A large body of research has been developed in recent years to explain many aspects of willpower. Most of the researchers exploring self-control do so with an obvious goal in mind: How can willpower be strengthened? If willpower is truly a limited resource, as the research suggests, what can be done to make it stay strong?

    Avoiding temptation (诱惑）is an effective method for maintaining self-control, which is called the “out of sight, out of mind” principle. One recent study, for instance, found office workers are less attracted to candy in the desk drawer than that on top of their desks, in plain sight.

    The research suggesting that we possess a limited reservoir of self-control raises a troubling question. When we face too many temptations, are we to fail? Not necessarily. Researchers don't believe that one's willpower is ever completely exhausted. Rather, people appear to hold some willpower in reserve, saved for future demands. The right motivation allows us to tap into those reserves, allowing us to carry on even when our self-control strength has been run down. High motivation might help overcome weakened willpower—at least to a point.

    Willpower may also be made less vulnerable (脆弱) to being exhausted in the first place. Researchers who study self-control often describe it as being like a muscle that gets tired with heavy use. But there is another aspect to the muscle comparison, they say. While muscles become exhausted by exercise in the short term, they are strengthened by regular exercise in the long term. Similarly, regular practices of self-control may improve willpower strength.

    The evidence from willpower-exhaustion studies also suggests that making a list of resolutions on New Year's Eve is the worst possible approach» Being exhausted in one area can reduce willpower in other areas, so it makes more sense to focus on a single goal at a time. In other words, don't try to quit smoking, adopt a healthy diet and start a new exercise plan at the same time. Taking goals one by one is a better approach. Once a good habit is in place, Baumeister says, you'll no longer need to draw on your willpower to maintain the behavior. Eventually healthy habits will become routine, and won't require making decisions at all.

    Many questions about the nature of self-control remain to be answered by further research. Yet it seems likely that with clear goals, good self-monitoring and a little practice, you can train your willpower to stay strong in the face of temptation.

    It used to be a matter of fact when Peter Pan-a character from James Matthew Harrie's 1911 book-said: “All children, except one, grow up.”

    But this “fact” doesn't seem to apply to today's world anymore.

    According to the NPD Group, a US market research company, sales of toys to adults in the UK increased by more than 20 percent in 2016, three times the pace of the children's toy market itself. These toys varied from puzzles and Lego building sets to vehicle models and action figures. And more than half of the sales came from millennials-people born between the 1980s and 2000s.

    “Adults of the 21st century are channeling their inner child, one toy at a time,” commented website Koreaboo. This is also why these adults are sometimes looked to as “kidults”.

    According to Frederique Tutt, an analyst at NPD, the motivation of these grown-ups is to escape the stress of today's fast-paced world. They are driven toward the more immediate pleasures brought by toys than those brought by, say, getting a promotion, which is far less easy to achieve.

    “It reminds me of the playful side of life,” Rob Willner, a 25-year-old PhD student in the UK, told The Telegraph when talking about his love for Lego, which he said brings him both comfort and pleasure.

    Despite this, some social scientists see the trend as disturbing. To Frank Furendi, a professor at the University of Kent in the UK, the fact that so many adults are seeking “the excitement of youth” is the evidence that “adulthood has got nothing attractive about it anymore”, he told The New York Times. “That's actually quite sad.”

    But scientists are probably just worrying too much. According to Canadian comic book artist Todd McFarlane, collecting toys could simply be a way for people to express their individuality. “It's just pop culture stuff. It's stuff that says, ‘I like a little of this and I like a little of that',” he told ABC News. “It's no big deal.”

    So now that over 100 years have passed since Peter Pan, perhaps it's time to introduce a new “fact”, as stated in the tagline(标语) of the UK fashion brand KIDULT: “Growing old is mandatory (被迫的), but growing up is optional.”

    You may have never heard of Lanthanum, Cerium or Neodymium, but these elements (元素) and others known as “rare earth” play a major role in modern technology. They can actually be found in many places on the earth, but not in quantities that can be mined. Only a few countries — China, America, India, Australia, Brazil and Malaysia have any that can be mined enough to be traded.

Even though some of these elements such as Cerium are as abundant as Copper, they are not found in concentrated amounts on the earth's surface. They are often mixed together with other metals, which makes extraction (提取) of these elements an expensive and an environmentally messy process. It was due to this reason that the term “rare earth” was invented.

