【推荐1】She was returning from teaching out in a small community. It was a black, moonless night, and a heavy snow was falling.

She thought back to the time when she had first started teaching out in small communities. During those days she had always picked up hitchhikers (搭便车者), until the day her sister told her that one of her friends had been shot in the head by a hitchhiker, all because she had stopped out of kindness to help him during a storm.

Her family didn't stop worrying about her safety over the hitchhikers until the family heard the promise: “No more hitchhikers!” The snow that night was making her think back to this.

Then she saw a man waving. She slowed down for him, but as he ran toward the car in the dark, she shook with fear. Yet she thought that if he was truly in need, she couldn't leave him here in this storm.

The stranger explained that his car was dead, and she told him to get in. They drove for an hour into the next city and she took him to a convenience store. She waited until he had made a call. When he reported back to her that a family member would soon come to pick him up, she wished him well and then left.

Tears fell on her cheeks as she drove away. It felt as though she had been holding her breath for an hour.

“I hope they'll understand why I had to break my promise,” she thought.

【推荐2】After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, “I love you, but I know this other woman loves you too, and she would love to spend some time with you.”

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. “What’s wrong, are you well?” she asked. My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.

“I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,” I responded. “Just the two of us.” She thought about it for a moment, and then said, “I would like that very much.”

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up, I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Halfway through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips.

During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation--nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie.

As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: “I paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates — one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.”

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: “I LOVE YOU” and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till “some other time”.

【推荐3】One winter Sunday， my little sister， Colleen， and I built the greatest snowman ever． We gave him a traditional carrot nose， cool hat， comfortable scarf and gloves on the end of his stick arms． He was a masterpiece（杰作）．

The next morning when looking outside， we smiled lovingly at him over our meal． We gave him a high-five as we passed by on our way to school． A lot of kids went past our house， so he was the hot topic at our school that morning． My sister and I generously shared our professional（专业的） snowman-building suggestions and techniques with our classmates．

The day dragged on until finally we could rush home． But as our yard came into sight， we saw something that wasn't right． The snowman was gone! We only found a broken stick here， a torn glove there and balls of snow everywhere． Worst of all， the snowman's once-proud carrot nose lay half-eaten．

What had happened？ We knew only one thing：our snowman would rise again．And so we rebuilt him． The next day we came home to find another mess on the front lawn（草坪）． For the rest of the week，the destruction was repeated daily． Each afternoon we'd return to find our snowman fallen apart， and then we would build him up again．

By Saturday morning， we had a plan． We borrowed a really big bucket（桶） from Mom， filled it withwater and left it outside． The next morning， it was frozen solid． We packed snow all around the ice block for the base of the snowman． Then we built the other parts of it once again． The trap was set， and wewaited for the snowman bullies（破坏者） to come．

Monday morning， looking out of the window， we soon saw what we were waiting for． A group of fifth-grade bullies came up to our snowman and sneered（轻蔑地笑）． Taking their places on all sides， they pulled back their legs to deliver strong kicks． But when their feet hit the hard ice block， sneers turned to surprise， then pain and then tears．

We came close to feeling sorry for them， but they were too funny as they jumped away holding their damaged feet． We started laughing and couldn't stop． Could it be that the snowman was laughing too

【推荐1】Many people love keeping the pets(dogs，cats，horses，etc.)and have them as their good friends.In Canada，people usually take their pets to animal hospitals to give them injections(注射)so that they won’t carry diseases before they keep them in their houses.They have special animal food stores，though they can get animal food in almost every kind of stores.Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food.

When you visit people’s houses，they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them.You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in their garden.All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal.They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada.They have a law against killing wild animals.If you killed an animal，you would be punished.If an animal happened to get run over by a car，people would be very sad about it.

People in Canada have many reasons to like animals.One of them might be：Their family ties are not as close as ours.When children grow up，they leave their parents and start their own life.Then the old will feel lonely.But pets can solve this problem.They can be good friends and never leave them alone.

【推荐2】How Laughing at Yourself Makes You Attractive Instantly

Have you ever embarrassed yourself in public and got laughed at? Say, have you accidentally knocked over the water when you were talking with someone?     1     And it’s okay --- you should even have a laugh about them.

Most of us have insecurities, or feel bad about ourselves because of past misfortune. However, it’s normal to be imperfect. You should stop worrying about having to convince others of your worth or maintaining an ideal image of yourself. You should be honest with yourself about who you are and accept yourself despite your weaknesses.     2    

    3    . And optimistic people tend to be more successful. This is because poking fun at ourselves contributes to our mental health and helps lift our mood in the face of difficulties or embarrassment. More importantly, it helps us realize our own weaknesses so we know which areas to do better in.

While laughing at someone else may hurt their feelings even if you didn’t intend to, laughing at yourself does not --- you might even bring a smile to their faces.     4     People actually appreciate it when you laugh at yourself. Laughing at yourself shows that you are being real about your imperfections.

Just remember: it is human to make mistakes, and you have to accept yourself just as you are.     5    

【推荐3】On Wednesday, nearly 300 kids will take part in the National Spelling Bee. Fewer will make it to the following day’s semifinals, where one mistake means elimination(淘汰). I’d bet that many of them will be silently praying—not on the first word. I knew it because I was there 17 years ago.

I was 14 year old then. My mother and I had flown from Kentucky to Washington, but she was no strange to the capital. My older sister had already competed at nationals.

