【推荐2】When Alex Lin was 11 years old, he read an alarming article in the newspaper about e-waste. The article said that people were throwing away their e-waste in places it should never go. This was dangerous, the article said, because e-waste contains poisonous chemicals and metals like lead. These harmful substances (物质) can leak into the environment, getting into crops, animals, water supplies — and people.

Alex showed the article to a few of his classmates. They were worried too. But what could they do about this problem with e-waste? How would they even start? “The first thing we did,” Alex says, “was to learn more about the problem.” Alex and his friends spent several weeks gathering information about the chemicals in e-waste and their effects on humans. They learned how to dispose (处理) of e-waste properly and how it could be recycled. “Then,” he says, “we had to find out what the situation was in our town. So we sent out a survey.”

What they found shocked them: Of the people who answered the survey, only one in eight even knew what e-waste was, let alone how to properly dispose of it. Alex and his friends went into action. They advertised in the local newspaper and distributed notices to students, asking residents to bring their unwanted electronics to the school parking lot. The drive lasted two days, and they collected over 21,000 pounds of e-waste.

The next step was to set up an e-waste drop-off center for the town and to find a responsible company to recycle the waste. That was when Alex and his friends learned another scary fact about e-waste — some irresponsible recycling companies don’t break down the e-waste and dispose of it safely themselves. Instead, they ship it overseas to countries such as China and Nigeria, where local environmental laws are not applied. “We checked carefully online to make sure the company we chose didn’t do this,” Alex says.

Because of the work of people like Alex and his team, more and more people are getting the message about safe disposal of e-waste. As Alex says, “Today’s technology should not become tomorrow’s poisonous trash.”

【推荐2】On my son Andrew’s 15th birthday, I took him to a shoe store to get a pair of shoes. We arrived right when the store opened because Andrew is a nonspeaking autistic(自闭) and prefers shopping when it’s not busy. After choosing the desired shoes, we paid and thanked the clerks. “It’s Andrew’s birthday today. Fifteen!” I said. “Happy birthday! they said. ”Have fun!

Instead of having Andrew point to the “thank you” symbol on his picture chart, I hold up his letter board. For 10 years, Andrew has used a picture chart to communicate. The images represent important and common words;people, places, food, greetings and activities. Years ago, we discovered that Andrew could communicate more than just his basic needs via a letter board. He can point to the letters and spell out words, statements, thoughts.

Using the letter board requires significant time and effort for Andrew, but it gives him an opportunity to share far more of who he is than he can convey through pictures and basic words. So instead of dashing out, I hold up the letter board and ask Andrew how he’d like to respond. The store clerks are quiet, watching. Andrew points to each letter, one by one: “Thank you.”I smile and turn to leave.

One of the clerks, a man about my age, speaks up: Um, can I ask you . . what is that? Because I have a brother-in-law ... and he doesn’t talk. “Oh! This is an alphabet board that Andrew uses to communicate,” I reply. “We’ve practiced it for years. It’s quite incredible, as we just didn’t know Andrew was so in there”. We didn’t even know this tool existed-it’s relatively uncommon. It’s changed everything for us, for our family, for Andrew. ”

This is what happens when we invite others into our humanness, and we allow them to share theirs. “Let me give you my contact info, as well as the website of the spelling-to- communicate organization, ” I continue. I ask the clerk about his brother-in-law. He tells us that Jason is 30 and doesn’t prefer to speak, but he can do a lot for himself. Still, no one really knows him. Maybe there’s more, the clerk wonders.

“Amazing!” I say. “We’ve met people-haven’t we, Andrew? -who started using this method when they were 50 or 5 or 15! Andrew, what do you think? ”Andrew starts pointing to letters: “Tell Jason…”

I choke up. Sometimes I forget how powerful the letter board is. How powerful Andrew is. “Tell Jason he will change everyone’s opinion of him in 26 letters. We are all moved, inspired, thrilled. ”Wow, the clerk says.

“Thank you.” Andrew smiles.

【推荐3】In the old-fashioned town of Willowbrook, two friends named Emma and Liam shared an intimate bond. They were inseparable and spent every moment together, laughing, exploring, and creating unforgettable memories.

One cold winter morning, as the first snowflakes gently fell from the sky, Emma woke up with a stuffy nose and a sore throat. She tried to brave it and get ready for school, but her body felt weak and achy. Unwillingly, she called Liam to let him know she couldn’t make it to school that day.

Liam was concerned when he heard the tiredness in Emma’s voice. “Don’t worry, Em. I’ll take care of everything at school for you,” he assured her. Feeling grateful for Liam’s understanding, Emma forced a smile and replied, “Thank you, Liam. You’re the best friend anyone could ask for.”

After school, Liam hurried to Emma’s house, carrying a meal he had prepared for her. He knocked on the door, and Emma’s mother welcomed him with a warm smile. “Oh, Liam, you’re such a thoughtful friend,” she said.

“I brought some soup and tea for Emma. I hope it will make her feel better,” Liam replied, some concern in his eyes. Entering Emma’s room, Liam found her curled up under a blanket, looking pale but relieved to see him. “Hey, I brought some comfort food to cheer you up,” he said, setting the food on her bedside table.

Emma’s eyes lit up, and she smiled weakly. “You didn’t have to, but thank you. This means the world to me,” she whispered. Sitting by her side, Liam kept her company, chatting softly and making her laugh despite her illness. The warmth of their friendship enveloped the room, bringing a feeling of comfort to Emma’s tired soul.

As Emma regained her strength, she realized just how lucky she was to have a friend like Liam. His unwavering (坚定不移的) presence and kindness had made her recovery easier and brighter. Their friendship grew stronger with each passing day, and from that moment on, they knew they would be there for each other through thick and thin.