1 . J. K. Rowling frequently shows there is magic every day. Her Harry Potter series has helped people through times of stress and depression and she is always there to deliver wise words of encouragement.

She is one celebrity who is very active on Twitter. So when a single dad named Matt Burke sent her a message thanking her for the series, she noticed. Her series had helped strengthen his relationship with his 9­year­old daughter Bailey.

He included a link to his article titled Being a Broke Parent. He explained how he hadn’t found a level of financial stability that allowed him to pay bills on time and take his daughter on more activities and events. The family also doesn’t have the Internet or TV, which means there’s no “digital babysitter” and he has to rely on his own creative ways to bond with his daughter. Since he received the series, the main thing that has occupied them these days is reading books together.

Burke admits that he thought he was “too cool” for the books when they first came out and he was in his twenties, but he’s loving reading them now. “We switch off chapter by chapter reading them out loud，“Burke explains.” This not only allows her to get more used to reading aloud in front of someone, but it gets me directly involved in something she loves, and it gives me the chance to be very dramatic when I read my chapters and bring myself into the characters in the book, which has proven to be a ton of fun.”

After hearing Burke’s story, Rowling said how honored she was when Harry Potter was a part of his family’s life and offered Burke more books. Besides, people are also offering to send Burke more books as gifts. For Burke, this experience, far more than gifts, will be what he treasures.

Yours,

Li Hua

5 . With a new technique, scientists have essentially figured out how to create power from thin air. They have designed a tiny device that generates electricity from the air’s humidity (湿气), and it can be made from nearly any material, scientists reported in the journal Advanced Materials.

The invention involves two electrodes (电极) and a thin layer of material, which must be covered with tiny holes less than 100 nanometers (纳米) in diameter. The whole process resembles the way clouds make electricity, which we see in the form of lightning. “The air contains an enormous amount of electricity,” says Jun Yao, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering at UMass Amherst. “Think of a cloud, which is nothing more than a mass of water drops. Each of those drops contains a charge, and when conditions are right, the cloud can produce lightning. What we’ve done is to create a human-built, small-scale ‘cloud’.”

Scientists have previously tried using humidity to generate electricity, but their attempts have often only worked for a short amount of time or relied on expensive materials. But now, the new study shows that such materials aren’t necessary-just about any material works, such as wood or silicon, as long as it is covered with the ultra-small holes. This finding makes producing the device much more practical. “It turns an initially narrow window to a wide-open door for broad potential,” said Yao.

Currently, the fingernail-sized device can only create continuous electricity equal to a fraction of a volt. But the researchers hope it can someday become a practical, sustainable source of power.“ The entire Earth is covered with a thick layer of humidity,” Yao said. “It’s an enormous source of clean energy. This is just the beginning in making use of that.” Next, the researchers want to try stacking (堆叠) the devices on top of each other to produce more energy.

8 . Dance Classes

Ballet

Ballet teaches grace, posture (姿势) and flexibility. Students focus on the use of proper ballet items (物品), expanding their knowledge of classical ballet techniques and improving motor skills for classical ballet practice. The class is a formal ballet class.

Age: 8 — 10

Date: September 7, 2019 — May 16, 2020

Time: 10:30 am — 12:00 am on Saturdays

Creative Movers

Students can explore creative movement, balance, focus, the development of skills, motor planning and balance. The class helps build strength, flexibility and self-confidence, and allows children to realize expression in a positive and encouraging environment. Children use their imagination to celebrate movement and have lots of fun.

Age: 3 — 5

Date: September 7, 2019 — January 18, 2020

Time: 9:00 am — 9:45 am on Saturdays

Jazz

Jazz includes movements from both classical ballet and dance techniques. This class will focus on traditional Jazz dance. Students will be introduced to jazz-style rhythms and movements. In order to ensure proper placement for your child, we invite all students to participate in a sample (示例) class. Students and parents work with program staff to meet students’ personal dance goals.

Age: 5 — 6

Date: September 7, 2019 — May 16, 2020

Time: 2:00 pm — 3:00 pm on Saturdays

Hip Hop

Students will be introduced to several different aspects of hip hop dance including Popping, Locking, Breaking and Tutting in a high-energy environment. Our hip hop instructors are highly knowledgeable and will provide students with a wonderful view of hip hop dance.

Age: 7 — 10

Date: September 7, 2019 — May 16, 2020

Time: 1:00 pm — 2:00 pm on Sundays

There are several names for Britain: Britain, Great Britain, the United Kingdom, and the UK. The official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.     1     large number of people call the country “England”, but this is not correct. England is only one part of the UK. However, it is the     2     (large) part in the UK. There are four “countries” in the UK — England, Scotland, Wales     3     Northern Ireland.     4     (be) an independent country, the Republic of Ireland (or Eire) isn’t part of the UK.

London is the capital of the UK, as well as England, but all the other countries have their own smaller capital       5     (city), too.

Until 1603, Scotland and England were separate countries with their own monarchs (国王)   and parliaments (国会). In that year, however, the English queen, Elizabeth I,     6     (die). She had no children, so James VI, the King of Scotland, became King James I of England. In 1999, Scotland got its own parliament again,     7     can make laws about some things.

The English king, Edward I, conquered Wales in the 13th century. Many people in Wales,     8     (especial) in the north, speak Welsh as their first language and all children must learn Welsh at school. In some schools, other subjects     9     (teach) in Welsh, too.

Elizabeth I’s armies conquered Ireland in the 16th century and it later became part of the United Kingdom. There were a lot of problems in Ireland in the 19th century and thousands of people moved to the USA. In the 1920s, the south achieved     10     (independent), but Northern Ireland is still part of the UK.