On a hot summer day, there are few things that are more wonderful than a nice cool pool.
And it is completely relaxing. Of course, if you have children, there are certain measures you should take to keep them safe, whether you have a pool in your backyard or you are going to a public pool.
People should never swim by themselves. Actually it only takes a second for people to become injured and drown(溺水). This is especially true for young children.
Splashing(玩水) is fun, but don't take it too far. Kids love to go after one another through the water and to splash and jump around. But it is important to teach children not to jump on top of one another and to watch their surroundings in the water, so that they do not accidentally knock into others.
If you have a pool, you must have a locking gate around your pool. Keep the gate knocked at all times, even when you are in the pool.
Know the way out. Make sure that they know where all ladders are and how to enter and get out of the pool properly. Although your children may be able to lift themselves out of the pool using the side, that is not the safest way to go.
A.Kids should be taken good care of when they are swimming in the pool.
B.This is to prevent children from entering your pool without your knowledge.
C.And having someone there with you can make the difference between life and death.
D. Be sure to show all children the proper way to get out of the pool.
E.Even so, attempt to avoid getting any pool water into your mouth.
F. Jumping into the water seems like the perfect way to deal with the heat.
G. .Playing around in the pool can be a lot of fun.
Shaking hands, American style
People often shake hands in the United States. American men shake hands with other men. American women often shake hands with men, and sometimes they shake hands with other women. Adults shake hands with children. And some people even teach their dogs to shake hands! How do they shake hands just long enough? Just hard enough? Here are four little rules to remember.
1）Use your right hand.
2）Use good eye contact(眼神交流). Look at the person in the eye while you are shaking hands.
3）Don't shake too long. Then let go and pull your hand back toward you.
4） When a handshake is weak, Americans think the person may not be a hard worker or a good leader. When a handshake is too strong, Americans think the person is too rough(粗鲁) or has bad manners.
They shake hands when they meet for the first time. They shake hands to say congratulations. They shake hands when they meet after not seeing each other for a while. And they often shake hands when they say good-bye. In business, shaking hands shows agreement and honesty.
Handshakes are good everywhere. So make sure to shake plenty of hands.
A. Offer you hand first.
B. Shake for no more than three seconds.
C. How do people shake hands correctly?
D. Don't shake too strongly or too weakly.
E. It is not polite to refuse a person's hand.
F. When do people in the United States shake hands?
G. Make sure your hands aren't sweaty when you do this.
A. Be well-organised.
B. Close with a Q & A.
C. Don't be contradictory.
D. Bring it to a specific end.
E. Speak slowly and pause.
F. Drop unnecessary words
Speaking to a group can be difficult, but listening to a bad speech is truly a tiresome task—especially when the speaker is confusing. Don't want to confuse your audience? Follow these suggestions:
When it comes to understanding new information, the human brain needs a little time. First, we hear the words; then, we compare the new information to what we already know. If the two are different, we need to pause and think. But a breathless speaker never stops to let us think about what he or she is saying and risks confusing us. Slow it.
Sometimes we all start a sentence one way and then switch directions, which is very difficult to follow. When you confuse your listeners with opposing information, you leave the audience wondering what part of the information is right and what part they should remember. Instead of relying and keeping correcting yourself, work to get the facts clear and straight.
Jumping from point to point as it comes to your mind puts the onus (责任）on your listeners to make up for your lack of organisation. And it's confusing for them to listen, reorganise, and figure out what you're saying all at once. But going smoothly from one point to the next helps them understand information more easily. You can arrange things from beginning to end, small to large, top to bottom or by some other order. Just be sure to organise.
Repeated use of um, ah, like, you know and some other useless noises can drive an audience crazy. It makes the speaker sound uncertain and unprepared, and it can leave listeners so annoyed that they can't pay attention. Recently I attended a speech that was marked by so many ums that audience members were rolling their eyes. Was anybody grasping the intended message? Um, probably not.
