INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Talking to a person in an English speaking country can be an incredibly fun and exciting adventure to start on. They'll be able to tell you about their culture, their customs, and give you a real path to the English speaking world. And getting mail is always a pick-me-up! Students of the World and PenPal World are both good online resources to finding a penpal. You can either use snail mail or email with your new writing friend. Though email goes much quicker, snail mail can be a lot more personal and exciting. Though you won't be able to correct your own mistakes, you will be able to keep up your vocabulary and discover the words you don't know (and then look them up!). If you don't use words, you're likely to lose them -- keeping a journal daily keeps the words and phrases fresh in your head. This journal can take on a number of forms. It can either be an English journal devoted to other's musings -- where you write down song lyrics, poems, and quotes in English that you like -- or it can be writing of your own: thoughts, venting, gratitude, or just devoted to one specific topic. This tactic is good for writing and recall. Take everything in your home and label it in its English name. The goal is to start thinking in English; at home, you'll be more likely to think, "What's on TV?" if "TV" is right in front of you. Don't stop at what's in front of you (bed, chair, TV, lamp, refrigerator) -- go inside your cupboards and fridge. If there's a place you keep the dishes, label it. If there's a place you always keep the milk, label it. It'll help keep you organized, too!

SUMMARY: Get a penpal. Keep a journal. Start labeling.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: This will help make them soft and moist, and prevent them from burning. Tortillas can also be warmed over the gas on a gas range or directly on the element of an electric stove. Allow the element on an electric stove to heat up for one to two minutes. Place one tortilla directly on the gas range or electric element. Heat it for five to 10 seconds, and then flip it over with tongs. Heat for another five to 10 seconds. Continue heating and flipping the tortilla in this way until it begins to puff a little or starts getting some char marks.

SUMMARY: Wet your tortillas with a little water. Heat your cooktop on high heat. Heat your tortillas one at a time.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Gossip means chatting with a variety of people about things that may or may not be any of your business, but things that are true. This is considered socially rude by lots of people, but still relatively harmless. Spreading lies or rumors, however, is just mean. Don't do it. If you're not sure something you're discussing is true, or is harmless, then keep your mouth shut. There's no need to spread it around. If you're going to be a gossiper, keep your own secrets under lock and key. You should understand the impulses of the gossiper more than your average person, if you're one of them. So, any indiscretions, flubs, embarrassing details that come up for you? Talk to only the most trusted and close-lipped people that you know. Usually, you can always trust your parents. If you really need to talk to someone about something, talk to them. However old you are, however old your parents are, that's an important part of a parent-child relationship. While Facebook might seem like the ultimate in gossip, make sure you don't leave too much evidence of your gossip-spreading. If somebody wants to accuse you later of spreading some gossip, don't do it on something that can be copied and pasted.  Social networking can be a great way to find good stuff to gossip about, but not necessarily a great place to spread that gossip. Never do it publicly. Be careful about texts, too. Text messages can be forwarded and can be copied. Including pictures. Keep that stuff pretty guarded. If anybody ever confronts you about spreading rumors, deny it. Things get around in all kinds of ways, and it's always better to Try to keep yourself away from it, if possible. If someone is really stuck on getting you to admit it, say you didn't know it was that sensitive of a subject and apologize. Sound as sincere as possible. Gossip is one of those things that everyone does occasionally, but nobody is proud of. If you're regularly gossiping and seeking out details just for the purpose of spreading dirty details, it's important to take a step back. You don't want the main thing that people think of when they think about you to be, "Gossip."  Make a rule to only talk about people who are present. If someone isn't there, don't talk about them behind their back. Another good gossiping rule: Never lie. No two-facedness. Don't tell someone something when you're gossiping and then tell them something else later. That's what gives gossip a bad name.

SUMMARY: Only spread the truth, not rumors. Guard your own secrets. Don't leave a digital trail. Deny, deny, deny. Gossip, but don't be a gossip.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Coping skills are ways that you can feel better or deal with a situation more effectively. Having more coping skills to reduce feeling overwhelmed or out of control is associated with a better outcome for individuals who have survived abusive situations. Coping skills can be fun and entertaining such as: listening to music, watching movies, and playing games or sports. Reduce the intensity of your emotions, discharge your feelings, divide them into manageable parts, or get outside support. Some specific coping skills for dealing with feelings include: writing them down, using art to express them, and exercising to release tension in the body.  Pretend your abuser is sitting in a chair and say what you want to say. Yell, scream, curse -- let it all out. Write a letter of confrontation to your abuser. You do not need to send it but this may help you process and work through some of your feelings. Relaxation techniques have been linked to lowered stress levels.  Progressive muscle relaxation is one technique where you progressively tense and relax different muscle groups throughout your body until you become relaxed. Start with tensing your toes for 5 seconds, then relax them for10- 30 seconds. Then move slowly up your body all the way to the top of you head (from toes, to feet, to legs, and so on).  Deep breathing is another option where you simply breathe deeply through your nose, and breathe out through your mouth. Pay attention to your breathing and when you get distracted return to thinking only about your breathing. Some strategies that are unhelpful in the long-term include: blaming the self, minimizing the abuse (saying or thinking it was not that bad), denial, and rationalizing (thinking that the abuse was normal or okay). Focus on what you can control instead of what you cannot control.  Focus on your own goals such as doing well in school or learning how to play a sport or instrument. Focus on your own hopes and dreams. Think about what you want to become and start getting information about it or working toward it.

SUMMARY:
Understand coping. Deal with your feelings. Use relaxation techniques, mindfulness, or meditation. Identify unhelpful coping strategies and limit them. Work on controlling other parts of your life.