4 . By day, Robert Titterton is a lawyer. In his spare time he goes on stage beside pianist Maria Raspopova—not as a musician but as her page turner. “I’m not a trained musician, but I’ve learnt to read music so I can help Maria in her performance.”

Mr. Titterton is chairman of the Omega Ensemble but has been the group’s official page turner for the past four years. His job is to sit beside the pianist and turn the pages of the score(总谱) so the musician doesn’t have to break the flow of sound by doing it themselves. He said he became just as nervous as those playing instruments on stage.

“It’s a demanding job. A lot of skills are needed for it. You have to make sure you don’t turn two pages at once and make sure you find the repeats in the music when you have to go back to the right spot.” Mr. Titterton explained.

Being a page turner requires plenty of practice. Some pieces of music can go for 40 minutes and require up to 50 page turns, including back turns for repeat passages. Silent onstage communication is key, and each pianist has their own style of “nodding” to indicate a page turn which they need to practise with their page turner.

But like all performances, there are moments when things go wrong. “I was turning the page to get ready for the next page, but the wind from the turn caused the spare pages to fall off the stand.” Mr. Titterton said. “Luckily I was able to catch them and put them back.”

Most page turners are piano students or up-and-coming concert pianists, although Ms Raspopova has once asked her husband to help her out on stage.

“My husband is the worst page turner.” she laughed. “He’s interested in the music, feeling every note, and I have to say: ‘Turn, turn!’ Robert is the best page turner I’ve had in my entire life.”

A self-service flower shop operated by a college student in Beijing is attracting many young customers, Chinese media reported.

Different from traditional shops in the capital, the young storekeeper surnamed Wang opened the first self-service flower shop where people can select flowers and pay via mobile payment systems including Wechat and Alipay.

Born after 2000 and a lover of literature, the young man said “he begins the startup (创业) because it will not take up his time”. “Besides, people can go to flower shops at any time,” he added. “I cannot focus on reading when I have to serve customers.” So Wang opened the self-service flower shop after doing market research.

Most young customers like shopping in a free environment, and hate promotion (推销) from clerks, he explained, adding that customers can have their questions answered about the names of flowers through mobile apps.

Even though there is no shopkeeper, the operation has attracted many young customers and proved to be a success, at least for now.

Although he does not sell flowers in the shop in person, Wang said he would go to the shop at odd intervals to take care of the flowers though he couldn’t afford it full time.

“It is a business with a little money, and it can’t cause a huge loss if a burglary (偷盗) happens,” he said, adding that he trusts people.

6 . Summer Camps

About us

Summer Camps offer many programs that develop athletic skills, teamwork and healthy habits to kids. We create a safe and non-competitive environment for learning and making friends. Our counselors(指导老师)are required to complete much training and deal with some practical issues. Directors and head counselors are qualified in CPR (心肺复苏)and First Aid and so on.

Full-day Camp (ages 6-13)

A typical camp starts with soccer, kickball, basketball or field games. After lunch, the kids do three activities. Depending on location, there are swimming, science and nature, arts and crafts, rope courses.

Li’1 Rascals Day Camp (ages 3-5)

Preschoolers get all the fun of full-day camp in half the time. Activities include arts and crafts, sports, games and relays. Each week has different themes. All participants must be able to be taught to use a patty(便壶).

Specialty(专长)camps (ages14-16)

These specialty camps build many athletes. Our experienced staff will help your child be excellent in his or her favorite sport.

·Tennis

·Basketball

·Soccer

·Dance

·Cheer-leading

Fee: $120

Contact Information

Call: 068-990-3224; E-mail:summercampsforkids@hotmail.com or Write to: 125 Seventh Avenue South New York, NY 10014

What the parents from last year say about the camps:

“All the activities were perfect. My son definitely wants to return next year and I will recommend the camp to others.”   

— Kate

“I think this is one of the best camps that my children have attended. The counselors and directors are enthusiastic and friendly. The programs are excellent and it is the only camp that they ask to go back to.”

—Jack

“My children had an excellent time at your camp. I was very impressed by both your friendly, helpful counselors and directors and the excellent way that the entire camp was organized and run. I will consider next year! Many thanks.”                    

