INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Being fluent in more than one language will let you communicate with a wider variety of people, allowing you to experience more cultures and ideas. Many high schools offer classes in other languages, such as French or Spanish. Pay extra close attention during those classes. If you want to learn a second language more quickly, ask your parents to hire a tutor. Many teenagers don't read books unless their teachers force them to. An important part of culture and sophistication, though, is being open to new ideas and learning more about the world. You might start by reading books by quintessential American authors, like Ernest Hemingway or Robert Frost, and seek variety in classic Greek works from Homer and Plato. A great list of classic books can be found in the The Western Canon, by Harold Bloom. Pick a few books from that list and start reading. A good exhibit gives you a glimpse into another culture, another time, or a field of study you've never considered before. Start by checking for exhibits in your town. You might be surprised by what you find. Try to go to exhibits about things you might not have experienced or studied before. The more you know, the more sophisticated you'll be. Theater is a classic art form with a variety of styles, from Shakespearean tragedies to Greek epics. A play can help you better understand a culture, even your own. On top of that, you'll learn to appreciate the hard work that goes into a live performance.

SUMMARY: Learn a new language. Read more books. Go to a museum. Go to the theater.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Your doctor will not be able to diagnose your pain, understand the root of the symptoms, or prescribe an effective pain medication if your descriptions are vague. Tell your doctor exactly where on your body you experience the pain, and if the pain travels or moves from one location to another, be precise about that as well. For example: Rather than saying, "My back hurts," say something like, "I feel pain between my shoulder blades, and sometimes a stabbing feeling shoots up my neck." "My pain is all in my legs, but during the course of the day it moves from a sharp pain in my ankles to a more throbbing pain in my knees and hips." "Pain" itself is a fairly broad term; it can cover a tremendous variety of symptoms, from mild discomfort to tremendous suffering. To help your physician better understand your specific pain, use descriptive terminology. The better your doctor understands the experience of pain that you're going through, the more accurately they'll be able to prescribe a helpful pain medication. Your doctor will most likely only prescribe you pain medication if the source of your pain is consistent with an acute injury or a debilitating chronic medical condition that you suffer from, so make sure that you describe it clearly and accurately. Use words like: "Dull" or "aching." "Throbbing" or "pounding." "Stabbing," "sharp," or "shooting." "Burning" or "tingling." Make sure to show your doctor any MRIs, X-rays, or other medical records that display important parts of your medical history. Especially if you've had a severe injury or condition, your doctor will be more inclined to prescribe pain medication. Whether you have a degenerative joint disease or an acute injury, your doctor will evaluate your potential need of pain medication and if so, what type on a case-by-case basis.

SUMMARY: Describe the location of the pain as specifically as possible. Use precise language to convey how your pain feels. Provide your doctor with your medical documents.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If your dog's pregnancy is planned, take her to the veterinarian for a check-up before breeding her. Bring her in again about 30 days into the pregnancy. If the pregnancy wasn't planned, take her to the vet as soon as you find out she's pregnant. If you plan to breed your dog, it's recommended that you wait until she's at least 24 months old. By that point she will be mature enough for any relevant medical problems to become apparent. Some dog breeds may be prone to genetic conditions like dental problems, dislocating patellas, hip dysplasia, spine problems, allergies, heart conditions, and/or behavioral problems. It's important to be aware of these conditions before breeding your dog. Unless directly instructed by your vet, you should not give your dog medications unsafe for pregnancy. You also shouldn't have her vaccinated. Your dog should have been vaccinated before she became pregnant so she can pass the antibodies on to her pups. But if not, don't vaccinate her while pregnant, as some vaccines can be harmful to developing fetuses. If using flea control, be sure to use a product that's safe for use on pregnant dogs. Do make sure that your dog is on a deworming program. An untreated mother can pass on roundworms, hookworms, or heartworms to her puppies. The average gestation period for a dog is between 58 and 68 days. Try to accurately pinpoint when conception occurred so you can anticipate labor accordingly. By 45 days into the pregnancy, your vet can use x-rays to detect the number of puppies in the litter. You may also notice nesting behavior and a tendency to want to withdraw or retreat; this is normal and to be expected. Most pregnant dogs who are not overweight should eat puppy food during the last third to the last half of pregnancy. Puppy food typically has more calories than regular adult food, which the mother will need in order to pass on nutrition to the fetuses. Do not supplement her diet with extra calcium unless instructed by your veterinarian. Milk fever, or eclampsia, is common for small breed dogs a few weeks after giving birth. It's more likely to occur if the mother receives an over-supplementation of calcium during pregnancy. The vet will be able to count the number of puppies in the litter using x-rays by 45 days into the pregnancy. If your dog is a large breed like a German shepherd or Labrador, as many as 10 puppies is common. If your dog is a small breed like a Chihuahua or Shih Tzu, 3 or 4 puppies in a litter would be plenty. If the vet can see only one or two puppies, it may pose problems at the time of birth. Fewer puppies mean the puppies will be larger and may be too big to pass through the birth canal naturally. In such cases, a planned C-section is often the best option. Though a planned C-section will be more costly, it will still be cheaper than an emergency C-section. So plan ahead. About a week before your dog is due to begin labor, set up a nesting box in a quiet, private area where she can go to give birth. Help your dog feel comfortable by setting up a cozy box in an area away from other pets. A box or kiddy pool with bedding like clean old towels or blankets works well. As soon as you know your dog's pregnant, whether it was planned or not, begin arranging for homes for the puppies. If you aren't able to find homes for all the puppies, be prepared to keep them yourself until you can find them a home. Thousands of dogs end up in over-crowded shelters because irresponsible owners breed their dogs without providing homes for the puppies. Don't be part of the problem. Prepare to live with puppies for at least 8 weeks before they leave your house for new homes. In certain states like California, it's illegal to adopt out a puppy younger than 8 weeks of age. To ensure the puppies go to good homes, have an application process and ask questions of the interested parties. It's also a good idea to charge a modest amount for each puppy. This ensures the interested parties are serious about and committed to adopting the puppy. Newborn puppies will need to eat every 2-4 hours around the clock. Have formula on hand in case a puppy has trouble nursing. You can buy puppy formula at most pet supply stores. To protect the mother and her puppies from contracting illness or disease like canine herpes, confine her away from all other dogs in the three weeks leading up to her expected delivery date. It's also highly advisable to keep the mother away from other dogs for three weeks following the delivery.

SUMMARY:
Take your dog to the veterinarian. Be careful of giving your pregnant dog medication or vaccines. Understand the normal progression of pregnancy. Discuss proper nutrition with your veterinarian. Have your veterinarian take x-rays of the puppies. Prepare a nesting area. Arrange for homes for the puppies. Buy puppy formula ahead of time. Isolate the mother three weeks before expected delivery.