There was an earthquake this morning. I was working in front of my computer when it hit the city. The quake started with a sudden loud noise. I thought that something heavy in a neighbor's house probably had fallen. However, the walls and the floor began to shake. I finally realized it was an earthquake.
My son Zac, a sixteenyearold boy, was sleeping with his door locked. Being sixteen, he can sleep through any kind of noise. "Zac!" I shouted. "Are you OK?" But nobody replied. I was a little worried. I couldn't imagine that someone was able to get such a deep sleep. The house was dancing. There were waves in the swimming pool. I was afraid the house would come down. "Zac!" I yelled, knocking on his door with an open palm (手掌). "Zac! Wake up! It's an earthquake! We need to get out!"
My son finally emerged in his underpants. We looked around the room. I knew that we should hide under a table to stop things from falling on us and stay away from glass. Unfortunately, none of our furniture was designed for hiding under. "Should we go into the garden?" Zac asked. "No, trees could fall on us!" I said. Actually, Zac had done earthquake drills (训练) at school. He must have been told to hide under a desk and cover his head. But we had nothing to cover our heads in the house.
Luckily, before we took any action, the windows stopped moving and the pool calmed down. Everything went back to normal soon. But both my son and I knew what we should do, because we knew if there had been a really big earthquake this morning, we couldn't have escaped from it.
Making employees feel happy and healthy at work is good for many businesses. But it isn't always an easy thing. A research suggests that just 33% of the U. S. employees consider themselves fully engaged (投身于) at work, while 16% are actively disengaged, and 51% are just showing up.
But there is an exception. When it comes to employee engagement, it seems that employees in small companies are doing better. According to the same research, the largest U.S. companies have the lowest levels of engagement, while companies with fewer than 25 employees have the highest. And in one recent report, 75 percent of small business workers surveyed said they were "very" or "extremely" satisfied with their role as a small company employee.
Unlike big companies, small companies are often short of resources but the employees can get more surprises there. Small companies offer excellent career opportunities to their employees. The bosses often know their staff very well and understand their personal needs. Employees of small companies are more likely to receive free meals, paid leave, and they can even bring their pets to work.
But of course, there're many other draws in small businesses. One of the top draws is flexible scheduling (弹性工时). Another is being able to really see the fruits of one's labor. Besides, noncash award is also a big draw. This could be something small that reflects employees' interests and lifestyles.
While a parental leave might lead to some financial problems, small companies may do something to improve it. "It may be impossible for a fiveperson team to be reduced to four for six months," writes Camilla Velasquez, head of HR management platform Justworks. "But it could be possible to allow new parents to take on reduced hours in a workfromhome environment." This kind of method has been realized in some small companies.
Raccoons are smaller relatives of bears. They are native to North America, but they can also be found in Asia and Europe. Raccoons live in wooded areas close to water, but they can be often found near urban areas. There are about 7 different species of raccoons. Pygmy raccoon is the only endangered species.
Raccoons usually reach 40 to 70cm in length and weigh between 526kg. Raccoons that live in colder climates are larger and heavier. They have grayish fur, black masks around eyes and long tails covered with black and brown bands. Because of their tails, they are also called "ringtail".
Raccoons are omnivores. They like to eat insects, eggs, small mammals, fruit, berries, garbage, and so on. Raccoon's hands look like human's. They each have five fingers and are used to collect food, open shells, door or trash cans. Raccoons often place food in water before they start to eat it. They have highly sensitive sense of touch and water increases their sensitivity even more. By touching the food, they get better insight about things they will eat.
They are easily adaptable (适应的) to various environments. They can live in hollow (中空的) trees equally happily like they can in useless cars. Raccoons live on their own and hunt at night. They don't hibernate (冬眠), but they spend the coldest days of winters in their holes.
Mating (交配) season takes place from January to mid March. Two months later, female will give birth to 34 babies. Their tails don't have bands, and the mask around eyes is still missing. Mother is very protective and she will teach them how to survive and what to eat as they becomeready to leave the hole. Raccoons usually can live only 1.8 to 3.1 years in the wild, but they can live up to 20 years at a zoo.
Raccoons can pass rabies, a kind of disease, to homeraised animals and people, which is very dangerous. What's more, their waste often has roundworms.
I was raised in a house where my sisters and I weren't trusted by our mother to manage our own appearance. A few years ago, I was home for a visit when my mom, now in her early 70s, called me into her bedroom. We were about ready to leave for dinner. "I don't know what to wear," She complained. "You girls always look so good."
