Thumbs Down to Texting （屈指发短信）

       Do you have a mobile phone? Do you send text messages to your friends and family?

       Text messaging or “texting” is becoming very popular. But, scientists have discovered that texting can give us problems with our hands. Be careful! Too much texting can cause swelling in our thumbs. Our thumbs were not made for pushing small buttons, over and over. Scientists call this problem RSI. We spoke to a doctor called Harriet Wilson, who treats many sick people with RSI. She says we need to see how much time we are spending in typing text messages. If we are spending more than 10–15 minutes at once, we could have problems in the future.

       As mobile phones develop, they are getting smaller with buttons closer together. Texting with a smaller phone is worse than using a larger phone with bigger buttons. Using a computer keyboard and playing video games can cause the same problem. So more and more people could find themselves with RSI. Among them, most are university students and teenagers, as they do not know the risks of spending so much time using computer, video games and mobile phones. If we don't do something about this, too many young people could grow up in terrible pain.

    Do some colours make you feel calm while others give you energy? Scientists have studied the connection between colours and mood for a long time. Many believe that colour can influence our moods.

    Warm, bright colours such as yellow and red are positive colours. They can give people a pleasant feeling. Cool colours such as blue, purple, and green are relaxing colours. They help people experience calm feelings.

    Many public places are decorated with certain colours in order to create certain moods. Orange makes people feel hungry, and many restaurants are painted this colour.

    People use colour in their homes to create moods as well. Blue is a peaceful colour. It helps you rest, so it is a very good colour for a bedroom.

    Colours can create bad moods too. Some types of blue make people feel sad. Red can make people feel angry.

    What is your mood right now? Now look at the colour of the walls round you. Does it match your mood?

    It's a must-eat fruit in Southeast Asia. People there call it "King of Fruits" Many love it so much that they eat it at every meal. "what's it?" you may ask. It is the durian (榴莲).

    The durian can only grow in hot places. Its name "durian" comes from the Malay word "duff". It means "thorn (刺)".

    The durian is the most famous fruit in Southeast Asia. It looks big and dangerous and has a very strong smell (浓烈的气味).有许多不同种类的榴莲 They come in different sizes. A durian can grow up to 30cm long, and usually it can be as heavy as 1 to 3kg.

    The greatest thing about the durian is its inside (内部). When you open it up, a very strong smell comes out. Some people love this smell, but others don't like it! In Singapore, people cannot bring a durian into a hotel room or onto a city train. And they can't bring a durian onto some planes either.

    Although the durian has a strong smell, it tastes quite good. It tastes soft (软的) and sweet. Some animals living in the forest like it!

    Joy always rides her bike to school. It's four miles to school and it takes her about fifteen minutes. Joy likes riding to school. She says it's good for her health.

    Edward usually goes to school by bus. He likes talking with his friends on the bus. It's about ten minutes' journey (旅程) to school by bus.

    Mary's home is near the school. She usually walks to school. It's about five minutes' walk. Mary says she likes taking walks after meal.

    Raising chickens seems a difficult task for teenagers. Grace Goodpasture from Virginia, US, not only raises them but also tries to breed（喂养） the "perfect chicken". And she even won an award for her love of science.

    Grace started breeding chickens in her third grade at Steward school. At first, she worked on some farms for her school project. But later the fourteen-year-old started to have some ideas of her own.

    "Some have thicker eggshells(蛋壳), and they are hearty(健壮的) throughout the winter," said Grace.

    Since then, the young science lover started to try to find the healthiest free-range(散养) chickens. And she ended up breeding a type that now bears her name.

    The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) gave the 2015 Angela Award to Grace Goodpasture. Her interests don't end with chickens and eggs. She is also into building robots and testing preservatives (防腐剂) in fast foods. In her words, she wants to go to Virginia Tech for poultry (家禽) sciences in the future.