Growing up on a farm, I learned from my parents about the large bees we called mangangava. But in college, when I gave a presentation about those bees, I didn't mention their familiar name; instead I used formal terms when describing their adaptations for pollinating (授粉). I was afraid of being judged for expressing my personal knowledge in a science class. But when the instructor pressed me to tell the class whether I'd seen the bees myself and what I called them, my views and my whole career path began to change. I realized my background was valuable, and that my calling was to help educate others like me.
My parents worked on a small farm and I often helped out when I was not in school. They had a close relationship with nature, something they learned from my grandparents and passed down to me. This was why I became interested in biology.
In college, I joined a series of labs to gain research experience, but my interest in pursuing a career as a scientist began to wane after I realized my research was not helping poor people like my parents. As a black student from a rural community, I also felt out of place in most classes. The feeling of not belonging circled in my head. I sometimes thought about giving up.
My instructor's request that I share my knowledge of the mangangava bee changed my view. She saw that tapping into my personal experiences would help me grasp the scientific concepts. No other professor had shown that kind of sensitivity, which helped me realize I did have a place in higher education and that I didn't need to hide who I truly am.
I'm now a master's student in education, working on a project that explores the connection between science and traditional knowledge. I don't think I'd be here if I hadn't crossed paths with my instructor. We need more educators and scientists like her-people who can serve as role models and know that the best way to nurture new scientists is to allow students to be themselves.
It cost $1,000 for Patricia Qasimah Boston to fly from Tallahassee to Washington and stay in a hotel. She traveled 800 miles for a three-minute appearance at a public hearing held Tuesday by the Council on Environmental Quality, a White House agency that recently proposed to weaken the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
NEPA was signed into law in 1970 "to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans." It's imitated around the globe by nations hoping to protect public health as well as plants and animals.
Boston, an environmental justice advocate, called the law "a bible" that protects communities across the country by allowing them to challenge the environmental impact of proposed federal projects. Usually the council holds around nine hearings across the country so citizens can comment on policy changes. But this time, it held two.
Boston used her brief time to make an appeal to keep the law intact (完好无损的). "The rollback will limit the ability of my community to know the health consequences of government actions," she said.
Activists and politicians who attended the hearing also denounced (谴责) the inadequate time for public comment and the sharply reduced opportunities for citizens to speak out about a significant public policy change.
Corporate trade representatives who support the proposed changes to NEPA echoed Interior Secretary David Bernhardt's opinion that the law causes unnecessary delays that hold up projects by an average of four years. "The consequences of the government being stuck in place are far-ranging. The reality is that the needless red tape has, over time, lowered the expectations of American excellence. And that is backward," Bernhardt said in January.
"But carving away vital provisions (规定) in the law is unacceptable," said Christy Goldfuss, who chaired the council for two years. "This change will silence communities that could be harmed the most by federal actions," said Goldfuss.
Forgiveness is important in children and adults for restoring relationships and limiting future conflicts. A recent study suggests that teaching children to understand other people's perspectives could make it easier for them to learn how to forgive other people. The study also found that teaching children to make sincere apologies can help them receive forgiveness from others.
Mulvey, an associate professor of psychology at North Carolina State University, led the study. Her team enlisted 185 children, aged between 5 and 14 , in the study. Researchers conducted in an interview with each child that collected background information and assessed the child's "theory of mind" skills. Theory of mind is your ability to understand that someone else's beliefs, intentions and desires are different from your own.
Researchers then led each child through a series of scenarios (设想情况) involving other children who are "in group" and "out group." Specifically, each participant was told they were part of a group, such as the green team. During interviews, researchers described some children as also being on the green team (making them in-group), while other children were on the yellow team (making them out-group). In each scenario, interviewers asked study participants whether they were willing to forgive a group that left them out of a game or activity.
There were three main findings. First, children are more likely to forgive someone if he / she has apologized. Second, children are more likely to forgive people who are "in group." Third, the more advanced a child's theory of mind skills are, the more likely they are to forgive others.
The researchers identified two things that parents and teachers may want to focus on related to forgiveness. One is helping kids understand how important it is to apologize in a meaningful way. The second focus area is helping kids understand the perspectives of other people, even if they are different from you.
Mulvey says, "One of the biggest implications of our study is that teachers and parents need to actively help children cultivate theory of mind skills, which will aid them in navigating a diverse and complex world in the future."
A McDonald's restaurant has been rated one of the worst in the UK, out of 1,300 of the chain's outlets. The restaurant in question is in Kingswinford near Dudley, and Birmingham Live reports it has attracted a rating of just two.
Birmingham Live Reporter Dayna Farrington found when she went to see it for herself ...
