It can be tough to pull kids away from their computers and mobile devices these days. While they're playing games, wouldn't it be great if they could be learning at the same time? Good educational apps offer fun challenges that teach specific grade-level skills. Here are 4 that combine fun and learning.
Understanding Math—Addition and Subtraction ($3.99; iOS)
Understanding Math—Addition and Subtraction goes beyond basic comprehension to instill a deeper understanding of the whys and hows of math. The app tracks your child's progress to determine strengths and weaknesses in different skill areas, and you can customize your child's learning experience to suit the needs.
Word Creativity Kit ($52.99; iOS)
Word Creativity Kit aims to make creative writing fun while also build up grammar rules. The app presents a series of words from seven categories, such as space or fantasy. Kids add their own words to finish the complete thoughts that these words have inspired.
Barefoot World Atlas ($4.99; iOS)
Barefoot World Atlas helps kids learn about geography and world cultures with a touch of the screen. Each region features a set of subtopics, from wildlife and natural features to native people, landmarks, and architecture. These facts and illustrations are delivered in photographs, sounds, and hundreds of mini videos.
My Grades & Homework (S0.99; iOS)
A combination of grades and homework tracker, My Grades & Homework can help your child stay organized and on top of the progress in school. A convenient calendar and course list format offer a glance at your child's assignment schedule that he/she might not normally get from standard homework planners.
I can't think of a better way of appreciating a new culture than by taking part in one of its festivals. You'll find that some festivals are celebrated by an entire country, while others may be known only to a single city or region, but either way festivals play an important role in a certain culture. Just enjoy them!
★ Tomatina — Bunol, Spain
Every last Wednesday in August, the town of Bunol is filled with tons of tomatoes in the world's biggest food flight. Many people wear goggles during this hour of great fun, as the town becomes a red river.
★ Boryeong Mud Festival — Boryeong, South Korea
For two weeks in July, millions gather in Boryeong to experience the grey pools and slides. What began as a way to help sell the region's mineral-rich mud has turned into a festive party with music and fireworks. The mud is usually only available in cosmetic products (化妆品), but here you can cake yourself in grey as you want.
★ Holi — India
Holi, the Festival of Colors, is a Hindu celebration full of joy and one of India's most important holidays. During the day of the last full moon of the lunar month, usually late February or early March, the air is full of brightly colored powder (粉末). The festival is celebrated differently throughout the country, with bonfires and music, but the cheerful spirit is common among Hindu people around the world.
★ International Pillow Fight Day — Worldwide
Tens of thousands of people took part in the 4th annual International Pillow Fight Day on April 2,2013. From London to Vancouver to many other cities, the festival is held in more than 100 countries. So just bring a soft pillow in early April, and watch feathers fly.
Should high school students do volunteer work? If your answer is "no", then think again. Here are some reasons why doing volunteer work is worth your time and effort.
In college, you will have to work on a group project. If you're lucky, most of the students in your group will care about what they are doing and actually work as a team, but that's not always the case. This is where volunteer experience can pay off. When you volunteer for an event, you don't always know who you will be working with, but you know that the job needs to be completed on time. Working with strangers will actually teach you how to play to your strengths (发挥强项) in order to get the best results.
If you are not confident, volunteering will likely change that very quickly. Since many organizations depend on their volunteers to get things done, it's not uncommon for you to work as a leader when working on a project. When you work on a project, your confidence will grow and others will look to you for advice. The volunteering experience will surely serve you well in college and your future employment.
In high school, we are with people who share the same values and cultural backgrounds. When you head off to college, you may find yourself living with someone from another country or someone who has completely different values. You may feel confused. One important thing you can learn from volunteering is never to judge someone by the way he or she looks — get to know the person first.
Volunteering will increase your ability to think outside the box. You will need to come up with creative solutions for many problems. Volunteering before college can take the word" cannot" out of your vocabulary.
Is It Worth Buying Organic Food? Organic food, grown without artificial chemicals, is increasingly popular nowadays. Consumers have been willing to pay up to twice more for goods with organic labels (商标). However, if you think paying a little more for organic food gets you a more nutritious and safer product, you might want to save your money. A study led by researchers at Stanford University says that organic products aren't necessarily more nutritious, and they're no less likely to suffer from disease-causing bacteria, either.
The latest results, published in the Annuals of Internal Medicine, suggest that buyers may be wasting their money. "We did not find strong evidence that organic food is more nutritious or healthier," says Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler from Stanford. "So consumers shouldn't assume that one type of food has a lower risk or is safer."
