【推荐1】For much of my childhood, my mother filled in the evening hours doing something for someone else. Sometimes she knitted（编织）hats for babies, and at other times, she cooked chicken soup for sick neighbors. Therefore, I wasn't surprised when one evening my mother announced she had undertaken a new project.

"I am going to telephone seniors, "said my mother. "Every night? But you don't even know these people. ""It doesn't matter, "she said. "What's important is that I listen. "I was sixteen years old and couldn't understand why my mother was willing to spend her evenings talking to strangers. She had friends and my two older sisters to call if she felt lonely. "They will talk your ear off. Some people didn't even stop to catch breath, "I said.

My attitude didn't decrease my mother's enthusiasm for the project. That evening, she settled on the sofa and dialed. For a while, I listened as she asked the woman on the other line about her day and what she had eaten for dinner. When she finished the call, I said, "Why do you care whether she had cookies or rice pudding for dessert?" My mother grasped one of my hands and gave ita slight squeeze. "I'm the only person she talked to today. "

It took me more than thirty years to fully understand the meaning of that statement. Now, as my mother is nearing eighty, I find myself thinking about those nightly calls she used to make. I am often the only person who telephones my mother, and sometimes I'm the only person she speaks to all day. I ask her what she cooked for dinner, but mostly I just listen as she describes a walk she took, or how her dog Lucky stole foods from the refrigerator. I realize that my mother's calls were lifelines that ensured housebound seniors remained connected to the world. Without her, their world would have been empty.

【推荐2】A group of professional people asked a group of 4- to 8-year-olds this question, “What does love mean?” The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what they think:

“When my grandmother got arthritis (关节炎), she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.” Rebecca-age 8

“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.” Chrissy-age 6

“Love is when my mummy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip (一小口) before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.” Danny-age 7

“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.” Noelle-age 7

“My mummy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.” Clare-age 6

“Love is when Mummy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is more handsome than David Beckham.” Chris-age 7

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year-old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap (膝上), and just sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry.”

【推荐3】A study has found boomerang children who return to live with their parents after university can be good for families, leading to closer, more supportive relationships and increased contact between the generations.

The findings contradict research published earlier this year showing that returning adult children trigger a significant decline in their parents’ quality of life and wellbeing.

The young adults taking part in the study were “more positive than might have been expected” about moving back home---the shame is reduced as so many of their peers are in the same position, and they acknowledged the benefits of their parents’ financial and emotional support. Daughters were happier than sons, often slipping back easily into teenage patterns of behavior, the study found.

Parents on the whole were more uncertain, expressing concern about the likely duration of the arrangement and how to manage it. But they acknowledged that things were different for graduates today, who leave university with huge debts and fewer job opportunities.   

The families featured in the study were middle-class and tended to view the achievement of adult independence for their children as a “family project”. Parents accepted that their children required support as university students and then as graduates returning home, as they tried to find jobs paying enough to enable them to move out and get on the housing ladder.   

“However.” the study says, “day-to-day tensions about the prospects of achieving different dimensions of independence, which in a few extreme cases came close to conflict, characterized the experience of a majority of parents and a little over half the graduates”.

Areas of disagreement included chores, money and social life. While parents were keen to help, they also wanted different relationships from those they had with their own parents, and continuing to support their adult children allowed them to remain close.

【推荐1】Terasa Hill did not intend to do something unplanned. It began when Terasa, who had grown up around horses, was observing a horse auction (拍卖). A chestnut: racehorse was for sale? The horse had an injured leg, but that didn’t matter “She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen,” said Terasa.

When the bidding started, Terasa surprised herself by stepping in. There was no way she was going to allow that horse to have an uncertain future. At MYM450, the bidding stopped! Terasa became the new owner of Sierra, a nervous racehorse with an unfortunate past.

Sierra, limping (病) and hurt with pain from a broken knee, became a labour of love for Terasa. After three long months of nursing her under the guidance of a local animal doctor, the leg recovered and Terasa’s most impressive game began.

It wasn’t only Sierra’s leg that needed to recover; Sierra needed to relearn how to trust people. Terasa thought the best way to win Sierra’s trust and fondness was to feed her treats. Terasa provided Sierra with many treats, but none passed the sniff (嗅) test—Sierra turned up her nose at all of them. Desperate, Terasa experimented by making her own mixture of molasses and grains, which she baked in her own kitchen. The cookies were a hit with Sierra and other horses, sending Terasa’s life in a new direction.

Terasa look her treats, called “Barnies,” to a local store. They sold like hotcakes, and within months local businessmen began demanding for more. Terasa’s kitchen was no longer big enough for the increased demand, which forced her to move her operation to an Oshawa company.

Then a serious health problem threatened to derail her plans. Terasa called upon the same determination that had helped her save Sierra to help her overcome her own illness. Family and friends came to her rescue and kept Barnies Ltd. going. Almost a year later, healthy and more resolute than ever, Terasa found a national distributor and Bainies began selling in 144 stores across Canada.

