Forgive the accidental. A sudden fall is humorous not because we like to see people fall, but because it surprises. Froma spilled（溢出）water glass in a meeting to Aunt Rae's teeth coming off in the Thanksgiving turkey, the embarrassment of accidents can be relieved by humor and a helping hand. After making sure that nobody's hurt, forgive accidents with a chuckle（咯咯地笑）rather than a scolding.

    Look for the unexpected. The kid whoused to look at you with his eyes closed during a test had the idea. Parents who serve green eggs and ham to their children on graduation day get the idea. Unexpected actions lighten an atmosphere and relax people.

    Learn to laugh with your kids. Most of what children say and do is funny. Help them learn that accidents are sometimes funny and sometimes occasions for joining in and helping another human being. By sharing laughs and attempting to explain humor, you develop your sense of humor, as well as help kids develop their own sense of humor.

    Holidays are really important. Many of us will have childhood memories of summer holidays where we were taken away from home to experience new environments and learn in different ways.

    But holidays are expensive and, for those on low wages or living on benefits, they are often unobtainable. Even the cheapest holidays require travel and other additional costs that are difficult for many families to meet.

    For working parents, the long summer break can be a very difficult problem for childcare. When an annual leave allowance amounts to only five weeks, there is a need to spread this across the year. Couples can find themselves taking leave in turn in order to care for children who are on holiday. For some ' this makes even an affordable family holiday difficult.

    The schools that I visit in Nottingham are full of experienced staff committed to giving our children a caring and inspiring learning environment. The number of children receiving free school meals is quite large in Nottingham and many schools have breakfast clubs to make sure that children get a healthy start to the day. Most schools undertake programs of group or individual educational support. Schools also have an important role in sofeguaiding children's welfare through the ongoing touch and support with their pupils. During the long summer holidays, much of this is missed.

    While teachers are holidaying in the UK, many of their pupils spend the whole six weeks on the street where they live. The lack of free school meals for six weeks can result in pressure on a family budget and an inability to afford the inspiring experiences that help children to continue their learning.

    In setting out its plans for a five-term year, Nottingham City Council (委员会)is seeking to reduce the summer holiday down lo four and a half weeks, with a more balanced five terms of roughly eight weeks, each followed by a two-week break. We believe this will give real “down time" for school staff and pupils alike but will be short enough not to cause a real break in learning.

    We acknowledge that this change may be difficult for some school staff, particularly whose own children are educated in other authorities. However, this must be weighed against the benefits for city children for whom we all have the greatest duty of care.

    If you frequently travel for business, Stay bridge Suites offer you a range of home comforts. Four recent visitors to Staybridge Suites explain why they booked, what they enjoyed and what made them want to return.

Claire Metcalf

    “The concept is great, but the staff are the ones who really make it. ”she says. “It takes a lot of discipline to always be friendly, but the staff at Staybridge Suites do that. They genuinely care about you.”

Andrew Roberts

    “One of the best things is having my own kitchen. I often end up working late and I don't fancy eating in a restaurant on my own, so cooking for myself is a big drawcard. ”

    “The main thing for me is being able to cook and have my own little flat. The staff are amazing. It is great to be recognized by them, ”he says.

Pauline Robinson

    “What I love about it is the way that you are treated by the staff,” she says. “Some of the staff have been there all that time and they do look after you well. As a woman staying on my own, it is reassuring that they look out for you, and recently when I was poorly they even brought things I needed to my room. ”

Ryan Ruckledge

    “The fully-equipped kitchen is great. I always have a one-bed apartment so I have a separate kitchen and dining room and I'm able to relax and cook some meals. Eating out can feel a bit much when you do it day in and day out—it makes you hate what you do—and I don't want that.

    Google is consistently rated the best place to work. So you need a degree from Harvard to in the door, right?

    Not really, according to Laszlo Bock, Google's Head of People Operations. When the company was small, Google cared a lot about getting kids from Harvard, Stanford, MIT and many other Ivy League schools.  But Bock said it was the "wrong" hiring strategy.  Experience has taught him there are exceptional kids at many other places, from state schools in California to New York.

    "What we find is the best people from places like that are just as good, if not better, as anybody you can get from any Ivy League school, "said Bock, who just authored a book titled "Work Rules!"

    Every year, 2 million people apply to get a job at Google.  Bock himself has seen some 25, 000 résumés.

    So what else does Google not care about:

    Grades: Google's data shows that grades predict performance for the first two years of a career, but do not matter after that.

    Brain-teasers: Gone are interview questions such as: Why are manhole covers（井盖)round? or How many golf balls can fit in a school bus? "Our research tells us those questions are a waste of time, "Bock said "They're a really coachable skill. The more you practice, you get better at it. "

    Here's what Google does care about:

    Problem solvers: Your cognitive ability(认知能力), or how well you solve problems.

    Leaders: The idea is not whether you were president of the student body or vice president of the bank, but rather:" When you see a problem do you step in, help solve it, "and then critically, "Are you willing to step out and let somebody else take over, and make room for somebody else? Are you willing to give up power?"

    Googleyness: That's what Google calls its cultural fit. It's not "Are you like us?" Bock said. "We actually look for people who are different, because diversity gives us great ideas."

    "What's most important is that people are intellectually humble, willing to admit when they're wrong, and care about the environment around them… because we want people who think like owners not employees, "Bock said.

    The least important thing? Knowing how to do the job.

    "We figure if you get the first three right you'll figure it out most of the time."

    Carrots are grown on farms and in family gardens throughout the world. Carrots are easy to raise and easy to harvest. They taste good.

    When people think of carrots, they usually picture in their minds a vegetable that is long, thin and orange in colour. But carrots come in many different sizes and shapes. And not all carrots are orange. For the best results, carrots should be grown in sandy soil that does not hold water for a long time. The soil also should have no rocks. To prepare your carrot garden, dig up the soil, loosen it and turn it over. Then, mix in some plant material or animal fertilizer. Weather, soil conditions and age will affect the way carrots taste. Experts say warm days, cool nights and a medium soil temperature are the best conditions for growing carrots that taste great.

    Carrots need time to develop their full sugar content. This gives them their taste. But carrots loose their sweetness if you wait too long to remove them from the ground. The best way to judge if a carrot is ready to be harvested is by its colour. Usually, the brighter the colour, the better the taste.

    Carrots are prepared and eaten in many different ways. They are cut in thin pieces and added to other vegetables. They are cooked by themselves or added to stews. Or, once they are washed, they are eaten just as they come out of the ground.

    Many students ask for advice about improving their English. There are three basic questions.

    The first question is about real English. Li Hao from Hubei wrote, "I enjoy watching English films and listening to real English songs. But it takes a long time. What do you think?"

    This is a great way to learn English! Talk about the film or song with your friends, and guess the meaning of the new words. Just enjoy yourself!

    The second question is about speaking. Sam, form Suzhou wrote, "Our school has a foreign teacher. But I'm shy and can't speak to her. What should I do?"

    When I visit China, lots of people in the street say, "Hello! How are you? Where are you from? Do you like China?" These are good questions to start a conversation. Many people are shy when they speak English, so before you begin, takes deep breath and smile! Smiling always helps.

    The third question is about vocabulary. Oliver, from Anhui wrote, "I want to remember all the new words. I write them down, but I forget them quickly. What should I do? Try to remember eight or ten words a day. Write them on pieces of paper and place them in your bedroom. Say the words when you see them, and change them every day. And when you're shopping, how about counting the English words, or saying the English names for everything you see?