The meaning of the word "volunteer" may be a little different in different countries, but it usually means "one who offers his or her services." There are many different ways in which people can volunteer, such as taking care of sick people, working in homes for homeless children, and picking up garbage(垃圾) from beaches and parks. Volunteers may work within their own countries or in other countries. They are often people with a strong wish to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. Volunteers don't expect any kind of pay.
At the root of volunteering is the idea that one person may have the ability to offer services that can help other people. Tracy, a good friend of mine, however, recently came back from India with a ____ of what being a volunteer means. She worked for two and a half weeks in one of Mother Teresa's homes in Calcutta. The following is her story.
"I first heard about Mother Teresa in my high school, we watched a video(录像) about her work in India and all over the world. I was so moved by her spirit to help others and her endless love for every human being that after I graduated from high school, I too wanted to try her kind of work. So with two friends I flew to Calcutta for a few weeks."
"I was asked to work in a home for sick people. I helped wash clothes and sheets, and pass out lunch. I also fed the people who were too weak to feed themselves and tried to cheer the up. I felt it was better to share with them than to think that I have helped them. To be honest, I don't think I was helping very much. It was then that I realized that I had not really come to help, but to learn about and experience another culture(文化) that helped improve my own understanding of life and the world."
What do you usually do to comfort your friends when they are feeling sad or depressed？You probably pat them on the back or shoulder, or maybe you give them a big, warm hug.
We used to think that knowing when and how to comfort others was an ability that only humans have. But scientists have discovered that apes(猩猩)have this ability, too, according to a study published in the Journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Two researchers from Emory University in Atlanta, US, went to an Ape Protection Centre in Congo to study bonobos(倭黑猩猩), which are closely related to humans.
The researchers analyzed the bonobos' reactions after more than 370 cases of stressful situations, such as fights and losing temper, and found that some bonobos rushed to hug those that were screaming after being attacked, just like humans would have done.
However, researchers noted that not all bonobos were capable of comforting others. In the protection centre, many bonobos are orphans whose mothers were killed by hunters. They were found to be more anxious in times of tension and have greater difficulty controlling their own emotions, making them worse at reaching out to help friends in need.
"Orphans, who have not had the benefit of a mother helping them handling their emotions, are much worse at comforting others, "Professor Frans de Waal, one of the researchers, told The Telegraph." Bonobos with moms were able to curb their negative emotional reactions more quickly. Therefore, they pay more attention to others."
This pattern mirrors the way that human children have been found to react. Those who seem more capable of handling their own emotions—for example, the ones who can calm themselves down more quickly after upsetting experiences—are usually better at expressing their concerns for others.
There is nothing more important than the safety of our children. Did you know that unintentional injury(意外伤害) is the leading cause of death in children under 14 years old with a third of them happening in the home? One of the top reasons a child under the age of three will visit an emergency room is because of household injuries and sadly, 70% of children who die from unintentional injuries are under the age of four. Every room in the home will have its own set of child safety problems. Two of the main danger zones are the kitchen and the bathroom.
Before I became a young mother, I crawled (爬)around the house on my hands and knees to see things from a child's perspective(视角). You would be amazed at what you can discover by doing something so simple. We didn't have toilet covers. A child is top heavy because their heads are bigger than their bodies and can easily fall into the toilet.
You might be surprised with the number of children falling out of windows every year, especially during the summer months. Something as simple as a child leaning against a window screen can result in a serious injury. The best way to prevent this type of injury is by setting up a child safety window guard.
As parents, we do the best we can by providing as much protection as possible to make sure of the safety of children. And as there are so many products out there to help us do this, there is nothing like good old-fashioned supervision(监护). So, use common sense and products that help to keep your child safe, and you will have provided a safe environment for your children.
How to Survive High School
High school can be a terrible phase if you get it all wrong. Find out how to survive high school with a few easy tips.
Be Yourself.
High school is a fun time to make new friends, meet new people, date and socialize. Make friends with all kinds of people and not just a group which you are comfortable with. Most peer pressure cases are because of the weak image created by freshmenDon't give in to anyone's wants.
Choose your friends carefully and make sure you won't get influenced by anyone. Socialize, but by judging who you can connect to. You will find friends, but stay away from the ones who don't want to be your friends as a bad company is tempting, but the good one is true.
Be Optimistic.
There is nothing better than having a smile on your face whenever you can.Don't be afraid to make friends, don't get aggressive or personal with anyone and treat others the way you want to be treated. Respect your teachers and classmates and try to be helpful if you want the same in return.
Be Confident.
When you believe in yourself, others believe in you. Talk, walk and address people confidently and this will create a strong image about you.Be creative and unique and learn to set trends. Confidence is one quality you grow with, and people respect you for that.
