2 . My family and I never talked about school as the ticket to the future. I was in the classroom, but I wasn’t there to learn how to write, read or even ________. When it was my turn to read, I wanted to ________. I was 13 years old, but I already ________ being who I was.

I had an English teacher, Mr. Creech, who knew I couldn’t read. And he found it ________ to make my secret known to others. He ________ me and said, “Anthony, why don’t you read the next paragraph?” I didn’t even know what the paragraph was. I ________ to read what was in front of me, but the only sound of my voice immediately resulted in laughter. From then on, I never gave up practicing reading.

Now I am 41 years old. One day, I planned to ________ back to Texas to visit my family and friends. On my way from the airport, I saw Mr. Creech ________ himself a drink. I rushed over and reached into my ________ to pay for him. “Do I know you?” he asked. “Yes, sir, you do know me,” I answered excitedly. “My name is Anthony Hamilton. You taught me English.” The look on his face told me that he remembered the ________ he’d once shamed. “I’m so ________ that I had a chance to see you again,” I said. “And Mr. Creech, I have great news to share.” I had learned to ________. But that wasn’t all. I had become a published ________ and an active speaker. “The next time you get another Anthony Hamilton in your ________, please encourage him to read as well,” I said.

The experts say what once worried me has a name: dyslexia (诵读困难). But I can tell you it was a lack (缺乏) of ________ for education.

3 . In England recently three foreign gentlemen came to a bus stop and waited. About five minutes later, the bus they wanted came along. They were just going to get on the bus when suddenly there was a loud noise behind them. People rushed onto the bus and tried to push them out of the way. Someone shouted at them.The bus conductor came rushing down the stairs to see what all the trouble was about. The three foreigners seem all at sea and looked embarrassed (窘迫的). No one had told them about the British custom (习惯) of lining up for a bus that the first person who arrives at the bus stop is the first person to get on the bus.

Learning the language of a country isn’t enough. If you want to have a pleasant visit, find out as much as possible about the manners and customs of your host country. You will probably be surprised just how different they can be from your own. A visitor to India would do well to remember that people there consider it impolite to use the left hand for passing food at table. The left hand is supposed to be used for washing yourself. Also in India,you might see a man shaking his head at another to show that he doesn’t agree. But in many parts of India, a shake of the head means agreement. Nodding (点头) your head when you are given a drink in Bulgaria will most probably leave you thirsty.

In that country, you shake your head to mean “yes”— a nod means “no”. At a meal in countries on the Arabic Peninsula, you will find that your glass is repeatedly refilled as soon as you drink up. If you think that you have had enough, you should take the cup or glasses in your hand and give it a little shake from side to side or place your hand over the top.

In Europe, it is quite usual to cross your legs when you are sitting talking to someone even at an important meeting. Doing this in Thailand,however,could bring about trouble. Also, you should try to avoid (避免) touching the head of an adult—it’s just not done in Thailand.

4 . UNESCO World Heritage Sites were created to celebrate and safeguard the most unique places around the world. Below are my 4 favorite UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Cinque Terre, Italy

With cars banned here, you’ll really get to feel the unique history and character of the Cinque Terre’s five centuries-old coastal villages. The breathtaking views of harbors far below the wild coastline along with the rich colors will definitely make it a memorable holiday.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious (宗教的) monument and it contains impressive remains from the Khmer Empire (9th to 15th century). The site has dozens of iconic temples like Ta Prohm (a magnificent temple ruin hidden in the jungle). Hosting more than two million visitors annually, this artistic masterpiece is a must-see site.

Petra, Jordan

Petra’s rock-cut architecture has contributed to its nickname, the Rose City, based on the color of the stone it was carved from. The delicate constructions of temples and tombs along with the remains of churches and temples are only a couple of reasons why this world-famous site is a must-visit destination.

Yellowstone National Park, USA

Yellowstone’s vast wilderness includes mountain ranges, lakes and waterfalls. One of the main reasons for tourists to visit Yellowstone is to observe the amazing wildlife like grizzly bear, bison, bighorn sheep wander the plains and valleys.

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5 . You know that classics like Little Women and To Kill a Mockingbird started as novels. But you probably didn’t know that these other famous movies also came from books.

