1 . Lou, a 20-year-old mathematician (数学家) with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) (脊肌萎缩症), is studying at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States.

He had SMA when he was born. He has had to deal with large physical challenges since he was a baby. This disease takes away his ability to walk, eat, or use the restroom without help. In the past two decades of his life, he has gone through several operations. However, these struggles can’t stop him from enjoying freedom in the field of math.

He loved math when he was a fourth-grader. He was always addicted to many questions like “Why could we prove anything meaningful in math? Why could we make predictions (预言) about the world through math?” These endless questions made him win a few successes. In the fifth grade, he scored in the top one percent on the AMC 10, a competition for students at senior high school. He also won a gold medal at the World Mathematic s Team Championship.

Now, he is a mathematician. He said, “It is clear to me that math isn’t only about numbers. Rather, it is the very language of the world itself. And it is the language that has allowed me to go beyond the physical limitations of my body.” As time goes by, his body weakens, but his enthusiasm for understanding the world through math has only deepened. He always believes that no matter how bad life may seem, there is always something one can do, and succeed at it.

3 . A phrase “less screen time and more green time” is popular now. A study from the University of Adelaide found that more time outside and less time spent watching TV is connected with better psychological (心理的) results and school achievements among teenagers. Gardening is a great way to do so.

Jim Carter, a psychologist of America, is asking for teenagers’ return to traditional values of gardening, and thinks that they need to turn off the TV and go outside to do something healthier instead. Carter even considers it important to put gardening as a usual course because it is proven to be good for mental health.

“It’s physical exercise, and it teaches patience,” Carter explains. “The wait for a small sunflower seed (葵花籽) to become a six-foot plant is long.”

“I’m hearing that teenagers are struggling to deal with stress, and every time they open Gardeners’ World, they talk about how gardening helps them deal with stress. They learn so much about life, and so much about themselves through gardening,” said Lee Connelly, a teacher who is carrying out his own green school programme—Gardeners’ World. “The join of gardening into the class course for schools presents a remarkable chance to change education and the benefits are far beyond the classroom, influencing mental health, behavior and developing a lifelong love for horticulture (园艺).”

4 . Four men who would become fathers were in a hospital waiting room while their wives were in labor (分娩). The nurse arrived and proudly said to the first man, “Congratulations, sir. You’re the father of twins!”

“What a coincidence (巧合)! I work for the Minnesota Twins Baseball teams!”

Later the nurse returned and congratulated the second father on the birth of his triplets (三胞胎).

“Wow! That’s unbelievable! I work for the 3M Company.”

An hour later, the nurse returned to congratulate the third man on the birth of his quadruplets (四胞胎). Surprised, he only could answer, “I don’t believe it! I work for the Four Seasons Hotel!”

After this, everyone turned to the fourth man who had just fainted (晕). The nurse ran fast to his side. As he slowly came to himself, they could hear him speak in a very low voice over and over, “I should never have taken that job at 7-Eleven. I should never have taken that job at 7-Eleven. I should never have taken that job at 7-Eleven.”

6 . In 1998, World Cup Football Match held in France took up a new rule. Instead of the usual black and white ball, a colorful ball was used in the game. The new ball was made up of 32 pieces of three colors: red, blue and white. Interestingly enough, the French national flag happened to be in three colors, too. Besides, 32 teams took part in the coming World Cup. But early football was made up of eight pieces of leather. As time went by, more pieces of leather were used, from 12 pieces to 18 to 26 and then to 32 now.

About three million such new footballs were made. And then some players were playing the new ball in their training. The makers have warned the goalkeeper that the new ball flies in a direct line at a fast speed.

After trying the ball for some time, a footballer said that the ball was quite different from the traditional (传统的) black and white one, and that the goalkeeper would find it harder to catch them. Another footballer said that there would be more goals. “For the player on the ground, the new ball is easier to control as it flies. A good player can shoot in more goals,” he said.

7 . Online Annual Refresher

This interactive yearly refresher course provides first aiders with an opportunity to practice and update their skills as qualified first aiders, at any time while their first aid certificates (证书) are valid (有效的).

Course description

Employers are legally required to ensure their first aiders are competent and maintain their skills throughout the three years in which their certificates are valid.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) strongly recommends that first aiders attend a refresher course once every year during this three-year period.

Course content

Session (阶段) 1:

Choking — 30 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is choking.

Session 2:

Chest Pains — 30 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is experiencing chest pains.

Session 3:

Severe Bleeds — 45 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is bleeding severely.

Session 4:

Recovery Position — 45 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is unresponsive and breathing normally.

Session 5:

Basic Life Support & AED (Automated External Defibrillator) — 30 minutes to complete.

After this session, you will be able to help an individual who is unresponsive and not breathing normally.

Booking details

Please click this button below if you are the person who wishes to buy and sign up for the course. You will be directed to our Learner Management System where you will be asked to login or register for an account. You will then be given the option to buy access to the course.

10 . One winter evening, Kelly was walking home from her favorite bookstore. She had bought two cookery books and three art books, and couldn’t wait to get home to read them in front of a warm fire.

“I read a lot, and love the pleasure of reading something that I want,” she said. But when she reached into her pocket, she realized that her wallet was gone. She looked around and started to retrace (折回) her steps.

“I’m down on my hands and knees, looking in the gutters (排水沟) around the streets. I go back and forth. My wallet is nowhere,” she said.

She went back to the bookstore, but nobody had turned it in. Kelly walked home hopelessly and was about to cancel her credit cards when an email appeared. It was from a man named Adam, who said he had found her wallet.

Through a name card, Adam found a way to contact Kelly and gave her his phone number and home address. Kelly had a taxi sent to Adam’s house and 20 minutes later, a small brown paper bag arrived on her front steps.

“The loveliest detail is that when I’m digging the wallet out of the bag, I suddenly find Adam has dropped a bar of chocolate at the bottom, which he can not have possibly known is my favorite,” Kelly said.

The kindness of Adam’s gesture has stayed with Kelly. She decides to look for chances to pass it on.