Many speakers finish up their speeches with question-and-answer (Q & A) sessions, but some let the Q & A go on without a clear end. The audience is often left confused about whether the meeting is over and when they can get up and leave. Do your listeners a favour by setting a time limit on questions, and close your speech with a specific signal—even if it's something simple like, “If you have any more questions, you know where to reach me.” Or even more to the point, conclude your speech with “Thanks for your time. ”
Having a pet dog at home can be beneficial in many ways. It can teach you the value of responsibility, companionship, and caring for something other than yourself. Owning a pet dog is not just a temporary thingYou should care for your pet dog properly so you do not neglect it and help your parents train the pet dog so it is well behaved. You should also make sure you deal with any issues your pet dog is having responsibly so you do not harm your pet dog in any way.
You should start by providing the necessities for your pet dog, including food and fresh water. Your parents may already have a feeding schedule set up, with set times in the day for feeding your pet dog. You should follow this feeding schedule and ask your parents if you can help it with giving your pet dog food and water on a daily basis.
Clean up after the pet dog. You can also be a good pet owner by making sure you clean up after your dog. This means picking up any food that falls out of its food bowl and wiping up any water around its water dish so its feeding area is clean.
Take your pet dog for daily walks. You should create a walking schedule with your parents and assist your parents in walking your pet dog. You may put the collar or harness on the dog and take a tarn holding the leash during the walk, with the supervision of a parent.
Play with your pet dog. You should spend at least ten to fifteen minutes a day playing with your pet dog so that it feels loved and acknowledged by you
A. Give food and water to the pet dog.
B. Train your pet dog with simple orders.
C. It is a permanent responsibility that you must care for on a daily basis.
D. Never ever try playing jokes on your pet dog, because it will get hurt easily.
E. You should also use encouraging words and reward it with a treat if it behaves well when playing.
F. You can also pick up any pet toys and put them in one area so that they are not scattered all over house.
G. M you have a pet dog that is medium to large in size, you will need to walk it on a daily basis.
Maybe you have heard the expression “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. So when you want to do business in France, you have to get to know French culture, to make marketing plans, and to run your business by local laws.
The French take great pride in their language, so anyone who does not speak it may run the risk of being disrespected by his French colleagues or business partners. Also, another reason why learning French is important is that it is a great way to show every possible French business partner that you care and respect their country's culture and language.
The first thing that you should do when meeting someone new is to shake his hand firmly and always look the person in the eye. In social meetings with friends, kissing is common.
Use first names only after being invited to. The French will sometimes introduce themselves using their surname first, followed by their first name.
Dress well. Your business clothing is a reflection of your success and social status. Always try to be tasteful and stylish. Women are advised to dress simply but elegantly.
The French are passionate about food, so lunches are common in doing business m France, which usually consist of an appetizer, main meal with wine, cheese, dessert and coffee, and normally take up to two hours..
Do not begin eating until the host says, “bon appetite”. Pass dishes to the left, keep wrists above the table and try to eat everything on the plate. This may suggest that you find the food tasteless.
A. The French draw information about people based on their appearance.
B. This is a time for relationship building.
C. Wearing make-up is practiced widely by business women.
D. Language should be the focus of anyone planning to do business in France.
E. Be careful with adding salt, pepper or sauces to your food.
F. Use Monsieur or Madame before the surname.
G. If eating in a restaurant, the person who invites always pays.
There are so many expressions in American English that sound pleasant but are not.When someone says they have to “face the music” , it does not mean they are going to a concert. “Facing the music” means to accept and deal with the punishment of an action.
For example, “ I can't face another night of camping! It's a cold and rainy”. Or “In life, you must face your fears”. Face used in this way is very common.
But now, let's go back to facing the music. Imagine a friend asks you to take care of her beautiful red sports car. She gives you the keys and says, “Thanks so much for watching my car while I'm away. But please, do not drive it. It is an extremely fast car.You drive it around town one night. And you lose control of the car and drive it into a stop sign. Bang!
When your returns you must tell her what you have done and “face the music”It could be losing her friendship or paying for repairs to her sports to her sports car or both.
