Last year my summer holiday was spoiled by my bringing along a modern convenience that was too convenient for my own good: the iPad. Instead of looking at nature, I checked my e-mail. Instead of paddling a small boat, I followed my Twitter feed（推特简讯）. Instead of reading great novels, I stuck to reading four newspapers each morning. I was behaving as if I were still in the office. My body was on vacation, but my head wasn't.

    So this year I made up my mind to try something different: withdrawal from the Internet. I knew it wouldn't be easy, since I'm bad at self-control. But I was determined. I started by giving the iPad to my wife.

    The cellphone signal at our house was worse than in the past, making my at tempts at cheating an experience in frustration （沮丧）. I was trapped, forced to go through with my plan. Largely breaking away from e-mail, Twitter and my favorite newspaper websites, I had few ways to connect to the world except for the radio—and how much radio can one listen to, really? I had to do what Ihad planned to do all along: read books.

    This experience has had a happy ending. With determination and the strong support of my wife, I won in my vacation struggle against the Internet, realizing finally that it was I, not the iPad, that was the problem. I knew I had won when we passed a Star bucks and my wife asked if I wanted to stop to use the Wi-Fi.“I don't need it,” I said．

    However, as we return to post-vacation life, a harder test begins: Can I continue when I'mback at work?

    There are times when the need to know what's being said right now is great. I have no intention of giving up my convenience completely. But I hope to resist the temptation to check my e-mail every five minutes, which leads to checking my Twitter feed and a website or two.

    I think a vacation is supposed to help you rest your brain to become more productive. Here I hope this one worked.

    Obama, Lady Gaga and Steve Jobs—what do they have in common? They are, of course, all Americans. And according to a survey by social networking site baidu. com, they all best illustrate(举例说明) the word “cool”.

    But just what does it mean to say someone is “cool”? Most would answer that it is something to do with being independent-minded and not following the crowd.

    Yale University art professor Robert Farris Thompson says that the term “cool” goes back to 15th century West African philosophy. “Cool” relates to ideas of grace under pressure.

    “In Africa, ” he writes, “coolness is a positive quality which combines calmness, silence, and life.”

    The modern idea of “cool” developed largely in the US in the period after World War II. “Post-war ‘cool' was in part an expression of war-weariness (厌战情绪), ... it went against the strict social rules of the time,” write sociologists Dick Pountain and David Robins in Cool Rules: Anatomy of an Attitude.

    But it was the American actor James Dean who became the symbol for “cool” in the hugely successful 1955 movie Rebel without a Cause. Dean plays a tough guy who disobeys his parents and the authorities. He always gets the girl, smokes cigarettes, wears a leather jacket and beats up bullies. In the movie, Dean showed what “cool” would mean to American young people for the next 60 years.

    Today the focus of “cool” has changed to athletics (体育运动) stars. Often in movies about schools, students gain popularity on the athletics field more than in the classroom. This can be seen quite clearly in movies like Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die.

    But many teenagers also think being smart is cool. Chess and other thinking games have been becoming more popular in schools.

    “Call it the Harry Potterization of America—a time when being smart is the new cool,” writes journalist Joe Sunnen.

    University Room Regulations

    Approved and Prohibited Items

    The following items are approved for use in residential (住宿的) rooms: electric blankets, hair dryers, personal computers, radios, televisions and DVD players. Items that are not allowed in student rooms include: candles, ceiling fans, fireworks, waterbeds, sun lamps and wireless routers. Please note that any prohibited items will be taken away by the Office of Residence Life.

    Access to Residential Rooms

    Students are provided with a combination (组合密码) for their room door locks upon check-in. Do not share your room door lock combination with anyone. The Office of Residence Life may change the door lock combination at any time at the expense of the resident if it is found that the student has shared the combination with others. The fee is $25 to change a room combination.

    Cooking Policy

    Students living in buildings that have kitchens are only permitted to cook in the kitchen. Students must clean up after cooking. This is not the responsibility of housekeeping staff. Kitchens that are not kept clean may be closed for use. With the exception of using a small microwave oven (微波炉) to heat food, students are not permitted to cook in their rooms.

    Pet Policy

    No pets except fish are permitted in student rooms. Students who are found with pets, whether visiting or owned by the student, are subject to an initial fine of $100 and a continuing fine of $50 a day per pet. Students receive written notice when the fine goes into effect. If, one week from the date of written notice, the pet is not removed, the student is referred to the Student Court.

