1 . Adults usually do not remember most of the things that are taught by their teachers at school. But this story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I drift off course, I think of this story.

It was a normal Monday morning, and my teacher was teaching us on important things in life and about devoting ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went.

An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get onto the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years.

His house was dirty, and a stench (恶臭) came out of the house and it smelled terrible. The neighbors could not stand the smell any more, so they called for the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of money all over the house that he had collected over the years.

The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a millionaire (百万富翁). They waited outside his house expecting to share the good news with him. When the old man arrived home that evening, one of the officers told him that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire.

But the old man said nothing at all; he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, sat at the street corner and continued to beg.

Clearly, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything significant for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying focused on the things we enjoy doing.

3 . A Joke and Balloon

In 2001, a young girl called Laura Buxton released a balloon from her bedroom window in Staffordshire, England. Attached to the balloon were a joke and Laura’s e-mail address. “At the time, I thought it was funny,” said ten-year-old Laura. Amazingly, six weeks later, Laura received an e-mail from another ten-year-old girl who lived in the town of Buton, about 200 kilometers away. In the e-mail, the young girl explained how she had found the balloon and she enjoyed the joke. Incredibly, the little girl’s name was also Laura Buxton.

A Walking Book

During a tour of the US, the British actor Sir Anthony Hopkins lost one of his favorite novels, a copy of The Girl from Petrovka by George Feifer. Inside the book was a dedication (献词) from his mother. He searched everywhere for it, but the book had disappeared. However, three years later, Hopkins was on the London Underground when he noticed a copy of the book on the seat next to him. On opening the first page, he saw his mother’s familiar handwriting.

Supermarket Surprise

66-year-old John Foundergen of Liverpool had been trying to trace his brother for decades. Many years before, there had been a family argument and the two brothers hadn’t seen one another since. However, one day, John met a woman in a supermarket who said, “Hey, you know, you look just like my husband.” You can guess the rest.

Delayed Gratitude

In 1965 Roger Akua, aged four, was saved from drowning by a woman called Alice Blaise. Nine years later, Roger saw a man drowning on the same beach. Roger dived in and saved the man. Roger later found out that the man was Alice Blaise’s husband.

4 . In today’s classroom, homework is completed not only with the pen and paper, but also with computers and cell phones. How to make the best use of such digital products is an important question for teachers and students. The following top digital portfolio platforms (作品集平台) offer a broad range of functions. Most importantly, they provide a way to share students’ work with pride.

Creating a digital portfolio could not be any easier than Google Sites makes it. It lets students quickly put in contents, such as text, images, videos, maps, and much more. Use one of the provided six themes or create a custom one, and then publish it as a public or restricted-view (限制浏览的) site.

Designed for education, Seesaw for Schools provides a platform through which students complete and share school projects. By recording the process of gradually improving their schoolwork, kids gain a sense of master y and pride, so it is popular among them. Plus, parents can be involved too—just download the Seesaw Family app.

Artsonia is like a dream come true for art-minded students: a free, safe, educational space through which students show their digital creativity. Friends and family can view, comment on and buy objects. The site also provides a complete teachers’ guide. Just celebrate the artistic skills with Artsonia!

One of the oldest and best-known web platforms for education, Edublogs makes it easy for teachers and students to start building a free WordPress platform. The free plan offers 1 GB of storage space, class management tools, and no advertising. A set of educator guides and community participation is another big plus for Edublogs.

5 . I’m approaching the Knight Street Bridge as I try to get home after work. It’s 5:15 pm. Traffic is slowing down and then it comes to a full stop. I’m stuck even before getting on the bridge.

This has become my normal work commute (上下班往返) routine. Ahead of me is a heavily jammed on-ramp (匝道). I stare at the endless rows of vehicles, depressed. Seconds pass. Minutes pass. Looking at the rows of cars and trucks, I start counting — 299, 300, 301 — and I give up.

Suddenly I remember I’m one of the 300 helpless drivers. When the cars do move, I move carefully, making sure not to knock into other vehicles. Finally, I make it onto the bridge. The traffic is still crawling at a snail’s pace. Tired and hungry, I become very anxious.

