D

    A buld-it-yourself solar still（蒸馏器） is one of the best ways to obtain drinking water in areas where the liquid is not readily available. Developed by two doctors in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it's an excellent water collector. Unfortunately, you must carry the necessary equipment with you, since it's all but impossible to find natural substitutes. The only components required, though, are a 5'  5' sheet of clear or slightly milky plastic, six feet of plastic tube, and a container— perhaps just a drinking cup — to catch the water. These pieces can be folded into a neat little pack and fastened on your belt.

    To construct a working still, use a sharp stick or rock to dig a hole four feet across and three feet deep. Try to make the hole in a damp area to increase the water catcher's  productivity. Place your cup in the deepest part of the hole. Then lay the tube in place so that one end rests all the way in the cup and the rest of the line runs up — and out — the side of the hole.

    Next, cover the hole with the plastic sheet, securing the edges of the plastic with dirt and weighting the sheet's center down with a rock. The plastic should now form a cone(圆锥体) with 45-degree-angled sides. The low point of the sheet must be centered directly over, and no more than three inches above, the cup.

    The solar still works by creating a greenhouse under the plastic. Ground water evaporates (蒸发) and collects on the sheet until small drops of water form, run down the material and fall off into the cup. When the container is full, you can suck the refreshment out through the tube, and won't have to break down the still every time you need a drink.

    20 years ago, a couple of ecologists, Daniel Janzen and Winnie Hallwachs, convinced Del Oro, a large orange juice producer, to donate part of their forestland to a national park in exchange for the right to dump (倾倒) massive amounts of orange peels on a 3-hectare piece of land within the national park, at no cost. Dealing with tons of waste peels usually involved burning them or paying to have them dumped at a landfill, so the proposal was very attractive.

    A year after the contract was signed, Del Oro dumped around 12,000 tons of sticky orange waste in the land. However, another juice company and rival of Del Oro challenged the deal in court, arguing that their competitor was “polluting the national park”. They ended up winning, and the deal between Del Oro and the national park fell through. The 3-hectare piece of land virtually covered with fruit waste was completely forgotten.

    Then, in 2013, Timothy Treuer, a scientist at Princeton University visited that piece of land 15 years earlier. What he found shocked him. “It was completely overgrown with trees and vines,” Timothy Treuer recently said, “the difference between fertilized and unfertilized areas was visually surprised us a lot! We needed to come up with some really good standards to evaluate exactly what was happening there.”

    To confirm that the fruit waste was responsible for the revival of plant life, Treuer and his team spent months picking up samples, analyzing and comparing them. They found “dramatic differences between the areas covered in orange peels and those that were not. The area fertilized by orange waste had richer soil, greater tree-species richness and greater forest coverage. In a sense, it's not just a win-win between the company and the local park—it's a win for everyone.”

    The effect the orange peels had on the land is probably not that surprising to people familiar with composting (堆肥), but what is shocking is that a judge actually called this particular example polluting the national park and stopped it from going forward. Now that Timothy Treuer's study has received worldwide attention, this type of polluting is being seriously considered as a way of bringing tropical forests back to life.

    Going back to school can be an anxious time for many students. But one institution in Texas is doing its part to make sure middle schoolers are returning refreshed and inspired to learn.

    Through a process called the "bathroom inspiration project," teachers and administrators at Warren Middle School, spent their summer beautifying the school's restrooms by painting motivational murals (壁画) on each of the stalls (小隔间).Forming messages like "Your mistakes don't define you" and "Scatter (撒播) kindness," the brightly colored words are exactly what a young student needs to see when having a rough day-or any school day for that matter. And now that classes are officially in session, people are already noticing a positive impact.

    Since posting photos of upgrades to the school in July, Principal Joshua Garcia says that the alterations have aroused a great response.

    "Students have been talking about the murals from the moment the pictures had been posted. Some even took the time to find a reason to come up to the campus to see the murals," he says." I think what makes this small little action so valuable is that it has set the tone for our campus."

    And not only is that important to students, parents, and fellow staff, but it is also vital for the school's new principal, who is trying to gain the trust of the community during a time in which trust is so necessary for schools.

