This English grandmother has spent a whole year cleaning all of the rubbish off 52 British beaches after she made it her 2018 New Year’s decision to _______ one sandy beach each week.

70-year-old Pat Smith spent all of 2018 on Devon and Cornwall’s beaches each week, armed with bags, rubber gloves and a litter picker. She traveled without _______ from one end of the South West to the other, collecting _______ in beauty spots from Coverack, Cornwall, to Blackpool Sands, Devon.

But the mother-of-two has no plan to _______ just because the year is over. “Doing 52 beach cleans in 2018 was my New Year’s decision and it’s _______ done,” said Smith. “I won’t stop, as our _______ need me. I’ll try my best to protect our living planet for my children and grandchildren and I will continue to do everything in my power to _______ that.”

During her year-long cleanup, she said that she was often joined by other _______ — but at times, people would mistake her for doing community service. “A lot of the rubbish I have ______ is everyday items. These things are used by all of us and it is _______ to find them polluting our beautiful beaches.” she added. “Please let’s try to be more thoughtful in the new year.”

Last week I was in the boarding area of the airport, very excited about my trip home to see my parents. I had many plans for the weekend. But my daydream was interrupted by an elderly woman talking loudly into her cellphone. She kept asking the person to meet her where she was and was repeating the gate number into the phone. With each repeat she got a little louder. All the people around were trying to avoid laughing.

Then I heard her say, “I’m sorry, I can’t hear you. There seems to be something wrong with my hearing aid.” As I waited for my turn to board, I noticed her tone was becoming increasingly frantic (狂躁的) as she tried to understand the person on the other end of the phone.

It was almost my turn to board. I couldn’t stop looking back at the woman. It made me think how lucky I was to have my hearing. Then I realised I could do something to help her.

I walked over to the woman and shouted, “Let me help you hear. I’ll tell you what the person is saying.” The doubt that flickered (闪烁) across her face was quickly replaced with understanding, then relief (欣慰).

I took the phone from her, listened for a moment, and then told the woman that her husband was waiting for her in the baggage area as he could not enter the gate area. Then I pointed her in the right direction.

It took me less than two minutes to help the woman, but my pride in having been able to help her remains strong.

Yao Ming was born in Shanghai in 1980. At 229 centimeters, he was the third tallest player in NBA history. Yao made his first appearance in the NBA during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He surprised many critics with his first games, and was fast becoming an international fan favorite, as he broke Michael Jordan’s record for votes (投票) received. In July 2011 Yao announced his retirement from the NBA due to frequent problems in his left foot.

He continuously works to raise awareness of endangered species and even went as far as to stop using shark fin soup at his wedding in 2007. Yao has been saying no to shark fin soup since 2006 when he was appointed Goodwill Ambassador (亲善大使) for wildlife protection. “Sharks are friends of human beings. They are not our food.” Since his retirement he has become a surprise international force in the field of wildlife protection, and he is using his fame to tell us the difficulties faced by sharks.

Most recently he went to Houston Zoo, as part of his continuing effort to educate young people about the importance of wildlife protection. He is part of a large campaign (运动) by the wildlife protection charity WildAid, and has traveled through Africa to see and document the difficulties facing elephants and rhinos in the wild. With elephant and rhinoceros poaching (偷猎) on the rise, Yao also said, “When the buying stops, the killing can too. Get rid of the demand for rhino horn and ivory right at the source. That’s what I want to do.”

Although Yao is not the first Chinese player in the NBA, it could be argued that he is the most important one, not just for his taking part in charity and wildlife protection work. He built a bridge between two completely different worlds and introduced millions to the Chinese way of life, and the American lifestyle separately.

Which is your favorite museum? You can send letters to us and share it with others. Here are some readers’ letters about their favorite museums.

There are certain sports that are played individually. They build confidence and the spirit to win, and teach you how to “handle” victory.     41     They not only train you physically, but also emotionally, socially and morally.     42     It doesn’t merely mean a collection of players, but a group of different minds, values and ethics (道德).

They keep your body in shape and save you from problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease and weak bones.     43     Research found that 60% of the women who play team sports are prevented from having breast cancer (乳腺癌). They help children to develop strong muscles and a good body shape. People who are above the age of 55 should also actively take part in team sports.

Team sports help a man to become social.     44     Team sports help to build better friendships. The team players spend a lot of time discussing new ideas, opinion and methods with each other.

Team sports help people to develop the ability to listen to each other. Everyone must agree with the fact that speech is silver, but silence is golden!     45     This helps you to overcome your fears. It gives you the freedom to experiment and express yourself. It has been proven that children who play team sports are healthier and happier.

As Henry Ford once said, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself!”