段落大意题 知识点题库

    Let's face the facts. On most occasions, some things may seem impossible, but in every impossibility, there is possibility. Impossible situations don't last forever. While it might be impossible for one, it could still be possible for another. In a word, everything is possible.

    Someone once said, “Success belongs to those who can look at challenges offered by the world as an inspiration.” So your challenges are golden opportunities for success. How can there be wonders if there are no difficulties? You need challenges to show your ability and success comes from the problems you face. Those who refuse to give in come out smiling.

    Robert X. Perez once said, “The seeds of success spring from failure's ashes; failure is not defeat and it just directs you in the right direction. To fail is to understand what you should not do. Remember it and don't give up until your goal is achieved.”

    What should you do when you face difficulties? Jasbeen says, “Yeah, life is difficult, but you shouldn't give up. You should have a positive and calm attitude towards all your difficulties and make the best of them. You may learn something new. You can accept failure and develop mental toughness. Mental toughness is to see the long-term pains rather than be put off by short-term pains. Once you have this toughness, you have an advantage of winning.”

    The only thing in life you ever really regret is the chances you didn't take. You will only regret when you are faced with the consequences of not taking chances and seizing the moment. Take every chance you can!

    Everything you've done in life may be good or bad, but no matter what you may do, you must try your best. You must do something meaningful and do it right now.

    How many girls in this world fall behind? The answer is hard—too many to count. This is why the phrase “Go Get It Girl” popped up in my head one day. This would be my project. Thus begins the journey of my Cold Award project, the largest and most important step of Girl Scouts (女童子军).

    “Go Get It Girl” is a girl's self-empowerment (自我授权) project centered on a website called gogetitgirl.org. It focuses on areas including education, health, and financial literacy. The education section includes information on applying to college and, maintaining good grades. The health section contains information on basic health and self-respect. Lastly, the financial literacy section has all the information a girl needs to manage her money properly.

    As part of my project, I was able to work one-on-one with girls in elementary, middle, and high school. I gave a speech at a local high school's College Night. I spoke to Hispanic girls and their parents about applying to college. In addition, I worked with an organization called Cool Girls, Inc. Cool Girls is an organization focused on the advancement of girls in all aspects of their development. I worked at the afterschool program, Cool Girls Club. The girls I worked with were primarily minorities, and Cool Girls truly helps them to rise above any current difficulties in their lives.

    To provide inspiration for the girls who visit gogetitgirl.org, I interviewed successful women in my community, including a doctor and business owner.

The project has been a lot of work, arid it's not over yet. It will never be over, hopefully, because I will always look for ways to help girls.

    In many American schools the holiday celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday is used as an opportunity to teach children about his life and legacy. But in too many of those same schools, Black children's extraordinary talents are still being wasted today. Nearly three-quarters of Black fourth and eighth grade public school students cannot read or compute at grade level. Black students made up only 18 percent of students in public schools in 2009-2010 but were 40 percent of students who received one or more out-of-school suspensions (暂被停学). A Black public school student is suspended every four seconds. Black students are more than twice as likely to drop out of school as White students. Each school day 763 Black high school students drop out.

    So I applaud the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice for their recent action to address harmful school discipline policies that push so many thousands of black children out of school each year and into the juvenile (青少年) justice and adult prison pipeline. If the education system is to do its part in replacing it with a cradle to college, career and success pipeline, we must end the current practice where children in the greatest need are suspended from school mostly for nonviolent offenses.

    These resources, officially known as "guidance," will help schools and districts meet their legal responsibility to protect students from discrimination (歧视) on the basis of race, color or national origin as required under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As we recognize the 50^th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and so many other important hard-won victories in the Civil Rights Movement this year, we must remember those victories could be lost without meaningful enforcement of the laws advocates fought so hard to win half a century ago.

    While the guidance does not prohibit (禁止) schools or districts from using any particular nondiscriminatory policy, it does call into question some policies that have historically excluded Black students and are of questionable educational value including "zero tolerance" discipline policies which require mandatory (强制的) consequences for certain infractions (违反), and policies that prevent students from returning to school after completion of a court sentence.

