1 . Mother slipped into my bedroom on the night of my sixth birthday, hands behind her back. “I have one more present for you,” she said. “One I wanted to save until now. Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”

I did so in amazement. And in my hands she placed a brand-new hardcover book. A picture of a little girl with her arms wrapped around a pig decorated the cover. “It’s Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White,” Mother said. “The perfect story for a six-year-old.”

“It might be too hard for you to read by yourself right now,” Mother said. “But I thought I’d read a chapter to you every night if you want me to.” I nodded. And so she began the timeless story of Charlotte, the spider that is loving and clever, with the magical first sentence I’ll never forget: “where’s Papa going with that ax?”

Mother wasn’t exactly true to her word. She didn’t read me a chapter of Charlotte’s Web every night. Sometimes she read three or four. In less than a week, we reached the final pages, sobbing together as she read the part where Charlotte dies. We sighed sadly as the book ended with the magical sentences I’ll never forget: “It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.” That’s when I fell in love with reading.

And more books followed. As time passed and my reading skills improved, Mother and I took turns reading chapters aloud, snuggled (依偎) together in the oversized armchair in the corner of my bedroom.

When I read To Kill a Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye and The Grapes of Wrath in high school, Mother did, too, so that we could talk about them. My letters and phone calls home from college began, “Let me tell you what I’m reading.”

So it was no surprise when, just hours after the birth of my first child, Mother slipped into my hospital room with her hands behind her back. “I have a present for Meg.” she said. “Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”

3 . Throughout history, people have promoted stories of curse. Here are some famous ones.

King Tut's Curse

In 1923, a British archaeological team opened the tomb of "King Tut". Two months later, when the team's sponsor died from a bacterial infection, British newspapers claimed that was because of "King Tut's curse". Whenever other members of the team died, the media mentioned the curse gain.

Though it's not clear how many people took the curses seriously, these stories became popular subjects for some horror movies and comedies.

The Curse of the Polish King's tomb

In 1973, a group of archaeologists opened the tomb of Polish king Casimir IV in Poland. European media covered the great event, and the researchers joked they were risking a curse on the tomb by opening it.

When some team members began to die shortly after, some media suspected it was due to a curse. Later, experts discovered traces of deadly bacteria inside the tomb that could cause lung illnesses when breathed in.

The Curse of Tippecanoe

In the mid-20th century, US media began to note a pattern that, starting with Harrison and ending with Kennedy, every 20years the country elected a president to die in office.

Believe It or Not claimed the "pattern" was due to a curse placed by the chief of Shawnee, Tecumseh, on Harrison and future presidents after Harrison's troops defeated Tecumseh's at the battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. This story bears a similarity to other "curses" in US books and movies about disturbing Native burial grounds.

5 . The Ghost Bridegroom

At the time of this story, there was a great family gathering at the castle to meet the promised bridegroom of the Baron’s daughter. An arrangement had been made between the Baron and an old nobleman of Bavaria, Berton, for a marriage between their children. It would increase the importance of both families. The initial plans had been made in the usual way: the young people were engaged without having met each other and the date set for the wedding.

The young Count (伯爵) Von Altenburg had been recalled from the army and was on his way to the castle to meet his promised bride. Messages had been received from Wurtzburg where he was accidentally delayed. The messages indicated the day and time when he might be expected to arrive. The castle was in a fever of preparation to provide him with a suitable welcome.

Anne had dressed with particular care. Bertha and Wilda had selected her clothing and quarreled all morning about what she should wear. The young lady had taken advantage of their arguments to wear exactly what she wanted and had chosen very well. She looked as beautiful as any young bridegroom could wish for, and the excitement made her look even lovelier. The two aunts constantly directed her, as single aunts usually take a great interest in the love affairs of others. They were giving her the final instructions on how to behave, what to say, and how to greet her intended husband.

Hour by hour passed. The sun, which had been so warm over the rich forests of the Odenwald, was now setting along the tops of the mountains. The Baron went to the tallest tower in the castle to see if he could see any sign of the Count and his escorts.

Once, he thought he saw them. The sound of horns came floating up from the valley. A party of men was seen far below, riding slowly along the road. It was a false alarm, for when they reached the foot of the mountain, they suddenly rode off in a different direction. The sun, by now, had set, and the bats began to fly about in the evening light. It was getting dark, and the only movement on the road was the occasional worker returning home.

6 . Kemira Boyd’s 12-day-old daughter, Ryleigh, was choking after being fed 10 minutes earlier. The 24-year- old new mother began patting her daughter on the back, but she didn’t cry as she usually did. She knew Ryleigh needed to get to the hospital fast.

They had barely made it out of their neighborhood when the flash lights of a police car appeared behind them. Deputy（警官）Will Kimbro figured that the speeding driver was either too careless to notice him or simply unconcerned. Once she’d stopped to his call, Kemira jumped out and handed the baby to Kimbro, exclaiming that her daughter had stopped breathing. He put a hand on her little chest. Ryleigh’s heart was barely beating. Kimbro radioed for an ambulance－it was seven minutes out, and the hospital was even further away. That was seven minutes Ryleigh didn’t have.

