I used to believe that love meant putting everyone else and their needs first, before my own. While I do think there is some truth to that, in the sense that being a giving person is one of the ultimate acts of being a loving person, I came to realize that I must give to and love myself first and foremost.
Here's why. When you put everyone and everything else above you, you are no longer valuing yourself and your needs. And when you are not meeting your needs, and you don't take care of yourself （emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually）, you can't be the best version of yourself to the special people in your life. So in fact, you don't love them at your full potential!
Here are some things to consider. Are you physically taking care of yourself? Do you nourish yourself with the right foods? Do you get enough sleep and exercise? Are you at a healthy weight, and on top of your check-ups? If not, I bet your energy is low, you're tired and stressed, and your confidence isn't the highest （because you probably don't feel your best）. Now think about how much more you could give to others when you aren't exhausted, you're happy with what you see in the mirror, and you aren't on edge with stress.
Are you emotionally and mentally healthy? As humans, we're so complex and having ups and downs is normal. But in general, assess where you stand emotionally. If it's in a healthy place and you can manage your emotions in a healthy way - great! But if you self-soothe（自我安慰）in destructive ways and have a negative attitude and energy about you, realize that it's not just affecting you, but others too. When you aren't an emotionally and mentally healthy person, that energy pours into everything you do, and everyone you're around will feel the effects, too.
How's your spirituality? In this sense, spirituality is about having an ultimate purpose and being in tune with your true self. Do you wake up every day excited for what your life is about, and have gratitude for all the abundance you already have? If not, you may not be listening and living to what your heart truly desires. Living this way long term, may affect the essence（本质）of your inner being and, in turn, may not allow you to show up your very best for the world.
Be kind to yourself. It can be difficult to put your health and well-being first when life is demanding between your career, family, friendships, relationships, and so on. If you can think of any ways to improve your well-being and love yourself more, start today! Take a baby step towards this. Perhaps try getting an hour more of sleep. Move your body in a way that feels good. Take time for yourself to be with your thoughts and without distractions and feel that peace.
1.Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
A.Put Others Above Yourself B.Keeping Physically Healthy
C.Meeting Your Own Demands D.Taking Good Care of Yourself
2.According to the passage, it can be concluded that .
A.only if you are at your best can you love your loved ones best
B.if on top of your health index, you're tired and stressed
C.being kind to yourself means being cruel to others
D.physical health is more important than mental health
3.Keeping spiritually healthy means .
A.dissatisfaction with what you have B.waking up in time every day
C.showing up your best for the world D.agreeing with your true self
4.Which of the following shows the right structure of the passage?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Fifteen years ago, I took a summer vacation in Lecce in southern Italy. After climbing up a hill for a panoramic(全景的) view of the blue sea, white buildings and green olive trees, I paused to catch my breath and then positioned myself to take the best photo of this panorama.
Unfortunately, just as I took out my camera, a woman approached from behind, and planted herself right in front of my view. Like me, this woman was here to stop, sigh and appreciate the view.
Patient as I was, after about 15 minutes, my camera scanning the sun and reviewing the shot I would eventually take, I grew frustrated. Was it too much to ask her to move so I could take just one picture of the landscape? Sure, I could have asked her, but something prevented me from doing so. She seemed so content in her observation. I didn’t want to mess with that.
Another 15 minutes passed and I grew bored. The woman was still there. I decided to take the photo anyway. And now when I look at it, I think her presence in the photo is what makes the image interesting. The landscape, beautiful on its own, somehow comes to life and breathes because this woman is engaging with it.
This photo, with the unique beauty that unfolded before me and that woman who “ruined” it, now hangs on a wall in my bedroom. What would she think if she knew that her figure is captured(捕捉) and frozen on some stranger’s bedroom wall? A bedroom, after all, is a very private space, in which some woman I don’t even know has been immortalized(使……永存). In some ways, she lives in my house.
Perhaps we all live in each others’ spaces. Perhaps this is what photos are for: to remind us that we all appreciate beauty, that we all share a common desire for pleasure, for connection, for something that is greater than us.
That photo is a reminder, a captured moment, an unspoken conversation between two women, separated only by a thin square of glass.
1.What happened when the author was about to take a photo?
A.Her camera stopped working.
B.A woman blocked her view.
C.Someone asked her to leave.
D.A friend approached from behind.
2.According to the author, the woman was probably___________.
A.enjoying herself
B.losing her patience
C.waiting for the sunset
D.thinking about her past
3.In the author’s opinion, what makes the photo so alive?
A.The rich color of the landscape.