    Information of the new guidance recommendations is available at this government website for almost every school and district in the country. Check your own school district now to see whether the discipline policy is focused on creating a positive school climate and preventing misbehavior, whether consequences are clear, appropriate and consistent, and whether there is a commitment to fairness in the application of discipline.

    Fish have different personalities which change as they experience life's highs and lows, according to British biologists.

    Researchers identified different "personalities" in their fish by observing the boldness(大胆) or shyness of individuals, according to The Nature. Like people, some fish are very confident in the face of novelty or conflict, while others are silent and fearful.

    The scientists selected particularly bold and shy rainbow trout(虹鳟鱼), and tested whether they changed their outlook depending on what life threw at them. They arranged some fish to fight and others to watch to see how both the participants and observers responded to victories and defeats. Winning or losing a fight, or even watching fellow fish overcome the difficulties influenced the future behavior of the creatures studied in the lab.

    The researchers made fish compete with much larger or smaller opponents(对手), to ensure that they would win or lose their fights. These bold fish that won their fights tended to be even bolder when later presented with a novel food item; losing their fight caused them to be much more cautious.

    Fish also learn by watching others. Bold fish watching a shy fish exploring a mystery object were much more nervous when later given a novel item for themselves.

    Predictably, shy fish that won a fight also gained more confidence, but surprisingly, shy fish that lost their fights also grew bolder when exploring strange new food, Sneddon said, adding that this could be due to what she calls a "desperado effect"(亡命徒效应).

    The new research suggests that animals can gradually adapt(使适应) their personalities. The results agree with the effects that life experience can have on humans.

    Record fires sweeping across the Amazon this month have been catching global headlines as scientists and environmental groups are worried that they will worsen climate change and threaten biodiversity(生物多样性).

    As the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon is often called "the lungs of the world". It is also home to about 3 million species of plants and animals, and 1 million local people. The vast lands of rainforest play an important role in the world's ecosystem because they take in heat instead of it being reflected back into the atmosphere. They also store carbon dioxide (二氧化碳)and produce oxygen, making sure that less carbon is given off, mitigating the effects of climate change.

    "Any forest destroyed is a threat to biodiversity and the people who use that biodiversity," Thomas Lovejoy, an ecologist at George Mason University told National Geographic. "The shocking threat is that a lot of carbon goes into the atmosphere," he stressed. "Facing the global climate change, we cannot afford more damage to a major source of oxygen and biodiversity. The Amazon must be protected," U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.

    Data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) show that the number of forest fires in Brazil quickly increased by 82 percent from January to August this year from a year ago. A total of 71,497 forest fires were recorded in the country in the first eight months of 2019, up from 39,194 in the same period in 2018, INPE said. "It's reported that the forest areas in the Brazilian Amazon have decreased something between 20 and 30 percent compared to the last 12 months," Carlos Nobre, a researcher at the University of Sao Paulo, told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

    Brazil owns about 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest, whose drop could have severe results for global climate and rainfall. The size of the area ruined by fires has yet to be determined, but the emergency has transcended(超出）Brazil's borders, reaching Peruvian, Paraguayan and Bolivian areas.

Does Fame Drive You Crazy?

    Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today's stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world's attention. Paparazzi(狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids(小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature!

    According to psychologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities—famous people—worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. "Over time，" Villarreal says, "they feel separated and alone."

    The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold­out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain(抱怨) about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film­stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.

    Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their "story" alive forever.

    If fame is so troublesome, why aren't all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.

    Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.

    The replacement of fossil and nuclear energy sources for electricity production by renewables such as wind, sun, water and biomass is a cornerstone of Germany's energy policy. Amongst these, wind energy production is the most important component. However, energy production from wind is not necessarily ecologically sustainable. It requires relatively large spaces for installation and operation of turbines, and bats and birds die after collisions with rotors in significant numbers. For these reasons, the location and operation of wind energy plants are often in direct conflict with the legal protection of endangered species. A recent survey on this green-green dilemma among over 500 representatives by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) concludes that the current mechanisms for the protection of bats in wind power projects are insufficient.

