Article: Whether it's a regional accent or the Queen's English, once you decide on one to develop, listen closely to video samples. Start with short clips of common phrases shared by Americans and Britons. Pay close attention to the following:  Vowels Consonants Stressed syllables Intonation To keep your accent consistent, pick one British speaker to mimic. Opt for a public figure who's been recorded extensively in interviews on a wide variety of subjects, which will likely increase the vocabulary that they use. Choose someone of similar build to yourself so you can mirror them more exactly. Also find someone with the same temperament as you so that you have to "act" less; for example, if you're a quiet introvert by nature, imitating someone who's more bombastic would probably be more tiring and unconvincing. Since the difference in accents is largely produced by the way a speaker physically forms sounds, study the speaker's throat, mouth, tongue, and jaw as they talk. Note the way Britons refrain from grinning like Americans when they speak and how they open their mouths vertically instead of horizontally; for instance, picture Alan Rickman saying, “Ho ho ho,” in Die Hard. Although it's hard to see, another British tendency is to make much more use of the tip of their tongue than Americans do. Strengthen your own tongue by practicing consonant-sounds repeatedly, making sure to use the tip of your tongue to full effect. Using video samples, play clips of the speaker talking. Then repeat what they said in your British accent. Use a mirror or a computer's camera to watch yourself as you do so. Match the way you set your face, throat, and mouth to that of the speaker. Mimic all of their body language as well to mirror them more closely.  Start small. Play short clips at first. Find ones where the speaker is using simple, common phrases that you normally use, too, so you can spot the differences between their pronunciation and your own more clearly. Expand your rehearsals. Once you've mastered mimicking short phrases, begin tackling longer speeches. Gradually increase the number of lines you repeat at one time. If you're watching an interview, practice lengthy answers individually. Then try answering multiple questions with lengthy answers, all in one go. Continue building each rehearsal until you're performing the speaker's entire interview. Also start expanding your sources. Find material where the person you're imitating experiences strong, genuine emotions as they speak. Note how this effects their speech. As you attempt speaking in your British accent for longer stretches, record each one. Play them back and listen for where your British accent weakens and your natural accent (or some other British accent that slipped in there by mistake) emerges. Identify whether that was simply due to fatigue or if it's a common flaw that you're repeating elsewhere in similar circumstances. If replicating a particular sound gives you difficulty, select or come up with a phrase that makes heavy use of it, like a tongue-twister. Practice it repeatedly until you overcome this hurdle. Pick a book to read out loud, preferably by a British author. Start reading small passages in your British accent. Work your way up to entire chapters. Strengthen your ability to maintain your accent for longer and longer stretches. Record yourself as you read to play back later on and find where you've slipped.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Study your British accent in depth. Choose someone to imitate. Watch the speaker talk. Copy the speaker. Record yourself. Rehearse your accent with new material.
Article: If possible, try not to be outdoors at dawn and dusk, when many species of mosquitoes are most active. Keep in mind that mosquitoes are also most active when the weather is warm and humid. If you are planning on being outdoors during a time when you know there will be a lot of mosquitoes, protect yourself from bites by wearing tightly woven long sleeve tops and long pants.  Bright colors like red and yellow may attract insects, so stick to light colors. Woven fabrics like nylon and polyester offer better protection from bites than knit fabrics. If you are hiking in areas that have lots of mosquitoes, you may want to purchase special gear, including clothing that is treated to repel insects and a mesh head net. If you have a baby, make sure to protect the stroller with netting. Pay extra attention to covering areas where your skin is thin, such as ankles and wrists. Repellents that contain the active ingredients Deet or Picaridin are most effective. If you are concerned about the possible health risks of chemical repellents, you can buy products that contain lemon eucalyptus oil, which the CDC recognizes as an effective repellent. Certain plants, including lemon thyme, citrosa, and rosemary, are believed to produce oils that repel mosquitoes. Try crushing the leaves and rubbing them on your skin. These plants are not as effective and do not last as long as chemical repellents, so you will need to reapply frequently. Make sure your windows and doors have tight screens that will keep mosquitoes out. You should also ensure that there are no other openings into your home that a mosquito might use. Installing a screened-in porch might be a good option if you would like to spend more time outdoors without having to worry about mosquitoes
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Avoid peak mosquito hours. Wear protective clothing. Apply an insect repellent. Try mosquito-repelling plants. Keep mosquitoes out.