3 . It’s no secret that the Internet is home to some people with bad purposes. But staying safe online doesn’t require you to turn your Internet off.     1    .

Use safe public Wi-Fi networks

There are fake（冒充的）Wi-Fi hotspots to attract web surfers in. Once someone connects to such a Wi-Fi, the hacker（黑客）can see basically everything they do online. You should never use an unsafe public Wi-Fi network.     2    . And if you do use one, avoid entering any of your accounts online.

Only enter sites that start with https://

Need to see your checking account balance? If you’re about to enter an site, make sure the address starts with https: //and not http: //.     3    . And it means the site is encrypting（加密）your data. You may also see a lock symbol next to the site address.

Turn your Bluetooth off

A team of researchers have found that some people are able to take advantage of the weakness in a Bluetooth connection, and then listen to and change the content of nearby Bluetooth communications.     4    , if you’re not paired to your phone and actively using it. You might even save some of your phone’s battery（电池）by doing that.

    5    

Most computers remind users to copy and store their data, and it’s worthwhile taking the time to do it once in a while. Reserving data can be a lifesaver if your computer breaks down. You can bring your computer back to its normal use with the stored data.

4 . As Spring Break kicks off across the city, it’s an opportunity for families to explore the museums Houston offers.

Asia Society

Travel to Asia this spring break, without leaving Houston and without a passport. A center-wide treasure hunt helps guests learn about the arts and cultures of China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. Those who complete the hunt earn a prize! Admission (入场费) is $ 15 for ages 13 and up, $ 9 for ages 7 to 12.

Holocaust Museum

The museum has special Spring Break hours, including being open on Monday, which other museums don’t offer. Visitors can experience the museum’s four permanent (长期的) galleries and the featured exhibition (展览) The Kinsey African American Art＆History Collection, celebrating the achievements and contributions of Black Americans from 1595 to the present day. Admission is $ 22 for adults and free for children and students aged 18 and under.

Houston Zoo

Check out the new dinosaur exhibition at the zoo, where kids and adults can discover what these giant, prehistoric animals were like, take in keeper talks to learn what it’s like to look after the zoo’s animals, and explore the ongoing exhibits that bring wildlife up close. Admission starts at $ 34.70 for adults and children above 12 years old, $27.70 for kids 3 to 12.

Museum of Fine Arts

Join museum educators and artists to explore art-making activities inspired by Multiplicity: Blackness in Contem porary American Collage and experiment with new materials, tools, and processes to create your own works of art. Daily gallery activities, coloring sheets, colored pencils, and knowledgeable educators help families discover and explore art. The museum is closed on Monday. Admission is $ 24 for adults and $ 20 for kids 13 to 18.

5 . The Grammys celebrate the best in music; but behind every songwriter, performer, and producer that makes it to that stage are music teachers and educators who inspired them from a very young age. That’s why the Grammy Awards also hands out a Special Music Award, which recognizes those who have made a significant contribution to music education.

This year, the award went to Annie Ray, the performing arts department chair and orchestra (管弦乐队) director at Annandale High School in Fairfax County, Virginia—a community with many poor people. With the creation of the Crescendo Orchestra, she works to make music accessible to all students, particularly those with disabilities. Additionally, she created a parent orchestra, in which 200 caregivers learn to play the same instrument as their child every year.

Ray took home both a $ 10, 000 prize and a matching prize for her school’s music program. In an interview following the Merit Award ceremony, Ray credited her pupils for this award. “This is the students’ award,” she said. “I’m just lucky enough to have been a part of their journey and their process and to have been taught by them.”

Now, Ray will use the prize money to buy instruments—something the school has struggled to do. She also plans to create an ongoing scholarship for students who want to become musicians and music educators when they graduate.

For Ray, the moment appears to come full circle, since it was a music teacher who first changed her life at age 5. “The reason I am here is because a teacher changed my life and made me want to be a music educator,” she said. “The work is hard, but it is truly rewarding, and there’s nothing else like it.”

6 . Thanksgiving is a time of year when we get together with our families and celebrate peace over a giant feast including roast turkey and pumpkin pie.