—Mary

7 . When faced with the decision to get out of bed or have a few more minutes of sleep, which do you choose? Believe it or not, that decision could make a world of difference in the rest of your day.

About 85 percent of Americans use an alarm clock to wake up in the mornings, according to sleep researcher Till Roennenber. And while there are no official numbers on snoozing (打盹), a quick survey of social media makes it clear that hitting the snooze button is a popular choice for many people.

As to how the snooze button will affect your day, scientists have mixed opinions. Some scientists think people who hit the snooze button in the mornings are actually clever, creative and happy while some said that hitting the snooze button will ruin your life, or at least your day. “I feel that hitting the snooze button has got to be one of the worst things that ever happened to human sleep,” researcher Jonathan Horowitz said. “The chances of you ‘snoozing’ and actually experiencing a meaningful rest are close to zero.”

According to some sleep experts, when hitting the snooze button, you are in fact confusing your body and mind, and throwing yourself into a deep state of being sleepy. The body needs some time to wake up, so, when returning to what will be a light sleep for a brief period of time, you are putting your body back into a sleep mode before waking it again. At that point your body won’t know what it wants, resulting in a sort of half awaken state.

If you really want to take advantage of an alarm clock, the key is to form a healthy sleep cycle. Focus your efforts on getting enough sleep each night and waking up at the same time each day so that when your alarm goes off you feel rested.

8 . Scientists have made great discoveries. But how have they influenced our personal lives? Do kids in your classroom even know when Einstein lived? You may be wondering: but why is it important to teach kids about modern-day scientists?

First, stories of scientists can encourage kids. Chris Hadfield is a Canadian who went to space, and he's a real guitar-playing person. He makes singing videos on YouTube! His story can make kids think scientists are also common people. Hearing scientists' stories makes kids think “I can do that too”!

But not only that, the stories of famous scientists can encourage kids to explore and never give up. Bill Nye was always refused when trying to be an astronaut. But today, he has made a lot of successes in his role as a popular science educator and engineer. Besides, it's no secret that scientific discoveries require trying, and trying again.

Another way some scientists can encourage kids is through their diversity（多样性）. Neil de Grasse Tyson, for example, is an African-American, which is not common in his field. Such stories can make kids think anyone can be a scientist.

It's important to know that scientists don't need to be “gifted” or “good” at school. Often we consider a scientist as being an extremely smart kid at school. That doesn't have to be true. They just need to have a great interest in science. Telling students stories of scientists can encourage them to show interest in science. As long as they are interested, they are likely to become a scientist in the future.

Modern scientists teach kids that knowledge builds upon the foundation others have laid. This is important—no one can do it alone. Scientists' stories can encourage today's young scientists to keep trying. They'll be encouraged not to give up on the dream of exploring and making discoveries. Even if they haven't made important discoveries, their research may help the following scientists.

10 . Prior’s Court is a school in Berkshire, southern England. The school is for children with autism(自闭症）. It cares for around 95 children with more severe signs of autism. Some cannot speak or communicate their needs.

The school is now finding a new use for virtual reality, or VR headsets. Virtual reality is a technology that lets you step inside a computer-created 3D world. You can explore and sometimes even manipulate(操纵) objects in that world. People with autism may find it hard to deal with places and situations they have not experienced before. VR headsets make the wearer feel they are in a different place. For example, someone wearing a VR headset can have a 360-degree view of a place as they turn around. With video, they can even hear the sounds of the place. Teachers at Prior’s Court decide to use VR to introduce children to situations like visiting a shopping mall, getting on a plane or skiing.

Nuno Guerreiro is a computing teacher at Prior’s Court School. He said, “Our children have difficulties with sensory（感觉的）issues so they dread going to very busy places. They like what they are familiar with; they like their routine. ” The school officials hope the VR experiences will help children feel better about changes from their routine.

Susan Green is the mother of an eight-year-old boy with autism under the care of Prior’s Court. She said，“My son spends most of his time indoors. But I do want him to know more about the world and experience new places. I hope this product will bring something different to his life.”

Susan Green isn’t alone. Many parents of children at Prior’s Court think that way.