Annie slept in the front of the seat with her father drove through the darkness. ”We're almost there!” Dad announced cheerfully. “Soonwell be observing and counting owls at the state park.” Yawning, Annie nodded and smiled. The time was 4:30 a.m. Looking out into the darkness, Annie remembered learning in school that most owls are active at night, when they hunt for food. During the day they sleep in hard-to-find spots.

  “Dad, why do you need to count owls?” she asked. “It's important for the scientists to have current information about bird populations,” he explained. “We want to know which birds have decreased in number and whether any new kinds of birds are coming into a certain area. You and I will write down the kinds of birds that we see today and keep a record of how many times we see each kind. The we'll send out a report to a scientific organization that is collecting about birds from people all over the county.”

    Dad pulled into the parking lot of the state park. Then, with flashing in hand, they began their hike into the woods. Annie zipped up her coat and tried to keep from trembling. She had not expected the morning to be so frigid. Luckily her gloves were in her pocket.

    Suddenly Annie's father stooped and gestured for her to bestill. Obeying, Annie did not take another step. She thought she heard a low crying up head. “That's certainly a screech owl,” her father whispered. “Let's get a look at it.” After looking more closely, Annie could see that it was asmall owl. Sensing danger, the owl narrowed its eyes and pulled its feathers tightly against its body. Annie carefully wrote down in her notebook that they had seen a screech owl.

    Walking a little farther, they came to a tall oak tree. “This looks like a perfect spot to attract owls,” Dad said. “I'm going to play a recording of common call of the barred owl. Maybe we can get one to answer." Annie could hardly believe her ear. The recorded all sounded as if the birds were asking, “who cooks for you?” Moments later Annie thought she heard areturn call in distance. She held her breath and waited. Suddenly a huge birdlanded very quietly on a branch above them.

    Annie had long forgotten how cold it was. She stood in wonder, shining her flashlight on the bird and studying it carefully. The barred owl was nearly tow feet tall. Gray feathers surrounded its dark eyes. The bird did not matter. Annie would never forge the image of the powerful barred owl.

    When thinking about placing a human being in space, one of the most important questions was how to design special clothing needed to protect a person from the dangers of the space environment. The cold of space will freeze skin in a short time. The fierce heat of the sun can cause serious burns. The lack of atmosphere can cause gases in the body to expand(扩大) and even burst. With no oxygen to breathe, a human being will die in only a few moments. Radiation from the sun is another risk in space. So is damage from small pieces of rock and objects like meteoroids (陨石).

    In 1933, an American flyer, Wiley Post, designed one of the first successful devices to protect a pilot at extreme heights. It was a large device that looked like a can surrounded the pilot's head. Astronauts in the American space agency (NASA) flew the first American space flights in the early 1960s. The clothing was similar to that invented by Wiley Post.

    Today, astronauts wear very different protective clothing. It lets them move, do useful tasks, and stay outside their spacecraft in comfort and safety for several hours. The spacesuit is called the shuttle extravehicular mobility unit or EMU. It was designed to endure longer and to permit more movement than earlier spacesuits.

    The EMU has a number of parts that an astronaut can link together by using only one hand, which makes it possible for each astronaut to select the parts that fit correctly.

    Nowadays, NASA scientists are also considering the kind of spacesuits that would be needed for exploration on the planet Mars. Because of the gravity on Mars, spacesuits may have to be designed to be lighter than suits used in orbit or on the moon. The equipment may also have to protect astronauts from dust carried in the winds on Mars. And, they must be easy to repair and keep clean during a longer flight to and from the red planet.

    I was on my school campus the other day, and there was an ice cream truck parked right in front of the main common areas of the school. I had never thought an ice cream truck would circle our campus and come for us, overgrown kids. I was intrigued and wanted to investigate（调查）further.

    I was quite surprised when the man in the truck called out,“ Free ice cream!”

    I questioned him just to make sure of his words, saying," I' m sorry, what did you say?"

    “Free ice cream. You have your choice of these four frozen treats: the rocket pop, the chocolate Eclair, the strawberry shortcake, or the drumstick.”

    After I was certain that the man was just giving away free ice cream, I talked with him for a while. He told me that his dream had always been to travel around giving away ice cream, and that's exactly what he did. And his passion was expressed through using up all his credit cards, sleeping in his truck, and living with his mother in a small flat, so he could continue to follow his dream during hard times .Now, he has sponsorships（赞助）from large companies such as Levi's to do what he loves, and he's gifted 125,000 of his truckload of ice cream treats!

    The man said he wanted to encourage people to do exactly what their hearts tell them to do with their lives. I kept asking him with respect," So your dream was just to drive around and give away ice cream? It seems like a very unusual goal."

