The average American child spends three to five hours a day watching TV. In 1961, the average child began to watch television at age three; however, today it is nine months. Yet, most parents think that television has bad influence on their children. For example, in the early 1970s, my parents believed that my bad eyesight was the result of sitting too close to the screen, and they therefore made my stay at least six feet from it. Today, most people have no such worry, but many new ridiculous (荒谬的) sayings have appeared:

*TV makes kids stupid.Many children watch more educational programs when they are pre-schoolers. When they grow up, they can read more books and have much better ideas to solve difficult problems than other children.

*TV makes kids violent.The real story is not so simple. Hundreds of studies show that watching violence on TV makes children more aggressive (好斗的). But a study of over 5,000 children also finds that some positive programs make children kinder. The problem is that kids are increasingly watching shows with violence instead of those suitable for their age.

*Sitting around watching TV makes kids overweight.An experiment finds that when children watch less television, they do lose extra weight; however, reducing their television time does not make them more active. The real problem lies in snacking. A widespread habit for kids, and junk-food advertisements.

*TV helps kids get to sleep.The opposite is true. The more television children watch, the more likely they are to have irregular sleep and nap(小睡) patterns. Allowing kids to watch television is part of the problem, not the solution.

In recent years, there has been great progress in the study of genetics. With this progress, doors have been opened up to technologies that never existed before. While many people are excited about these new technologies, these same technologies frighten others. Nowhere is this truer than with genetically modified (GM) food.

There are two ways in which a plant or an animal can be genetically modified. First, new material can be inserted into its DNA to give the plant or animal qualities which it would never have in nature. Second, material can be taken from the DNA of a plant or an animal in order to remove qualities which are not desired.

One aim of GM research is to produce food which will make us healthier. So far, this technology has been used to produce plants which are better able to defend themselves against pests and disease. Supporters of GM food argue that GM plants are healthier and have large harvests. While there has been research in GM animals such as pigs, no GM meat is being at present.

Many questions have been raised about GM food. No one really knows whether it is safe for animals or humans to eat. Scientists admit that more tests should be done on GM food. Research has been limited to increasing production profits, rather than making sure that GM foods are safe. GM food could therefore be dangerous to eat.

There is also a question as to whether GM plants are safe for the environment. Since GM crops are planted outside, they are part of the food chain—insects and other animals eat them or use their products, and these insects and animals will might have on the food chain.

Since no one really knows whether GM food is safe, many countries have hesitated to give permission for the production of GM foods, as they would rather be cautious with this new technology.

People believe that climbing can do good to health. Where can you learn the skills of climbing then? If you think that you have to go to the mountains to learn how to climb, you’re wrong. Many Americans are learning to climb in city gyms. Here, people are learning on special climbing walls. The climbing wall goes straight up and has small holding places for hands and feet.

   How do people climb the wall? To climb, you need special shoes and a harness (保护带) around your chest to hold you. There are ropes tied to your harness. The ropes hold you in place so that you don’t fall. A beginner’s wall is usually about 15 feet high, and you climb straight up. There are small pieces of metal that stick out for you to stand on and hold on to. Sometimes it’s easy to see the next piece of metal. Sometimes, it’s not. The most difficult part is to control your fear. It’s normal for humans to be afraid of falling, so it’s difficult not to feel fear. But when you move away from the wall, the harness and the ropes hold you, and you begin to feel safe. You move slowly until you reach the top.

   Climbing attracts people because it’s good exercise for almost everyone. You use your whole body, especially your arms and legs. This sport gives your body a complete workout. When you climb, both your mind and your body can become stronger.

Is the universe getting darker? One group of scientists believes so. Their research suggests the birthrate of stars has declined(下降) over the past few billion years. 

In the largest study of its kind, astronomers used special telescopes to survey star-forming galaxies. They looked at the light, gas, and dust from stars to see how fast they form and how their conditions change over time. They found that star production has been declining over the past 9 billion years.                               

Stars are bright balls of hot gas held together by gravity. They form when clouds of dust and gas in the universe become unstable and fall down under their own gravity. The center of this material becomes dense and hot, causing a nuclear reaction. When that happens, the cloud begins to shine as a star.                              

Research suggests that star formation began around 13.4 billion years ago. But it was the period between 11 billion and 9 billion years ago that star production really boomed, producing roughly half the stars in the universe. Now, star formation is at only one-thirtieth of that rate.

You might say that the universe has been losing lights for a long time. Cosmic output is now only 3 percent of what it used to be at the peak of star production, says David Sobral, a researcher from the Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, UK.        

If star production continues declining as it has, astronomers guess that only 5 percent more stars will form over the remaining history of the universe.                       

That doesn't mean the sky will turn dark anytime soon. The life of a single star can last billions of years. But it does mean that fewer stars are forming now than when the universe was younger.                                  

"While these measurements provide a sharp picture of the decline of star formation in the universe," says Philip Best of the Institute for Astronomy, "they also provide perfect samples to show the even more basic mystery which we are continuing to work to solve: Why?"                  

 There are many ways to find a job. It can be as easy as walking into a neighborhood store to look at its announcement board. Local stores often have areas where people can put small signs telling what kind of service they need or can provide. Such services include caring for children or cleaning houses.

      Or, job searchers can look in the newspaper. Local newspapers have employment announcements placed by companies seeking workers.

      Another popular tool for finding jobs is the Internet. For example, people in four hundred and fifty cities around the world can use the Craigslist Web site to buy objects, meet people or find a job. Craigslist says that it receives two million new job listings each month.

