My high school life has been filled with many ups and downs, whether it was social or academic. Even though my current high school was not my first choice, I never regretted attending Southside High School. “Since you have chosen it, then it is the best for you,” said my parents.

    Up until the junior year I did not realize my capabilities (能力) as a student. Being in the IB Program, I was told that my junior year would be the toughest in all the years of high school. With this “little” piece of information, I walked into my junior year, scared of my grades. As weeks went by, I started to believe that the junior year was not as hard as everyone had said, but I was wrong. My grades were rapidly declining(下降) and by the end of the first term I had five Cs in seven of my classes! I could not believe it — I did not want to believe it. I tried my best to get my grades up myself without any help from anyone, but my pride just made my grades worse. And I had to miss out on one of the most important speech and debate competitions all year: States. I was heartbroken. I realized that I could not survive my junior year on my own, so I had to get help fast.

    Once I got a tutor, my grades went from Cs, Ds, and even some Fs, to nothing but As and Bs. I slowly started to gain my confidence back in all of my classes and even myself. By the time the third and fourth quarter came around, I had been on the honor roll twice, and I was receiving awards from speeches and debates, tennis and school.

    Southside has taught me to always keep my head up and never give up on myself no matter what life throws at me. I am proud to be a Southside Tiger.

French surgeons have performed what they said on Wednesday was the world's first partial face transplant（移植）— giving a new nose, chin and lips to a woman attacked by a dog.

    Specialists from two French hospitals carried out the operation on a 38-year-old woman on Sunday in the northern city of Amiens by taking the face from a brain-dead woman, who had hanged herself just hours before the operation. Her family agreed on the operation.

    “The patient is in an excellent state and the transplant looks normal,” the hospitals said in a brief statement after waiting three days to announce the pioneering surgery.

    The woman had been left without a nose and lips after the dog attacked her last May, and was unable to talk or chew properly. Such injuries are “extremely difficult, if not impossible” to repair using normal surgical techniques, the statement said.

    The statement did not say what the woman would look like when she had fully recovered, but medical experts said she was unlikely to resemble the woman who had been the source of her new face.

    The operation was led by Jean-Michel Dubernard, a specialist from a hospital in Lyon who has also carried out hand transplants.

    Skin transplants have long been used to treat burns and other injuries, but operations around the mouth and nose have been considered very difficult because of the area's high sensitivity（敏感） to foreign tissue.

    Teams in France, the United States and Britain had been developing techniques to make face transplants a reality

    There was a short-term risk for the patient if blood vessels became blocked, a medium-term danger of her body rejecting the new skin and a long-term possibility that the drugs used could cause cancers.

    Experts say that although such medical advances should be celebrated, the transplant had thrown up moral（道德的）and ethical(伦理的)issues. Little is known about the psychological effect of three transplant.

    Truman headed home from school, with the homework in mind, a report on beehives (蜂巢). Truman's class had studied bees for three days, so he was ready. But, as his teacher Mrs. Lawrence had explained, to earn an A +，he needed a “new angle”.

    Truman pushed open the front door to find his four-year-old brother, Bryan, sitting on the living room rag, hard at work. Paper towel tubes were all over the floor.

    Bryan quickly stood up. “Truman, help me build a city!”

    “I'd like to,” Truman replied, “but I have to do a report on beehives and ...”

    “Can I help you?” Bryan begged.

    “I don't think so, Bry. Sorry.''

    “I know where there's a beehive.” Bryan smiled.

    “Where?”

    “In the wood pile by the garage.''

    The boys marched to the firewood. Bending down, Bryan pointed out the hive deep inside the pile. Truman carefully removed the hive out.

    “You got it!” Bryan shouted.

    Back in the living room, Truman paced around, turning the fragile hive under his nose. Each cell was a perfect hexagon(六边形). How did the bees fit the cells together so neatly? And how did they make each cell six-sided? Could they count? Lost in thought, his foot came down on something ...

    “Truman! You're mining my city!”

    “Get your stupid tubes out of here，Bryan! I'm trying to…”

    The towel tubes on the floor suddenly reminded him of something. The beehive!

    Looking closer, he noticed the tubes were arranged with one in the middle, surrounded by six others, just like the cells of the hive.

