3 . I first began to wonder what was doing on a college campus when my parents drove off, leaving me alone in a parking lot, wanting nothing more than to find my way safely to my dorm room. The fact was that no matter how mature I liked to consider myself, I was feeling just a bit first-gradish. Adding to my distress was the impression that everyone on campus was watching me. My plan was to keep my ears open and my mouth shut and hope no one would notice I was a freshman.

With that thought in mind, I raised my head, squared my shoulders, and set out in the direction of my dorm, glancing at the campus map in my hand. And then I spent the afternoon seeking out each of my classrooms so that I could make perfectly timed entrance before each lecture without having to ask silly questions about its whereabouts.

The next morning, I found my first class and marched in. I chose a seat in the first row and to the side. I was in the front, but out of the professor's direct line of vision. Then I opened my anthology（选集）of American literature and looked at the date at the top of a page. "Welcome to Biology 101," the professor began. Cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck. I got out my schedule and checked the room number. I was in the right room. Just the wrong building!

So now what? Get up and leave in the middle of the lecture? Wouldn't the professor be angry? Wouldn't they all stare at me? Forget it, I settled into my chair.

4 . Feeding bread to the ducks is a fond pastime for many of us, reminding us of our happy childhood trips to the local park. But did you know that bread actually poses a danger to birds, as well as the environment? Eating it can cause our feathered friends to develop a condition called Angel Wing, which is when too much bread makes birds’ feathers grow too quickly. This additional weight puts a strain on their muscles, causing their wings to twist and drop open, and if not treated fast, they can lose the ability to fly.

“Angel Wing can be remedied if we reach birds before it has developed too severely,” says Caroline Simpson, a trustee of UK charity Swan Lifeline, which has rescued and treated more than 30,000 birds over the last 20 years. “Otherwise the consequence can be awful—such as amputations of the wing.” Adult swans can also develop gut and heart disease, so it’s important we do our bit to prevent this by feeding wild birds with the right kind of food.

Bread can also cause harmful changes to the natural ecosystem. Rotting bread at the bottom of rivers and lakes allows bacteria to breed, spreading disease and attracting rats and other vermin to our waterways. It can result in algal blooms and the presence of a mould called Aspergillus too, which has the potential to kill waterfowl and other wildlife if it gets into their lungs.

But this doesn’t mean we have to stop fun trips to feed the ducks. Giving birds the right food—like frozen peas, sweetcorn and lettuce leaves—is good for both them and the environment. So, next time you visit your local park, take a healthier alternative with you and do your bit to protect our precious wildlife.

5 . Very often, when we see young people sitting there, looking at the screen of a mobile phone and smiling, we may think nothing is wrong. But when we come to the question “how much time do they actually spend on media（传播媒介）daily?”, the answer is surprising: young people spend about nine hours every day using media, and this only includes media used for enjoyment.

Today's young people seem to have become crazy multitaskers. They often use media when doing other activities. Some watch TV when doing homework, some text（发短信）, and some others listen to music. But what do young people think of this? A research showed that two thirds of them believed watching TV or texting had no influence on their schoolwork. Half of them thought using social media made no difference. However, researches have given a different answer: “media multitaskers” did worse in tests.

Scientists did a research among more than 400 students. It shows that those who text a lot have more trouble sleeping and do worse in their study. In another research, students who didn't text during a lesson took down a lot more notes than those who were texting. A similar research also found that students who texted when doing schoolwork had lower overall（总体的）grades.

According to a research, if a kid uses social media a lot, especially at night, he or she will sleep worse and feel more nervous and depressed（消沉的）. On the one hand, young people stay up late to check messages and information. They may also be woken up by messages they receive. On the other hand, even the light from a screen could influence their sleep. Some other researches also show that children who use media at night go to bed later, get fewer hours of sleep each week, and become sleepy more easily during the daytime.

6 . The traditional tent cities at festivals such as Glastonbury may never be the same again. In a victory of green business that is certain to appeal to environmentally-aware music-lovers, a design student is to receive financial support to produce eco-friendly tents made of cardboard that can be recycled after the bands and the crowds have gone home.

Major festivals such as Glastonbury throw away some 10,000 abandoned tents at the end of events each year. For his final year project at the University of the West of England, James Dunlop came up with a material that can be recycled. And to cope with the British summer, the cardboard has been made waterproof.

Taking inspiration from a Japanese architect, who has used cardboard to make big buildings including churches, Mr. Dunlop used cardboard material for his tents, which he called Myhabs.

The design won an award at the annual New Designers Exhibition after Mr. Dunlop graduated from his product design degree and he decided to try to turn it into a business.

To raise money for the idea, he toured the city's private companies which fund new business and found a supporter in the finance group Mint. He introduced his idea to four of Mint's directors and won their support. Mint has committed around £ 500,000 to Myhabs and taken a share of 30 percent in Mr. Dunlop's business. The first Myhabs should be tested at festivals this summer, before being marketed fully next year.

Mr. Dunlop said that the design, which accommodates two people, could have other uses, such as for disaster relief and housing for the London Olympics.

For music events, the cardboard houses will be ordered online and put up at the sites by the Myhabs team before the festivalgoers arrive and removed by the company afterwards. They can be personalized and the company will offer reductions on the expense if people agree to sell exterior advertising space.

The biggest festivals attract tens of thousands of participants, with Glastonbury having some 150,000 each year. Altogether there are around 100 annual music festivals where people camp in the UK. The events are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious.

7 . From my kitchen windows, I watch colorful birds responding for black-oiled sunflower seeds, split peanuts, and cut grapes and apples on the ground. The scene is delightful and calming.

