Washington—Wild applause broke out at the Parent Teacher Association national offices when several government spokespeople announced a decision to return the subject of civics(公民学) to high school curricula nationwide.

The decision is symbolic of the new agenda to restore(恢复) the United States Constitution to its pre-Bush-era status. In a joint statement, Senators Harry Reid, Republican of Kentucky, said that the decision proves the two parties can work together on an issue of national importance.

    The announcement came following a series of school strikes organized by parents angered by a recent study by the National Opinion Research Center. The findings showed a total ignorance of government structure and citizens rights by graduating high school seniors.

    Some of the fallacious opinion and beliefs mentioned in this cross-country study included: the president has the power to interpret treaties(条约); the president is not bound（约束） by law; the vice president is independent of all three branches of government; torture（刑讯） is not a punishment and therefore cannot be considered “cruel and unusual”.

    The study noted that many students' political consciousness dated back only three years — in other words, their awareness of constitution rights had been entirely formed during the Bush administration.

    The study also found that students were growing incapable of telling the difference between living figures, historical figures, and corporate-licensed figures such as cartoon characters.

    The revived civics courses will teach students about the structure and function of each branch of government, the theory of checks and balances, theories of the role of government, and constitutional(宪法的) law.

    "We have so much work in front of us." said Los Angeles area high school teacher Roberta Morales. "Trying to develop students' sense of citizenry and the public good and undo so many self-centered individualistic messages will take great effort."

    Two summers ago I was about to tum fifty and wanted to do something I'd never done before. My daughter Bailey thought skydiving (跳伞) would be perfect for me. I can promise you that of all the things I was thinking of doing, jumping out of an airplane never came close to making the list. As I age, I seem to have developed a growing fear of heights.

    After several requests from my daughter, I finally said yes and she looked almost shocked. I told a friend what we were doing, then we set off. We had a 3-hour drive to the jump site. We drove through some beautiful countryside, but then we passed a small cemetery (基地) Then we passed another cemetery and another one. I asked if so many people died jumping out of airplanes in this area that they needed to keep building more cemeteries to bury all the bodies!

    As we squeezed into the little plane, I tightly held the right hand of my partner Ronnie. The short ride to altitude was cruel for me. As Bailey stepped to the door, she looked back at me and said “Dad, I'm sure you can do it!” I said yes as she rolled out, I immediately looked behind me and said “RONNIEI AM NOT FEELING GOOD” He said, “It's going to be great. Besides, it's too late now anyway”, any we jumped out.

    The next five minutes were some of the most exciting of my life. It was so beautiful and peaceful—except for the parts where I was screaming. I prayed to God for the parachute(降落伞)to open, but mostly I told Him how thankful I was for my life and being with me through good and bad.

    Tired of eating at the same boring restaurants? Looking for a change? Here are some restaurants that offer an original restaurant experience. See for yourself which ones you fancy.

    An Exciting Dinner

    Looking for something adventurous? The Archipelago in London is just the thing for you. One of the most popular dishes in this restaurant is crocodile. Yes, you read it correctly, crocodile. If that is not daring enough for you, there are plenty of other dishes on the menu.

    A Restaurant with a View

    Want to enjoy the sights while you're eating? Try the Top of the World restaurant. At about 244 meters above Las Vegas, diners can enjoy a spectacular view of Las Vegas in this revolving restaurant. However, the real adventure starts at the end of the meal. That's when the customers are taken from their seats at ground level to the observation rooms in elevators that travel at a remarkable speed.

    A Theatrical Experience

    Longing for dinner with some drama? Dine with mimes at Mime in Manchester. The service is unique. Your waiter will communicate your order in mime and keep you entertained with performances in between courses.

    An Unusual Setting

    Don't care about presentation? You'll be fine at the Modem Toilet restaurant in Taiwan. The theme of this restaurant is the toilet, and you would be surprised how many people queue up for the experience of eating on toilet seats.

    As a teenage rock fan, all Dennis Vorreyer really expected of the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago two weekends ago was the chance to see his favorite bands perform live.