To “take your medicine” means to accept the results from something bad you have done. And if someone says, “You made your bed. Now lie in it” they mean you created a bad station and now you will experience the results.
A. But you do not listen.
B. “Face the music ”is a good example.
C. The “music ” here is the result of your actions.
D. American often use the word “face” in this way.
E. Everyone likes to enjoy a concert in the evening.
F. You are very afraid of losing your trust of your friend.
G. There are other American expressions that mean the same thing as “Face the music”.
Although most parents don't like doing it after a long and exhausting workday, reading bedtime stories does make a positive influence on your child's emotional and mental health.
It helps to develop children's imagination.
Reading bedtime stories can develop your children's ability to form pictures or ideas in their mind. A healthy imagination makes their minds work well and teaches them to think quickly yet effectively.
It improves children's language.
Reading also improves your children's language. They'll most likely use those words in the stories you read right after they hear them. Listening to many stories helps kids to express their opinions better.
Reading books makes people more learned. When children hear the stories you tell, they learn grammar and vocabulary, for example. It helps them be successful in school as they already know a lot from your stories. What's more, every story has its moral aspect and tells them what's good and what's bad.
These reasons leave no chances of doubting whether to read bedtime stories to your children or not.They will thank you in future, I promise.
A. It makes children knowledgeable.
B. It fosters children's affection for reading.
C. Bedtime stories create just unforgettable moments.
D. They remember most words you say and enlarge their vocabulary.
E. Take a look at the best benefits of it and you'll never be lazy to do that.
F. They'll be successful in many aspects thanks to a wonderful imagination.
G. So however tired you are, find time to read bedtime stories to your children.
How to Make Plans
Most people get seared when talking about planning or writing plans. And you need to plan for success as planning redly works and inspires you to go straight ahead. However, how to create effective plans is still a problem. Don't worry, and just follow the steps below.
Step 1
What plans have you had in the past? Probably, in some of your plans, you haven't ended up where you thought you were going to end up, Get a good understanding of what you have done and what you haven't done in the past. It is a primary foundation for your new plan. If having no plan, just take actions and make plans right now.
Step 2 Think about the What - Ifs
When you are building your plans, you should consider where you are going and make clear the What - Its, Because not everything just goes smoothly as you believe.
Step 3 Document the plans
When starting to make plans, you should try to write them down. It is of key importance for the future. In addition, make sure you have the plans fully written out with all the key elements concerned, including details.
Step 4 Update the plans
According to your written plans and actual situation, you should check out the plans you have completed and haven't completed.Make sure all the assumptions are there and work out the details. After hanging on for some days, planning will be getting simpler and easier.
A. Review historical plans
B. Make new plans immediately
C. Actually, people are more likely to succeed in a planned way
D. And you need to continue what you haven't done and update it
E. Not all people can memorize every word they said and thought well
F. And what you should do next is to check your plan monthly or quarterly
G. For your benefits, you need to make Plan A and Plan B in case of changes and contingencies（偶发事件）.
The most important thing to keep in mind when deciding to serve another is that service expects no rewards. When you expect something in return, and are not serving out of the goodness of your heart, others will notice. Sure they'll thank you.
When you give from your heart, the real power of service comes into play. Serving is a great opportunity to strengthen your trust and respect for another, and for them to do the same to you. Not only do you feel great about helping out, but you build your relationship with them, and they will feel more willing to help you in the future.
However, why is service so rarely seen these days? Sure, living in this day and age does not leave us much time, and the last thing people want to do is more work. I'm too busy, there's too much work, or I don't have the time, "may run through your head when you hear the word service, but the truth is the benefits are worth the sacrifice. Gandhi once said that, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." Some ideas of places you can serve are volunteer centers, nursing homes, boys and girls clubs, and so on. You can serve people as long as you want to.
Although it does take some work, the benefits are more than worth the sacrifice. Not only do you feel better about making another's day a little less stressful, but you strengthen your relationship with them and they will be more willing to help you in the future.
