At 29 years old, Ding Ding, who has cerebral palsy (脑瘫), has been accepted to Harvard University. Ding Ding succeeded in his academic studies and overcoming many of his physical disabilities because of his mother's persistence(坚持不懈) and endless love.

    In 1988, when Ding Ding was found born with cerebral palsy, Doctors suggested to his mother Zou Hongyan that she give up the baby, saying it was worthless trying to rescue him as he would grow up either disabled or with low intelligence. Even the boy's father agreed with the doctors and told Zou that the boy would be a burden for the family for his entire life. But Zou insisted on saving the boy and soon divorced (离婚).

    To support the family and provide treatment for her son, Zou took up several jobs. In her spare time, she regularly took Ding to a recovery hospital. She taught herself how to exercise his muscles, and would also play educational games with him.

    Zou also insisted from the start that her son would learn to overcome his disabilities as far as possible. She insisted on teaching him how to use chopsticks during mealtimes, even though he found this extremely difficult at first, so he would not have to always explain his disability to others when he had meals with them.

    "I didn't want him to feel sorry for his physical problems," she said. "Because he had poor abilities in many areas, I was quite strict on him to work hard to catch up where he had difficulties. "

    Ding graduated with a degree in environmental science from Peking University's school of engineering in 2011. That same year, he took part in a second degree program at the university's international law school. In 2016, after working for two years, Ding was accepted into Harvard Law School.

    "I never dared to dream of applying to Harvard," Ding said. "It was my mother who never stopped encouraging me to give it a try. Whenever I had any doubts, she would guide me forward."

    Teens naturally ask parents for money for material things and entertainment. But as the need becomes more frequent, why not get a job so you can earn your own money? Working for your own money will give you a sense of accomplishment and the satisfaction of a job well done.

    Babysitting is a suitable job for teens. They are best suited as a mother's helper while the mother is working in another part of the house. Babysitting is not a job for girls alone. Boy babysitters are popular with families of boys. Parents rely on friends and neighbors' recommendations. Word of mouth is your best form of advertising.

    Pet-sitting involves caring for people's pets while the owners are on vacation or away for the day. A pet-sitter will be responsible for giving fresh food and water, walking dogs and cleaning out cat litter boxes. Although the pet-sitter does not spend the night, he is there often enough to bring in the mail, water plants and take the garbage out. Create a flyer with your name, prices and references, and pass it out to the families in your neighborhood.

    Yard work can be a seasonal job. Spring cleanup is needed for flower beds and preparing the yard for summer. Summer is the busiest time for yard work with lawn mowing (割草坪),edging and trimming(修剪) bushes. Fall is the time for sweeping leaves and planting seeds for spring. If you live in a northern climate, there may be snow that needs shoveling.

    Odd jobs can mean a variety of things, including painting, washing the pet, weeding the garden, cleaning out the basement, or helping to serve dinner at a party. Doing odd jobs may be a good match for someone with a busy schedule. Most odd jobs only take a few hours to complete.

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    Proudly reading my words, I glanced around the room, only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Confused, I glanced toward my stone-faced teacher. Having no choice, I slowly raised the report I had slaved over, hoping to hide myself. "What could be causing everyone to act this way?"

    Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task. This was the first real task I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before. As I searched the name of this fellow, it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice: flip (掷) a coin. Heads—the commander, and tails—the peanuts guy. Ah! Tails, my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.

    Weeks later, standing before this unfriendly mass, I was totally lost. Oh well, I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, "My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution." The whole world became quiet! How could I know that she meant that George Washington?

    Obviously, my grade was awful. Heartbroken but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: No re-dos; no new grade. I felt that the punishment was not justified, and I believed I deserved a second chance. Consequently, I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster's office with my grandfather, now having an entirely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my option to skip the sixth grade. Justice is sweet!

How do you kill your time when you go to work? Most of us stare at our cell phones, and refuse to make eye contact with others. We just read, chat with others online or play games online. Or maybe we're using the time between stops to do our make-up, catch up on emails, or read a few chapters of a book. However, Dina Alfasi takes a very different approach.

Each day she has to travel hours on buses and trains to get to her engineering job at a hospital in Israel. Rather than look at her cell phone in silence, she uses one very special way to have connection with strangers. It is portraits of the people she meets on public transport every day that she is taking. The photographs catch those quiet and personal moments of people readying themselves for the day ahead. Some people lean their heads against the window and go to sleep, some stare into space and have a daydream, and others sit quietly to read their documents or books. Each picture captures one tiny moment in people's lives, ripe with potential for your imagination. It is wonderful for her to look at someone's commute(上下班) and make up an entire story about the rest of their daily existence, from the father travelling with a baby to the woman welcoming a change.

"What inspires me very much are the little moments that happen every day," Dina told My Modern Met. "My work is to tell stories through a single portrait, and it proves that all you need is just to look around and find those magic moments."

Four rural villages in China were named Best Tourism Villages 2023 by the World Tourism Organization.

Huangling village in Jiangxi province, set in a hilly and mountainous region, is known for its surprising natural scenery, traditional architecture, and the preservation of ancient customs. The ancient houses in Huangling village are characterized by whitewashed walls, black-tiled roofs, and complex carved wooden elements. The village, rated as a national AAAA scenic spot, draws worldwide visitors throughout the year to view its live landscape.

Zhagana village, a globally important agricultural and cultural heritage site, is located at an altitude of 3,000 to 3,300 meters and is surrounded by mountains, in Gansu province. The steep mountains and Tibetan-style houses make up a "grand stone palace" where tourists can enjoy the harmony of nature and culture.

Xiajiang village, located in East China's Zhejiang province, is famous for its undestroyed natural beauty and a profound cultural heritage ranging from traditional folk culture to historical "red culture". The village has introduced unique tourism routes, high-level cultural programs, and a diverse range of celebrations.

Zhujiawan village, situated in Zhashui county, Shangluo city, possesses a variety of over 1,200 species of diverse animals and plant resources. Meanwhile, the village owns 25 intangible (无形的) cultural treasures. Additionally, it is home to 17 tangible cultural treasures. In recent years, Zhujiawan village has made use of its ecological strengths to develop tourism.