The expression “a thirst for knowledge" may soon have a new meaning for millions of people who have no way to get clean water. Researchers have developed a book with specially treated pages that can turn dirty water into clean and drinkable water. They say their invention could improve the lives of many in the developing world.

    About 700 million people around the world are at risk of disease or even death because their drinking water is not clean. The water is polluted by harmful bacteria.

    The book contains 25 pages. Each page is about one millimeter thick. The pages contain very small particles (微粒) of silver. The pages can be used as filters（过滤器）to remove harmful microorganisms (微生物) that can pollute drinking water. The filter kills the organisms that pass throughit.

    Pictures on the pages show the dangers of dirty water and how to use the book for those unable to read. The pages aremade of filter paper. They are designed to be torn from the book. Water can bepoured through the paper to be cleaned.

    Ms. Dankovich, the inventor, says eachpage can treat up to 100 liters of water. She recently presented her invention at the meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston, Massachusetts. She was asked whether she had considered adding classic literature on the book's pages.

    "The idea of classic texts—that's of interest maybe later. We have discussed a little bit more exciting text. But we really haven't had the time to go through that part," she says.

    Teri Dankovich and another researcher tested the drinkable book in Bangladesh, Ghana and South Africa. The tests proved to be successful.

    Water for Life, a non-government alorganization, has provided financial support for the project.

    What is the difference between developed and developing countries? The question is quite a difficult one. But we can compare them in two important aspects: people and economy.

    In developing countries there are high rates of both birth and death. Families decide to give birth to more than one child, because many developing countries do not have the systems necessary to guarantee(保证) the life of old people. Raising more children seems to be the only way to make sure that during their later years a person will be taken care of.

    The situation is completely different in fully-developed countries. Those countries have low levels of birth and mortality. Low mortality rate is mainly because of the good health care, but low birth rate is due to the fact that supporting a family with more children is expensive nowadays. Another reason is that more and more women decide to work outside, so there is usually no time and place for a large group of children in their lives.

    In developed countries, most industries have high levels of technological progress, while in developing countries most GDP comes from agriculture. It is mainly due to the fact that services and many branches of industry are in the stage of development. But they have the potential to develop quickly, because they have many things to improve.

    Of course, the difference between developed and developing countries is not that clear, because some countries might be in the middle of great changes. When a country is in that stage, some data can define the country as a developing one, but others may show that it is a developed one.

    Your next car could have two seats, three wheels — two in front and one in the back and a top speed of more than 100 miles per hour. Elio Motors plans to make such a tiny car named the Elio. Its two seats sit front and back instead of side by side. The driver is positioned in the center with the passenger directly behind.

    The starting price for the car is just $6,800. It has only one door, on the left side, which cuts a few hundred dollars off the manufacturing costs. Having three wheels also makes it cheaper. It has air conditioning, power windows and door locks and an AM/FM radio. More features can be ordered through Elio's long list of suppliers. Elio will also sell the cars directly through its own stores and not through franchised dealers (特约经销商).

    Paul Elio dreamed as a kid that he would one day own a car company called Elio Motors. In 2008, tired of high gas prices, he started working on a car that burns gas in a more effective way. Equally important to him was creating U.S. manufacturing jobs and making the car inexpensive enough to attract buyers who might otherwise be stuck in their old, unreliable cars. “Whatever matters to you, this can move the needle on it,” he said.

    Already, more than 27,000 people have reserved (预订) one. Paul hopes to make 250,000 cars a year by 2016. So far, reservation holders are those who will use the Elio as a second or third car for work. Finally, though, he believes the car will interest high school and college students as well as used-car drivers who want something newer and more reliable.

    On a steamy July day in Bayonet Point, Florida, Gene Work and his brother-in-law, Mark Rouco, were renewing Gene's lawn. It had grown brown and patchy in the heat, and the homeowners' association had threatened to heavily fine him if the situation wasn't improved. The new sod (草皮) was sitting in the driveway on four pallets, but the job was slow-going. Gene, then 40, wasn't feeling right. He went inside to take a break and collapsed on the couch, clutching his chest. His wife, Melissa Work, called 911 quickly.

