【推荐1】In March 2020, a group of 16 strong elephants became international stars because of their starting long northern journey from Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province.

The group did not harm any people or animals during their long march, but caused chaos on farms. In December, a baby elephant was born.

The wild group was seen on CCTV walking down the streets of the city at night, and they were also filmed constantly by more than a dozen drones (无人机)—which, the Chinese government said, were helping to minimize damage and keep the animals and people out of danger.

The group had a sudden attack on farms for food and water and even showed up at a care home, where they reached out their trunks into some of the rooms, making one elderly man hide under his bed. Meanwhile, reports said the damage caused to crops totaled more than £700,000.

In April 2021, seventeen animals were originally in the group, but the government said two returned home during the walk.

There were many guesses about the reasons for the migration (迁徙) of the elephants. Some people thought the elephants appeared to be especially attracted to com, fruit and other crops. Others supposed that the elephants’ leader might simply be lost in the rich tropical region, which is home to about 300 other Asian elephants. But, in fact, there was no exact scientific explanation.

In order not to do any harm to the species, farmers and others were told to exercise maximum control when they met with them, while the government had ordered people to stay inside and not use firecrackers or other techniques to frighten them away. Less force was being used to keep them out of the city, like parking cars and some equipment to block roads and using food drops to attract them away.

More than 410 emergency response police, lots of vehicles and 14 drones had been used to monitor the group. Locals were evacuated (疏散); short-time traffic control measures were carried out, and two tons of elephant food was put in place. Finally, this group of migrating elephants returned to their wild living areas safely under the protection of everyone.

【推荐1】Kevin Beard is my class instructor. Most weeks, I’d greet Kevin as he set up gloves, mats, and other equipment. So I was shocked when I arrived one day to find him standing in front of the room telling a story, with tears streaming down his cheeks. I was worried something had gone terribly wrong in his life, but as I listened to him talk, I heard him use words like “amazing”and “accomplishment.”I realized his tears weren’t out of sorrow, but happiness. Just a few days earlier, he’d received his GED (General Equivalency Diploma), at the age of 52.

Having dyslexia (阅读障碍), Kevin left school at a young age and then managed to support himself by taking odd jobs. In his mid-30s, Kevin finally landed an opportunity for a job with some promise: working for a sheriff’s department (治安部门). Amazingly, when he came clean with them about his education, they said they’d hire him as long as he got his GED. He agreed, optimistic about this new career potential, and kind of excited about giving school another chance.

Kevin studied with a tutor (家庭教师), and he did it for more than a decade, learning and practicing and correcting his mistakes, every free moment he had, often late into the night. It was a huge challenge, something Kevin compares to“climbing a mountain.”In fact, as Kevin took tests along the way, he did something interesting with each of his results. He posted them on his bedroom wall so that he could watch his progress.“I needed to see myself moving forward, and I wanted to speak,”he said.

Finally, he made it.“I can’t really describe what it’s like to finally achieve this,”he said.“I can hardly even put it into words. People are giving me graduation gifts! It’s a dream come true.”

This might sound like a perfect ending. But for Kevin, it’s a new beginning. He’s on a roll, and his next step is college. “Now that I’ve accomplished my GED, I’m hungry for education,”he said.

【推荐3】It was the middle of third grade and I am not sure what had gotten into me. I lied for no reason at all and about the daffiest things. I lied that I had eaten all my dinner. I lied that I had brushed my teeth. My lies were not hurting anyone, but I felt the need to say things that were not so.

My parents tried everything to understand why I made up stuff. Was I looking for attention? Maybe. I soon realized the new attention I was getting was horrible. I was labeled a liar and my parents did not trust me.

My sisters and I were invited to spend the weekend with my aunt. We all loved the times at Aunt Kim’s house because she spoiled us. She gave us the perfect food—hot dogs and cheese. She had cool pencils, erasers and other supplies that any young girl would love to have.

Then it happened... someone took one of Aunt Kim’s art pencils and drew across the entire top of the wall.When Aunt Kim discovered the destruction, all three of us were asked to confess(承认). Nobody did! She told us how disappointed she was and was on the phone with my parents. They were on their way to pick me up!

It had to be me! I was the liar. No amount of protesting could convince any of them that I had not committed the crime. I was taken home and sent to my room for the test of the day.

And then there was a knock at the front door! Aunt Kim was standing there. It turns out my younger sister finally felt guilty! She confessed that she was the one

Funny, I don’t even remember being mad at my sister. I learned a valuable lesson. No matter how big or small your lies, once you are labeled a liar, earning trust takes a lot of work and time. I promised myself right then I would be an honest person.