And what about Sierra, the inspiration for all this success and change? The horse has fully recovered and has become a wonderful riding horse.

【推荐3】My son Joey was born with club feet. The doctors assured us that with treatment he would be able to walk normally — but would never run very well. The first three years of his life were spent in surgery, casts and braces. By the time he was eight, you wouldn't know he had a problem when you saw him walk .

The children in our neighborhood ran around as most children do during play, and Joey would jump right in and run and play, too. We never told him that he probably wouldn't be able to run as well as the other children, so he didn't know.

In seventh grade he decided to go out for the cross-country team. Every day he trained with the team. He worked harder and ran more than any of the others — perhaps he sensed that the abilities that seemed to come naturally to so many others did not come naturally to him. Although the entire team runs, only the top seven runners have the potential to score points for the school. We didn't tell him he probably would never make the team, so he didn't know.

He continued to run four to five miles a day, every day — even the day he had a 39 degree fever. I was worried, so I went to look for him after school. I found him running all alone. When I asked him how he felt, he simply replied "OK". He had two more miles to go. The sweat ran down his face and his eyes were glassy from his fever. Yet he looked straight ahead and kept running. We never told him he couldn't run four miles with a 39 degree fever, so he didn't know.

Two weeks later, the names of the team runners were called. Joey was number six on the list. Joey had made the team. He was in seventh grade — the other six team members were all eighth—graders. We never told him he shouldn't expect to make the team. We never told him he couldn't do it, so he didn't know. He just made it.

【推荐1】Smartphones can be a force for good. Your phone is always with you, making it the perfect device to push you into a more beneficial way of living. Here are some of the best apps that can help.

Habitica

Habitica turns the goal of forming good habits into a game, with its own characters and scoring. It’s a lot of fun, and the app also lets you build habits with friends and family. In addition to regular repeating habits, you can add a more general to-do list, and the rewards you get can be customized too—you could treat yourself to a meal out or an extra hour of games.

Smoke free

If you’re determined to give up smoking, Smoke Free is one of the most comprehensive apps for giving you that extra push you need to make a permanent change. The app offers a host of useful features to people wanting to go smoke-free: the ability to see your progress over time, charts showing how your health is improving, day-by-day encouragement, and some advice on techniques for giving up smoking.

MyFitnessPal

You can find tons of health and fitness apps for your phone, but My FitnessPal stands out not just because it is easy to use, but because it makes practical suggestions for you. It can take in a host of data, from the calories you’re taking in to the number of swims you’re doing per week, and offer reports on calorie consumption and macronutrient (大量营养素) breakdown.

【推荐2】The pupils of Grange town High have been busy getting to know their newest and tallest classmate, a 7-meter-tall giraffe outside their school

The giraffe is a huge sculpture made by a local artist. The school's headmaster noticed the sculpture in the artist's garden as he drove past one day. He thought it would be perfect for his school. “I knew everyone would love it,” he said, “because our basketball team is known as Grange town giraffes, and they wear giraffes on their shirts. So I asked them to write a letter to the artist, asking how much it would cost to buy the giraffe. He was very kind and got it ready to deliver in six weeks - all for nothing. It was expected to arrive on Sunday morning so that the pupils would see it when they got to school on Monday - at that time they had no idea that we were getting it.

The artist, Tom Bennett, was a university professor of chemistry before he left that job in 2006 and only took up metalwork a couple of years ago. “I've always drawn pictures,” he said, “I can even remember doing it on my first day at school - I drew a horse. I wanted it to be the best horse picture ever, but I don't think I succeeded.” Tom's first metalwork was a bicycle for two that he and his wife could go cycling on together. “It was a most uncomfortable bike ever created,” he said, “So I gave up making bicycles and went into sculpture instead.”

Meanwhile, the pupils at Grange town High are very happy with their new classmate. “We are going to hold a competition to give it a proper name.” said one girl. “Everyone likes the expression on his face, so perhaps that will give us some ideas.”

【推荐3】One day, Ahmed’s mother decided to send him to learn to do business from his only uncle, who lived in another country. She sold some of her ornaments（首饰）to collect money for Ahmed’s journey. As Ahmed was very small, his mother worried that the money would get stolen. So she stitched（缝）a small pocket beneath the right sleeve of his shirt near his underarm and hid the money there. She hugged him with love and said, “Whatever the situation, tell the truth and be brave.”

Keeping in mind all the advice given by his mother, Ahmed set out for the journey. Admiring the beauty of the nature and the beautiful creatures in the sea, he enjoyed the blue sea beneath him.

Suddenly, there was a great hustle-bustle behind him. He turned back and noticed that a group of robbers had jumped in from a small boat nearby. The leader was ordering his companions to rob the passengers quickly. He suddenly saw Ahmed, took the bag from Ahmed and dropped down. “No money?” asked the leader. Suddenly, Ahmed cried out bravely, “________”

He directed his fingers beneath his right sleeve. Shocked, the leader checked and found the money. He was amused by Ahmed. He fell over his knees, and said, “Why did you tell me about the money? You could leave with your money.”

