A man came home from work and found his three children outside， still in their pajamas(睡衣) playing in the mud，with empty food boxes and wrappers thrown all around the front yard.

    The door of his wife's car was open，as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog.

    Walking into the entry，he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring(大声播放)a cartoon channel，and the family room was thrown with toys and various items of clothing.

    In the kitchen，dishes filled the sink，breakfast food was spilled on the counter，the fridge door was open wide， dog food was spilled on the floor，a broken glass lay under the table，and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.

    He quickly headed up the stairs，stepping over toys and more piles of clothes，looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill，or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small drop of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he looked inside he found wet towels， soap and more toys thrown over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap(堆) and toothpaste had been put over the mirror and walls.

    As he rushed to the bedroom， he found his wife still sleeping in the bed in her pajamas，reading a novel. She looked up at him，smiled，and asked how his day went. He looked at her puzzled and asked， “What happened here today？”

    She again smiled and answered，“You know every day when you come home from work and ask me what in the world I did today？”

    “Yes，” was his reply.

    She answered，“Well，today I didn't do it.”

Teens Spring Events at San Francisco Public Library

GREAT TEEN BOOK SWAP

Sunday,March 19,2017-2:30 pm to 5:30 pm

FREE hook!Just leave us a review.

    Here's how it works: Every Thursday,the librarian will bring out several books and allow teens the chance to look through them for one that you'd like to keep.You will,in turn,swap us a review of the book by the end of the month.

For ages 12-18.

For more information,contact Dorcas at dorcas.wong@sfpl.org.

THE MIX BOOK CLUB!

Sunday,March 19,2017-4:00 pm to 5:00 pm

    Teens aged 13-18 are welcome to The Mix at SFPL Book Club!We read a different book each month that you help choose.This month we're reading The Sun is Also A Star,by Nicola Yoon.New members and drop-ins are always welcome!

For more information,please e-mail catherine.cormier@sfpl.org or call (415)557-4404.

THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY BY HENRY JAMES

Sunday,March 19,2017-6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

    Please join Chinatown's World Literature Book Club for an enjoyable discussion of The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James.This famous novel follows the young,free-spirited heiress,Isabel Archer,as she travels from New York to Europe.

CARTOONING & GRAPHIC NOVEL WORKSHOP

Saturday,March 25,2017-2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

    Join teaching artist and cartoonist Aaron Southerland for a cartooning and graphic novel workshop.Students will learn to create their very own cartoon and comic characters through advanced drawing techniques.

    This is a Reading,Writing & Poetry program from SFPL.We love reading/sharing/creating words.

    Have you heard an old saying “The grass looks greeener on the other side of the fence”? It means other places often look better, more interesting than the place where you live. “Let's go to KFC for dinner and then watch some Japanese cartoons!” We all know it: more and more Chinese kids love American and Japanese food and movies. Some people worry that young Chinese are beginning to feel that way. They see young Chinese ignoring (忽视) Chinese culture and, instead, buying Japanese cartoon books, watching Korean soap operas and even celebrating Western holidays.

    Foreign books and soap operas are good, but Chinese writers and actors are just as good. As for holidays, Christmas is nice, but it can never have the meaning for Chinese that Spring Festival has, and the West has nothing to compare with the Mid-Autumn Festival. China has lots of cool things in its culture: calligraphy, Bejing Opera, quick meals on the streets, and even Jay Chou! And let's not forget the part of Chinese culture I like best: its friendliness. Not all countries are as warm as China.

    It's good to enjoy other cultures and learn from them, but they can never replace your own culture. It's good to look on the other side of the fence, but make sure you take a good long book. You will find that the grass isn't always greener.

    Although some people become worried about that, I don't think they should. Will we get more powerful without learning from other countries? Will Chinese people live more happily without American fast food? Besides, it's fun to learn about different cultures. Chinese kids can learn about other cultures and have fun, but they also need to learn more about their own culture. Be proud of Chinese culture and of being Chinese!

