1 . Like many young women, Joan Molinsky dreamed of a career on stage, entertaining the masses. However, her parents were skeptical; despite their daughter’s success in a number of local talent contests. Eager to see her perform in a club setting, Dr. Molinsky had his comedian-wanna-be daughter booked at the family’s beach club, which is Joan’s first dinner engagement.

Miss Molinsky started her act with a funny song, but the audiences’ attention span lasted only as long as it took the dessert carts to visit their tables. In a matter of no time, the 300 people in attendance had resumed any and all conversations they’d had prior to the pretty’s introduction on stage.

Heartbroken and ignored, Joan grounded her way through and uttered a polite “thank you” at the end of her final song. She burst into the nearby kitchen, teary-eyed with embarrassment. Her parents were also embarrassed and reinforced their belief that Joan had no future in entertainment.

Dr. Molinsky told Joan to give up her dream of comedy and pursue a more realistic career choice. His daughter went ballistic.

“I don’t care what you say!” She screamed at her father. “I do have talent. It’s my life. It’s my choice how I live it.”

The fight eventually resulted in Joan moving out of her family’s home and taking up a temporary work, while pursuing her dreams with a variety of troupes (剧团) and shows. Her dedication eventually led to a job in California as a writer and on-air “bait girl” for Candid Camera (隐蔽摄像机).

Despite her growing role on the show, host Allen Funt never could remember her first name, calling her everything from Jeri to Jeannie to Jackie. It was during her time with Candid Camera that Joan received a call from The Tonight Show, whom she had longed for over a year for a guest shot. They wanted her to appear with Johnny Carson.

Once on stage, Joan and Carson hit it off immediately. In the end, Carson wiped tears of laughter from his eyes and said aloud to his millions of viewers, “God, you’re funny. You’re going to be a star.”

The next day, dozens of appearance offers flooded in from all over the country, putting. Joan on comedy’s A-list. She also resigned from Candid Camera that day, much to the regret of an angry Funt. From that point on, no one would ever misidentify or underestimate Joan Rivers again.

2 . Many people are told that certain activities are out of the question for them, but a new invention proves that where there is a will, there is a way.

Dr. Zacharias Vamvakousis has come up with a creative way to improve the quality of life for countless people through the power of music. His invention is called EyeHarp, which enables individuals to make music using their gaze (注视) instead of their hands.

“EyeHarp is the first musical application that allows people with disabilities to play music with eyes or head movements,” Zacharias explains. “Using an eye tracker, you can make melodies by looking at the notes on the screen.”

EyeHarp uses the same type of digital eye-tracking technology used in some computer games. But instead of using it to aim weapons at digital opponents, EyeHarp uses it to track your eyes as they stay on different musical notes on a colorful circle on your computer screen.

The application allows you to play three to four notes every second. However, users have to be careful not to move their eyes too quickly from one musical note to the next. So, much like any other instrument, playing a tune takes practice and concentration.

Zacharias was inspired to create the magical application after a musician friend was badly hurt in a motorcycle accident. His friend was worried he’d never be able to play his guitar again, so Zacharias decided to find a new way to make music available to him. While his friend didn’t end up needing EyeHarp, Zacharias was on a mission to help others who thought music was forever lost to them. These are people who are so disabled that they don’t have the opportunity to do many things and learning music through EyeHarp gives them happiness, the purpose and the opportunity to play music.

Zacharias agreed, saying that music builds social connections and raises self-esteem. He’s currently training music teachers to use EyeHarp so they can reach even more people with disabilities. This invention has the potential for changing so many lives. Hundreds of people with disabilities have used EyeHarp.

“There wasn’t any instrument they could play. But now, they’re able to make their own music,” says Zacharias. “I hope it will light up the lives of more people like them.”

4 . Animals and people have been living together for thousands of years, but the past 100 years have been extraordinary in the amount of change in those relationships. In the last 100 years, people have markedly changed their perceptions (认知), their relationships, and their uses of animals and animal products. Many of these changes have occurred in our lifetimes.

Some of us grew up on farms and had considerable contact with livestock and wildlife. We knew that dairy cows were kept to provide milk and meat. Beef cattle and pigs were slaughtered (屠宰) to provide food, and chickens provided eggs as well as meat. Wildlife, living on the farm or nearby, was often hunted by farm families to provide meat and skins. Even though we understood, or perhaps because we understood the primary role of animals in our lives, we were often in a close relationship that gave us a perspective of our interdependence and the nature of life and death in our ecosystem. Today, less than 1% of families in the US are engaged in raising livestock; few children have seen or experienced the cycle of life and death of livestock or plants; few know first-hand where their milk, cheese, eggs, meat, vegetables and fruit actually come from.

One hundred years ago, nearly all dogs were kept for herding, pulling power, hunting, tracking, or protection and were seldom allowed in the house, almost never in the bedroom. Today most dogs in the US are kept in the house for companionship and only occasionally kept for work. Current studies also show that 60 to 80% of dogs sleep with their owners at night in the bedroom, either in or on the bed. This indicates the closeness of a relationship and is a major change in our attitudes towards treating pets as family. Today the media and most people consider pets as part of their families.

