“Image is everything．” An entire industry has been built upon the assumption that image is everything, but when it comes down to it, an appealing image is not enough．If there is no substance（事实） behind the image, the product, service or person will fail eventually．

First of all, one should consider how important image is in the selling of products and services．Advertising agencies have raised the art of creating an image to a state of near perfection．Public concept of that product or service is certainly managed by the images created by the advertising agencies．But if the product or service does not live up to the image that was created, the customer will be very dissatisfied and possibly ask for their money back．For example, the Arthur Andersen accounting firm had spent decades building up an image of trustworthiness．But the recent scandal（丑闻）showed that behind that image, it cheated in business practices．Despite the previous positive image, the firm is being accused of criminal actions and it will probably not survive as a business unit．Although the image had been nearly perfect, the reality behind the image has led to the downfall of the world famous accounting firm．

Similarly, personal advisers can build up a public image for politicians and movie stars．Putting out positive news releases, making sure that only the best photographs are published, and ensuring that the person is seen in all the right places can build up a very positive image in the view of the general commons．But once again, history is filled with examples of both politicians and movie stars that fell from grace like the story of the Hollywood actor giving in to the pressures of fame and fortune．With people, just as with products and services, image is certainly important, but without positive substance behind the image, failure is close．

To summarize, it is clear that an appealing image is extremely important to success, whether that image is related to selling a product or service or to the “selling” of a person．But image is only half of the equation．What lies behind that image is every bit as important as the image itself —— the person or product must deliver on that image or there is little chance for long-term success．

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This year, according to the last World Happiness Report, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Sweden have been ranked as the five happiest countries in the world. So why are these countries so happy? Well, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OEDC), the Netherlands was ranked as one of the best countries for jobs. Nearly 75% of residents have jobs to do, but they rarely work very long hours, which gives them more time at home to spend with their families. 94% of residents claim if they were ever in trouble, they would be confident in knowing they can turn to someone close to them for help at any time. In this country, colleges and universities are free, and young adults are given the opportunity to pick a career they’re passionate about.

People of Switzerland value good work ethics（道德规范）and pride themselves on their ability to save money and spend wisely. Of all the OECD countries, Switzerland has the highest employment rate of 79% for people aged 18 to 65 and the average income per household is around $30,000. Citizens of Switzerland claim they tend to have happier thoughts and experiences over negative ones on a daily basis and feel entirely satisfied with their way of life.

In Denmark, the government tries to ensure its residents are happy and healthy. If you lose your job, the government is there to support you for up to four years, covering up to 90% of your expense. In a nation of over five million people, healthcare is free. Its citizens go to college for free and are offered financial aid every month, even if they live at home with their parents. A third of Denmark’s residents ride their bikes to get around, making it one of the most environmentally conscious nations.

Of all the nations measured, people in Sweden are among the healthiest. This might have something to do with their incredible air and water quality. Residents in Sweden enjoy around five weeks of paid vacation from work each year and understand the importance of spending time with their families. With the free education system, young people are given the chance to decide their future and pursue the career they want.

In Norway, people can attend college for free. People of Norway claim they can trust almost anyone and are continually happy with their life choices. The employment rate in Norway is around 75% with a gross（粗略的）pay of $44,000 for full-time employees. If a mother chooses to stay home with her pre-school aged child, she’ll receive a monthly stipend (津贴) from the government to help support her. Norwegians care much about one another and often treat tourists and visitors in a very warm manner, making them feel at home. Freedom of expression is highly valued in this country and they strive to treat everyone fairly.

