Back in 2003 an 86-year-old man drove his Buick through a crowded farmers' market. Nine people were killed. More than fifty-four people were hurt, fourteen with serious injuries. When he finally stopped, the 86-year-old man got out his car and screamed at people to get out of the way. No alcohol or drugs were found in his system. Apparently, he was just old and confused.

    This is a frightening accident, and it is not a rare one. There are many examples of elderly drivers driving into swimming pools, houses, storefronts, or worse.

    In our teenage years, we all heard “driving is not a right; it's a privilege.” That is still true, and there comes an age when driving is no longer a privilege that can be allowed. After a certain age, eyesight and dementia(痴呆) are very serious concerns. Undoubtedly, these age-related problems affect some older adults' driving ability. By the time a person is between eighty-five and ninety years old, his or her driving privilege should be examined.

    Licensing laws vary greatly from state to state, and it's time for a national law on the maximum age limit for driving. The motivation for this law is safety. Another option is to start with laws that ban anyone over the age of eighty-five from driving after sundown, because driving conditions are not as safe as daylight hours. Still another option that may allow elderly drivers to continue driving could be new technology like a voice warning system that cautions drivers on busy streets or at traffic lights. Finally, since there are laws against driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, shouldn't some prescription drugs also be included? The average age of 85-year-old is undoubtedly taking at least one prescription drug daily.

    The thought of an 86-year-old driver with failing eyesight running down the road in a two-ton piece of metal is unsettling to us all. Driving at an advanced age is not only challenging for the elderly drivers, but also it's dangerous for the rest of us.

    Night of the Living Zoo

    When: October 30th, 2016, 18:30-22:00

    Where: Lower Zoo

    Cost:

    Tickets now are on sale to FONZ (Friends of the National Zoo) members only! Not a member? Join now to get tickets at the member rate. FONZ members may purchase up to six tickets at the member price. Non-member tickets go on sale September 25th.

    General Admission: Includes live music, performance artists -including fortune tellers, fire breathers, as well as access to animal exhibits after hours, and interesting outdoor games. Also, all guests will receive free bottled water.

$ 20 FONZ members; $ 30 non-members.

    VIP Tickets: Include access to the VIP area, animal performances and private games, etc.

    $ 55 FONZ members; $ 80 non-members

    Details:

    It's back. Prepare to witness dangerous acts and amazing sights at the Zoo's annual Halloween event, Night of the Living Zoo. With live music, performance artists, and games, it's a special night of fun that you won't want to miss.

    FONZ encourages you to take public transportation and drink responsibly.

    Metro (地铁): The Zoo's Connecticut Avenue entrance is between the Red Line's Cleveland Park and Woodley Park Metro stops.

    Uber is Night of the Living Zoo's transportation partner this year! New to Uber? Sign up for $ 20 off your first ride (new users only).

    Parking: Parking at the event will be $ 22.

    On Sunday 23 April, more than 30, 000 people participated in the 2017 London Marathon, running 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers) around the city centre.

    The London Marathon has taken place every year since 1981. At the first one just6,225 people completed the course, and since then it has grown into one of the biggest sporting events in the world. It is one of the “World Marathon Majors”, which is a competition made up of six global marathon events. The overall male and female winners receive $ 1 million in prize money between them. There are eleven people who have run every London Marathon since it began—they call themselves the “Ever Presents”.

    This year, the winners of the London Marathon were surprisingly both from Kenya— Daniel Wanjiru, who finished in 2 hours and 5 minutes, and Mary Keitany, whose time was 2 hours and 17 minutes.

    However, most marathon runners are not professional athletes. They are amateurs who have trained for months to raise money for charity or just as a personal challenge. For example, Tom Harrison took three days just to reach the run's halfway point, as he is crawling the course on his hands and knees dressed as a gorilla(大猩猩), trying to raise money and attention for the charity “The Gorilla Organization”.

    Matthew Rees was another runner to encourage people, as he stopped just before the finish line to help David Wyeth run the last 200m. They did not know each other before, but Matthew saw that David was exhausted and possibly close to collapsing, and wanted to help him finish.

    Every year there are lots of touching stories like this from the London Marathon, and it is a huge achievement even to run the 26.2 miles!

