Rae and Bruce Hostetler not only work very hard,they also relax just as well. Numerous vacations help the couple to maintain their health and emotional well-being-and it's no surprise to health care professionals. "Rest,relaxation, and stress reduction are very important for people's weLl-being and health. This can be accomplished through daily activities,such as exercise and meditation,but vacation is an important part of this as well," said primary care physician Natasha Withers from One Medical Group in New York. Withers lists a decreased risk of heart disease and improved reaction time as some of the benefits from taking some time off. "We also know that the mind is very powerful and can help with healing,so a rested,relaxed mind is able to help the body heal better," said Withers. Psychologists confirm the value of vacations for the mind. " The impact that taking a  vacation has on one's mental health is great," said Francine Lederer,a clinical psychologist in  Los Angeles who specializes in stress and relationship management. " Most people have better  life perspective and are more motivated to achieve their goals after a vacation,even if it is a 24-  hour time-out. " The trips could be good for their health,good for their family and good for their .businesses. The online travel agency Expedia conducted a survey about vacation time in 2010,and  according to their data the average American eamed 18 vacation days-but only used 14 0f  them. France topped the list,with the average worker earning 37 vacation days and using all but  two of them. Americans' responses may not be surprising in a culture where long hours on the  job often are valued,but that's not always good for the individual,the family or the employer. Psychologists have also found that people who don't take enough time to relax may find it  harder to relax in the future. "Without time and opportunity to do this,the nerve connections  that produce feelings of calm and peacefulness become weaker,making it actually more difficult to shift into... According to Natasha Withers,vacations can  _   . A) weaken reaction system B) cure serious diseases C) reduce the level of well-being D) decrease the risk of heart disease
D

More and more schools are being designed and used in ways that are friendly to the environment. These so-called green schools use less energy, cost less to run and are good for students. The newly renovated   Sidwell Friends Middle School in the District has been awarded the highest rating by the U.S. Green Building Council for having a positive impact on the environment-a rare honor. Soon the school will treat and re-use its wastewater, saving hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per year. The recycled water from sinks and toilets, which can't be used for drinking, will be color1ed blue, "so we know it's recycled, just in case it gets into the water fountains  -not that it would," joked Emily Bernstein, 14, a Sidwell student and building tour guide. Water fountains will still use fresh city water. Sidwell students are studying the building itself in science classes to help them learn first-hand the positive impact of green buildings. It's affecting how they view the world around them. "If you see a [building] being torn down, you think, 'They're going to fill up a whole landfill   with that,'" said Matthew Malone, 13. In Prince George's County, Suitland Elementary has been so successful that another green school is being planned, in Laurel, for the 2008-09 school year. At Suitland, a garden courtyard collects and uses rainwater; the roof is angled away from the sun to keep it cool; and skylights and tall windows let in lots of natural light. "You don't have to switch on the light switch all the time," said Rupert McCave, the county official guiding these projects. Green schools tend to be sunnier and more  _ than older buildings. In fact, a study done inprefix = st1 /Washingtonstate showed that students at green schools performed better and were absent less. From Matthew Malone's words, we can see that_. A) Sidwell students don't like building being torn down B) Sidwell students prefer green buildings to be set up C) Sidwell students are thinking green under the positive influence D) Sidwell students are equipped with knowledge of architecture
C

Global Positioning Systems   are now a part of everyday driving in many countries.These satellitebased systems provide turnbyturn directions to help people get to where they want to go.However,they can also cause a lot of problems,send you to the wrong place or leave you completely lost.Many times,the driver is to blame.Sometimes a GPS error is responsible.Most often,says Barry Brown,it is a combination of the two. Barry Brown is with the Mobile Life Centre in Stockholm,Sweden.He told us about an incident involving a friend who had flown to an airport in the eastern United States.There he borrowed a GPSequipped car to use during his stay.Mr Brown says,"They just plugged in an address and then set off to their destination.And,then it wasn't until they were driving for thirty minutes that they realized they actually put in a destination back on the West Coast where they lived.They actually put their home address in.So again,the GPS is kind of 'garbage in garbage out'." Mr Brown says this is a common human error,but what makes the problem worse has to do with some of the shortcomings,or failures,of GPS equipment.He says,"One problem with a lot of the GPS units is they have a very small screen and they just tell you the next turn.Because they just give you the next turn,sometimes that means that it is not really giving you the overview that you would need to know that it's going to the wrong place." Mr Brown says,"One of the things that struck us,perhaps the most important thing was that you have to know what you're doing when you use a GPS.There are these new skills that people have developed.There are these new competencies   that you need to have to be able to use a GPS because they sometimes go wrong.This goes against a common belief that GPS systems are for passive drivers who lack navigational skills." Barry Brown says to make GPS systems better we need a better understanding of how drivers,passengers and GPS systems work together. According to Barry Brow,in most cases,  _  are blame for the problems. A) human errors B) GPS errors C) errors caused by both drivers and GPS D) errors caused by putting in a wrong address
C

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is one of the largest cities in the world. It is also one of the world's most modern cities. Twice last century, the city was destroyed and rebuilt. In 1923 a major earthquake struck the city. Thousands of people were killed and millions were left homeless as buildings collapsed and fires broke out throughout Tokyo. It took seven years to rebuild the city. During World War II, Tokyo was destroyed once again. As a result of these disasters, there is nothing of old Tokyo remaining in the downtown area. After the war, the people of Tokyo began to rebuild their city. Buildings went up at a fantastic rate, and between1945 and 1960, the city's population more than doubled. Because of the Olympic Games held in Tokyo in 1964, many new stadiums, parks and hotels were built to treat visitors from all over the world. As a result of this rapid development, however, many problems have risen. Housing shortage, pollution, and waste disposal  have presented serious challenges to the city, but the government has begun several programs to answer them. What major  event(s) happened in Tokyo last century? A) Its population was doubled. B) It was twice destroyed by natural disasters and was twice rebuilt. C) Serious social problems emerged. D) It was ruined by an earthquake and a war, but was twice rebuilt.

D