Black History Month is also known as the African-American History Month. It is celebrated all over the United States of America and Canada in the month of February, while in the United Kingdom it is celebrated in October. Each and every school and university conducts various activities to make the generation aware of the importance that African-American history holds in the nation. The electronic media is filled with themes inrelevance to the occasion, and many activities are carried out across the country to remember the contribution made by African-American citizens in the development of this nation.

    Black History Month was first started bya famous African-American historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson in the year 1926. February was chosen as the month to celebrate the African-American history because it was the birth month of two of the most highly valued people among African-Americans. These were President Abraham Lincoln, who freed the slaves, and Frederick Douglass, who was also the first vice presidential nominee (被任命者) amongAfrican-Americans. Initially, Black History Month was known as the “NegroHistory Week”. This was Dr. Woodson's attempt to encourage awareness amongcitizens about the contribution of African-Americans towards the building of the nation. It was only in the early 1970's that the name “Negro History Week”changed to “Black History Month”. And later, in the year 1976, the entire monthof February was declared to be the National African-American History Month, orthe Black History Month.

Every year, National African-AmericanHistory Month is celebrated by many activities with various ideas and themesfor the younger generation. In 2013, Black History Month celebrates the 50^th anniversary of the March on Washington at which Martin Luther King, Jr. gavehis famous speech “I have a dream”. It also marks the 150^th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation (解放黑奴宣言). The theme for Black History Month in 2014 is “Civil Rights in America” remembering the important milestones by African-Americans and others in the battle for civil rights and equaltreatment under the law.

How to Care for Your Ears?

    Ears not only let us hear, but they also paly a role in maintaining our balance, which is vital to our ability to function in daily life. Yet, we ignore them. We can't even see our ears, except in a mirror. We take it for granted what they do for us day in and day out—until we notice something worng, such as when an earache strikes or when we start having to ask people to repeat what they say. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

◆Clean your ear with a washcloth—covered finger only.

    Never put anything inside your ear canal, including cotton swabs (药签). {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

◆Leave earwax(耳垢) alone.

    Wax is your ear's way of eliminating （消除）anything foreign that gets into the ear canal. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you find you have too much earwax, use a few drops of earwax remover（去除剂）in the canal. After a few minutes, wash the ear with warm water.

◆Avoid noisy places.

    Rock concerts and construction sites are just a few places that frequently have noise levels that can damage

hearing.Any place where you have to shout to be heard should be avoided.

◆{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Be careful not to play MP3 too loud, especially if using earphone.

◆Be careful with illness and medications.

    Respiratory illnesses should be treated to avoid their spread to the ears. Certain medications can damage hearing, so follow the directions carefully before taking them.

    See your doctor if you suffer from sudden hearing loss or hear noises in your head. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A．Most people don't need to clean wax out of their ears.

B．In such case, go to see a doctor as soon as possible.

C．These can be symptoms of a serious illness which needs to be treated.

D．This article will show you how to care for your ears.

E．Turn the volume down.

F．Avoid using earphones while listening to MP3.

G．Your ear canal is very narrow, and a swab can damage it.

    What is the hottest topic at your school recently? In Taiyuan No.55 Middle School,it's money.

    The school held an activity called “making money” last weekend.About 200 Junior 1 and Junior 2 students were divided into 30 teams.They went out to make money by selling things.

    What did they choose to sell? Some sold newspapers;some chose bottled water;some sold environmentally friendly shopping bags and bamboo bamboo baskets.

    Hu Qing's team decided to sell some useful books in front of the Children Activity Center.They thought parents would like to buy the books for their children.But unfortunately,they met urban management officers（城管）.The officers asked them to leave.“ We played hide-and-seek（捉迷藏）with the officers for the whole morning”said Hu. “Finally we had to give up.”

    Wang Bing and her team sold ice cream in a square.They didn't meet any officers.But few people were interested in what they were selling.The team then put up a board saying “For Country Kids”.It worked.More people came to their stall（小摊）.A foreigner even gave them 100 yuan. “He didn't want any change.He said he wanted to help the children,” said Wang.“ We were touched.” Later that day they gave the 100 yuan and more to the “Project Hope” office.

    Meng Zhaoxiang and his team were luckier.They sold all their cakes in four hours,spending 39.5 yuan and getting back 80 yuan.They made 40.5 yuan.“It was not easy to make the money,” said Meng.“ Some people just looked.Others just tasted but didn't buy.Now I know how hard it is for our parents to make the money we need to lead happy lives.”