    "Being new to the campus, I think the parents were able to see how much I value their children and have their best interest at heart," Garcia continues. "I have had many parents tell me how they can just feel a difference in the campus climate and how much they are enjoying seeing their children wanting to come here. These murals have put trust back in the campus and its teachers, and by doing so we are able to build a culture in which our students want to be here and learn."

    My husband and I recently went to Disney World with our three children. We had a wonderful time. Besides, I experienced something that left a deep impression on me.

    Our children were excited about the attraction where children could drive the cars. They were so delighted that I decided to stand beside the track to get pictures of everyone as they drove past on the track.

    As I waited for them to drive by, I noticed a car with a father and his son who was about 7 years old. They rolled down the hill at the beginning, but suddenly the car stopped. The young driver looked nervous, "I can't do it." His father quietly said, "Yes, you can."

    "No. I can't!"

    "Yes, you can, son."

    The little guy was almost in tears, "I can't!" With deep patience, the father said, "Son, you can do this. I'm going to help you." A moment later, with the father helping his son, the two went smoothly (顺利地) on their way down the track.

    The scene brought tears to my eyes and it reminded (使想起) me of my dear father. Just like that little boy's dad, my father used to say the same words to me. Every time things got hard or when I experienced setbacks along the way, he would say, "Michelle, you can do this. I'm going to help you."

    Time and time again the words greatly encouraged me on the journey. I'm aware that I can't do things under my own power, but the words "Yes, you can" come beside me and give me wisdom and strength. As I benefited (受益) a lot from them, I often tell my children never to say "I can't" easily when they meet something difficult.

    In 2012, Kim Stemple, a special-education teacher, found herself in a Boston hospital being treated for one of several diseases she had been diagnosed(诊断) with, including lupus and lymphoma. The normally confident Stemple was naturally getting very depressed. And then a friend gave her a medal.

    Before she got too sick to exercise, Stemple had been a marathon runner. The medal came from a racing partner who had just finished a half marathon in Las Vegas and hoped the souvenir would act as a kind of feeling pick-me-up. It worked like a charm­and then some.

    After Stemple hung the medal near her hospital bed, other patients said they wanted medals too. That got Stemple thinking. "A medal is a simple way to give a positive message," she told pilotonline.com. And so was born her charity, We Finish Together, which collects medals from strangers­runners, dancers, swimmers, singers, and even spelling bee winners-and donates them to all sorts of people in need.

    Those who received the medals have included hospital patients, residents of homeless shelters, and veterans. Part of the process involves the donor writing a personalized note on the ribbon. "This gives them a connection to someone," says Stemple. "If they receive a medal, they know someone cares."

    Can a simple medal really make a difference? Yes, says Joan Musarra, who suffers from pulmonary fibrosis. "I opened my package containing my new medal and the notes of positive, warm thoughts, I was overwhelmed," she wrote to Stemple. "At that moment, I was sitting on my couch breathing through life-support machine because my lungs have been worsening so badly. It means so much to me to feel that I am not alone."

Young Adult Groups

    ●Around the World in 80 Books — 9,186 members

    If you love exploring the world through books, you have come to the right place! It all started as a challenge on TNBBC in 2009, and now we have our own group! Challenge participation is not a requirement of joining. Anyone who loves reading books is welcome.

    Website: http: //www.worldinbooks.com

    Rules: Respect each other's opinions and have fun!

    ●Readers That Love Giveaways — 734 members

    This group is for readers that enjoy entering give-aways and finding freebies(免费物)! Follow us for the newestbargain, discounted, and free e-books, as well as new releases and book recommendations. Website: http://www.fireandicebooktours.com

    Rules: Please share your items in the appropriate folders!

    ●Book Loving Kiwis — 706 members

    A group for New Zealand book lovers（and authors）and lovers of New Zealand books（and books in general）. Aplace to share what we're reading, introduce books we have written, and discuss and recommend books. Please recommend us to your friends.

    Website: http://www.kiwisbook.com

    Rules: Enjoy reading! Respect all group members and their opinions.

    ●A Book and a Cappucino — 77 members

    This group is for anyone who likes to read and likes to read at their own pace. It does not matter how much or how little you read. It's just a friendly place to discuss what you're reading and to get ideas for your next read. You can participate as much or as little as you like.

    Website: http://www.bookandcappucino.com

    Rules: Be respectful to all. Everyone has a right to share opinions.