Growing Green Thumbs
Children's Community Garden
2200 Bowling Green Ave, 940/349-2883
www.cmga.com
LEARN: Join the weekend work at the community garden, where caregivers and master gardeners help kids aged 5 or older plant and water new vegetables, and harvest from the gardens. All harvested foods are either sold at the community's farmers' market or donated to the area food bank. The instructors also lead games about nutrition, beetles and butterflies and more. Work begins in May, 10 a. m. - 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
COST: Free
Coppell Community Garden
255 Parkway Blvd, Coppell
www.coppellcommunitygarden.org
LEARN: Kids (aged 6 but not turning 12 before Dec. 31 this year) with a parent can volunteer at either the Helping Hands Garden, 25 Parkway Blvd. or Ground Delivery Garden, 45 S. Denton Tap Road. Children will have the opportunity to till(耕）the ground, plant vegetables, ·harvest from the garden and more. Work begins every Saturday at about 9 a. m.
COST: Free
Callie's Kids by Calloway Nursery
Denton,940/591-8865; Flower Mound,972/691-2650
www.mytexasgarden.com..........
LEARN: Kids aged 5 to 10 years old can explore and plant in the Calloway gardens with a caregiver's supervision at 9:30 a. m. on the first or third Wednesdays from June to August. A garden expert will share tips and advice for the best gardening practices during the 45-minute session beginning on June 2. Preregistration online is required.
COST: Free
At eleven, I decided to learn to swim. There was a pool at the Y. M. C. A. offering exactly the opportunity. Mother continually warned against it, and kept fresh in my mind the details of cach drowning in the river. But the Y. M. C. A. pool was safe.
I had a childhood fear of water. This started when I was three years old and father took me to the beach. The huge waves knocked me down and swept over me.
The pool was quiet. I was afraid of going in all alone, so I sat on the side of the pool to wait for others. Then came a big boy. He yelled, "Hi, Skinny! How'd you like to be ducked?" With that he picked me up and threw me into the deep end. I landed in a sitting position, and swallowed water. But I was not frightened out of my wits-when my feet hit the bottom, I would make a big jump, come out of the surface. It seemed a long way down. I gathered all my strength when I landed and made what I thought was a great spring upwards. Then I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water. I tried to yell but no sound came out. I went down, down, endlessly.
When I came to consciousness, I found myself lying on the bed in the hospital.
I never went back to the pool. I avoided water whenever I could. This misadventure stayed with me as the years rolled by. It deprived me of the joy of boating and swimming. Finally, I decided to get an instructor. Piece by piece, he built a swimmer. Several months later, the instructor was finished, but I was not. Sometimes the terror would return.
This went on until July. I swam across the Lake Wentworth. Only once did the terror return. When I was in the middle of the lake 
I put my face under and saw nothing but bottomless water. I laughed and said, "Well, Mr. Terror, what do you think you can do to me?"
I had conquered my fear of water.
The person who set the course of my life was a school teacher named Marjorie Hurd. When 1 stepped off a ship in New York Harbor in 1949, I was a nine-year-old war refugee, who had lost his mother and was coming to live with the father he did not know. My mother, Eleni Gatzoyiannis, had been imprisoned and shot for sending my sisters and me to freedom.
I was thirteen years old when I entered Chandler Junior High. Shortly after I arrived, I was told to select a hobby to pursue during "club hours." The idea of hobbies and clubs made no sense to my immigrant ears, but I decided to follow the prettiest girl in my class. She led me into the presence of Miss Hurd, the school newspaper adviser and English teacher.
A tough woman with salt-and pepper hair and determined eyes, Miss Hurd had no patience with lazy bones. She drilled us in grammar, assigned stories for us to read and discuss, and eventually taught us how to put out a newspaper. Her introduction to the literary wealth of Greece gave me a new perspective on my war-torn homeland, making me proud of my origins. Her efforts inspired me to understand the logic and structure of the English language. Owing to her inspiration, during my next twenty-five years, I became a, journalist by profession.
Miss Hurd retired at the age of 62. By then, she had taught for a total of 41 years. Even after her retirement, she continually made a project of unwilling students in whom she spied a spark of potential. The students were mainly from the most troubled homes, yet she alternately bullied and charmed them with her own special brand of tough love, until the spark caught fire.
Miss Hurd was the one who directed my grief and pain into writing. But for Miss Hurd, I wouldn't have become & reporter. She was the one who sent me into journalism and indirectly caused all the good things that came after.
Shinrin-yoku means "forest bathing". Forest bathing doesn't mean you take bath in the forest; rather, you simply go for a walk in the woods or a city park, where you slacken by using all your senses to experience nature.
Yoshifumi Miyazaki, from Chiba University, is among a growing number of scientists who have begun studying the science behind the effects of nature on human health. In his book Shinrin-yoku: The Japanese Art of Forest Bathing, Miyazaki explains the techniques of forest bathing.
