Years of living with a lisp (口齿不清) had taught me it was better not to say anything than to speak and risk embarrassment. As a result of my1, I felt distanced from most of my peers (同龄人). "Kathy? Oh, she'squiet." That's what most people would say when they2 me, as if "Quiet" were part of my3. I was okay with that. I didn't need to be4.
Last September, however, that all5. I started my creative writing class with Ms. Haist. Every day we would be given a different writing taskand, if we wished, we could6 what we had written. I7 listening to others read their work and thinking: "That will never be me. I'll never have the8 to do that."
One day, I was really9 with what I had written and wanted to share. My heart was beating wildly as I raised my hand. Those10 little voices were ringing in my ear, "You have a lisp, remember?11, your writing isn't that good. Be quiet." I was about to12 my hand when I met Ms. Haist's encouraging eyes.
I swallowed the voices down and let my real voice13. I could hear it14as I read, and I could hear every stutter (结巴) and mistake. I finished reading, waiting to be laughed at.15, I heard claps from the class and praise from Ms. Haist.
The next day, I did it16. Soon I was reading outloud nearly every day. Gradually, I realized that17 my lisp, the class and the teacher always appreciated my writing. Now I may still not be the most18, social person, but I've become better at oral presentations. I19 read my poetry out loud at a reading club.
Every time those little voices try to tell me to be quiet, I think of all the encouragement I received in class and I know that I20 to be heard.
Summer Events at the Institute of Continuing Education
The ICE Summer Festival displays the best of the University of Cambridge's Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) and Madingley Hall with a series of cultural and educational events.
Cambridge Short Story Festival
We are delighted to announce the second annual creative writing festival celebrating the short story. Join us for this event packed with workshops, interviews and readings with the very best short story authors, critics and publishers, including award-winning writers Tessa Hladley, Dame Gillian Beer, and Daisy Johnson.
Date: Jun.22
Tickets: £22.50-E55
Open Air Cinema: Bohemian Rhapsody (12A)
Join us for a magical cinematic experience under the stars, in the splendid Gardens of Madingley Hall. We've got the seating and wireless headphones, so all you need to do is round up your friends, bring a blanket to wrap up in and relax in one of our deckchairs.
Date: Aug.16
Tickets: £18
Chapterhouse Open Air Theatre Presents: Treasure Island
Join Chapterhouse Theatre Company for this brand-new adaptation of everyone's favourite exciting pirate adventure: Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. When he accidentally found a jealous treasure map, young Jim Hawkins found himself on a journey in the hope of finding Treasure Island.
Don't miss this much-loved story.
Date: Sept.8
Tickets: £16
Open Cambridge: Discover the Medicinal Garden
Join us in exploring Madingley Hall's beautiful eight-acre gardens. Discover cures, curiosities, tastes, and learn fascinating facts about herbs with professional herbalists and the garden team at the Hall's Medicinal Garden.
Date: Sept.14
Tickets: Free of charge
A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C. Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, "Can you help me?" When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended. In a natural reflex, I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her. I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar. But the blind woman smiled and said, "I don't want your money. I just need help finding the post office."
In a moment, I realized what I had done. I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be. I hated what I saw in myself. This incident re- awakened my belief in humility (谦恭), even though I'd lost it for a moment.
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant. I left Honduras and arrived in the U.S. at the age of 15. I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother. Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer.
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏见). I remember a time, at age 17 — I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me. I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it's like, and I should have known better.
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going. That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C., cured me of my blindness. She reminded me of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open. By the way, I helped that lady to the post office. And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson.
From talking robots and video phones to rovers (探测器) on Mars, technology has become so advanced that the previously impossible seems to occur on a daily basis. And yet—we still have no cure for the common cold.
Why can't we stop the common cold? According to Peter Barlow, a scientist at Edinburgh Napier University in the UK, the main challenge lies in the many different types of cold viruses that are produced by the rhinoviruses (鼻病毒), Scientific American reported. There are at least 160 types. They mutate so easily that they quickly become resistant to drugs, or learn to hide from our immune systems. In other words, a single cure isn't likely to work on every type of cold.
However, researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco, have found a possible answer. They discovered a protein that the viruses need. Without it, they can't spread inside your body.