    Even though he was staring down death. Gene had one thing on his mind: that lawn. If the sod wasn't put down that day, it would die. "While he was having his heart attack, literally in and out of consciousness, he kept begging me to have it put down because he didn't want it to go to waste," Melissa wrote in a Facebook post.

    Soon Pasco County Fire Rescue arrived and took Gene and Melissa to the hospital, leaving Rouco behind to tackle the yard. Within an hour, he had managed to remove the old grass. He was about to lay the new sod, which he feared would take him well into the night, when two emergency vehicles appeared. Seven men--the same ones who had treated his brother--got out. Gene had told them how badly he'd wanted to get the sod down, so they had returned to help. The job was done in under two hours.

    Meanwhile, Gene had surgery to insert stents (支架) in his heart, alleviating a potentially deadly blockage. He's home now, fully recovered--and enjoying his beautiful lawn.

    The Works are still amazed that those EMTs (Emergency medical technician) went above and beyond their job description. "These men," Melissa told tampabay.com, "saved Gene's life, and then came back to save his grass. That's just so awesome."

    You can either travel or read, but either your body or soul must be on the way. The popular saying has inspired many people to read or go sightseeing. Traveling just like reading, is a refreshing journey from the busy world. Books, brain food, can keep you company on your travel.

On the Road, 1957, by Jack Kerouac

    The book is a globally popular spiritual guide book about youth. The main character in the book drives across the US continent with several young people and finally reaches Mexico. After the exhausting and exciting trip, the characters in the book begin to realize the meaning of life. The book can be a good partner with you to explore the United States.

    Life is Elsewhere, 1975, by Milan Kundera

    Jean-Jacques Rousseau once said, "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains." The book tells a young artist's romantic but miserable life, about how he reads, dreams, and has a relationship. Experience the artist's passionate life in the book during a trip to Central Europe. The book invites you to deeply reflect on your current life.

    The Stories of Sahara, 1967, by Sanmao

    The book narrates the author's simple but adventurous life in the Sahara Desert, which seems a desolate and dull place. The fancy natural scenery and life there, along with the author's romantic and intensive emotion, will inspire you to explore the mysterious land. Reading the book is like participating in a dialogue with the author, who is sincere and humorous.

    Lotus, 2006 by Annbaby

    This novel set in Tibet, tells three people's stories, each with their unique characteristics. It reveals modern people's emotions and inner life, their confusion about love, and exploration of Buddhism. The book is a good partner to bring you to the sacred land Tibet.

If any New Yorker of Asian descent( 血统) needs a safe way to get around, Madeline Park has got their back. Park created an Instagram account called “Cafemaddycab” amid a wave of anti-Asian hate crimes across the US. The account has one goal: to pay the Uber or Lyft fee for any woman or elderly individual of Asian descent in New York in order to help them get to their destinations safely if they feel “unsafe taking the train in NYC".

Park, who had spent a majority of her decade in New York as a “broke student”, knew all too well what it was like to have to take the train or walk home rather than calling a cab because it was too expensive.

Now, she's using money from her own pocket, as well as from other donors, to make sure the cost isn't preventing anyone else from getting a ride. She decided to do so after fearing for her own safety just the other week.

“That's it. I took the train to work last week and every minute of the ride I was stressed," Park said in an Instagram post.“I was afraid that someone was going to walk up and start attacking me.”

One incident still on Park's mind was when “someone set a 29 year -old Asian woman's backpack on fire in the train around Ktown". Park said she was done taking the train while these hate crimes were going on and so should you.

Park started out with $ 2,000 of her own money, which she used to help reimburse(报销) any Lyft or Uber ride up to $ 40 per person. Within two days, donors collectively poured in over $ 100, 000 to help with her efforts. Park started accepting more donations and she expected other cities to start their own cab initiative(倡议).However, it's no small task.

“You have to have the TIME to commit to this and preferably a few people you trust to work with you, and a big heart for our community # StopAsianHate,” Park wrote in an Instagram post.