Sleep is something we all do. But some people need to sleep more than others. Babies sleep most of the time. Children in school sleep about ten to twelve hours a night. Most adults sleep only seven or eight hours.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}All parts of our bodies have to rest after they work.. Our arms need a rest after we lift heavy thing, When we run fast, our legs work hard. They get tired. We have to rest them. Our brains workhard, too.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} We can sit quite still and rest our arms andlegs. But our brains aren't resting. They go right on thinking as long as weare awake.

      Our brains slow down a bit when we sleep and dream.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Instead of thinking wide-awake thoughts, our brains make up dreams. Some dreams are very pleasing. Some are not. Most of thetime we forget them when we wake up.

      Scientists have tried to find out what would happen if people were not allowed to sleep. They asked some people not to go to bed. The people stayed up all night and all the next day. They stayed up the next night too,and the day after. They played games, but they made mistakes. They forgot things.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} The people grew rude and mean. They became angry with their friends. Finally they were too tired to stand up. When they sat down, they fell asleep.

Scientists have found that if people are not allowed to sleep and to dream, they act in an unusual way.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}But we do know that we need it to stay well. So tonight have a goodsleep. Lie down under the covers. Shut your eyes. Let your thoughts wander.Soon you'll stop thinking. You'll be asleep.

A. It was hard for their tired brains to work.

B. When we are awake, they help us pay attention to the worldaround us

C. But babies, children, and adults—all of us need to haveour sleep

D. Good sleep helps to improve one's memory

E. No one knows why sleep is so good for us

F. But even as we sleep our brains are doing some work

G. Of course you will have a good sleep

How to Make Friends

    Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Good friendship has many benefits. If offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leaves us without a friend.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.

1）Associate with others.

    The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.

2）Start a conversation.

    Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.

3）{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together. Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.

4）Let it grow.

    It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.

5）Enjoy your friendship.

    The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be.  Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.

A. Be cheerful.

B. So you will need to give your friend time to react to you.

C. Making new friends comes easy for some people.

D. For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch.

E. Do not wait to be spoken to.

F. Try not to find fault with your friends.

G. Do things together.

Kids and food: advice for parents

    It is important for parents to know how to help their kids eat healthy. Here are a few easy ways:

    Parents control the supply lines.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Though kids may keep asking for less nutritious foods, parents should decide which foods are regularly provided in the house. Kids won't go hungry. They'll eat what's available in the fridge at home.

    Say goodbye to “clean-plate club”.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Lots of parents grew up under the clean-plate rule, but that way doesn't help kids listen to their own bodies when they are full. When kids feel full, they're likely to overeat.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Food preferences are developed early in life, so try to offer different kinds of food. Likes and dislikes begin forming even when kids are babies. Parents may need to serve a new food on several different occasions(时机) for a child to accept it.

    Food is not love.

    Find better ways to say “I love you.” When foods are used to reward kids and show love, they may start to turn to food when feeling worried or unhappy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Kids do as you do.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}When trying to teach good eating habits, try to set the best example. Choose nutritious food, eat at the table, and don't forget breakfast.

A. Start them young.

B. Rewrite the kids' menu.

C. Be a role model and eat healthy yourself.

D. Offer praise and attention instead of food treats.

E. Let kids stop eating when they feel they've had enough.

F. You decide which foods to buy and when to serve them.

G. Let kids choose what to eat and how much of it they want.

    Bank holidays! We all love them!

    A bank holiday is an English term for a public holiday. During the day banks and offices are closed and a lot of people have a day off work. In the UK, people only get eight bank holidays in one year. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    People in Colombia are much luckier. There are twenty bank holidays for the whole country in one year! And there can be even more, depending on which region(地区) you live in. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} As in the UK, most of the bank holidays in Colombia exist for religious reasons.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} One such example is Independence Day on 20 July every year. This is just like Bastille Day in France on 14 July. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is in memory of the day that Christopher Columbus, first reached America in the year 1492.

    Bank holidays are very important for western people. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They may also choose to stay at home to relax and forget about work.

A. Bank holidays are different in Colombia.

B. During the holidays, they often travel with their families.

C. This is because different regions have their own holidays.

D. And at least five of those are around Christmas time and Easter.

E. Every country on the continent of America celebrates Columbus Day.

F. Another historical bank holiday in Colombia is Columbus Day on 12 October.

G. However, some bank holidays in Colombia came into being for historical reasons.

Today, what we have, is an always-in-your-pocket, 24/7 news cycle. When you open a news app, you'll notice a brief moment when the "old news" is still there. In a flash, the ancient history of a few hours ago is swept away for the next "breaking news". {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It's endless, but you had better keep up. 

Researchers introduce this world to the phrase, "noise bottleneck". A noise bottleneck is where we are overwhelmed with so much information or noise that our cognitive （认知的） abilities can't keep up. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Thus, while our attention can watch hours. of videos, our long-term learning processes can't. 

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} We watch TV holding our phones, and we listen to music while shopping. However, the human brain might have structural limitation rooted in the cognitive architecture which causes the slowing down that occurs when two tasks are performed at the same time. 

In short, your brain is not as good as you think it is. You are a human being who can only take in so much a day. Understanding the noise bottleneck allows us to fix it. So, here are three tips to get you going:

Clear your content-set up a new account on social media and follow only accounts or people that you think are really valuable. 

Single-task-you don't need to rid the phone but do rid the distractions. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Say, "I will only read this magazine after dinner. Multitasking is for show; single-tasking is for pros. 

Accept your limits-you'll never read all the news. Accept you can only choose two or three and embrace that fact. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You're getting more out of those few than that "super-productive" person on social media who says they read five books a week. After all, it's better to have a little remembered than a lot forgotten. 

A. Give yourself a time limit or restriction if it helps. 

B. Don't beat yourself up that you're being unproductive. 

C. Every second, you are presented with new information. 

D. Breaking through the noise bottleneck is a legendary idea. 

E. The matter is made worse by our modern addiction to multitasking. 

F. Multitasking has dramatically changed the way we use information. 

G. Our brains have limited resources, spread across numerous functions. 

How to Make a Homemade Gift

Looking for a heartfelt gift that won't leave you broke? Try making your own. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Such sorts of gifts can make a major impression.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} While cards can be purchased at nearly any supermarket or department store, making one yourself can make a statement about the time and effort you're willing to spend on the recipient. The most important part, though, is the words you write on it. Try to be sincere and honest while writing something.

Create a scrapbook(剪贴簿). A scrapbook isn't just a great gift. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} To make a scrapbook, you'll just need some paper, glue and photos of you and the gift recipient. Stick the pictures in any order you want on your sheets of paper. For example, you can begin with photos of your first meeting.

Prepare love coupons (礼券). These are fantastic gifts for family members and close friends. The basic idea is to make a small book of "coupons" from zero. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} For example, if you're giving the coupons to your mother, you might write "I will go to a movie with you" on one of the coupons.

Make a pack of cards. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For this gift, you take an ordinary pack of cards and turn it into something special by writing your praise for the gift recipient on each one. When you give the gift, offer to use the cards to play your favorite card game together.

A. Write a heartfelt card.

B. Make a piece of DIY art.

C. Write things they would like on each of them.

D. This is sometimes also called "The Things I Love About You".

E. There are hundreds of affordable DIY projects that make great gifts.

F. It's a way to remind your friend of all the great memories you have together.

G. Making something by hand is often more impressive than spending lots of cash.