Reading books can exercise your brain. Kids who started reading at an earlier age go on to perform better on certain intelligence tests, such as analyses of their vocabulary size. As one gets older, it might help slow down or even cease cognitive decline. ________ Many Americans don't read frequently. It's time to reverse this trend to give your brain gray matter a good workout.________When you have some down time—you're waiting for a friend, sleeping lightly on the way from or to work, or doing a task that doesn't require your full attention—you can open your text instead of pulling up your favorite smartphone game. ________ While paper is still the clear winner in the court of public opinion, science hasn't proven that physical books are better than digital ones.Academic research has mostly focused on the ability to remember. A study took place in a laboratory setting：Students all read the same text, but some looked at the words on paper and others viewed an on-screen PDF. It turned out that no meaningful difference between the two media existed. As for audiobooks, they affected the brain gray matter somewhat differently.________Ultimately, if you hope to get a reading habit going, you shouldn't dismiss paper digital, or audio—________ Don't be afraid to change things up depending on the occasion.A. Audiobooks still affect your thoughts and feelings.B. Go with what makes the most sense for your needs.C. Words on a page can improve the emotional intelligence.D. This brings about a great debate: pages vs screens vs audio.E. Keep a book, e-reader, or audiobook app on you as you go about the day.F. Despite this, the overall book-reading time for Americans is on the decline.G. However, they stimulated the brain just as deeply as black-and-white pages.Smart glasses could be the next leap in technologyFirst there was the keyboard, then the touch screen. Some tech companies say a wearable pair of glasses could be the next leap in technology, even if it didn't work out for Google glass. In the future we won't be only limited to our smartphones, when it comes to understanding the world around us. ________The US-based company Snap's investment is this, the Spectacles 3 sunglasses. This third version is smarter than the previous ones. It has two cameras. The comer of the glasses lights up when recording video, and allows the wearer to put 3D objects in the video. Here are some flowers.________In a very different application, the AM glass by Hong Kong-based Pacific Future allows theme park visitors to have a different kind of experience through Augmented Reality. During the launch of the smart glasses during Halloween, this park became extra scary. ________ The glasses are used in theme parks in China and Malaysia, with a processor inside. These Augmented Reality glasses are designed for ages 12 and up, because of its weight and size.________ He can set a blacklist and the skin in the crowd and find the criminal very soon. Armed with facial recognition software, these smart glasses capture video or images, which can be sent to security officials off-site for analysis. Of course there are privacy concerns with any device that comes with built-in cameras. ________ Still, the race is on for tech companies big and small to turn an everyday item like glasses into something smarter.A. So this is our early investment in that future.B. Smart glasses are helpful in many other fields.C. Thus the wearer can take a clearer picture of the flowers.D. Users can capture up to a minute of video with smart glasses.E.That's one of the reasons why consumers rejected Google glass.F.So there's a ghost everywhere mixed with the real-life buildings.G.Augmented Reality security glasses made by Beijing-based Goolton can be used by police to identify suspects.Tips for Green Travel with KidsTraveling doesn't mean letting go of all the eco－friendly choices we work so hard to achieve in our daily life. Here are a few tips for green travel with kids：Booking nonstop flights whenever possible will reduce carbon emissions (碳排放). If the closest local airport doesn't have nonstop flights to a certain place, check in with other local airports to see if nonstop flights are available. ________Whether you're flying or driving, it's easy when traveling to pull into fast food restaurants for snacks. ________ My kids love to help plan snacks. I let them create their own snacks for the trip at home.________ At the airport, keep your reusable bottles empty until you have passed through the security (安检). Fill them up on the other side of the security checkpoint. Single－use plastic water bottles create unnecessary waste and the plastic can be harmful to your health.________ Open a few windows and turn off the air conditioner (空调). You should also help your children keep their good, green habits from home to place while traveling. Sometimes vacation can mean more than one shower each day—once in the morning and again after getting out of the pool. Pay attention to the number of showers and the length of showers. ________A. Walking is good for your health.B. Try to cut back to save water and energy.C. But you can pack healthy food from home.D. Traveling is a great chance to introduce your kids to the world.E.Reusable water bottles are easy to bring along wherever you travel.F.Save energy by turning off the hotel room lights when you head out for the day.G.You might have to drive a bit further, but saving on carbon emissions makes it worthwhile.Most people recognise the music John Williams wrote for the film Jaws. As soon as you hear it, you begin thinking that a shark will attack. ________ On the big screen, Jaws is a scary film. However, if you watch it without the music, it becomes boring. The music tells you to be frightened about what you are seeing. Good film scores always signal how to feel about what is happening on the screen.