    “We found broad consensus among participants,” states Christian Voigt, first author of the survey. “The overwhelming majority of respondents considered the protection of biodiversity to be just as important as the contribution to protect the global climate through renewable energy production.” Most stakeholders agreed that small to moderate losses in the yield of wind power plants in terms of electricity production caused by the consistent application of conservation laws must become acceptable. However, significant discrepancies also existed. For example, representatives of the wind energy industry considered compliance with climate protection targets as more important than measures to protect species.

    The conflict between wind power projects and the objectives of biological conservation intensified in recent years because the rapidly rising number of wind plants – there are now around 30,000 on mainland Germany – has made suitable locations scarce. “Besides, only about 25% of wind turbines are operated under mitigation schemes such as temporary halt of wind turbine operation during periods of high bat activity even though the legal framework would require the enforcement of such measures,” adds author Marcus Fritze of Leibniz-IZW.

    For the purpose of this survey, the authors selected bats as a representative group of species for all wildlife affected by wind turbines, as large numbers of bats die at turbines and they enjoy a high level of protection both nationally and internationally, and therefore play an important role in planning and approval procedures for wind turbines. The results of years of research led by Voigt at the Leibniz-IZW show that fatalities at wind turbines in Germany affect bat populations in Germany as well as populations in other European regions from where these bats originate.

    On the basis of the survey results, the authors argue in favour of a stronger consideration of nature conservation objectives in the wind energy industry. They suggest ways in which the cooperation of those involved in wind power projects can be improved so that both wind energy production and the goals of biological conservation can be satisfied.

    You may not know a lot of people when you start senior high school. Maybe your friends from junior high school are going to a different senior high school. Even if you know other freshmen (一年级学生) , you still feel anxious that you don't know any upperclassmen. How are you going to make friends among this sea of unknown faces?

    Mast senior high schools hold the freshman orientation (迎新会) before school actually starts. It is helpful because you not only learn your way around the building but also get to meet some of your teachers and fellow freshmen. That way, when you show up on your first day of school, you may already recognize a few familiar faces.

    When you talk to people at orientation, you'll probably find that a lot of them are feeling just like you are. They're all new to the school and don't know what to expect. Talking about a common concern with your classmates can help you develop friendships.

    The work in senior high school is something freshmen are probably worried about. It builds on what you learned in junior high school, giving you a more advanced (高深的) knowledge of many subjects. So you may find you have more work to do or that it's a bit more challenging. If you ever find your work too difficult, teachers can give you extra help.

    Senior high school also has more after-school activities than junior high school, such as clubs, music and theater groups and sports teams. This is a good time to explore your interests and try new things.

    Junior high school taught you the basics of time management and social skills while providing you with a little extra support and guidance. Senior high school gives you the chance to learn how to be more independent and responsible.

No one knows how much money Dr. Lyle Tullis gave away to students. I was his colleague for nearly a decade and I never stopped being amazed at his generosity. Our college has a program of providing cross-cultural experiences for students. Lots of students take advantage of summer experiences oversea. I discovered that no group left for overseas without some of its members receiving financial help from Dr. Tullis.

It wasn't that he made a lot of money. For one thing, he taught in a church-run school. There, his salary (薪水) was half of what those people earned in a tax-supported school.

Other colleagues occasionally complained about the low pay. Not Lyle Tullis. Occasionally some professors would leave our campus for a better-paid position. They told me they did so because, with better pay, they could provide for their families.

The size of Lyle Tullis' paycheck never seemed to be the most important thing to him. I realized that one day when I was thanking him for helping a student, his eyes shone as he said to me, "I've got so much money that I don't know what to do with it. So, I just give it away."

