The term “nostalgia” was first coined in 1688 and was defined as a mental illness of soldiers continually thinking about their homeland and longing for return. However, today we have a much more positive attitude to nostalgia. It’s a great example of the benefits of a strong memory.

In numerous scientific experiments, researchers have found that subjects are much more likely to report positive feelings from a given piece of music if they’ve heard it before. But there’s also a growing body of research into time travel “the other way”, because memory skills can take people into the future, too. Decades of studies have shown that time travel into the future can bring a whole new set of rewards. For example, athletes who practice by mentally visualizing and imagining successful performances in the future do perform better.

All these findings are inspiring and attractive. How could you become a confident time traveler to the past or into the future? Here are some tips for you:

·To take pleasure in helpful memories, maybe to reawaken happy feelings, use all your senses—not just sight. Smell, taste, touch and sound will also help you to recreate the past in rich clarity.

·If you find a memory that’s particularly helpful—for reassurance, say—keep using it!

You’ll get faster at finding it, and add extra layers of detail each time.

·When you’re procrastinating (拖延), visualize an end result. Flash forward to see the floor swept or the essay finished, and use that positive image to drive you into action.

·Ahead of major challenges, imagine the full impact of success. Don’t just picture yourself getting that great job: fill your mind with the really big ways it’s going to change your life.

There’ll still be times when old thoughts remind you of sadness, or you’re anxious about what’s next. But the more you learn to control your memory, the better you’ll be at mining your past, and shaping your future, to be your best self now.

4 . Bournemouth in Dorset has always been my favourite seaside town. When I was growing up, Mum and Dad didn’t have much money, but they’d saved enough for a few days in Bournemouth. I was four years old at the time. I don’t actually remember much about the trip, apart from being devastated when we had to leave. Mum said I fell in love with the place and insisted on waving goodbye to the sea when it was time to go. So I grew up believing Bournemouth was a wonderful place.

Forty years on, my wife and I returned for a week’s break. I was nervous, wondering if I’d be able to bring back that delight I’d felt as a child. I needn’t have worried. We had a fantastic time. It helped that the British weather had decided to provide us with high temperatures and plenty of sun. But it was Bournemouth that kept me spellbound, making me feel like a child again.

Bournemouth and its neighbour, Boscombe, are always busy, alive with chatter, music and other lively sounds. But as we stepped into Boscombe Chine Gardens, all the noise faded away. A sense of peace spread through us as we meandered along the paths, delighting in the squirrels climbing up and down the trees and the bright colours of the pretty plants.

One morning, we made a short trip to Poole Quay and took the ferry to Brownsea Island. Owned by the National Trust, it’s a feast for the eyes, from its mock Tudor entrance, to the many peacocks walking around, to the magnificent views of the sun sparkling on the shining waters and boats bobbing up and down, seen from the island’s highest point.

Before we knew it, it was time to return home—but not before waving goodbye to the sea.

If you woke up 20 years from now in 2042, what would be different? Here are some ideas     1    (base) on numbers that don’t require crystal ball. About 70% of the world population is expected to live in urban areas by 2050. That means most cities are going to need more infrastructure. Roads, public transportation and waste management     2    (upgrade). And we’ll be older. We are likely to live until 82.4 years old, compared with the current life expectancy of 79.1 years. That’s a good thing     3     health care companies. But living three extra years is going to be more expensive,     4     will have implications for both working and saving.

My grandfather is a Party member. He often shares stories about the Communist Party of China     1     me. One day, he talked about his fight in the Anti-Japanese War. He admitted that he had been afraid, but his determination to defend the country helped him overcome his fear. I thought my grandfather was a hero. He often reminds me that our     2     (peace) and happy life today is because of revolutionary martyrs (烈士). Our generation should be grateful to our great Party.     3     (inspire) by these stories, I make up my mind to study hard and make our country more powerful.

9 . Where is the future going?

Our work habits have changed a lot over the past thirty years. While our parents may have expected to stay in one job, with one company, for their whole life, we are faced with the possibility of changing jobs and even careers several times. Our understanding of education, work and society is different from that of earlier generations.     1         Many of today's jobs will either disappear or change in the next ten years or so.

What about people who work with computers? Well, things will change for them, too. More advanced computer programs and new technologies will remove the need for computer operators who perform simple actions. Modern search engines can do many of the things that yesterday's computer operators did. Word processing and simple information handling can be done automatically.     3    

A rapidly changing job market also creates new challenges for students, teachers and parents.     4     And it is becoming more difficult for parents to understand the kind of world their children are entering. Schools and teachers are also facing difficulties as they try to adapt to the new needs of their students, and the students themselves have to try to deal with all the changes and many questions.

    5     There are no easy answers, but we can try to turn challenges into opportunities. As the job market changes, new areas of growth appear. If we become good learners, and if we work together with our parents, friends and teachers, we can find ways to create a future where there is room for all of us to do what we are good at and enjoy.

10 . Future City Competition

Future City starts with a question—how can we make the world a better place? To answer it, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future that showcase their solution to a citywide sustainability issue. Past topics include Urban Agriculture, Public spaces, and Green energy while the topic of this year is Living on the Moon. Teams will design a futuristic lunar city and provide examples of how the city uses Moon resources to keep its residents safe and healthy.

Participants complete five deliverables: a 1,500-word city essay: a scale model; a project plan; a presentation video; and a virtual/online Q&A session with /judges. Regional winners represent their region at the international Finals. After completing Future City, student participants are not only prepared to be citizens of today’s complex and technical world, but also ready to become the drivers of tomorrow.

This flexible, cross-curricular(跨课程的) educational program gives students an opportunity to do the things that engineers do-identify problems: brainstorm ideas; design solutions; test, retest and build; and share their results. With this at its center, Future City is an engaging way to build students’ 21st century skills. Students participating in Future City also learn how their communities work and become better citizens and develop strong time management and project management skills.

Future City costs just $25 per organization—and you can register I team or 100. The price always stays the same.

We keep the price affordable so everyone can participate. Not only that, we limit the budget for materials for the City Model and City Presentation to $100 and encourage teams to use recycled materials. You don’t need expensive equipment to excel. Creativity, hard work, and commitment are all you need to get ahead.

Please note: Some regions limit the number of teams an organization can bring to the Regional Competition. Please check with your Regional Coordinator to find out the guidelines in your region.