________ He did the music for many films, such as The Dark Knight, Inception, Pirates of the Caribbean, Gladiator and The Lion King. Zimmer and Williams' have very different styles and ideas for film scores. There are people who do not like William's scores for the Harry Potter films because they stand out too much, while some people do not like Zimmer's scores because they sometimes do not stand out enough. ________ When you leave a film, you should not be saying, "Wow! Great music!" Instead, you should be saying, "Wow Great film!"A third, very different kind of film composer is Tan Dun. ________ Tan started out as a musician for the Peking Opera. However, he fell in love with Western classical music, and started writing classical Western operas that show a strong touch of Chinese music. Like his operas, the scores for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Hero use Chinese musical instruments and styles in a Western classical music score. The music follows all of the rules of most film scores-the purpose is to tell you how to feel about the action in the film, and to help tell the story. However, perhaps because of Tan's background in classical music, his scores can stand alone as works of art without needing a film to support them.Film scores are almost always form of classical music. However, unlike most classical music they have never been considered high art. ________A. They can never reach an agreement.B. Of course, in many ways, that is not the point.C. William is not alone in making audience feel so.D. And that is exactly what you are meant to think.E.Perhaps with Tan Dun, this will begin to change.F.Unlike many film composers, he has classical music background.G.No one can talk about film scores without talking about Hans Zimmer.Every time you're online. you are bombarded by pictures, articles, links and videos trying to tell their stories.________Sometimes they want you to click on another story or advertisement at their own site, other times they want to upset people for political reasons. Experts in media studies and online psychology have been examining the fake news phenomenon. Read these tips, and don't get fooled!Check the source. ________Fake news websites often use addresses that sound like real newspapers, but don't have many real newspapers, but don't have many real stories about other topics. If you aren't sure, click on the "About" page and look for a clear description of the organization.________Look to see if the story you are reading is on other news sites that you know and trust. If you do find it on many other sites, then it probably isn't fake, as many big news organizations try to check their sources before they publish a story.There are other techniques that fake news uses. These include using ALL CAPS and lots of ads that pop up when you click on a link. ________If the news story makes you angry, it's probably designed to make you angry.If you know these things about online news, and can apply them in your everyday life, then you have the control over what to read, what to believe and most importantly what to share. If you find a news story that you know is fake, the most important advice is: ________A. Don't share it.B. Read about it in print media.C. Check the story in other places.D. Unfortunately, not all of these stories are true.E. Also, think about how the story makes you feel.F. Look at the website where the story comes from.G. However, the rash of fake news is a relatively new problem.It's no secret that parents love to share pictures of their kids on social media. Who can blame them? ________ It's normal to show off their kids. Yet the sharing online car largely affect their children's safety and privacy. After all, what's posted online is public and permanent.As adults post about the children in their lives, they make personal information about the kids—their birthdays, full names or hometowns—available to Internet users. On a small scale, this might look like a parent sharing photos of their little one on a Facebook page with 300 friends. On a larger scale, this means a mommy blogger shares the details of their child's everyday life with millions of followers online. ________There are positives to sharing images and stories of their children on social media. ________ It helps find support from other moms in your area, as well as receive and offer advice from parents far and wide. Plus, by posting updates, you're keeping distant relatives and friends in the loop on the most important part of your life!