Seriously, Ahmed replied, “Sir, my mother has taught me to be honest, truthful and brave in every situation. I couldn't let my mother down by lying to you.”

Tears rolling down, the leader said, “Being a 9~10 years old boy, you are so truthful and honest. I feel ashamed of robbing you.”   

Saying this, he apologized to everyone in the ship, returned their belongings and left with his companions. The passengers praised Ahmed. Later Ahmed became a very well-known and respected businessman. His mother was very proud of him.

【推荐1】The term “social phobia” seems to have taken on popularity these days. Young people in particular are describing themselves as having “social phobia”. They prefer not to go out much, saying that it's hard for them to make new friends or socialize. But is this a “real” disorder?

In fact, this is just a reaction to certain social situations. US researcher Tashiro wrote the book Awkward: The Science of Why We re Socially A wkward and Why That's A wesome. He explains that some people don’t “read” social situations correctly and therefore end up feeling uncomfortable.

For example, they might be afraid of breaking some kind of unspoken rule. Therefore, they start to act awkwardly because they don't want this to happen. This might make them unwilling to socialize or find it hard to do so. They gradually prefer to stay in instead of going out to meet new people. But this doesn't mean they have social phobia.

“Real” social phobia—referred to by psychologists as social anxiety—is much more serious. People with social anxiety want to go out and interact with people, but their brains simply won't allow them to interact with others in a normal way. People with social phobia disorder may experience fear, nausea, and heavy sweating.

Fortunately, social anxiety can be treated. Some people simply use self-help books to help them gain more control over their minds. Those who have more serious cases of social anxiety can take medication or get therapy to treat their disorder.

【推荐2】Scientists, psychologists and English academics at Liverpool University have found that reading the works of the classical writers like Shakespeare and Wordsworth has a great effect on the mind, catches the reader’s attention and triggers moments of self-examination.

Using a special machine, they monitored the brain activity of 30 volunteers as they read works by William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, T.S. Eliot and others.

In the first part of the research, the brain activity of 30 volunteers was monitored as they read passages from Shakespeare’s plays, including King Lear, Othello, Coriolanus and Macbeth, and again as they read the text rewritten in a simpler form or modern language.

While reading the common texts, normal levels of electrical activity were shown in their brains. When they read the works of Shakespeare, however, the levels of activity jumped because of his use of words which were unfamiliar to them. The result of the test showed that the more challenging passages cause a greater degree of electrical activity in the brain than the common ones.

Scientists went on to study the brain activity as it responded to each word and recorded how it lit up as the readers came across unusual words, surprising phrases or difficult sentences in the classical works. As a result, this lightening up process of the mind lasted longer than that when volunteers read common texts, encouraging further reading.

The research also found that reading poetry especially increases activity in the right hemisphere(半球) of the brain, an area connected with “autobiographical memory”, driving the readers to think carefully about their own experiences based on what they have read. The academics said this meant the classical works of literature are more useful than self-help books.

Philip Davis, an English professor who has worked on the study in the university’s magnetic resonance center, announced this week: “Classical literature acts like a rocket-booster（火箭加速器） to the brain, which provides extra power for the brain. You may never imagine how powerful it is. The research shows such kind of literature can create new thoughts and connections in the young and the old.”

【推荐3】Families around the country are finding new options for their children’s midday meal thanks to a growing number of delivery options catering to students. Kiddos Catering in Chicago adopts a method of providing restaurant meals to schools that contract with it. Owner Michelle Moses and her staff work with area restaurants to create a variety of kid-friendly choices and deliver the meals to the schools five days a week. Parents select the lunches from an online order form that lists the day’s featured restaurant and its menu choices.

"Each day is a different restaurant with six to 10 menu options," she said. "It offers so much choice to kids." The service appeals to parents because they think their children are less likely to toss out restaurant food than a packed lunch, Ms. Moses said. The schools appreciate that Moses handles the ordering, payment, pickup, and food distribution in the cafeteria. "Schools really want to be in the business of educating kids," she said. "They don’t want to be in the food and beverage(餐饮) business."

That doesn’t mean that schools always like it when teens (or parents) take it upon themselves to order food through phone apps. Many schools have banned that practice, citing safety concerns about delivery drivers showing up at school unannounced and the burden of tracking down students to alarm them that their meals have arrived.

"These types of deliveries pose an unnecessary security risk for students and staff," said Bernard Watson, director of community relations for Gwinnett County Public Schools in Suwanee, Ga. "In addition, our award-winning school nutrition program provides students with a wide variety of tasty, nutritious meals on-site, so there is no need to order food from outside."

Jacob Levin, a recent graduate of Bexley High School in Bexley, Ohio, relied on a sub shop to deliver a sandwich to him during lunchtime meetings or other appointments that conflicted with his lunch period. "It was a convenient option. In most cases, I would not have been able to eat at school if it weren’t for the delivery option," he said. "Having a restaurant-quality sub also was much more enjoyable than cafeteria food."