A. It's a win-win situation.
B. Service is simple.
C. Overall, service and selflessly giving to others is very powerful and has many benefits.
D. And they will offer you worse service.
E. Service is a complex event.
F. The problem is, there's always an excuse not to serve.
G. But the service becomes more of a situation, "I'll do this for you if you do this for me".
How do parents teach children about money？How do you teach them to get rich？Likely, you do not have an answer because you would not call yourself rich. Here is what self-made millionaires tell their kids about wealth.
You deserve to have wealth.
This statement could be read as arrogant（傲慢的）,when in fact it comes from a place of humbleness. Self-made millionaires teach their children that they deserve to be rich not because they were born into the right family but because they work hard to solve other people's problems.
Having money gets rid of tons of the issues which people find themselves in when they do not have it. Not happy with your current living situation？You can pack up and leave. Do you hate your job？Why not start your own business. Upset about a global disaster？Donate what you can to the cause. Money allows you to enjoy life on your own terms.
Nothing is guaranteed.
They must create their own lives and futures. It's important to teach kids about self-reliance. Legally, kids have the right to have more and more things, but it's important to teach against these values.
Solve problems to earn your wealth.
In a free market economy, everyone is looking for a way to make money. If you come up with an idea to solve the world's problem, there will be a demand for it. The bigger the problem the more difficulty you might have getting it off the ground.Pairing your skills with problem solving could be the way towards wealth.
A. A big lesson self-made millionaires teach their kids is that the world owes them nothing.
B. Having wealth allows you to do something for others to earn your place.
C. When do you start teaching your children about money?
D. How do the rich approach this question?
E. But it could also make you very rich.
F. Even the blind can see money.
G. Wealth leads to freedom.
A conversation with a good listener is like a good meal—we walk away feeling satisfied and happy. Here are 4 ways to make your conversation partner feel like you're fully tuned in to their personal radio station.
Making your conversation partner feel safe starts with two things: an open mind and keeping judgment to yourself. Just as immersing(沉浸)yourself in a novel requires suspension of disbelief, immersing yourself in listening requires suspension of opinions or advice. While judgments may appear into your head, set them to the side.
Ask questions to follow your natural curiosity.
When you're interested, ask questions. Ask for examples. Ask for details. Following your natural curiosity by asking questions not only shows you are listening and interested, but almost always produces an interesting story.
Listen with your whole body.
In many a kindergarten classroom, teachers emphasize something called "whole body listening". It goes like this: use your eyes to watch nonverbal(非语言), your brain to think about what is being said, your heart to feel emotions» and keep the rest of your body quiet to show respect. But many of us lose it over time, especially as life gets busy. The result? We often try to multitask while listening.
Validate(使生效)with simple phrases.
Keep in your back pocket some validating words and phrases to show you've heard someone.
"Of course." "That makes sense." "Naturally." "Clearly." "For sure." In conversation, combining those little phrases: "Of course you feel that way." or "That makes total sense." doesn't necessarily convey agreement, but it does convey something even bigger: acceptance.
A. Create safety.
B. Devote yourself to listening.
C. It's appealing to talk about your own experience.
D. We half-listen while getting things done or staring at a screen.
E. Think like a journalist and ask what, when, where, why or how.
F. But being a good listener goes way beyond just not interrupting or nodding your head.
G. All of these statements confirm a person's experience or feelings as worthy and accepted.
All living things in the ocean are endangered by humans polluting the water. One way is the dumping(倾倒) of certain waste materials, such as garbage and used water, into the ocean. The harmful bacteria that feed on the garbage use up much of the oxygen in the surrounding water, so other creatures in the area often don't get enough.
Other substances(物质), such as radioactive waste material, can also cause pollution. But after years of being exposed to the ocean water, the containers may begin to leak(漏).
Oil is spilled into the ocean when oil ships sink or when oil wells in the ocean cannot be capped. The oil covers the gills (腮) of fish and prevents them from breathing. Diving birds get the oil on their wings and are unable to fly. When they clean themselves, they are often poisoned by the oil.
