4 New Books to Crack You up
If you're looking for a book that will guarantee a giggle, try these latest bestsellers.
The Boy Who Got Accidentally Famous
by David Baddiel. by Steven Lenton (HarperCollins Children's)
Billy Smith is completely ordinary -until a documentary crew tums up at his school to film a new TV series and his boring class presentation unexpectedly goes viral. Billy is suddenly an overnight sensation. Now, his life is a whirlwind of red carpets and headlines -but he soon finds that fame comes with a price. . .
The Underpants of Chaos
by Sam Capeland and Jenuy Peursow. Mustrated by Ruhin Boydes and Katie Kear (Puffin Bonks)
Strange SHIVERS are striking Little Strangchaven Primary, leading to bizarre events. Spy-detective Agatha and new boy Lenny set out to fight off evil underpants. This is the first book in a new series.
Leoshkin: The Maddest Cat in the World
by Jamie Smarr. David Fickling Books)
Looshkin might look like a cute blue cat but this is the maddest cat in the world. Life is never boring with Looshk in around, but's definitely very funny. Full of adventures and side-splitting silliness, this book is perfect for fans of Vs Monkey and Dog Maw.
Holiday Adventures
by Serene Panel. by Ewma McCaww (Lishurse Puflishing)
Anisha is on holiday, but there's no time to relax when the holiday park's mascot, Delilah the duck, is destroyed. Anisha must use her investigative skills to find the criminals and prove that her new friendCleo is innocent.
I used to fancy myself a pretty good vacationer. But on my family's recent week-long trip to Mexico-our first real getaway since the pandemic began -I got mixed up.
The huge difference between the expectations and the realities of travel hit me a few hours after we landed in Cabo SanLucas, Mexico. Driving our rental car to Walmart to buy groceries, we found ourselves snack in stand-still traffic for over two hours. I comforted myself with the thought that once we arrived, my vacation self would emerge: relaxed, flexible and ready for a surfing followed by a margarita(玛格丽塔酒)an the beach一while wearing one of several sundresses that had been gathering dust in my closet since 2020
Readers, I did not.
First, I was defeated by what I will well refer to as "traveler's stomach. Then, I was scared out of surfing by waves that seemed too messy and powerful for my skills. A chilly fog kept me from unrolling the sundresses I'd carefully pocked, and I ended up wrapped in the same sweat-shirt that I wore on the airplane. All seemed ruined
During the episode, I nearly drove myself crazy by asking constantly. "How can I make this better? Can I find a different route in the traffic?" But it was just about acceptance: getting into the moment, accepting what it is, and trusting -trusting this may not be the best moment of the vacation, but there can still be good moments of the vacation.
Indeed, I noticed a shift in my mood. At some stage I did drink a margarita. Eventually, I had an enjoyable afternoon of surfing in the sun. But when I fondly remember this vacation now, I more often return to curling up on the hotel couch with my husband, watching "Stranger Things "in sweats; or siting sand-caked on the beach watching our daughter digging with a local girl. In those small moments, I was simply present. That's what vacation is all about.
Back in November 2019, Alessandra Mascaro, a volunteer working at the Ozouga Chimpanzee Project in Loango National Park, Gabon, West Africa, saw something she couldn't quite believe——one of the apes named Suzee noticed her son Sia had hurt his foot. After seemingly thinking about the best course of action, she then plucked an insect out of the air, licked it and applied it to the wound.
Mascaro captured the whole touching moment on film and showed her tutor, Dr. Tobias Deschner, a zoologist working for Ozouga. The Ozouga team then set about monitoring the chimpanzees in the park and looking for other examples of the behaviour. Over the following 15 months they captured 76incidences of the apes applying insects to wounds on themselves or other group members. There searchers are uncertain why the chimps use the insects, or even which insects they are, but suspect they might have lenitive properties that could provide pain relief.
However, the finding really proves that the act of applying am insect to treat other's wounds is a clear example of prosocial behavior (亲社会行为) that echoes the acts of empathy displayed by human beings. -This is, for me, especially breathtaking because so many people doubt prosocial abilities in other animals. Suddenly we have a species where we really see individuals caring for others, "Deschner said.
The team now aims to identify the insects being used by the chimpanzees and investigate who is applying insects to whom to establish whether the behaviour is based on a social rank. "We need to still put much more effort into studying great apes because it is crucial to shed light on our own cognitive evolution, "said Deschner.
When you buy something for yourself, you probably spend hours shopping around for the best deal on the highest quality product. Some of you may even desire to know how a brand operates as a company. However, when we donate money to one of the countless charities out there, most of us don't conduct such research. We have absolutely no idea about where that money goes to, what it buys or who it helps. At least that is the case for the majority of charities. Perhaps you should start to take a greater interest in the winding path that your charitable donations take, because many of them may lead to dead ends.
You really should ask the question: will my donation to this charity actually help the people or cause? Sometimes it makes matters worse. For example, many charities help African people install water pumps to deliver clean water to their communities. Money has been invested over the past 20years to install a total of 60, 000 pumps across sub-Saharan Africa. However, today 40%of those have failed to work at some point. They have been left there, like expensive but useless decorations.
One of the least effective means of giving is when charity sends endless shipping containers full of material goods to underdeveloped nations. For instance, Kenya imports more than 100, 000 tons of clothes from global charities each year. The issue is that these mountains of regularly imported clothes have completely destroyed local textile industries, which have previously supported local economies.