Just then, I hear a faint sound in the distance. The sound gradually becomes louder, until I can identify it as an emergency vehicle approaching from behind. What do we do? The bridge is packed. There’s no room for us to move.

But I’m wrong. Every single car quickly, yet carefully, moves to the side. Without thinking, I follow suit. The lane remains open for a few seconds during which the ambulance flashes through.

Afterward, every car moves back into formation (队形). We close up the emergency lane, continuing our patient wait. Back in my spot, I’m awestruck. My exhaustion and anxiety are gone. I start reflecting upon what 300 fellow drivers and I just did.

Despite our exhaustion, we all decided to help the stranger who needed the time more desperately than we did. We drew on our compassion (同情心) and intelligence, requiring no orders. Although I may seem alone stuck on the bridge, I’m connected to all the other drivers. Together we could make the impossible possible.

Yours,

Li Hua

8 . The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was_________, so he became_________when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree._________, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.”

The man was_________by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found out the box was     _______. He_________at her, stating, “Don’t you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The little girl_________at him with_________in her eyes and cried,” Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all. I blew_________into the box. They’re all for you, Daddy.”

The father was__________. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her__________.Only a short time later, an accident__________the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an__________kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each one of us, as humans beings, has been given a gold container fled with__________love and kisses...from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no other possession, anyone could hold, more__________than this.

9 . More than half of the 1,000 consumers surveyed by Credit Karma said they have impulsively (冲动地) shopped to deal with feelings of stress, anxiety or depression. Twenty-three percent of respondents said they’ve maxed out (刷爆) a credit card in the past year.

As for age, 68 percent youngsters, responded by saying they have experienced it in the past, compared to 53 percent of the middle-aged and only 26 percent of the old.

In regards to genders, 48 percent of men and 31 percent of women who have stress spent said they had purchased alcohol when stressed. Eighty-two percent of women stress spent on clothing compared to 52 percent of men. Women also lead stress spending for jewellery, 42 percent, compared to 22 percent for men with men stress spending more for electronics 44 percent while 30 percent for women.

In fact, shopping to reduce stress can actually help you live a healthier life by making sure that your blood pressure is lowered. Shopping to relieve stress is also called shopping therapy (疗法) as a form of reducing stress.

The survey found that 82 percent had only positive feelings about their purchases and that the positive mood boost that followed those purchases was long-lasting.

However, the side effect of shopping therapy, for many, can start out as a relatively harmless mood booster but could possibly grow into a financial loss, cause conflict, and therefore add a large amount of stress to a person’s life.

10 . Plan your vacation. The following four places are your fantastic destinations. You can enjoy a completely different experience.

Israel

If you’re looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, National Geographic Travel says visitors should head to Jerusalem to celebrate Easter with thousands of pilgrims (朝圣者). If the crowds get too huge, visitors are told to take a boat ride to King Herod’s 2,000-year-old Masada fortress (要塞) or set off on a peaceful morning boat ride across the sea of Galilee.

Panama

Costa Rica and the Caribbean often enjoy much more popularity than Panama, but visitors should consider the centre American country if they want a “less-crowded paradise”. The travel site states, “Here, horses are still the primary means of transportation and local fishermen serve fresh seafood and fruit from their home kitchens for roughly $ 6 a plate.”

Svalbard

If you’re a fan of winter activities, but are in need of some sun, then perhaps a trip to Svalbard is a good choice. National Geographic Travel notes, “The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is located about 620 miles south of the North Pole. In late spring, the sun never falls below the horizon—meaning you can take in all the Vitamin D you desire.” Popular activities in the area include hiking and wildlife spotting.

Namibia

During spring, Namibia is regarded as the perfect destination with reduced travel costs on cooler evenings. In late May, National Geographic Travel says that the watering holes start to dry up again, which attracts giraffes and black rhino from their hiding spots. If you’re fond of adventurous exploration, head to the Namibia Desert for a spot of sand boarding.