【推荐3】We have to admit that many cities around the world today are heavily polluted. Careless methods of production and lack of consumer demand for environment friendly products have actually contributed to the pollution problem. One result is that millions of tons of glass, paper, plastic, and metal containers are produced and these are difficult to get rid of.

However, today, more and more consumers are choosing “green” and demanding that the products they buy should be safe for the environment. Before they take action to buy a product, they ask questions like these “Will this shampoo add damage to the environment?” “Can this metal container be reused or can it only be used once?”

A recent study showed that two out of five adults now take the environmental safety of a product into account before they buy it. This means that companies must now adjust the way they make and sell their products to make sure that they are “green” that is, friendly to the environment

Only a few years ago, it was impossible to find green products in supermarkets, but now there are hundreds of them advocating green. In addition, some supermarket products carry labels (标签) to show that the product is green. Some companies have adopted the manufacturing (生产) of clean and safe products as their main selling point and emphasize it in their advertising.

The concern for a safer and cleaner environment is making companies rethink how they do business. No longer will the public accept the old attitude of “Buy it, use it, throw it away, and forget it.”   The public pressure is on, and gradually business is cleaning up its act.

【推荐1】I arrived home from work, my mind racing, I was scheduled to perform an experiment using a pricey piece of equipment, but I had spent the whole day worrying about the experiment which was on the top of my agenda, and I amazingly longed to shut off my anxious thoughts. So after dinner, I made a cup of hot coffee, stretched myself on my sofa, and opened a page. Almost instantly, my mind left behind the details of experimental design and stepped into a land of monsters, magic dust, and man-like bears comprising a wonderful world distinct from my daily life. It was exactly what I needed.

Growing up, I was virtually never big on novels. My classmates would be crazy about the latest Harry Potter book, while my copy sat collecting dust on a shelf. Instead, I would choose to read through the reference books related to my disciplines for better grades. After I started graduate school, extracurricular reading didn’t appeal to me at all but I spent most of my time on campus digesting research papers and textbooks and my mind couldn’t handle processing fact-filled nonfiction books at home, too. So I knew that I needed to find a way to enjoy reading again.

To help me stick with it, I made a New Year’s resolution: I would read two fiction books per month for the entire year. The result was an almost instant appreciation of fiction, along with many unexpected results including ones that have benefited my schoolwork.

What surprised me most was how much I learned. Some of the best books I read were historical fictional stories happening in a realistic historical setting, I learned about life in different countries, as well as struggles people there faced during difficult periods in their histories. The books have helped me build sympathy and understanding, with an unexpected benefit: I’ve started to think more deeply about the diversity of issues in the scientific community and could serve it, heart and soul.

【推荐2】There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.

I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.

It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight. Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back.

From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the wastebasket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.

The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug. I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.

I looked forward to the return journey.

【推荐3】My two sons are all grown up now. Yet they both still have the minds of children. Autism has limited their intellectual growth over the years, and they still need to be looked after 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When I was a boy, the term used for people like my sons was Mentally Retarded. By the time I was an adult, the term had switched to Mentally Handicapped. Later, this was changed again to Mentally Challenged. However, none of these terms truly defined them. Their humanity is much richer than these personality labels.

These days, the newest term is people with Special Needs. My sons do have Special Needs but they also have Special Gifts. My oldest boy may only be able to talk about certain things. Autism has limited his learning and interests. But when he greets people by name. He gives out love and hugs far more freely than I do. My youngest boy doesn't speak much at all, he is lost in his own world most of the time. But he also has an ability for laughter and joy that is far beyond anything I possess. Often after he finishes crying his happiness will immediately return. In truth, my two Special Needs sons have taught me more about how to live and how to love than I could have ever learned on my own.

The fact is all of us in this life have Special Needs. All of us also have Special Gifts. It is up to us to share our Gifts. It is up to us to meet each other's Needs. It is up to us to treat each other with kindness and love. Remember, we are all one family here. We are all Children of the same mother nature.