Most people wouldn't have thought that way. Dr. Tullis drove one of the oldest cars on campus. It was even older than almost any of the students' cars. His home, while comfortable, was not fancy at all. But Lyle Tullis lived with the feeling that he had so much money that he needed to give it away.

He was one of the favorite on campus. Cynics (愤世嫉俗) might say he bought fame. But they would misunderstand. Lyle wanted to devote his life, all of it, to helping others.

Stress under the novel coronavirus

The first national survey of the psychological impact of the novel coronavirus (新型冠状病毒) collected data between Jan 31 and Feb 10. It found that 35 percent of people suffer psychological stress, and the level of the stress was to do with various factors.

According to the research, the stress level was associated with sex, age and education. Female showed higher psychological stress than male. People aged between 18 and 30 showed the highest level of stress. They can get much information from social media, which can easily cause stress. The elderly have also been psychologically impacted, since this widespread disease is most likely to kill older patients. Furthermore, people with higher education tended to have more stress for their knowledge of health.

Further, people may have higher stress due to their jobs. It is evident that migrant workers (外来务工人员) have the highest level of stress among all workers because they worry about the virus carried in public transports when returning to their jobs, about work delays and loss of income as they stop working, and about job opportunities that may dry up before the cities they work in return to full operations.

In addition, stress levels have something to do with region for its local medical resources, efficiency of public health system, prevention and control measures. For example, Shanghai is at high risk because of the large population of migrant workers, but the stress level is not in the high level. This may be because Shanghai has one of the best public health systems in China, according to the research.

Ultimately, the prevention and control measures taken by the Chinese government have made people's stress decrease. Still, based on the research, psychologists suggested more attention be paid to young adults and migrant workers who have higher stress.

All through school, I had only one close friend. We spent years together, essentially joined at the hip. But then Greg moved away, and it would take more than 50 years to bring us together again.

As children, Greg and I dove into everything with passion. We raced our bikes and illustrated our own comic books. We even became attracted to the same blonde girl from around the corner, a sixth-grader named Joanne who barely knew we existed.

The last time I saw Greg was sometime in 1966. I can't recall saying goodbye before he moved.

But then, a few summers ago, I saw a familiar woman. "Excuse me. Would your name happen to be Joanne?"

"Uh, yes …" She didn't recognize me until I explained who I was. We hadn't exchanged more than a few dozen words in our entire lifetime. "Have you stayed in touch with Greg?" she asked. I was surprised she even knew of our friendship.

"No. I haven't," I admitted. "I wish I had."

Back at the cabin I checked my messages. I glanced at one email, and then read it from start to finish. The email was from Greg.

Greg had tracked me down through social media. He was now married, had two children and had become a musician and entrepreneur (企业家). We exchanged several emails before connecting by phone. A month later, my wife and I drove to meet Greg and his family.

Standing at his front door, I felt unsure of what to say or do. So much time had passed. But after hugs and introductions, the years dissolved as we exchanged stories about our lives. I had brought along the only picture I could find containing the two of us from my sixth birthday. As he gazed at the photo, Greg handed me a small, old card: Greg's invitation to my sixth birthday party, signed "From Donnie" in faded blue crayon.

There were a few other keepsakes (纪念品) shared that evening, but none as meaningful as the invitation and the snapshot, companion pieces stored apart and saved for the reunion of two old friends.

Everyone likes a quick medical diagnosis (诊断). And no one gives one faster than Google. Just enter your symptoms (症状) in a search window — the uncomfortable neck, headache, high body temperature, and it'll immediately tell what's wrong with you. You can almost enter your symptoms anytime and anywhere.

A study from Australia's Edith Cowan University-(ECU) looked into 36 international website-based symptom checkers. Researchers found they produced the correct diagnosis as the first result just 36% of the time. Online symptom checkers were also sometimes good and sometimes bad when it came to finding the right diagnosis within the top three results, with a rate of 52%. And the same websites managed to get the right diagnosis in their top 10 results 58% of the time.

