"Everybody is a genius.But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."—Albert Einstein

    If you have a kid with special needs in the school system,chances are you have come across that saying hanging on a classroom wall.My five-year-old daughter Syona has cerebral palsy（脑瘫）and it means,combined with her communication and sight problems,that normal standard isn't always an accurate measure of her abilities.

    By now you have probably heard about Chris Ulmer,the 26-yearold teacher in Jacksonville,Florida,who starts his special education class by calling up each student individually to give them much admiration and a high-five.I couldn't help but be reminded of Syona's teacher and how she supports each kid in a very similar way.Ulmer recently shared a video of his teaching experience."I have seen their confidence increase rapidly."he said.All I could think was: how lucky these students are to have such good teachers.

    Syona's teacher has an attitude that can best be summarized in one word: awesome.Her teacher doesn't focus on what can't be done—she focuses on what can be done.Over the past several months,my husband Dilip and I have seen Syona's confidence increase tenfold.She uses words she wouldn't have thought of using before.She recently told me about her classmate's trip to Ecuador and was very proud when I understood her on the first try.

    I actually wonder what the influence would be if we did something similar to what Ulmer does with his students in our home.We've recently started our day by reminding each other of the good qualities we all possess.If we are reminded of our strengths on a regular basis,we will become increasingly confident about progress and success.

    As we age, our ability to think and remember starts to deteriorate. But not everyone. Some of us have brains that age more slowly. Enter the super-ager!

    Super-agers are people over the age of 80 who have the brain structures and abilities of much younger people. Eighty-seven-year-old Bill Gurolnick is a super-ager. “What do I feel like? If I was to give a number, I probably feel like I'm about my early 70s…”

    Scientists know that parts of the brain decrease in size with age. But in super-agers that process is much slower. Emily Rogalski is a neuroscientist at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago, Illinois. In a recent study, she showed that super-agers have young brains. The area of the brain responsible for attention and memory—the cortex—was shown to be thicker in super-agers. “When we look at the cortex of their brain, we see that, on average, that it looks more like a 50-year-old brain that it looks like an average 80-year-old bran…”

    Not only do super-ages have thicker cortexes, they have more spindle neurons. These large brain cells appear to be involved with social-emotional communication. But their exact purpose is still a mystery. Scientists writing for Smithsonian magazine say they are “brain cells for socializing.”

    Several factors affect how our brains age. Scientists say super-agers have several things in common, including an active lifestyle. Many travel and play sports. They are often big readers. And they usually have healthy relationships and spend time with friends. Super-agers also seem to have certain common personality traits. Rogalski says they are, for the most part, known for their optimism, resilience and perseverance. Growing old, she adds, does not have to be depressing and sad. “Perhaps, if we expected a bit better from ourselves, then we would understand that not all aging is stressful!”

    Can we all be super-agers? The science behind super-aging is a relatively new, but growing field. Scientists involved in the research offer this advice as we age: Stay active. Learn new things. Challenge yourself. Surround yourself with healthy relationships.

    With her pretty face and soulful voice, Zhang Bichen was thought a possible champion when she first set foot on the stage of the TV show The Voice of China.

    On Oct 7, 2014, the 25-year-old girl won the fierce competition and received the title of the “Voice of the Year”. Zhang's dream of being a singer star came true as last. What impressed people was not only Zhang's singing skills, but her willingness to make an effort. “I gained the opportunity to sing on The Voice of China,” she said.

    In fact, being a singer has always been her dream. She wanted to apply to a college for singing, but her parents insisted that she should have an easy job after graduation because she did very well at school. So Zhang gave in to her parents and learned French at university. However, in the first year of her college, she was discovered by a South Korean company when she entered a singing competition. To realize her dream, Zhang signed a contract（合同）with the company, started her career in South Korea, and became a member of a band.

    “My company had rules that did not allow us to use cell phones. During the first few months after I arrived in South Korea, a totally unfamiliar country, I felt terribly homesick. But I could only phone my parents in the restroom when nobody noticed.” Zhang said. “When I did not have much income, I had to eat noodles every day for months.”

