2 . The 13-year-old Life Scout named Jonathan in Troop 506 is pioneering new ways to perform acts of kindness.

Like many troops, 506 sells popcorn each fall to raise money. In 2019, while still a Cub Scout, Jonathan watched as kids who’d made $1,800 or more in sales walked across a stage to receive a Lego set as a prize. “I really want that Lego set,” he said.

The next year, he successfully got his Legos. However, Troop 506 not only provides Lego sets but also contributes a percentage of their sales in the form of gift cards for Scouting-related activities. Encouraged, Jonathan spent the next few years developing a surprising sale skill.

The year 2021 saw him achieve impressive sales of $46,193.75, making him a top seller in the nation and bringing him $5,000 worth in Amazon cards, He might have spent it on himself, but he had other ideas. Popcorn season closes in late November, and the holidays were on his mind—particularly the stories his father had told him about his own days in foster care.

“They don’t really have Christmas,” Jonathan said. With $5,000, he could bring Christmas to a lot of kids. With the help of his mother, he made his way to the social services offices.

Anyone else might have simply sent in the money and felt they’d done enough. Not Jonathan. He requested information about each kid, including age, gender and interests. He changed from a big seller to a big spender, personally choosing gifts for dozens of kids, like a Santa.

“The most worthwhile thing,” he said, “is to try to put happiness into the lives of others.”

On October 15th, the 9th Silk Road International Arts Festival kicked off in Xi’an with the theme of “Silk Road New Movement, Beautiful New Future”. The event, which     1     (draw) artists from over 90 countries and areas, turned the city     2     a global cultural center.

“Ommi Chang’an”, directed by Zhang Yimou, made     3     (it) first appearance during the festival. This large scale performance is the fruit of nine artists     4     (lead) by Zhang Yimou. It is a mixture of tradition and modernity, history and the future, humanities and technology. It connects Xi’an with the world, bridging the present, future and past,     5     crossing distance and time to present the beauty of Silk Road culture.

This year’s festival had 37 outstanding performances,     6     (show) the achievements of the “Belt and Road” initiative (倡议).     7     unique addition to the festival was the “Silk Road Starting Point Cultural Tourism Experience” tour,     8     enabled artists to visit and experience     9     (variety) Silk Road themed cultural landmarks in Shaanxi, providing an opportunity to share the unique traditions and history with a global audience. The festival also hosted special events like Malaysia Culture Day and International Modern Art Week,     10     (far) enriching the cultural experience.

4 . With their beautiful feathers, roosters might be forgiven for secretly taking quick looks in the mirror—especially as research now suggests the birds may be able to recognise themselves.

The ability to recognise oneself in the mirror has so far been found in a handful of animals, including elephants, dolphins, and certain fish and birds. Sonja Hillemacher, one of the authors of the study at the University of Bonn, said animals that can recognise themselves in a mirror often seemed to have more advanced cognitive abilities, and that there was a link to social and emotional wisdom, as well as self-awareness. “This ability is a basic aspect of cognition. It is also important for us,” she said.

Writing in the journal Plos One, Hillemacher and her colleagues note that roosters tend to call out to their fellow chickens if they see a threat. If a rooster is alone, however, it does not usually raise the alarm as it could draw the enemy’s attention.

In the experiment, the team placed a rooster in an indoor space and then placed a mirror, or another rooster, or nothing. The team then showed the image of a flying hawk (鹰) onto the ceiling in the space.

The results from 58 roosters found that the birds made far more alarm calls when they could see another rooster nearby, with 1.33 alarm calls per bird on average over three tests, than when alone (0.29 calls on average) or faced with the mirror (0.43 calls on average). In the follow-up experiment, the team found a similar reduction in calls when they placed a second rooster out of sight behind the mirror. The team said the findings suggest the birds did not regard their reflection as another rooster, even when there was also the presence of smell and sound of a second bird, which proves that roosters may recognise themselves in a mirror.

