Kids' health: four steps for fighting stress

    Everybody gets stressed from time to time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}some ways of dealing with stress— like screaming or hitting someone— don't solve much. But other ways, like talking to someone you trust, can lead you to solving your problem or at least feeling better.

    Try taking these four steps the next time you are stressed:

    (1.)Get support. When you need help, reach out to the people who care about you. Talk to a trusted adult, such as a parent or other relatives. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}they might have had similar problems, such as dealing with a test, or the death of a beloved pet.

    (2.)Don't take it out on yourself. Sometimes when kids are stressed and upset they take it out on themselves. Oh , dear, that's not a good idea. Remember that there are always people to help you. Don't take it out on yourself. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    (3.)Try to solve the problem. After you are calm and you have support from adults and friends, it's time to get down to business. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}even if you can't solve it all, you can solve a piece of it.

    (4.)Be positive. Most stress is temporary（暂时的）. Remember stress does go away, especially when you figure out the problem and start working on solving it.

    These steps aren't magic, but they do work.. and if you can stay positive as you make your way through a tough time, you'll help yourself feel better even faster. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Ask for a helping hand to get you through the tough situation.

B. Notice your friends' feelings and find a way to help them.

C. Different people feel stress in different ways.

D. Ah, it feels so good when the stress is gone.

E. You need to figure out what the problem is.

F. And don't forget about your friends.

G. Then, find a way to calm down.

    Have you ever felt a sudden feeling of joy because you heard a favorite song playing? Then you know that music can have a strong effect on your emotions. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It can help get you out of a bad mood (心情) or stay in a good one, says Alicia Ann Clair, professor at the University of Kansas. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    To cheer up, listen to Latin music or anything with a strong beat or a fast speed{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. When you want to relax after a busy day, music with a slower speed can calm you down.     

    Listen to calming music before you start any stressful activities, advises Dr. Clair. "Once you' re in a good state of mind, it' s easier to keep it." You can lower stress at work with music, too, by playing relaxing tunes (曲调). {#blank#}4{#/blank#} "If you listen to them all day long, you'll stop noticing them," Dr. Clair explains. Then the music won't have any effect.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}."To feel energetic, start with something relaxing, and then gradually increase the speed and beat," says Dr. Clair. For example, first play some nice slow love songs, and then listen to something more energetic. When you want to calm down after a busy week at work, just do the opposite.

    Do you have a spare room in your house? What about your driveway for your car?

    Both of these can help you make money. Many people who have financial difficulties are taking advantage of what's been called the 'sharing economy'.

    Perhaps the best-known example of a company in this field is Airbnb.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}It says it operates in 34,000 cities and it has 800,000 listings of rooms and apartments. They seem to have cornered the market!

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Just Park's founder, Anthony Eskinazi, says: "When I had the original idea, I spotted a driveway close to a sports stadium. It would have been so convenient if I could have just parked in that driveway rather than in a commercial car park." And he has a big clientele(客户): Around 200,000 people have advertised their spaces on the site, and he says around half a million drivers use it.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}They let drivers share their cars with other passengers.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}A church near Kings Cross in central London has apparently made over 200,000 pounds by renting out space in its yard to travelers! But the sharing economy has its competitors. People who run things like traditional hotels, commercial car parks and taxi services are afraid of ending up losing money.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Because this is a new business world, those rules are not there yet. How will renting out your driveway affect your neighbor?

A. Any driver knows how valuable a place to park is.

B. A British company is doing something with parking spaces.

C. There are other sites doing very similar things, like Uber and Lyft.

D. It offers travelers a global network of accommodations offered by locals

E. Another problem is that regulations for these new businesses are unclear.

F. The American web business allows you to rent out your spare room to holidaymakers.

G. Now that the sharing economy is gaining the support of the financial community, corporations start paying attention.

    Many people think only professionals—engineers, accountants, teachers, etc.—have careers.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Even if you've never had a paid job, you still have a career. Your career is the sum of your life and work. It includes all your activities and experiences. Your schooling, your volunteer work, and even your relationships with your family are all big parts of your career.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    During your career, you will have a variety of jobs, occupations and roles. People used to think of a job as full-time, permanent, paid work done for an employer at a work site. But in our changing world, a job is a set of duties or tasks. It can be paid or unpaid{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Even someone who is self-employed has a job.