About three years ago, I noticed a newcomer to this colorful and happy display. It was a baby chipmunk（花栗鼠）, obviously on its own. Over that summer, I watched it grow. The brown and black stripes（条状）on its back darkened. The next summer, it was back, and I wondered whether it would trust me to feed it by hand or let me pet it. I decided to employ the tricks I used to persuade wild cats to come close for food: patience, a soft voice, slow moves and repetition. Before it would approach, I’d put down its favorite food--sunflower seeds, bend over and keep very still. I’d leave my open hand in place, unmoving, so the animal would know I wouldn’t seize it. I continued doing this for a few weeks. Finally, late in that second summer, it did show more trust. One day as I offered a seed on my fingertips, it approached and carefully took the seed into its mouth. It never bit my fingers. I was elated that we had made a breakthrough of trust. After about two months of this routine, I went further. With one finger, I petted its back once, but it didn’t move away. I then petted with two fingers. Again, it stayed put, eating seeds.

Today, the Chipmunk comes out of hiding when I call its name, and lets me pet its soft, silky body. Whenever I am doing this, I feel calmer. To my surprise, I also feel a sense of greater respect for nature and its creatures and the opportunity to observe, protect and save wildlife. Most of all, I’ve saved the wonderful memories gathered during these glorious summer months in my Long Island garden.

8 . Born in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province, 30-year-old Dong Yaxue, a Chinese researcher working for NASA is currently a member of NASA's MAVEN(Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) team.

On Nov 5, Dong was invited to speak at a NASA news conference, in which the organization said the atmosphere on Mars can be stripped by solar winds. She is the first Chinese female scientist to participate in a NASA news conference.

Dong graduated from Chengdu's Shishi High School in 2003 and was later admitted by University of Science and Technology of China. She got her master's and doctor's degree in astrophysics from Rice University in the United States.

Last year, Dong joined the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado and began working for MAVEN after handing in her resume and taking part in a phone interview. Now her main job is to analyze satellite data and compare the results to theoretical predictions.

“The findings released during the new conference are very important and may change the content of school textbooks.” Dong told Chengdu Business Daily.

“It has also provided new information and guidance for future Mars exploration.”

Interested in technical work, Dong said she was never bored at work and will continue focusing on data analysis next year.

“This is the first time that my job got so much attention.” She also added that she found great pleasure in both exploring Mars and eating hot pot.

He Jianming, Dong's high school teacher, said that physics is difficult for many girls but not for Dong Yaxue. As a middle school student, she won first prize in the national physics contest.

He said Dong was not the top student in her school. “she never got first in the class, usually ranking tenth to twentieth. But her scores of all subjects were even.”

9 . From the moment you arrive at Houtong Village in northern Taiwan, you’ll have no trouble knowing who the real stars are. There’s a cat-shaped bridge, pet food bowls on the side of the walkways, street signs with cat pictures, cat-themed cafes and, of course, furry friends wandering freely everywhere.

In the early 1900s, Houtong, in New Taipei City, was the biggest and most technologically advanced coal-mining site in Taiwan. It was a prosperous town with about 6,000 residents and workers, before the mine fell into disuse in 1990.

As most young residents moved away for better opportunities, Houtong became a sleepy village with about 100 residents. But in 2010, Houtong gained popularity after a cat-lover and photographer started blogging about the village’s growing stray (无主的) cat population.

Houtong was transformed into a cat-lover sight while also providing a source of income for local villagers. Many of the stray cats, now given affectionate nicknames, are taken care of by local villagers as well as a troop of volunteers.

In addition to the village’s many cute kitty-themed shops and cafes, the local government has also seized the opportunity to highlight its long history.

An award-winning pedestrian cat bridge was built. A cat information and education center opened in 2014, featuring higher cat walkways in front of the building. A museum park dedicated to the town’s former mining life opened in 2010, later hosting a cat lantern festival in 2012.

But Houtong, now under the spotlight, isn’t completely perfect. According to local reports, the town has become an attraction for those looking for a place to abandon their unwanted pets. During the most recent survey, it was estimated that the village is now home to about 286 cats—50 heads more than two years ago.

With the constant patting and feeding from visitors, some also flagged concerns about the health of the furry residents. The department works with local residents and volunteers to vaccinate (接种疫苗) the cats and provide regular medical treatment. Signs have been set up around town advising visitors how to behave while also pleading for the pet owners’ responsibility.

10 . When I was 12， all I wanted was a signet（图章） ring. They were the“in”thing and it seemed every girl except me had one. On my 13th birthday， my Mum gave me a signet ring with my initials（姓名首字母） carved into it. I was in heaven.

What made it even more special was that it was about the only thing that wasn't being “replaced”. We'd been burnt out in fires that swept through our area earlier that year and had lost Everything-so most of the “new” stuff（东西） we got was really just to replace what we'd lost. But not my ring . My ring was new.

Then， only one month later， I lost it. I took if off before bed and it was missing in the morning. I was sad and searched everywhere for it. But it seemed to have disappeared. Eventually， I gave up and stopped looking for it. And two years later， we sold the house and moved away.

Years passed， and a couple of moves later， I was visiting my parents' when Mum told me that she had something for me. It wasn't my birthday， nor was it Easter or Christmas or any other gift-giving occasion. Mum noticed my questioning look. “You'll recognize this one，” she said smiling.

Then she handed me a small ring box. I took it from her and opened it 1o find my beautiful signet ring inside.

The family who had bought our house 13 years earie had recently decided to do some redecorations， which included replacing the carpets. When they pulled the carpet up in my old bedroom， they found the ring. As it had my initial carved into it， they realized who owned the ring. They'd had it professionally cleaned up by a jeweler before sending it to my mother. And it still fits me.