I paused in the doorway and looked at her，wondering if I'd misheard. "What do you mean?" I asked her. "You know what to wear." "No," she answered. "I don't. Can you pick some for me?" I was so surprised.
This was the same woman that, in 1989, told my younger sister she wasn't allowed to leave the house wearing a pair of ripped (撕碎的) jeans; the same woman that, in high school, called me while I was out at a party to ask if my hair was tied up, "You look better with it down," she told me. Before I could answer I realized, suddenly, that my mother not only wanted my opinion, but needed it. I pulled a pair of blue jeans and a light blue sweater. "Wear this with your black shoes," I told her. She did. My mother certainly doesn't need anyone to take care of her. In fact, she still cares for my grandmother who lives with her. But with that question, my mother and I started the role reversal (转换) that happens to all parents and all children, from caregivers to receivers.
Now, if I'm visiting or we're together, it's rare for her to wear anything without checking with me first. But every so often, it seems like she asks me just to be able to disagree with my answer and pick out something on her own. And when she does, I just tell her what I think of the way she looks. Sometimes it's "great", and sometimes it's "awful".
Ecofriendly Vauban, lied in the southwest part of Germany, has everything—treelined streets, perfect houses—but it's missing one urban feature of the last 100 years or so: the car. And Vauban residents don't mind one bit. Vauban doesn't ban cars entirely. Rather, it just tries to reduce the use of cars by creating "parkingfree" and "carfree" living. In Vauban, parking spots are a nono private property. Cars can only be parked in public parking lots, so living without a car saves residents the cost of parking in the public lot. Cars also are prevented from using certain roads and must stick to strict speed limits. With these limitations, fewer than 20 percent of residents own cars. And now, with a population of 5,500, it's attracting attention from around the world. Can an ecofriendly city like Vauban be a model for Americans to stop their over reliance on the cars?
Sometimes when I watch a news report what's in the back of my mind is what isn't being reported or stressed. While this ecofriendly city is inspiring in that it shows residents getting exercise and fresh air through the majority use of bicycles, as well as good oldfashioned walking, common sense would tell you that even for a place like Vauban, Germany, it owes its existence to the cars.
Do you think that bicycles were able to transport all the construction materials that were needed to build and maintain the ecofriendly homes and businesses in Vauban? It took cars to help build this city. It's one of the paradoxes of life that sometimes in order to get away from relying on something like the car, you actually have to rely on that very thing at the beginning and into the foreseeable future to some degree.
I myself haven't owned a car for more than 14 years, and mostly get around town running, walking, or using public transportation. There are times I wish I had one, since it would make many things easier, but overall I'm glad not to have to deal with the headaches of owning a car, which caused me to get rid of it in the first place. And all the walking and running has helped to keep me fit and healthy. To get even close to being like ecofriendly Vauban, Americans will need to absolutely change the way they live. Commuting (乘车上下班) patterns will have to change, public transportation will have to be invested in, and so on. And though ending our love affair with the car will be impossible during my lifetime, we may at least start to see more Vaubanlike areas in the USA.
We can hope that Americans will consider using their feet more to get around, cutting down on pollution, and giving themselves some more exercise.
My parents came to America in the early 1970s. My grandmother on my mother's side was a very wise woman. She was probably the 1 person I have known, 2 she only went to second grade. But she had her daughters go to school and asked them to tell her everything they were 3 in school.
She got along well with everyone. She used to say, "If you do right to people, most of them will do 4 to you." She advised us to stay away from gossip. She taught us to treat people with good 5. It was the essence (精髓) of living in harmony with other people. She was always 6 to help a neighbor. If a woman just had a baby, she would 7 soup. My grandmother was everybody's mother and grandmother.
She 8 99 years. She died during a nap (小睡). She had gone to take a(n) 9 in a rocking chair. She told her daughter that she was 10 and needed a nap. The next thing I 11, "Mama!" They say that you see the person you love just before you die, so she probably saw her mother! All of us were in deep sorrow. Over the years I have stayed in 12 with cousins.
I've never been back to Cuba. The last time I was there was 1959. I do 13 the people and the beaches. However, the people are not there anymore. My friends and family are not there. I miss things like carnival (狂欢节) which is great 14 with singing and dancing in the streets. I even went to a nightclub or two when I was very young. All of these 15 me a wonderful and unforgettable memory.
