1 . Serena Williams and Ruby Bridges will be chosen into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in March next year. The American organization in Seneca Falls, New York made the announcement Thursday.

The tennis superstar and the human rights leader were added to the list to be honored during Women’s History Month in March. Eight other winners were announced in the spring.

The 42-year-old Williams has won main events in tennis, called Grand Slam events, 23 times. She holds the record for the longest ranking (排名) as the top competitor. She retired from tennis last year. Earlier this month, Williams became the first athlete to win the Fashion Icon award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

The 69-year-old Bridges was six years old when she became the first black student at a Louisiana public school, where non-whites had been refused. The event took place in 1960. In 1963, painter Norman Rockwell recreated the event in his painting, The Problem We All Live With. Bridges built the Ruby Bridges Foundation in 1999. It offers educational programs and resources to guide and support the younger toward a peaceful future.

For the first time, the ceremony (典礼) will be broadcast (播出) nationally in the best time from New York City, the Hall of Fame said. The past 30 ceremonies have taken place in places around Seneca Falls, New York. The town was the site of the first Women’s Rights Convention and is home to the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

“The 2024 new numbers are scientists, activists, performers, and athletes who are changemakers of today and inspiration for the women of tomorrow,” said National Women’s Hall of Fame leader, Jennifer Gabriel.

The American public chooses women to be considered for the Hall of Fame. A group of experts examines them and makes the final decision.

3 . Every time Oksana Chusovitina competes in a gymnastics event, she captures the spotlight. The Hangzhou Asian Games proved no exception.

When the 48-year-old Uzbek gymnast participated in the Asian women’s gymnastics qualification at Huanglong Gymnasium on Monday, thousands of spectators chanted for “Qiu Ma”, which translates to “Mother Chusovitina”. A throng of journalists waited in the mixed zone, hoping for an interview opportunity. Some audiences touched by Chusovitina’s story that she tried to save her son and just never gave up.

During the interview, Chusovitina said that it was the love and support of the people that kept her going and give her the strength to achieve more.

Chusovitina has a storied history at the Asian Games, having won eight medals, including two golds in 2002. This year, she’s targeting a medal in the vault (跳马). “I will increase the difficult in the final,” she shared.

Chusovitina’s Olympic journey began in 1992, representing the Unified Team of the former Soviet Union. She later stood for Uzbekistan, transitioned to German citizenship in 2006, and reclaimed her Uzbek citizenship in 2013.

When Chusovitina’s son was diagnosed with leukemia (白血病) in 2002, she adopted German citizenship to compete at global events for a higher income and better medical treatment. Her heartfelt sentiment, “I dare not grow old until you are well,” has resonated with many.

After her son’s recovery, Chusovitina continued her gymnastics journey out of sheer love for the sport. Though she announced her retirement after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she decided to return shortly after.

“The biggest motivation is my desire. I want to perform. I love gymnastics, and this profession brings me great joy. I’m just doing what I love, so why should I stop?” Chusovitina said.

4 . The following writers who were born in the late l8th or 19th century will make you fall in love with Romantic literature.

1. Jane Austen (1775—1817)

Romantic idealists can blame Jane Austen for their unrealistically high expectations of everlasting romance. Austen is one of the most prolific authors of the long 18th century, her novels such as Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion inspiring dreams of Darcy and lamentations of lost love throughout generations of readers.

2. Anne Brontë (1820—1849)

The lesser known Brontië sister, but nevertheless a true 19th century Yorkshire heroine — and in my opinion far more deserving of the title than her sisters Emily and Charlotte.

Born in Thornton, West Yorkshire, Anne moved to Haworth with her family when she was still a baby. The parsonage where the Bronte family lived is now open to the public as a biographical museum of their lives.

3. Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792—1822) and Mary Shelley (1797—1851)

Although this is technically two authors in one, it’s almost impossible to think of one Shelley without the other. Although you might not know the name, you might know one of PB Shelley’s most famous lines from the Labour party’s political slogan For The Many Not The Few, taken from The Masque of Anarchy. Mary Shelley is the author of Frankenstein, a gothic story.

4. Robert Browning (1812—1889) and Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806—1861)

Robert and Elizabeth (who often published under the pseudonym EBB) eloped just one year after they first met. Both were renowned Romantic poets during the 19th century, Robert for his dramatic monologue and physical portraiture, and Elizabeth for her passionate sonnets. Aurora Leigh was one of her representative works.

6 . If you’re a keen reader, you have probably heard of Chilean American author Isabel Allende and may have read one of her 20+ books of fiction and non-fiction.

One of Latin America’s most famous living writers, Isabel Allende primarily writes in Spanish. But her work has been translated into English and adapted for the big screen, too, so it’s accessible to readers and viewers beyond her homeland.

Isabel Allende was born in 1942 in Peru to Chilean parents. Her parents separated when she was very young, and she spent a few years of her childhood in Chile with her mother, two siblings and grandfather. When Allende was 11, her mother remarried and Allende spent the rest of her childhood in Bolivia and Lebanon.

Before her first book was published, Allende worked as a journalist. She co-founded the first feminist magazine, Paula, in Chile, in 1967, worked in television, wrote and produced a play, and wrote children’s stories and magazines. In 1973, Allende and her family moved to Venezuela, where they lived for the next 13 years.

In 1981, the foundations of her first novel, The House of the Spirits, were laid: after learning that her 99-year-old grandfather was dying, Allende wrote a letter to him. This eventually became The House of the Spirits, a magical-realist family long story.

Allende had a long, productive and celebrated writing career. Over four decades she has published 24 books, which have been translated into more than 40 languages and sold more than 75 million copies, making her one of the best-selling authors in the world. She is a fairly rare author who has achieved widespread popularity among general readers and acclaim among literary critics. She herself and her books have been the subject of many academic literary studies, and she’s an essential part of the Latin American Spanish literary canon（经典）.

7 . Chen Shaoqin, a woman from Beijing, has shown the world how life should be lived by working as a tour guide in her seventies.

Chen has only a middle school education. She began studying English at the age of 40, changing herself from a factory worker to a white collar (白领) worker in an international trade company.

Chen continued to learn after retirement (退休), studying art and finally becoming an art guide at the age of 67. Over the past five years, from a person who knew nothing about art to a great volunteer guide, Chen's hard work and love for learning have encouraged many. As a guide, she is able to take special training courses and has the chance to learn from artists, giving her courage to continue.

Chen is proud of many exhibitions (展览) guided by her over the years, including those of famous artists like Zeng Fanzhi, Xu Bing, Qiu Zhijie and Pablo Picasso. She believes that every tour is a beautiful journey and a new chance to learn and be moved. Chen's love for learning has made her an excellent guide. After turning 73 this year, she said. “Well, I may be old, but I believe that the width of one's life can be expanded (延伸) through self-exploration and learning.”