Rivers also can contribute to the pollution of oceans. Fertilizers used on the farmlands may be carried to the ocean, where they cause a great increase in the amount of certain plants. Too much of some plants can actually be poisonous to fish.
Worse yet are the pesticides(杀虫剂) carried to the ocean these chemicals slowly build up in fish and other small animals. The buildup of these chemicals in the animals can make them ill or cause their babies to be born dead or sick.
A Fish and turtles suffer the most
B Pollution occurs in several ways.
C Oil is another major source of concern
D Many rivers receive the runoff water from farmlands
E Farmers use these artificial fertilizers to increase crop harvest.
F These materials are often placed in the water in safely sealed containers.
G These animals then pass the pesticides on to the larger animals that feed on them.
When the winter comes, millions of Americans realize they don't feel as happy as usual, and may be depressed If you're one of them, you may be suffering from "seasonal affective disorder" or SAD, whose symptoms include exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems, body aches and pains, and a loss of interest in activities you normally enjoy.
Take extra Vitamin D .
Researchers at the University of Georgia analyzed more than 100 articles that examined the link between Vitamin D and depression. They found that a lack of Vitamin D appeared to be a major factor in the development of SAD.
Most researchers agree that the people who fall victim to SAD most often are particularly sensitive to the lack of light. Weather permitting, go for a walk. In your home or office, try sitting close to a window that faces south.
Increase exercise.
Although exercising may be about the last thing you want to do and would rather curl up with a book or watch a DVD, studies have shown that upping your exercise routine can counteract SAD. And experts advise exercising at least 20 minutes a day at least three times a week.The benefits are also long lasting. The longer you do it, the more benefit you'll get.
Eat more fish.
Studies have found that people who have low levels of two chemicals found in fish, EPA and DHA, are at increased risk for depression. Either eat more fish—at least three times a week—or take fish oil capsules to combat SAD.
Although dark winter days got you down, don't worry because nature is always waiting to help. Just enjoy the winter days and benefit from the nature!
A. Take medicine.
B. Get more light.
C. If the weather permits, take a walk.
D. Any type of exercise offers benefits.
E. Fatty fish contain omega-3 fatty acids.
F. To fight SAD, here are some easy, natural ways.
G. So the vitamin D Council recommends at least 2, 000 IU daily.
When I was 16 years old, a boy gave me an important gift.
It was the early autumn of my first year at a junior high school, and my old school was far away. I was very lonely, and afraid to make friends with anyone.
Every time I heard the other students talking and laughing, I felt my heart broken. I couldn't talk with anyone about my problems. And I didn't want my parents to worry about me.
Then one day, my classmates talked happily with their friends, but I sat at my desk unhappily as usual. I didn't know who he was. He passed me and then turned back. He looked at me, with a smile on his face.
Suddenly, I felt the touch of something bright and friendly. It made me feel happy, lively and warm.
I started to talk with other students and made friends. Day by day, I became closer to everyone in my class. The boy with the lucky smile has become my best friend now!
I believe that the world is what you think it is. If you think it lonely, you might always be alone.
A. At that moment, a boy entered the classroom.
B. So smile at the world and it will smile back.
C. It doesn't matter because all the dark days have gone.
D. It was a smile.
E. That smile changed my life.
F. It's practically impossible to make friends here.
G. As a result, no one knew who I was.
How AI Protects Us
We should consider AI not as something competing with us, but as something that can strengthen our abilities. And it might help keep us safe in the 21st century.
Predict infectious (传染性的) diseases
The AI in medicine is a system that combines the time and location of each new infectious disease. "These are all factors that determine how the disease will spread," explains a researcher. It will allow public health officials to take action early for locals.
Keep hunger from the door
Researchers develop an automated system aimed at fighting against diseases in crops. The Mcrops project allows local farmers to take pictures of their plants and use computers that have been trained to spot the signs of the four main diseases that are responsible for damaging crops.
Fight cancer
Cancer causes more than 8.8 million deaths worldwide and 14 million people are diagnosed with some form of cancer every year. Now Google and IBM have been applying their AI technology to this problem.