  Lead poisoning occurs when lead is presented in high level in the blood of a person．It is the most common medical problem found in children．And it's important to recognize the presence of lead in a child’s body because lead is very harmful．

    Children have the tendency to go around and put things in their mouth like paint．This is one of the main causes of lead poisoning．I also have found that children born in poor farmilies have higher chances of getting exposed to lead．Lead can also be found in old water pipes and food and juice cans．

    Some of the common symptoms of lead poisoning in children are headaches，stomach pain，hair loss,muscle weakness，weight loss，ect．

    Lead poisoning can have severe effects and can lead to head diseases，kidney diseases and other problems．It can also result in mental retardation and low I．Q．level．There have been cases where lead poisoning proves to be deadly for the child．

    It’s difficult to recognize whether a child is affected with lead poisoning easily，as the symptoms of this disease can occur due to some other medical problems．Therefore，children under the age of 6 should regularly be checked to know the level of lead in their blood，through blood test．It’s possible to completely cure a child with lead poisoning through treatment．Usually，oral medicines are given to the child，while sometimes，they’re injected for reducing the lead level．Children who have very high level of lead in their blood would need treatment for a long period of time and would also be put on a special diet．

    Parents have to take certain measures to lower the chance of lead poisoning in children．Cleaning the house regularly and removing shoes at the door，after coming from outside，will prevent the lead particles(微粒)from entering the house．Children should be put on a healthy diet，containing high proportions(比例)of calcium and iron，such as eggs，milk，fruits，potatoes，ect．which helps to keep the lead level in control，in the child’s body．In short，parents should be careful and protect their children from the horrible consequences of lead poisoning．

Lead Poisoning in Children

Self-regulated Learning

Today, people change jobs an average of seven times before they retire. Many of these career changes require new learning that must be self-initiated and self-directed. Thus, one goal of teaching is to free students from the need for teachers, so they can continue to learn independently throughout their lives. That is, to make them self-regulated learners. Self-regulated learners have a combination of academic learning skills and self-control that makes learning easier.

What influences self-regulated learning?

Knowledge, motivation and will-power combine to influence self-regulated learning.

First of all, self-regulated learners have knowledge about themselves. For example, they know their preferred learning styles; what their interests and talents are: and how to take advantage of their strengths. These experts also know quite a bit about the subject being studied-and the more they know, the easier it is to learn more. They understand different learning tasks require different approaches. Further, they have mastered adequate learning strategies and tactics. For example, they know how and when to skim and how and when to read for deep understanding.

Self-regulated learners are motivated by learning itself. They find many tasks in school interesting because they value learning, not just performing well in the eyes of others. However, knowledge and motivation are not always enough. Self-regulated learners need will-power. They wonˈt give up easily. They know how to protect themselves from distractions—for example, what to do when attracted to stop working and have a cup of coffee.

A model of self-regulated learning.

Phi Winne and Allyson Hadwin put forward a 4-stage model.

1) Analyzing the learning task. Learners examine whatever information they think is relevant in order to construct a sense of what the task is about, what resources are available, and how they feel about the work to be done.

2)Setting goals and devising plans. What goals for studying might you set for a quiz covering only one chapter that counts just 3% toward your grade? Would your goals change if the test covered the last six chapters and counted 30% toward your course grade? Your goal in turn affects the shape of your plans for how to study. Is cramming(突击学习) the best approach? Is it a better plan to study a half-hour each day?

3)Enacting tactics and strategies to accomplish the task. Learners put their tactics and strategies into practice and monitor how well the plan is working. Are you reaching your goals? Is your progress rate fast enough to be prepared for the test?

4)Regulating learning. Learners have to decide whether changes are needed in any of the three preceding stages. For example, if learning is slow：Do you need to review some prior material that provides foundations for the content you are now studying?

Teaching toward self-regulated learning.

To develop studentsˈ self-regulated learning ability, teachers should let students take an active part in finishing complex meaningful tasks; give them control over their learning processes and products; involve students in setting criteria for evaluating their learning processes and products, then give them opportunities to make judgments about their progress using those standards.

Title: Self-regulated Learning

Computer addiction can be described as the overuse of the computer which continues despite serious negative consequences for personal, social or occupational functions. However, not all people who spend hours each day on the computer are considered addicted. There are many uses for computers and the Internet and in many cases, an individual may spend 6 or more hours in a day on the computer but still not be considered an addict. Therefore, there is no set number of hours that is considered a potential for computer addiction.

But those who are suffering from anxiety and depression caused by stress at work, relationships or financial problems tend to become computer addicts. Some people become addicted mainly because they feel bored with everything and feel like there is nothing else to do.

