C

    How often do you check your phone? According to a study led by Nottingham Trent University in Britain, the average person looks at their phones 86 times a day. Updating their status on social media platforms also made people reach for their electronic companion frequently.

    Even the participants thought that was a lot: this figure is twice as often as they thought they did. Our phones might be shaping our behavior more than we realize. Do you actually look at your surroundings more than at your phone? Is it rude to check your phone when someone is talking to you?

    Sherry Turkle interviewed hundreds of college students about this. She's a professor of social studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They talked about something they called "the rule of three".

    The rule has to do with being considerate to others despite the allure (诱惑力) of the little flat box. Turkle explains: "If you go to dinner with friends, you don't want to look down at your phone until you see that three people are looking up in the conversation. So there's a new rule where you don't look down unless three people are looking up in order to keep a little conversation alive."

    Actually, if you are clever enough you might use your phone as a tool to connect with people next to you. Sharing a bit of your life with them can bring you closer together. And you can also invite everyone to take a selfie (自拍照) with you.

    But the best thing to deal with mobile phone addiction is to go cold turkey and leave the machine behind occasionally or just switch it off and keep it firmly in your pocket for a while.

    With the cold weather season rapidly approaching, caring for dry skin may become more challenging. Here are some tips on how to protect your skin and keep it healthy throughout the colder months of the year.

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    Avoid harsh(刺激性的) cleansers containing sulfates or alcohol, and choose a gentle cleanser. Harsh cleansers may disrupt the PH balance of your skin and cause dryness.

    Switch to a face oil

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In order to avoid dryness, rub about 3 to 5 drops of oil the palm of your hands and then gently pat it into the skin. Face oils offer the benefit of conditioning the skin and protecting it from the cold air.

    Exfoliate(去死皮)

    Exfoliating is very important because it helps to get rid of dead skin cells and encourages skin cell renewal.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} However, especially when the skin is feeling extra dry, it is important to use a gentle product and not to overdo it.

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    If you don't feel thirsty and struggle with taking in enough liquids, try to drink tea, sweetened with a little raw honey. Dehydrated skin cells have a slower turnover rate, which results in dull skin and more visible fine lines.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The most advantage is that you will spend the cold season with comfort and confidence.

A. Drink plenty of water

B. Eat homemade soups

C. Use mild facial cleansers

D. Follow the above tips, you may own nice skin and look better.

E. Here are three of the most common example of skin discomfort.

F. After cleansing your face, your skin still takes the risk of dryness.

G. Moreover, dead skin cells won't allow your face oil to enter the skin deeply.

    The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!

Peterborough Museum

    The Age of the Dinosaurs' is the museum' s main attraction this summer. Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands-on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking (潜伏）around every ember! The museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Saturday, and from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August.

Call 01733 864663 for details.

Saxon Youth Club

    School holiday fun: Young people aged 13-19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in spots activities, or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Center, Norman Road, Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00 pm. PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday, 12^th August between 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm.

Houghton Mill

    Alice through the Looking Class－a new production of the family favorite on Monday, 30^th August. Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play. Gates open 5:30 performance 6:30 pm-8:30 pm. Tea room will be open until end of the interval. Adult £10. Child £7. Family £20.

Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey

    Farmland Games: From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches, come and join the Farmland Team. Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette （玫瑰形饰物）that is fit for a winner! No need to book, just turn up between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Thursday, 19^th August. Suitable for children aged four and above, each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price. Tickets Cost £7 per child.

For further information, call 01223 810080.

    There's no doubt that water is vital to any life. About 60 percent of the average adult human body is made of water. This includes most of your brain, heart, lungs, muscles and skin, and even about 30 percent of your bones. Yet there's little scientific agreement about the exact amount of the stuff an individual should consume each day. So how much water do you actually need to drink to be healthy?

    You may have heard that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Yet, the downside of this rule, researchers say, is that drinking water by the glass is not the only way that humans take in it. The “8 X 8” rule essentially overlooks two big sources of daily water consumption. One such source is food. Everything you eat contains some water. Watermelons, for example, are more than 90 percent water by weight. Different diets naturally contain different amounts of waters, and the counts. The other key water sources are other beverages. Non-alcoholic drinks such as coffee, and tea, contain mostly water and all contribute to your hydration（水量）.

    So, between all the food, water and other fluids you consume in a day, how much water should you aim to take in?

    The National Academics of Sciences suggests that woman consume a total of approximately 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of warm from all beverages and foods each day and men 3.7 liters (125 ounces). But these are just general guidelines.

    The truth is, there is no magic standard for hydration—everyone's need vary depending on their age, weight, level of physical activity, general health and even the climate they live in. The more water you lose, the more water you'll need to replace with food and drink. If you are looking for concrete advice, though, the best place to look is within. Drink up when you're thirsty.

    What's the most important thing in a piece of writing? Is it the story, the characters, the description, or the style? Obviously, you can't choose only one. A great work succeeds in combining all of them in a great mix, producing a wonderful work.

    In most cases, you're better at one writing element over the rest, and working on your strengths will work to your advantage. Building characters, however, is important to your writing. It's not to be ignored no matter what your case is. So, how do you achieve that?

Make Them Real

    This is probably one of the most common pieces of writing advice: make your characters believable. What does it really mean? It means that your characters need to be there for a reason, not just for pushing the story forward. He/She has a real life, with his/her own fears and dreams, and you have to show this. Your characters don't need to be typical to be believable. The unusual ones are even more interesting, but it's your job to make your readers relate to them.

Understand Human Psychology

    To build great characters, you'll need to understand people's psychology: what are they thinking about, what are they feeling and experiencing, and why are they doing what they are doing? Get behind the obvious. Be in the backstage with them. Sit them in a chair and let them talk away. If you truly listen, you will learn.

Be your character

    When you immerse (使沉浸) yourself in your writing, you get lost in that world and you start living in it. This is when the magic happens and you become your character. By putting yourself in your character's shoes, you allow yourself to experience what you're writing about first-hand. The more it feels real to you, the more the readers will feel the same, too.

    Minecraft, a video game with which you can build virtual（虚拟的） worlds, will be used in the classroom. Microsoft bought the game from its Swedish creator for 2.5 billion dollars. Now, the software（软件） company wants to offer schools a special educational version（版本）.

    MinecraftEdu is an add-on to the game, which has specially created by teachers for classroom use. While thousands of classes around the world are already using Minecraft in their lessons, Microsoft wants to make it easier for schools to use the software.

    Minecraft is a game that can be used in many subjects, including maths, science and geography. Microsoft wants to add new features to the educational version, for example letting students take photos and putting them into an online diary. The new version will allow children to download the game and at home without having to pay more money for it. Microsoft is expected to ask students and teachers for about 5 dollars a year to use the game in school and at home.

    According to Microsoft, Minecraft has 100 million players around the world. It has become one of the best-selling games of all times. Pupils can create their own virtual worlds with the help of special building blocks. Joy Morsi, a New York high school teacher, says that Minecraft helps develop the imagination of children in the classroom. Besides, teachers around the world create new things and share them with others, so that the Minecraft community keeps growing.

    Microsoft plans to make the game of available to pupils and students of all ages, from primary school through to college. the company plans to add Minecraft to an Office 365 account(账户), so that it can also sell more of its Office software.