As a young man, Alan was a skilled artist and known for his paintings. He had a wife and two sons. But one night, his older son died of a sudden illness. To make matters worse, his wife left him a short time later, leaving him alone with his 6-year-old son. The pain was more than Alan could stand, and he turned to alcohol (酒). Finally, Alan became an alcoholic (酒鬼).
Day by day, Alan began to lose everything he had - his home, his job, his art, everything. In the end, Alan died alone in a hotel.
When I heard of Alan's death, I thought," What a complete failure !"
As time went by, Alan's son Ernie grew up. He is one of the kindest and most caring men I have ever known. I watched Ernie with his children and saw the free flow of love between them. I knew that kindness and care had to come from somewhere.
I hadn't heard Ernie talk much about his father. It is so hard to excuse an alcoholic. One day I asked him," I'm really puzzled by something," I said. " I know your father was basically the only one to raise you. What on earth did he do to make you become such a good person?"
Ernie sat quietly for a while. Then he said," From my earliest memories as a child until I left home at 18, Alan came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said,' I love you, son. "
Tears came to my eyes as I realized what a fool I had been to judge Alan as a failure. He had not left any material possessions （物质财富） behind. But he had been a kind and loving father, and he left behind one of the finest men I have ever known.
On Oct 11, robot history was made when Ai-Da, a human - like robot artist talked at a meeting in the UK. The topic for the meeting was " A Creative Future ".
Ai-Da paints using cameras in her eyes and robotic arms. She " thinks " and answers questions using AI algorithms （算法）. She has painted the UK queen and had her work presented in galleries（画廊）.
Describing herself, Ai-Da told people at the meeting that " I am a robot and I depend on computer programs and algorithms " and " although not alive, I can still create art ". Amusingly, at the meeting, Ai-Da " slept "- it shut down and had to be restarted. But her ability to answer questions in real time shows the huge developments of AI. These are developments that will continue.
One person who seems interested in this is Elon Musk. He is planning on creating his own Al robots for his company, Tesla. Musk presented Tesla's human - like robot, named Optimus, at Tesla's AI Day on Sept 30. Tesla showed videos of their robot doing simple tasks like carrying boxes and watering plants, said CNN.
With robots becoming more and more part of our daily lives, we may have to learn to live with them. But will people be happy to have these robotic friends or will they feel threatened(威胁的)by them? As Ai-Da said," Technology can be both a threat and an opportunity. "
Confidence is very important in daily life. It can help you to develop a healthy attitude(态度). A study shows that the people who are more confident are much happier. They can have more chances to make themselves successful. But how to be more confident? Here are some suggestions:
Speak loud. When you are not confident, it is hard to do what you want to do. You speak in a voice so low that other people can hardly hear you. Try to speak loud enough so that people can hear you clearly. .
. Physical exercise makes you tired but completely relaxed. A strong body helps you be full of confidence.
Encourage yourself. Write down a list of things you did during the day to see how many things you have done well. Did you finish your homework? Did you tell a joke that made everybody laugh?.
Get rid of (消除) fear. Fear comes along with failure. But it's easy to overcome(克服)if you know that failure is part of your life. Don't hide your head just because you said something stupid last time. .
Pick up a hobby. . In some ways, a hobby can make you outstanding. And it will make you happy and confident.
A. Play sports B. If you like singing , sing as much as you can C. Your voice can help you become more confident D. Try to start again and believe you can do better E. Give yourself praise for the good things you have done |
China's 15- year - old Chen Ye won gold in the men's park final of skateboarding (滑板男子碗池决赛)at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Sept 25.
Chen started getting into this sport in 2016. "" I remember one day I went to a sports store, and by chance, I saw a skateboard. I decided to give it a try and I found it very interesting," Chen told China Youth Daily.
Gradually, Chen needed a better skatepark for training. To meet the need, his father decided to make a skate bowl himself. " He would work on it late into the night, sometimes until three or four in the morning," said Chen. " I'm really thankful for my father's support. "
As a junior high school student, Chen needed to find a balance between his schoolwork and skateboarding. His only "privilege(特权)" was being free from PE classes, during which he would do schoolwork because he needed to practice in his own skate bowl for hours after returning home.
He trained in the morning, studied in the afternoon and sometimes had to have other classes with the teachers' help. While getting ready for the competition this year, Chen even disagreed with his father over his study schedule. He wanted to train for more hours at night to avoid influencing his daytime classes.
Looking at the seven years of learning skating, Chen said this experience made him stronger and more determined (坚定的) to do something he truly loves.
As a banker, Billy had never planted so much until he moved to the countryside seven years ago. Soon he became interested in growing and rented(租) a 30-by-30-foot land. One weekend, he planted tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants. He ended up with so many1 that he couldn't eat them up. 2 he found a local food bank, and gave away 120 pounds of fresh vegetables in all. Moved by Billy's kindness, some people offered to help3 .
The following year, together with several4 , Billy planted and got 1,500 pounds of vegetables. All of them were given away to the food bank. Later he had more volunteers, rent more land and gave away more vegetables.
Billy also5 local school kids. On a Friday morning in May,40 third and fifth graders walked onto one of his fields. Each of them had spade(铁锹). They dug holes and6 put the plants in them. Although they got their clothes and hands7 , nobody complained(抱怨).
"The activity makes kids know there are people8 ," says Billy," and it plants the seed for giving back. When they are adults, it will be much more possible for them to9 people around them to do something like this.
Billy makes people want to10 " says Holly, a mother of two. " And families love this. Billy has given us a way to raise our kids with a giving heart. "
What does taking the train mean to you? Perhaps it's just a way of getting to ( you ) destination(目的地). In fact, the train itself can be part of the fun.
On March 28, China's ( one ) panda - themed tourist train left Chengdu in Sichuan for Zunyi in Guizhou. It soon became the talk of China with its special design (设计)and ( comfort ) service. It's one of 54. most interesting trains in China.
Its inside and outside are decorated with giant panda ( picture ). Attendants(乘务员)carry panda toys and passengers can try panda-shaped food, as well as Sichuan snacks. there are many kinds of rooms to have fun, some people call it a " mobile star hotel ". Passengers can take showers and use its 5G network as well. This excellent service is one thing that has ( excite ) travelers. And train travel fascinates people for other reasons.
In the fast-paced times we live in, train travel is a good way ( slow ) down. It gives you time and space to read, sleep, chat with friends, or ( simple ) do nothing but watch the changing views outside. Train travel is also full surprises. You might meet new people and become friends with them.
Wuyi Rock Tea is a kind of oolong tea. 61. Wuyi Rock Tea is known for its rich smell. It got its name from the place where it's produced - Wuyi Mountain in Fujian Province. The tea trees usually grow between rocks. The traditional home of Rock Tea is only from a small area in the mountain.
With its long history, Wuyi Rock Tea dates back to the Shang Dynasty. 62. 在过去，武夷岩茶被当作礼物送给他人。 In 2006, the skills of making Wuyi Rock Tea were added to China's national intangible cultural heritage list(中国非物质文化遗产名录).
Zhang Haichun,65, is a master of making Wuyi Rock Tea. Zhang said there are 13 steps to make it. 63. The most difficult step is to shake the tea leaves by holding the round bamboo plate. It really needs strength and patience. "64. You have to decide when the best time is to stop according to the color. " Zhang said. Sometimes, you stop after shaking dozens of times, while sometimes it can be hundreds of times. Only years-of experience can help you decide.
"It is important to pass on the skills of making Wuyi Rock Tea. "65. 传承这些传统技艺是我的职责。And I am proud of it. " Zhang said. In recent years, Zhang has often worked with schools to train tea makers.
