Health is very important. How can we stay healthy? Look at the three children. They’ll tell you what helps them stay healthy.

Zhang Wei: What helps me stay healthy? Well, I like fruit and vegetables. I eat a lot of them. I don’t eat unhealthy snacks(小吃)like chips. Chips make me fat—I hate them! I am also on the badminton team. My teacher has me practice a lot. All that exercise helps me stay in shape.

Susan Brown: My mom helps me stay healthy. She always makes me go to bed early on weekdays. So I feel ready for school in the morning. My mom also gives me a lot of work around the house. Sometimes I don’t like that, but I still do it all. The work keeps me busy—it’s like exercise! I like any kind of exercise.

Wang Gang: Well, I go swimming in summer and skating in winter. I don’t watch television too much. I read books. I learn a lot in this way! I also drink a lot of milk. Milk helps bones(骨头) become strong. All these things keep me healthy and happy.

In recent years, food safety has become important to many people. Some families have stopped eating out. They have started cooking at home.

However, they still worry about the ingredients (原料) they use. So, is there any way we can eat safely?

There just may be. People in Brazil have a wonderful way that they would like to show us.

     Sao Paulo is the largest city in Brazil. Growing vegetables by themselves has become popular. Most people in the city live in apartments, so they don’t have a garden. But if you make good use of the space on your balcony (阳台), it’s enough to grow vegetables for a family of three. These “urban (城市的) farmers” all say the vegetables they grow taste good. What’s more, they are safe and fresh.

Growing vegetables by ourselves has many good sides. First, these vegetables won’t be polluted by pesticides (杀虫剂). Second, because they are fresher, they are often good for health. The vegetables also make the indoor air cleaner. Last but not least, the relationship between family members may become better as they work together.

Now, you have learned about all of these good sides of growing vegetables by yourself. Do you want to try it? I believe it will be easy if one of your family members has a green thumb. But if not, look for some advice. Here is a useful book: The Edible Balcony.

Her doctor, Dr. Perls, said another reason for Ray’s long life is her genes (基因). She got them from her parents. He said, “These genes can keep you in good health and let you live longer. People can usually live to about 80 years old. Those with the right genes can live to more than 100 years. They also pass those genes to their children. So if a person’s parents live long, he or she will probably live long, too.” Dr. Perls also said, “You may not have those genes. But if you don’t smoke, don’t drink too much, and do exercise or do other things to relax, you still can live long.”