【推荐1】Eve was having a party! She had been given a karaoke set for her birthday, so she invited all her friends round for a special competition evening. The best singer would win a prize of a huge box of her delicious cookies.

Everyone came along: Helen, Jane, and Peter, who looked a bit nervous. "Don't worry, Peter. We're only here to have some fun," said Eve kindly. Jane was first up on stage(舞台). The minute she began to sing, everyone could tell she'd been practicing! Next, it was Helen's turn. Her voice was not as strong as Jane's, but she had a great sense of rhythm(节奏) and seemed to enjoy being on stage. All the girls took their turn singing. There were a few wrong notes, but all in all, everyone had a wonderful time.

"Come on, Peter. It's your go now!" said the girls. But Peter shook his head. "No, thanks. I'd be totally hopeless!" he said. "If you like, we can sing together. It won't be as scary(可怕的)that way!" offered Eve. Peter gave in. He and Eve shared the microphone(话筒) and they began to sing a rock song. At first, you could hardly hear the voice of the shy boy but slowly, encouraged by his friends, he forgot his stage nervousness. Soon, Peter was holding the microphone on his own and singing his heart out! His singing was a bit off-key(走调的), but he made up for that by his performance. He danced around the stage like a real rock star!

At the end of the song, the girls all cheered. Eve stepped forward and handed him the big box of homemade cookies. "Peter, we all agree that you've won the prize!" she said. "OK, you may not exactly sing like an angel, but you really know how to put on a show!"

【推荐2】My first day of high school was like any other first day: registering, finding new classmates, meeting new teachers, and seeking new friends.

During lunch, I ran into my first snag (小困难) of the day. At the dining hall, as the checkout (付款处) lady asked for my money, I realized that I had forgotten my lunch money. When I told her about it, I heard a voice behind me. I turned around and there stood a teacher telling he would pay for my lunch. He told me his name, Mr. Peter Walker, and said, “If you get a chance, you should take my history class.” I recognized his name, and told him I was in his class later that day. Mr. Walker made friends with me on the very first day of school at a very crucial time of the day —lunch!

He always told us we should do more than we ever thought. He pushed us to do all things better. He coached many sports, and sponsored many after-class activities. If we were interested in something, he would find a way to expose us to it by inviting speakers, taking us on field trips, or obtaining information for us.

Two years later, my junior year in school was clicking along nicely when one day I was riding my motorcycle and I was hit by a car. I spent six days in hospital and was at home in bed for two weeks before returning to school. Mr. Walker stopped by the hospital each day with my work from my teachers. Once I was at home, he would bring my work too.

After high school, I attended the United States Army Airborne School in Fort Benning, Georgia. I knew my parents would be there the day I graduated, but they brought an unexpected guest. They came across Mr. Walker at lunch several days before and told him I was about to graduate. His visit, however, was not a surprise to me.

【推荐3】Farah was sitting in the kitchen going over the party list with her mother. The exams were over and Farah wanted to invite her friends for a party.

“Farah, aren't you going to invite Hafsa?” her mother asked. Hafsa had been her best friend since childhood.

“Mother, you know I am now a part of Purple Girls Club and we have some rules about people we can be friends with,” Farah answered.

“Really? And what are the rules?” her mother asked.

“Well, only very pretty girls can be part of our group. And Hafsa is so ... you know ... dark.”

“I cannot believe it,” her mother said angrily.

As Farah left the kitchen, her father called her from the living room. Farah went to her father and paled when she saw the exam report in his hands. “Farah, what has happened to your grades? You have failed in Mathematics,” her father said. Farah had no answer. The truth was that the activities of Purple Girls Club left her with very little time for studies. “Farah, it says that you can take part in supplementary exams. If your grades don't improve then, I'll cancel your trip to Spain.” Farah went to her room and called Gina, the leader of Purple Girls Club, “Gina, can you help me to complete my notes before the exams?” Gina laughed. “Exams? Who cares about exams?”

One by one, she called her friends in the club but no one seemed to care or wanted to help. Farah knew Hafsa would help her. Farah also knew Hafsa had been hurt by her, but Hafsa said, “If you need any help, just let me know. We can study together till your exams.” Next Monday, as two friends entered the school together, Gina called out. “Farah, you know our rules. You cannot be friends with those who do not belong to our club.”

“Gina, I have a new rule about friendship,” Farah replied.

【推荐3】A new study published this week in the journal Nature Communications has concluded that a 100 percent change to organic (有机的) food production in England and Wales would actually lead to a great increase in greenhouse gas emissions (排放). In turn, this would contribute to further climate change.

Although organic farming directly pours out fewer emissions than conventional farming—around 20 percent lower for crops and 4 percent for farm animals—it produces notably less food. As to this study’s findings, total organic agriculture in England and Wales would produce 40 percent less food. With less food in the market, the countries would need to increase food imports, which would produce more global greenhouse gas emissions.

Organic farming also increases the amount of absorbing carbon, a process where carbon dioxide (CO₂) is “absorbed” out of the atmosphere and captured by plants and stored in the soil. However, even a total change to organic farming would only be equal to a tiny part of the higher emissions from overseas land use.

“We predict a drop in total food production of 40 percent under a fully organic farming process, compared to conventional farming, if we keep to the same national diet,” Dr Adrian Williams, lead author and reader in Agri-Environmental Systems at Cranfield University, said in a statement. “This results from lower crop quantity, because output is limited by a lower supply of nitrogen, which is mainly from other crops or solid waste from cattle on the grassland.”

Nevertheless, it is important to note that organic farming still holds some useful benefits for the environment, such as reducing exposure to chemicals and improving the varieties of creatures. In conclusion, the study suggests that organic farming will continue to play a key role in resolving the world’s environmental problems. However, it’s just one part of a much wider solution.

【推荐2】There have been a number of occasions through the years that I had to sit at the feet of a theologian (神学家).Some of those times, I came away wondering what on earth the man was talking about. That was not the case when I heard Dr. Randy Harris. He suggested that a lot of our day-to-day problems in the world be solved by simply keeping our promises. Too many people do not take such matters seriously. Are you serious in keeping your promises?

Some of my most anxious moments in over a half-century of ministry have come as a result of carelessness in failing to keep my word. Preachers (传道士) can say a lot of requests on any given Sunday. I have been asked to make hospital visits, write letters of recommendation(推荐), put people’s names on the prayer list, read books, make telephone calls, remember birthdays and anniversaries, come to special events, and put announcements in the church bulletin (公告).There was a time when I would foolishly agree to fulfill each request. I had the best of intentions, but I could not remember all I had agreed to do, much less find a way to do them all! Did I think I was “Super-Preacher”? The sad look of disappointed faces taught me that I was not. I hurt people, and they deserved better.

The Hebrew word of covenant (契约) means primarily “a cutting”. It refers to the custom of cutting an animal in half and having the parties making promises pass between the two halves. They were saying to each other, “If I don’t keep my word, may I be as this animal--be cut in two.”

If butchering (屠宰) were the result of breaking our word today, how many of us would be headed for the death? I think that, although we are not cut like animals for our failures to keep promises, there are serious results connected with our carelessness. It ruins our character and our reputation.

What can we do? It is simple. Stop making promises we cannot keep. Reduce promise lists, and be sure to carry out the commitments that remain on it. If after giving our word, we are unable to keep the appointment or whatever, inform and apologize as soon as possible.

Last weekend, I stood with a dressed-up couple at a wedding in another county. They made some serious promises to each other in a covenant of marriage. They made vows to be faithful to each other for as long as they live. I pray God that they will keep those vows and be an example for others to follow.