April 27 brings Independent Bookstore Day, the biggest bookstore celebration of the year when bookstores around the country host events and offer discounts. Here's a selection of bookstores we love writing about.
Books on Main
Books on Main feels like you're reading inside a treehouse in a Wisconsin forest. It opened in June 2023. Local residents have a welcoming place decorated with wood, leaves and comfortable furniture to gather and discover new and beloved books.
Off the Beaten Path Bookstore
First opened more than 30 years ago, Off the Beaten Path has been through three sets of owners and three locations. Current owners Mike and Danielle Skov say one thing has never changed: The commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive space. They partner with local schools, libraries and nonprofits to reach as much of the community as possible. Changing Hands Bookstore
Too popular to be called a hidden gem (宝石), this Arizona jewel recently celebrated its50th anniversary. It first opened in a 500-square-foot space in 1974. It hosts author events, poetry discussion groups and offers a Trade Counter where customers can bring in gently used books for store credit.
The Last Chapter Book Shop
The Last Chapter is an all-romance bookstore in Chicago that opened in 2023. The store hosts author events along with community mixers like Blind Date with a Book, where you wrap one of your favorite books and swap it with a fellow bookworm in hopes of finding a new favorite and a new friend.
Jasmine is on my Zoom screen. She is pulling her hair. As she starts talking, the rate of the pulling increases." My exam is on Friday," she tells me, "What if I get a question I can't answer? What if I don't get a good grade?"
Jasmine is just one of the students suffering from test anxiety. The word "anxiety" originates from Latin, meaning narrowing. The "narrowing" describes what's happening in Jasmine's nervous system. Basically, the sympathetic (交感神经) branch — fight-or-flight ——has switched on, and her muscles have narrowed as if she's preparing to do battle or run away. Commonly known the "rest and digest" branch, the parasympathetic (副交感神经)nervous system plays an important role in thinking and learning by promoting a state of relaxation and calmness. When the parasympathetic nervous system is stirred up, it reduces stress and anxiety, improving focus and concentration.
There are three simple tools for engaging the parasympathetic branch: breathing, grounding, and sensing. Breathing means a steady flow of breath; grounding means feeling the chair and the floor supporting you; and sensing means turning on one or more of the five senses.
In more than 40 years of coaching test-takers, I have observed how often they hold their breath, how nervous and ungrounded they are, and how unaware they are of feeling the touch of clothes on their own bodies. No wonder people are exhausted by the end of a long test! When they use the three calming tools, they create the state necessary for sitting still, thinking, remembering, reasoning, and, finally, answering questions.
We all face countless tests in everyday life. Unexpected, unwanted things happen to everyone. Wouldn't it be a whole lot better if we faced the tests by being calm? In case you're wondering, the answer is "Yes!" But the real question is: Instead of forcing students to progress through endless comparison and competition, why don't we teach them how to stay calm?
"Big Tree," an old southern live oak, sits in a park just outside Orlando's business district. It's been struck by lightning at least three times and has survived many hurricanes—— and it grew from a seed around the same time Juan Ponce de León's ship first landed on Florida's eastern coast.
Over 400 years old, the tree is so impressive that members of a Michigan-based nonprofit flew to Orlando in February to climb the tree and cut branches and leaves. The researchers are now in the midst of the process to grow new roots from the cuttings. The reason: To clone the historic tree, store its DNA and plant potentially thousands of cloned trees across the Southeast.
In order to clone an ancient tree, researchers must climb it to find a piece of live tissue. The freshly cut branches and leaves are taken to the group's lab in Michigan, where, in climate-controlled rooms, researchers work to promote growth from the cuttings.
The most common method is by rooted cuttings. In this method, a tip of a tree's branch is dipped (蘸) into hormones, placed into a foam plug (泡沫塞) and set inside a mist room. Then, the waiting begins. A sign of life can take several months to a year to show, if one comes at all. In another method called tissue culture, researchers take a quarter-inch of branch, dip it into a mixture made up of a dozen hormones and other chemicals, seal(密封) it in a container and wait to see whether it will grow roots.
Experts 'lauded the group for its creative methods and reproduction in large numbers, but they doubt whether the clones will grow as the originals do. Scott Merkle, a professor of forest biology at the University of Georgia, said, "There are so many variables that there's no certainty that they will be able to survive and perform better than other trees that you plant on the same land". He added that the age of historic trees makes them difficult to study. "I think it's a great thing that they're doing…I just don't know how realistic it is."
Free-riding means people can benefit from a service without paying anything. It also arises if people can get benefit without making equal contributions. So a free rider always enjoys the benefits of a resource or service while letting someone else do the work or do more work.
There are several effects of the free rider problem. The first is the Tragedy (悲剧) of the Commons, a situation in which individuals with access to a public resource act in their own interest and, in doing so, finally use up the resource. For example, imagine that a group of people share a piece of land where they all graze (让……吃草) their cattle. If each person just tries to maximize their own short-term gain, they will let their cattle graze as much as possible. However, if everyone does this, the land will quickly become overgrazed and will not be able to support any cattle.
Another effect is that the free rider problem can lead to a situation in which people do not have access to important goods and services. This is because providers may not be able to get back the costs of providing the goods or services if too many people free ride. Imagine that a city decides to build a new hospital through donations. If too many people rely on others to donate, rather than donate themselves, then the hospital may not be built at all. This means that people who need medical care in the area may not have access to it.
