【推荐1】When British musician Paul Barton performs in central Thailand lately, his energetic listeners react wildly. Some pull his hair or jump on his piano. Others steal his music. The behavior is normal, however, because these crowds are truly barbaric-monkeys to be exact.

Barton plays often to the animals in Lopburi, an area known for its populations of macaque monkeys. The pianist hopes the music shows bring calm to the animals during the coronavirus crisis. The disease has caused problems for the monkeys, too. They are hungry. The "restrictions on tourism mean fewer people come to see the monkeys and feed them.

“We need to make an effort to make sure that they eat properly. And when they eat properly they will be calmer and will not be aggressive, ”said Barton.

Barton has played at four sites in Lopburi, including at an ancient Hindu temple, a store and an old movie theater. The macaques quickly surround Barton when he plays Greensleeves, Beethoven's Fur Elise and Michael Nyman's Diary of Love. Some of the creatures sit on his chair, while others climb up his body and touch his head.

“A wonderful opportunity to see the wild animals just being themselves," said Barton, from. Yorkshire in northern England. Barton keeps his attention on his performance, even as a small monkey runs over his hands on the instrument Other monkeys take control of his music papers. However, he added, “I wasn't going to let those things distract from the project which is to play the music for these wonderful macaques. In fact, I was surprised to find that they were actually eating the music as I was playing it.”

The monkeys are Barton's latest animal fans. Past wildlife audiences included elephants living in special protected areas.

Barton hopes to raise awareness of the monkeys' hunger. At the same time, he hopes to study their behavior as they react to- classical music. "It's possible that the music can play a part in the treatment process,“ he said.

【推荐2】Located in northern Manitoba on the west side of Hudson Bay, Churchill is out in the middle of nowhere. But polar bears like it that way. They spend summers on the tundra (苔原) around Churchill. In the fall, they wait anxiously along the shore of Hudson Bay for the ice to form. Then they go out onto the frozen sea to hunt ringed seals their favorite food. October and November are the best polar-bear viewing times. From tundra vehicles, visitors to Churchill observe the bears. Some enjoy day trips or stay overnight on large tundra vehicles that have private cabins and eating facilities. Others stay at a wilderness lodge on the bears’ migration route to view the vigorous creatures. These lodges can be reached only by air and feature luxury food and living arrangements.

Despite the large number of polar bears that visit Churchill each year, there is growing concern about the animals’ future. Because the earth is getting warmer, the ice forms later in the year now and disappears sooner in the spring. As a result, polar bears have less time to hunt for seals. Polar bears can also find smaller animals, bird eggs and berries on land, but this kind of food is not sufficient to support the animals.

Polar bears are also affected by plastic and chemicals that get into the ocean. A research project carried out in northern Europe has found high concentrations of both plastic and chemicals in the tissue of polar bears. These materials and substances can damage the animals’ internal organs, especially when the animals are not yet mature. Many people are researching polar bear health. Their goal is to gather the information that is needed to help save these animals.

【推荐1】The coronavirus in China right now has really turned things upside down for a lot of people, but not even it can come between a marathon runner and his training.

Like many of his countrymen, Pan Shancu, an amateur marathon runner from Hangzhou, in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang, is trapped in his apartment because of the COVID-19，but he didn't let that small detail stop him from keeping in shape for his next race, whenever it may be. He has been using the small space in his apartment as a training track, jogging around two tables and the short length of a small hallway, and recently posted on social media.

“I could not bear siting around anymore," Pan wrote. "Let's run laps in the room! Yes, one lap is about eight meters (26 feet) and I ran 50 kilometers (31 miles)，I did it in 4:48:44. I am sweating all over, feeling great!"

The runner, who has a marathon best of two hours and 59 minutes, also wrote that he considers his neighbors while jogging, trying to step as lightly as possible on the floor as not to disturb them. He completed 6, 250 circuits in one of his rooms in four hours, 48 minutes and 44 seconds, and his neighbors have yet to complain.

Pan Shancu's achievement spread rapidly like virus this week, with people praising his training spirit, and saying to adopting similar strategies to stay in shape.

“I start in the kitchen, go through the living room, turn into my daughter's room, the less than 20m-long racecourse has beautiful scenery and on my left, my husband' s snoring is cheering me on," one commented on Pan' s post. "This is a silent battle. My husband' s opinion is that I have psychological issues.

【推荐2】Joe Clark was a non-traditional high school principal, whose unusual way of carrying out rules became the subject of a 1989 Hollywood movie. He gained national attention for his leadership at Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey.

“You are not inferior. ” is what Clark would often tell his students, many of whom were African American or Latino. They grew up in a difficult environment and faced violence, drugs and troubled family life which could prevent them from succeeding in school and in life.

Before becoming an educator, Clark served in the U. S. Amy Reserve. His experience might have influenced how he ran his school. He was known to walk around with a bull horn and a baseball bat. In Clark’s first days of working, he expelled 300 students for breaking school rules. The students who remained at school believed that higher expectations were being placed on them. They felt more pressure to perform better.

Some praised his efforts at discipline while others criticized his methods. President Ronald Reagan offered Clark a White House policy adviser position after his success at the high school. In 1988, one teacher, said his methods were more like being in a labor camp than a public high school. In 1989, actor Morgan Freeman played Clark in the movie “Lean on Me.” That movie was based on Clark’s experiences at Eastside. “Joe was a father figure to school kid,” Freeman said. “He was the best of the best in terms of education.” Recently, one of Joe Clark’s former students, Thomas McEntyre said, “I never really got a chance to… thank him. We are your product. You did not fail us. No matter whether you kicked me out, you did not fail me. You bettered me. ”

After he retired from Eastside in 1989, Clark wrote a book called “Laying Down the Law: Joe Clark’s Strategy for Saving Our Schools.” He described how he managed to turn Eastside High from a failing school into a success.

【推荐3】Learning doesn’t have to end when people age. In fact, today’s seniors want to remain socially engaged, intellectually stimulated (激发), and an active part of their communities according to a university in Lebanon. That’s why the university opened The University for Seniors that gives older adults — 50 and up — an opportunity for lifelong learning.

Founded in 2010, the school has about 500 new students every year, even during the height of the pandemic when classes were virtual. The university includes two three-month semesters and students can take any class they want regardless of their educational level. There are no exams or graduation certificates. This school is all about lifelong learning. The available classes include political science, public health, agriculture, sciences, women’s affairs, as well as creative classes in drawing, painting and music. Language classes include English, French and Spanish. The classes are taught by volunteers.

One student, Mariam Koubaissy, 85, took drawing classes because it was her childhood dream to learn to draw, but life got in the way. Her dream does not die, though. She said, “Now half a century later, my dream came true and I was proud to have walked through those gates.”

The university provides more than just education. Former banker Youssef Bakri, 84, has been a student for over 10 years. He said, “Studying is food for the brain, and among the various lectures, there are psychology lessons that support us very much at our age.”

Studies show that seniors can reap many benefits by continuing to learn new things. Lifelong learning keeps the brain stimulated, challenged and fully engaged. This helps seniors remain mentally alert while they age. With the percentage of over 65s in Lebanon’s population growing, The University for Seniors is filling a very important role in the lives of its students.