5 . Choosing a hotel, restaurant or new product can be a difficult task. There’s so much on offer, and making a mistake can be expensive. This is why many people turn to online reviews—opinions and information written by people who have used a service or bought a product. But can we trust them?

About 70% of Americans say they believe online user reviews. According to experts, this is because when we read a review by another consumer, we feel like we’re getting a personal recommendation from a friend. But a recent study shows that about one third of online reviews are fake. Apparently, companies are so desperate for good reviews that they’ve started to “play” the system. So, how do they do it?

One trick is to give positive reviews to your own product or service. Best-selling writer RJ Ellory was recently caught writing 5- starreviewso fhisownbooksonAmazon.com. Using a pen name, he called one of his books a “modern masterpiece (杰作)” and said another would “touch people’s hearts”. RJ also wrote negative reviews of his competitors’ books.

Another trick is to “buy” good reviews. Last year, the Cove Hotel in Cornwall was caught giving guests discounts if they wrote “honest but positive” reviews on TripAdvisor. The trick worked—one guest called The Cove “a dream comes true”. Some people are even making a living by writing favourable reviews. In 2010, American Todd Rutherford started GettingBookReviews.com. For $99, Todd would write a positive review of your book on Amazon.com; and for $999, he’d write 50 reviews.

So, how can you tell a fake review? First, if the reviewer uses lots of highly positive language, it’s probably fake, Secondly, if the review reads like an advertisement, it probably is an ad. And finally, if the review is negative but also speaks highly of a competitor, it might have been written by that competitor.

6 . As far as fantastic drives go, few can compete with Highway 395. Here’s what you need to know before starting a road trip along it.

▲ What to Know About Driving on Highway 395

Highway 395 begins in Hesperia, a city about 90 minutes east of Los Angeles. It then continues for 1,300 miles until its end point at the Canadian border (边界). While the entire drive is beautiful, its most famous section runs from the Los Angeles area up to Reno, Nevada.

▲ Where to Stop Along Highway 395

CONVICT LAKE

Convict Lake, one of California’s clearest bodies of water, is a beloved destination for photographers. During your drive, you can pull over for a photo, or quickly hop on a boat and cast a fishing line to see what you can catch.

MAMMOTH MOUNTAINM

Just around the corner, you’ll find Mammoth Mountain, one of America’s best ski destinations. Mammoth is renowned for its extended ski season, often lasting until July, and offers excellent terrain (地形) for all skill levels.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

During your drive, pay n visit to Yosemite National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here, you can watch climbers make their way up Half Dome, feel the power of Yosemite Falls, and enjoy the beauty of Tuolumne Meadows.

▲ When to Drive on Highway 395

Because many attractive places along Highway 395 are all-season destinations, there’s really no wrong time to depart on this road trip. However, it’s important to remember the road can get rather dangerous in winter. Check the highway website before leaving to ensure you’re aware of the conditions.

7 . Animals can be heroes.

One sunny afternoon as I sat on my back porch, I noticed my loyal dog Louie playing in the yard. Suddenly, barking (吠叫) ________, he rushed to the chicken cage.

________, I walked over to see what was going on. As I approached I saw a small snake slithering (爬行) along the ground. Louie was barking and ________ the snake around the cage, ________ to protect his feathered friends. I watched in amazement as Louie ran around the yard, ________ over flowerpots. The snake, ________ by Louie’s sudden appearance, slithered away as fast as it could. But Louie wasn’t about to let it ________. He continued his chase, trying to ________ the snake out of the yard.

The hunting went on for what full like ages, with Louie and the snake moving quickly around the yard. Finally, Louie managed to ________ the snake near the garden shed. With a winning bark, he dashed forward to grab the snake in his Jaws — but ________ and ended up falling into a pile of leaves. The snake, ________ its chance, slipped away into the underbrush, Louie ________ from the leaves, looking a bit confused but still determined to protect the chickens. He settled down next to the cage, keeping a watchful eye on the area ________ the snake came back. The chickens seemed to sense Louie’s ________, and they looked out at him through the wire mesh, clucking their thanks.

And that’s how Louie became a ________ in our yard.