"That could be a problem for a society, that more and more depends on websites for health advice. For example, according to the search records, about 7% of the questions Google receives are health-related, which works out to about 70,000 asks per minute. As for the answers, most of the time they are unreliable at best and can be dangerous at worst," says scientist Michela Hill.

The most popular health websites, like Google search simply don't know enough facts about the patient in question to make a correct diagnosis, especially his or her medical history and other symptoms. They usually can't look at the whole picture. Besides, websites' ways of producing a diagnosis are often not fully regulated or even monitored by government bodies.

That's not to say online symptom checkers don't play a role in the health of a society. As a means of monitoring outbreaks of certain diseases in public, they're already proving helpful. For example, the UK's National Health Service is using these tools to monitor symptoms and possible "hot spot" locations for certain diseases on a national basis. But if you're experiencing real pain or discomfort, the best advice Doc Google could offer would be to go and see a real doctor.

In March 2019, when Sara Cook first got a letter telling her that someone had paid off a part of her medical debt, she thought it was fake. "It seems like one of those e-mails you get saying you have a long-lost uncle and you've just inherited two million dollars." Cook says. Cook called the number listed on the letter and what she learned was that this was not a scam.

A remarkable nonprofit organization called RIP Medical Debt had paid $ 5,000 towards her bills. RIP buys medical debts directly from hospitals at a steep discount, usually paying only a few pennies to retire each dollar of debt. Since 2014, it is estimated that they've spent only about $20 million to pay off nearly

$1 billion in personal debts. Antic and Ashton, the founders, get their money from individuals and charities that support RIP's mission. The $5,000 to pay off Cook's bill was donated by a church in Michigan, which in 2019 raised $53,000, paying off $5 million in debt owed by thousands of people.

Don't bother contacting RIP for help, however. Now, RIP researches potential recipients (接受者) based on three criteria. First, they look for people who make no more than 2.5 times the amount established as the federal poverty level. Then they seek for those whose debt is equal to 5 percent or more of their total income. Third, they look to see whether a person is bankrupt.

For those who do qualify, RIP's help is life-altering. "After their letter, I realized that my life really wasn't that awful," says Cook, who shares her story with anyone who has the willingness to listen. "I may be deprived of the chance to work as a nurse again, but I can sit at the school library and help kid read or serve up food in the soup kitchen. When people do something out of the kindness of their hearts, sometimes they may wonder whether it really makes a difference. I want people to know that this indeed has a positive impact."

The connection between people and plants has long been the subject of scientific research. Recent studies have found positive effects. A study conducted in Youngstown, Ohio, for example, discovered that greener areas of the city experienced less crime. In another, employees were shown to be 15% more productive when their workplaces were decorated with houseplants.

The engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)have taken it a step further changing the actual composition of plants in order to get them to perform diverse, even unusual functions. These include plants that have sensors printed onto their leaves to show when they're short of water and a plant that can detect harmful chemicals in groundwater. ＂We're thinking about how we can engineer plants to replace functions of the things that we use every day,＂explained Michael Strano, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT.

One of his latest projects has been to make plants glow(发光)in experiments using some common vegetables. Strano's team found that they could create a faint light for three-and-a-half hours. The light, about one-thousandth of the amount needed to read by, is just a start. The technology, Strano said, could one day be used to light the rooms or even to turn trees into self-powered street lamps.

In the future, the team hopes to develop a version of the technology that can be sprayed onto plant leaves in a one-off treatment that would last the plant's lifetime. The engineers are also trying to develop an on and off＂switch＂where the glow would fade when exposed to daylight.

Lighting accounts for about 7% of the total electricity consumed in the US. Since lighting is often far removed from the power source(电源)-such as the distance from a power plant to street lamps on a remote highway-a lot of energy is lost during transmission(传输).Glowing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy.

Do you remember playing stickball or jumping rope in the street? Neighborhood streets used to be children playgrounds, but traffic was the problem. Now one organization wants to bring those back to kids by temporarily closing local streets to traffic and letting kids play outside.