________. As a child grows up, they may become embarrassed about what was shared online when they were younger. It can also have serious consequences for the child's physical and emotional well-being. Digital kidnapping happens when someone uses a child's identity illegally on social media. This is a terrifying but very real risk. Even worse, this can put a child at risk of actual kidnapping.In the digital age, everyone has access to pretty much everything, at any time they want! While social media helps us stay connected, there are concerns to think about to keep children protected. ________ Setting a clear boundary about what to share online is what you have to consider first.A. Their kids are really cute!B. Do remember to ask for children's approval before posting.C. Many moms consider it no effect to share images of their kids online.D. Do parents really have the right to create a digital footprint for children?E. But sharenting may hurt the children's self-esteem and put them in danger.F. It can be a way to share your kids' milestones with people who love them.G. Then any personal information about their kids is automatically available to others.The latest thing in architecture is green buildings—covering walls and roofs with a carpet of plants to prevent heat, absorb rain and provide a home for wildlife. Many such buildings need complex systems for holding and irrigating the soil.________Ivy is a group of evergreen climbing plants, whose power to live is hard to beat. Firstly, it can live in almost any surroundings, whether in shade or full sun.________It grows well in both dry and damp soil. Moreover, it doesn't need supports as it grows aerial roots that can be attached to most things. For these reasons, ivy can be widely grown to beautify an ugly wall or afence.________It is a heaven for bees and butterflies in summer and its berries are a valuable food source for birds in winter.However, there are some concerns about growing ivy. Ivy has a reputation for damaging buildings, but according to the UK's Royal Horticultural Society, this doesn't usually happen unless the walls already have cracks.________But Blanusa at the University of Reading, UK, who has examined the effects of plant climbers, finds that ivy raises humidity next to the wall by only a small amount.________Once ivy has been in the ground for a few years, it can grow out of control. Just don't let it get the better of you.A. Growing ivy can bring added benefits.B. Therefore, I strongly oppose growing ivy.C. The other fear is that it can make walls damp.D. Besides, it can be tolerant of various kinds of soil.E. Anyway, you do need to be careful in growing ivy.F. An ivy-covered wall will slightly warm a room in winter.G. However, there is a much easier approach: growing some ivy.It is always said that China is the homeland of tea, which has a very long history of tea.________However, unlike the western custom of using a convenient teabag, Chinese go to a lot of effort and time to prepare good tea for their guests, using tea-leaves, natural spring water and a special kettle etc. to create worldwide famous tea culture. Tea is not just a drinkable beverage (饮料), but also a taste of Chinese traditional culture and inheritance (继承) of spirit. Unsurprisingly, there are various tea-leaves in China.________Color________Good green tea-leaves have jade green with fresh vitality. Twisted pan green tea shows glossy gray green. If some of the tea-leaves have dry, dark and brown color, it means it is old tea. If the leaves have mixed, large contrast colors, it is believed that the tea is mixed with yellow leaves, old leaves and even old tea, which does not live up to the standard of good tea.FlavorNew tea is extremely clear and transparent with strong aroma (芳香), while old tea is characterized by brown color and weak fragrance. Take green tea and black tea for example, new green tea tastes a little bitter first, and then the fresh sweet taste begins to surface gradually, leaving a long and memorable aftertaste in mouth. ________Place of originThere is great gap of quality among various places of origin. ________For example, it iswell-known that Yunnan produces the best quality Pu'er tea and premium Oolong tea can be found within Fujian Province.A. Every tea-leaf has its own shape.B. Some varieties are identified by tightness of the leaves.C. It is always advised to select tea from its main producing areas.D. While you're selecting tea, you should pay attention to following aspects.E. For foreigners in China, drinking tea may seem like a simple refreshment.F. Generally, new tea-leaves look fresh and pleasing, with light green or dark green.G. On the contrary, if bitter taste takes the lead and fresh sweet taste subsides, it is bad tea.Pets need lots of care, love and affection from their owners. Just like you did when you were little. ________First, research the correct care for your animals. You can find information in books and online.________Second, find out routines. Animals like routines, and you're supposed to do things regularly, such as walking your pets, feeding your pets, and giving them the care they need.Third, take them out to exercise. Just like humans, overweight animals are more likely to have health problems and have shorter lives. ________ For dogs, it means daily walks; for parrots, it means spending time out of the cage. Whatever it is, all animals need it. Give your pets a big area and, if possible, let them out every day or every other day to exercise and stretch their muscles. Fourth, teach your pets simple things. Training isn't just for dogs. ________Fifth, take your pets to the vet regularly. ________ Look for a specialized vet. He can tell you all about the proper care that your pets need.A. By doing this, you can make sure your pets stay in top health.B. Here are some helpful tips on caring for your pets.C. So you'd better spend some time with your pets.D. Pets will bring happiness to you.E. Make sure you check the information that is correct.F. You can train your cats, rabbits, or even fish.G. Of course, the