The task of balancing power supplies is getting harder. The spread of smart meters — digital energy monitors that automatically record usage - is also providing more data than ever about how and when consumers use energy. The EU alone plans to have 500 million smart meters in homes by 2020.
A. Record the locations smartly.
B. Keep the balance of power supplies
C. Thus, the farmers can have a good harvest.
D. The system can also help to predict the disease.
E. This is because AI has an ability that's far beyond humans.
F. But now people have no ideas how to deal with the terrible problem.
G. Yet catching cancers as early as possible can greatly improve a patient's chances of survival.
Why You're More Creative in Coffee Shops
Some of the most successful people in history have done their best work in coffee shops. . Among them are Pablo Picasso, J.K. Rowling, Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre and Bob Dylan.
Some of us stick in our ear buds (耳塞) as soon as we sit down to work in a public setting. But scientists have known for years that background noise can benefit our creative thinking. A study showed that a modest level of surrounding noise in a place like a cafeteria can actually promote your creative output. The idea is that if you' re very slightly distracted from the task at hand by surroundings, it raises your abstract thinking ability.
Air of informality（非正式）
The typical coffee-shop user might be a lone worker struggling with a creative effort. There is a formal air when gathering on digital meeting platforms. By contrast，there is an informal atmosphere when meeting up at a bar or cafe. All those audio and visual stimuli (刺激物) help groups，too，compared to the meeting in a formal meeting room.
Visual variety
Often we sit in the same chair and look at the same four walls all day long. In the coffee shops, people come and go. The daylight changes. The pleasant smells of coffee and food vary. While we tend not to take conscious (有意识的) notice of these micro-stimuli, and likely don't openly choose to work in this location because of them, these activities around us make our brains work a bit differently than at home.
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A. A sweet spot of noise and crowds B. The birthplace of countless great works C. Therefore, this can lead to more creative idea generation D. Not all kinds of noisy surroundings are bad for your creativity E. However, experts say the cafe settings can benefit work groups who are creative F. Whatever their careers are, they have tapped into their creativity when working there G. One thing that makes working at home or office boring is the visual environment |
Everyone sleeps. However, taking time to develop a sleep habit is probably the last thing on your mind and some sleep advice simply can't be forgotten.
Watch TV until you fall asleep
It has nothing to do with what you watch — TV news isn't a better pre-sleep choice than TV series. The bright light keeps you awake all night. So even if you nod off (in front of the TV, for example), you probably won't stay asleep for long.
Sleep with pets
They get comfortable, and then they move. This goes on all night, and whether you admit it or not, it interrupts your ability to get the level of sleep needed to feel rested.
Eat fatty, heavy foods when it is too close to bedtime
Heartburn strike（侵袭）anyone of any age, but it's the most common GI disorder（胃肠失调）in older adults. If you've ever tried to go to sleep after eating a fatty meal, you've probably found the discomfort of your stomach preventing you from falling asleep or staying asleep.
Remember how poorly you sleep when you have a fever — turning over and over again, never really feeling rested. Well, heavy exercise too close to bedtime has the same effect — it raises your body temperature so that your sleep is disturbed until your body temperature drops to normal, which may take several hours.
Accept snoring（打呼噜）as normal sleep behaviour
Snoring may seem as common as breathing, but it's considered the biggest sleep killer, and it's linked to several causes: sleeping on your back, being overweight, having a cold, drinking, or taking drugs. For the snorer, it disturbs sleep by awakening him/her every so often in order to breathe normally. For the partner, the noise can be unbearable.
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A. Lower your body temperature before bedtime. B. Here are some suggestions you'll need to follow. C. Rather it's the TV's bright light that is the criminal. D. Exercise heavily when it is too close to bedtime. E. Here are some bad habits you need to get rid of F. More seriously, it can be caused by a dangerous illness G. Pets sleep most of the day, and they move a lot when sleeping. |
In 2013, digital media consultant Baratunde Thurston launched an experiment. He decided to disconnect from his online life for twenty-five days: no Facebook, no Twitter, not even e-mail. He needed the break.
