INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Nearly all parents want their kids to do well in school. Make sure you are keeping up with your assignments and paying attention in class. This will make it easier to maintain good grades. This presents an opportunity to spend time with your parents, and improve your grades. If there is a subject you are struggling with, ask your parents if they can help you. Be aware that there may be subjects they don’t know enough about, or that they may not have time to help with. Don’t take this to mean they don’t care, instead, remember that they work hard to keep you happy and healthy. If you need additional help to maintain your grades, ask your teachers or see if tutoring is available. Some subjects can be challenging, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. Part of doing well in school means behaving well. Do as your teachers instruct, and this should be easy enough. If you face pressure from peers to misbehave, do your best to ignore it. Eventually, they will learn that you do not cave in and leave you alone. If your school offers volunteer opportunities, sports teams, or band, consider if this might be something you would enjoy. Participating in things because you want to can create a lot of joy and pride for your parents.

SUMMARY: Maintain good grades. Ask for help from your parents. Seek extra help at school. Do as your teachers ask you to do. Look for extracurricular activities that interest you.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The spiral end of the extractor goes into the hole. You can tap it with a hammer to make sure it’s in there, but don’t force it. The loose end should have a tap handle, which looks like a T, for you to hold onto. Twist the extractor counterclockwise until you can’t turn it anymore. Grip the top of the extractor with a wrench. Continue to twist it counterclockwise until the screw pops free. Many extractors are designed to work with drills. Attach the free end of the extractor to the drill and turn on the drill to turn the screw counterclockwise. It’ll come out without much resistance.  When using the extractor with a drill, make sure the drill is set to rotate in reverse! If the screw is stuck, rigorously twist the extractor in both directions to break it loose. If you have a propane or butane torch, lightly heat the screw for a minute or two. This can only be done if you’re working with non-flammable materials such as metal. Try the screw extractor again. The heat expands the metal, making it easier to pull out. Regular pliers may work, but clamping pliers keep a better grip on the screw. Twist the screw and try to pull it out. Heat also helps here in making the screw easier to pull out.  You might also be able to drill further into the screw to weaken or break it. Be careful to avoid damaging the material around the screw. Screw-extracting pliers can be purchased at your local hardware store and are meant for removing screws.

SUMMARY: Insert the extractor into the drilled hole. Twist the extractor with a wrench or drill. Heat the screw if it is stuck. Pull the screw out with pliers.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When you’re abroad, you’ll likely want to continue checking your email and social media, keeping up with the news, and staying in touch with your family and friends. You also might require a laptop for school or work purposes. Invest in a padded laptop case and bring your laptop along with your other carry-on luggage. While you’re away, you might need to contact people at home in case of emergency. You’ll also want a portable way to communicate with your host family and your new friends. Purchase an international phone plan ahead of time, or buy a new SIM card for your phone when you arrive. This way, you’ll be able to use your current phone to communicate, even while abroad.  Some countries offer reduced plans for students and young adults. You can purchase a set amount of data, text messages, and call minutes per month, or you can “top up” your SIM card with additional capacity for texts, calls, and data. Many international airports sell SIM cards at shops or kiosks in the arrivals area. If an international phone plan is too expensive, consider using an app like Skype or WhatsApp to communicate. Because you’ll have limited packing space, you certainly won’t be able to bring too many books along. If you’re a voracious reader, bringing a tablet or a reading device like a Kindle is a space-efficient way to bring literature overseas – not to mention your favorite music, films, or TV shows.  Bring a pair of high-quality earbuds if you want to listen to music and watch movies on your tablet (or your phone). Tablets are also great for drawing or playing games on the go. If you’re satisfied with your phone’s camera, you could forego bringing a digital camera.  But if you want higher-quality images, you should think about bringing one along.  Don’t forget the memory card and charger when you pack your camera. Avoid bringing a bulky long-lens camera.  Their size makes them hard items to carry on your flight, and their fragility means you should not trust them to baggage handlers. Foreign electrical outlets are probably different than the ones you have in your country.  Instead of two prongs they might have three, or vice versa.  In order to use you phone, laptop, and other gadgets, you’ll need to invest in an adapter set.  Electrical adapter sets are usually sold as part of a package that contains adapters all international electrical outlet standards.  In other words, you won’t need to buy a set for Japan, another for Nigeria, and another for Scotland.  Instead, the set will contain interchangeable pieces that you can use as needed in each country. They are readily available online and in many hardware stores.

SUMMARY: Pack your laptop so you can stay productive and connected to home. Bring your phone and phone charger. Bring a tablet or an e-reader for portable entertainment. Pack a camera to capture images of your stay. Invest in an electrical adapter set.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Use weed-suppressing landscape fabric to cover the whole bottom of the garden box from side to side. Make sure the fabric extends right to each side of the the wooden frame.  For example, for a standard 4 ft (1.2 m) by 8 ft (2.4 m) garden bed, you need to get a piece of landscape fabric that is at least that big. Landscape fabric usually comes in rolls that are at least 3 ft (0.91 m) wide, and you should be able to get the amount you need cut to size at a garden center so that you don't need to buy a whole roll. This will keep weeds from sprouting up from the ground soil and into your garden. Use about 3-4 2 sq ft (0.19 m2) bags each of compost and planting soil. Pour it all into the garden bed and mix it together with a garden fork or spade. You can get planting soil and compost in bags or in bulk at a garden center. Buying in bulk is usually cheaper. Use a rake to even out the top of the soil so it is more or less flat and either flush or just below the top edge of the garden box frame. Lightly spray the whole top layer of soil with water from your garden hose to tamp down the soil. Your garden box is now ready for you to plant your vegetables!

SUMMARY:
Cover the bottom of the bed with a layer of landscape fabric. Fill the bed with a 50/50 mix of planting soil and compost. Rake the soil smooth and spray it with a hose to settle it.