1 . What if you could explore a world created by your favorite artist? What if you could walk through a city street painted by Van Gogh, a landscape by Leonardo da Vinci, or the fantastical vision of Salvador Dalf? Soon, you will be able to do these.

Glen Keane was a Disney animator (动画师). He drew some of the world’s most beloved characters. As he drew, his characters became more and more real to him, and yet, they were still confined to a 2D world. Right now, working with some of the latest technology, he is able to move his art into the magical world of virtual reality (VR).

As the artist behind some of Disney’s most beloved characters, he has works that are familiar to us. For him, animation is more than just drawing. It is a process of bringing characters to life in a 2D world. This has always disappointed Glen. How can a flat page truly express a character? “Well, what if I could draw them with the freedom of a sculptor?” he thought. He wants to explore his artistic limits and create new worlds.

Here is where he finds his way to the magic of VR. Using a tool called Tilt Brush, now Glen can draw beloved life-size characters and open up an entirely new world for his art. Think about what’s possible with this new world of art in VR. What an amazing experience it would be to see beloved life-size characters for yourself! Better yet, people all over the world can enjoy this kind of art, no matter their age or background. People who might not otherwise be able to go to the world’s big art museums can experience famous works as well.

We are only at the beginning of developing art in the digital era. So how will VR and our digital capabilities change in the coming years? More and more, it seems that we are moving away from art and technology being put in opposing camps. And as they find ways to connect, we are starting to experience boundary-pushing horizons.

2 . Most people suffer from what is known as “Just-me-ism”. What is that? Well, say you leave the tap running while you brush your teeth, leave a light on when you go out or you drop a piece of litter (垃圾) and can’t be bothered to pick it up. You know that all those things are wrong. But so what? “What difference can it possibly make?” you say to yourself. There are millions of people in the world and I’m just me. How can it matter if I leave one little tap running, one little light on or leave a little piece of litter on the road? “And anyway, no one will know,” Of course, it wouldn’t matter if there were just a few people in the world. But just think of all the millions of people saying to themselves: “It doesn’t matter. It’s just me. And, anyway, no one knows.” Millions of gallons of water would be wasted; millions of lights would be left on; millions of pieces of litter would be dropped. And all of this would be very harmful.

To inspire young people to take action for the environment, animals and their community, Roots & Shoots was established. This institute was set up in the early 1990s by Dr. Jane Goodall, a scientist who’s the world’s best-known expert on wild chimpanzees (黑猩猩). In addition to her research, she has been whole-heartedly committed to environmental protection, the whole purpose of Roots & Shoots is to educate young people, from preschoolers to university students, so they can help to build a future that is secure and live together in peace with nature. The organization is called Roots & Shoots because roots (根) move slowly under the ground to make a firm (坚实的) foundation, and shoots seem small and weak, but they can break open brick walls to reach the light. The roots and shoots are you, your friends and young people all around the world. Hundreds and thousands of roots and shoots can solve the problems, change the world and make it a better place to live in.

Do you think you help to make the world a better place when you make a sad person smile, when you make a dog wag (摇摆) its tail, and when you water a thirsty plant? One cheered-up person, one happy dog, one flowering plant, and you. That’s what Roots & Shoots is all about: the value and importance of each individual — human, animal or plant. Dr. Jane Goodall believes that the most important thing is that: “Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference. You get to choose: Do you want to use your life to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment? Do you want to make Roots & Shoots rooted in everyone’s heart? Do you want to be a part of a community for a shared future? You cannot be absent.”

3 . Great European Cities

Paris is the capital and largest city of France, situated on River Seine. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and is visited by more than eight million tourists every year. The most popular place for tourists is the Eiffel Tower, the famous symbol of Paris. One of the world’s largest art galleries, the Louvre, is also located in Paris. The city is also famous for its restaurants, cafes and theatres. About two-thirds of France’s artists and writers live in Paris.