Hidden Figures

This film told the story of real-life Katherine Johnson and other female African-American mathematicians who helped drive the United States into space in the 1960s. It was actually based on a 2016 non-fiction book and the movie did boost sales of the book.

Forrest Gump

The 1994 movie which was based on the book by Winston Groom won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for the star Tom Hanks. Although the movie’s critical and box-office success gave the book a huge boost, it’s the film that made its mark on pop culture history.

The Girl on the Train

Paula Hawkin’s psychological thriller, about a woman on a train who thinks she sees something strange out of the window, was a huge success. But unlike the fast—paced, can’t-be-put-down quality of the novel, the movie was boring.

Field of Dreams

It’s hard to describe the plot of this movie: Ray Kinsella hears a voice telling him to build a baseball field in his Iowa cornfield, and what happens next explores the themes of lost dreams, childhood heroes, and healing the pain of the past. The 1989 movie is based on W. P. Kinsella’s 1982 original, Shoeless Joe, but cuts out some extra characters.

6 . After learning about these famous women, you’ll know you can do a lot for society no matter what. You don’t need to be in a specific field, time or environment to make a difference to the world in your lifetime.

Amelia Earhart (1897－1937)

Amelia Earhart was the first woman who ever flew alone across the Atlantic in 1932. She became the first woman pilot in 1935 after flying from Hawaii to California. She began her lifelong dream of flying across the world in 1937. However, her flight went missing on that trip and she was never seen again.

Helena Rubinstein (1870－1965)

Helena Rubinstein moved to Australia in 1902 without the ability to speak English. Later, she founded one of the world’s first cosmetic (化妆品) companies after mixing lanolin, which is an oil that comes from sheep’s wool, with flowers. Because of that, she became the world’s richest woman at the time.

Katharine Hepburn (1907－2003)

Katharine Hepburn was known for playing strong­willed women in her films. She won four Academy Awards for Best Actress, the most an actress has ever won. Her new dress style made wearing trousers acceptable to women, which wasn’t allowed at that time.

Emmeline Pankhurst (1858－1928)

Emmeline was an influential woman activist, who helped British women  get the right to vote. She fought along with her husband for the rights of women all the time in the late 19th century and early 20th century. After she lost her husband, she teamed up with her three daughters and formed The Women Social and Political Union, which was best known as the suffragettes (women’s right to vote).

7 . With the approaching of New Year, more and more visitors will come to China. Don’t know where you should go? Here are some places recommended for you.

Shanghai Expo Culture Park

The Shanghai Expo Culture Park will soon open its northern section to the public, in which the major attractions include a traditional garden that is similar in design to Shanghai’s famous Yuyuan Garden and a 400-meter avenue exhibiting the history of the area, while in the southern section lies a grand theater.

Macao Tower AJ Hackett Bungee Jump

The Macao Tower, 338 meters tall, is the world’s 10th highest tower, with a variety of activities, such as eating and entertainment. One of the activities which enjoy good fame is the bungee jump. The AJ Hackett Macao Tower Bungee Jump is 233 meters high, making it a Guinness World Record as the highest commercial (商业的) bungee jump in the world. Raise your arms and off you go!

Harbin’s Frozen World

For those who have never been to Harbin, there is an almost endless list of things to do. At Harbin Ice—Snow World, you can not only see the world—famous ice architecture, but also have great fun! You can have hotpot at the restaurants which are made of ice, enjoying the product of both ice and fire, go down the world’s longest ice slide (滑梯) and join in the popular Ice and Snow Electronic Music Festival to welcome 2024.

The winter is cold and the night is long, so why not go to the theatre? Harbin was listed by the United Nations as a “music city” in 2010. Harbin Grand Theater is where artistic souls defrost (化霜) a little to share their love of art.

