Though there are about 400 languages from all over the world that are in danger of disappearing completely，Zoque-Ayapaneco，a native Mexican language is considered the most likely to become extinct，because the only two people in the world that speak it fluently do not talk to each other!

    And，it's not because they live in different countries，states or even villages. In fact，Manuel Segovia and Isidro Velazquez，both in their 70s，live within 500 yards of each other，in the village of Ayapa in the Southern Mexican State of Tabasco. They，however，refuse to communicate because they simply don't have much in common. Segovia is apparently a little frank in nature while Velazquez is described as shy.

    Segovia was at least able to talk in Zoque-Ayapanece with his brother until he passed away about 12 years ago，and still manages to practice it with his family，especially his son Manuel，who for the last five years has been trying to learn it and hopes to become fluent enough to teach it to the next generation. Velazquez on the other hand，has not been heard speaking in the language with anybody.

    The two men say the language used to be widely spoken in the village，but the younger generation refused to learn it for fear of being laughed at，and it therefore began to die a slow death，as the elders passed away.

    Unless the two men get their acts together，the only way to hear the language will be to either listen to Manuel's not-so-fluent statement or see them talk in a documentary entitled “Lengua Muerta” (Dead Language) that is being filmed to capture Zoque Ayapaneco and 364 other native Mexican languages that are in a similar state.

    We sure hope Segovia and Velazquez soon find something common to talk about. Maybe the fact is that the language is dying and that they should start encouraging and teaching the next generation together.

    1990 was an important year in world events. In February, Nelson Mandela was set free after 27 years in prison. In October, East and West Germany became one country again. Then at the end of 1990, the World Wide Web was born. For this final event we have one man to thank. Tim Berners-Lee, the father of the Web.

    Berners-Lee was born on June 8, 1955 in London, England. His parents, both computer designers, encouraged him to think and work creatively as he grew up. He was an excellent student and naturally took an interest in computers and science.

    After graduating from Oxford University, Tim went to work at a science research centre in Switzerland. There he developed some of the different systems（系统）that would later become the Web. The first was HTML, the computer language used to make web pages. The second was an address system that let computers anywhere find each other and send and receive information. In 1990 he put them together to make the first Internet browser（浏览器）.

    Tim knew that the more people used the Web, the more useful it would be. He wasn't interested in money but knowledge, so he gave out his invention for free to anyone who was interested. Many were interested an the growth of the Internet began.

    Today Tim works as a professor at the MIT in America, studying new ways to use the Web. He has received many awards from governments and organizations for his efforts. He is still not very interested in money. That is why he is so liked by his students and workmates. It may also be one of the reasons that few people outside the world of technology know his name.

    If you are given only 1 yuan, could you live in a city for one day? It seems this may be a little difficult. But students from Xi'an did it.

    On April 10, more than 60 students from the Middle School Attached to Northwestern Polytechnic University took part in the One Yuan Metropolis Survival. The charitable organization for teenagers called Imperceptible Education held this activity. Students not only have to live, but they also have to deal with a lot of hard tasks. It has happened in eight cities and is going to four others, including Beijing, in June.

    To make money, many students looked for part-time jobs and saw how hard life was. Zhang Queue, 14, asked more than 10 restaurants for a job and finally got one chance. “We were sad when they said no. But gradually (逐渐地), we got used to it,” he said. After being a waiter for an hour, he got 25 yuan.

    Some made use of their talents by singing and dancing in parks or shopping malls. Many people who walked by took notice and helped them. Zhao Jincheng, 14, drew pictures and made paper crafts(手工). “This showed it's important to learn a special skill,” he said.

    Living was hard, but finishing the tasks wasn't any easier. They went to different places to finish tasks in a short time. The most amazing one was when they had to exchange things worth thousands yuan with only a piece of paper in half an hour. “We learned how to persuade others. From a balloon to a cake to a bottle of yogurt (酸乳) … after almost 20 tries, we got an expensive necklace,” he said. They will give all of the money they made to poor schools in Tibet.

    Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.

    Different cultures emphasize (强调) the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in "small talk", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries -- like the UK or France -- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.

    Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.

    Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.

    People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.

    Ivy Granstrom

    Ivy Granstrom was born with impaired vision(弱视) and got a serious back injury at the age of 60 during a car accident. She participated in cold English Bay swimming events for 76 years and was therefore sometimes known as the Queen of the Polar Bear Swims.

    Gerry Hewson

    Gerry Hewson was a member of Australian Men's National Wheelchair Basketball Team. He won a gold medal in the 1996 Summer Paralympics. He coached for the West Sydney Razorbacks from 2004 to 2006.He was named as a lifetime member in recognition of the efforts he made for the promotion of wheelchair basketball. Discussing the appeal of wheelchair basketball, he commented that,“There is a coating at the edge of the rim(轮辋) that actually lights up like a spark(火花), and it stays for about two to three seconds. That is quite exciting and great fun.”

    April Holmes

    April Holmes lost her left leg below the knee because of a train accident in 2001. Remembering it she said, “I had a life-changing accident in January, 2001. And fortunately I have been able to get back to doing what I love, and that's track and field.” Through hard work, she made records in the 100, 200, and 400 meter events. To live her life to its full potential, she has set up a non-profit(非营利的) organization, the April Holmes Foundation, to help people with learning or physical disabilities while being a role model for them.

    Shauna Maria Whyte

    Shauna Maria Whyte was born in Canada in 1967. She has won many prizes in cross-country skiing competitions since 1975. In 1991, during a horseback riding competition, Shauna broke her back. She did not surrender to this change in her life, and she started using a sit sled(雪橇).

There's no doubt that Dolly Parton knows how to light up a stage; however, she's also spent a number of decades trying to bring a spark to children's education.

Through programs such as the Buddy Program and the Imagination Library, the American singer is sharing her passion for giving kids a better chance in life across the states and further in the UK, Australia, Canada and Ireland.

Among other charity efforts, Parton was inspired to introduce the Buddy Program after seeing the alarming dropout rate in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee, in 1990. That year 34% of schoolkids dropped out of high school—a decision they reached around fifth or sixth grade. The figures were so shocking that Parton decided to inspire kids with her new program. So, in the same year, she invited the fifth and sixth graders to her amusement park, Dollywood. She gathered the pupils and asked them to pair up with a friend as part of a motivating buddy system. If both children went on to graduate, she said she would offer them both a $500 check as a reward. That year the percentage of kids abandoning their education dropped to an unbelievable 6%, and continues to be around that rate today.

It was after the success of the Buddy Program that Parton wanted to address the issue of early education even further. To help give kids from disadvantaged backgrounds a better chance at school, the singer started her Imagination Library in 1995. Over the following 25 years the program has seen babies and toddlers enjoy new books every month thanks to her generosity.

And the singer shows no sign of stopping. In 2020, she donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University to try and help research in the fight against COVID-19.