If you're encouraged by the tiny house movement and think 160 square feet is just enough for your needs, you may want to contact the Academy of Construction and Design (ACAD) at IDEA Public Charter School in northeast Washington.

    Students in the program built a micro house with a kitchen, a bathroom, a sleeping loft with space for a queen-size bed and a storage loft, all set on a trailer for mobility. The exterior of the house was part of a continuous living exhibit in 2015 and was moved to the IDEA campus so students could work with builders to complete the interior earlier this year.

    McMahon said the D. C. government's approval to push companies to hire District residents was at odds with the school system not preparing students for careers in construction, exploring or electrical work. McMahon gathered industry and community leaders to establish ACAD in 2005, and he said 100 percent of the companies he contacted responded positively to the idea, including major firms such as JBG, Clark Construction, Hines Construction and Boston Properties.

    “When students make the connection between what they are learning a potential career, their academics improve dramatically,” said Carol Randolph, chief operating officer of the D. C. Students Construction Trades Foundation. “Some of them who didn't think college was an option now have a better chance because their classes have become relevant to a job.”

    “We teach them life skills and explain that even if you start as a laborer, there are opportunities to move up quickly,” he said. “We rewrite the story for them and explain that they can work for a few years, make good money, get promoted, and start their own business or go to school with less debts.”

    “Parents and school advisor can be the biggest obstacles because of the negative idea of construction as a blue-collar career,” Karriem said. “I get middle-school advisor on board to talk about the opportunities this education provides. These kids are learning lifelong skills that can help them in other fields, provide them with income and allow them to take care of their homes.”

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    While waiting for my daughter I treated myself with a coffee which I used to be so dependent on that when I stopped it I had headache for days. So while I was enjoying my rate moment, I was attracted by an old men who seemed not well

I could not see his face to be sure, as it was laid between his folded arms on the table. He had a long warm coat, and a big backpack which made me think he could be a homeless. I quit wondering, went to his table, patted him on the arm and asked him, "Are you OK?" He raised his head and said something in a whisper, nodding yes. I realized by the strong smell that he was indeed a homeless man.

I asked him if he was hungry. He responded but I could not understand his answer. However, I didn't give up and asked him if he would like some rice balls at which he raised his head saying clearly this time that he would be thankful for a rice bait Immediately I went to the nearest shop and bought a drink and a warm lunch box, and brought them to him. He said "thank you" but didn't eat right away and made no move, maybe because he was a little shy in the presence of a lady.

    So I left them on his table and changed my waiting place. When I passed again nearby, he was eating. You should have sensed my great pleasure. I was so grateful that I had the ways to help an old man even if only for a moment of his life.

    Something's happening at the lowest point on our planet.

The Dead Sea, a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and Palestine to the west, is shrinking(缩小) at an alarming rate—--about 3.3 feet per year, according to the environmentalist group EcoPeace Middle East. And human actions are largely to blame.

    “It's not just like one country is punishing the Dead Sea; it's more like the whole area,” said photographer Mortize Kustner, who visited the area in February to work on his series “The Dying Dead Sea”.

    The Dead Sea needs water from the other natural sources surrounding it, such as the Jordan River basin. But around the 1960s, some of the water sources it relied on were diverted(使改道).Israel, for instance, built a pipeline during that time so it could supply water throughout the country.

    Mineral extraction(开采) industries are another main reason the water levels are falling, experts say. The Dead Sea's minerals have been used as medicine and can often be found in cosmetics(化妆品) and other consumer products.

    And then, of course, there's the Middle East's hot, dry climate, which makes it difficult for the lake to replenish itself.

    Last year, Israel and Jordan signed a $900 million deal in an effort to keep the Dead Sea's water levels stable（稳定）. It includes building a canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea which would be able to not only supply water to Israel and Jordan but also to pump water into the Dead Sea.

    But for now, Kustner shows us that the Dead Sea remains very much a place of interest, with people from all over the world going there to swim in its salty waters.

    The Dead Sea, known as the Salt Sea in the language of Hebrew, is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world. And because of what has been happening over the years, the salt is only getting saltier.

    Admission & Opening Times

    Museum Opening Times

    The museum is open daily: 10 am—5 pm

    Collections Centre opens daily: 11am—5 pm

    Last admission to the museum and Collections Centre is 4: 30 pm.

