Before my trip to the mountains, I used to be a homebody. I felt completely 1 spending weeks or even months—in my hometown or sometimes even on my block—without going anywhere. I could be quite disappointed by watching the Discovery Geographic Channels.
The situation 2 when one day David, my best friend, rushed into my room and talked me into joining him on his journey to the Rocky Mountains. We 3 five days later.
This was my first time in the mountains. 4, the weather was foggy most of the time. And the 5 we got into the mountains, the less clearly we could see. On the first day, we were making our way along the foothills; but the next day, we started to climb on one of the peaks(山顶). 6 it was not that straight and high, I was still excited. I regularly speeded up, and because of that I ran out of 7 long before we got to the top.
When we finally got there, 8 had really changed. The same 9 was nearly covering everything. I felt so disappointed, because I had, during the whole course of climbing, 10 to see the view from above and perhaps to be able to take some photos. We spent a couple of hours on the top, and decided to turn back, when the wind suddenly 11 the clouds. And the place we were standing on was 12 with the sun. I saw a fantastic panorama(全景图) in front of me, and for some moments I couldn't 13 my eyes. It was so amazing that I realized I couldn't help looking forward to the next 14 to the mountains.
The next day we returned—my 15 started to hurt so badly that I could hardly walk. But every time I felt an ache, I remembered the feeling of being high above, with my head touching the skies and the clouds swimming below.
A kid hero
"If you could have any three things, what would you want?"
Eleven-year-old Ruby Chitsey loves asking that question, but it's not a game she plays. She asks the seniors(老年人)at nursing homes in Arkansas where she lives. Even more amazing, she then sets out to make their wishes come true. Ruby has long been close to the elders. Her mother has worked in nursing homes for many years. Ruby often stays with her in summer and asks the seniors if they need anything.
Last May, Ruby noticed an old lady named Pearl staring(凝视) out a window. She seemed sad. "What are you looking at?" Ruby asked. Pearl said she was watching her dog being led away by his new owner. Ruby asked around and discovered that nursing home doesn't allow the seniors to have dogs and Pearl couldn't afford to pay anyone to look after her dog. Ruby also heard many stories about Pearl's friends here and found that they were unable to afford life costs. That was when she decided to do something about it.
She started by asking the seniors what three things they wanted most in the world. Her mother worried that people would ask for cars and other things that an 11-year-old wouldn't be able to provide. Instead, they asked for chocolate, fries, and even just pants that fit properly.
"I felt really upset," Ruby says. "We left the nursing home that day and went straight to a store and bought as many things as we could."
Using their own money, Ruby and her mother helped about 100 people in three months. Then, they started asking for donations (捐款). The good people in Arkansas strongly supported them, so Ruby and her mother set up a GoFundMe page—Three Wishes for Ruby's Residents. After GoFundMe named Ruby a Kid Hero and spread her story internationally, Three Wishes raised more than $250, 000 in five months. One of Ruby's new goals is to set up a shared computer in one nursing home in each state.
Ruby doesn't plan to stop there. "I consider kindness to be my hobby" she says, "and I'm very good at it."
Every year, wildfires destroy millions of forest land. Homes are damaged, and thousands of people die. Smokejumpers help to stop this.
Smokejumpers are a special type of firefighter. They jump from planes or are lowered by helicopters(直升机) into areas that are difficult to reach by car or on foot, such as the middle of a mountain forest. They race to put out fires as fast as they can. At a fire site, smokejumpers first examine the land and decide how to fight the fire. Their main goal is to stop a fire from spreading or to slow its progress until full, ground-based firefighters arrive. Using basic equipment such as shovels(铲子) and axes(斧头), smokejumpers clear land of burnable(可燃的) material, like dry grass and dead trees. They carry water with them, too, but only a limited amount.
Although the majority(大多数) of smokejumpers are men, more women are joining now. The most important factors are your height and weight. Smokejumpers employed in the United States, for example, must be between 120 and 200 pounds (between 54 and 91 kilograms) so they don't get blown away by the strong winds or get hurt when they land. Smokejumpers must also be able to survive in the wild. In Russia, many smokejumpers know how to find food in the forest and can even make simple furniture from trees.
The work is dangerous, and the hours are long. But for these firefighters, smokejumping isn't just a job. They love being able to jump out of planes, fight fires, and live in the forest. As 28-year-old Russian smokejumper Alexi Tishin says, "This is the best job for tough guys."
Traveling can broaden your view and make you a better-rounded person. It's also a lot of fun. And if you plan your trip right, it can also make a lasting difference in your life and the lives of others.
