the dog was finally ______ by a loving family.
Ben Miller is a British actor, as well as a productive writer for children. Here, he shares his favorite books.
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green
I loved reading when I was little. My parents were both English teachers, and our home was full of books. Dickens was a family favorite. But the book that really fired my imagination was King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green.
Buy King Arthur and His Knight of the Round Table here
Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith
I'm a fool for a classic, and I'm so glad I finally managed to finish Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith. Put simply, its the funniest book I've ever read, with text by George and illustrations by Weedon.
Buy Diary of a Nobody here
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
It's never too late to have your life changed by a book, and it happened to me again recently when I read Ted Chiang's collection Exhalation. Story of Your Life, one of the best in it, inspired the sci-fi alien visitation classic Arrival. I love that too, but each and every piece in Exhalation is its match in imagination.
Buy Exhalation here
Ben Miller's new book The Night We Got Stuck in a Story is available now.
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During 20 years of working at his family's supermarket in Pollenca on the Spanish island of Mallorca, Jose Luis-Reig, known as Pep, never gave a thought to the academic (学术的) world. It was only when visiting the classrooms of mainland universitates with his two teenage daughters that he suddenly felt himself at home among the books and atmosphere of learning.
After school Pep had intended to do a degree in biology at Barcelona University but had been called on to help run the family business instead.
But the question of "What's my role in life?" still kept coming back to him. It wasn't until a year later that the answer suddenly struck him. When he was at school, other children would come to him with their problems. He became famous and so was invited onto local radio, where the interviewer said, "You're like a young psychologist."
Pep was no stranger to change. The family business had originally been a sawmill (锯木厂), but when Pep, then 27, was asked if he wanted to take over, he decided to transform the mill into the town's first supermarket.
One day in the shop, what the radio presenter said came back to him. After running the idea past his family, he applied to university in Palma to study psychology and, aged 46, was accepted.
"I had to get used to being much older than all the other students," he says. "In fact, I was older than my professor. But I believe disadvantages can always be advantages. And I ended up helping the others because I'd had more life experience that carries psychological impact, which could reflect classroom theory."
Pep came top of his year and impressed his tutors so much that he was offered a job researching and teaching, which he still does while studying for a master's in neuropsychology. Now 52, and still in the job, he adds, "My only regret is not having done it earlier."
When almost everyone has a mobile phone, why are more than half of Australian homes still paying for a landline(座机)?
These days you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in Australia over the age of 15 who doesn't own a mobile phone. In fact plenty of younger kids have one in their pocket. Practically everyone can make and receive calls anywhere, anytime.
Still, 55 percent of Australians have a landline phone at home and only just over a quarter (29%) rely only on their smartphones according to a survey. Of those Australians who still have a landline, a third concede that it's not really necessary and they're keeping it as a security blanket -19 percent say they never use it while a further 13 percent keep it in case of emergencies (紧急 事件). I think my home falls into that kind.
More than half of Australian homes are still choosing to stick with their home phone. Age is naturally a factor(因素)-only 58 percent of Generation Ys still use landlines now and then, compared to 84 percent of Baby Boomers who've perhaps had the same home number for 50 years. Age isn't the only factor; I'd say it's also to do with the makeup of your household.
Generation Xers with young families, like my wife and I, can still find it convenient to have a home phone rather than providing a mobile phone for every family member. That said, to be honest the only people who ever ring our home phone are our Baby Boomers parents, to the point where we play a game and guess who is calling before we pick up the phone (using Caller ID would take the fun out of it).
How attracted are you to your landline? How long until they go the way of gas street lamps and morning milk deliveries?
More than 90 percent of global trade today is carried out through ships — about 53,000 business ships trading internationally. That number seems to increase quickly. A 2019 study, led by researchers at McGill University in Canada, has predicted (预测) an increase in ocean traffic of anything between 240 and 1209 percent by 2050. In preparation for this increase, scientists and engineers around the world are dealing with the difficult question of how to navigate (航行) more safely.
On the west coast of the US, one such group has a single target-whales. The region is home to not only busy international ports but also the rich feeding grounds of blue, humpback and fin whales. As a result of crossovers, ship strikes are thought to be one of the leading causes of death for whale populations.
Dr Briana Abrahms, a research ecologist at NOAA Fisheries' Southwest Fisheries Science Center, is developing an app that will allow managers and ship members to be alarmed to the possible location of blue whales. It is based on the group's new model which predicts whale movements based on the oceanographic conditions. "Ocean conditions can change on a daily basis," Abrahms explains. "We know what conditions the whales like, so every single day we can look at where those conditions are and predict where the whales will go."
Of course knowing where the whales are is hardly effective if captains ignore the information. Abrahms admits that voluntary slow-down plans for large ships on the east coast of the US (slower ships being less likely to kill whales) have seen low levels of obedience (遵守). Her hope is that more accurate data will encourage owners and managers to respond. "Part of the reason we think for the low obedience is that there isn't much confidence among the shipping industry. If you say 'slow down between July and November', the shipping industry doesn't believe that there is actually a whale there. By making it more accurate in predicting whales, we're hoping our app will help," Abrahms said.