    Just to be sure, he tried five and then seven tubes surrounding the center tubes, but neither way fit. Six was the only number that worked.

    “Bees don't count to six,” he said aloud. “The cells have to be six-sided.

    Truman ran to Bryan and threw his arms around his brother. Bryan, you did it! Now I can build a model beehive with your tubes! I mean — if it's O. K. with you.”

Notice for Tourists to Beijing Expo 2019

    The 2019 Beijing Horticultural Expo (园博会) from April 29 to October 7 is an opportunity for international discovery, where cultural elements of different places in China are on display, as well as gardens and buildings about each country's wonderful culture and history. Here is a notice for whoever plans to come.

    Quick Entry by Showing ID Cards.

    To make sure your quick and orderly entry into the Expo Site, please wait in lines and get your ID card ready for pre-check, ticket check and security inspection before entering. During the ticket check, those who hold discounted tickets must provide the materials about discount.

    Safe Tour to the Expo.

    Considering your personal safety, please don't take anything that may disturb other visitors or the order of the Expo Site, such as pets, kites, and speakers. Except for wheelchairs for the elderly and the disabled and strollers (婴儿推车)for children, no vehicles(机动车辆)are allowed to enter the Expo Site.

    Taking Action to Protect the Environment.

    To create a green, beautiful environment for yourself and others, please follow the travel rules, protect public buildings, keep environment clean and care plants growing in the Expo Site. Behaviors such as climbing or destroying structures and exhibits are not permitted.

    Orderly Travel by Limiting the Number.

    For the safety of visitors, sometimes staff members may limit the number of tourists into some gardens and buildings in the event of overcrowding Thank you for your understanding.

    Enjoying Service and Having Fun.

    Tourist service centers in the Expo Site provide services including information inquiry (查询) storage of personal belongings, wheelchair and stroller renting, lost found service, and search for missing persons. We hope you have a good time at the Expo.

    You can call the service hotline at 86-10-86484017 for inquiry, suggestion or complaint. Thanks for your attention.

L. Bean Quad backpack

If you need a backpack that can carry large and small objects and is comfortable to wear, this is the backpack for you. The reasonable price and customers' 100% satisfaction makes this a great buy any way you look at it. While it's not the most beautiful backpack on the planet, it does look nice at first sight.

Kanken 15" backpack

This Kanken bag is a great choice for school kids of grade one to six or adults with narrow shoulders. Weighing under 450g, it's easy and comfortable to carry this bag around. The simple design with a lot of eve-catching colors may have you fall in love with it at once.

Timbuk2 Command backpack

If you want to safely carry your laptop and look stylish, the Timbuk2 Command backpack is the one for you. The soft back is made for a comfortable wearing experience. The clean coloring and lines of the bag may make you more "grown-up".

Amazon Basics backpack

With a lowest price among all these backpacks, the Amazon Basics backpack is a great choice for college students on a tight budget. There are tons of storage choices in this backpack, so it's easy to forget exactly where you placed a certain object. It is a basic black backpack with a few designs and is never going to appear on a fashion T stage.

Wilderness Explorers Center Guide

Welcome to the Wilderness Explorers Center, your gateway to the adventure of nature's wonders! With engaging exhibits, wildlife sightseeing, and natural activities, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

Discover Nature's Treasures

Don't miss the chance to explore our Nature Gift Shop, located near the entrance of the Wilderness Explorers Center. Here, you'll discover a delightful array of eco-friendly gifts, educational books, and unique handicrafts inspired by the natural world.

Enjoy at Forest Café

After a day of exploration, fuel your energy at the Forest Café. Indulge in a selection of delicious snacks, sandwiches, and beverages sourced from local ingredients. Whether you're craving a refreshing drink or a heart y meal, the Forest Café is the perfect spot to relax and unwind.

Ensure the Accessibility

Ensuring that every visitor can fully enjoy their experience is our top priority. That's why we offer wheelchair and stroller rentals at the entrance, making it easy for everyone to explore our center comfortably. Our staff are also available to ensure that all guests feel welcome.

Support the Conservation

Join us in our mission to protect and preserve the natural world for future generations. Your support plays a crucial role in our conservation efforts. Click our website here to learn more about how you can get involved, from donating to becoming a member of our conservation community. Together, we can make a difference in safeguarding the beauty of our planet.