Alexander John Jordan was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1914. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Wisconsin. After about one year of college, Alex dropped out.

    Alex then went from job to job. He drove a taxi and worked for Royavac. He also worked for his father's construction company, where Alex got his basic knowledge of construction.

    In the 1940s, Alex discovered Deer Shelter Rock and began having small picnics on the top of the rock. He then started bringing his tent and camping out. One night, his tent got blown away and from that day, Alex decided he wanted to build something more stable. That was the beginning of his dreams. Alex started off by renting the rock and a bit of land around it from a local farmer. He first built a small studio with a fireplace. Then Alex, with his parents' help, bought 240 acres of land, so he could build as he pleased. What took shape on and around Deer Shelter Rock was truly a wonderful achievement. More wonderful still is the fact that he built much of the original house by himself, carrying the materials up the 75-foot-high rock.

    As curiosity grew surrounding his project, more and more people came to visit the House on the Rock. Alex decided to charge people 50 cents to visit, thinking that would drive them away; however, people gladly paid the fee. In 1960, Alex decided to open the House on the Rock to the public. This increased the interest and the crowds grew. All of the money taken in over the years was put directly back into the House. Alex was devoted to the House on the Rock. It was his life and dream.

    “Oh，my god.Are you serious?”

    That's a reaction I often get when people hear the tale of my childhood.

    It's a story I don't often share.Growing up in a bad home, I learned to protect myself by not speaking up.I've seldom said anything about how badly I was treated and hurt as a child. I don't talk about how my name was changed at least three times, what it was like to live in my van(箱式货车), or how I've struggled with anxiety, depression, and wanting to kill myself. But I learned to start speaking up for myself. I went on to earn two graduate degrees and I will complete my Doctor's degree this year. I've also become a widely published author. So，how did I get to where I am today?

    What's helped me is surrounding myself with caring, loving people. I've learned day-to-day skills through research, trial and error, and with the help of skilled professionals. They've taught me how to slow down，to breathe，to be thankful for what I've got.They're the ones who make my goals possible.They have also taught me to turn my past experiences into strength-to make the negatives into positives.

    My hope is that sharing my story might help others to see what is possible even in the darkest of times and help others to speak out.I don't think I'm in any way special or unique. I'm a common man，no more deserving than anyone else.But for far too long，I've been afraid that others think I'm damaged goods.I've worried about how I might be treated differently.

    Pain and fear teach us to be silent.It's time for that to change.

    I don't know what tomorrow might bring.But one thing I've learned is that if we can hold on and find help，if we find ways to get through the day and speak up，we'11 not only survive，but become stronger than before.

    Our very survival can be an inspiration all on its own.And with love of my friends，I look forward to so much more than completing my education—I look forward to the future.

    The Guggenheim Museum attempts to help educators connect students with art. It offers programs for educators, including free arts curricula, professional development courses and workshops, as well as professional meet-and-greets that pair artists with public school teachers throughout New York City.

    •Visiting with your students

    The museum offers a variety of ways for educators and their students to visit, from self-guided tours to a guided experience.

    •Arts curriculum online

    The Guggenheim produces free curriculum materials on exhibitions for educators to use both during school visits and in the classroom. While the material focuses on recent exhibitions, a comprehensive range of lessons cover many works and artists in the museum's collection.

    •Learning Through Art

    Learning Through Art sends experienced teaching artists into New York City public schools, where they work with classroom teachers to develop and facilitate art projects into the school curriculum.

    •Education facilities

    Housed in the Sackler Center for Arts Education, the Guggenheim's education facilities include studio art and multimedia labs, a theater, an exhibition gallery, and a conference room.

    An 8-year-old southeast Kansas girl is being praised for her quick, calm thinking. She grabbed the steering wheel(方向盘) and drove the family's SUV when her mother fell unconscious on their highway ride to school.

    Abby Porter and her mom, Shelly, were heading for her school in Riverton when Shelly had a medical emergency. She passed out(昏倒) behind the wheel.