    The setting was a packed gymnasium just before the start of a game against another school. There were five girls who were members of the Danville High School basketball team—all of them starters. They were not in uniform to play that night and would not be on the team for the rest of this season. They were there to admit their breaking of team rules. They were there to support their coach's decision to take them off the team. They were there to let the town know there was a problem in their little community that needed to be addressed. And they did it with sincere regret rather than defensiveness.

    While the school had been out for the New Year's holiday, the five girls had gone to the party with several of their friends. There was alcohol there. And they all drank some.

    Coach Rainville has a zero tolerance rule on drugs and alcohol for her members though it was a hard decision to make. When classes resumed and accounts of holiday parties were shared, rumors about the five girls began closing in on them. The coach said she couldn't back down on her rules. And the players—two junior students and three senior students—agreed. That night in the gym was part of their public support of the coach's decision.

    “We hope you will understand that we are not bad kids. What we did was definitely not worth it. We hope this event will make everyone realize that there is a big drug and alcohol problem in our community,” one of the senior students said, “And if you work with us to try to solve this problem, you will help us feel that we have not been thrown off our basketball team for nothing.” The five left the floor to deafening applause.

    The team may not win another game this year. But they've learnt something about personal responsibility, the effect of one's action on others, and honesty that will serve them well throughout life.

    All people need to sleep. Sleep is a restorative(恢复健康的) process that promotes proper body functioning and can improve the quality of your life. Not only is the quantity of sleep important, but also the quality of sleep.

    Your bedroom should be shaped to your taste and allow you to sleep in a peaceful environment. One of the biggest mistakes people make in their sleep is to use the bedroom for activities other than sleep. If your bedroom also functions as a command station for your life and work, the possibility of your sleep being poor is rather high. Bedrooms should be designed, decorated and used for sleep only. TVs, computers and other things should not be in your bedroom if possible.

    Establishing regular sleeping and waking times can help improve the quality of your sleep especially for those suffering from sleeplessness. Avoid hot food, caffeine, sugar and alcohol at least 4 to 6 hours before you go to bed. Develop a regular exercise program. Proper exercise and nutrition will help improve sleep patterns. However, avoid exercising 2 hours before bed, since this may stimulate your body and make it more difficult to fall asleep.

    Establish a pre-bedtime rule that will help you focus on sleep. You can try meditation(沉思), reading or deep breathing and relaxation. Your bedtime rule should be yours. Do not worry about it fitting into a specific category. Do what is best for you.

    Things such as room temperature, noise and light levels and even your bed mattress(床垫) can have a lot of effect on the quality of sleep that you experience. Block out distracting noises and lights. You are in your bedroom to sleep and not be distracted by environmental interference(干扰).

    Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mom. She was kind. People always seemed to feel comfortable in her presence. For years, she was a volunteer in our community. I loved going to the local nursing home with her where she taught a ceramics(制陶技术) class.

    On one summer day, Mama told me to get changed and meet her at the car.

I had planned to spend the day at the lake with friends. Why did she have to ruin everything? I imagined the cool lake water. Irritated，I climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. We sat in silence. I was too upset to make conversation.

    "Tasha, would you like to know where we are going?" Mama asked calmly.

    "No," I said.

    "We are going to volunteer at a children's shelter today. I have been there before and I think it would benefit you," she explained.

    When we reached the shelter, Mama rang the doorbell. Moments later, we were greeted by a woman. She led us to the front room where all of the children were playing. I noticed a baby whose body was scarred with iron marks. I was told it was because she wouldn't stop crying. The majority of the children had noticeable physical scars. Others hid their emotional wounds.

    As I took in my surroundings, I felt a gentle pull on my shirt. I looked down to see a little girl looking up at me. "Hi. You want to play dolls with me?" she asked. I looked over at Mama for reinforcement. She smiled and nodded. I turned back and said, "Sure." Her tiny hand reached up and held mine, as if to comfort me.

    My mom taught me a valuable lesson that summer. I returned to the shelter with her several times. During those visits, some of the children shared their troubled pasts with me and I learned to be grateful for what I had. Today as I try to instill (逐渐灌输) these values in my own child, I reflect back to that experience. It was a time that I will never forget.