How much do you know about depression? Recently, the Ministry of Education said China would include screening（筛查）for depression in students’ health examination. Students will take tests to see whether they are experiencing depression. This is to improve students’ mental（心理的）health.

It’ s normal for people to feel down or sad sometimes. Most of the time, these bad feelings go after a little while. Depression is not the same. According to the World Health Organization, with depression, people experience bad feelings for most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks. And it might last months or even years. More seriously, people exercising depression may hurt or even kill themselves.

Depression also influences the way people act or how well they do in school or at work. It can affect（影响）their energy, sleep and eating, too. If people are depressed, they find it hard to enjoy things like before. Most of all, it influences what people think about themselves. People going through depression often feel alone. It might seem like no one understands or cares.

But depression is not a person’s fault（过错）. It is not a personal failing. It can start small. For teenagers, friends, family and school can have a big influence on their feelings. If they experience such pressure, they can easily feel depressed.

Depression is not the end of life. If you are unhappy for more than two weeks and have some problems of depression, it is time to look for help.

You can talk to a trusted adult, such as a parent or teacher about how you feel. You can also go to see a doctor. Living a healthy life can help you feel better as well. For example, you can try to do exercise, get enough sleep and eat healthy food.

Did you know that each day one person in the US throws away 4.4 pounds of rubbish? Almost every month, we throw away our own rubbish in packaging alone. Packaging (including boxes , bags, etc ) comes to our homes with the things we have bought. Several weeks ago, the TV news said that in a city in Italy tons of rubbish were piled up in the streets, and the smell was rather terrible. What can we do to help? We should get to know the following Rs.

Reduce

To reduce means to make less rubbish. That is one of the first things we all should do for the environment. Reduce your rubbish by doing things like packing your lunch in reusable containers(可在利用的容器), taking smaller potions (份) at dinner so you don’t waste food when you have had enough, writing on both sides of paper, and using less water when taking a shower.

Reuse

To reuse is to use things again. Think about the bags you get from the store. They can be reused to carry your lunch, to hold your rubbish, or to collect used cans. You can even take them back to the store the next time to carry your things instead of getting a new bag!                    

Recycle(回收利用)

Recycling is an important part of keeping our planet clean and green. It can also save energy. Be sure that you don’t throw things in the rubbish that can be recycled to make something else. Paper, plastic, cans and bottles can all be recycled, but food, electrical waste and mobile phones can’t. When you are not sure whether something can be recycled, go to your parents and teachers for advice.              

Follow the three Rs, and every one of us can do something to save the earth. It is also the best way to save ourselves.