Barcelona is the second largest city of Spain and is situated on the northeast coast, about five hundred kilometres east of the Spanish capital, Madrid. One of Barcelona’s most famous landmarks is the Church of Sagrada Familia (圣家族大教堂), which was designed by an architect called Antonio Gaudi. Gaudi worked on the project from 1882 until his death in 1926. The church hasn’t been finished yet!

Florence is an Italian city which won its fame because of the Renaissance (文艺复兴), a great artistic movement which began in the 1300s and lasted for three hundred years. During the Renaissance, some of the greatest painters of all time lived and worked in Florence. Many of Florence’s most beautiful paintings and sculptures were produced by great artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Florence is visited each year by about a million tourists who come to see the art galleries, churches and museums. The Uffizi Palace (乌菲兹美术馆) is the most famous art gallery in the city.

Athens, the capital of Greece, is known as the birthplace of western civilization. Two thousand four hundred years ago, it was the world’s most powerful city. Buildings such as the Parthenon (帕特农神庙) on the Acropolis (雅典卫城) Hill were built during this period. Greece’s best writers lived in ancient Athens. Their work has influenced other writers ever since.

8 . I was at the bus stop, heading home after a long, busy day, when I served guests at a restaurant. Suddenly I realized I’d left behind my wallet with $80 worth of tips and one of my photos in it! I couldn’t afford to ________ a day’s pay. When I ran back, the restaurant was closed. So I had to tell myself: I’d try to ________ about it this evening.

The next day was much ________ than the day before. I was already ________ five tables there, when a white-haired ________ sat down in my section (区域). No matter how ________ I was, I made sure to give them the best ________ I could. After their meal, I thanked them for their kindness. The couple had left the ________ by the time I picked up the tip. This wasn’t right, I thought; there was much more than twenty dollars. It was too much for a tip. I ________ again; forty dollars!

Quickly, I ________ around to look for the couple. They’d left the restaurant. ________, I went to the hostess (女招待). “Did you see that ________ couple who just sat in my section leave?” I asked. “Oh, they are my parents, and have gone home,” the hostess said. “They told me about you. Yesterday they ________ your wallet. Since you were very ________ just now, they asked me to give the wallet to you. By the way, they said they were very ________with your service and gave you twice as much as a tip.”

How kind they are and what a coincidence (巧合)! I will always try my best to serve customers well in future.

10 . Nowadays, it is common to see people wearing Hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, at parks and attractions. More and more people are falling in love with Hanfu culture. The development of Hanfu culture has witnessed (见证) numerous changes in recent years and is taking on various forms.

Zhang Xiaomin has been a fan of Hanfu for five years now. Thanks to the popularity of social media, she can easily learn the latest trends and knowledge about Hanfu online now. “People used to only collect or appreciate Hanfu privately,” Zhang said. “But now it has moved to the mass market.” In the past, many people had the misunderstanding that “Han” refers to the Han Dynasty. Now more people are knowledgeable about Hanfu, and even expert in distinguishing (区分) the differences in Hanfu from different dynasties.

Miss Tang has also noticed a similar change. “Fans have become particular about the design and style of Hanfu,” Miss Tang said. “For advanced hobbyists, those seemingly fairy-like Hanfu dresses are not enough, since this style has been adapted to meet the tastes of the masses. They care more about how original Hanfu style are, like Quju (曲裾) and Mamianqun or ‘horse-face skirts’, which look more serious and complicated.”

The development of Hanfu has also triggered (引发) different events. You Gancheng has been in Hanfu circles for 13 years. “The Hanfu festival that a museum held in April offered many interesting activities like lectures, ceremonies, concerts and fairs,” she said. “Hanfu culture weeks, festivals and academic forums all provide platforms for fans to communicate.”

The rise of Hanfu culture also means the birth of an emerging business. Miss Cang has been running a Hanfu store for four years. The store provides Hanfu rental and photography services. “Many international schools now come to us for Hanfu events on traditional holidays,” Miss Cang said. Her store also actively participates in Hanfu festivals. “We often run a stand in Hanfu fairs, selling and displaying Hanfu we’ve designed. Sometimes we even provide Hanfu as prizes for competitions,” she said.