    Rare earth metals are used widely in our life. Rechargeable car batteries, computers, iPhones, DVD players, computer monitors, televisions, lighting, lasers, glass polishing, and superconductors all use quantities of rare earth metals. Also, with the advancement in “green” technology like solar panels, these shiny materials are becoming more important than ever. An average electric car uses 10 pounds of Lanthanum for its rechargeable battery!

    America has large deposits (存储量) of rare earths and has one of the first mines. It was openedin Southern California in 1940. The element “Europium” was the first metal to be separated in quantity for use in color televisions. However, in the 1980's and 1990's, as China started producing these elements in Inner Mongolia, the mines in America and elsewhere could not keep pace. The mine in Mountain Pass, California also failed environmental regulations and shut down in 2002.

    Now, recognizing the importance of having more than one supplier of this important resource, other rare earth owning countries like India and Australia are either dusting off their rare earth mines or speeding up their production. It is believed that the debate over rare earths will become louder in the coming months and years.

Most of Bangladesh is at or below sea level. Rising seawater linked to climate change has severely affected the country. High water from storms in coastal areas also adds salt to soil. The land is becoming salty. Crops are less productive and many areas of cropland in the country are becoming unfit for farming. These are big problems for the small country. More than 155 million people live in Bangladesh. Growing crops is the most common way Bangladeshis support themselves.

To find a way out，farmers in the country are learning to grow vegetables in so-called "vertical gardens". The soil in these gardens is better because heavy rains have removed much of the salt.

A vertical garden is easy to make. Villagers fill containers with good soil and natural fertilizers. They put the containers on bricks so they are off the ground. They add pieces of the bricks to the soil to help water flow and drain (排水).

The farmers cut small holes into the sides of the containers. This permits vegetables with short roots a place to grow. Vegetables with long roots grow on top of the container. One bag of soil can produce up to eight kilograms of vegetables in one season.

The farmers also grow vegetables in containers made from large, thin pieces of plastic supported by bamboo. This "vertical tower" measures more than a meter wide. Each of these towers can produce more than 100 kilograms of vegetables. It costs about $12—$13 to build.

We high school students do have some growing pains,but we can get rid of them correctly and {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(wise).First, some of us{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(be) upset about our appearance.I don't think it is important all and there is no need to care about it. Actually,it is one's inner beauty{#blank#}3{#/blank#}matters. Second, we sometimes cannot{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(understand) correctly by our teachers,  parents and classmates.Faced with this, we can find a right time to have a heart-to-hear talk with {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(they), trying to remove the misunderstanding.Some of us have fewer friends{#blank#}6{#/blank#}would like to listen to our deepest feelings and thoughts.I think being open-minded and friendly will do you good. Third, we may fall behind others,which makes us{#blank#}7{#/blank#}( stress).Well, we can encourage ourselves to work efficiently, full of {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(determine). At last,some of us don't have much pocket money, so they feel unhappy. Isn't it strange?{#blank#}9{#/blank#}my view, as long as we have some, that's enough. And then, we can learn to be independent by {#blank#}10{#/blank#} some part time jobs, earning some extra money.

Passage 1

This four-day walking tour will take you on amazing {#blank#}1{#/blank#} through the Andes Mountains on the way to the city of Machu Pícchu. After reaching your {#blank#}2{#/blank#} , you will have a day to {#blank#}3{#/blank#} and be amazed by this ancient city. Eepecially amazing is the Incas' dry stone method of building. Inca builders cut stones to exact {#blank#}4{#/blank#} so that nothing was needed to hold walls together other than the {#blank#}5{#/blank#} fit of the stones.

Passage2

As a player, Lang Ping brought {#blank#}6{#/blank#} and glory to her country. As a coach, she led the China women's volleyball team to {#blank#}7{#/blank#} at world. championships and the Olympics. As a person, Lang Ping is loved by fans at home and {#blank#}8{#/blank#} When the Chinese team was preparing for the 2015 World Cup, her determination was tested. The team that Lang Ping had built was falling {#blank#}9{#/blank#} . One of the best players had been injured, and the team {#blank#}10{#/blank#} kad to leave because of heart problems.