In 2017, Bob Charland was diagnosed (诊断) with brain cancer. The doctor said there was nothing they could do to stop the illness, and finally it would take his life. Most people in the situation would travel around the world and choose to forget what they were experiencing, but Bob decided to bring greater meaning to the rest of his life by doing something special for children’s needs. When Bob received a call from a teacher, it began. The teacher asked him if he could donate (捐赠). Bob has donated about 1,000 bikes. He did this through the organization he created 1,000 dollars of his own money on it.

Most of the children Bob brought bikes to live in high-crime neighborhoods, so he also provided safety lessons to help protect them. Now he is known in some neighborhoods as “Bob the Bike Guy”. “To spend time with kids and see their smiles is an amazing feeling,” said Bob. “Sometimes for the first time in a long time.”

In addition, Bob recently began a backpack program. “He offers basic necessities (必需品), including hats and gloves to homeless people. Some students help Bob with his backpack program. Although they don’t have much, it’s important for them to do what they can. That is exactly the influence Bob hopes to have, and he will go on repairing and donating bikes.

“My brain will continue to get worse and at some point, I will die,” he said, “But I’m not there yet. Why not continue doing what I love?”

The British are known for their sense of humor. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to understand their jokes. The main point to remember is that the British often use understatement.

Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone gets very wet in a shower of rain, he might say, "It's a little damp（潮湿的） outside." Or, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person loudly, people might say, "He isn't exactly friendly." Understatement is often used in unpleasant situations or to make another person look silly. Understatement plays an important part in British humor.

Another key to understanding British humor is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others. They often laugh about the silly and unpleasant things that happen in everyday life. For example, they laugh when someone accidentally falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes on people from different classes of society. They like to make jokes about their accents, the way they dress and the way they behave. What's more, the British love to watch comedies about people who do not know how to behave in society. The comedy Mr. Bean is a good example of this kind of humor.

Mr. Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990. Mr. Bean doesn't talk often, and instead he uses his body movement and facial expressions to make people laugh. Perhaps what makes Mr. Bean so funny is that he does things that adults in the real world will never do.

Mr. Bean is popular in many countries around the world because people do not have to speak English to understand the humor. Because of this, many people have become familiar with the British sense of humor.

5 ways to train your brain for better sleep

The days are longer, full of sunshine and bright with the promise of enjoying a more relaxing spring and summer with your loved ones. But if you want to enjoy your daytime, it’s time to improve your sleep during the night-time. “Sleep problems endanger health and quality (质量) of life for up to 45% of the world’s population,” according to the World Sleep Society.

Sleep is one of the three keys to a healthier, longer life（the others are diet and exercise）    16     Here are the top five ways to improve your sleep and get some relax：

Create a sleep nest

    17     Science tells us that we sleep better in cooler temperatures of about 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit（15℃ to 20℃）.

Develop a routine

Set up a bedtime ritual by taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book or listening to soft music. You’re teaching your mind to relax. And stick to it. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day, even on weekends or your days off.     18    

Cut the lights

Production of the sleep hormone melatonin（荷尔蒙褪黑激素）begins at dark, Research has found that the body will slow or stop it with light on, even the blue light from your charging smart phone.

Refuse the wine

Don’t turn to wine to make you calm or help you sleep.     19     Your body needs to experience all three steps of sleep﹣light sleep dream, and deep sleep﹣to fully repair itself.

    20    

Heavy and spicy foods may give you heartburn or other digestive problems, thus influencing your ability to get and stay asleep.

If you try these tips and can’t seem to relax, or your sleep continues to worsen，be sure to reach out to your doctor or a mental health professional.

A man was flying from Seattle to San Francisco. Unexpectedly the plane was diverted to Sacramento along the way.

The air hostess explained that it would be a delay, and if the _______ wanted to get off the aircraft, they would re﹣board in 50 minutes’ time.

After _______ the news, the hostess went to help some passengers quickly. Everybody_______ the plane except one lady who was _______.

The man had _______ her and he walked by and could tell the lady was blind because her guide dog lay _______ under the seats in front of her all the flight. He could also _______ that she has flown the very flight before,_______ the pilot walked close to her, and calling her by name, said, we are in Sacramento for almost an _______ .Would you like to get off and stretch your legs?

The blind lady replied, “No, thanks，but maybe my dog would like to stretch its __________. Could you please do me a favor and take my dog for a walk?”

All the people in the gate area looked quite __________ when they looked up, seeing the pilot walked off the plane __________ a guide dog. Even __________ , The pilot was wearing sunglasses.

People scattered in __________, they not only tried to change plane __________ also they tried to change airlines.

Can a green machine help the world’s poorest kids learn better? You must want to know     36     the green machine is. A new type of computer has been     37     by Negroponts and his team. Thanks to this invention,     38     90% children in the poor areas will have their own laptop computers.

Negroponts started an organization which is called One laptop Per Child (OLPC). It is a nonprofit organization     39     doubt, the people at OLPC don’t work for money. They work to help children learn. OLPC makes computers     40     costing a lot. Then they sell the     41     to governments of countries where many people live in poverty. The governments then give the computers to local kids for free. The     42     price means millions of kids can receive a laptop.

This is a very good invention for those kids who live in the poor countries. Maybe, only a computer can widely open a window for them to see the world.

OLPC plans to give out over     43     ten million computers in the next few years. It will be a great     44     for those kids. China and Egypt also want to take part in the project. After that, OLPC     45     computers to other countries with high poverty.

Mike’s grandmother had a pottery studio (陶瓷工作室), he was excited when he     46     invited into her workplace. Mike looked forward to putting his hands into some wet clay. “Be careful with that. If any of the works is broken, you     47     lose the chance.” Nana said as Mike picked up one of the bowls. The boy didn’t want to lose the chance for breaking her finished works     48     mistake. His first try that looked more like a rock than a bowl, was a failure. The     49     try was the same. However, he had learned     50     to make a smooth opening. Watching Nana working, Mike said, “I will never get it! Don’t worry.”