There are many great museums in South Africa. Here we will know about some of those museums.
The Heart of Cape Town Museum
Cape Town is famous for many amazing firsts, especially the world's first heart transplant (移植). This surgery was under the careful guidance of professor Christiaan Barnard. This museum honors everyone who played a major role in medicine and put South Africa and the .University of Cape Town on an international stage.
Cost: $20 (adults); $12 (children)
The Iziko South African Museum
Founded in 1825, this museum holds more than 1.5 million objects, especially ancient fossils (化 石) and stone tools made by people living in South Africa millions of years ago. It also clearly presents the appearance of ancient locals.
Cost: $20 (adults); $15 (children 6-17); $7 (children under 6)
The Warrior Toy Museum
If you think museums are only for a select few, the Warrior Toy Museum in Simon's Town will make you change your idea. Having toys of all shapes, sizes, models and themes, it's a great place for young and old to visit. You can share stories about toys that you played when you were young and create new memories with your children.
Cost: $20 (adults); $10 (children 8-16); $5 (children under 8)
The Van Tilburg Collection
The Van Tilburg Collection is a museum that contains 17th and 18th century furniture, paintings and many other works of art from England, France and Italy. And you will also have a chance to enjoy the largest South African collection of Chinese ceramics (陶器).
Cost: $22 (adults); $10 (children)
Isatou Ceesay was born in 1972 in a small village in Gambia, Africa. As a teenager, Ceesay was forced to drop out of school because of poverty. She carried some goods with many girls like her to sell in the market to raise herself At that time, the plastic bags, being strong and light, became popular in Gambia. The problem was that people did not reuse the bags and simply threw them behind their homes. Over time, the houses were surrounded by trash.
Ceesay lived in such an environment for many years. She kept learning from the surrounding environment and planned to take action to change. In 1997, she started a recycling movement called One Plastic Bag in Gambia. She educated women in Gambia to recycle plastic waste into income for themselves. In the beginning, the movement had a mission to educate their village colleagues about the need to reuse garbage and recycle plastic waste, rather than letting the garbage increase behind their homes.
Over time, the movement became big and able to support and provide income for women around. It was also able to greatly reduce plastic waste in Gambia. But the work of collecting trash turned to be taxing. During the rainy season, plastic waste became wet and difficult to take, and after that it still took patience to dry it before it could be processed.
Ceesay said, "As a habit, people are used to pouring their garbage behind their houses, and because it is not visible, they forget it. But the bad effects again knock on your door very quickly — dirty air, various diseases and so on. Of course, if one man's house is clean but his neighbor's is not, then the man is also not healthy."
For 17 years, Ceesay has contributed to one of the most important problems about the plastic waste. In 2012, she got the TIAW Difference Maker Award in Washington, DC, United States. Her story was written into a book, which inspires many others to join or become makers of change in their own communities.
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"Are you sure you want to come with me?" My fifteen-year-old daughter couldn't miss the doubt in my tone. Nikki used to think exercise was similar to slow death.
But that day was different. "Yeah," she said, "I haven't spent much time with you lately." She wore her sweatshirt, took an oversized water bottle and looked at me expectantly.
"Okay, let's go then." Doubtful or not, I was grateful my teenage daughter still wanted to hang out with me.
Suddenly, I had visions of Nikki becoming my new workout partner. And we would build a whole new relationship based on our common love of exercise.
The ten-minute drive to the gym went smoothly. After we entered the two-story building, we found two treadmills (跑步机), side by side. I placed my water bottle in the holder, hung a face towel over the handrail (扶手) and took off my sweatshirt. Nikki's water bottle was too large to fit into the holder, so she set it on the floor and climbed onto her treadmill.
Stepping over to her, I told her how to control the treadmill. "You might want to fasten the safety key to your shirt," I instructed her.
"Why?"
"It'll protect you if you fall."
She rolled her eyes. "That's not going to happen."
I knew from experience that it was useless to argue with her. And really, I'd never actually seen anyone fall from the treadmill, so I figured she had a point. I increased my speed; she increased hers. Several minutes later, I noticed her eyeing the water bottle she'd set on the floor.
"Don't reach for that bottle while you're moving. If you need a drink, stop the treadmill first," I warned.
