Physical education plays a vital role in the students' development and growth. According to recent medical studies, physical well-being of a student is directly related to his or her performance whether in class or in the office. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

It's a link to good health.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's only in physical educational classrooms that students learn the value of taking care of themselves through proper grooming, healthy eating and regular exercise.

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    Many doctors today agree that obesity is a serious health risk. Without any form of diet management and control with the numerous processed food students intake every day, a student's health can easily be at risk to many diseases. Physical education in school is a preventive measure to teach students the value of regular exercise.

It promotes academic learning.

    Physical health allows students to function better in classrooms. A good cardiovascular system developed from regular exercise promotes excellent blood and oxygen circulation. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} This circulation produces longer attention span during classes allowing longer concentration and absorption.

It builds self-trust.

    Students who are active in physical activities are more confident with themselves according to most social school studies. It's probably because of the self-discipline and dedication to excel in a sport that brings out the best in students. In school, the physical education program introduces these sport activities to students. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

It promotes a physically active lifestyle.

    The purpose of physical education is to instill in students, at an early age, the value of self-preservation and choosing a lifestyle that is good for both the mind and body.

    Meet Thomas Wilson. Thomas is famous all over the world. He holds the world record for sleeping in (睡过头). One weekend, Thomas slept in for two days, three hours and fourteen minutes. It was unbelievable. No one in history had ever slept in for so long before.

    Thomas was very proud of his world record. His friends were proud of him, too. Whenever Thomas walked down the street, people always came up to him and shook his hand. Thomas was a star.

    The on]y who wasn't proud of Thomas's world record was his father. Dad didn't like it when Thomas slept in. He complained that whenever Thomas slept in, the lawns didn't get mowed. He was worried about how high the grass was getting. Every weekend, it seemed to get higher and higher. “It's like a jungle there,” Dad moaned (抱怨) to Thomas one day. But Thomas wasn't worried about the grass getting higher. He had more important things on his mind—like sleeping in.

    One morning, Thomas was woken from a deep sleep by a loud roaring noise. It sounded like a wild animal pacing about under his bedroom window.

    Thomas rushed over to the window and pulled the curtains back. His eyes bulged like basketballs. “What on Earth…?” He gasped. There, in the middle of the backyard, was a lion! “Awesome!” cried Thomas. Suddenly, a giraffe poked its head through the window. It munched the leaves from a plant sitting by Thomas's bed. Next, an elephant walked past the swimming pool and squirted (喷出) water all over Dad's car! “Cool!” cheered Thomas. “Now I don't have to wash Dad's car today.”

    A few changes about how a teacher runs a classroom can make a huge effect on how concentrated students will be in that classroom. It's an issue every teacher has to face. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are just a few of my strategies.

    Rearrange (重新安排) Seats.

    I did the seat rearrangement because class conversation had become dull, and students just seemed to be there but not actually there. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} I had all of my students pick new seats at the tables. The rules were simple. They could not sit with more than one other person they'd already sat with, and it had to be at a different table.

    Take over A Lesson.

    Once in a while, it can be fun to let the students take over a lesson in a unit. Let them become the teachers, and the teacher becomes the student. You can provide the topic they need to cover. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Have Open Projects.

    Open projects have been very successful in my class. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} I used to dictate every part of my project assignments. Students would ask to do things a little differently. And I'd give in, surprised that their ideas were better than mine.

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    Sometimes teachers forget to bring the fun to the classroom. We try so hard to cover the courses for our students until they break down. Sometimes it's good to just set things aside for a day or two and have some fun.

A. Have fun.

B. Listen carefully.

C. But it can be solved in some very simple ways.

D. Let the students choose the topic and teach whatever they want.

E. It's one of the simplest ways to rearrange a class and get things going again.

F. They get to deal with the material in a way that is refreshing and new to them.

G. I've found that the more choices I gave my students, the better the projects have been.

    The universe has never failed to catch human's attention. The ancient humans came up with stories to explain the presence of the suns and other planets. As time went by, humans set their sights on exploring the vastness of space. In 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon's surface.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    It allows people to know more about the universe.

    Undoubtedly, space exploration has answered the question of whether the earth is round or not and proved the earth does circle around the sun and not the other way around.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It gives people a deeper understanding about the universe and provides them with more information about the world they live in.

    It paves the way to advanced technology.

    Scientists are always developing new technology for space programs, but the good news is that these new innovations(创新) aren't just useful for astronauts and space programs.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} In fact they have already led to the development of modern products and devices that many people use such as the GPS systems, and breast cancer test imaging, to name a few.