For their new study, Smith-Spangler and her colleagues conducted a review of two categories of research, including 17 studies that compared health outcomes between consumers of organic against traditional food products, and 223 studies that analyzed the nutritional content of the foods, including key vitamins, minerals and fats.
While the researchers found little difference in nutritional content, they did find that organic fruit and vegetables were 20% less likely to have chemicals remaining on the surfaces. Neither organic nor traditional foods showed levels of chemicals high enough to go beyond food safety standards. And both organic and traditional meats, such as chicken and pork, were equally likely to be harmed by bacteria at very low rates. The researchers did find that organic milk and chicken contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat also found in fish that can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, these nutritional differences were too small, and the researchers were unwilling to make much of them until further studies confirm the trends.
Organic food is produced with fewer chemicals and more natural-growing practices, but that doesn't always translate into a more nutritious or healthier product. The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that "whether you buy organic or not, finding the freshest foods available may have the biggest effect on taste." Fresh food is at least as good as anything marketed as organic.
Planning a September trip to France
September is one of the very best months to visit France．Not only will you enjoy plenty of sunshine and warm weather, but the tourist season is beginning to wind down—which means cheaper airfares, lower prices at hotels, and fewer crowds．
●Go wine tasting
And there are plenty of wine-related events and festivals around the country．So September is a great time to visit the vineyards around the country and go wine tasting．The Bordeaux, Loire and Burgundy regions are all lovely and great places to visit vineyards．Besides that, going to the castles of the Loire region in between visiting vineyards on such warm and Sunny days is also very enjoyable．
●
The temperatures are slightly lower，but plenty of sunshine makes for perfect conditions to enjoy a barge cruise on the canals of France．With such comfortable weather and beautiful scenery at this time of year, nothing equals hanging out on the deck of a barge．
●Visit the museums
Many museums in France have extended opening hours during the summer to accommodate the extra tourists and locals. And some museums also have extended opening hours into September．Wandering around the Louvre will take you into a wonder world，where you can enjoy the world-famous art．
Besides the above，riding a bike through France's villages is also a welcome activity for young visitors in September．You can shop for the most fashionable clothes or goods here．You can see the beautiful and fantastic scenery along the road．
A．Take a barge cruise.
B．Enjoy the music concerts.
C．So, don't hesitate and start to plan your September trip to France flow!
D．France is a beautiful country．
E．September is the beginning of the grape harvest season in France．
F．Going out of the Louvre, you can walk to the modern and fashionable Champs Elysees to do some shopping．
G．If this is your first trip to France, here is some handy information to help you get started planning your vacation!
Manuela got up earlier and bought two bags of cat food. She began going to the1 barbershop on the corner, making her weekly visit to see Hussein, the old barber. Hussein was both2 and delighted to see Manuela and the bags of food. The two hurried over to the tiny food dishes lined up in the alley. Several 3 appeared soon.
As the two 4 and made their way back inside the shop, Hussein's smile 5 and he explained he was about to 6 the barbershop. He had been told to leave within 7 days. His 7barbershop simply couldn't pay enough rent and the landlord had invited another roomer, one who wouldn't be 8 animals outside.
Manuela's eyes began to9 as Hussein expressed his10 about the homeless cats he cared for. But as fate(命运) would have it, there was something better11 for the barber and his cats. As Manuela's blog supporters read her12 about Hussein, they, one after another,13 donating to him and his cats. Every day for the next week, Manuela went to Hussein with the14 . And on the fourth day, something unbelievable happened when Hussein was able to15a storefront in an old building near his shop. No electricity,16 there was potential. Manuela and other people 17 to help paint and clear rubbish while electricians made all the necessary18 .
In less than two weeks, the barber was back in19 again. Through the kindness of strangers, 20 , his and his cats' whole world was brought back.
Graffiti (涂鸦) and street art are forms of art created on walls or public surfaces. This art is often considered illegal because it is done without the (permit) of the building owners. These art forms (exist) since the times of ancient Greece. But the more modem style began forming in the 1960s in the cities of New York and Philadelphia. “Graffiti” often appears as words- (usual) the names of the artist or their art crew. Graffiti artists write the words in (create) ways and with colorful spray-paint.
“Street art” is more based images. Artists try to communicate a message through these images. Graffiti and street art can be controversial. They sometimes damage someone's property. Washington has tried to increase its fines for illegal graffiti, , however, is encouraging the creation of public art. America's capital city is trying hard (control) its illegal graffiti problem. At the same time, city officials recognize the value and importune or street art. There is high demand for more artists to make street art legally. But the city offers few (chance) for young D.C. street artists to develop their skills without (break) the law.
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
1）英语表达能力；2）相关经验；3）应聘目的。
注意：1）词数100左右；2）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