Love High School.
Make the most out of it, and you will never get those moments back. Come up with frank ideas, get a detention(留堂), top your class, make the best friends, drink, go to prom, party, but just make as many memories as you can!
With these tips to survive high school, you will surely be proud of graduating as an all-round approaching adult carrying the best roots. So, when you throw those hats in the air, feel the freedom and remember every moment you spent in "High School".
A. Do your thing, and don't imitate (模仿) others.
B. Keep Good Company.
C. And always wear your smile.
D. Practice positive thinking.
E. Study as hard as you can in your spare time.
F. Fall in love with it.
G. Just be yourself and create a strong self-image.
Last December, just a week before Christmas, I went to a local KMart store to pick up my layaway(预付定金购物). Upon reaching the counter, I 1 the clerk my layaway receipts and told her I was there to pay off the balance and take the 2 home with me. She grabbed my receipts, and kept messing with the computer 3 something was wrong. I felt a little uneasy. I was4 her to tell me my layaway had been misplaced or something of the sort.
5, after about ten minutes, she said. "Oh, that's why I can't find it in our 6. You should have 7a phone call a few days ago that your layaway was paid off by a(n) 8 Santa. "I couldn't believe what I was hearing! This kind of story only happens in the 9. Why was my family 10 to receive such a blessing?
Immediately I asked the cashier if there was a 11 that I could leave something for the Santa 12 his random act of kindness, but she said that the individual wanted to 13 completely unknown. It definitely 14 my heart. However. I felt 15. I kept thinking that perhaps some family out there was not going to have a Christmas because they really couldn't 16to pick up their layaway.
I decided to pay it 17, so I used the money I had for the balance on my account to purchase some 18 and on my way out, I gladly 19 them off inside a huge toy donation box. Since I had received such a nice, heart warming gesture from someone, I wanted to keep the 20 going. And it felt nice to receive and to be able to give right back.
What is the most popular communication tool today?your answer is QQ or MSN, I must say you are a bit old-fashioned. Today, a new form of communication "WeChat", which(own) a Chinese name Weixin, is becoming the most influential text and useful tool all over the world.
What advantages do WeChat have? First, WeChat isrelatively cheap way of communication; that is(say), it uses network traffic instead of telephone fare. Next, we can know what is going on at any time. And we can have(easy) access (通道) to information available than other messaging tools.
What roles does it playour daily life? According to the latest report, the registered (登记的) users on WeChat platform has topped 200 million and expanded its business to overseas market. Can you imagine that a mobile phone "app" is so(attract) that it reaches 200 million users within 8 months? WeChat itself has become the most popular mobile chat application in the world. A large number of people have become 'WeChat alcoholic', which means they keep staring at the mobile phone all the time and can't live without.
However, while enjoying its great(convenient), people should not ignore the danger of(cheat), for information on WeChat is publicly known.
注意：1）词数100个左右；
2）开头和结尾已经给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jerry,
Thank you for your trust in me. I understand you are feeling upset now. I'd like to offer you some advice.
……
I hope you'll find these ideas useful.
Yours,
Li Hua
Human beings are smart. However, it seems that people are gradually losing their smartness as smartphones become more and more important assistants in their lives, reported news website Record Japan on Oct. 22. As we rely too much on technology instead of our brains, many people have lost three basic abilities, said the website.
The first skill many people have lost is remembering phone numbers. Because phone numbers are stored in smart phone contacts, there's no need to dial a number or look at it again.
And some people may also have lost their sense of direction because navigation apps can guide people anywhere they want to go. These apps can even find shortest routes for you and avoid traffic jams. But the worst lost skills may be social ones, meaning that some people are becoming socially inept(无能的). People often bury themselves in their smart phones. As we're too addicted to what's happening in the virtual world, some of us have lost conversational skills and sometimes can't even tell whether a person is happy or not.
In August, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, studied 51 students aged 11 and 12 who had over five hours' screen time every day. Their task was to tell the emotions of 48 pictures of faces that were happy, sad, angry or scared. The children made an average of 14.02 mistakes at the beginning. But after a five-day camp without electronic (电子的) products, they made only 9.41 mistakes on average. "If you're not practicing face-to-face communication, you could be losing important social skills," concluded professor Yalda Uhls from the research.
Luckily, people still have a chance to get these abilities back. You should try to keep your parents' numbers in mind for emergencies. You should also pay more attention to street signs and stores, which will help you to draw a mind map and stop you from getting lost. And the easiest solution to social skill loss is to take a break from electronic devices because we are social creatures. We need device-free time.
