In the U.S. state of Washington, a road called ^Interstate 90^ cuts through a wild, mountainous area to reach the city of Seattle. For the area's many kinds of animals, the busy highway greatly limits their movements. Crossing 1-90—as the road is called—is a risky but sometimes necessary act. But soon, animals will have a safer choice for crossing the road. They will be able to go above it.

    To help the animals, the state is finishing work on its largest-ever wildlife bridge. The 11-meter-tall, 20-meter-wide structure begins in the forest. It forms two arches above the highway, one for each direction of traffic. Workers are adding fencing and plants to help guide the animals across the bridge. Two-meter-thick walls will help block noise from vehicles below.

    The 1-90 Bridge is part of a growing number of wildlife crossings across the United States. Some are fences, some are overland bridges, and some are underpasses. They all aim to keep drivers and animals away from each other. Collisions between animals and drivers are rarely deadly to people. But they are often deadly to wildlife. In Canada's Banff National Park, studies have found that wildlife crossings reduce the area's animal-driver collisions by 80 percent.

    Most of the wildlife bridges are in western states. But experts have noted many other areas that have a need for such paths. Jen Watkins, whose organization has helped campaign for animal crossings, says finding for more crossings is "the number-one barrier."

    Patty Garvey-Darda of the U.S. Forest Service has worked on the 1-90 crossing from the start of the project. She says the $6- million bridge will one day pay for itself because the highway will not have to be fully or partly closed each time a large animal is struck. She said, ^"If you shut down Interstate 90, you shut down interstate commerce."

    I have been passionate about sewing and fashion design since I was 12. Two years ago, I designed and made a set of outfits from recyclable materials for a charity fashion show. Through this highly meaningful and profound experience, I became sensitized to the importance of protecting and preserving our environment when designing and making fashion items, resulting in my founding an organization to promote eco-friendly design and fashion.

    My interest has led me to research areas of fashion that have environmental implications. For example, some popular clothing stores have announced merchandizing policies designed to improve the environment. For those of us who are eco-conscious, it is incumbent upon us to evaluate whether such policies are just a marketing ploy, or represent genuine efforts to protect our environment.

    Three chain-stores, H&M, Urban Outfitters and Forever 21, have been promoting "green" items. After I examined their products, I have concluded that H&M and Urban Outfitters are truly helping the environment with their efforts, while Forever 21 seems to be using the 'go green' trend as a way to sell more products, rather than genuinely help the environment.

    Of these three stores, H&M has the most extensive eco-fashion plans. It is already well on its way to implementing its plans by increasingly blending organic cotton into their garments, as well as putting fully organic cotton items on the market. The store also belongs to the Organic Exchange Organization, which endorses growth of organic cotton. To reduce the substantial harm from non-organic cotton production, H&M is involved with the Better Cotton Initiative. Mindful of the adverse effects of climate change, the store aims to minimize transportation and energy usage. H&M labels their eco-friendly products with an official symbol, the Flower, to represent a production system that is less harmful than most traditional processes. Because of these actions and policies, H&M is already well on its way to making a difference on the environment.

    With its Urban Renewal brand, Urban Outfitter takes a different approach from H&M in promoting eco-friendly fashion. The brand features women's apparel made from strictly environmentally-friendly sources, such as vintage, dead stock, or surplus clothing. Urban Renewal produces fashionable garments, and embraces being eco-friendly through recycling.

    Unlike the other two stores above, Forever 21's eco-fashion efforts fall short; a cynic would say their message is downright misleading. It promotes the "'green" image, and yet many of their supposed eco-friendly products do not help the environment. For example, it sells a "Think Green Tote" that, according to the site, is meant "to send an environmentally friendly message". However, it is made of 100% non-organic cotton which is one of the most damaging fabrics to the environment, mostly because it requires greater chemical intervention compared to organic cotton. Also, the "I Love My Planet Tote" is supposed to "make a positive statement," but is also made of 100% cotton that is not organic. The only tote that is environmentally-friendly is the "H81 Organic Cotton Tote" from Forever 21's Heritage brand, made from 100% organic cotton. Now that Forever 21 has portrayed itself as being "green," it should start "walking the walk."

    God has a way of allowing us to be in the right place at the right time.

    I was walking down a dark street late one evening when I heard screams coming from behind a clump of bushes (灌木). Alarmed, I slowed down to listen and soon realized that what I was hearing was the unmistakable sounds of a struggle: mad fighting and tearing of clothes.

    Only yards from where I stood a girl was being attacked. Should I get involved? I was worried about my own safety, and regretted having suddenly decided to take a new route home that night. What if I became another victim? Shouldn't I just run to the nearest phone and call the police?

    The girl's cries were growing weaker. I knew I had to act at once. How could I walk away from this? I finally made up my mind. I could not turn my back on the fate of this unknown girl, even if it meant risking my own life.

    I am not a brave man, nor am I physically strong. I didn't know where I got the courage and strength, but once I had decided to help the girl, I became strangely different. I ran behind the bushes and pulled the attacker off the girl. Struggling, we fell to the ground, where we wrestled for a few minutes until the attacker jumped up and escaped.

    Out of breath, I stood up and approached the girl, who was behind a tree, sobbing. Not wanting to frighten her further, I at first spoke to her from a distance. "It's okay," I said softly. "The man has run away. You're safe now." There was a long pause and then I heard the words, spoken in wonder, in amazement. "Dad, is that you?" And then, from behind the tree, out stepped my youngest daughter, Katherine.

Ecobee3 Smarter WiFi Thermostat

    Smart thermostats have become the face of smart home technology for most, but depending on what your home is like, it's possible to say the ecobee3 is superior.

    Most of the smart thermostats carry the same benefits, including the ecobee3. They can learn your preferences and schedules, and then adjust the temperature accordingly. They're better-looking and more enjoyable to use than the basic pieces of plastic that occupy most households. Their very presence will probably make you more conscious about saving energy. And once you're able to heat up or cool down your house from your phone, without having to get out of bed, you won't want to go back.

    If you live in a larger household, the ecobee3 can be much more convenient—provided you pick up a couple more remote sensors. Yes, it gets pretty expensive at that point, but having those gives you effective control over the temperature in different rooms around your house. In comparison, other thermostats' measurements are largely limited to the area in which they' re installed (安装).

    If you live in a smaller place, that's no big deal; the ecobee3 still has distinct advantages. It is touch-enabled and more spacious, making it less annoying when you want to enter a WiFi password, see weather information, and so on. Still, all the smart thermostats are pretty great. Which one is best just depends on whether you need a whole-home solution or a more straightforward one. For now, if it's the former, go with the ecobee3.

    Ecobee3 Smarter WiFi Thermostat with Remote Sensor, available at all shopping websites.

    A man went into a restaurant and sat down at a table. He ordered the most expensive dishes. The waiter served the meal. He ate it with great joy. Then a small boy came in and sat at his table.

    The waiter came up and said to the man, "What would your little boy like, sir?"

    "Oh, just an ice cream," the man told him. Then he stood up and said to the waiter, "I'm just going out to buy a newspaper."

    He left the restaurant. The waiter gave the boy an ice cream. The boy took it and then stood up and walked to the door. The waiter ran towards him.

    "Excuse me," he said, "But your father hasn't come back and he hasn't paid for his meal or for your ice cream."

    "He's not my father," the boy said. "I don't know him at all."

    The waiter was puzzled. "What do you mean?" he asked.

    "The man came up to me in the street," the boy said, "He asked me if I liked an ice cream. I told him I did. Then he told me to come into the restaurant at 2 o'clock and sat down at his table. He said he'd give me one."