【推荐1】Modern Olympics

In the modern Olympics, some things are the same no matter which country is hosting, and some things change. For example, the Olympic symbol is always the same. The five rings stand for the five continents united together. The blue ring stands for Europe, the red ring for America, the yellow ring for Asia, the green ring for Australia and the black ring for Africa.

The Olympic motto, “Faster, Higher, Stronger,” stays the same for every Olympics. And of course, the torch — a symbol of peace, light and friendship — is always there.

However, some things are different. The Olympic slogan, for example, is created by the host city, and it reflects the spirit of those Olympics. Do you remember the slogan for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games? It was “One world, One dream”.

Each host country creates its own mascot and song. The Olympic mascot is often an animal with a national feature. The Olympic songs are always popular around the world. Do you remember the song “You and Me”? It touched many people’s hearts.

Some things have stayed the same, and somethings have changed over the years. But one thing has always been the same — to do the best and to compete fairly.

【推荐2】In the good old days, gold miners could seek out visible spots of bling at the surface in order to find deeper, richer veins. These days, prospectors must examine samples of dirt for more minute traces suggestive of a hidden mine below. Analysing water from boreholes can also provide clues, but boreholes are scarce and new ones are costly and time-consuming to drill.

Trees offer an alternative that has come off in Australia. The idea has been around since the 1940s but, until now, never practical. Some trees have roots that reach deep underground, drawing up water and, along with it, tiny quantities of minerals that end up distributed throughout the tree. In this way, even lofty leaves bear traces of what lies far beneath. In areas where there is no gold, leaves may have a background level of 0. 15 parts per billion (ppb) of gold; on gold-rich sites that can rise to 4ppb.

In proof-of-principle studies over the last few years, Nathan Reid and his team at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, have shown that biogeochemical prospecting closely agrees with the surface and groundwater analyses. Inspired by these results, Marmota, an exploration firm, put the method to the test at its Aurora Tank site, 50km from the highly-productive Challenger mine in South Australia.

Leaves collected immediately around a known deposit that lies beneath ten metres of rock contained traces of gold. Further samples were taken 40 metres apart around known deposits, and at wider spaces farther out. This turned up several anomalies, where gold seemed to be present but other tests had shown nothing. “The usual surface sample testing was saying ‘Don’t drill here’,” says Colin Rose, Marmota’s executive chairman, “but the tree sampling was saying ‘Drill here’. ” Then came the pay-off. Drilling revealed a five-metre-thick vein with 27g of gold per tonne, more than 30 metres below the surface. A metre-thick inner layer held an impressive 105g per tonne.

Marmota is keen to explore further. Prospecting with trees is starting to look less like a scientific curiosity and more like a golden opportunity.

【推荐3】“I hate school, and I’m not going back!” Have you ever had that thought? Lots of kids have had.Usually this feeling doesn’t last long. But what if you feel this way too much?

A kid who feels stressed about school might have headaches or stomachaches. Having trouble sleeping is also a sign of stress. And if you’re not getting enough sleep, you probably feel tired during the day. Feeling tired can make your school day even worse.

Sometimes it’s a problem with your classes and schoolwork. Maybe the work is too easy and you get bored. Or maybe the work is too hard, or you don’t feel as clever as the other kids. Reading may be difficult for you, but you are asked to do a lot of it. You may be getting farther and farther behind, and it may seem that you will never catch up with others. When you know why you don’t like school, you can start taking steps to make things better.

It’s a good idea to talk to someone about your problems at school. Your mom, dad, friends, teachers, or even classmates will be able to help you.

Another good idea is to write down your feeling about school. For instance, keep a diary or just write in a notebook. It’s a great way to let out emotion that may be stuck inside you. And you don’t have to share what you have written with others.

The next time you find yourself disliking school, this will also help you: Make a list of everything you dislike or enjoy—even there is only one thing. See what you can change on “don’t like” list. Could you find a way to show off your special interests and talents on what you like? Which activities could you try that would help you solve these “don’t like” problems? Focus on what you can change and you might be able to put the good feeling back in school!