There are many reasons why the pumpkin pie is made for Thanksgiving, one of which is related to the season. In the USA, Thanksgiving sits at the beginning of the fall season, and this is celebrated over a feast made up of seasonal food. Pumpkins are harvested in North America and Canada during the fall; therefore, being a seasonal crop, it is in richness at this time.

In 1621 some of the earliest American settlers came across pumpkins for the first time and were new to eating it. Early recipes (食谱) describe ways of cooking pumpkins, which would have included hollowing out (挖空) a pumpkin and filling it with milk and honey. They would have then roasted this on a fire. It became a tradition for the Native Americans to bring the pumpkins to the settlers as gifts, and they showed them how to cook and prepare pumpkins.

Pumpkin pie recipes began to appear in English-written American cookbooks in 1670. Some recipes included adding apples for added flavor (味道). Most recipes have continued to follow the basis of using pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, salt, butter, and so on.

The biggest pumpkin pie in the world was made on September 25, 2010, at the New Bremen Pumpkin Fest in Ohio. To make this large pie, 2,796 eggs, 525 pounds of sugar, and 1,212 pounds of canned pumpkin were used. After baking, the total weight of the pie was 3,699 pounds.

The pumpkin pie was a creation made with the help and guidance of Native Americans and is an important part of celebrating Thanksgiving.

9 . Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to express our gratitude and affection for the incredible women who have shaped our lives, whether that’s your mum, your grandma, your friend or whoever else you’d like to celebrate.     1     But figuring out what to say can be tough! Wondering what to write in your Mother’s Day card that could possibly capture your love for your mum?     2    

Start with a classic expression of gratitude. Thank your mother for her unwavering love, support, and the countless sacrifices she’s made.     3     Highlight specific memories or actions that showcase your mother’s love and care. Whether it’s her comforting words during challenging times or the delicious meals she prepares, acknowledging these small but significant gestures adds a personal touch.

    4     Common phrases like “With all my love,” or “Forever grateful” reinforce the depth of your feelings. After you’ve finished crafting your masterpiece of a Mother’s Day card message, sign it with a flourish! A personal touch, such as a heart or a smiley face, adds an extra layer of authenticity to your message.

A Mother’s Day card is a chance to convey the love and appreciation you feel for the remarkable women in your life.     5     Whether your style is poetic, humorous, or emotional, the key is to be sincere and genuine. As you put down your feelings into words, remember that the most meaningful messages come from the heart, creating a lasting keepsake (纪念品) that your mother will treasure for years to come.

10 . On one side of the room sits the cutest life-size stuffed animal (填充玩具) you’ve ever seen. On the other side rests a real dog — the same size, shape and even the same name as the stuffed version. You get to sit next to both of these furry friends and pet their fur. Guess which one will make your brain light up?

If you guessed the real dog, you’re right. Stuffed animals, as cute and lovely as they may be, just don’t effectively activate our frontal cortex (额叶皮层), the part of the brain overseeing how we think and feel, according to a new study published in the journal PLOSONE. The study found an even stronger rise in brain activity when the person petted the fur of a real dog versus a stuffed animal.

“We chose to research the frontal cortex because this brain area is involved in several executive (执行) functions, such as attention, working memory, and problem-solving. But it is also involved in social and emotional processes,” said study lead author Rahel Marti, a doctoral student in the division of clinical psychology at the University of Basel in Switzerland.

Why is this finding important? It provides additional evidence that live human-animal interaction therapy (疗法) may promote cognitive and emotional activity in the brain. Marti said, “If patients with deficits in motivation, attention, and socioemotional functioning show higher emotional involvement in activities connected to a real dog, then such activities could increase the chance of learning and of achieving treatment aims.”

“This is an interesting, seriously conducted study that provides new insight into associations between human-animal interaction and regional prefrontal brain activity in healthy adults. We found that brain activity increased when the contact with a real dog or a stuffed animal became closer. This confirms previous studies relating closer contact with animals to increased brain activity,” Marti said.