    Lemurs are cute animals that live on the island of Madagascar, the fourth-largest island in the world. Lemurs have big eyes, long noses, and long tails(except for the Indri) and live high in the trees of Madagascan forests. Lemurs are quite intelligent. They are the cousins of monkeys and look quite similar. They also swing through the trees and live in family groups.

    There are different species of lemurs. Some lemurs (the Indri) sing like a whale, and some (the Sifaka) walk like a ballet dancer. Some lemurs are very small, like the Pygmy Mouse Lemur which weighs only 25-30 grams. Others, like the Indri, can weigh up to ten kilograms. Some lemurs are nocturnal, being awake at night and sleeping during the day, and some are not nocturnal but diurnal. Generally, the smaller lemurs are nocturnal, while the bigger ones are diurnal. All the species are unique to Madagascar.

    However, all of the lemurs are endangered species. Many species have already disappeared in the last few centuries. There are not many of lemurs left. People in Madagascar have been destroying the forests where lemurs live. Local people also hunt lemurs for food. Some of the local people see lemurs as bringers of bad luck, so they kill lemurs.

    At the moment, there are about 85 lemur species left. But many people fear that the number of species will fall quickly. Soon there may be no lemurs left if we do not make serious efforts to protect them.

    The Japanese have always been at the forefront at deploying (利用) robots to perform jobs that are traditionally done by humans. Over the past year, humanoid robots have been seen helping customers at the Mitsubishi Bank and even filling in for human science communicators at museums. Therefore, it is not surprising to hear that the country has the world's first hotel that is staffed almost entirely by the Androids!

    The aptly (巧妙地) named Henn-na ("strange" in Japanese) Hotel which opened its doors on July 17 is located at Nagasaki's Huis Ten Bosch theme park. It is the idea of Hideo Sawada, a Japanese businessman who is fascinated by the possibility of replacing humans with robots. His aim is to have this futuristic hotel be run mainly by the intelligent humanoids.

    Guests checking-in are welcomed by a family friendly English-speaking robot wearing a bow tie and bell-hop (侍者) hat. Though experienced at his job, he does request guests not to ask him "a difficult question" since he is after all, "just a robot!" Those seeking a more "regular" experience, can approach the human-like Japanese-speaking robot.

    When ready, visitors can request the robot "porters" to help carry belongings to their room. Those that need to stow away valuables can hand them to a helpful robot who will place them inside an individual safe box in exchange for a small fee. A one-foot-high concierge (管理人) is available to provide information about the hotel's amenities (便利设施), nearby attractions, and even order a taxi if needed.

    So how much does it cost to live in this crazy cool hotel? It depends on when you decide to go. During the low season, guests can get away with paying as little $60 a night for a basic room. However, during the peak season when rates, are determined by an online auction, the price can get as high as $153.

    Broken Wings

    1-4 Aug: Musical adaptation of the poet Kahil Gibran's 1912 masterpiece. Set in New York in 1923, it transports you to turn-of-the-century Beirut.

    7: 30 p. m. (& 2: 30p. m. 4 Aug); Tickets: ￡10-￡96. so.www.trh.co.uk. Theatre Royal Haymarket, Haymarket, SWIY 4HT. T: 020-7930 8800. E7. Station: Piccadilly Circus.

    Chicago the Musical

    Martin Kemp stars as Billy in this jazz musical based on real murder cases which shocked Chicago in the 1920s.

    Mon-Sat 7: 30 p. m.; Wed & Sat 2: 30 p. m. Tickets: ￡25-￡150. www.phoenixtheatrelondon co.uk

    Phoenix Theatre, 110 Charing Cross Rd, WC2HOJP. T: 0843-316 1082. E7. Station: Tottenham Court Road

    Dreamgirls

    Musical about a female singing group from Chicago. Classic songs include I Am Telling You I'm Not Going, I Am Changing, and Listen and One Night Only. Join these friends as they go on a musical rollercoaster ride through a world of fame, fortune and the ruthless realities of show business, testing their friendships to the very limit.

    Mon-Sat 7: 30 p. m.; Wed & Sat 2: 30 p. m. Tickets: ￡15-￡75. www.savoytheatre org. savoy.

    Strand WC2R OET. T: 0844-871 7687. E8. Station: Covent Garden.

    Everybody's Talking about Jamie

    This feel-good musical is set on a council estate in Sheffield, northern England, and tells the story of 16-year-old Jamie and how he overcomes bullies and prejudice. This is inspired by a true bully story.

    Mon-Sat 7: 30 p. m.; Wed & &t 2: 30 p. m. Tickets: ￡20-￡85. www.everybodystalkingaboutjarmie.co.uk

    Apollo Theatre, 31 Shaftesbury Ava WID 7ES T: 0330-333 4809. E7. Station: Piccaddly Circus