Ultimately, to whom and how much you give is your choice. It is important to provide highly specialized services instead of material goods. As a general rule of thumb, the more your donation matches the need of the receivers, the better it will be for the long-term prosperity of those you want to help.
It's regularly claimed that you'll be more productive if you get up early. Very early. According to a 2016 Wall Street Journal article, the most successful and therefore productive people typically rise at4a. m For instance, if you're awake while everyone else is still asleep, they won't distract you, so you'll be more productive.
However, the science tells a very different story. An important one stems from our own biology. Sleep is crucial for our ability to function, and depriving yourself of it does more harm than good.
Less than that quickly has negative health effects, compromising mood, memory, stress tolerance, and more. Forcing yourself to wake at 4 a. m means you're losing sleep, and will be less productive as a result.
Some people seem able to get away with it, being natural "early risers". A study by the National Sleep Foundation stated that "Individuals who habitually sleep outside the normal range maybe exhibiting symptoms of serious health problems or even may be compromising their health and well-being". Another study claims sleeping far fewer hours than average is more likely to be self-enforced than anything natural.
There may be some productive advantages to waking up in the early hours. However, these can easily be canceled out by the consequences of lost sleep.
A. There's some logic to it.
B. However, they dad make it.
C. However, the admiration for them may he misplaced
D. And it put people in a significant sleep debt, harming health
E. A typically healthy amount of sleep fir adults is around 7 to 9 hours.
F. Therefore, there is a great possibility that people will be natural early risers.
G. There are many reasons why waking up at 4 am could be actively unproductive.
Al Nixon began each day from a bench with a spectacular view of the Tampa Bay, Florida. One day, a woman stopped. "Seeing you here, I know that everything is going to be 1. "That was when Nixon knew-he needed to2 the people walking by, letting them know that men 3to each other.
Instead of staring straight at the waterfront, Nixon started4at people and striking up conversations. "I wanted them to walk away knowing they didn't have to feel 5. "Nixon, 59, said. His being present and his 6 to listen have led some to nickname him the Sunshine Mayor (市长).
"Nixon is this calm, constant 7, "said Dee Glowa, who is in her late50s. "He listens without 8and without any kind of return expected. "While most people 9wave or stop to make small talk, others are anxious to step into his"10"and spend a few minutes with someone who will listen.
No matter what problem a person wanes to 11, Nixon lends an car. "You have to have an open heart and an open head. "he said. "No topic is off 12, but some people sin down and don't want to 13 all. "
Once a woman14and they stared at the water for am hour, then she said thank you and walked away. She just wanted a moment of 15 and to know she wasn't alone. And in that moment, in that hour, on that morning, she truly wasn't."
While many people have made videos to cheer on those working on the front lines of the fight since the latest COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai, Chien Meishuang (spend)her time inlock down at home, painting simple heartwarming works.
The paintings are part of her Journal of the Pandemic Lockdown,project she started two years ago. "We are all facing a time we are trapped at home, Chien tells China Daily. "I (simple) wanted to let others know that there is a silver lining amid the dark clouds. "
The Taiwan native, who lives in Shanghai, is being on the receiving end of her neighbors' kindness. (document)her experience, the artist created a painting, titled Good Neighbors in China, marking the first new (add)to her project this year. Other (scene)shown in her latest works include delivery men having a quick lunch and her neighbors (welcome) a 70-year-old man who returned from hospital after recovering from COVID-19.
"It is because of the pandemic I have made friends from all walks of life in the area where I live. These individuals have provided infinite inspiration and stories my works, "she adds. "As long as an artwork can touch people's hearts, I believe it is good art. It doesn't matter how simple it is. "
On the first day of school, I stared in awe at the huge buildings. This high school was definitely bigger than the one I had previously attended.
This was my second year of high school, but my first year of school in St. Louis. I had decided the night before that I would be much happier in a new school if I made friends that were so-called "popular". Getting in with the right group of people would make my life a whole lot better. I even bought a new outfit and had my hair styled just so the first day would be perfect.
Scared, yet anxious to begin my new life, I walked up the stairs to the front door. The halls were packed with kids yelling and laughing and telling stories of their summer adventures. My first class was geometry, but where was that?
I was standing in the hall looking confused, when a short, blond girl wearing glasses came up and asked. "Are you new? You look lost. Do you need help? My name is Diane. What's yours?" Even though she seemed a bit strange, definitely not the kind of person I wanted to be associated with, I decided to answer her anyway. I was, after all, lost.
After exchanging names, I followed her up the stairs and down a hallway on the right, making polite conversation the whole way. When we reached my room she said, "Well, here you are. Welcome to JFK, and I hope your day goes all right. "
I said thanks and waved good-bye. Once inside the classroom, I saw one big group of people huddled around someone who seemed to be telling some sort of story. I walked over and got close enough to overhear. All eyes were glued to the guy in the middle of the circle who was wearing a letter jacket covered with patches. I decided that this guy was popular, so I managed to get a seat right next to him. I said. "Hi, my name is Lisa and I'm new here. "He said, "Johnny."
注意：1）所续写短文的词数应为150左右：
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At the end of the class, I turned to him and asked, "I'm not sure where my next class is, could you help me?"
……
Just at that time, someone came up and tapped me on the shoulder.