One of the most important ways to make your travel meaningful is to learn about the country. This isn't just about visiting historical sites and museums. It also means talking to people, tasting local food and generally feeling the daily life in the country. Try to learn a few words in the local language, so you can use them to talk with local people. All of this will help you truly experience a new place. And it will help you understand your own culture better as you see how it differs from other countries.
Understanding the place you're visiting is also necessary if you want to help people there. Political and economic problems are complex and can't be solved directly. But knowing what those problems are may help you to make a difference.
Some people like to connect their travel with service projects. This seems perfect: You get to see a new part of the world and also help people. This concept is known as "voluntourism". It is so popular in travel today that more than 1.6 million volunteer tourists are spending about $2 billion each year. Yet the problems the voluntourism tries to solve are still there. One of them is that volunteers who provide free services can take jobs away from local workers. What's more, some organizations cause to continue problems as a way to keep getting volunteers money. For example, some Children's Home take children away from their poor parents to help attract charity (慈善).
This doesn't mean all charitable actions are bad, however, it just means that you need to do your research and make sure you're going to help responsible (可信赖的) organizations. Also, try to give from areas you're skilled at. For example, help with classes teaching people your native language or use professional skills you've mastered.
By stretching your mind and reaching out to others, you can make your next trip abroad more meaningful than just a vacation.
My Instruction Guide to Buying a New Phone
What do you look for when you buy a phone? Does your phone have to be the latest model? Does it have to look good or do you just want a phone that's easy to use and small enough to fit in your pocket? Before you buy your new phone, decide what's important to you.
First I look at the battery life of a phone. That's very important to me. It must have a long battery life. It mustn't ever go flat on me. Next I look at the camera quality. I like taking photos so I have to have a phone with a good camera. I also like to have a phone with a big screen so I can see the photos clearly. Then I look at how easy it is to do things, for example adding a name to my contacts, finding someone in my contacts, sending a text message to multiple people, using the autocorrect and sending a photo. After that I check the games. What are they like? Finally, I look at the price of the phone. Is it affordable? I do that last but my mum says I should do it first!
Everyone has different priorities when buying a phone, but these are the things that are important to me. 
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How to be productive if you have to study from home
Tell study and home mode apart
One of the biggest perks about studying from home—slowly moving from bed to the sofa five minutes before you star—can also be your biggest （挑战）.
Don't forget that you are there to study—so set yourself up the right way, get （穿衣） and brush your teeth at the start of the day. Switch from home to study mode by doing something. Maybe it's making a special kind of tea, （散步）round the block, or helping wash the dishes. It doesn't matter what it is but do it to （造成，创造） a strong association（联想）in your mind.
Be realistic about what you can achieve
A wide, open day studying from home can feel full of possibilities. 145 things on the to do （清单）? No problem! Don't fall into the trap of being over-ambitious.
Instead, you should be realistic and then possibly achieve more than you （安排，计划） to. And most of the time, it's quite a good idea to feel （满意） rather than feel disappointed you didn't do everything.
People all slow down in the mid-afternoon, so you can （选择）three to five things to do and aim to do the most before lunch. It will give you the power to go through.
Make （一定） to take breaks
It can be difficult to tear yourself away from your laptop if you're worried teachers might think you're lazy. And just because you're feeling （自由）at home, it doesn't mean you don't need a proper break.
Her handmade life
In 2019，Li Ziqi won Person of the Year in the category of cultural influence awarded（"2019年度文化传播人物"）by China Newsweek.
more than 21 million fans on Sina Weibo and 7 million followers on video-sharing site YouTube, Li has made a name for (she) in a series of videos that show off a traditional Chinese way of life in rural Sichuan province. She is doing her part to let (many) people know about Chinese culture.
Li seems to be a master of all kinds of (skill) —cooking, painting, designing and farming. She grows plants and raises silkworms to make a quilt her grandmother. She really cares for the old. Many videos show her picking seasonal ingredients from her own garden cooking them up with her wood-fired wok. A warm bowl of soup for the winter, a lighter plate of noodles for the summer, Li follows the (season) in her cooking, and makes food suitable for the particular climate.
Her handmade lifestyle is fantasy（幻想） for many people. When they watch Li Ziqi's videos at the end of a busy day, they may also want to relax and experience something nice to take away some of their anxiety and stress.
"Li (lead) a life that many dream of, but don't dare to give up their current life in exchange for," iFeng.com wrote. Li Ziqi tells the stories of China's culture and that of China. The (succeed) also comes from her "passion for life, for her home and for her culture".