To identify the gene which produces the specific protein needed by the viruses, researchers used a gene-editing technique to test all genes in the human genome (基因组) one by one for thousands of cell.
These modified cells were then exposed to a range of enteroviruses (肠道病毒), including the rhinoviruses which cause the common cold. All the viruses were unable to replicate inside cells without a gene that produces a specific protein, called methyltransferase (甲基转移酶) SETD3. Then, they tested genetically modified mice, which were completely unable to produce the protein. The mice were able to live healthy, normal lives without the protein. "Lacking that gene protected the mice completely from viral infection," associate professor Jan Carette, from Stanford, told the BBC." These mice would always die, but they survived and we saw a very strong reduction in viral replication and very strong protection. "Carette said the plan is to find a drug which can temporarily suppress the protein, instead of producing genetically modified humans.
"We have identified a fantastic target that all enteroviruses and rhinoviruses require and depend on. Take that away and the virus really has no chance," said Carette. "This is a really good first step—the second step is to have a chemical that mimics this genetic deletion," he added.
These days, it's not unusual to see middle-aged men collecting Star Wars action figures, office workers wearing Hello Kitty accessories, or celebrities like David Beckham playing with Lego bricks. It's becoming more and more common to see adults taking an interest in toys, comic books and the activities that are traditionally associated with children. This phenomenon has given rise to a new word: kidult.
What lies behind the phenomenon? One is about adults' nostalgia （怀旧之情）for the carefree days of childhood, and this is especially true with today's fast-paced, stressful lifestyles. Another is about a societal change in recent decades where people are starting families later. As a result, they have more time and money to spend on themselves. Some adults could only window-shop for their dream toys when they were kids, but now they can afford that radio controlled car or high-priced doll they have always wanted.
Businesses have been quick to exploit the kidult trend, and the number of toy stores that target adults has risen. Companies are repackaging products from past decades and also bringing out new ones for adults. Lego, for example, has brought out an architectural series featuring landmarks from around the world.
Society traditionally disapproves of adults who refuse to put aside childhood interests, viewing the refusal as a sign of social immaturity and irresponsibility. Those who agree with this view sometimes claim that kidults are suffering from the pop-psychology concept known as Peter Pan Syndrome, an anomaly （异常）that people remain emotionally at the level of teenagers. On a grander scale, these kidult opponents （对手）argue that such delayed adulthood causes couples to marry later and have fewer children. This in turn can lead to shrinking national economies, for there needs to be a generational replenishment （补充）of the workforce.
From the standpoint of kidults though, this phenomenon is seen as nothing but harmless fun. Kidults insist that having youthful interests keeps them young, happy and creative, and their refusal to conform to society's acceptable tastes shows independent thinking. Besides, they argue that being part of the social trend of delayed adulthood is not purely a personal choice. The real causes include expensive housing, increased educational requirements for employment and poor work opportunities.
Whether the kidult phenomenon will continue to grow or prove to be a passing trend is anyone's guess. As the debate about it continues remember that there is nothing wrong with being young at heart.
Doctors say anger can be an extremely damaging emotion, unless you learn how to deal with it. They warn that anger can lead to heart disease, stomach problems, headaches, emotional problems and possibly cancer.
Anger is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time. Some people express anger openly in a calm reasonable way. Others burst with anger, and scream and yell. But other people keep their anger inside. They can not or will not express it. This is called repressing anger.
For years many doctors thought that repressing anger was more dangerous to a person's health than expressing it. They said that when a person is angry, the brain releases the same hormones (荷尔蒙). They speed the heart rate, raise blood pressure, or sugar into the blood, etc ． In general the person feels excited and ready to act.
Some doctors say that both repressing and expressing anger can be dangerous. They believe that those who express anger violently may be more likely to develop heart disease, and they believe that those who keep their anger inside may face a greater danger of high blood pressure.
Doctors say the solution is learning how to deal with anger. They say the first step is to admit that you are angry and to recognize the real cause of the anger, then decide if the cause is serious enough to get angry about. If it is, they say, "Do not express your anger while angry. Wait until your anger has cooled down and you are able to express yourself calmly and reasonably."
Doctors say that a good way to deal with anger is to find humor in the situation that has made you angry. They said that laughter is much healthier than anger.