    It was her positive attitude and outgoing character that helped her through. “When I feel down, I tell myself it is not winning or losing that matters. The most important things are standing on the stage and singing for people.” she said.

    When many people are worried that there are no more heroes in the modern times, two university students who lost their lives to rescue drowning children have shown that heroes still exist (存在).

    According to the Inner Mongolia Morning Post. the tragedy (悲剧) occurred on the afternoon .December 14,2002 when three school students skating on a frozen lake in Qingcheng Park in Hohhot fell through the ice into the freezing water. More than 20 university students who happened to be near the Spot immediately went to the rescue of the children. Two children were quickly rescued, but the third died. The child's body was not found for three hours. Two of the rescuers, Liu Ye and had Longbiao, also died of cold and exhaustion. The body of Hao who took the lead in jumping into the lake was not found until the next day. A student who was unwilling to tell his name said he and his Classmates from the local college were taking photos at the lake. When they heard the children's criestor help, they went to the ice hole hand in hand to rescue the children. But the ice kept breaking, causing most of them to fall into the icy water.

    Local residents held mourning ceremonies (祭莫仪式) at the lake. Eight of the students were seriously affected by the freezing water and were being kept in hospital for further observation, but their lives were no longer in danger.

Have you ever heard of the phrase "we just can't communicate"? Most people communicate with the ability to read or write well. This might not be the case as you will soon find out.

How many times have you been to the doctor's office and listened to an educated professional explain something to you that is just unintelligible. These people keep asking you, "Do you understand?" and sometimes out of embarrassment because you don't want to look like stupid, you tell them. "Yes, I do understand." This isn't a good way to communicate, either.

How do we communicate in a positive way to get our points across? Ask the persons you are communicating with if they understand what you just said. In another case, if someone is talking to you, use the statement, "Just to make sure that I understand what you just said" and then repeat back your understanding of their conversation. Sometimes just asking a few simple questions and clarifying your understanding can bring great benefits to any communication.

    In some countries like Japan, you might find them reading your body language more than the words you are communicating with. Sometimes just by the way someone stands or reacts to something you said, you can get a valuable insight to what the other person means in this conversation. Don't forget, however, this could also lead to a misunderstanding. Again if you think someone is communicating with their body language, try not to assume that you know exactly what message they are trying to get across. Always ask them if they understand what you are talking about.

    A person is responsible for what he says and to make sure that the other person completely understands the point he is trying to get across. Why not start using some of the simple skills in this article to help with your communication skill? You will start to see the benefits within a short period of time.

It was very late and everyone had left the cafe except an old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light. In the day time the street was dusty,but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference,The two waiters inside the cafe knew that the old man was a little drunk,and while he was a good client they knew that if he became too drunk he would leave without paying,so they kept watch on him. 

"Last week he tried to commit suicide,"one waiter said. 

"Why?"

"He was in despair. "

"What about?"

 "Nothing. "

"How do you know it was nothing?" 

"He has plenty of money. "

They sat together at a table that was close against the wall near the door of the cafe and looked at the terrace(露台)where the tables were ll empty except where the old man sat in the shadow of the leaves of the tree that moved slightly in the wind. 

"The guard will pick him up,"one waiter said. 

"What does it matter if he gets what he's after?"

"He had better get off the street now. The guard will get him. They went by five minutes ago. "

The old man sitting in the shadow tapped his saucer with his glass. The younger waiter went over to him. 

"What do you want?"

The old man looked at him. "Another brandy,"he said. 

"You'll be drunk,"the waiter said. The old man looked at him. The waiter went away. 

"He'll stay all night,"he said to his colleague. "I'm sleepy now. I never get into bed before three o'clock. He should have killed himself last week. "

The younger waiter took the brandy bottle and marched out to the old man's table. 

"You should have killed yourself last week,"he said to the deaf man. The old man motioned with his finger. "A little more,"he said. The waiter poured on into the glass. "Thank you,"the old man said. The waiter took the bottle back inside the cafe. He sat down at the table with his colleague again.