In her new book, “The Smartest Kids in the World,” Amanda Ripley, an investigative journalist, tells the story of Tom, a high-school student from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, who decides to spend his senior year in Warsaw, Poland. Poland is a surprising educational success story: in the past decade, the country raised students' test scores from significantly below average to well above it. Polish kids have now outscored(超过……分数) American kids in math and science, even though Poland spends, on average, less than half as much per student as the United States does. One of the most striking differences between the high school Tom attended in Gettysburg and the one he ends up at in Warsaw is that the latter has no football team, or, for that matter, teams of any kind.

    That American high schools waste more time and money on sports than on math is an old complaint. This is not a matter of how any given student who plays sports does in school, but of the culture and its priorities. This December, when the latest Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results are announced, it's safe to predict that American high-school students will once again display their limited skills in math and reading, outscored not just by students in Poland but also by students in places like South Korea, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Singapore, and Japan. Meanwhile, they will have played some very exciting football games, which will have been breathlessly written up in their hometown papers.

    Why does this situation continue? Well, for one thing, kids like it. And for another, according to Ripley, parents seem to like the arrangement, too. She describes a tour she took of a school in Washington D.C., which costs thirty thousand dollars a year. The tour leader—a mother with three children in the school—was asked about the school's flaws(瑕疵). When she said that the math program was weak, none of the parents taking the tour reacted. When she said that the football program was weak, the parents suddenly became concerned. “Really?” one of them asked worriedly, “What do you mean?”

    One of the ironies(讽刺) of the situation is that sports reveal what is possible. American kids' performance on the field shows just how well they can do when expectations are high. It's too bad that their test scores show the same thing.

    A new book called “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” by Amy Chua has caused a debate (争论) about cultural differences in parenting. Amy Chua is a teacher in an American university and both of her parents are Chinese. In the book, Ms. Chua writes about how she taught her daughters. She told NBC television that she had a clear list of what her daughters were not allowed to do, such as having a play date, watching TV or playing computer games and getting any grade less than an A.

    Many people are against Amy Chua's parenting style (风格), even her husband, who is American. They say it is rude and unfair to children. But she says her parents raised her and her three sisters in that way.

    Ms. Chua says after her younger daughter shouted “I hate my life! I hate you!” she decided to retreat because she was afraid of losing her daughter. But she also says American parents often have low expectations of their children's abilities.

    “The debate is about what it means to be a successful parent and what it means to be a successful child,” said Stacy DeBroff, who has written four books on parenting. She says Amy Chua's parenting style is not limited to Chinese families. It is a traditional way of parenting among immigrants (移民). They hope to get a better future for their children.

    She also sees a risk (风险). When children have no time to be social or to develop their own interests, they might not develop other skills that they need to succeed in life. DeBroff advises parents to develop their own style of parenting and not just repeat the way they were raised.

    The flowers are blooming and the birds are singing as Melinda sits in the rose garden of the nursing home. She is recalling old times as she waits for her family's arrival. The nursing home has been Melinda's new settlement ever since Thomas passed away a week ago. Thomas had fought a long and hard battle against lung cancer for three years. Unfortunately, he has broken the promise that he and Melinda had made: to be with each other for every birthday. Melinda knew this was unrealistic (不现实的) but agreed to the promise for Thomas's sake.

    "Thomas, you are completely a dreamerl" Melinda shouted to Thomas as he dragged on about living on an island with his beautiful wife. That's what she loved about him most-he had a vivid imagination. They got married at age eighteen and began having children right away. Mary came within the year, followed by Thomas Benjamin II, Lilly-Ann, and Joseph "Little Joey" George. The family lived an exultant life filled with laughter and love.

    "Mom!" Lilly shouted, but it really sounded like a howl. Melinda had lost herself in thinking about the life she had shared with her late husband. Lilly pushed her down the long dark halls of the nursing home until they arrived at the recreational room.