If one feels an intense desire to go online, play a computer game, or socialize as soon as he wakes up and before he goes to bed, he may have become an addict. Other symptoms include using the computer as the only source of entertainment, lying to his family and friends about the activities that he performs while on the computer. Some addicts possess anxious feelings when wanting to use the computer or knowing that time on the computer is limited. Others may lose track of time while on the computer and spend more time on it than intended. The computer can also be used as a form of escapism from reality.

Excessive computer use may result in the lack of face-to-face social interaction and an increasing amount of time and money on hardware, software and computer-related activities. Computer addiction makes one neglect his work, school, or family obligations. He often fails at repeated efforts to control computer use. So it’s time to seek help for the sake of health.

Counseling (心理辅导) or therapy can focus on treating underlying mental health conditions that caused the addiction such as anxiety, depression, social trauma or other conditions. Many different options for group or community support are available to assist those addicts. Just getting out and interacting with others can be very rewarding to the computer addict. Another method is to focus on new interests. For instance, a computer user might take part in a new gym membership, spend time at the movies with friends or go out for a walk. If a computer user does feel that he must go onto the computer, consider talking himself out of the computer use unless it is absolutely necessary. If he does go on the computer, he must make a plan for what he will do when on the computer, how long it will take and what time you will be off of the computer.

When the sun shines in Scotland, people can be seen running from the darkness of their homes, filling outside areas in cafes and bars. Every available grassy riverbank is crowded with office workers making the most of the sun; all seem satisfied with their lunch breaks. It is just the result of one day sunshine in Scotland. Why do they love sunshine so much?

Studies show that weather conditions have an important effect on health. People living in hot climates have an energy level entirely different from what those living further north have. Many diseases are influenced by weather conditions. Some health problems are worse in the winter months. Those with aching joints can even tell the weather better than the television weather broadcast.

The sun is person’s most important source of vitamin D. Man-made vitamin D. known as D2, changes much slower than natural vitamin D3from the sun. Vitamin D is extremely important to the support of the immune system in the body. Although it can be found in foods such as milk, it can be absorbed much more quickly from the sun.

Recent studies have shown that sunshine may have more health benefits than negative aspects, such as the risk of skin cancer. Many people avoid the sun now because of the fear of skin cancer. However, they are missing out on absorbing vitamin D to protect them from other diseases such as osteporosis（骨质疏松）. Lack of vitamin D has also been linked with heart disease, other forms of cancer, etc.

There is joy in the light that comes with the sun. People in Scotland smile, relax and become more social sitting in the sunshine. The dramatically-changing weather makes them relax more eagerly when the sun shows up, because no one know when it will be seen again.

Compare this to the constant temperature of 20-50 degrees all year round in Los Angeles,California,USA, with an average of 320 days of sunshine a year, and one might think that LA citizens should be a very healthy and happy population. However, the constant stream of sunshine in LA may mean that people are showing no particular interest in the effects of the weather. They miss out on the social community celebration that occurs in Scotland when the sun appears for a day.

Whether the sun appears only once a month, or whether it sends down warming rays each day, it has positive and negative effects on health, and plays a great part in determining the mood of people. The key, as with most things, is balance.

                Title : Weather and Health-Benefits of Sunshine

    Deep reading, as opposed to superficial (shallow) reading we do on the Web, is an endangered practice, one we ought to take steps to preserve as we would a historic building or a significant work of art.

    Recent research has illustrated that deep reading, characterized as a unique experience different kind from the mere understanding of words, is slow, immersive (沉浸的), rich in sensory detail and emotional and moral complexity. Although deep reading does not, strictly speaking, require a conventional book, the limits of the printed page are uniquely helpful to the deep reading experience. A book's lack of hyperlinks (超链接), for example, frees the reader from making decisions—should I click on this link or not—allowing her to remain fully absorbed in the story.

       That immersion is supported by the way the brain handles language rich in detail, indirect reference and figures of speech: by creating a mental representation that draws on the same brain regions that would be active if the scene were unfolding in real life. The emotional situations and moral dilemmas that are the material of literature are also vigorous (有活力的) exercise for the brain, driving us inside the heads of fictional characters and even, studies suggest, increasing our real-life capacity (能力) for recognition.

