Food sometimes gets poisoned with harmful things. A person who eats such food can get an illness called food poisoning. Food poisoning is usually not serious, but some types are deadly. The symptoms of food poisoning usually begin within hours of eating the poisoned food. Fever is one of the most common symptoms.

Certain microorganisms(微生物)cause most types of food poisoning. Bacteria and other microorganisms can poison eggs, meat, vegetables, and many other foods. After entering the body, these tiny living things release(释放)poisons that make people sick.

Some chemicals can also cause food poisoning. They are often added to food while it is being grown, processed, or prepared. For example, many farmers spray chemicals on crops to kill weeds and insects. Some people may have a bad reaction to those chemicals when they eat the crops.

Some plants and animals contain natural poisons that are harmful to people. These include certain kinds of seafood, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and mushrooms.

When people handle food properly, the risk of food poisoning is very small. Microorganisms multiply rapidly in dirty places and in warm temperatures. This means that people should never touch food with dirty hands or put food on unwashed surfaces. Food should be kept in a refrigerator to stop microorganisms from growing. Meat needs to be cooked thoroughly to kill any dangerous microorganisms. People should also wash food covered with chemicals before eating it. Finally, people should not eat wild mushrooms or other foods that grow in the wild. Some of these foods may contain natural materials that are poisonous to humans. In addition, some types of fish can be poisonous.

Most people recover from food poisoning after a few days of resting and drinking extra water. If people eat natural poisons, they must go to the hospital right away to have their stomachs emptied.

Teens and younger children are reading a lot less for fun, according to a Common Sense Media report published Monday.

While the decline over the past decade is steep for teen readers, some data in the report shows that reading remains a big part of many children’s lives, and indicates how parents might help encourage more reading.

According to the report’s key findings, “the proportion (比例) who say they ‘hardly ever’ read for fun has gone from 8 percent of 13-year-olds and 9 percent of 17-year-olds in 1984 to 22 percent and 27 percent respectively today.”

The report data shows that pleasure reading levels for younger children, ages 2-8, remain largely the same. But the amount of time spent in reading each session has declined, from closer to an hour or more to closer to a half hour per session.

When it comes to technology and reading, the report does little to counsel (建议) parents looking for data about the effect of e-readers and tablets on reading. It does point out that many parents still limit electronic reading, mainly due to concerns about increased screen time.

The most hopeful data shared in the report shows clear evidence of parents serving as examples and important guides for their kids when it comes to reading. Data shows that kids and teens who do read frequently, compared to infrequent readers, have more books in the home, more books purchased for them, parents who read more often, and parents who set aside time for them to read.

As the end of school approaches, and school vacation reading lists loom (逼近) ahead, parents might take this chance to step in and make their own summer reading list and plan a family trip to the library or bookstore.

The Masai are a people who are constantly trying to preserve their own ways in an increasingly modem world. They live along the border of Kenya and Tanzania, moving their homes from time to time to follow their cattle, the source of their living.

The Masai have become known as a people of fighters, protecting their cattle against lions and other enemies. Only men are fighters. They wear long hair, which is colored red with clay. They can have more than one wife. Women build and take care of the home, fixing food and making clothing. Women and children keep their heads shaved. Women can also become elders, once they have given birth to four healthy children.

The Masai depend on their cattle for many parts of their life. They drink cow's milk and blood as a sacred drink. They use the cows' waste to cover and seal their homes. They don't kill their cattle for food, but if a cow is killed, then the horns (角) are used for containers; the hides are used to make shoes, clothing, ropes and bed coverings; and the bones are made into decorations.

The more cattle a man owns, the richer he is considered to be. A man who owns 50 or fewer cattle is considered poor. A "rich" man has a thousand or more. The cattle, though owned by the man, are considered to belong to the man's entire family. The family names the cattle and can recognize each animal's unique voice.

Masai houses are made from sticks and grass, but they are meant to be temporary, since the move of their cattle means that the Masai move as well.

A book review tells not only what a book is about，but also how successful it is at what it is trying to do.Professors often assign book reviews as practice in careful analytical(分析的)reading.

As a reviewer，you bring together the two strands of accurate，analytical reading and strong，personal response when you indicate (指出)what the book is about and what it might mean to a reader (by explaining what it meant to you)．In other words，reviewers answer not only the WHAT but the SO WHAT question about a book.Thus，in writing a review，you combine the skills of describing what is on the page，analyzing how the book tried to achieve its purpose，and expressing your own reactions.

Most book reviews start with a heading that includes all the basic information about the book，like：

Title.

Author.

Place of publication，publisher，date of publication.

Number of pages.

Like most pieces of writing，the review usually begins with an introduction that lets your readers know what the review will say.The first paragraph usually includes the author and title again，so your readers donˈt have to look up to find this information.You should also include a very brief description of the contents of the book，the purpose or audience for the book，and your reaction and evaluation.

Then you move into a section of background information that helps place the book in context and discusses how to judge the book.Next，you should give a summary of the main points，quoting (引用)and explaining key phrases from the author.Finally，you get to the heart of your review—your evaluation of the book.In this section，you might discuss some of the following issues：

•How well the book has achieved its goal.

•What possibilities are suggested by the book.

•What the book has left out.

•How the book compares with others on the subject.

•What specific points are not convincing.

•What personal experiences youˈve had related to the subject.

It is important to use labels to carefully distinguish your views from the authorˈs，so that you donˈt confuse your reader.^①

Then，like other essays，you can end with a direct comment on the book，and tie together issues raised in the review in a conclusion.

There is，of course，no set form，but a general rule is that the first one-half to two-thirds of the review should summarize the authorˈs main ideas and at least one-third should evaluate the book.

Not since World War II have so many Americans spoken a foreign language at home. Today, one in seven U.S. residents speak a language other than English. Spanish is the leading tongue, spoken by 17 million Americans. All told, 31.8 million American residents speak 329 foreign languages in their households. This represents an increase of 34%in foreign language usage since 1980.

  Asian languages accounts for 14% of foreign language speakers, reflecting the new wave of immigration. European languages have declined the most, as the descendants of the old immigrants abandon such languages as German, Yiddish, Polish, and Italian.

  This list represents the 20 most common foreign language in use in the home and states with the highest percentage of speakers.

  Spanish      7,339,172     New Mexico    French       1,702,176    Marine

  German       1.547,099    North Dakota   Italian        1,308,648    New York

  Chinese       1,249,213    Hawaii        Tagalog 843,251 Hawaii

  Polish         723,483     Illinois         Korean       626,478     Hawaii

  Vietnamese     507,069    California       Portuguese    429,860     Rhode Island

  Japanese       427,657     Hawaii        Greek       388,260       Massachusetts 

  Arabic         355,150    Michigan       Hindi        331,484      New Jersey 

  Russian       241,798     New York      Yiddish       213,o64      New York

  Thai/Lao      206,266     California       Persian      201,865      California

  Creole        187,658     California       Armenian    149,694      California 

  Other languages spoken by more than 100,000 American residents and the states in which thay

are chiefly used are :Navajo (New Mexico), Hungarian (New Jersey), Hebrew(New York), Dutch

(Utah),Mon-Khmer(Rhode Island), and Gujarathi ( New Jersey)

  On the next part are the five states that have the most and the fewer foreign language speakers in the home.

Most Foreign Speakers Fewest Foreign Speakers

New Mexico 35.5% Kentucky 2.5%

Texas 25.4% Arkansas 2.8%

Hawaii 24.8% Alabama 2.9%

New York 23.3% Tennessee 2.9%