On Sept. 19 the Westchase Elementary PTA(Parent-Teacher Association)will hold its Wizard Walk. The Wizard Walk is a locally organized, healthy alternative to traditional product sales that will raise money to support all PTA programs and events for the year. Remaining money will be applied to an on-going capital campaign to build a new playground.
The Wizard Walk will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 28, from 8 a. m. to noon at the Westchase Recreation Center Field. Volunteers will be needed throughout the event. Look for more Wizard Walk information and volunteer sign-up links in your student's folder, or contact(联系)Laura Kohler at president@ westchasepta. org.
The PTA is also holding a year-long Spirit Stick fundraiser(资金筹集活动). Spirit Sticks are small and students can display them on a key ring on their backpacks, which represent a variety of interests and accomplishments. There will be many ways to earn a Spirit Stick (good grades, great behavior, exceptional attendance, etc.)and opportunities to purchase the limited edition sticks for just $1 every Friday in the courtyard. For more information, contact Nikki Pivnichny at fundraising@ westchasepta. org.
In addition to new fundraising programs, the PTA is partnering with our Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Kiersten Rivenburg, on a new campaign called Kindness Counts. Look for new recognitions and rewards as we continue to promote kindness from our children, staff and parents throughout the year. For more information, contact Laura Smith at kindnesscounts@ westchasepta. org.
Now in its eighth year, the After-School Enrichment Program(ASE)is bringing back some favorite programs and offering some new ones. Students will have the opportunity to explore and develop a variety of new interests. Class schedules will be available soon. Registration starts on Sept. 7. Fall session begins Sept. 21 -22. For more information, contact Jennifer Newman at ase@ westchasepta. org.
I waited half an hour, set the board, and sat in the studio, reviewing my questions until the telephone lines flashed.
"Hello?"
"This is Connie Chung. I'm so sorry I'm late."
Connie Chung was one of the only four women anchors(主播)to make it into the club of major evening network television news. For almost an hour we talked about the industry. When I asked if she ever had an instructor throughout her trials, she turned around and offered to instruct me. When I asked why she decided to do it, she simply replied, "Because you're good."
That afternoon I rushed home and told my mother what had happened. Without looking up, she just said "Good for you." Hearing this, I felt a sense of loss. Her consistent response always made me feel under-appreciated.
Until then I had been searching for something that I would never get—that sense of love and acceptance in a house full of negativity(消极).
I knew I needed to get rid of all the negativity in my life first, so I packed my bags and walked out of the house, thinking a risk would allow me to open myself to the world again and receive all the positive energy that I needed.
Then radio became my way of connecting with others. My ability to book high-level guests and celebrities(名人)was gradually recognized and eventually all the words of encouragement from past guests and colleagues helped me to re-build my confidence levels. "I can do this," I kept telling myself, and pushed even harder to find my next aim.
People had faith in me, so I developed faith in myself. Their positive attitudes towards themselves and towards me helped me develop my own positive attitude, leading to productive interactions with celebrities and adding to my list of instructors.
I may not have started life surrounded by positivity but I surely feel that I am surrounded by it now. It's amazing how positivity builds on itself.
Some of the world's biggest companies—Apple, Amazon, Facebook—didn't exist 30 years ago. So what firms are we working for in 2050? That's a question put forward by historian Yuval Noah Harari in his new book "21 Lessons for the 21st Century".
He argues that because technology is changing so fast, it's one of the first times in human history when we don't know what jobs will look like in the coming three decades." So the best bet is to focus on emotional intelligence(EQ)," he said. "Information is the last thing the kids need. They have too much of it."
In this book, he focuses on the various challenges facing us today. As he writes in the book's introduction: "What are today's greatest challenges? What should we pay attention to? What should we teach our kids?" One area where these questions crop up is artificial intelligence(AI)Harari believes that AI will completely affect the job market for the next generation of workers.
His first two books—"Sapiens" and "Homo Deus"—became international bestsellers, selling more than 12 million copies worldwide. They were praised by the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Barack Obama and Bill Gates. Harari's books, about the past and future of humanity, attract a great number of fans. Fellow Israeli, actress Natalie Portman, is a fan. So is American R&B star Janelle Monae.
As for Bill Gates, he might be Harari's biggest fan. So when the New York Times asked him to review Harari's latest books, he jumped at the opportunity. "All the three books wrestle with some version of the same question: What will give our lives meaning in the decades and centuries ahead?" Gates wrote in his review. "So far, human history has been driven by a desire to live longer, healthier, happier lives. If science is eventually able to give that dream to most people, and large numbers of people no longer need to work, what reason will we have to get up in the morning?"
Wolves strike fear into the hearts of many species, humans included. Our fear of them has brought them to the edge of dying out, as we have cruelly killed them as competitors and trouble-makers. But researchers are discovering that the very fear they put into prey(被捕食者)species is exactly what helps make ecosystems(生态)healthy.
Yellowstone National Park is a typical example of just how wolves can help repair an ecosystem. An October 2018 study analyzed 40 years of research on large animals inside the park.
"Yellowstone has benefited from the reintroduction of wolves in ways that we did not anticipate, especially the complexity of biological interactions(互动) in the park," explained Mark Boyce, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences." We were really surprised at that and we'd never have seen these responses if the park hadn't adopted ecological-process management—allowing natural ecological processes to take place with least human intervention."