       None of this is likely to happen when we’re browsing through a website. Although we call the activity by the same name, the deep reading of books and the information-driven reading we do on the Web are very different, both in the experience they produce and in the capacity they develop. A growing body of evidence suggests that online reading may be less satisfying, even for the “digital natives” to whom it is so familiar. Researchers reported that 39% of children and teens read daily using electronic devices, but only 28% read printed materials every day. Those who only read onscreen were three times less likely to say they enjoy reading very much and tell which book they like best. The study also found that young people who read daily only onscreen were nearly twice less likely to be above-average readers than those who read daily in print or both in print and onscreen.

      All in all, the disappearance of deep reading would harm the intellectual and emotional development of generations growing up online, as well as the preservation of a critical part of our culture: the novels, poems and other kinds of literature that can be appreciated only by readers whose brains have been trained to understand them.

Definitions of literature have varied over time. In fact, it is a “culturally relative definition”. Once in Western Europe, literature indicated all books and writing. During the Romantic period, it began to refer to “imaginative” literature. Nowadays literature is seen as a term used to describe written or spoken material, including all the following.

Poetry uses rhythmic qualities of language to bring out meanings in addition to, or in place of, unimaginative surface meaning. Poetry has traditionally been distinguished from prose(散文) by its being set inverse (颠倒); prose is cast in sentences, poetry in lines.

Novel is typically written in a narrative (叙事) style and presented as a book. Novels tell stories, in which the characters and events are usually imaginary. The novel has been a pa rt of human culture for over a thousand years, although its origins are somewhat debated. Regardless of how it began, the novel has remained one of the most popular and treasured examples of human culture and writing. It remains an essential part of the literary cultures of nearly all societies around the world.

Novella is classified as “Too short to be a novel, too long to be a short story”. There is no precise definition in terms of word or page count. Literary prizes and publishing houses often have their own arbitrary limits, which vary according to their particular intentions.

A short story is different from novels or novellas in that the plot is usually tied to one single chain of events. Because the reader must identify with a character quickly to become engaged, the tale is often told from the chief character’s point of view.

A drama refers to a play for the theatre, television or radio. It generally consists of chiefly dialogue between characters. It also uses dance to convey their message. Dramas usually aim at dramatic performance rather than at reading. In theater, a drama is presented by actors to an audience.

Good literary works depend on literary techniques. A literary technique can be used by authors in order to improve the written framework of a piece of literature, and produce specific effects.

Literary techniques include a wide range of approaches to crafting a work. The ability to let readers know what might happen in the future in an indirect way is possible through the technique foreshadowing. The practice of representing objects and qualities as human beings in literature is personification. Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas.

When difficult people express themselves orally, they generally want at least two things; they’ve been heard and theyˈve been understood. As a good communicator should be a good listener, five steps are advocated toward good listening.

The first step is cooperating(合作). How does a difficult person know that youˈre listening and understanding? In fact，itˈ s through the way you look and sound while he is talking. You may help him to fully express his thoughts and feelings. You do this by nodding your head in agreement, making certain sounds of understanding.

When the person begins to repeat what’s been said, it’s a signal of step two: turning back. It means that you repeat back some words he is using, sending a clear signal that you’re listening carefully and that you think what he is saying is important.

Having heard what he has to say, the next step is clarifying. At this point, you start to gather information about what is being communicated. Ask some open-ended questions, which will allow you to figure out what intention he is hoping to satisfy.

The fourth step is to summarize(概括)what youˈve heard. This allows you to make sure that both you and the difficult person are on the same page. When you do this，two things happen. First，if youˈve missed something，he can fill in the details (细节). Second, you’ve shown that you’re making an effort to understand completely, this increases the possibility of gaining cooperation from him.

Having listened carefully, youˈve now arrived at the point of confirming with the person that he feels satisfied that his thoughts have been fully voiced. Ask if he feels understood.

When enough sincere listening, questioning, and remembering are brought together, understanding is usually achieved and a difficult person becomes less difficult and more cooperative.