    "Yes ,just meeting people and making them smile," he replied.

    For many foreigners who have visited or worked in China, one of their strong impressions is that the country is very safe. Here , you can go out alone late at night to eat at a food stand without feeling nervous. You can also let your younger children ride public transport all by themselves without worrying about their safety.

    This year, 2018 , marks 8 special anniversary of the launching of the reform and opening up policy, which took place two score years ago in China. Over the past few decades, the country has achieved fast economic growth, while social peace and stability have been maintained(维护) to the fullest extent at the lowest cost. Of course, there are still unsolved problems. However, from the overall aspect, Chinese society remains harmonious and safe. In my eyes , this should be attributed(归于) largely to the cultural ;economic and political environment of the country.

    A society can be stable and orderly only when its people can lead a prosperous(繁荣的) life. After the introduction of the reform and opening up policy, China achieved fast economic growth and significant scientific and technological progress. In the meantime, the Chinese government has taken various measures such 2s those to fight corruption, reduce poverty and promote the rule of law, in order to uphold social equity. Thanks to these efforts, the potential factors that might cause social problems have been greatly reduced.

    Apart from government departments including the police and judicial(司法的) departments , the general public also contributes much to social governance. The development of information technology has created new ways of linking the police and the public. By jointly fighting crimes in such ways, the public and the police have developed an ever-increasing level of mutual trust and positive interaction.

    The safety and stability in China did not come easily. Rather; it should be attributed to the efforts made by 1.3 'billion people. For both Chinese and foreigners living in the country, the sense of safety and security is very precious.

    Camper Lunch Program

    We are pleased to offer the Camper Lunch Program for full-day campers or campers participating in both morning and afternoon half-day camps.

    Lunch at the Overlake School

    At the Overlake School in Redmond, you can sign up for lunch at the time of registration. Lunch is provided by the school cafeteria including a hot main dish and a salad bar option. Limited diet restrictions can be accommodated in advance. All orders or cancellations must be made by 4:00 pm on Wednesday.

    $ 40 for 5-day camp week

    $ 32 for 4-day camp week

    Lunch at View Seattle

    Two weeks before your camp start date, you will receive a link in your confirmation email to choose your preference between the regular and vegetarian(素的)lunch menus. Besides, camper with allergies or sensitivities are encouraged to bring their own lunch.

    $ 40 for 5-day camp week

    $ 38 for 4-day camp week

    Lunch at St. Thomas School

    At St. Thomas School, lunch and snacks are provided by SAGE Dining. Lunch includes a hot main dish, a salad bar and sandwich options. Campers also receive two snacks per day.

    $ 50 for 5-day camp week

    $45 for 4-day camp week

    Lunch at Pacific Science Center

    At Pacific Science Center, you can sign up at the time of registration. Lunch is provided by our very own Pacific Science Center Cafe. Every day, standard and vegetarian lunch menus are available and come with a water bottle and two snacks. All orders or cancellations must be made by 4:00 pm on Wednesday.

    $ 45 for 5-day camp week

    $ 36 for 4-day camp week

    Britain's first zero-carbon homes are being built—and they look like something from a science-fiction movie.

    There are 25 eco-friendly homes currently being built in Southmoor, near Abingdon, Oxon. Buyers are able to have the final say on floor layouts，kitchens and bathrooms. One three-bedroom home is on the market for￡801 ,000,with a custom build available to suit your own specification. These eco-friendly houses are powered entirely by electricity from solar panels around the houses. They also have advanced ventilation (通风) systems, making sure that temperatures inside the building don't go beyond 25℃ for more than 10% of hours annually, as well as mini heat pumps to generate (产生) the heating and hot water on-site. Part of the cooling design includes avoiding east-or west-facing windows, and window shading.

    And they're in high demand. Ian Pritchett, of Ssassy Property, thinks the Government should do more to promote the construction of this type of housing. "Unfortunately, the Government relaxed the proposed 2016 zero-carbon targets after being lobbied(游说)by house builders," Ian explained. "At present, the main house-building corporations control the land and only build at the rate they are sure will sell, keeping the UK's housing shortage so that the normal rules of 'supply and demand' don't apply. When there is a shortage of housing, buyers have to purchase what is available rather than what they might want."

    In any sensible society, we would expect the planning system to actively encourage zero-carbon houses, and he tough on anyone failing to deliver the necessary standard. Instead, we have a planning system that focuses on other aspects such as numbers of bedrooms, garden sizes, and parking places. These are important aspects, but they pale into insignificance compared to the catastrophic consequences of climate change.