    Quiet Hours

    Residential buildings must maintain an atmosphere that supports the academic mission of the University. Minimum quiet hours in all campus residences are 11:00 pm to 8:00 am Sunday through Thursday. Quiet hours on Friday and Saturday nights are 1:00 am to 8:00 am. Students who violate quiet hours are subject to a fine of $25.

    Ali, the boxing legend, died on Friday night at 74，after a Long battle with Parkinson's disease.

    Cassius Clay (Ali) was just 12 years old in 1954 when he got ready to beat the boy who stole his bicycle in his hometown of Louisville, Ky. But a local policeman warned him that he'd need to learn to box first. At just 89 pounds, Clay had his first fight and his first win just weeks later, according to Bleacher Report. By 1964, he was the heavyweight champion of the world, alter upsetting Sonny Liston.

    In 1969, he was forbidden to do boxing over his refusal to join the army and go to Vietnam. Ali was reportedly drowning in debt and still appealing his conviction(上诉).He made pocket change by touring colleges to discuss the war, and, as Playbill points out, he starred in the Broadway musical, Buck White.

Ali sang nearly every song in the musical, playing a black lecturer addressing a meeting organized by a black political group. But he would never return to the stage after his conviction was cancelled.

    In November 1990, Ali met with Iraq president Saddam Hussein in Baghdad on a "good-will tour" in an attempt to negotiate the release of 15 Americans held hostage(人质)in and Kuwait.  Ali was criticized by then-President George H. W, Bush and The New York Times, both of whom expressed concerns that he was fueling propaganda (宣传) machine.

    Despite running out of medicine for his disease and waiting more than a week to talk to Hus-rein, Ali was able to bring all 15 of a group of American war prisoners home.

    Heading off to college this year? Here are some fashion tips from our experts you should keep in mind：

    Dress to impress: Stylist and business consultant Daniela Smith says, "Girls should keep in mind that your college professors will often be the bridge that connects you to your future career and your classmates will become your professional network. You don't need to dress like you're going to the office, but you should display an ability to properly present yourself with appropriate maturity and confidence, and look put­together."

    Logo mania (品牌狂热症): Wearing the logos of brands aimed at younger customers physically identifies you as part of that age group  so consider the targeted age group of the stores you shop at. It's tempting to load up on logos, especially well­known logos that signify high­end brands. But consider this: college is a time of self­discovery, a chance to develop your own personal style. Instead of wearing logos head to toe, "walking advertisement" style, why not express who you really are?

    Wear real pants: The combination of leggings and baggy shirts is all too common on college campuses. Smith points out that leggings, yoga pants, and sweatpants are entirely unacceptable in public unless you're exercising. Although leggings worn as pants are a common trend among high school and college girls, they are not an appropriate choice for daywear. As a young woman, your style choice should begin to reflect your maturity level. So, get rid of leggings and wear real pants!

    Keep the cute factor to a minimum: Stay away from sweaters and T-shirts with smiling animals, cartoon characters, or Hello Kitty on them. Sure, kittens might be cute, but they're not doing you any favors in the style department. Dressing too cutesy (矫揉造作的) can take years off your look, and not necessarily in a good way!

Earth Day Photo Contest

    A picture is worth a thousand words! Enter the TFK photo contest and show us: Why is Earth Day important to our planet?

    To enter the contest online, visit timeforkids.com and get details below.

    TIME

    ●The contest begins on January 9, 2017.

    ●The contest ends on April 20, 2017.

    INSTRUCTIONS

    ●An original and previously unpublished photograph that answers the Earth Day question "Why is Earth Day important to our planet?" and that was photographed by the entrant (参赛者) between June 1, 2016, and April 20, 2017.

    ●A brief description describing the picture: what is happening, where the photo was taken, the date the photo was taken and why the entrant chose to enter this image.

    ●Entrant's first name only; entrant's e-mail address; and parent's, teacher's or guardian's e-mail address. Limit one work per person. Sponsors are not responsible for lost, late, or incomplete entries, or entries not received for any reason. Works belong to sponsors, and none will be acknowledged (承认) or returned.

    ●By entering, the entrant ensures that the work is first made and has not been published in any medium or won an award.

    ELIGIBILITY

    Open to the elementary school students at age 8-13 at the time of entry in the USA.

    WINNERS' LIST AND PRIZES

    Judges will select 10 semifinalists (半决赛选手) from whom one grand prize winner and nine finalists will be chosen. The grand prize winner will receive a digital camera—approximate retail (零售) value: $300. The photograph entry of the grand prize winner will be published in the April 22 Earth Day issue of TIME For Kids. The photograph entries of all semifinalists will be published in the gallery of timeforkids.com. Winners will be informed by e-mail, and must respond within five days.