Tina, 14 years old

I hardly ever do housework. Sometimes my mother asks me to clean my room if she’s very busy, but she always gives me money or a gift for helping her. After all, housework is the job of parents, isn’t it?

David, 14 years old

Housework may be a little fun. My parents are sometimes tired. When I try to help them with some housework, they are very happy. Since we get much from our parents, why not do something for them?

Judy, 14 years old

I often help my mother wash clothes or help my father wash his car. Doing housework can keep me strong and healthy. It is like a kind of exercise, isn’t it? The most important is that I can learn to be independent by doing housework.

Henry, 14 years old

I have to do housework for about an hour every day. I wash the dishes and clothes, clean the floor and sometimes cook. My parents never pay me for doing housework. I think it’s everyone’s duty in the family, isn’t it?

Should More Cities Make It Illegal (不合法)to Text While Crossing the Street?

Hawaii, the U.S., recently passed a law making it illegal to text or look down at mobile phones while crossing the street. It is the first major U.S. city with a law like this. Do you think more places should pass such a law? Here are some ideas.

Look around and you’ll see people busy on their smart phones. Smart phones do make our lives easier. But have you ever thought about what they mean to your eyes?

According to a study, half of Chinese-people own smart phones and they spend an average of two hours a day using them. There has been a 35% increase in the number or people in China who suffer from shortsightedness since smart phones were introduced there in 1997.

Staring at smart phones for a long time gives you dry eyes. When looking at something in the distance, your eyes automatically blink（眨眼）a certain number of times. However, when you look at things closer to your face, the blinking slows down. This reduces the amount of tears and causes discomfort in your eyes. Another bad habit is using smart phones in dark rooms before going to sleep. If you look at a bright screen while your pupils（瞳孔）become larger, too much light enters your eyes. This can do harm to the eyes and cause a disease called glaucoma.

While you’re probably not going to stop using your smart phone, there are a few things you can do to protect your eyes. Hold your phone at least 30 centimeters away from your eyes when using it. Take a break every hour and try the following: look at something at least five meters from you and then focus on the top of your nose. Repeat this several times. It should reduce the discomfort in your eyes.