term "exercise" means different things for different animals.HEY boys, attention please! If you want to go to the US, you'd better be fully prepared, because, well, you and the boys in the US are a bit different. ________Firstly, know how to knot a tie. In the US, every boy above school age wears suits when they go to weddings. ________ Do you know how to knot a tie? If you don't, learn how right now! Secondly, be a gentleman. I know in China some boys are still proud of being strong. But in the US, a good man should also be polite. ________The last is to learn something about football and baseball. Chinese boys like ping-pong, basketball and soccer, but American boys love football and baseball. They get very happy when they play and watch these sports. ________ But in order to watch the sports with other boys, at least learning some rules would help.________ We sometimes need to know the importance of another culture, but don't feel you have to know that if it makes you uncomfortable. Have fun along the way!A. Many boys are fans of football or baseball in America.B. In my opinion, you'd better try to do the following things.C. The stronger you are, the more highly people will think of you.D. My friend Madison from Virginia said it shows respect to others.E. However, all this doesn't mean that the American way is always the right way.F. It's not necessary to be a fan of football or fix your TV channel to baseball games.G Here are two examples: holding the door for people behind you and giving the seat on a bus to old people.HEY boys, attention please! If you want to go to the US, you'd better be fully prepared, because, well, you and the boys in the US are a bit different. ________Firstly, know how to knot a tie. In the US, every boy above school age wears suits when they go to weddings. ________ Do you know how to knot a tie? If you don't, learn how right now! Secondly, be a gentleman. I know in China some boys are still proud of being strong. But in the US, a good man should also be polite. ________The last is to learn something about football and baseball. Chinese boys like ping-pong, basketball and soccer, but American boys love football and baseball. They get very happy when they play and watch these sports. ________ But in order to watch the sports with other boys, at least learning some rules would help.________ We sometimes need to know the importance of another culture, but don't feel you have to know that if it makes you uncomfortable. Have fun along the way!A. Many boys are fans of football or baseball in America.B. In my opinion, you'd better try to do the following things.C. The stronger you are, the more highly people will think of you.D. My friend Madison from Virginia said it shows respect to others.E. However, all this doesn't mean that the American way is always the right way.F. It's not necessary to be a fan of football or fix your TV channel to baseball games.G. Here are two examples: holding the door for people behind you and giving the seat on a bus to old people.In recent years, riding a hot-air balloon has become more and more popular. Many people practice flying a hot-air balloon as a sport. ________ Some people may question the safety of riding ahot-air balloon. Generally speaking, hot-air balloons are quite safe.Before examining the safety of hot-air balloons, it may help to understand how they work. Each balloon has a large bag called an envelope, attached to a bag or gondola(吊篮). In order to get enough lift, the air in the bag is heated with the assistance of a flame. As the air heats up, the balloon rises. ________Like kites, hot-air balloons travel with the wind. Typically, pilots choose the early morning hours to fly since wind speeds are low. ________ Meanwhile, the flight will become more enjoyable.________High winds and extreme weather such as storm and snow are very dangerous. An experienced pilot will not fly in these conditions. Good pilots always check their equipment before beginning a flight, and they often carry backup for safety even in sunny days.Riding hot-air balloons can be great fun, and it's very safe as long as passengers follow the directions of the pilot. ________ People who have a fear of heights may want to skip the experience, however.A. Of course, some people enjoy it as a relaxing activity.B. Low wind speeds make flying hot-air balloons much safer.C. This, of course, is for those who love to challenge themselves.D. The requirements of flying a hot-air balloon vary in different nations.E. The weather is the most important concern in the safety of hot-air balloons.F. Sometimes weather, such as lightning, is the cause of hot-air balloon accidents.G. When the flight is over, the pilot slowly lets out air to allow the balloon to drop.You probably know that exercise is good for you. Studies show that it can prevent many major health conditions, including cognitive decline, diabetes, certain cancers and more.________"Our lives are completely full. We may have children, aging parents, jobs, partners, and community," says Barbara Hannah Grufferman, author of The Best of Everything After 50.If you don't have a regular exercise plan, don't worry! There are simple things you can do to get more exercise, no gym membership or hours of commitment required.Walk-and make it countEven if you're not in shape, you can likely walk. And that's good news, because many studies illustrate that it's one of the best things we can do for our bodies. Grufferman suggests getting a pedometer(计步器），whether it's a simple mechanical one, or a FitBit or Jawbone.