Getting enough sleep helps you focus, remember information and strengthen your immune system. But when it comes to children, they will not think about these benefits of quality sleep. Many parents struggle to get their school-aged children, from ages five to 11, to willingly and peacefully wind down for bed., the tips on forming healthy sleeping habits can benefit your entire family.
Building healthy sleeping habits starts with creating a routine for the entire family. This could include turning off screens, spending quality time with your children, and brushing your teeth and saying goodnight. The benefits of having a consistent (一致的) bedtime schedule go beyond getting enough hours of sleep.
Store away anything with a screen
What may also distract your kids from falling asleep is bright light from electronic devices. You may have heard of melatonin (褪黑素), your sleep hormone. — and doesn't allow the melatonin to make you feel sleepy. So turning devices off — TVs, iPads, phones, all of it — at least an hour before bedtime is ideal.
Consistency is the magic word
For anyone hoping to get better sleep, it all comes down to consistency. So if your family is trying out a new routine, "it usually takes being consistent for a period of three to four days before you'll see that change in behavior in the child." Creating an ideal sleep environment can also help kids keep a consistent bedtime. Experts recommend using blackout curtains to set up a bedroom that is pitch black, if necessary. . These conditions can't be met in every home, but even a few adjustments could make a huge difference in your family's well-being.
Be prepared for the tricks
When it gets closer to bedtime, it's important to watch out for your little one's cues and body language. If you notice them getting tired, do not wait to start your bedtime routine. If you wait too long, your kids will no longer feel sleepy but still feel very tired. You'd better create a bedtime checklist that includes everything your family does before going to bed. On this list, you can also write down anything that your child typically requests like water, story time or hugs and kisses. , you can have the child check off all the items and so that when you go to leave and the child says, "Oh, I need one more sip of water", you can say "We took care of that already, sweetie. I love you. Good night. I'll see you in the morning."
A. Blue light from electronics affects your eyes
B. Electronic devices wear children out
C. It also helps to keep your room at a lower temperature
D. For parents struggling to get their little ones to bed on time
E. In order to get those energetic children to sleep in a better way
F. So after that bedtime routine is completed
G. Create a bedtime routine
Last Sunday, there was no dirt in the air, only bright spring sunshine and a clear blue sky. After church, Papa headed out to the field to check on the cattle while Mama started dinner. Faye and I played in the yard. The temperature suddenly dropped-it felt good. The 1 had been building since dawn.
Then Mama shouted from the house, "Merry, you and Faye get inside, real quick now!"
I looked to the west and saw a huge black cloud of2, like thick smoke from a railway engine's chimney. All the birds flew away. "Faye, go with Mama!" I shouted. "I'll warn Papa."
Faye ran toward the house. The storm hit so fast that I 3 saw her climb the porch(门 廊) steps. In a short time, the day turned into night. I 4 for Papa, hoping my voice would lead him back.
The dirt and sand stung my face like a thousand bees. I needed to get to shelter. 5 my face with one hand, I made my way toward the car and opened the door. Dirt flew in with me as I pulled the door closed. Papa was still out there! I needed to help him 6 the car.
I searched the dashboard (仪表板) and found the switch for the front 7. They made some rays, but would Papa see them in the thick 8? I pushed the horn again and again, hoping Papa would hear it.
Suddenly, Papa's face appeared at the window. My heart jumped with surprise and 9. He opened the door and climbed onto the seat next to me. He coughed and wiped his eyes with dirty hands, then pulled me into his arms. "Oh, Merry, you're 10. "
I hugged Papa and cried. I could feel the tears streaming down my dirty cheeks. Papa 11 my face. "Your mother and Faye?" I said, "They are in the house." Papa nodded, "Good. We'll wait out the storm there." Papa shut off the car's lights and I worried the dirt would 12 us.
Finally, the wind died down and the dust started to 13. Papa kicked against the door, opening it far enough to let us out. We went home as Mama 14 out. "Mama!" I shouted and ran into her arms. "Oh, my precious Merry!" Mama cried. "You and Papa are safe!"
"I'm safe thanks to Merry," Papa said. "The car's horn led me to shelter."
"I'm so proud of you." Mama said to me.
I cried even more then, tears of joy because our family had 15 the horrible storm.
Have you ever tasted or perhaps heard of sugar painting? As fewer people choose to make sugar paintings, the traditional Chinese folk craft might have become a (distance) memory in some ways. However, a 38-year-old craftsman, Li Jiangzhong, is devoted to (keep) the art of sugar painting alive.
Li worked a miner for more than ten years. After the mine closed down, Li turned to housing decoration until he (force) to give that up due to a finger injury. Earlier this year, he discovered sugar painting, something he really had interest in.
Since there was no sugar painting craftsman in his village, he studied by (he) through large quantities of videos and information on the Internet. Li loved painting when he was young, he found it easy to learn the skill in sugar painting. He soon mastered the skill and could have varieties of sugar paintings (make) with melted brown or white sugar. A craftsman (careful) paints animals and flowers on a stone board with the syrup (糖浆). What appears is a piece of sugar art when the sugar (cool) down.
