1 . In 2019, after retiring from her career as a social worker, Ane Freed - Kernis decided to build a home workshop and devote all of her free time to stone carving. “I might be covered head to to e in dust but I’m happy — it was something I needed more of in my life when I hit 60,” she says.

This appeal has its origins in Freed - Kernis’ childhood. Growing up on her father’s farm in Denmark, she used to wander through the fields with her eyes fixed on the ground, looking for stones to add to her collection. “I’ve always been drawn to the shapes and textures (质地) of stones,” she says.

After moving to England in 1977 and training as a social worker, Freed - Kernis soon became occupied with her busy career and the demands of raising her son. Stones were the last thing on her mind, until her father died in 2005. “He took a stone carving course in his retirement, and I always thought stone seemed so fun but never had the time to look into it myself,” she says. “After he died, I became determined to learn in his honour.”

Signing up for a week-long stone carving course at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Freed-Kernis began to learn how to turn a block of rock into well-designed shapes. “It was really scary at the start because you would spend hours just hammering (锤打).”

Now 65, Freed-Kernis has a thriving small business built largely through word of mouth. She creates 12 to 15 pieces a year that can take anywhere from a few days to three weeks to complete, while her prices range from £ 200 to £ 3,000. “I’m making smaller ones,” she says. “I don’t have to depend on the money much, so I want to keep prices in the range that people can afford, mainly just covering costs and labour (劳动力).”

2 . In San Francisco, a large group of sea lions move themselves out of the bay waters and hang out on PIER 39, which is a popular tourist destination. According to dock (码头) officials, this is the most sea lions seen in the region in 15 years.

“Over 1,000 sea lions have been counted this week,” PIER 39 harbormaster Sheila Chandor told many different media. “The surge in sea lions is usually a good sign of their strong population and healthy living environment,” said Adam Ratner, Director of Conservation Engagement at the Marine Mammal (海洋哺乳动物) Center in Sausalito, California.

“California sea lions are sentinels (哨兵) of the ocean,” Ratner said. Their population to some extent reflects the health of the ocean. Therefore, seeing a large number of California sea lions is clearly a good thing.

For nearly 35 years, the slippery (滑的) residents have been a star attraction for tourists. That autumn in 1989, PIER 39 had just been repaired, but the ships had not yet been moved back. At that moment, the sea lions unexpected arrival not only attracted fans but also created enemies. According to a website, some dock residents and workers were scared away by the strong and very unpleasant smell and noise of their new neighbors, while others saw these animals as a bright spot after the destructive Loma Prieta earthquake.

The officials sought help from the Marine Mammal Center to find a way to deal with sea lions. Ratner said that the final decision is to let the sea lions stay and coexist with humans. “The fact proves that this is really a good thing,” he said. “This is just a proof of how we can truly work together and think about how we can share our coasts with marine mammals and other wildlife in a way that benefits all the parties involved.”

7 . We’ve all heard about techniques to get us more physically active — take the stairs and park the car a bit further from your destination. Now a study led by Dr. Buchman finds even simple housework may benefit brain health for the elderly.

“Our study shows exercise is an inexpensive way to improve health. It also shows exercise may have a protective effect on the brain,” says Dr. Buchman.

Previous research found just 45 minutes of walking three days a week actually increased brain volume.

The new study is unique. Dr. Buchman was able to analyze the actual brains of the study participants.

The study looked at 454 older adults who were over 70 years old when the research began. Of those adults, 191 had behavioral signs of dementia(痴呆) and 263 did not.

In the research, each participant wore an activity monitor called an accelerometer(加速度计). It measured those participants’ physical activity around the clock — everything from walking around the house to exercise routines. Researchers collected and evaluated ten days of movement data for each participant and calculated the levels of daily movement.

The findings show that higher levels of daily movement were linked to better thinking and memory skills. And when Dr. Buchman analyzed brain tissue under a microscope, this finding turned out to be the case even for individuals with at least three signs of Alzheimer’s disease(阿尔茨海默病). Even though these individuals might have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, 30 percent of them had“normal”cognition(认知), says Dr. Buchman.

Why one person shows signs of dementia and another, who has similar degenerative(退行的) changes in the brain, does not, is a mystery. But Dr. Buchman says the new findings suggest that physical activity may be protective, even among developing Alzheimer’s. It sort of masks the symptoms, he says. It suggests that you can have some control over your brain health even if you don’t have control over developing Alzheimer’s.

And, while intense exercise is highly beneficial, light activity can make a difference as well. “As long as you are doing exercise and you’re moving, whether you’re chopping onions or sweeping the floor, you can reduce your risk of cognitive decline,” says Dr. Buchman.

10 . The literature teacher entered the classroom and, with a smile on his face, said, “Hello, fellows!” Then he placed his notebook and books on his desk before stepping to the blackboard and picking up the chalk. Then he wrote down: “Who do I want to be?”

While reading the question, all of a sudden, I remembered what my grandmother said. Every time she scolded me, she would ask, “When are you going to become a person?” When I told my friend Firoz about these words, he burst into laughter.

Remembering my grandmother’s question and anger, I quickly covered my lips with my hand to hide my smile from the teacher’s eyes. But to be honest, I really had a dream deep in my heart. I wanted to explore outer space.

Our literature teacher had already announced that we would write an essay on an open topic. He wrote the topic on the board and took his place.

Most of my classmates had their heads bent over their blank papers. Some raised their heads and stared at the white ceiling, others scratched at the back of their notebooks. Baba Morad was biting his lips thought fully. Firoz was looking around. Part of my mind was busy searching for an essay topic, while the other was wondering whether dreams and wishes for the future are the same things.

My eyes wandered outside through the large glass window and stared at the sky where a bird was flying. I gathered my thoughts and began to write my essay, filling up the back and front of three white sheets.

Once again, I read my writing from the beginning to the end and was satisfied with the way I created it and the greatness of my desire. I looked around at my classmates, some of whom had finished their work, and some were writing, and then I looked outside.

The teacher, who had a long, dry stick in his hand to beat us sometimes, was walking around in the classroom. At the same time, walking under the watchful eye he would collect the essays of those who had finished writing.