Kimbro is an officer who usually spends his days going around the halls of a middle school ten miles away. But he travels farther when school is out in the summer. He had recently completed a CPR class. “Shocked as I was, my training kicked in, and I went to work to keep that baby alive,” says Kimbro. The deputy checked for a pulse and began tapping her chest, hoping to bring her heart back into action. Kimbro used one finger to clear the airway. That was a magic touch; 20 seconds later, there came her crying. Until the ambulance arrived, Kimbro continued with delicate chest pressure and regularly clearing her airway. “The whole time I was thinking: Do not let this baby die in front of her mother,” he later told Inside Edition.

At the hospital, Ryleigh recovered quickly－thanks to a determined school officer who was in the right place at the right time.

7 . Located in the Bahamas, Andros Island is also known as “The Sleeping Giant”，yet with only about 8.000 people living on it. Now the island has a new luxury resort Caerula Mar Club- which opened this February. The once-abandoned property was discovered by a well- known HGTV reality star couple who transformed it into a hotel. The Canadian design duo Bryan and Sarah Baeumler were vacationing in the Bahamas in the summer of 2017 when they discovered a once-abandoned resort. They instantly decided to purchase it with hopes to transform the 10-acre beachfront property into a luxury hotel.

However, they had no idea how much the investment would end up costing them. Here most supplies had to be shipped in, and the property was in bad shape. The budget for the remodelling should be around $ 4 million, but they've spent well over $ 10 million. What's worse, in the fall of 2019, category 5 Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas, and their employees and friends were affected.

Finally, several months later, as they prepared to open the resort to the public, the Coronavirus pandemic （大流行病）struck. They'd just been fully booked throughout the fall and winter months when the new disaster stopped everything as the Bahamas were put on lockdown.

With tourism opening up again, new plans are now for an October launch, but they're just taking things one day at a time. "I think at the end of this pandemic, well find many people are searching for a different experience，” says Bryan. "Instead of crowding into large resorts, they'll be going to properties where they can meet people, connect with the locals and experience nature. Our hotel is just such a place.”

Now the couple is focusing on the future while creating new development for visitors. “We certainly have plans to responsibly and sustainably develop the island that will help support the local economy says Bryan.

8 . Doug Falter, an American photographer, returned home, teary-eyed and exhausted. He pouted online that evening, "I lost my baby." That "baby" referred to a surfboard that had been custom-made for him. Hours earlier, a big wave had separated Falter from this prized possession.

Months passed with no sign of the surfboard. Falter saved money to buy a new surfboard for $ 1,500. But Falter never completely forgot the surfboard, which - six months later and more than 5,000 miles away from where it disappeared-floated to the southern Philippines.The local fisherman who found it didn't have much use of his unusual catch of the day, so he sold the board for s 40 to Giovanne Branzuela, an elementary school teacher. Branzuela hoped to learn to surf and one day share the skill with his students,who regularly accompany him on beach clean-ups.

The once-blue board had faded to a pale straw color during its journey, but its distinctive markings were still there: two elephants, one at either end. Underneath the elephants were the words "Doug Falter Surfboard".

Branzuela couldn't believe it on realizing how far the surfboard had traveled. He reached Falter online and sent him a photo of the surfboard. Falter was shocked to learn that his "baby"had drifted(漂流) across the world's largest ocean and survived. He was overjoyed.

But the story was far from over. Falter wanted to thank Branzuela with some surfing supplies for his kind act, but the teacher asked for school supplies instead, such as backpacks for his students and materials to help them learn English.

Falter said it made him raise money for the kids. So far, he has collected $ 2,500,which he has used to buy and ship maps, puzzles, classroom posters, textbooks, and workbooks.

9 . I’m a talker. I am keen on debating, gossiping and teasing when I have people to talk to. Under lockdown, however, I’ve only had my partner, Peter.

We not only lived, worked and travelled together, we mostly socialized together, too. Under the first UK lockdown, our already closeness began to feel uncomfortable. While talking to Peter, I could see his attention drift.

For the first time in our 10 years together, we needed to be alone. I tried to manufacture this by going on walks on my own, but a short walk wasn’t doing the job. I had hiked in remote spaces all over the world but always in a pair or group — for safety reasons. I considered my options and hit upon an idea: the semi-solo hike.

Could we do a circular hike but walk in different directions? This would give us the space and peace of a solo hike — done by a person alone. It felt like a promising way out, and he agreed to give it a try.

We started with a four-mile loop (环路) from Reeth. At the start, we parted ways. At first, I was aware of how close we were, which lessened the appeal. As I gained ground, however, I found myself very much alone. I set my own pace, and I decided to take my time.

I sat on a rock and breathed out. That moment — with the weak sun through the clouds and the breeze blowing — felt extraordinary to me. I was born and raised in London and had never imagined leaving until I met an outdoorsman. Now, my former life as a city girl felt crazy. In remembering what I had gained, I felt the tension leave me. There, in the chilly air, I no longer needed to talk. The semi-solo hike gave us a shared experience with added room to breathe.

I didn’t see Peter on the way but reunited back where we started, both pleased.

The semi-solo hike is admittedly silly in theory, but for me it has been a lifeline. It has given me the gift of time alone and, in a year of constant closeness, the joy of reuniting.