Scientists investigated why Ebola virus is so deadly when it spreads from animals to humans and then from human-to-human contact. The research team looked at the Zaire Ebola virus in an animal system to understand how it gains strength. This virus is responsible for the current outbreak in West Africa. They found that initially the animal systems were not affected by the virus, but succeeding transmission(传送) into other animals caused the virus to “hot up” and become more severe.

    The team analyzed the viruses at different stages and were able to identify several changes in its genetic material that were associated with increased disease.

    Professor Julian Hiscox, who led the study from the University's Institute of Infection and Global Health, explains: “The work tells us that the evolutionary goal of Ebola virus is to become more fatal.”

    “We were able to show through genetic analysis which parts of the virus are involved in this process. The information we have gathered will now allow us to monitor for such changes in an outbreak as well as develop future treatment strategies.”

    Professor Roger Hewson, leading the study from Public Health England, Porton Down, said: “Ebola virus is such a destructive infection to the people affected by the disease and the economy of West Africa.”

    “Our understanding of Ebola virus biology is way behind that of other viruses and our cooperation shows how we can bring together our specialists' skills to close this knowledge gap.”

    Professor Miles Carroll, a co-author of the work, said: “This study has allowed the team to be at the forefront of developing methodologies to analyze patient samples recently taken by the European Mobile Laboratory from West Africa to understand disease evolution during the current outbreak.”

    Americans, especially the millennials（千禧一代）, are always glued（固着于）to their phones. A common day of the average university student in America starts off like this: an alarm clock wakes you up, which is quickly followed by checking social media such as Twitter and Facebook. Once in classes, you are again attracted by your buzzing phone and access to the Internet rather than pay attention to the lecturing professor. Then you have lunch with some friends, only to look up from your screen to realize that no one has said a word in five minutes and instead all are looking at their phones. Once the day ends, you can't help checking all forms of social media again before finally being able to shut your eyes only to repeat this vicious cycle the next day.

    Cyberbullying（网络霸凌）, a concept unknown before, is now in fashion. Many of the millennials are using the Internet to make jokes about others to points of extremes. The Internet gives cowards bravery; people feel like their actions and words have no bad results because they cannot see the ache it causes another.

    Millennials also think that whatever information shows up on their screens must be taken as truth, whether the material is reliable（可靠的）or not.

    Social media is not all bad, however. People are still able to use social media to connect with friends and family who live a great distance away. With a few clicks of a button, someone could make another person smile, or give words of hope and encouragement to a friend in need, or even help repair a broken relationship. Cyberspace is a vortex（漩涡）that is easy to get caught up in, but we must find a balance to keep both feet in reality while traveling across the online world.

    After spending a year in Brazil on a student exchange program, her mother recalled(回忆), Marie Colvin returned home to find that her classmates had narrowed down their college choices. “Everyone else was already admitted to college,” her mother, Rosemarie Colvin, said from the family home. “So she took our car and drove up to Yale and said, 'You have to let me in .' ”

    “Impressed--she was a National Merit (全国英才) finalist who had picked up Portuguese in Brazil. Yale did, admitting her to the class of 1978, where she started writing for the Yale Daily News and decided to be a journalist,” her mother said.

    On Wednesday, Marie Colvin, 56, an experienced journalist for The Sunday Times of London, was killed as Syrian forces shelled(炮击) the city of Homs. She was working in a temporary media center that was destroyed in the attack.

    “She was supposed to leave Syria on Wednesday”, Mrs. Colvin said. “Her editor told me he called her yesterday and said it was getting too dangerous and they wanted to take her out. She said she was doing a story and she wanted to finish it.”

    Mrs. Colvin said it was pointless to try to prevent her daughter from going to conflict （冲突）zones. “If you knew my daughter,” she said, “it would have been such a waste of words. She was determined, she was enthusiastic about what she did, it was her life. There was no saying 'Don't do this.' This is who she was, absolutely who she was and what she believed in: cover the story, not just have pictures of it, but bring it to life in the deepest way you could.” “So it was not a surprise when she took an interest in journalism,” her mother said.

    Plan your dream vacation to one of these excellent destinations.

    St. Lucia

    Abundant（丰富的） rainforests and splendid mountains are all reasons to visit this Caribbean island. St. Lucia offers the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure. To take in the breathtaking scenery, plan to hike the Piton Mountains or dive in the waters of Anse Chastanet.

    Banff. Alberta

    This Canadian destination will bring out the explorer in anyone who visits. From hiking and whitewater rafting to skiing and snowboarding, Banff offers travelers an abundance of year-round outdoor activities. The Lake Louise Ski Resort is one of the largest in North America and the striking photo opportunities of the Canadian Rockies from Moraine Lake can't be underestimated (低估).

    Machu Picchu

    According to travelers, a visit to this Peruvian UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) site is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Located in the Andes Mountains, it is the most familiar icon (象征物) of Inca civilization. Spend a few days accustoming yourself to the altitude in the neighboring city of Cusco, where you can experience a mix of Incan and Spanish cultures.

    Great Barrier Reef

    It's easy to see why the Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World – it stretches nearly 1,500 miles along the eastern coastline of Australia and features about 3,000 reefs, 900 islands and more than 1,500 species of fish. Travelers can see these amazing natural structures from the air or underwater. However, large amounts of coral bleaching (褪色) caused by rising ocean temperatures put this place's continued existence at risk, so plan your visit soon to see this awesome sight up close.

    A mother stared down at her son who was dying of terminal leukemia (白血病). Like any parent she wanted her son to grow up and realize all his dreams. She took her son's hand and asked, "Bopsy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be when you grew up?"

    "Mommy, I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up."

    Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true." Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met Fireman Bob. She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her six-year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine. Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, well make him an honorary fireman for the whole day, He can come down to the fire station; eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And, if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform made for him."

    Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Bopsy, dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted（护送）him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Bopsy got to sit up on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He was in heaven.

    There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Bopsy got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different fire engines and even the fire chief's car. Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished（慷慨给予）upon him, Bopsy lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.

    One night all of his vital signs began to drop and the head nurse began to call the family members to the hospital. Then she remembered the day Bopsy bad spent as a fireman, so she called the fire chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Bopsy as he made his transition. The chief replied, "We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the sirens（警报器）screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that it's just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members one more time? And will you open the window to his room? Thanks?"

    About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital, extended its ladder up to Bopsy's third floor open window and 14 firemen and two fire-women climbed up the ladder into Bopsy's room. With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him. With his dying breath, Bopsy looked up at the fire chief and said, "Chief, am I really a fireman now?"

    "Bopsy, you are," the chief said. With those words, Bopsy smiled and closed his eyes for the last time.

2023 Collection of Australian Stamps（Executive Edition）

Explore a bound treasure of gummed and perforated（涂胶打孔的）stamps presented in exclusive layouts. In addition to all the stamps released in 2023, this book gets the essence of stamp collecting with fascinating text about each stamp issue. Included is an exclusive gummed Concession Stamp minisheet, the 2022 Native Animals stamps and 89 mint stamps presented in unique layouts. This great gift comes with $124.25worth of stamps.

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