It didn't take him long to adjust to a disconnected life. By the end of that first week, he was less stressed about not knowing new things. He enjoyed food without Twittering the experience. But the end came too soon. After the twenty-five days, he had to restore his online presence.
His experiment summarizes two important points about our relationship with social networks like Facebook and Twitter. The first point is that we increasingly recognize that these tools fragment (碎裂) our time and reduce our ability to concentrate. But the problem is especially serious if you're attempting to improve your ability to work deeply.
To fight back against these distractions, Thurston felt his only option was to quit the Internet altogether. But the problem is that no one is meant to actually follow Thurston's lead. That is to accept our current distracted state as unavoidable. This brings me to the second point summarized by Thurston's story: it didn't take him long once the experiment ended to slide back into the fragmented state where he began.
This rule proposes a third option: accepting that these tools might be vital to your success and happiness, but meanwhile accepting that most people should be using fewer such tools. I won't ask you, in other words, to quit the Internet altogether like Thurston did. There is a middle ground, and if you're to develop a deep work habit, you must fight to get there.
A. He struck up conversations with strangers.
B. It is a real problem for many different people.
C. “I was burnt out, fried, and done,” he explained.
D. This reality accounts for the remaining alternative.
E. He had to return to the online world with books to market.
F. But I'll ask you to reject the state of highly distracted connectedness.
G. Fortunately, you will break the habit of surfing the Internet gradually.
The monarch's journey
This annual movement is called migration. They migrate to find food, seek a partner, or in search of warmer weather. One of the most wonderful migrations in nature is that of North American monarch butterfly.
Every autumn, millions of these beautiful insects with fine black and orange wings begin a long and difficult journey. Somehow they manage to travel around 4, 000 kilometres south and find their way to California or Mexico.
A team of scientists led by Professor Eli Shlizerman at the University of Washington has now found the answer. It uses its eyes to measure the position of the sun. These two pieces of information—the time of the day and the position of the sun—allow the butterfly to determine the way to go. Eventually it manages to reach the places where it will spend the winter.
The solution to the mystery of the monarch's amazing ability comes at a time when it is in serious trouble. Its population has crashed by as much as 90% in the last few years. The research on the monarch's behaviour has however led to a greater awareness of this creature. People have been working together to record its migration and make sure that there are enough plants for it to feed on. The more we know about this lovely creature, the more probably it will survive and keep its place in the natural world for a long time to come.
A. Animals migrate for different reasons.
B. However, no one knew how they did this.
C. They've found out that the monarch is able to tell the time of the day.
D. Many animals move from one place to another at certain times of the year.
E. If this works, the number of monarch butterflies might increase once again.
F. They examined monarch butterflies closely and have got first-hand information.
G. Sadly, human activity is the main reason why the number of monarch butterflies is falling.
Should We Create More National Parks to Save Endangered Animals?
Don't you find it worrying that more and more species of animals are in real danger of becoming extinct? And I think the best way to do this is for governments to create more national parks.
If this environment is destroyed—for example, when farmers clear a forest for new fields, or trees are cut down to make profits—many animals are unable to survive, and more species are likely to become extinct.
In addition, national parks protect animals from the danger of being hunted. A major reason why many species are endangered is that these animals are killed by hunters. They hunt animals to make money.
On the other hand, some people fight the creation of national parks because they consider it is wrong to interfere with nature. They believe that wild animals are happier to live in their natural environment. They also point out that a few species are more likely to produce young animals in the wild than in national parks.
All in all, these disadvantages are far less important than the benefits of national parks. As a matter of fact, they protect animals from their greatest enemy, that is, human beings.
A. To begin with, animals are important to humans.
B. Some hunters even hunt animals simply for sport.
C. I personally believe that we must save these animals.
D. These parks allow animals to live in a safe environment.
E. Firstly, national parks protect these animals' natural environment.
F. They say that though the animals may face danger, they enjoy a free life.
G. There is a heated discussion about whether to create more national parks.