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    Space exploration doesn't just involve scientists and astronauts; it also requires the skills and labor of many engineers, research assistants, technicians, mechanics, and other professionals. If space exploration would be stopped today, these people would become jobless, and they wouldn't have the means to support themselves and their families.

    It can offer a solution to many problems.

    Aside from collecting information about the outer space, many space exploration programs are used to solve some of the problems with our modern society. Some programs, for example, help scientists learn more about the earth's atmosphere and know how to better predict weather and natural disasters.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} This may be the solution to the earth's growing population.

    Space exploration is one of the biggest achievements of humans as a whole, and it has paved the way to greater scientific understanding and technological advancement over the years. I can see no reason why we should stop our exploration.

A. It creates many jobs.

B. But it does much more than that.

C. It was a big step in space exploration.

D. They can also be used in other industries.

E. They also help scientists know more about the earth.

F. Others focus on looking for planets that can support human life.

G. Since then, space exploration has been going on and brought many benefits.

Spacewalk!

    Most people don't know that the anniversary of an important event in space exploration occurred last month. On March 18, 1965, spaceman Aleksi Leonov became the first human to complete an Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) or spacewalk. It marked the first time that a human was able to leave a spacecraft and operate in the emptiness of space. It is a dangerous procedure, but one that is vital for the success of manned space missions.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In space, a spacesuit must protect people from extreme cold and heat, provide air to breathe, and remove extra carbon dioxide. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Too much of it, and the spacesuit becomes firm and difficult to move in. Too little of it, and astronauts can become dangerously sick after returning to their spacecraft.

    Astronauts now perform complex jobs in the emptiness of space in modern spacesuits. They have logged many hours repairing and upgrading equipment on satellites during EVAs. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} On July 20^th, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon for the first time. There is no atmosphere on the moon, but there is gravity—about 17 percent of Earth's, which means Neil needed a special suit for walking on the moon's surface. Suits for the moon are equipped for exploration far from any vehicles, including tough boots that can resist cuts from the rough surface while walking. But sharp rocks weren't the only danger to astronauts.

    The moon surface is covered with a fine and flour-like dust which consists of small particles (颗粒) left over from the numerous meteorite (陨石) strikes on the moon. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When astronauts would leave the moon's gravity, the dust on their suits began floating all over. It got into delicate equipment inside the spacecraft and the astronaut's eyes and lungs. As different space agencies plan for returning people to the moon, new EVA suit designs will have to take something else into account. Keeping astronauts safe also means keeping their suits clean.

A. However, EVAs don't just happen in empty space.

B. It sticks to everything, eventually causing joints and seals to fail.

C. Spacesuits also have to maintain ideal air pressure during a spacewalk.

D. Unfortunately, most people have no idea about space exploration or spacesuits.

E. Without the ability to work in space, we are unable to keep our space programs functional.

F. There are a few things that must be taken into account to make an EVA both safe and effective

My students and I were ready for a challenge — a trip to Costa Rica. As we were waiting at the airport, we talked about our hopes and fears for our ten-day trip. My students worried about homesickness and felt uneasy with their homestay families. But strange foods or meeting new people didn't concern me. What terrified me was the best part of the trip — a zip lining (滑缆绳) flight over the jungle valley bordering Arenal Volcano. I made a secret pact (协议) with myself to find an excuse to get out of it at the last minute.

    When the fateful day arrived, we got to the peak to enjoy the breathtaking view of the volcano. When seeing the activity, my students raised a cheerful shout. How I wished I had had the same feeling as them. However, I was afraid of heights.

    My student Eileen sidled up to me. Her face was pale. "I'm scared," she whispered. "Will you stay back with me?" Here was my chance! I could get out of zip lining and still save face!

    "I'm scared, too," I said quietly.

    "Yeah," she said. "I thought you would be the right person to ask because you are really white, and you are sweating." Her words woke me up, and something clicked into place. If I couldn't step outside of my comfort zone, how could I ask the kids to do so?

    "Maybe we should give it a try," I said. I felt a little sick, but I couldn't believe my body was actually moving toward the launch point.

    "Come on," I said.

    "OK," she agreed.

    Eileen zipped past me, screaming with fear or delight, which I was not sure of. Once she was across, I followed. The attempt was not as terrible as I had thought. From that moment on, I knew there was nothing to fear as long as I walked out of my comfort zone and had a try.