Playing is important but community buildings end the fun. So here came Play Streets. It began in Bristol in 2009 with just one street Encouraged by the success, the idea grew. It really took off in 2011 with support from The Funding Network and now thousands of people across the UK are taking part in the activity and playing in the streets. Later, Play Streets became a global movement and moved across the pond to US communities in San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle. Now Play Streets is spreading like wildfire.

"Our society has changed and communities are having higher levels of isolation than ever before and kids aren't playing outside as much either. But Play Streets gives people a place to have street meetings and parties, or simply a place to play for a few hours," Valli Morphett, the chief executive of CoDesign Studios said.

You can bring Play Streets to your street in your neighborhood too. Get a group of neighbors together to organize activities and you can even ask local schools to help plan your activities. But you just can't put up a sign and close your street to traffic. Before you start, you should consider the following question to make sure Play Streets will go well. Is the local government supportive? You should handle the necessary paperwork with the local government so that rules are followed. The local government is normally receptive to the activity and likely to make it easy to close the street. Once the permit has been approved, ifs time for fun. Gather a kit of toys and supplies, get the word out, and get each organizer to take on a role to share the load.

What are the foods that you can only taste in memories? Your mother's biscuits? The mud (泥) pies you made as a child? And what are the recipes that bring those memories to mind?

This morning, for the first time in more than a year, I made Dutch Babies. From scratch. And I didn't burn them. Yes, I'm the kind of cook who's always amazed to pull anything out of the oven that isn't burnt. But sometimes, I get lucky.

What are Dutch Babies? Picture a cross between a pancake and an omelet (煎蛋饼) that tastes better than both. They're easy to make, and you can make a lot of servings (一份食物) in one pan (平底锅) at the same time.

Making Dutch Babies brings to my mind some of the happiest memories of my life. I was given the recipe by a dear friend Sally, a cook who knew a great dish when she tasted it.

I've made Dutch Babies a few thousand times for sleepovers (夜宿的客人) and houseguests and Sunday suppers. They were always a hit, even if I burned them.

After my kids grew up, I didn't cook much for years, except for holidays or other big occasions. But if I had a full house, I'd make Dutch Babies for breakfast.

I can't recall the last time I made Dutch Babies, before today. I know it was more than a year ago, before life as we knew it was shut down for COVID-19, and we stopped having guests.

So why did I make them this morning for only my husband and me? It's been a hard year for all of us, filled with things we couldn't do. I was hungry to celebrate being alive.

I mixed up the ingredients and stuck it in the oven. While it baked, I thought of all the family and friends I've baked it for over the years.

Good food can feed a hungry crowd. But if it's made with love and seasoned with memories, it can fill a soul with hope of better days to come. Add your own memories. And say thanks to my friend Sally.

The moment that Jiang Mengnan received the Touching China Person of the Year Award for 2021, she said she most wanted to express her gratitude to her parents. Born in 1992 in Yizhang county, Hunan Province, Jiang's world has been silent since she was 6 months old, when ototoxic (耳毒性的) drugs she was given irreparably damaged her hearing. So, Jiang's parents, both middle school teachers, taught her to learn vocalization and lip reading.

Jiang put her hands on the throats of her parents when they talked and felt the vibration (震动) of the vocal cords (声带) to learn to speak. When reading Pinyin, she carefully looked at the lips of other people's pronunciations to know the formation of each syllable. Mastering a single word can take at least 1000 practice attempts for Jiang, and different people having different mouth movements added difficulty to her social contacts and school life.

Through lip reading and self-study, she was able to keep up with learning and was accepted by Jilin University School of Pharmacy (药学) . In 2018, she was accepted as a PhD candidate at Tsinghua University's School of Life Sciences. Because of her hearing loss, she couldn't be a doctor. Instead, she chose pharmacy to help reduce people's pain and assist their recovery.