After the wolves were re-introduced at Yellowstone, willow and cottonwood trees increased in number. The population of bears and bison also rose and what was once a ruling deer-wolf interaction is now more diverse.
To learn more about just how wolves are beneficial, a short documentary from Quest explains how the presence of wolves influences the behavior of deer, which eventually makes entire ecosystems more biologically diverse and healthy. In this documentary, biologist Aaron Wirsing explored why wolves and other top predators (捕食者)were needed for diverse ecosystems to develop. Using a simple video camera, Wirsing is gaining a unique view point on predator-prey relationships and changing the way we think about wolves.
The research is one more piece of evidence for why protecting these top predators is important not just for wolves as a species, but for hundreds of species at every level of an ecosystem. The fear they bring along may be the very angle that helps save them from dying out.
Cold weather is good for you
With winter approaching, people begin to complain about cold weather. There's plenty to love about cold weather. And there's plenty of evidence that cooler temperatures can be part of a healthy life.
First, cooler temperatures can help you lose weight. It can also help you sleep better. You might feel uncomfortable at first if you cool your bedroom down. But if you, for example, switch your bedroom temperature from 72 down to 62 degrees gradually over a few weeks, your body will adjust.
I have long kept my winter house temperature at 62 degrees. How did I find that number7 Well, I experimented on myself about eight years ago. I started at 66 and turned it down one degree every few days until 60. I found when the temperature was colder than 62, I couldn't focus. But 62 was perfect. Another benefit for me was that it also kept me clear-headed while working at home.
Interestingly, science also says 62 degrees is the magic number for brainwork. It said 62 degrees was the temperature at which the schoolboy subjects of the study functioned perfect. And while we're speaking of work and school, other research shows that people study better when the weather outside is "bad".
But according to a Harvard Health Letter from 2010, proper cold temperatures could be good for skin because it trains blood vessels in the skin to be responsive. So, rosy cheeks! There's no reason to be afraid of winter weather. Hug it and you, too, can enjoy the season.
A. I recently read a 1972 study.
B. And you'll save money on energy costs as well.
C. Many people like to use cold water to wash their face.
D. At that time, I worked at home and liked warm temperature.
E. Most of us think cold weather leads to dry skin and wrinkling.
F. The reason was that I hated spending money on heating bills.
G. But if you're active and healthy, it doesn't have to be a negative thing.
"Mom, I don't like you," my two-year-old son said.
"Okay… is that 1 you love me?" I asked.
"No, you're not lovely."
That night, as I washed my face, I 2 a little longer in the mirror—not because I was hurt by his 3, but because I noticed there was no light in my 4.
I took out a pen and started writing a list—a list to 5 myself; a list to put sparkle(火花)back into my eyes. I once made many lists but 6 accomplished anything. This time would be 7!
The first goal on my list I wanted to achieve was 8 a Polar Plunge to raise money for the Special Olympics. On that day, when I 9 into my 1980s workout clothes, Jack smiled, "Mom, you look 10." Maybe, just maybe some light 11 my eyes.
When coming out of the cold lake I felt happy and proud. I kept screaming, "I 12 it !" But one of the most exciting parts of the day was when I stood in front of my 13, which was taped on the refrigerator door. I 14 item number one. With that, I began to take back my life.
Everyone taking part in the Polar Plunge received a 15. Whenever I wore it, Jack asked, "Is that your Polar Plunge clothing?" I answered 16, "Yes!" "I want to do that too." I was happy he remembered I jumped into a 17 lake, and that he wanted to do activities with me.
With each 18 crossed off(划掉) the list, a piece of myself is 19. Not only am I showing my family it's important to 20, but I'm showing myself that I'm worth it.
Iceland is a land of volcanoes. Nowhere is (evident) than on the Westman Islands off the southern coast of Iceland. Here, (century) of volcanic eruptions formed many eye-catching sea cliffs (悬崖), among one stands out: A part of the volcano-formed coast on Heimaey looks exactly like the head of a large elephant (stick)its trunk in the water.
In fact, it looks so much like an elephant that many people think it must have been shaped by humans. That is not case, however. The elephant's realistic (appear)is, at least partially, due to the fact that the cliff (consist)of a special rock. The rock gives the figure "skin" that looks wrinkled and gray, just like that of a real elephant.
The most common theory is that the rock formations came from the Eldfell Volcano, which (erupt)many times since the 1940s.
In spite of the strong resemblance to an elephant, some people (actual)see something different when they look at the rock formation. They see the fictional character Cthulhu, a sea beast.
Whether you see an elephant a fictional beast, as one of many attractions on Heimaey, the rock does draw curious sightseers.
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧),并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线,并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2.只允许修改10处,多者(从第11处起)不计分。
It was a math test, for which I have prepared for a long time. So much importance I attach to it that I even felt a little nervous before a test. My heart began to beat wild immediately I took my seat in the classrooms. Looking at the test paper, our mind went blank. I attempted to focus my attention and it was impossible. So I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, try to calm down. It worked. Gradually I recovered from my calmness. Feeling more relaxing, I picked up my pen and began to write.
1)邀请原因;
2)活动内容;
3)活动时间和地点。
注意:1)词数100左右;
2)可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。