂事).

    Give yourself a deadline to complete each book. Before you read each book, ask yourself when you need to complete this book. When you don't set a deadline to complete your book, there isn't a sense of urgency.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}you tend to procrastinate (拖延).

A. When something is urgent

B. When something isn't urgent

C. Because reading is very important

D. Read only what you are attracted to

E. You may have selected books that you are attracted to

F. Most people read for two main reasons—pleasure or knowledge

G. This motivates you to keep reading and complete the book faster

Easy Habits That Help You Live Longer

    Go for a jog

    Among all the things you can do to achieve longevity, one of the most critical is to exercise. Aerobic activity, like running, is important for getting your blood pumping and your heart working. A recent study showed that a one-hour run adds seven hours to your life, up to four hours per week. People who run have a 25 to 40 percent reduced risk of early death, and live about three years longer.

    Get more sun—but not too much

    The “Sunshine vitamin” -vitamin D, that is-has been shown to fight disease, improve bone health, and avoid depression. One study even found it to extend lifespan by 33 percent. But because vitamin D comes from the sun, and our modem lives don't let us spend much time outside, we might not be getting enough. Getting 15 to 30 minutes of sun exposure a day should be enough for vitamin D production.

    Eat more plant protein

    A recent study from Harvard found that people who ate a diet high in processed meats like ham, were at a higher risk of death—but those who got their protein from plants had a lower risk, especially of heart disease-related deaths. The study said that for every three percent increase in calories from plant protein there was a reduction in risk of death by 10 percent.

    Eat nuts

    Although you may think nuts are unhealthy because they are calorically high, the exact opposite is true—they can actually extend your life. A study from Harvard found that daily nut-eaters were 20 percent less likely to die during the study. Specifically, the rates of death from heart and breathing disease were reduced. Other research has shown walnuts have a huge role in heart health because of the amount of antioxidants (抗氧剂）they contain.

Helpful tips for college-bound seniors

    Researching a college is one of the most time-consuming tasks that you'll encounter.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}For example, what classes and facilities the college has to offer, and what sports it offers. After narrowing your choices to a group of colleges, you'll have to start to research these in depth.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}He or she may be able to help you find things about the colleges that you could not get yourself.

    Knowing what you want to study is another key to looking for a college.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}By knowing what I want to do, I can then look at colleges that I've been thinking about applying to and narrow my choices down. If a college doesn't have the courses I need, then it's definitely out of the picture.

    Another key thing to look for is the college's testing requirements.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Some colleges also require an SAT II test in certain areas, for example English or Math. Remember to look at a college's GPA requirements, too. You may find a college where there's everything you want, but your GPA isn't high enough to be considered. In this case you may need to attend a junior college for one or two years.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}At this point you may want to have a long discussion with your parents, and find out how much they're willing and able to spend on college. If it isn't enough to cover your full tuition, then you may want to apply for financial aid or a scholarship. And your final option maybe looking for a college that doesn't cost as much.

A. All colleges require an SAT or an ACT test.

B. And lastly, but definitely not the least, is tuition.

C. Look for a college now if you plan on attending one.

D. You need to find out many basics about possible colleges.

E. If you will be a senior in the near future, this article is for you.

F. I plan to major in business management and minor in computer applications.

G. If you have a college counselor at your school, this would be a good time to ask for advice.

When you were trying to figure out what to buy for the environmentalist on your holiday list, fur probably didn't cross your mind. But some ecologists and fashion enthusiasts are trying to bring back the market for fur made from nutria (海狸鼠).

Unusual fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn have showcased nutria fur made into clothes in different styles. "It sounds crazy to talk about guilt-free fur—unless you understand that the nutria are destroying vast wetlands every year", says Cree McCree, project director of Righteous Fur.

Scientists in Louisiana were so concerned that they decided to pay hunters $5 a tail. Some of the fur ends up in the fashion shows like the one in Brooklyn last month.

Nutria were brought there from Argentina by fur farmers and let go into the wild. "The ecosystem down there can't handle this non-native species. It's destroying the environment. It's them or us." says Michael Massimi, an expert in this field.

The fur trade kept nutria check for decades, but when the market for nutria collapsed in the late 1980s, the cat-sized animals multiplied like crazy.

Biologist Edmond Mouton runs the nutria control program for Louisiana. He says it's not easy to convince people that nutria fur is green, but he has no doubt about it. Hunters bring in more than 300,000 nutria tails a year, so part of Mouton's job these days is trying to promote fur.

Then there's Righteous Fur and its unusual fashion. Morgan says, "To give people a guilt-free option that they can wear without someone throwing paint on them — I think that's going to be a massive thing, at least here in New York." Designer Jennifer Anderson admits it took her a while to come around to the opinion that using nutria fur for her creations is morally acceptable. She is trying to come up with a label to attach to nutria fashions to show it is eco-friendly.

Where does the meat on our table come from? It usually comes from livestock like chickens and cows. But did you know that meat can also be made in a lab? US company JUST has announced that lab-grown meat could be on some restaurant menus in the United States and Asia by the end of 2018, The Independent reported.

"These meats include chicken nuggets (鸡块), sausage and foie gras (鹅肝酱)," Josh Tetrick, CEO of JUST, told The Independent. Lab meat is sometimes referred to as "clean meat". It is made using the stem cells (干细胞) of living livestock. The cells need to be grown in a lab for a few weeks. For example, making a hamburger patty (肉饼) takes about nine weeks, CNN reported. This is faster than raising a cow, which usually takes over 20 weeks.

The first clean meat was a beef burger that was produced in 2013, but it was said to taste quite dry. How does clean meat taste now? Clean meat supporters told CNN that they think it tastes just like traditional meat.

Clean meat has other advantages. It is healthier than traditional meat. Meat producers can control what type of fat goes into the meat. They can produce clean meat that contains healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids (脂肪酸). This kind of fat is good for people's hearts.

Clean meat can also help to solve global warming. According to The Washington Post, about 14.5 percent of the planet's greenhouse gas emissions (排放) come from raising livestock. That's more than the emissions from every car, train, ship and airplane in the world combined. It is predicted that switching to clean meat could lower greenhouse gas emissions by 96 percent, The Independent reported.