    Closed: December 24, 2017—January 1, 2018 inclusive

    Museum Admission

    Your entry fee will be treated as a donation to our charity on which we may also be able to claim Gift Aid. In return you will receive FREE admission to the museum for a year with our Annual Pass (this excludes 5Special Show Days per year).

Tickets for today's date are only available to buy at the museum.

Museum Tours

    An optional tour of the museum is included in your entry fee. The tours are available between 11:15 am and 2:15 pm every day. They do not have to be pre-booked but have time limits.

Collections Centre

    Access to the Collections Centre is included in your entry fee, so you will just need to show your museum admission ticket at the door to gain entry. The Collections Centre is open from 11am to 5 pm with last entry at 4:30 pm.

    Show Days

    On most show days the normal museum entry prices are applied. There are, however, five Special Show Days per year when the admission price varies, including entry both into the show and the museum. On these days, Gift Aid tickets and promotional vouchers(促销券) are not valid. Advance discounted Show Day tickets are available online or via our Ticket Hotline 019 -266 45033.

    For more information about the British Motor Museum, please click here.

    Winter is the perfect time to see Washington in a different light. The crowds have thinned, and those humid 95-degree days are long gone. And the National Zoo is a different experience because of 500,000 bulbs that illuminate the annual Zoo-lights celebration.

    Eco-friendly twinkly lights will decorate zoo walkways, trees and buildings. Sculptures featuring popular zoo residents, including elephants and giant pandas, light up in time to music.

    If walking and watching isn't enough excitement, head to Lion & Tiger Hill, home to a 150-foot-long snow-less tubing run. Rides on the trackless train and the carousel also will be available.

    Don't forget to visit a few of the zoo's real animals. The Kids' Farm, Reptile Discovery Center, Small Mammal House, Think Tank (orangutans) and Great Cats exhibit will be open in the evening. There's no guarantee, however, that the animals will be as lively as the humans in attendance.

    When: Friday to January 1 (except December 24-25), 5 to 9 p.m.

    Where: 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.

    How much: Admission is free; limited parking is $22. Charges for tubing, train rides and carousel rides.

    For more information: A parent can visit nationalzoo.si.edu/events/zoolights.

    More ZooLights celebrations: For those outside of the D.C. area, here are some links to other zoos with similar events (not all are free):

    Columbus Zoo, Ohio: Through January 1.

    Detroit Zoo, Michigan: Through December 31.

    Denver Zoo, Colorado: December 2-January 1.

    Houston Zoo, Texas: Through January 15.

From a young age, Michael Platt loved two things: the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and cupcakes. He imagined ways he too could fight for justice. He memorized figures about income inequality and childhood hunger. But he also spent afternoons at his home computer, amazed by YouTube bakers who made perfect cupcakes.

When his parents gave him a pair of Toms shoes for Christmas three years ago, Michael saw a way to connect his twin passions. At age 11, he founded a bakery that operates on the Toms one-for-one model: For every cupcake, cake or cookie that Michael sells, he donates another to the homeless and hungry. Twice a month, he heads to locations to pass out goodies. Michael, now 13, said he especially enjoys handing out cupcakes to kids.

"I know I like cupcakes, but also cupcakes are part of a child's childhood so they should get them," said Michael, noting that he always eats one with whippedicing (打发的糖霜) on his birthday.

Michael calls his baking business Michaels Desserts. He left out the apostrophe (撇号) as a reminder that he is baking for others, not himself. "I always wanted to have a purpose for what I do." he said. "It's all about helping people— not just having a purpose for yourself, but thinking about, 'How does this touch other things? "

When he started the bakery, he knew that he wanted his business to do more than make money. That's why the intention of Michaels Desserts is fighting hunger and giving back, which Michael accomplishes through his giveaways. Michael hopes his cupcakes inspire others to work for social equality.

Sometimes, Michael admits, he grows tired of being in the kitchen. Then he remembers the homeless boy he met once while handing out cupcakes. A couple of days afterward, the boy's father messaged Michael on Facebook to say that his son, encouraged by Michael's example, now desired to become a baker.

"That inspired me," Michael said. He smiled and looked down.