【推荐3】For most people, the thought of having to watch themselves work out is not an attractive one. Yet as any gym-goer knows, there are always some people who like to enjoy their reflection in the floor-length mirrors. It is perhaps these particular keep-fit lovers who are most excited about the latest trend in home exercise-smart fitness mirrors.

These are 180cm or so tall, high-tech mirrors that have a computer which is connected to the Internet, and also work as a video screen. The idea is that people contact an online trainer, who then appears in the mirror along with their reflection.

On the more advanced devices the mirror is equipped with cameras, speakers and numerous sensors (传感器) connected to AI, so the trainer can watch people’s movements, and provide improvements and changes. On the simpler mirrors the video and sound are just one-way- people can see and hear the trainer, but not the other way around. Lessons are typically not live; instead, people just get into a library of online workout videos.

But is there any actual advantage in being able to watch yourself work out? Colleen Logan, the US owner of both Nordic Track and ProForm, says, “Seeing themselves in the mirror allows the users to correct their form or position, so they get the best possible benefits of strength exercises and reduce mistakes that could lead to injuries”.

However, Dr Anthony Papathomas, a sports and fitness psychologist says there is value to this argument, but that he also has some concerns. He said,“How people who are not confident about their body image feel about the mirror gets me in a fret. It may be a problem for those new to exercise and looking to make a lifestyle change. Even for regular exercisers, there are many who experience body dysmorphia (变形) or eating disorders, and for them, seeing a reflection throughout their exercise might be troubling.”

【推荐2】Washington is home to lots of trees—it is the Evergreen State, after all—and lots of fireplaces and wood-burning stoves too. But what if you lived there and couldn't chop (劈) wood or couldn't afford to pay someone to do it? Luckily, Shane McDaniel and his twin sons are happy to lend an ax. The three men chop truckloads of wood—then donate it to those in need.

The idea started as a father-son bonding project. "I had to cut wood with my dad. He just loved doing it," said Shane. He wanted to pass along that feeling, so he and the twins spent the summer chopping wood. The result was a great wall of wood piled up around their house, which is worth about $10,000.

It was too much for the Mc-Daniels to use themselves, and when the weather turned cold that November, Shane started thinking of others. He posted on the Internet: "IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF FIREWOOD AND CANNOT AFFORD IT, PLEASE CONTACT ME! ... If you know someone who NEEDS WOOD, and they're looking at a cold house, please help us help them. Please help us make sure NO ONE GOES COLD IN OUR HOOD."

The response was immediate. One man offered to donate a wood-burning furnace. Others raced over to Norm's, the mini-mart Shane owns, with more wood for the pile.

Single mom Katelyn Ticer and her four-year-old daughter rely on a wood-burning stove as their only source of heat, so it was a relief to receive a truckload of firewood from the McDaniels before the holidays. “To get that much wood brought me to tears,” she said. “So much stress and anxiety is off my shoulders. I couldn't be more thankful.”

However, not every recipient is grateful, and some aren't even friendly. But Shane is OK with that. "Giving is the reward,” he says. “It has nothing to do with how well it's received; it's about how much it's needed.”

【推荐3】It's a classroom; but instead of being told to sit quietly and listen, you are encouraged to stand up, jump around, imagine and act out it's a class full of laughter and applause(掌声), emotion and energy. Welcome to drama class, one of my favorite classes at high school.

In drama class we used to play a lot of“ drama games. We would improvise(即兴表演), mime(模仿) and above all use our imaginations.

My favorite game was called "Spotto". One person stood at the front of the class and performed a scene, completely out of their imagination. When one audience member yelled "Spotto!", the performer had to freeze. Then the person who had yelled Spotto had to get up and improvise a new scenario (剧情)based on the position the first performer froze in. This went on as more and more people were added to the scene.

Eventually the entire class would have joined the scene. Then the performers would start to leave in reverse(颠倒的)order. The first performer had to have a good memory to remember all the other scenes.

It was a lot of fun, and a good test of everyone's imagination to see what they would come up with.

Drama class at my school often involved a big performance at the end of the semester as well. We would work on a production throughout the semester and put on a show for our parents and the school community.

It was a great experience to perform on stage in front of a large audience. Drama class can help shy children to come out of their shells. It helped me become more confident and developed my public speaking skills. Drama class is also a great place to express yourself, and a way for children to use up some of their energy.

【推荐1】My family and I never talked about school as the ticket to a future. I was in the classrooms, but I wasn’t there to learn to write, read or even speak. When it was my turn to read, I wanted to hide. I was 13 years old, but I already hated being who I was.