With an eye roll and headshake, she ignored me. She managed to hold the water bottle, if not gracefully, at least successfully. Maybe I wasn't giving her enough credit. Then I heard a loud thump (碰撞声). It took me a moment to realize that the noise wasn't coming from behind me but beside me.
Paragraph 1:
Looking at my daughter. I was struck by the strange sight of her running on her knees.
Paragraph 2:
"Are you okay?" I took her free hand and asked.
We humans love to stare into our smart devices. We gaze for hours—about 10 hours and 39 minutes a day—at our computers, smartphones, tablets and televisions. Is all this staring bad for us？It might be, mainly because as we stare at our devices we are exposing ourselves to blue light.
Blue light is a type of electromagnetic radiation with a very short wavelength that produces a high amount of energy. While it's true that light can damage our eyes under certain circumstances, there's no scientific evidence suggesting that blue light is harmful to our eyes. But many people still think it is, which is why blue lightblocking glasses are so popular. So do the glasses work?
"Everyone is very concerned that blue light may be causing damage to the eye, but there's no evidence that it may be causing serious damage," Dr. Rahul Khurana, clinical spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told Business Insider.
Blue light exposure is nothing new. In fact, the sun is the largest source of blue light. Moreover, blue light is also present in LED lights. But if blue light isn't harmful, then why are we constantly rubbing our eyes when we're looking at our screens？The answer is eyestrain (眼疲劳): More than 60 percent of people experience eye problems associated with digital eyestrain. And blue light, it seems, isn't the cause. Instead, our eyes are so strained because most of us blink less when we stare at our digital devices. So if eyestrain is the real issue, blue lightblocking glasses are probably of little use.
Sometimes in life, a small event can make us realize that kindness still rules the world— and I had an opportunity to 1 the kindness of people from a strong and total stranger: a 2named Afolabi.
In October 2007, I was working as a sales manager in Lagos. One night when Afolabi was returning me to my house, the car broke down. Afolabi 3 to pull over the taxi and went off to find a mechanic (机械工). As soon as he left, at least 7 to 8 local boys 4suddenly from the deep dark of the night and surrounded our car, 5me to hand over whatever money I had.
To my relief, Afolabi returned in time. For start, he tried to quietly 6with them. When that didn't 7 , he raised his voice and showed that he was 8 for a fist fight. His 9actions and muscular frame finally forced the boys to abandon their 10and they ran away into the same darkness from where they came.
Afolabi needn't have done that. In the darkness of the night. people will not 11take risks to save their own possessions. The boys could have been carrying weapons with them, but this loyal driver did not 12any "it's" or "buts". His main 13was to save me from getting robbed.
Though it has passed many years, those few moments are enough to register the driver's
14into the deepest corner of my heart.
15off to Afolabi? The loyal driver who helped me.
Ieoh Ming Pei, one of the last great modernist architects, has died aged 102. Although he worked mostly in the United States, Pei will always be remembered for a European project: his redevelopment of the Louvre Museum in Paris in the 1980s.
Pei was the first foreign architect to work on the Louvre in its long history, and initially his designs were fiercely opposed. But in the end, the French — and everyone else — were won over. His glass pyramid outside the Louvre, completed in 1989, is now one of Paris' most famous landmarks.
Pei was born in China in 1917 into a wealthy family. His father was a banker. His artistic mother—a calligrapher and musician—had the greater influence on him. Despite not speaking English, he moved to the US at the age of 18 to study at Pennsylvania, MIT and Harvard. He worked as a research scientist for the US government during World War Two, and went on to work as an architect, founding his own firm in 1955. He carried on working well into old age, creating one of his most famous masterpieces—the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar—in his 80s.
He has designed buildings, hotels, schools and other structures across North America, Asia and Europe. His other work includes Dallas City Hall and Japan's Miho Museum. His style was influenced by his love of Islamic architecture. His favoured building materials were glass and steel, with a combination of concrete.
He won a variety of awards and prizes for his buildings, including the AIA Gold Medal, the Praemium Imperiale for Architecture. In 1983 Pei was given the fifth Pritzker Architecture Prize for giving the 20th century some of its most beautiful interior spaces and exterior forms. He used his $100,000 prize money to start a scholarship fund for Chinese students to study architecture in America. In person, Pei was always neatly dressed, good-tempered, charming and unusually modest.
①He received the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
②He founded his own firm.
③He created the Museum of Islamic Art.
④He worked as a research scientist.