When my sister was 14 and I was 12, we trained together. We began with the Suggested List given out at school—hundreds of words printed on a poster that folded up like a map. When the words along the creases(折痕) began to disappear, we bought additional spelling bodes.

Sometimes my mother tested us, reading words most English teachers wouldn’t know how to pronounce, let alone my Indian-born mother. When she pointed out the misspelled words, I blamed her accent for my errors!

When it was my turn, I approached the microphone and waited for my first word.

The announcer was somewhere to my left, a man who pronounced clearly. “Barbican,” he said.

It seemed that my competitors were secretly complaining at the relative ease of my word. Would they laugh at me if I couldn’t spell it? Would my mother be disappointed in me? That last syllable could go two ways: C-A-N or C-O-N. Which one was right? Finally I decided on C-O-N.

Of course, I was eliminated and guided to the Comfort Room, where parents couldn’t enter. Inside, recent losers were sitting around a table abundant with junk food.

We casually mentioned the words that defeated us, like a special ceremony to welcome each new arrival. Then we changed the subjects if we’d already moved on from missed words and lost opportunities.

Eventually, I went out and saw my mother.

“Well,” she said, “I guess you won’t be doing this again.” Yes, next year I would be 25 and not allowed to take part in the competition.

【推荐1】Do you look down when you speak? Play with your hair? Lean to one side? Every last gesture tells a story. What you are saying to others is not only reflected in the words coming from your mouth, but also through the gestures and motions you make with your body. Kristin Appenbrink, Associate Editor for RealSimple. com, shows what your body language is saying about you.

Standing with your legs together is considered more of a conservative stance (站姿). It looks like a solider facing his officer. This way of standing usually indicates respect.

This way you move your body reflects your attitude. And shifting your weight from side to side or front to back indicates that you are anxious or disappointed. Basically, this is a physical representation of what is going on in your head: you are having so many unsettling thoughts that you can’t stop moving from one to the other.

Crossing your arms and legs is a defensive position. Take note of the surroundings. More often than not, this just means a person is cold. Many people also find this position to be comfortable.

Pointing toes (脚趾) in, big toe to big toe, indicates you are closing yourself off because you feel awkward or insecure. But, if you’re sitting up straight with your shoulders aligned (对齐的) and your head up — signs of an open body position — your feet may be betraying you.

Opening up your hands by spreading your hands means you are open to new ideas being offered. Facing your palms down or grasping your fists firmly shows you have a strong position — one that may not be so flexible.

【推荐2】Just over a decade into the 21st century, women’s progress can be celebrated across a range of fields. They hold the highest political offices from Thailand to Brazil, Costa Rica to Australia. A woman holds the top spot at the International Monetary Fund; another won the Nobel Prize in economics. Self-made billionaires in Beijing, tech innovators in Silicon Valley, pioneering justices in Ghana—in these and countless other areas, women are leaving their mark.

But hold the applause In Saudi Arabia, women aren’t allowed to drive. In Pakistan, 1,000 women die in honor killings every year. In the developed world, women lag behind men in pay and political power. The poverty rate among women in the U.S. rose to 14.5% last year.

To measure the state of women’s progress, Newsweek ranked 165 countries, looking at five areas that affect women’s lives: treatment under the law, workforce participation, political power, and access to education and health care. Analyzing data from the United Nations and the World Economic Forum, among others, and consulting with experts and academics, we measured 28 factors to come up with our rankings.

Countries with the highest scores tend to be clustered in the West, where gender discrimination is against the law, and equal rights are constitutionally enshrined (神圣化). But there were some surprises. Some otherwise high-ranking countries had relatively low scores for political representation. Canada ranked third overall but 26th in power, behind countries such as Cuba and Burundi. Does this suggest that a woman in a nation’s top office translates to better lives for women in general? Not exactly. “Trying to quantify or measure the impact of women in politics is hard because in very few countries have there been enough women in politics to make a difference,” says Anne-Marie Goetz, peace and security adviser for U.N. Women.

Certain conclusions are nonetheless clear. For one thing, our index backs up a simple but profound statement made by Hillary Clinton at the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. “When we liberate the economic potential of women, we elevate the economic performance of communities, nations, and the world,” she said. “There’s a stimulative effect that kicks in when women have greater access to jobs and the economic lives of our countries: Greater political stability. Fewer military conflicts More food. More educational opportunity for children. By harnessing (利用) the economic potential of all women, we boost opportunity for all people.”

【推荐3】Many high school students consider a college education useless. Therefore, they choose not to go to college. If you’re one of them, think again. Here are some reasons why you should go to college and receive a good education there.

Schools and universities are the first sources of knowledge. We take that knowledge later on to build our careers after graduation. More knowledge will be gained after you start working, but without an education, that job will not be within easy reach. Knowledge leads to knowledge.

While limited within the walls of the educational institutions, we openly explore other cultures of the world. We come to know that ours is not the only culture. Other cultures have valuable insights to share, enriching our own at last. Education also makes us want to travel and interact with various cultures, broadening our horizons.

When there’s a downturn (衰退) in the economy, those who attended college will be more, likely to find a new job than those who only finished grade school and have a limited skill set. The more education you have, the more chances you will get to improve the quality of your life as you have a better job and earn a higher salary.

When you’re skillful and knowledgeable, you get to “rub knees” with people of similar backgrounds and tastes. It means a good education leads to excellent networking. Good networking can benefit you a lot in your later life.

A good education makes you a more interesting and confident person. You can talk about ideas and events instead of just listening to other people. An educated person doesn’t gossip, have a preference to discuss ideas and listen to what other people have to say.