    An occupation is a group of jobs with similar responsibilities that require a common set of skills.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Programmers may have permanent or temporary jobs working for specific employers, be self-employed, work full-time or part-time, be paid for their work or volunteer their services. They may change jobs or hold several jobs at one time but, until they change the type of duties or tasks they perform, they are still computer programmers.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} We all play a number of roles in our lives and our roles often change over time. For example, Kris works four days a week as a receptionist in a clinic and takes evening courses in social work. She also sews gymnastic wear for her neighbor who sells it at summer markets. Now Kris has at least three roles.

A. A role is a part you play.

B. Actually everyone has a career.

C. In other words, your career is your life story.

D. For example, computer programmer is an occupation.

E. As a matter of fact, a job is different from a role in some way.

F. It can be completed at a work site, at home, or somewhere else.

G. The following is about your work, your family, and your life story.

    If you're a gamer who's constantly glued to your phone, it could be time to ask for medical help.

On June 18, 2018, the World Health Organization（WHO）officially listed "gaming disorder" as a mental health condition. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

"Video gaming is like a non-financial kind of gambling（赌博）from a psychological point of view," Mark Griffiths, a professor from Nottingham Trent University in the UK, told the Associated Press（AP）. "Gamblers use money as a way of keeping score, while gamers use points."

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}"People need to understand this doesn't mean every child who spends hours in their room playing games is an addict, otherwise doctors are going to be flooded with requests for help," Joan Harvey, a spokeswoman for the British Psychological Society, told AP.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, a 21-year-old Chinese woman surnamed Wu in Guangdong province went blind in one eye after playing the mobile game King of Glory for a whole day. "On days when I have no work, I usually get up at 6 am, eat breakfast and play until 4 pm," she told the South China Morning Post. "Then I'll eat something, have a nap（小睡）and play until 1 am."

    Wu isn't alone. According to a study published by China Youth Daily, about one in five young Chinese people play online video games for at least four to five hours per day. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In April, the Ministry of Education issued a notice asking Chinese schools and parents to prevent students from becoming addicted to the Internet and games.

    Other countries have also taken action. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Meanwhile, in Japan, some mobile phones have a special mode for children that lets their parents control what games they can download and how long they can play.

A. This means it's now on the same list as other mental illnesses.

B. Thankfully, measures have been taken to deal with the problem.

C. We often see people around us playing games on their mobile phones.

D. In South Korea, children are forbidden to play video games after midnight.

E. WHO's main work is to improve the mental health of individuals and society.

F. But if you lose control over your gaming habits, you'll face serious problems.

G. However, it doesn't matter if you play your favorite game now and then.

Are You Treated Too Nicely?

    A new study found that when trying to build high self-esteem in children, parents may unconsciously be creating little narcissists (自恋狂). {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Parents who are always praising their children may be trying to develop high self-esteem. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In fact, too much special treatment can lead to narcissistic behavior.

    "{#blank#}3{#/blank#} That may not be good for them or for society." Brad Bushman, co-author of the study and professor of communication and psychology at the Ohio State University, said in a press release. "People with high self-esteem think they're as good as others, whereas narcissists think they're better than others."

    This study, as well as previous studies about parent-child relationships Bushman has worked on, caused him to alter his own parenting style. When he began his research, he thought that children should be treated like they are special by their parents. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} He said that interventions (干预) can help parents learn how to better support their children.

    "Parent training interventions can, for example, teach parents to express affection and appreciation toward children without telling children that they are superior to others," Bushman said. "Future studies should test whether this can work."

A. Now he is careful not to follow that model.

B. Children whose parents tell them they are special are more likely to become narcissists.

C. But actually, they have realized that they are running their children.

D. Children believe it when their parents tell them that they are more special than others.

E. And he carefully carries out the principle.

F. However, the study showed that loving and emotionally warm parents are more likely to have confident kids.