Setting
As I walked into the restaurant itself, I noticed it was fairly busy for nearly 11 a.m. on a Tuesday in January. It looked clean and well organized. I didn't see any messy tables, or food left lying around. The outside was also tidy - no overflowing bins or rubbish dumped. I'd definitely seen worse McDonald's in the past.
Service
There was no one serving behind the counter when I arrived at the restaurant, only those handing out the orders. It might be a sign of the new Covid times as you have less interaction with others.
Having read reviews on TripAdvisor about items being missed from orders and cold food, I wasn't holding out too much hope. Upon collecting my order, it looked as if everything was there. And it was - there was nothing missing from my order. So good start so far. I tried the large chips first which came with the main meal. These were piping hot. I also tried some hot chocolate. It wasn't the nicest drink I've ever tried, but it was OK.
Overall
So I headed to the Kingswinford branch full of fear of what might be in store after reading the overwhelmingly terrible reviews on TripAdvisor. It was not as bad as the reviews made out.
A. But is it really that bad?
B. Would the restaurant be messy?
C. For first impressions, it didn't seem too bad.
D. But, I have to be honest, I was pleasantly surprised.
E. So I had to use the self-service screens, which was no big issue.
F. Even the most latest reviews from December are very negative.
G. Yet within minutes, I was being presented with a large tray of food.
The year 2020 was supposed to be great for me. I had finally gotten my 1 on track and arranged some incredible international 2 I had dreamed of for years. And then, almost in an instant, everything fell apart.
Since the beginning of the lockdowns, all the projects I had worked so hard for were 3 by the day. Trips were canceled or 4 as international borders were shut. Our normal way of life had almost ceased (停止) to 5.
At that moment, I realized I had to make a 6, and fast. I was going to look into 7 career options. I had been a personal trainer before, and the 8 of getting back into something health and wellness 9 interested me.
Of course I had 10. How was I going to do this? Was I too old? Was I 11 enough? I had to put those 12 aside. If there is anything that 2020 taught me, it's to 13 the unknown. So, with great enthusiasm and a hint of anxiety, I 14 for an EMT course to begin my journey.
From the first day, I devoted my time to 15 everything I could about health and wellness both in class and at home. And the passion and hard work 16. At the end of the year, I had 17 my EMT license and began to look for options in the industry.
I learned much from this experience. Life can change overnight, so it's important to get 18 and adapt to the new situations. Learning new skills will open your mind and doors to new 19. So the year 2020 was great for me, just in a 20 way from I had planned.
SEL stands for "Social-Emotional Learning," the label (give) to the "soft skills" that students need to be successful. Skills like cooperation, self-regulation, and decision-making are all part of a broad category that (see) as essential for success beyond the classroom.
Students today are coming to school with more fears, more anxiety, and (general) more needs than ever before. Learning how to cope these challenges is vital, but many students still struggle with finding social-emotional balance.
There have been many theories about social and emotional skills are not as strong as they could be. One theory is that as technology access (grow), social and emotional skills decrease.
Authors like Dr. Jean Twenge subscribe to the idea that technology is (blame). In her new book, Dr. Twenge lays out the differences between previous generations and the one she has named "iGen"— term for students growing up after the infiltration (渗透) of smart devices into society.
Dr. Twenge's (argue) is that the immediate satisfaction and overwhelming amount of information available at our fingertips can become an obsession. If not used properly, a smart device has the ability to become extremely (harm) to social and emotional skills.
It's hard to talk to dads sometimes. The roles we often expect our fathers to play—protector, provider—can make them seem impenetrable(不可理解的).That's how it was with my dad. He came to Canada at the age of ten and settled in an immigrant community. He was never much of a talker. He rarely drank, so we didn't get to see him loosen up after a few beers. He didn't tell stories about himself at the dinner table or when we went for walks in the park. He was a private person and seemed to want to stay that way.
Bringing up the many questions I had about life before I was born—his early hopes and dreams, loves and heartbreaks—let alone sharing my own feelings, felt like too much for us to handle. I didn't want to threaten the integrity(完整)of his hard shell. I had gotten used to it，and it made me feel secure.
But when my relationship and career took a hit a year ago at the same time, things had to change. I was facing serious questions about my own nature, and I wanted to know that he had faced them, too. I needed to know how he had found his way, because I felt like I had lost mine.
In a severe moment of desperation, it occurred to me that sending an email might be the key. An email can be crafted(精心制作)slowly and carefully. I could speak at a comfortable distance and give him room to adjust. He'd be up in his office—a comfortable place filled with bookshelves, dusty CD-ROMs and piles of old newspapers. I'd be at my desk in an apartment 20 minutes away.
So I wrote to him. I told him about my regrets and fears, and I asked him to answer, if he felt like it, and to share something about himself, something that would give me much-needed perspective on my life, especially on relationship and career.
Para 1:Two weeks later, his response showed up in my email box.
Para 2:I closed the email and started to cry.