Today we have multinational and multicultural ‘recognition of the mutual benefits of the human-animal bond to health and spirit. Animals offer companionship—someone to talk to who will not criticize. They are living responding beings to touch or hug with emotion. Animals keep us alert and help fulfill our need to nurture and comfort others.

6 . Four Great Hotels in America

Stephanie Inn

Lying on Cannon Beach, Stephanie Inn is a great place to stay the night. However, you’d better stay here for two days — one day to walk along the sand and explore the beach and the other to enjoy the fantastic shops nearby. The moment you walk through the door, you’re treated like family. Be sure to make reservations for dinner.

The total cost for two people per night: ¥ 950;a 4% discount

The Lancaster Hotel

It lies in the big city of Houston. Like many other hotels, it offers tiny touches like free soft drinks, free breakfast, and free car service. This historic hotel dates back to the 1920s. Moreover, its room walls are designed with plenty of valuable original contemporary paintings, making the hotel unique in Houston.

The total cost for two people per night: ¥1,200;a 6% discount

Salish Lodge & Spa

It lies outside the town of Snoqualmie with 84 guest rooms. You can enjoy free breakfast and car service. The chef in the hotel’s on-site restaurant grows much of its produce on-site,   and everything else on the delicious menu is sourced locally. The hotel was once used as a place to shoot the popular television show, Twin Peaks. One of the show’s main actors is KyleMac   Lachlan.

The total cost for two people per night: ¥2,500;a 5% discount

The Giacomo

Close to attractions such as the Aquarium of Niagara, the Giacomo is housed in a building built in 1929 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP ) for years.   The NRHP is the U. S. federal government’s official list of things considered worthy of preservation for their historical significance.

The total cost for two people per night: ¥1,000;a 6% discount

Jake was a young software developer living in a busy city. Despite his success at work, he felt unsatisfied and often questioned the purpose of his efforts.

One evening, feeling particularly lost, he decided to take a break and visit a small coastal town where his old friend, Sam, lived. Upon arriving, eke was struck by the town’s calmness. Sam greeted him warmly and suggested they take a hike to a nearby lighthouse. The path was tough, but Sam assured Jake that the view from the top was worth it.

As they climbed, Jake voiced his doubts. “Sam, I’ve been working hard, but I feel stuck. What’s the point?” Sam paused and looked at the path ahead. “Life isn’t always easy, Jake. Sometimes it feels like we’re making no progress, but every step counts, even the hard ones.” Their conversation was interrupted when they reached a particularly rocky section. Jake fell, hurting his knee. Frustrated, he almost gave up and suggested turning back. He felt a mix of anger and disappointment, thinking all his effort was for nothing. But Sam extended a hand, helping him to his feet. “Life’s challenges can knock us down, but we learn and grow by facing them.” Finally, after much effort, they reached the lighthouse. The view was amazing—the vast ocean stretched endlessly, with the setting sun casting golden colors over the water. Jake felt a deep sense of peace and accomplishment. Sam turned to him and said, “See this view, Jake? It shows the big picture of life. The tough journey was worth it. Your work is the same—each challenge and effort leads to something greater.” Jake nodded, realizing his struggles had value.

As they walked back, Jake felt a renewed sense of purpose. He now understood that meaning comes from the journey, not the destination. With this new perspective, he felt ready to face life’s challenges with hope and determination.

9 . The moment the alarm goes off in the morning, the battle between children and parents begins. “Pack your bag quickly!” “Have you gathered all your books?” “Hurry up or you will be late!” The sounds of anxiety and impatience keep ringing in our cars. It’s fair to say that being too slow to pack a schoolbag or forgetting books is a common problem for primary and secondary school students. To solve this issue, we invented a smart schoolbag called “Zhi An Qi”, which means “intelligent, reassuring and complete”. It’s equipped with powerful functions.

We wanted to make our schoolbag easy to use. With a click, it can automatically display which books are inside and which ones are missing according to your daily schedule.

To scan several books at a time, we researched available technologies. However, we found that these technologies didn’t meet our needs. Disappointed, we went to a library to explore more options. What the librarian was doing interested us. Using a machine to scan a cart of books, he could see the returned books on the computer right away. After looking through the Internet, we soon discovered what he was using: radio frequency identification (RFTD, 射频识别). This technology provided the solution that could work for our schoolbag. We quickly made a plan and distributed the tasks. Some members began programming with MicroPython, while others created the circuit (电路) using a universal board (通用插件板). With our combined efforts, we designed the basic functions of the smart schoolbag and successfully applied for a patent (专利).

Creating just a model didn’t satisfy us. What we wanted was to turn it into a real product. To this end, we began commercial operations, such as writing a business plan and contacting producers. In the next stage, we will continue to upgrade the scan panel, making it removable and presenting it as a scanning accessory (附件).

“Of course, the process was quite difficult, as it was our first time developing a product,” said one teams member. “But if you stay determined, you will find that all the storms will pass, and eventually all the efforts will bring you victory.”