B.The perfect positioning of the camera.
C.The woman’s existence in the photo.
D.The soft sunlight that summer day.
4.The photo on the bedroom wall enables the author to better understand ____________.
A.the need to be close to nature
B.the importance of private space
C.the joy of the vacation in Italy
D.the shared passion for beauty
Dear Mom,
The big question which shocked parents often ask their child after a confrontational（冲突） moment is, "Where did you get this attitude from?" I know you hate to admit it, but I get much of my determined and strong-willed nature from you.
Mom, I know it's hard dealing with the teenage anxiety and the ever-changing moods that come with raising a child. But you should also marvel at the fact that I've made it this far, that I'm healthy and happy.
When I was small, I would attend barbecues and family events and wander away from my parents. It wouldn't be long before someone would stop me to ask whether I was my mother's daughter.
"Your mom is Melissa," they'd say, a warm smile on their faces. "Is that Tight?” I would nod. I think parents feel much hurt when their child talks back or defies them, I was shocked at this statement. To me, I acted nothing like you, Mom.
No one says, ”I know you're Melissa's daughter because of your eyes and nose". It's the character traits（特点）that seal the deal. Dry wit, intelligence, and yes, maybe a little bit of attitude-these are the things I am grateful I have received from you. There's nothing wrong with having attitude.
Like for most black individuals, attitude is what defines you and me, and it's what keeps us from being mentally oppressed and defeated. Attitude is a non-violent form of protection and confrontation-where would we be in the world without this tool? Surely not where we are.
Mom, when people ask me where I get my attitude from, I tell them: you. And when they ask me where I got my drive, my work ethic, my good hair, and my sense of humor, I say you as well. I will always say this.
When I'm asked why I am the way I am, why I refuse to allow others to hurt me with their words or actions and why I think and speak about things openly and without fear. I'll tell them it's because of you.
I'll complain to you about the arguments between us that leave me wondering about how God made us so much alike that we hardly even noticed. But I'll tell them about you.
Love,
Malahni
1.In this letter, Malahni mainly expressed her to her mother.
A.complaint B.love
C.argument D.anxiety
2.People recognized Malahni as Melissa's daughter mainly because of her .
A.appearance B.behavior
C.character traits D.race
3.The underlined word "defies" in the 4th paragraph most probably means
A.refuses to obey B.agrees with
C.takes pride in D.tries to understand
4.Malahni can be a woman .
A.easy to be oppressed and defeated B.hard to get along with
C.with a positive attitude towards life D.with violent confrontation
Amazing Kids! Wild Jungle Writing Contest 2020
Amazing Kids' Magazine is proud to announce that we will be hosting a Wild Jungle Writing Contest this fall! Send us your best jungle-themed stories using this starter: "I had no idea why they were standing there.
This contest is open to grades K-12, with three groups of K-3, 4-8, and 9-12. Three winners from each age group will be chosen to win Amazing Kids' prizes, along with an official certificate verifying（证实）their winning entry. All participants will receive a certificate of participation in the contest.
Submit all entries by September 30 to be considered! Email editor@amazing-kids.org for more questions about rules and specifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How should I format my entry?
A: Stories should be written in English, with submissions of less than 1,200 words. Please submit your entry as a Microsoft Word document.
Q:How do I submit my entry?
A: E-mail your submission to editor@amazing-kids.org. Each e-mail submission will receive a return message verifying that the essay was received.
Q:Is there just one prize?
A: No. Nine separate prizes will be given out, with a cash value of $20 for first place, $15 for second place, and $10 for third place in each age group. Certificates of participation will also be awarded to each participant in the contest.
1.Which of the following stories suits the contest most ?
A.A couple lost their way in the jungle. B.A teenager caught a thief in a cave.
C.A pupil met a bear while searching the forest. D.A soldier saved a drowning boy.
2.A champion will receive .
A.a cash value of $15 B.a thank-you letter
C.only a certificate D.a prize and a certificate
3.What type of writing is the passage?
A.News. B.Summary.
C.Announcement. D.Guide.
Jonathan Agnew recently described “unofficial interviews” as those where you agree that it’s “between you and I”. And a Times journalist wrote about someone who had “made Jenny and I feel so welcome”. They are both intelligent people with the ability to express ideas fluently and logically. And yet they wrote “I” where they meant “me”.
It’s happening more and more. We are scared of the mistake like “Terry and me went to the pub”. We’ve all been taught that it should be “Terry and I went to the pub”. Plus we’ve heard the Queen say “my husband and I” a lot. So we begin to use “and I” even when it should be “and me”.
