【推荐2】In many regions of Ghana, it can take hours to get to the nearest hospital. As a result, many people lose their lives to treatable illnesses. Osei Boateng experienced this personally when he lost his grandmother and aunt. Feeling an urgent call to help, Boateng decided he would make it his life mission to bring health care to remote communities in Ghana.

Boateng started his nonprofit, OKB Hope Foundation 2 years ago, he converted a van (厢式货车) into a mobile doctor’s office and started bringing health care directly to those in need. A few times a week, the mobile clinic and medical team travel long distance to remote communities in Ghana and provide free routine medical care.

On each trip, Boateng’s team consists of a nurse, a physician’s assistant, a doctor, and an operation assistant. In the van, they can run basic labs like bloodwork as well as prescribe and provide medications. “It’s like a one-stop shop for people,” said Boateng, adding that most of the people they see have one health issue or another.

Since its launch, Boateng says the Hope Health Van has served more than 4,000 Ghanaians across more than 45 rural communities who otherwise don’t have easily accessible medical care. Boateng has big plans for the future. He hopes to expand to provide more consistent and high-quality mobile medical care not only to those living in remote areas of Ghana but in other countries as well.

Boateng has gone all in on his OKB Hope Foundation, recently quitting his job to dedicate his time to bringing health care to his home country. But for him, the sacrifices are well worth the reward. “Words cannot describe the feeling that you get providing care for someone who otherwise wouldn’t be alive if your mobile health van wasn’t there.”

【推荐3】According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, 20 percent of children aged 13-18 suffer from a mental health condition. Those are the same years they are likely to be in school and spending most of their time with teachers and fellow students.

With the right support in place, these students might make the most of educational opportunities in order to reach their full academic potential (潜能). Yet, most students who may be dealing with a mental health condition are likely not receiving any treatment. Studies estimate more than 60 percent are not receiving services or treatment from medical or psychological service providers.

One might think, now that teachers, school psychologists (心理学家) and other educational professionals spend a lot of time with students, they could be one key way to identify children who are at risk for different conditions一and get them the help they need. But, for one, those working in the educational field are often already understaffed and overworked. Frequently, a school teacher or school psychologist may be responsible for hundreds, if not thousands of students. And, two, teachers and other staff lack the clinical (临床的) training to properly identify a true mental health condition.

In an ideal world, teachers and other staff who interact with students the most would receive extra training to help identify at-risk individuals一and then direct them to the school nurse or psychologist for a treatment. Although one in five children may suffer from a mental heath condition with the right state of mind and methods, it is possible for families and schools to work together to make sure at-risk children are getting the care they need.

【推荐2】Technology has changed our lives and reshapes the way we live. Some of us love it and some of us are frustrated (懊恼的) with it. This is clear as most of us are guilty of being addicted to the Internet and social media.     1     Technology has created a whole new world and brought endless opportunities.

The invention of airplanes, ships and spacecraft always allows people to visit other countries and even other planets. As long as we follow the laws of immigration, we can go to any country we like.     2    

In addition, technology is also used by a large number of teachers to improve their teaching. It can make the lessons more interactive and interesting for students. E-learning is possible with the use of the Internet connection and computers. People wishing to study for a degree can do so at their comfortable homes.     3     Teachers can post notes and videos on the Internet and students can study and learn whenever they are ready.

    4     You don’t have to walk around with a large sum of cash any more because you can make purchases and payments electronically. Online banking is secure and convenient for online shopping. You don’t have to worry that your cash might be stolen by someone.

However, we have to say that technology can be a double-edged sword. Nowadays, instead of paying attention to the conversation we are having face to face, we just take the phone. We are distracted by smartphones and technology in general. But we can’t blame technology. We should not blame ourselves, either.     5     Indeed, technology is addictive, but our focus shouldn’t be on phones or computers, but on people and face-to-face conversations.

【推荐2】With the world’s attention on vaccines (疫苗), now feels like a good moment to sing the praises of an often forgotten contribution to their development. Three hundred years ago this month, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu got her daughter inoculated (接种) against smallpox, making her child the first person in the West to be protected in this way. Without Montagu’s willingness to adopt a practice she had learned from other cultures, the introduction of vaccines around 80 years later would never have taken place.

Montagu first witnessed inoculation when she accompanied her husband to Turkey in 1717. Inoculation had started in Asia, probably in China, as early as the 10th century AD. Montagu observed how older women in Turkey took a tiny amount of pus (脓) from a person with smallpox. They then used needles to make cuts on people’s wrists and ankles and added the pus to their bloodstream. This helped people gain immunity from future infection.

Like other visitors to the country, Montagu took steps to ensure that her son was inoculated in Turkey. This worked well, but she knew that trying it in England would be far more challenging. Inoculation performed by unlicensed amateurs would threaten doctors’ professional standing and potentially rob them of valuable income. Churchmen also disagree with the practice, as they saw it as going against nature.

Back in England, Montagu observed the increased severity of smallpox infections. Eventually, in April 1721, she decided to use the Turkish practice to have her daughter inoculated, because she believed that the rewards would outweigh the risks. After a safe time had passed following the inoculation, Montagu allowed doctors to examine her daughter.

Doctors in Britain gradually accepted the practice. About so years later, a pioneering physician found smallpox vaccines to destroy smallpox completely. As early as last century, academics argued that Montagu was no more than an enthusiastic amateur. In truth, she made a vital scientific contribution towards finding the cure for smallpox.

【推荐3】Sixty percent of Americans play video games daily, according to Techjury. In order to escape from the reality of quarantine (隔离), more people have turned to video games and VR (virtual reality) has become more popular than ever.

The world of VR isn't new to the gaming industry. It has been an ongoing concept for years, dating back to the 1800s. NASA popularized VR technology in 1989, bringing light to advancements that had never been seen before, and in 1991, SEGA introduced VR to gamers.

Gaming companies such as Oculus and HTC have redefined gaming by allowing players to involve themselves deeply in the world of VR through personal headsets. VR users are able to socialize through chat rooms, create 3D art and exercise through heart-pumping gameplay. Once a user puts on a headset, they are immediately transported into a virtual world. This allows the player to have a better experience compared to simply staring at a TV with a game controller.

Although VR has many positive aspects, using virtual reality too much can cause health problems among users. When using VR, it is common for people to lose spatial (空间的) awareness. Therefore, users are encouraged to play in an area that is clear of furniture and other objects causing potential danger. Eye strain can also be caused by using VR too much, so it is important to limit your time playing in virtual reality and take breaks in order to minimize the possibility of experiencing negative health effects.

How VR will develop in the future is unknown to us. However, new advancements for it are on the way. Teslasuit, a company specializing in VR equipment, is creating haptic (触觉的) suits for VR gameplay. These suits will allow users to feel aspects of VR while in game and will increase involvement, build 360-degree awareness and engage muscle memory. There are an endless number of possibilities that users                                               can experience and create in VR, and the boundaries of the virtual world are limitless.