【推荐1】Street dances are dance styles that evolved (演变)outside of dance studios in any available open space.They are often improvisational (即兴的）and social in nature, encouraging interaction and contact with audiences and the other dancers.These dances generally evolve out of urban and suburban spaces and are a part of the native culture of that geographical area.Some examples of street dances include b-boying, or breakdancing, which originated in New York City.

Street dances are dances that evolve between people in a social environment, although it cannot be always determined as to how they actually do evolve between people.In theory, as one person comes up with a move that looks good to another person, the other person tries to copy that move.Similar to the game of Chinese whispers, the effect is that the other person cannot absolutely perform that move the same way as the other person, thus leading to the dancers creating their own style or entirely new moves.

There is a small difference between entirely freestyle dance and an absolute street dance.While freestyle dance is random and a personal dance invented by a single person (even if it’s based on someone else’s dance style) , a full street dance is a collection of the various similar dance moves and styles collected into one practice and regarded as the same dance.For example, when b-boying evolved out of the early hip-hop culture, people came up with their own moves，and other people improved them.Street dances constantly evolve for as long as they are now and then practiced and regarded as the same dance.All the moves danced to breaks in hip-hop culture were regarded as b-boying.

Sometimes it is possible to trace back street dance styles that were mostly pioneered by specific (具体的）people.One example is locking, which is often regarded as being started by Don Campbell, who was a 1970s pioneer of American street dance.Most of the time it is impossible to owe street dances to specific people, since the dances evolve outside of professional dance environments, and there is no social or legal record.Street dance pioneers also rarely have professional degrees in dance, thus distinguishing street dances from other modern dance forms.

【推荐3】I moved to the Spanish capital, Madrid, nearly two months ago. I am here for a year teaching English in a secondary school as a language assistant. Before I arrived I thought I would be able to adapt to Spanish culture very easily, but my previous expectations have been very different from the reality of Spanish life.

Firstly, I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to adapt to the Spanish day and the timings of meals. Spanish “midday” is at 14:00, meaning lunch is never before then. My expectation was that I would be eating lunch at 12:00 to 13:00, but most days it’s 15:30 before I eat lunch. Can I really still call this lunch?! The same applies to dinner or tea. In the UK, dinner is between 18:00 and 19:00, but now the dinner time is 21:30. The thing I didn’t realize is that this affects the Spanish sleeping routine. Eating dinner so late of course means that Spaniards /ˈspænɪəd/ go to bed so much later. It is such a British thing to go to bed at 22:00!

Queuing (排队等候) /kjuiŋ/ politely is also something that is very British. I only realized it when I arrived in Spain. I took it for granted that queuing patiently is as the normal thing as in Britain or countries like China, Japan and America. But this definitely isn’t the case in Spain. If there’s a free table in a restaurant, you can quickly take it, even if there are other people who have been waiting longer than you.

Finally, the reality of the Spanish diet is very different from my expectations. Food products that are so normal in the UK aren’t nearly as popular here.

【推荐1】Ma Long, born in Anshan, Liaoning, the “home of table tennis”, was sent by his father to practise table tennis when he was 5 years old, and he went to Shenyang at the age of 11. At 15, Ma Long joined the national team. Although he was the least talkative boy of the players, his perseverance (坚持不懈) was as great as his overall strength in table tennis. In 2006, at 18, Ma Long, together with his teammates, won a team world championship.

His daily routine was a two-point line between the dormitory and the training hall, and he was the first to arrive and the last to leave on a daily basis. He had been doing so for ten years. His coach Liu Guoliang once said, “I went to the table tennis hall on a Sunday morning for an unannounced inspection (突击检查) to see how many players were training on Sunday. Only one person in the men’s first team was there. A genius (天才) is not your fear, but your fear is that a genius works harder than you do.” Such a genius is Ma Long.

However, after joining the team for nearly a decade, he suffered various types of failure. At that time, Zhang Jike, another top player, returned to the national team. From then on, Zhang was so invincible that he achieved the personal Grand Slam (大满贯) within only 445 days. Seeing Zhang’s achievements, Ma Long, at the lowest point, had the idea of retiring. But he was unwilling to just “disappear”.

Then came the Suzhou 2015 World Championship, Ma Long crowned his career, winning the singles champion.

【推荐2】Before she could even talk, Ellie Heath spent hours drawing pictures. When she grew older, the 15-year-old discovered the joy of sewing (缝纫). She says she finds it calming. She started out making small things, like jewelry and soft toys. Over time, she began making clothing. Her love of the creative work led her to open a business. Three Blue Bunnies is the name of her company, which makes what she calls “wearable art.”

“My definition of wearable art is something that makes you feel unique. It’s one of a kind, often handmade,” she explains. She sells her creations in farmers markets and at sales for local churches.

All the pieces Ellie creates are made of used or donated fabrics. She works a lot with jean jackets, renewing them with artistic additions. The process starts with finding cloth material that looks good with the jackets. “Then, I find out the design that works on it through trial and error (反复尝试) or the design comes to me,” she explains.

Elliesharpenedher creative skills at school. Cheryl Crow was one of her teachers early on. Crow calls Ellie “a dream student.” She says Ellie worked hard and made progress. “She was always very creative, but also very kind, helpful to the other students.”

Ellie has many dreams. She wants to be a teacher and to spread the joy of creativity among children. She also dreams her business will grow and become a model for other young people who have a dream they want to come true.

【推荐3】“No more broken plates，you understand?”I could make little sense of the broken English that spat from his mouth.It was a Friday night in Little Tokyo，and while families were eating five-star meals in the front dining room, a 14-year-old boy was in the back washing their dishes.

The shattered plate was only one of the many worries fighting continuously inside my head for attention - there was the Advanced Placement United States history midterm，a low grade in calculus，a little brother getting into trouble and a dozen other smaller but pressing concerns.

It was 12 am when my shift finally ended. I boarded the bus home and took out my notes to study. I got the usual looks from people fresh out of bars or parties because of my smelly clothes after a hard night's work. Their stares didn't bother me at all.I was tired of my dad coming home late at night with burn scars from work.Something had to change and I knew it fell to me to start that change.

Fortunately，I also knew I had commitment，desire and courage in my blood. My grandfather was part of the first wave of Mexican immigrants that settled in Los Angeles.He returned home to a small village in Oaxaca，with his savings and tales of the land of opportunity.

Both of my parents left Oaxaca in their early teenage years and began working long hours in Los Angeles，as a cook and a maid.The work moral rules were passed down generations,from the cornfields in Oaxaca，to the restaurants in Los Angeles，to the classroom，which helped me thrive both in school and work.

On this particular night，as I walked through the front door at home，I saw an uplifting surprise : my family had fallen asleep waiting up for me despite their own long day.Watching them snoring and breathing slowly sparked a yawn，which reminded me of my body's delayed exhaustion.However，it would be a while before I could join them in sleep.I had an essay due early the next morning，and Ms.DePalo wouldn't accept late work.