But my point here is not to support the correct usage. It’s the opposite: I want to reject the idea that there’s such a thing as “correct” English at all. Language isn’t like maths, where you can show that two plus two is four. Language has no fundamental rights and wrongs, only conventions. You cannot definitively prove that any are “right” and others “wrong”.
Sometimes correct language sounds absurd. Look at Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) who came up with a new rule. Primary school children now have to be taught that “inverted commas” is right, while “speech marks” is wrong. You and I know that those terms are interchangeable. And the child who looks at those marks on the page can see that both make perfect sense. That’s because a primary school child is more intelligent than the Ofsted turkey who came up with this rule.
As the teacher who told me about the ludicrous rule pointed out, there is no doubt that in a few years’ time, the “incorrect” term will become the “correct” one. But the truly horrible thing about an education system like this is that it destroys children’s love of language. It tells them they have to worry about rules, instead of encouraging them to read and write for its own sake. Let them read for fun and they’ll absorb the rules — or conventions — anyway. Have them shaking in fear about English tests, and you’ll increase their insecurity about getting language “right”.
Then one day that insecurity will have them saying “and I” even though they mean “and me”.
1.Why do people use “and I” when it should be “and me” according to the text?
A.The Ofsted sets a rule.
B.“and I” is the correct English.
C.The Queen makes a similar mistake.
D.People feel insecure about using “and me”.
2.What can we learn from paragraphs 3 and 4?
A.Rules benefit children’s language learning.
B.Language learning is more complicated than maths.
C.Language is based on commonly accepted rules.
D.A primary school child is smarter than the Ofsted.
3.What does the underlined word “ludicrous” in Paragraph 5 mean?
A.Influential. B.Particular.
C.Conventional. D.Ridiculous.
4.Which of the following best describes the author’s attitude towards the correct English?
A.Critical. B.Objective.
C.Favourable. D.Indifferent.
In 1992, Teen Talk Barbie was released with the controversial voice fragment, “Math class is hard.” While the toy's release met with strong public reaction, this underlying assumption persists, spreading the myth that women do not thrive in science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) fields due to biological inadequacies in math aptitude. However, in 2019 Jessica Cantlon at Carnegie Mellon University led a research team that comprehensively examined the brain development of young boys and girls and found no gender difference in brain function or math ability.
Cantlon and her team conducted the first neuroimaging study to evaluate biological gender differences in math aptitude of young children. Her team used functional MRI（核磁共振）to measure the brain activity in 104 young children (3-to-10-year-old; 55 girls) while watching an educational video covering early math topics, like counting and addition. The researchers compared scans from the boys and girls to evaluate brain similarity. In addition, the team examined brain maturity by comparing the children's scans to those taken from a group of adults (63 adults; 25 women) who watched the same math videos.
After numerous statistical comparisons, Cantlon and her team found no difference in the brain development of girls and boys. In addition, the researchers found no difference in how boys and girls processed math skills and were equally engaged while watching the educational videos. Finally, boys' and girls' brain maturity were statistically equivalent when compared to either men or women in the adult group.
Cantlon said she thinks society and culture are likely steering girls and young women away from math and STEM fields, as previous studies show that families spend more time with young boys in play that involves spatial cognition（空间认知）. “Typical socialization can make worse small differences between boys and girls that can snowball into how we treat them in science and math,” Cantlon said. “We need to be aware of these origins to ensure we aren't the ones causing the gender inequities.”
However, this project is focused on early childhood development using a limited set of math tasks. Cantlon wants to continue this work using a broader scope of math skills, such as spatial processing and memory, and follow the children over many years.
1.What can we infer about the toy’s release?
A.It has raised a storm of applause.
B.Girls perform no worse than boys in math.
C.Math is a subject difficult to every one of us.
D.Women are born with insufficient math abilities.
2.What can we learn from the study conducted by Cantlon?
A.Boys process math skills more quickly than girls.
B.Boys and girls have similar brain in math abilities.
C.Boys and girls have similar interest in math.
D.Adults have better brain than children in math.
3.What will Cantlon most likely agree with?
A.Parents should lengthen the time spent with girls.
B.Society is causing a greater gender difference in math abilities.
C.Culture plays a leading role in children’s brain development.
D.We should cultivate boys’ and girls’ math abilities equally.
4.How will Cantlon further her research?
A.By using a wider range of math skills.
B.By involving a broader scope of subjects.
C.By increasing the complexity of math tasks.
D.By following the children until their adulthood.