There are several solutions to the free rider problem. Government addresses the problem by collecting tax dollars to support public services. Theoretically, taxes are related to income, so fair cost-sharing can be achieved. Communities can turn their public resource into a private or club resource, charging fees to make sure everyone who uses it contributes to it. This will limit overuse and, over time, may even lead to altruistic (利他的) behavior. That is, many people may like the idea of making a small contribution to a resource that they use.
It's natural to compare yourself to others, and even envy them, if you hop on your social media for a few minutes. With just a few clicks, you're flooded with vacation photos, updates, and ads. In this article, we'll teach you how to avoid certain triggers(触发因素) so you can stop comparing yourself to others.
Identify your triggers and avoid them. To stop comparing yourself to others, pay attention to the people or events that trigger your behavior. Do you feel dissatisfaction with your life after looking at high-end goods? Write down your comparative thoughts as soon as they happen so you can limit your exposure to these situations.
Appreciate others instead of. envying them. If you have friends who are highly achieving people, you might consider that their networks are full of people who might be able to help you become more successful in your life. Instead of envying their success, be supportive and use their success to your benefit.
Instead of focusing on your "weaknesses," reflect on the areas you can improve. Take classes, workshops, or lessons to improve your skills, and don't be afraid to ask other people for help along the way. By putting yourself first, you can promote your self-confidence and find your place and value.
Talk to a trusted friend or family member. When you habitually compare yourself to others, you can feel even more inadequate or discouraged. Discuss your comparative behavior with a loved one to release any negative beliefs and help you process your emotions.
A. Build your self-confidence.
B. Work on improving your abilities.
C. Do you have a positive thought about yourself?
D. Consider the advantage that others can bring you.
E. You might be surprised to hear they feel the same way as you.
F. Is there someone who always makes you feel bad about yourself?
G. But it doesn't mean you have to "keep up" to live a content and meaningful life.
—When an animal passes, it leaves holes that need time to repair.
Neki was my best friend. I met her 1 in my 20s. One cold morning, I was walking to work when a tiny face poked(探出) through a bush. She was 2 . I picked her up and warmed her. But since I had no spare time for a cat, I put it down and continued 3 . Seconds later, pin-like claws(爪) attached themselves to my 4 . Orange eyes peered up into mine. I had no 5 . I took her home. She slept next to me for the rest of her life.
When Neki died, I didn't think I would be consumed with 6 . She was only a cat, after all. But the ache I felt was real. I 7 myself at work but still was on the verge of tears at the me re thought of it. My work greatly suffered. 8 , my contract ended. But being fired was 9 because it was in this stillness that I began the healing.
I tried to 10 the sorrow at first but it forced me into isolation. Then I learned to talk about my grief openly and 11 it with my family. This made me feel 12 and stronger. I granted(准许) myself the time to 13 Neki's objects. My home felt empty but the expectation of Neki's presence remained. All I could do was 14 .
Slowly, the ache eased. After a year, I surprised myself one morning when I woke up and didn't 15 to see Neki. She finally rested in my memory.
For the 23-year-old Zhang Liang, physical disability has never been a barrier to stop him from achieving success.
Zhang, from Anhui province, has osteogenesis imperfecta, a rare genetic illness makes bones extremely weak, since he was a child.
frequent fractures (骨折) meant he couldn't walk independently, he remained optimistic and hardworking. In 2022, Zhang rode a twitter car to take the national college entrance exam, touching the hearts of many people. His efforts paid off. He performed well in the exam and (admit) to Anhui Polytechnic University.
Getting rid of the twister car and walking independently was always Zhang's dream.
After entering the college, under the (guide) of his professor, he, along with some classmates, (form) a small scientific research team to design a set of (wear)devices that help disabled people perform various daily activities. With the support of warm-hearted people, they finally completed the design (use) the 3D printing technology. Assisted by set of devices, Zhang finally managed to walk.
He also participated in the recent college students' career planning competition in Anhui province and won the second prize. "My goal is to become a responsible businessman the field of human intelligent exoskeleton," Zhang said at the competition. He hopes to use his professional knowledge and practical experience (help) more disabled people with intelligent equipment.
The more you trust and believe in angels, the more they will pour their blessings upon you.
It was our first day to explore the city of Moscow on our own, without a friend or tour guide leading the way. My husband and I had completed a week-long tour and felt confident that we could wander through the streets by ourselves now. We had enjoyed a full day of exploration when suddenly the sky turned from clear blue to gray. "It's time to head back!" I said.
As we went on along the road to our hotel, Kvart, the storm clouds covered the entire sky, and the first raindrops began to hit our heads.
"Should we grab a taxi?" I yelled, the rain being so loud that I had to raise my voice.
"No, we can make it," my husband boomed back. "It's only a twenty-minute walk."
As the rain and wind increased, so did our footsteps. The streets had turned into roaring rivers that quickly soaked our shoes. Suddenly, the biggest eruption of thunder I had ever experienced sounded directly above us! I thought my heart truly stopped for- that moment.
We hurried forward, but it wasn't long before we realized that we had been walking much longer than it should have taken us to reach our hotel. Where on earth did we take the wrong turn? We had not bought international phone cards, so we couldn't call for help, and the streets were empty.
Suddenly we noticed some lights on at a gas station. Great, at least we could ask someone there for help! As we approached it, two men were refueling their Chevrolet car. We asked them how to get to Kvart. They didn't reply but managed a friendly no d and smile. We went on to explain the situation with the few awkward Russian phrases we had just learned. They listened intently, but it was obvious that they were becoming increasingly confused. We had to try our luck back on the street, praying deep down, "Please, send angels to lead us back."
注意：(1)续写词数应为150个左右；.(2)请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
Then a familiar Chevrolet-car pulled up besides us...
Finally they understood what we meant.