Jiang's story is one of victory over adversity. More importantly, she is helping inspire disabled children to struggle for success. She stressed that people with disabilities have no need to feel discouraged. When God closes a door, he opens a window, and this girl believes that all challenges are gifts.

Dear Friend,

The recent success of children's books has made the general public aware that there's a huge market out there.

And there's a growing need for new writers trained to create the $3 billion worth of children's books bought each year … plus stories and articles needed by over 650 publishers of magazines for children and teenagers.

Who are these needed writers? They're ordinary folks like you and me.

But am I good enough?

I was once where you might be now. My thoughts of writing had been pushed down by self-doubt, and I didn't know where to turn for help.

Then, I accepted a free offer from the Institute to test my writing ability, and it turned out to be the inspiration I needed.

The promise that paid off

The Institute made the same promise to me that they will make to you, if you show basic writing ability:

You will complete at least one manuscript (手稿) suitable to hand in to a publisher by the time you finish our course.

I really didn't expect any publication before I finished the course, but that happened. I sold three stories. And I soon discovered that was not unusual at the Institute.

Since graduation, I have authored 34 nationally published children's books and over 300 stories and articles.

Free test and brochure

We offer a free ability test and will send you a copy of our brochure (小册子) describing our recognized home-study courses on the basis of one-on-one training.

Realize your writing dream today. There's nothing sadder than a dream delayed until it fades forever.

Sincerely,

Kristi Hill, Instructor

Institute of Children's Literature

Electrical devices(仪器) could soon use power made by human energy. Scientists say they have developed an experimental device that produces electricity from the physical movement of a person walking. British scientist Max Donelan and other scientists in Canada and the United States developed the device.

The device connects to a person's knee. As the person walks, the device captures energy each time the person slows down. To do this, the device helps with the slowing down movement of the leg. The movements of the walking person push parts of a small machine that produces electricity. Using the device, an adult walking quickly could produce thirteen watts of electricity in just a minute. Donelan says walking at that speed could produce enough power to operate a laptop computer for six minutes.

There are several possible uses for the device. Developers say it could help people who work in areas without electricity to operate small computers. The device could also be used in hospitals to operate heart pacemakers(起搏器). It could even be used to assist in the movement of robotic arms and legs.

The experimental version of the device weighs about one and a half kilograms, but it is too costly for most people to buy. But the researchers hope to make a lighter, less costly version. An improved version should be ready in one year.

The developers hope the device will one day help developing countries. Nearly twenty five percent of people around the world live without electric power.

A similar product was invented in 2005 by Larry Rome of the University of Pennsylvania. He created a bag carried on a person's back that also produces power from walking.

The knee device does not produce as much electricity as the bag. But the bag requires the walker to carry a load of twenty to thirty kilograms.

Fish cats are a kind of cats that love water and love to fish. They are like tigers and lions, only much smaller, around twice the size of our average pet cats. They live in wetlands of South Asia and mangrove forests (红树林) of South and Southeast Asia. Like many endangered species, fish cats were in danger of dying out more than twenty years ago, mainly because of the great international need for fish food and the people's cutting of the mangroves at an extremely fast speed.

Mangroves of Southeast Asia are home to a great many fantastic species, like fish cats, turtles, shorebirds and others. Mangroves can protect soil, and they can be the first line of protection between storms, tsunamis and the millions of people who live next to them. The fact is that mangroves can store almost five to ten times more CO2 than other forests. So protecting mangroves may well be like protecting five to ten times more of other forests.

Ten years ago, in South India, many people came together to change the future of their home. In less than 10 years, with international support, the state forest departments and the local people worked together to restore over 20,000 acres of unproductive fish and shrimp farms back into mangroves. Now experts are working with them in helping study and protecting the mangroves as well as the species living in them. Fish and shrimp farmers are now willing to work with experts to test the harvest of nature protection like fishes, turtles and other species in mangroves. The local farmers are encouraged to protect and plant mangroves where they have been lost. A win-win-win for fish cats, local people and the global ecosystem (生态系统) is being built.