________ And then, start walking faster and longer-most experts recommend walking 10,000 steps a day. Reduce sittingYou've probably heard," sitting is the new smoking." Well, this means that loads of research has shown that sitting for extended periods of time can have serious health consequences that range from obesity to diabetes and more. ________ It's also essential to take breaks from your sit-down desk.Run if you canIt might seem out of reach, but if you can add some light running into your daily walk, you'll be better for it. Running can make you happier, strengthen your joints, improve heart health, and improve your memory! ________ Then, go for longer distances gradually.Make it a habitTo truly make exercise-even the basics-a part of your life you'll need to make it a habit. "The good news is that it's never too late to start," says Grufferman. ________A. Track your steps because it's very motivating.B. But finding time to get more exercise can be challenging.C. Make sure you are more active and have a more enjoyable life.D. Experts suggest using a standing desk at least some of the time.E. Like brushing your teeth, you have to build exercise into your life.F. Some experts suggest altermating jogging and walking to get started.G. Get the recommended amount of exercise for your age to get the most benefit.The word "emoji" comes from Japanese, literally meaning "picture character".________ They come in different categories, such as faces and people, plants and animals, and food and drink. When first introduced in Japan in 1999, emojis were limited to 176 simple designs. Now there are more than 3,000 emojis. Due to their popularity, the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year in 2015 was a pictograph instead of a traditional word.In today's world, emojis have become more and more popular.________ People like them because they add emotional meanings, and are quick and easy to use. With a smiling or sad face added to a message or post, your reader can "see" your facial expression while reading your words.________ For instance, if your friend is moving across the country, you may just send them a string of crying faces to express your sadness over your separation.________ A Shakespeare series for young readers has taken William Shakespeare's popular plays and replaced some words with textspeak and emojis. The intention of these adaptations is to make the classics more accessible to young readers. Some people, however, believe that these new versions have taken away the heart and soul of Shakespeare's plays.As we can see, emojis have a tendency to pop up all over the place. Users of emojis say that they facilitate the way we communicate and express ourselves. But this makes others, especially educators, worry that we are losing the ability to communicate properly using the written word, or even the spoken word. After all, how many of us today would rather send a message packed with emojis than make a telephone call?________ On that day, emojis will have become a real pictorial "language". But, for now, maybe it's best that we just enjoy using them.A. Maybe emojis' best days are ahead.B. The most popular emojis are absolute classics.C. The use of emojis has even spread to classical literature.D. Perhaps people will one day choose to communicate in pictures.E. It seems that emojis have clear advantages over written language.F. Emojis are small symbols representing ideas, emotions or feelings.G. Emojis can also help people express their feelings when they can't find the appropriate words.The WHO says that 80% of the world's teens don't get enough exercise to live healthy lives. The report was based on research done with students aged 11 to 17 in 146 different countries.________ It's a pity that not much has changed since then, as the WHO reports.Doctors say 60 minutes of exercise daily is needed for teens to build up their bone and muscle strength. It's also hugely important for the health of the heart and lungs. ________ Besides, more and more research is showing that exercise doesn't just help the body, but also the brain, improving thinking, test scores, and school grades.________ They were also very different between boys and girls. In the US, for example, 64% of boys were not active enough, compared to 80% of girls. South Korea was the country with the lowest activity levels — 91% of the boys and 97% of the girls didn't get enough exercise.One big reason for the lack of activity in today's teens is technology, such as smartphones, computers and TVs. Many teens find it hard to pull themselves away from them. ________So the WHO warns that teens need to do less playing in the digital world, and more playing in the real world. Teens should take part in sports, whether on official teams or just playing around on the playground. ________ For many people, walking or biking to school is one way to make that happen. It's very important for young people to build these habits now, because the positive effects of those habits can carry through into adult life.A. Exercise benefits you academically.B. Activity levels vary from country to country.C. The WHO has spared no effort in the research.D. Such inactivity can severely affect their growth.E. Exercise can also be built into a normal day's activities.F. Regular activity can help them control their weight, too.G. The WHO has been studying teen activity levels since 2001.。
