In the years of my growing up, Dad was hard on me. He made sure I made my bed and did my homework. As a school girl and young adult, I feared him and felt bitter about him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A's and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as "successful" as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.

    He would call in advance to make sure there was no alcohol(酒精) at the party. I got so angry with him for laying down the law. I would scream, "I hate you!" Dad would yell back, "Good! I don't care!" Deep down I knew he did.

    One time at a party, I drank too much alcohol and got so sick. I said, "Call my dad." Next thing, Dad was carrying me to the car. I woke up the next morning, thinking I would definitely be criticized(批评). As expected, I got a roasting, but I now understand why I need discipline(纪律).

    Dad was 29 when he got his big roles in films. I had an early start at the age of nine with a role in a 1990s TV series, but it wasn't until I finished film studies that I pursued my career as an actress. Like those early days for Dad, I faced lots of rejections. Working in such a competitive industry, I've sometimes thought, "I can't do this any more."

    Once, after a trip to Hollywood, I returned to Australia so depressed and spent months in my bedroom painting, listening to Eckhart Tolle's music and trying to find myself again. Dad sat me down and said, "Alice, I know it's hard, but it's all about persistence(坚持不懈)."

    Now I get to work with Dad a lot, which I love. We are both enthusiastic about acting, which comes from us being so interested in people. If it weren't for Dad, I wouldn't be where I am today. He's my biggest fan, and when you have that in your life you can go a long way.

    In my life, my grandfather has influenced me a lot. Ever since I was a little kid, I have always loved sports, especially football. My grandfather also enjoys sports and really loves football. He received a couple of awards in football matches. Through my three years so far in high school, my grandfather has helped me become a better player.

    Another reason why I admire my grandfather so much is because of his strong work ethic(道德). Ever since I was a little boy, my grandfather has taught me and shown me what good work ethic means. He is a good example. When he was a young man, his family owned a small store. He often helped his father run the store. He has also done several jobs in his life. He owned his own store when my mother was a young girl; he helped on a farm; he then had his own painting business. Now he is working at a Wal-Mart.

    Responsibility(责任) is something that I have struggled with in the past. My grandfather, on the other hand, is a very responsible person. That's why I am very responsible now, because of him. When he was in school, he was almost a straight A student. I, on the other hand, don't do so well. One day he had a talk with me about being more responsible. He helped me in school and made me realize how important grades are. Now I get almost As and Bs.

    Now you can see why I admire and respect my grandfather as much as I do. He is the best role model I have, and I will always look up to him.

Craziest Food Festivals sounds like a joke topic, but once you start looking into it, you'll realize they're everywhere—the crazier, the better.

    ⒈Bibimbap Festival

    In the South Korean town of Jeonjuloves, their “mixed rice” dish is a hearty serve of rice topped with raw beef, a rainbow of vegetables, a raw egg and gochujang sauce (韩国的辣椒酱) so much. They take four days out of October to celebrate it.

    Like any festival there's music, entertainment and magic, but making it that little bit different is the bibimbap that's whipped (搅拌) up in a big bowl by dozens of chefs and served to over 400 people.

    ⒉Waikiki Spam Jam (怀基基午餐肉节)

    Who knew this canned meat had so much love? Well, it turns out that a can of Spam is the go-to item in Hawaii, along with a grass skirt and garland (花环). The people of Hawaii love Spam so much that they even spend a day in May serving out the best Spam, a type of cheap canned meat made mainly from pork.

    ⒊Bessieres Easter Egg Festival

    At Easter time, for those in the French town of Bessieres it's all about an egg far less sweet.

    Here they celebrate the holiday by getting dozens of chefs to make one large omelette (煎蛋卷) - 15,000 eggs strong - for the townsfolk (市民).

    ⒋Potato Days Festival

    This festival actually takes place in Barnesville, Minnesota(明尼苏达州), the US. Over the last Friday and Saturday in August the town celebrates its potato-growing skills by hosting potato picking and peeling contests, as well as a Miss Tater Tot pageant (盛典) for five-and six-year-old girls.

    A 3-year-old boy who was lost in the woods for two days is now safe at home with his family. But Casey Hathaway told his rescuers that he was not alone in the rainy, freezing cold woods. He said he was with a friend — a bear.

    The child went missing on January 22. He was playing with friends at his grandmother's house in the southern state of North Carolina. When the other children returned home but Casey did not, the family searched the area for almost an hour before calling the police. Police formed a search and rescue team to look for the young boy in the nearby woods. But two days went by and still — no Casey.

    Then on January 24, someone called the police saying he heard a child crying in the woods. Police followed up on the information and found Casey at about 9:30 that night. They pulled him out of some briar. He was in good health. Casey told the rescuers that he had hung out with a black bear for two days, a bear he called his "friend".

    Sheriff Chip Hughes spoke with reporters from several news agencies. He said Casey did not say how he was able to survive in the woods for three days in the cold, rainy weather. However, the sheriff said, "He did say he had a friend in the woods that was a bear that was with him."

    Hundreds of people helped in the search and rescue efforts, including some 600 volunteers, federal police and members of the military. Officer Hughes told reporters that at no point did he think Casey had been kidnapped.

    His mother Brittany Hathaway talked with reporters from a local news agency and thanked everyone who joined the search for her son. "We just want to tell everybody that we're very thankful that you took the time out to search for Casey and prayed for him, and he's good," said his mother. "He is good, he is up and talking. He's already asked to watch Netflix. So, he's good …"

    Much older than the Great Wall, Stonehenge is one of the world's most fascinating (迷人的), but least understood historical sites (遗址). Every year, thousands of tourists come to admire Stonehenge's beauty and to wonder about how and why it was built.

    Stonehenge was produced by a culture that left no written records. Though there are many guesses, it is still a mystery why stone-age man moved such heavy stones over 380 kilometers from where they were made.

    At that time, people had only basic wooden tools. To move the stones they probably used tree trunks (树干) to roll them along.

    Some historians believe that Stonehenge was a temple, the site of ancient sacrifice(祭祀). Others believe it was perhaps a giant sundial (日冕) to tell the time. Stonehenge could have been a burial ground(墓地) from its earliest beginnings, because human bone dating from as early as 3000 BC was found there. Whatever its ancient use was, the stones have always been a source of fascination for British people. One record from 1135 said the great stones were carried to England by giant magical creatures!

    In modern times Stonehenge has become a huge hit with tourists. When Stonehenge was first opened to the public it was possible to walk among and even climb on the stones, but the stones were circled with ropes in 1977 as a result of serious erosion(侵蚀). Visitors are no longer allowed to touch the stones, but are able to walk around from a short distance away. What's more, visitors can make special bookings to get into the stones throughout the year.

Improve your reading, writing and math skills

    Through the Literacy and Basic Skills program, you will learn reading, writing, math and other basic skills (e. g. computer) to help you prepare for:

    ● employment

    ● college studies

    ● independence

    ● school credit

    These courses(课程) are free and available in English or French. There are courses designed for local people and Deaf people as well.

    Requirements(要求)

    To take these courses you have to:

    ● be an Ontario resident

    ● be 16 years old or older

    ● have reading, writing and math skills below the grade 12 level

    Learn in a classroom

    You can take these free classroom courses at more than 300 locations across the province.

    Find out more by contacting Employment Ontario.

    Learn online

    You can also learn online as one way of the Literacy and Basic Skills program.

    Four different organizations in Ontario offer free online courses tailored to you. Find out more about learning online:

    ● in French

    ● in English

    ● as a local person

    ● as a Deaf person