【推荐1】As an astronomer(天文学家)，I am accustomed to observing the universe in quiet places. I observe galaxies in the deep universe-places so far away that their light takes billions of years to reach our eyes.

Sometimes I wonder what our own galaxy looked like billions of years ago, before solar system was born. I often stare at the Hubble Deep Field(哈勃深空区)searching for clues∶galaxies colliding(碰撞)，stars exploding，and stellar nurseries. Can looking to the stars bring us closer together?

A couple of months ago，Betelgeuse，a bright star in the Orion constellation(猎户座) started to get dimmer and dimmer. Astronomers all over the world thought this might be a signal that the star was about to explode. Though it might not happen for another 1000 years or more, still I went outside every night to check it out. I was hoping that it would explode. Imagine seeing a star shining as bright as the full moon even during the day.

I started dreaming about using such an event to remind everyone that stars produce nearly all of the chemical elements in the universe, which came directly out of the Big Bang. Everything we breathe, touch and see was made inside of stars. The iron in our blood, calcium bones, and almost the entire periodic table are products of stellar evolution.

Betelgeuse did not explode, and more recent observations note that it is actually returning to normal. But nothing is normal here on Earth now. I am beginning to realize that we did not need a star to explode to unite us. All we needed was a common problem.

I am hoping that everyone on the planet is saving some time to contemplate（凝视，沉思)the universe and to realize we are not alone. No matter where we are or who we are, we are on this planet together. Since we are all made of stars, looking up at the night sky gives us a glimpse of our past and our future, and we can contemplate both together.

【推荐2】I was giving my 5-year-old a bath one night when she looked out of the window at our fence and announced, “You know, Mamma, sometimes looking at trees helps you to think.”     1    What a deep observation from a little child. “You are right,” I encouraged. “What are you thinking about?”

Lately, there have been a lot of changes going on — in my life at work. Business has been hard and I have been doing a lot of consulting for customers who haven’t been able to afford help.     2    I have a need and desire to help, but I often say “Yes” when my wallet should be saying “No!”

The last few years have been such a struggle for so many of my customers from so many walks of life.     3    Worse yet, I always have a voice in the back of my head that says if I don’t relax or learn a better way to deal with stress, cancer might come near!

So when my daughter said that sentence, I promised to spend more time in nature.     4    It is so grounding and so healing. I have traded a few gym days for hikes in the hills above my house.     5    I am always more clear-headed after that. So I plan on spending some time this summer in southern California, enjoying thinking at the base of an old, wise tree — with my daughter of course.

【推荐2】For the past five years, Paula Smith, a historian of science, has devoted herself to re-creating long-forgotten techniques. While doing research for her new book, she came across a 16th-century French manuscript（手稿）consisting of nearly 1,000 sets of instructions, covering subjects from tool making to finding the best sand.

The author's intention remains as mysterious（神秘）as his name; he may have been simply taking notes for his own records. But Smith was struck mainly by the fact that she didn't truly grasp any of the skills the author described. "You simply can't get an understanding of that handwork by reading about it," she says.

Though Smith did get her hands on the best sand, doing things the old-fashioned way isn't just about playing around with French mud. Reconstructing the work of the craftsmen（工匠）who lived centuries ago can reveal how they viewed the world, what objects filled their homes, and what went on in the workshops that produced them. It can even help solve present-day problems: In 2015, scientists discovered that a 10th-century English medicine for eve problems could kill a drug-resistant virus.

The work has also brought insights for museums, Smith says. One must know how an object was made in order to preserve it. What's more, reconstructions might be the only way to know what treasures looked like before time wore them down. Scholars have seen this idea in practice with ancient Greek and Roman statues. These sculptures were painted a rainbow of striking colours. We can't appreciate these kinds of details without seeing works of art as they originally appeared-something Smith believes you can do only when you have a road map.

Smith has put the manuscript's ideas into practice. Her final goal is to link the worlds of art and science back together: She believes that bringing the old recipes to life can help develop a kind of learning that highlights experimentation, teamwork, and problem solving.

Back when science—then called “the new philosophy”—took shape, academics looked to craftsmen for help in understanding the natural world. Microscopes and telescopes were invented by way of artistic tinkering（修补）, as craftsmen experimented with glass to better bend light.

If we can rediscover the values of hands-on experience and craftwork, Smith says, we can marry the best of our modern insights with the handiness of our ancestors.

【推荐2】A little girl was enjoying the beauty of the garden in her home. Her father had several precious plants. He grew them with great care.

The girl was amazed by a plant full of fine flowers. She went near the plant and enjoyed the beauty of its flowers. Suddenly she noticed that the plant was growing in a heap of filth (污垢). She could not stand the presence of dirt at the bottom of the plant with such beautiful flowers.

She worked out a plan to clean the plant. She pulled the plant with all her strength and uprooted(连根拔起)it. She then carried it to the room and washed the roots in water till all traces of dirt were washed away. She then placed the plant on a clean stone and went away, thinking that she had done a great thing.

Later, her father came to the garden and saw the uprooted plant. Its flowers and leaves had wilted (枯萎)and the plant had almost died in the sun. His little daughter ran to him to show him her achievement" I have cleaned it, Daddy, "she said happily. "It was planted in dirty soil. Now it is clean."

The father showed her how her treatment had almost killed the plant. He told her that he had collected the filthy soil and used it to cover the plant's roots, as it was the best way to grow that plant. It could grow up healthily and produce fine flowers only if grown in filthy soil. So he put the plant into the dirt again. The girl was sad that the plant had suffered and withered by her cleaning.

【推荐3】The text from my friend Lorraine said simply: Fancy a family picnic this weekend? My hands began to sweat; my heart beat hard. I wanted to yell, "No! Why would you suggest that? I thought we were friends!"

I hated picnics. My hatred of them began as a child. I always got car-sick and it was hot all the way. Air conditioning in vehicles was pretty much unheard of in 1980s Birmingham, and my mother insisted on having all the windows closed because of the unpleasant smell of gas. We would arrive at some faraway destination, usually a car park with a field attached next to a plant, and unpack tasteless sandwiches, nearly cold sausage rolls and disgusting salads. There were never any toilets, so we had to "go" behind a bush; the memory of being discovered by a random dog-walker still embarrasses me from time to time. My mother sat in a relaxed way on a rug (小毯子) while we girls were playing nearby or maybe lying next to her. But for me this was a time when I suffered a lot. It was frightening to be attacked by ants or spot a dead rabbit in the grass.

As an adult I'd avoided all picnics, but this time I couldn't. I just said yes, without letting Lorraine sense my true feeling about them. She is my best friend and sometimes you must make sacrifices for people you like a lot. "I'll bring the food, and you bring the drink," she said.

My ridiculously enthusiastic family and I arrived at the picnic site. My expectations were low. Lorraine and her husband Dave unloaded folding tables, chairs, a table cloth and a cool box of delicious food mostly purchased from a local deli (熟食店), which does all manner of pre-prepared salads and cold cuts. There was fresh bread, olives, even candles to keep away insects, music, and wine. It was completely delightful. There may have been children playing around too, even if one of them did find a dead bird (told you!).

I am now a picnic enthusiast and we're planning another. I'm even reading up on picnic recipes for it!