Organic food, grown without artificial chemicals, is increasingly popular nowadays. Consumers (消费者) have been willing to pay up to twice as much for goods with organic labels (标签). However, if you think paying a little more for organic food gets you a more nutritious and safer product, then you'd better 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.
For their new study, Smith-Spangler and her colleagues conducted a review of two categories（种类）of research, including 17 studies that compared health outcomes between consumers of organic against traditional food products, and 223 studies that analyzed(分析) 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(标准). 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.
It is Saturday afternoon. You and your friends are planning to go to the movies and then spend the night together. Just as you start to get ready, your dad reminds you it is your aunt's birthday and the whole family is going out to dinner to celebrate. How can this possibly end without a huge argument?
One of the greatest sources of tension (紧张) between teenagers and their families is the struggle to balance personal desires with family expectations. As you are getting older, you are becoming more independent and more interested in being with your friends. However, at the same time, your family is trying to figure out(弄清楚) how to deal with these changes. While you once spent most of your free time with your family, you are now often absent from home. Parents may get their feelings hurt. Or they might feel that they are losing control of their family during this period. You might feel angry that so many family demands are placed on you.
There are a few things you can try to make it a little easier to ease the tension.
Make your plans ahead of time. Ask your parents if there is anything else planned at that time.
When something with your friends interferes (冲突) with a family event, try to figure out if there is any way you can do both.
Suggest something you would really like to do with your family. Sometimes parents feel better just knowing their teenager wants to spend time with them.
Some of the time you won't be happy with the outcome. You might either have to disappoint your parents or have to miss out being with your friends. However, if you show consideration for the feelings of both your family and your friends, you can solve the problem in a tender（和善的）way.
Samuel Osmond is a 19-year-old law student from Cornwall, England. He never studied the piano. However, he can play very difficult musical pieces by musicians such as Chopin and Beethoven just a few minutes after he hears them. He learns a piece of music by listening to it in parts. Then he thinks about the notes(音符) in his head. Two years ago, he played his first piece Moonlight Sonata（奏鸣曲）by Beethoven. He surprised everyone around him.
Amazed that he remembered this long and difficult piece of music and played it perfectly, his teachers say Samuel is unbelievable. They say his ability is very rare, but Samuel doesn't even realize that what he can do is special. Samuel wanted to become a lawyer as it was the wish of his parents, but music teachers told him he should study music instead. Now, he studies law and music.
Samuel can't understand why everyone is so surprised. "I grew up with music. My mother played the piano and my father played the guitar. About two years ago, I suddenly decided to start playing the piano, without being able to read music and without having any lessons. It comes easily to me —I hear the notes and can bear them in mind—each and every note," says Samuel.
Recently, Samuel performed a piece during a special event at his college. The piece had more than a thousand notes. The audience was impressed by his amazing performance. He is now learning a piece that is so difficult that many professional(专业的) pianists can't play it. Samuel says confidently, "It's all about super memory—I guess I have that gift."
However, Samuel's ability to remember things doesn't stop with music. His family says that even when he was a young boy, Samuel heard someone read a story, and then he could retell the story word for word.
Samuel is still only a teenager. He doesn't know what he wants to do in the future. For now, he is just happy to play beautiful music and continue his studies.
A great life doesn't happen by accident. A great life is the result of allocating (分配) your time, energy and hard work towards what you want your life to be. Stop setting yourself up for stress and failure. Make the following secrets fit your own needs and style, and start creating your own great life today!
A great life is the result of simplifying your life. People often misunderstand what simplify means. Instead, it's a way to free up your energy and time for the work that you enjoy and the purpose for which you are here. In order to create a great life, you will have to make room for it first.
A great life is the result of removing distractions(分心之事). Up to 75% of your mental energy can be used in things that are not important but distracting you. Look around at someone's life you admire. What do they do that you would like to adopt in your own life? Ask them how they did it.
A great life is the result of your adjustments. It may mean thinking about again how you spend your time, or choosing to spend your money in a different way. It may mean looking for new ways to spend your energy that agree with your particular definition of a great life.
There's the old saying everyone's familiar with "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". In order to even move from the couch to the refrigerator, you have to start. There's no better time to start than today. It's what you do TODAY that will make a difference in your life tomorrow.
