Teenagers who spend more time watching TV, using iPads and playing electronic games take longer to fall asleep and get poorer quality rest. A new study suggests the growth in use of electronic media devices by children could harm their physical and mental health.
The 16-19-year-olds were asked how much screen time they spent outside school hours, and on what activities, for any of six electronic devices: computer, tablet, smartphone, MP3 player, games console(游戏机)and TV. They were also asked questions about their sleep routine on weekdays and at weekends: when they normally went to bed and got up; how much sleep they needed to feel rested; and how long it took them to get to sleep. Girls spent longer on their computers chatting online while boys spent longer playing games on computers.
The study found poorer quality sleep was related to more time spent on such devices, and it often took more than an hour to drop off. Total daytime screen use of more than four hours was related to a 49 percent greater risk of taking longer than 60 minutes to fall asleep.
On average, the teens said they needed 8-9 hours of sleep to feel rested. But those who spent more than two hours emailing or chatting online were more than three times as likely to sleep for less than five hours. Those spending more than four hours in front of any screen were 3.5 times as likely to sleep for less than five hours. Computers were the device most likely to cause problems.
Dr Mari Hysing, of Uni Research Health, Bergen, said screen use may simply replace sleeping time or it may affect sleep by stimulating the nervous system. It is also possible that the light from electronic devices may affect a teenager's body clock. "The recommendation is not to have a TV in the bedroom," added Dr Mari Hysing.
Scientists are aksing: What is the best way to fight climate change? A new study says: Plant many trees; one trillion trees, maybe more. Swiss scientists say there is enough room for that many trees. In their report in the journal Science, they say there is enough space on the earth, which could cover nine million square kilometers, an area the size of the United States.
Trees take carbon dioxide(二氧化碳)out of the air, and in return, put oxygen back into the air. The study estimated that over a long period of time, the trees could take in almost 750 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. That is about as much carbon as humans have put into the atmosphere in the past 25 years. What is so bad about carbon dioxide? The gas traps heat, causing temperatures to rise.
Much of the gain from planting trees will come quickly because trees remove more carbon from the air when they are younger, the researchers said. The place that has the best possibility for removing the most carbon is the tropics—the area close to the equator. This method would also have the lowest cost, says the study co-author Thomas Crowther, a climate change ecologist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. This is by far, the cheapest and the most effective climate change solution, he said. The six nations with the most room for new trees are Russia, the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil and China.
Before his study, Crowther thought that there were other more effective ways to fight climate change besides cutting emissions(排放). For example, people could change their diets by no longer eating meat. But, he said, tree planting is far more effective because trees remove so much carbon dioxide from the air.
It was Mother's Day, but I knew there would be no celebration for me. I was a mother of a very active two-year-old and my husband was a Captain of a Navy ship. That morning I had been up early and had already taken several phone calls from both Navy wives and other people needing to be comforted. After one phone call, I leaned back in my chair, and said, "Dear God, I am hustling to be a blessing to others, but what about me? Is there anything for me today?"
At that very moment the telephone rang. It was the voice of a little girl who said, "Miss Stephanie I've been thinking of you!" It took my breath away! I had known this girl from another city, but at that moment it was to me the voice of God! I greatly valued the thoughtfulness of the little one and her family who knew my husband was out. But even greater than their kindness, I felt deeply touched by the timing of the call and felt that precious voice spoke to me of God's great love for me.
There have been many Mother's Days since that one, but none so special, so deeply moving, so tenderly comforting. I will never forget the feel of knowing how loved I was, and that I would never be forgotten.
In the United States and elsewhere, Mother's Day has become synonymous(与…同义)with lots of human expectations. If we're not careful, the fulfillment of these clichés can become a false standard for feeling loved, and a heavy burden on our family. When I think of that Mother's Day long ago, tears come to my eyes, but not out of sadness. I rejoice(庆幸)in the profound love and caring I felt and still feel to this day. This experience helps me see that love hugs everyone, and that makes my heart sing for us all!
When you are learning English, listening, speaking and writing are important, but reading can also be very helpful. When you read, you can not only learn some new words, but also you can learn how to use these English words. When you read, it gives you a good example for writing.
Read something that you can (more or less) understand. If you need to stop every three words to use a dictionary, it is not interesting. If there are four or five new words on a page, write them in your notebook. But you don't have to write them while you read. Instead, try to guess their meanings as you read: mark them with a pen. Later try to remember them.
For example, read for a short time once a day. Fifteen minutes every day is better than two hours every Sunday. You could read for fifteen minutes when you go to bed, or when you get up or at lunchtime.
There are a variety of books in the bookstore, so what kinds of books should you choose? Choose a book or a magazine about a subject that you like, because you are going to spend time and money reading it. So, choose an interesting book. You can also read newspapers. There are many English newspapers in China. For example, 21st Century Teens. There is something interesting in it.
A. Fix a time to read and keep to it.
B. Never read when you are very tired.
C. It is easy enough for you to understand it.
D. You should develop a good habit of reading.
E. Then come back and write them in your notebook.
F We should make out every word you met in reading.
G. Reading books with proper number of new words is very important.
A mother in east China went to celebrate her son's birthday at school—but her son's 1 took her by surprise. The loving mother decided to surprise her son by 2 up in a cartoon bear clothes and bringing him a/an 3 during class.
To her astonishment, the boy immediately 4 her mother by her hands and ran to give her a big 5. The heart-warming video filmed on Monday 6 the mother in a blue bear 7 walking towards her son's classroom with a birthday cake 8 her hand.
After passing the cake to the 9, she goes into the classroom to celebrate her birthday with the 10 children. "Look who's here!" the teacher 11 to the boy.
The boy 12 around and said, "Teacher, this is my mum!" The teacher asked, "How do you know?" "Her 13!" the boy replied with great 14.
The 15 mother then showed her 16 by removing the big head of the bear and the happy boy jumped into her arms. " I didn't 17 him to spot me at all," the mother, Liu, told video news site Pear. "I was so 18 that I cried!"
Many net users were moved by the video, which has been 19 more than 4.6 million times on social media. "You wouldn't be able to spot your mother by her hands if you didn't truly love her!" one user said, "This is so heart-warming. Your child actually loves you 20 you think!"
Everyone knows about straight-A students. They always concentrate and learn effectively in class, turn in perfect homework and score highly in exams. Then how do super-achievers do it? (know) how to make most of your inborn abilities is important for more.” Hand work isn't the whole story, either. “It's not how long you sit there with the books open. It's you do while you're sitting.” Keep all assignments or papers (complete) and put in separate folders(文件夹), so they'll be (ready) available(可使用的)for review at exam time.
Know the due dates of your homework and complete it early, so you have time (polish) and review it. You should be aware that homework (help) to strengthen what you have learned in class and find out some knowledge you don't understand, so it is worth putting effort it whether your teacher checks it or not.
Discuss homework problems together, try different (approach) and explain them to one another. Thus, you have a chance to see how others approach a problem and learn their methods of doing something.
⒈表示问候和慰问;
⒉提出关于学习、生活和交友等方面的建议。
注意:⒈词数100左右;
⒉可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear Bonny,
……
Yours
Li Hua