1 . Iris Apfel, the interior designer and fashion tastemaker, who found fame in her 80s, has died aged 102. “She was forward-thinking in every sense of the world and saw the world through a unique lens. She saw the world as a kaleidoscope (万花筒) of colour, a canvas of patterns and prints,” said Apfel’s agent, Lori Sale.

Born in 1921 in Queens, New York, Apfel studied art history at New York University and later attended art school at the University of Wisconsin. Her first job was as a copywriter at Women’s Wear Daily. She later worked for the interior designer Elinor Johnson and also the illustrator Robert Goodman. In 1948, she married Carl Apfel. Two years later they launched the textile company Old World Weaver s and ran it until they retired in 1992.

As an outstanding authority on old-fashioned fabrics (纺织物), Apfel gave guidance on restoration projects, including work at the White House. She was the subject of several museum exhibitions and more recently starred in campaigns for H&M, eBay, Citroen and even had a Barbie doll made in her likeness. Among those showing respect was the US designer Tommy Hilfiger, who praised Apfel as an “innovator and leader” in the world of textiles and style, saying “Iris Apfel has become a world-famous fashion icon because of her incredible talent and amazing effect on so many people with her huge heart and magic touch.”

In 2005, her personal collection of designer accessories (配饰) and clothes became the subject of an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was the first time that the Met had focused on a living female who was more than a designer. In another first, Apfel dressed the mannequins (人体模型) herself, styling them in her own unique and magnificent manner.

When asked about aging in a 2018 interview, Apfel said, “I wouldn't want to stop the clock. No, that would be so boring. It would be like being caught in a time machine. I don’t like that. I think variety is the spice of life.”

As a teaching student, I was sent on my first practicum(实习) at a local high school. During my practicum. I found that the awful aspects of high school haven’t changed since I was there. It can still be a place where judgements are made on different kids.

Jess was a Year 10 student who always respected her classmates, though she failed to be treated equally in return. Kids constantly made fun of her. As a teacher, I felt it natural to protect students like Jess, but I soon realized that there was so little I could actually do.

Tyson, a Year 12 student known for his music al talents, turned out to be opposite. He was always surrounded by admirers and was willing to help others. Obviously, he was a confident, helpful and popular young man.

When the school talent show came around, Jess asked to perform a solo act. I was hesitant to allow her to take the stage, fearing she might make herself the target of laughter. However, I knew that it would be unfair to say no on these grounds, so her name made it onto the list of performers.

When the day of the show arrived, the whole school gathered in the concert hall. The show began and I was pleasantly surprised that each performance was greeted with cheers and applause, creating an encouraging atmosphere. Then, on the stage stood Jess, smiling broadly. The music started and, to my horror, she missed the first line of the song. She became so nervous that she sang in the wrong key and forgot her lyrics(歌词). As Jess struggled on the stage, some kids in the audience whispered and giggled, but most remained silent.

Jess looked embarrassed and was about to give up when something amazing happened.

4 . Tucker’s adventure began in early November, when McCall, a retired electrician, spent the night in a hotel in the town of Cleveland, Tennessee. McCall’s budget was tight, and her head was full of questions. In the _______ two years, McCall had lost her husband to cancer, and their grandchildren to _______. And an accident had left McCall partially disabled and _______ to work.

“Honestly, after all the _______, I was ready to give up,” says McCall. “If it hadn’t been for Tucker, the cat, I don’t think I would’ve made it.”

McCall planned to spend the night in Cleveland and _______ on. But when she returned from breakfast the next morning, ready to _______ and hit the road again, the cat was gone. Panicked (惊慌的), she _______ along the busy road for hours, but he was _______ to be found.

As _______ fell, McCall realized she had to go. She couldn’t ________ to stay another night. ________, she got in her car and got back on the way.

The next day, Lillard, 27, was jogging just down the road from the hotel where McCall had stayed when she spotted Tucker. She took him home, certain he was someone’s missing friend, and ________ his story on Facebook. McCall, too, had been posting about Tucker. Within hours, someone made the ________, and soon McCall was on the phone with Lillard, hearing Tucker’s meows and sobbing with ________. One month and a half later, Tucker was ________ to McCall, just in time for Christmans.

5 . Paris is one of the most important and influential cities in the world. In terms of tourism, Paris is the second most visited city in Europe after London. Everyone knows all about the iconic sights in Paris, such as the Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum. But what about other facts that your average guide book doesn’t tell you?

•Every year the French celebrate the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris on July 14th 1789. Usually the jail held political prisoners but on the day the Bastille was stormed there were only 7 prisoners in the jail, none of political significance, and four of them had been jailed for check-forging(伪造支票).

• Paris is called the City of Lights. But it has nothing to do with the power used to illuminate the Eiffel Tower or the streetlights of the city. Lights in this case, means intellectuals, referring to the high-concentration of writers, artists and academics that have always been drawn to the city.

•Shakespeare And Company is the most famous English-language bookshop in Paris and it is named after the original store, owned by Sylvia Beach, which published James Joyce’s classic novel Ulysses in 1922. Now it has been a salon for writers and readers in Paris for more than seventy years.

• Paris is a city with a long, interesting but sadly a blood-stained history. Paris’ Latin motto is “Fluctuat nec mergitur” meaning “It is tossed by the waves, but does not sink.”

MoreinformationcanbegainedfromOnlinetravelguide@whatparis.com .

Miguel looked across the school campus. Why did the English teacher annoy the whole class with such a stupid topic, “The Most Courageous Person I’ve Known”? He groaned (呻吟) at the painful thought of writing two full pages about a person who didn’t exist. He just couldn’t think of anyone.

At twelve, Miguel just wanted to be a boy. He wanted to play, get his homework done as quickly as possible, and eat. He reached his pocket for a candy bar, tore open the wrapper with his teeth and headed home.

Passing an alley (胡同) , he spotted a white chicken poking at a dirty bag that lay on a pile of garbage. Then, like soup, an idea bubbled in his mind. He got the dirty bag, held it open and got close to the chicken slowly. It lifted its head, took a few slow steps and clucked (咯咯叫) . Miguel was quick. He caught it by the neck, pushed it in and tied the bag.

For a moment, he felt like a fox, the trickiest of all animals. Now, it was time to go to Mr. Shafer, who sold chickens. Luckily, Mr. Shafer was in his front yard. Miguel announced that he had a nice chicken for him because his grandma couldn’t eat chicken anymore. Mr. Shafer took the chicken out, examined it carefully and handed him two dollars.

The chicken looked up at him with kind of sad eyes. Miguel’s heart sank. Why could I become so unfeeling? What had I done? Miguel groaned to himself. Money in hand, he turned around quickly and ran toward his home, trying not to think of the defenseless chicken. Yet, those sad eyes of the chicken seemed to be staring at him all the way.

“I’ll save you,” he stopped and said to himself.