A. A great life is the result of starting.
B. Start setting up your life to support success and ease.
C. A great life is the result of having intention.
D. So it requires that you should make some changes.
E. It's not a way to remove work from your life.
F. It's easy to spend your days on whatever gets your attention.
G. Then you will find ways to free up your mental energy for more important things.
Born in America, I spoke English, not Chinese, the language of my ancestors. When I was three, my parents flashed cards with Chinese1at my face, but I pushed them 2, my mom believed I would learn3I was ready .But the4 never came.
On a Chinese New Year's Eve, my uncle spoke to me in Chinese, but all I could do was 5at him, confused, scratching my head. "Still can't speak Chinese?" He 6me, "You can't even buy a fish in Chinatown."
"Hey, this is America, not China. I'll get some 7with or without Chinese." I replied and turned to my mom for 8.
"Remember to ask for fresh fish, Xin Xian Yu," she said, handing over a $20 bill. I9 the words, running downstairs into the streets of Chinatown.
I found the fish 10 surrounded in a sea of customers. "I'd like to buy some fresh fish," I shouted to the fishman. But he 11 my English words and turned to serve the next customer. The laugh of the people behind increased 12 their impatience. With every 13, the breath of the dragons(龙) on my back grew stronger—my blood boiling-- 14 me to cry out, "Xian Sheng Yu, please" "Very Xian Sheng," I repeated. The crowd burst into laughter. My face turned 15 and I ran back home16, except for the $20 bill I held tightly in my pocket.
Should I laugh or cry? They're Chinese. I should feel right at home. 17, I was the joke, a disgrace ( 丢脸)to the language.
Sometimes, I laugh at my fish 18, but, in the end, the joke is on 19. Every laugh is a culture 20; every laugh is my heritage (传统) fading away.
What's the one thing every child desires in school? More break time! And that's exactly four public schools are giving to students, which turns out to be beneficial to everyone. The four schools are carrying out the LiiNK program, a project that (satisfy) every kid's hunger for more rest and therefore helps encourage (create), develop character and promote success.
LiiNK was inspired by Finnish approaches to (learn) based on the simple concept of giving children more outside playtime. In Finland, where the learning system has been in place decades, some of the students have the (high) scores on global assessment(评估) tests. Instead of spending increasing amounts of time inside the classroom, they're spending more and more time on physical activity.
Some studies discovered that traditional break actually helps students improve (they) performance inside the classroom and it provides a platform for students to be able (function) at their best level.
Other studies have shown that outdoor playtime decreases restlessness and tiredness, and has number of benefits such as improving motor skills, developing physical fitness, and promoting social development. All the children in these schools where the program carried out are happier because of it. So the best way to make children happy and successful is to (simple) let them be kids every once in a while.
Ali and his younger sister, Zahra, lived with their parents in a poor neighborhood. Their mother was very sick and their father was struggling to find a job, and they had only a little money with which to buy food. As they had not paid the rent for several months, the landlord was breathing down their necks(盯着他们).
One day, Ali took Zahra's shoes to a shoe repairman to be fixed, but he lost them on the way home. It wasn't until he got home that he realized he had lost the shoes. He was afraid that his parents would be angry and disappointed, so he begged his sister to keep it secret. Zahra agreed and the two decided to share Ali's running shoes. Zahra's school hours were in the morning, so she would wear them first. After school, she would rush back and give them to Ali. He could then run to his school, which began in the afternoon. Although he ran as fast as he could, Ali often arrived late and was warned by the school.
Ali heard about a long distance race that was held for the boys in the city. When he learned that the third prize was a new pair of shoes, he decided to take part. He ran home excitedly and promised his sister that he would win her the new shoes.
The day of race arrived. Ali had a strong start, but halfway through the race he began to get tired and his legs began to ache. Getting more and more exhausted he thought only of Zahra and his promise to her. Dreaming of the new shoes he would win for his sister gave him strength, and he stayed right behind the two fastest runners, determined to finish third. Suddenly, as the finish line drew near, another runner collided（碰撞）with Ali from behind and he crashed to the ground.
注意：
1）所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2）应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3）续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4）续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Ali looked up and saw the other boys rushing ahead.
Paragraph 2:
Filled with pleasure, Ali walked home quickly.
