【推荐1】Who do you want to thank most? Maybe your parents or other family members. But for some of the most successful people in the world, their answer is the teacher in their childhood.

Can you imagine a life without the personal computer? Well, without two of Bill Gates’ high school teachers, we could not live a life like that today. Gates’ math teacher, Fred Wright, asked him to push himself just a little bit harder. And his drama teacher, Anne Stephens, helped him become the star of the school play. Gates thanked his teachers—without them, there would be no Microsoft.

For some children, teachers are the only positively influential people in their lives. Antwone Fisher, a best-selling writer, grew up with stepparents, and didn’t have many adults that he could trust. But his primary school teacher, Mrs. Profitt, was the first adult he ever trusted. “She spoke to all of us with respect. I think that it was Mrs. Profitt’s respect that made all the difference in my life.”

There are thousands more stories like this, from famous people to ordinary people all across the world. That’s why UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) calls on people to celebrate World Teachers’ Day on October 5 every year. UNESCO wants us to remember that education is a basic human right and every child should have free education. UNESCO also hopes to train about 69 million new teachers by 2030 so that everyone can go to school, because, sadly, 264 million children in the world today are not in school because there aren’t enough teachers.

If you have a teacher, you’re one of the lucky ones. One day, you’ll probably look back at your life, your success, the dreams you’ve made come true or the difficulty you’ve gone through. It’s likely that you’ll find a teacher whose words have helped you achieve these things. Perhaps you already know who that teacher is. Why not find him or her and say “thank you” next World Teachers’Day?

【推荐2】Dancing Lions

This time of year, you might see lions dancing in the street as drums beat heavily. These aren’t real lions. They’re dancers in colorful clothes, celebrating a centuries-old tradition in China. It’s meant to bring good luck in the coming year. In many Asian countries, the new year is celebrated with the new moon that takes place in late January or early February.

Usually, a lion is made up of two dancers. One dancer controls the head, the other controls the tail. There are many different kinds of lion dances. The most wonderful moment might be jumping on high poles.

“I think of it as a sport,” says Anthony Huang, 15, a dancer at New York City’s Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club. Anthony has performed as the lion’s tail, but this is his first year controlling the head, which can weigh 20 pounds. The challenges are co-working with the other members in the group and following the music with the heavy head. It’s important for Anthony to pass on this historical dance form.

“I feel like this tradition really represents me,” he says.

Lion dances were once performed mostly by males. These days, the activity has become more inclusive(包容广阔的).

LionDanceMe is a group in San Francisco, California. On its dance teams, boys and girls work together. Sixteen-year-old Ananda Tang-Lee is a member. She used to see boys performing the lion dancing when she was little. She says, “But anyone can take it up. You have to believe in yourself, and have confidence that you can do it.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic(新冠肺炎疫情), LionDanceMe didn’t give up performing. Instead, the group showed its performances online. This has got the dance group even more excited to perform in person again, when it’s safe.

“It’s a different performance in real life,” says Isabella Yu, 16, who plays drums, “We bring a lot more than just the performance. We bring energy and excitement, too.”

Lion dancing will likely continue to develop gradually. But one thing that will never change is the sense of community among team members. “It’s really great, because we always have each other’s backs.” Ananda says, “We call it a family.”

【推荐1】If you like unusual places, you should visit the Hebrides Islands. Not many people live on these islands in the northwest of Scotland. The land is not good for farming. It’s only good for keeping sheep. The winters are long, cold, and wet. It’s hard to make a living on the Hebrides, but for a visitor, these islands can be very special.

They’re not for everyone, however. Even summer days are cool and often windy. The water is too cold for swimming. There are no forests, and there are only a few trees and green fields. Instead of fields, there are just rocks and small plants. The hills, too, are just piles of rocks. Sometimes the view looks like pictures of the moon.

But there is beauty in this place. From the beach you can often see all the way to the rocky hills. From the hills you can see far out to other islands and the open ocean. The colors, too, are special. Blue is everywhere. It’s in the sky and in the ocean. It is in the tiny flowers that grow on the hills. In the spring there is also green in the hills. In the summer and fall the hills are more purple. Often the air is soft and gray with clouds and rain.

On these islands you can forget about the rest of the world. The evenings are quiet. The restaurants close early, and there isn’t any nightlife. Visitors stay at a guest house or a Bed and Breakfast. This is the best way to learn about life on the islands. The islanders are often friendly, and they like to talk.

If you want to meet islanders, you can also try the pubs（酒吧）or even the shops. People are in no hurry here. They like to chat about the weather or the fishing. There are also some tourist shops, but not many. They sell the usual tourist things. They also sell some beautiful clothes made of wool from the islands. Do not come to the Hebrides for shopping. Come to walk in the clean, cool air. Come for the quiet beauty and for the views.