    But he and his father, Jeffrey, who accompanied him to the festival, signed up for Lollapalooza's text-message network, and thus learned about a guitar-playing contest taking place there. Dennis, 14, entered and won a new Gibson guitar. Tad Kubler, the lead guitarist for the Hold Steady, who was involved in the contest, then invited Dennis to perform with the band as it closed its set.

“Having your cell phone everywhere is important for everybody now,” Dennis said. “I never dreamed of playing Lollapalooza.” The modern mobile phone — equipped with camera, Internet access and more— has proved to be a liability for some performers, like Akon and Beyonce, whose regrettable moments were captured by fans and then immortalized on YouTube and similar sites. But for the fans themselves, mobile phones are becoming as important an accessory as an all-access wristband. Beyond using them to record a short souvenir, they are becoming a ticket to everything from free ringtones to VIP treatment.

    On Gwen Stefani's recent tour, as many as 20 percent of the audience at some shows agreed to pay 99 cents for text messages and the chance to win better seats, according to the mobile marketing company Impact Mobile. At festivals like Lollapalooza, thousands of fans sign up to receive continuous updates from concert organizers about promotions and special events.

Even when there is no fee, the service comes at a price: fans must give their phone numbers to marketers. And purists — and some artists — disapprove of fans pecking out text messages or snapping pictures during performances. Still, the arrival of a new generation of phone-based activities could add a new twist to live events at a time when rising ticket prices have discouraged many concertgoers.

Many of us were told from an early age that, "you learn from your mistakes". But is this actually true?

The short answer is "yes" — failure can be a teachable moment. But learning from our mistakes is, in reality, very hard because we don't like to fail. It doesn't feel good, so we react to failure in impulsive and emotional ways, like giving up on a task prematurely, telling ourselves we don't care whether we succeed, or finding fault with the task itself. This is self-protective, according to Hallgeir, a professor of psychology at the Norwegian School of Economics. "Most of us want to think of ourselves as competent", he says, so when we fail "it poses a serious threat to our self-image".

Fortunately, there is research to suggest that there are some strategies to help us overcome the emotional barriers around failure. One of them is to adopt a third-person perspective. Instead of asking "Why did I fail?", we could ask "Why did Sam fail?", for example. Multiple studies by psychologist Ethan Kross at the University of Michigan show that adopting a third-person perspective helps to soften our negative emotional reactions, allowing us to look at failure more objectively.

A second strategy involves offering advice to others who may be in the same position as us. This strategy led to better levels of motivation and academic success in the test groups — involving both adults and children — that were asked to give advice based on their own failures. Professors Eskreis-Winkler and Duckworth found that the satisfaction of helping others "forces people to engage with their experience and what they have learned". 

The writer Samuel Beckett once said: "fail again, fail better". But it now seems that we should be saying: "fail again, fail smarter". Failure is an unavoidable part of life, but by learning to overcome the emotional barriers around it, we may find the road to success is a little easier to navigate (确定方向).

Nowadays, the term "superfood" has become the nutritional buzzword. Simply put, these superfoods are those that provide large amount of nutrients through minimal calories. 

The term "superfood" may have taken the modern food scene by storm. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Although only popular in recent years, the concept of certain foods with special nutritional qualities has been around for a long time. The nickname "superfood" gained widespread popularity in the early 2000s as health enthusiasts and the food industry sought to identify and market foods with special health benefits. Today, it is a trend in diet. 

In an age when we share all kinds of superfoods on social media, ignoring the phenomenon is impossible. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's easy to understand. These nutritional superheroes offer a perfect combination of substance and style, tailored for the digital generation. Their lively colours, exotic origins and impressive nutrient profiles make them candidates for the next viral food trend. 

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} They offer a lifestyle that reflects the global shift towards a more healthconscious society. As the world wrestles with an increasing burden of diseases and the fast pace of modern life, people are seeking dietary solutions from superfoods. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They are rich in vitamins and minerals that can strengthen your immune system, avoid chronic diseases, and improve your overall wellbeing. Another remarkable benefit is their potential to promote heart health, helping you build a strong heart. Don't forget their role in skin regeneration. The antioxidants(抗氧化物) can provide a natural glow, reduce skin ageing and fight against skin conditions. 

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Superfoods, while nutritionally dense, should be part of a comprehensive diet rather than the only guarantee of our health.