      Another useful way to find a job is through a college or university. For example, students at theUniversityofTexasinAustincan go to the Career Exploration Center to get help in finding a job. Of course, looking for a job requires knowing what kind of work you want to do. For example, there is a book called “What Color is Your Parachute (降落伞)?” by Richard Bolles. This book has been helping people choose a career (职业) since it was first published in nineteen seventy.

      Some experts also help people find jobs. Susan W. Miller owns a company called California Career Services in Los Angeles. She says her company helps people find jobs by first helping them understand their strengths, goals and interests. Then she provides them with methods and resources to help them find the right job.

I can tell you from experience, both private and public schools have one thing in common. Look around your school. What do you see? Beautiful buildings? Good teachers? I’ll tell you what I see: the need to have the most expensive clothing, newest phone, most expensive car, etc. Think about it. Do you find yourself wanting to one-up (胜过) your friends? Be honest. I know I have at some point in time.

In my school parking lot, for example, there are more BWM’s and Mercedes than one could possibly imagine. When I look at my 2006 Honda CRV, the butterflies in my stomach start flapping their wings wildly. Do people look at me differently because my car is old?

What about my phone? What about text messaging? Earlier this year in my statistics class my teacher asked our class how many texts each student received in the past 24 hours. My count was twelve. Twenty minutes later, people started to come up with the answers of 200 or more. I firmly believe that people were in competition with each other. Who could get the most texts? Having only twelve texts sent to me made me feel terrible. Was it bad that hardly anyone had texted me? My teacher would never have thought that his question which intended a better understanding of the course made me uncomfortable.

How about the difference between grade levels in high school? Come on. There is a distinct difference from being a senior and a freshman. At gatherings, the senior class boos(喝倒彩) every other grade, sometimes causing fights. Being a senior, I don’t want to make negative comments on people in other grade levels. High school is hard enough as it is. Freshman, sophomores and juniors don’t need four hundred students to remind them.

Trying to impress everyone is hard. Most of the stress we have as teens is living up to everyone else’s expectations. The only people we need to impress are ourselves. Be in competition with yourself and you’ll live a happier life.

 Waste can be seen everywhere in the school. Some students ask for more food than they can eat and others often forget to turn off the lights when they leave the classroom. They say they can afford these things. But I don’t agree with them.

Waste can bring a lot of problems. Although China is rich in some resources(资源), we are short of(缺乏) others, for example, fresh water(淡水). It is reported that we will have no coal(煤) or oil to use in 100 years. So if we go on wasting our resources, what can we use in the future and where can we move? Think about it. I think we should say no to the students who waste things every day. Everybody should stop wasting as soon as possible.

  In our everyday life, we can do many things to prevent waste from happening, for example, turn off the water taps(水龙头) when we finish washing, turn off the lights when we leave the classroom, try not to order more food than we need, and so on. Little by little, everything will be changed. Waste can be stopped one day, if we do our best.

D

Reading is the key to success. Apparently every successful person develops a passion for reading. This is because reading is a key element to obtain the information required to understand something. For instance: Lawyers have to study and learn every established law on their specific branches. Sometimes the law changes according to people's needs. A good lawyer as to be informed with the latest news in the court. A doctor has to be informed of the latest advances in medicine.

Reading is very important for all mankind. Everything is relative in this world, especially reading. Reading can open many doors and it can lead you into a path of success. Studies have confirmed that reading to your unborn child is very good. This way your child will develop a passion for reading later on.

How do you develop a passion for reading? There is only one way you can develop your passion for reading. Let me explain this to you. If you want to learn how to ride a bike, you have to get on the bike as many times as possible until you have learned. It works the same way with reading. lf you want to improve your reading, take a book and read it all the way through. When you finish reading your first book, take another book and do the same. Try to read as much as you can. lf you are going out, grab a magazine, a book, an article or something to read.

There is a very important factor behind the reading—reading comprehension. It's what makes you understand the meaning behind the text. Let's suppose that you read a document and you are supposed to explain the meaning of the document. How would you explain the document if you couldn't capture the message of the author?

Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger, but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving(铺砌) a road can lead to less usable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.

Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages(短缺). Areas of drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts(干旱) than ones with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs.

Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there's a lot we can do to lower the number.

You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with, use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks (泄露、漏洞)in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away.

According to a survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, 62 percent of American households keep pets. Many of us enjoy the company of pets. These animals donˈt ask for much — just a short list of basics, such as food, shelter, and, of course, our company. Pets offer far more in return, teaching us about love, improving our emotional and physical health, and providing us with unconditional friendship.

Companion animals are natural teachers. They help people of all ages learn about responsibility, loyalty, sharing and unconditional love ----qualities particularly necessary to a childˈs healthy development. Through helping to care for a pet, children also learn to care for their fellow human beings. There is an link between how people treat animals and how they treat each other.

Specially trained assistance dogs help people who have physical and mental disabilities(残疾). Assistance dogs are not sorted out as pets under the law, and they are allowed in public places where pets are prevented. These dogs serve as the hands, ears, or eyes of their human partners and help them by performing everyday tasks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible. Dogs may also notice changes in behavior, body language, or smell of their human partners, reminding them so that they may seek a safe environment.

       Pets are good for our emotional and physical health. Caring for a companion animal can lessen feelings of loneliness in all age groups. It’s well recognized that relaxed, happy people do not become ill as often as those who suffer from pressure and sadness. Animal companionship also helps lower a personˈs blood pressure. To put it simply, pets arenˈt just good friends; they are good medicine.