    Boston Tourist Attractions and Sightseeing

    Duck Tours

    One of the most popular tours in and around Boston are the legendary Duck Tours, which show you the best that the city has to offer. World War II vehicles take you on a scenic drive around the most famous sites and attractions in the city. With interesting explanation, this novel tour is an enjoyable and fun way to see the city and very much recommended.

    New England Aquarium

The aquarium is home to over 7,000 fish and a collection of many different sea creatures. The city's most visited tourist attraction is complete with exhibit space, gift shop and a cafe with spectacular views of the city and harbor. It also offers whale-watching tours with indoor and outdoor seating — and even seal or walrus (海象) shows.

    Boston Public Library

    Built in 1848, the Boston Public Library was the first free publicly supported city library in America. With more than 650,000 photographs, 100,000 prints and 250 different papers in the “Newspaper Room” the library now has Internet access, two restaurants and an on-line store with reproductions of its priceless artwork. All exhibits are open to the public and books m only the beginning.

    Bull and Finch Pub - Home of Cheers

    This world-famous pub is the inspiration for the hugely successful sitcom (情景喜剧) “Cheers”. Although the outside is the same as on television, the inside is completely different. However, although unexpected, this is not a real disappointment as the busy pub is full of reminders of Cheers. The menu serves typical bar food, and is very popular with tourists

    If visiting family or staying at one of the luxury Boston hotels downtown, you may want to corner purchasing a “Boston City Pass” as this will enable you to pay half price for most the finest attractions.

    It's 5:00 in the morning when the alarm(闹钟)rings in my ears. I roll out of bed and walk blindly through the dark into the bathroom. I turn on the light and put on my glasses. The house is still as I walk downstairs while my husband and three kids sleep peacefully. Usually I go for a long run, but today I choose my favorite exercise DVD, Insanity. Sweat pours down my face and into my eyes. My heart races as I force my body to finish each movement. As I near the end of the exercise, I feel extremely tired, but a smile is on my face. It's not a smile because the DVD is over, but a smile of success from pushing my body to its extreme limit.

    Some people enjoy shopping, smoking, food, work, or even chocolate. But I need exercise to get through each day. Some shake heads when they see me run through the town. Others get hurt when I refuse to try just one bite of their grandmother's chocolate cake. They raise their eyebrows, surprised by my ＂no thank you＂, or by my choice to have a salad. Over the years, I have learned it's okay to just say ＂no＂. I shouldn't feel sorry for refusing food that I don't want to eat.

    So what drives me to roll out of bed at 5:00 a.m.? What gives me the reason to just say no to ice cream? Commitment. A commitment to change my life with a way that reduces daily anxiety, increases self-confidence and energy, extends life and above all improves my body shape. This is the point where a smile appears on my face as I look at myself in the mirror or try on my favorite pair of jeans that now fit just right. It's through commitment and sweat that I can make a difference within myself inside and out.

    When an earthquake hit a small town，many houses fell down.After the earthquake，all the newspapers reported many stories about some of the families who were in trouble.

    One Sunday，when I was reading a newspaper，a special picture touched me.It gave the clothing sizes of each family member.I thought that this would be a good chance to teach my children to help those who were less lucky than themselves.I said to my seven years old twins，Brad and Brett，and three years old Meghan，"We have so much，and these poor people now have nothing.We'll share what we have with them."

    I filled a box with foods and clothes.While I was doing this, I encouraged the boys to choose their toys and donate some of their less favourite things.Meghan watched quietly as the boys took out their old toys and games and put them together.Then she walked away.A few minutes later she came back with Lucy，her much loved doll.She put the doll on top of the other toys. "Oh, dear," I said. "You don't have to give Lucy.You love her so much."Meghan said，"Lucy makes me happy，Mommy.Maybe she'll make another little girl happy, too."

    I looked at Meghan for a long moment.She taught me a lesson.It's easy to give something that we don't want any more，but hard to give what we cherish(珍爱)，isn't it?