8 . Plan on traveling around the USA this summer? If you need help in arranging the trip, or want ideas about where to go and what to do, there are a number of outstanding websites that can make your American dream come true.

www.fhwa.dot.gov

The National Scenic Byways Program covers 150 memorable roads. Some are natural routes, such as Route 1 along the California coast. Others focus on historical ( such as Route 6 ) or man-made attractions ( like the Las Vegas Strip). For each, you are provided with a map, told the route’s length and how long is allowed, and given detailed suggestions on sights and stop-offs.

www. oyster, com

This is the best website about reviews of hotels in US cities and resorts. The reviews are impressively thorough, covering locations, rooms, cleanliness, food and so on. Importantly, these are not promotional photos by the hotels, but more honest and real ones taken by inspectors. Search facilities are excellent from the 243 hotels reviewed in the New York and you can narrow down what you are looking for by location, facilities and style, or just pick out a selection of the best.

www. 101 holidays, co. uk

This is the latest offering that features 101 holiday ideas of traveling around the USA. It’s an impressively diverse selection, ranging from touring in the footsteps of Martin Luther King Jr. to a golfing break in Arizona and a cycling and wine-tasting trip in California’s Napa Valley. Narrow down what you are looking for — by price, region, theme and who will be traveling — and then just the photos of the relevant holidays remain on view. It’s a really clever design.

www. mousesavers. com

Walt Disney World in Florida can make dreams come true, but the price is not affordable for the majority of people. So turn to long established www. mousesavers. com, which dedicates itself to giving big discounts on tickets, hotels and dining at Walt Disney World. The website also offers general money-saving tips, suggestions for cheap and free stuff and brief coverage of other Florida and California theme parks.

9 . We’re often reminded of the importance of preserving the planet as we see it for future generations — and children at St Oswald’s CE Primary School Chester certainly agree.

Nine-year-old Isobel Kelleher from the school’s Hummingbirds class thinks adults need to take note.“Sometimes they can be busy and I don’t think they think they can make a difference,but if everyone does a little bit it all adds up,” she tells HuffPostUK.“We started looking at plastic pollution in our oceans and the things like plastic bags that are polluting them,” she says.“Fish can eat the plastic and they can die,or we might even eat the fish ourselves.”

Mr Timms, Isobel’s teacher, has been spearheading a new project at the school which lets children loose creatively to raise the awareness of the need to be more environmentally friendly. The entire Hummingbirds class, which is made up of nine-year-old and ten-year-old pupils, has been busy writing poems and creating online video adverts to warn adults about the serious situation of our oceans and wildlife.

Mr Timms thinks children have an important role to play in teaching us how to take care of the things around us.“We sometimes overlook how much we can really learn from children,” he says.“It has been really hard to believe having parents come in saying that their children have been asking them to stop using plastic, and to recycle more, and even stopping them using plastic straws.”

Mr Timms is proud of his Hummingbirds class.“The message that they would like to send to world is simple:stopping this isn’t someone else’s job,and it won’t be OK if we just leave it.”

10 . My wife Laura and I were on the beach, with three of our children, taking pictures of shore birds near our home in Alaska when we spotted a bear. The bear was thin and small, moving aimlessly.

Just a few minutes later, I heard my daughter shouting, “Dad! The bear is right behind us!” An aggressive bear will usually rush forward to frighten away its enemy but would suddenly stop at the last minute. This one was silent and its ears pinned back—the sign of an animal that is going in for the kill. And it was a cold April day. The bear behaved abnormally, probably because of hunger.

I held my camera tripod (三脚架) in both hands to form a barrier as the bear rushed into me. Its huge head was level with my chest and shoulders, and the tripod stuck across its mouth. It bit down and I found myself supporting its weight. I knew I would not be able to hold it for long.

Even so, this was a fight I had to win: I was all that stood between the bear and my family, who would stand little chance of running faster than a brown bear.

The bear hit at the camera, cutting it off the tripod. I raised my left arm to protect my face; the beast held tightly on the tripod and pressed it into my side. My arm could not move, and I sensed that my bones were going to break.

Drawing back my free hand, I struck the bear as hard as I could for five to six times. The bear opened its mouth and I grasped its fur, trying to push it away. I was actually wrestling (扭打) with the bear at this point. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fight ended. The bear moved back toward the forest, before returning for another attack. The first time I felt panic. Apparently satisfied that we caused no further threat, the bear moved off, destroying a fence as it went. My arm was injured, but the outcome for us could hardly have been better. I’m proud that my family remained clear-headed when panic could have led to a very different outcome.