Miyazaki has an interesting theory about why shinrin-yoku is so effective. He points out that for more than 99.99% of the time, humans have lived in a natural environment. In fact, in 1800, only 3% of the world's population lived in cities, and by 2019, this figure reached 54%. This is only going to get worse; officials predict that by 2050, 66% will live in cities.
This suggests we live in our modern society with bodies that are still used to the natural environment, he writes in the book, because "genes cannot change over just a few hundred years". The science behind the research studies he presents in the book makes a convincing case that forest bathing is an effective method for reducing stress in today's world.
Now city planners are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of nature and are creating new kinds of "parks" out of empty spaces. There're also more city gardens where people can grow vegetables. For kids, kitchen gardens in schools are becoming popular. As Miyazaki stresses, you don't have to find a formal park or garden to practice shinrin-yoku. Instead, you can enjoy the effects of nature wherever there're plants.
Better yet, he says, we can bring nature closer to where we spend most of our time. Miyazaki's research has shown that just increasing the amount of plants in a room can affect the relaxation benefits of the room. What's more, even when people simply look at flowers, their bodies relax and stress levels decrease.
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 count
Even 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 sitting
You'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 can
It 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 habit
To 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.
As our Earth's temperature warms up because of climate change, it is having unexpected effects on our world's forests. When temperatures rise, trees close their skins to 1 the loss of water, and this, in turn, slows down the 2 of photosynthesis(光合作用). As a result, these trees are shorter and grow slowly, as well as have a 3 death rate.
Climate change also increases the 4 of droughts and wildfires. After wildfires, it takes a while for the forest systems to 5 , and in some cases, the forests are 6 permanently. Trees that are stressed are also 7 to attacks by bacteria(细菌). In tropical forests, vines that use the trees as 8 can often choke the trees and rob them of nutrients. Finally, humans have 9 the forest landscape through logging. When trees are replanted on the soil, they will never grow as large as the 10 trees that were cut down.
As these forests disappear, species that once called them “home” are forced to change, 11 the variety of those systems. 12 , some endangered species are unable to 13 and die. Old-growth forests are disappearing in all regions of our world. When forests die, younger forests that are reestablished in the same area grow back weaker and smaller 14 poor vegetation. With trees dying increasingly and continuously, will future generations 15 out on the wonders of forests?
Have you ever wondered you would do to solve math problems if you didn't have a calculator or computer or even pencil and paper? People in China have used an ancient counting tool (perform) mathematical operations. The Chinese calculator's name is "suanpan", but it is known "abacus" in English. Invented by Liu Hong, abacus is one of the symbols of Chinese people's wisdom (date) back to the 12th century.
Abacus has had a far-reaching influence on science and technology, language, literature, art, architecture and many fields of China and even some areas of the world. Meanwhile, abacus has affected people's character, such as honesty and diligence. For centuries, this simple counting device (设备) (pass) down through different dynasties with its original design and purpose (actual) unchanged.
The calculations can be made on it immediately, with the device storing the results in “visual storage” much like a computer display. When working with an amount of (number), an abacus is practically faster, since it has a (good) "keyboard" than the Western calculators. Anyway, the small abacus has made an outstanding contribution in the fields of human intellectual development, just as the computer does in today's (social).
The darkness was gathering as she wobbled(颤颤巍巍) in high heels along the side of the highway. The car had come to an unexpected stop, and like a teenager she did the only thing she could think of...get out and walk.
It was cold and late, and home was far away. This could be a long night. If. only someone would stop and offer her a ride. She prayed for help and dragged herself forward.
The lights of a truck shone from behind as it approached. "Maybe he will stop," she hoped. The brake lights flashed on as it stopped. Next instant, the cab door opened. A wordless invitation was extended and she understood. Without hesitation the girl climbed up into the cab and closed the door. Slowly the truck pulled back onto the road and disappeared into the night, never to be seen again.
I woke up in a cold sweat, alarmed. Was that a dream or was it a vision? It was unbelievably real, and the girl was my daughter! I jumped from my bed and ran to her room. Her bed was empty.
I stood in horror trying to think why she had not come home. As the mental fog began to lift, I remembered she was visiting her friend that evening. Perhaps she stayed there for the night. It was 1:30 a.m., but I raced to the phone and dialed a number.
"Hello?" The voice was heavy with sleep.
"Hey. Sorry to wake you. Becki didn't come home tonight and I was wondering if she stayed at your place?"
"No, she left here a few hours ago. She should have been home at least by midnight!" The voice on the other end began to reflect my own panic.
Over the next forty-five minutes I alternated between lying in pray and pacing the floor in anxiety.
At 2:15 a.m. lights appeared as a car turned up on our long driveway. I could tell immediately that it was not my daughter's car.
注意：1）续写词数应为150左右；
2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
My face pressed against the window and I found it hard to breathe.
……
"Mom, she gave me a ride home."Becki said.