    Abby is a second-grader whose father sometimes lets her drive their tractor. With her mother falling down heavily, Abby leaned over and took the wheel. At some point, Abby even successfully performed a U-turn on the four-lane highway, because she was going home to her daddy, according to Galena Police Chief Larry Delmont.

    "That was at 8:37 in the morning, and there was a lot of traffic," Delmont said. Officer Jimmy Hamilton noticed the SUV going about 20 mph and weaving a bit between the two lanes. He suspected someone was driving under the influence. As he got closer, he noticed the woman fell over in the driver's seat and saw Abby at the wheel.

    Hamilton tried to get in front of Abby's car to slow her down, but she kept switching lanes to avoid bumping into his car. Hamilton got alongside her and told Abby to stop the vehicle, but she didn't know how. He then told her she needed to bump into him to stop the car, but Abby said she didn't want to because she was afraid. He convinced Abby bumping into his car was OK.

    "I never saw her cry," Hamilton said. "From just the expression on her face and the tone of her voice, you could tell she was scared. But she stayed with it."

    Emergency crews got Abby's mother to the hospital, but Delmont said he didn't know what caused her to lose consciousness.

    The police department in Galena, a town of about 3,000 residents about 150 miles south of Kansas City, planned to present Abby with a plaque(匾牌) for "outstanding bravery in a life-threatening situation".

    A fresh and gentle wind on your face, soft sand under your feet and blue waters as far as the eye can see. Is there any other Olympic sport that is played in such pleasant conditions as beach volleyball?

    "I've gone to a lot of beautiful places, and met a lot of beautiful people. That wouldn't have happened if I had been playing another sport," said Randy Stoklos, America's most famous beach volleyball player.

    The sport began as a four-a-side game on beaches in Southern California in the 1920s.The first recorded two-man game took place there in 1930, and the first tournament was held in Los Angeles 18 years later. The winners were awarded a case of Pepsi. In the 1950s, women started playing and the sport soon spread to Europe and South America. Yet at that time, beach volleyball was more an entertainment show than a sport, with beauty contests included. The Association of Volleyball Professionals was founded in 1983 and beach volleyball developed into a fast, athletic sport. Its world-wide popularity won beach volleyball a place at the 1996 Olympics in Atalanta, where 24 male teams and 16 female teams took part. At present, the US and Brazil are the best in the world at beach volleyball.

    The game came to China in the early 1990s and there have been national tournaments since 1994. It became an official event at the Eighth National Games in 1997.China's You Wenhui and Wang Lu finished ninth in the women's beach volleyball world championships in Brazil.

    Which country can you travel to in 2020 that will allow you to go for longer, enjoy a higher standard, and save more money? The following destinations offer accommodation, transportation, and food for less.

Kyrgyzstan, $25/day

    Kyrgyzstan is the choice for most travelers interested in trying out Central Asia, and most well-suited to travelers of all budgets. Food is cheap, so is getting around using the minibuses. You can find hostels and local home stays for less than $10. Meals cost $4 – $8 per day.

    Romania, $33/day

    If you are planning a European trip that's affordable and a little bit off the beaten path, Romania is perfect for you. Unlike other popular places, many charming towns here remain unknown to most foreigners. You can also take free walking tours in the numerous historical sites. Hostels run $10 – $15 per night, food is hearty and delicious, and the public transportation is reliable and affordable. Meals cost $10 – $15 per day.

    Arizona & Utah, $55/day

    For an American Southwest road trip, you'll spend an average of $110/day when you are solo. If you have just one other person, you'd be able to split the costs almost perfectly in half. If you have two other people along, take it down to one third and so on. The more the merrier.

    South Africa, $40/day

    Any hostels in South Africa are in beautiful settings and each has a unique personality, and affordable too. Food can get expensive. To save money, cook your own food. Grocery stores are plentiful and have reasonable prices. By at least cooking your own breakfast, you can save a lot of money. The best (and possibly cheapest) way to get around the country is to rent a car and share with 3 other people. Meals cost $12 – $15 per day.