    When the doors opened, Melinda put her hand over her mouth and was completely speechless. The room was crowded with the people nearest and dearest to her and the warmth and love was felt instantly. The night went on; stories and cocktails were shared and everything was perfect.

    However, when Melinda caught a moment to herself she looked around at her family. With a smile on her face, she raised her Manhattan and called out for a toast. "This one is for you, Thomas, though you are not here."

    Educational APP Store

    Duolingo

    Duolingo is regarded as one of the best English language apps today, which is strongly recommended for English amateurs. The system of the app helps you learn English quickly by spending twenty minutes a day. Duolingo structures your lessons that teach you about seven new words based on a topic and skill points being awarded for completing the lessons.

    Busuu

    Busuu helps you learn English language on the go and the lesson's quality is guaranteed as it is based on CEFR language framework. Lessons range from beginners to advanced learners. Busuu is actually a great English app if you want to improve your spoken English by talking with native speakers.

    Memrise

    Memrise uses some creative and easy ways to memorize English words. The focus of this app is to help the users expand their vocabulary by learning English words in an effective way. Memrise also offers an offline mode to continue learning without Internet connection.

    Rosetta Stone

    Rosetta Stone is designed differently from average language apps on the marketplace today. It's trying to teach us English the way we'd learn it, as if we were children starting to learn the language. Furthermore, it has exercises designed to help you learn basic words. A variety of lessons are offered that Rosetta Stone has been using for years.

    In 2013, Gabby Frost founded Buddy Project when she was 15. At that time her best friend had been diagnosed(诊断)with a mental health condition, and that was the first time she was made aware of what mental illness was. She wanted to learn more and develop a good support system for her.

    Mental illness affects tens of millions of people in the United States each year, yet only half receive treatment, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health. Buddy Project's website says the service is not a substitute for therapy( 治疗)or other types of mental health care, and it directs people to resources for further help.

    Since founding the organization as a high school student, Frost has helped more than 200, 000 participants find a new friend. On the day when Buddy Project was launched, she used her powerful social media presence to attract nearly 3, 000 participants. "This was around the time when teens really began talking about mental health and found a supportive community online to talk about it,"she said.

    One of the biggest social barriers she had to jump over was that people didn't view her seriously because she was a 15-year-old girl, and even now, she's still a young woman. "Sometimes it's frustrating because people don't think what I do is needed or they don't think I'm professional" she said. "Most people are blown away that a 20-year-old girl is running this and that it's one person doing this but not a whole team. I'm just lucky that I've found a support system that has been able to help my mom and me with the project.

Magical History Tour

    Join us for our fifth annual exploration of fascinating historic sites around Greater Portland that you've never seen or maybe didn't even know existed! The Magical History Tour is your key to unlocking fascinating historical places that are not usually open to the public. It is a self­guided adventure guaranteed to amaze and amuse both adults and children. Equipped with a map, and at your own pace, you will be greeted by guides at each location ready to share the history of the tour stop.

    In the 5th year of the Magical History Tour, we will be presenting an exciting mix of both new sites and favorites from the past four years.

    The Magical History Tour check in begins at 9: 45 am at Maine Historical Society's Brown Library. At this time, you will find out where the tour will take you as you receive your map and ticket into each site.

    Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, chances to win tickets and some other exciting opportunities; and feel free to share your tour experiences to our social media pages using # MHStour!

    ●Time: 10: 00 am—4: 00 pm, Saturday, May 11, 2019

    ●Location: 485 Congress Street

    ●Tickets: Get your tickets online, by calling us at 207­774­1 822, or by visiting our Museum Store at 489 Congress Street. $25／Adult  MHS  Member; $35／Adult General Admission; $5／Juniors under age 18.

    ●Volunteering: We need volunteers for the Magical History Tour! Volunteers help for half the day of the tour and are given a free ticket to the tour to enjoy either before or after their volunteer shift!

    For more information, email us at events@mainehistory org or call us at 207­774­1822.