I had an English teacher, Mr. Creech, who knew I couldn’t read. In one of my first lessons the teacher said that anyone who had a reading age below six had to stand up. I felt so embarrassed. But at the same time, it made me realize that I needed to change the situation. I was determined it wouldn’t happen again. Later that day, Mr. Creech encouraged me and promised he would try his best to help me learn to read. From then on, I never gave up practicing reading.

Now I was 41 years old. One day, I planned to fly back to Texas to visit my friends and family. On my way from the airport, I saw Mr. Creech buying himself a drink. I rushed over and reached into my pocket to pay for him.”Do I know you?”he asked.”Yes, sir, you do know me,”I answered excitedly.”My name is Anthony Hamilton. You taught me English.”The look on his face told me that he remembered the boy he’d once encouraged.

“I’m so glad I had a chance to see you,”I said.”And Mr. Creech, I have great news to share.”I told him I had learned to read. But that wasn’t all. I had become a published author and an active speaker.”The next time you get another Anthony Hamilton in your classroom, please encourage him to read as well.”I added.

The experts say what once worried me has a name: dyslexia(诵读困难症). But I can tell you it was a lack of desire for education.

【推荐2】The sun was rising as we drove across the Minnesota state line to New York for my new Ph.D. program. The move was good for me professionally, but I worried about my husband and daughters. I also feared that I wouldn’t be able to give my kids the childhood they deserved.

Anne, our first daughter, came into the world when I was a junior majoring in biology in college. It was challenging to balance classes, work schedules, and being a mom. But I got it through, finding moments of delight along the way. On the nights when I was at home, I’d read my class notes out loud with my daughter. She’d respond by asking questions, such as “Mom, what are bacteria?” It helped us both learn.

After I graduated, I knew that I would need a Ph.D. to land the kind of job I wanted. I arrived in New York feeling more than the usual new⁃grad⁃student anxiety. I also suffered from a more personal fear that I was selfish—my decision to invigorate my career was going to have long⁃term negative impacts on my kids.

Over the past year, though, I’ve started to let go of some of the worry. I’ve realized that not only have we adapted to our new situation, but things are getting better. My husband has landed a job that he is happy with. Anne has dreamed of becoming a marine biologist. Recently, while driving past the cancer institute I work at, Anne said, “Thinking about people having cancer is so sad, but I feel better knowing that you are researching it to help.”

Navigating academia as a young mother is hard, but it’s also rewarding. My kids are learning to look at the world through the lens of science, and watching their mom succeed inspires them. I look forward to seeing them follow in my footsteps, whatever path they choose.

【推荐3】When I was three years old, I couldn’t speak. It was a strange reality that none of the doctors I visited could understand.

One day, I was shadowing (跟随) my mother. She found herself looking in a mirror, and through it our eyes met. She began to speak to me through the reflection, and I slowly began to mimic (模仿) her mouth’s movements until I formed a word.

It turned out I’m deaf in my left ear, and have a slight problem in my right. Being hard of hearing has been difficult, but I’ve never lived in a state of self-hating sorrow. Imagine being able to shut out all sound as you lay your head down to sleep by simply rolling over onto one side. That’s my reality when I sleep on my “good ear”, and it makes me feel like a superhero sometimes.

People call my deaf side my “bad ear”, but when I wear my hearing aid, I have access to a range of features that some other deaf people don’t. In cinemas, for example, with one click of a button I can enjoy a whole film as though it were whispered to me from the mouths of the actors.

Owning a hearing aid hasn’t always felt good, however. On the first day I got my aid, when I was eight, I took it to school for show-and-tell. As I explained how it worked to my classmates, a boy yelled out, “Aren’t those for old men?” At that moment, I felt different. It took a long time for me to get over that sense of being so unlike my peers.

But it’s not just school kids who can make us deaf and hard-of-hearing people feel like burdens. Every video on social media that lacks subtitles (字幕), for example, means an entire community of deaf people is unable to enjoy it. Completely deaf people are excluded from enjoying many movies too, as subtitles in cinemas are almost impossible to find.

And with hearing aids costing around $2,500 each, it can be hard for many people to afford to be able to listen to the things that others take for granted. As for me, I can listen to music, enjoy films, and catch conversations—I’m lucky. I’m deaf, but I can still hear everything. I’ve been blessed with wonderful life experiences, and I am human. And when it comes to sleeping, I’m even superhuman.