Having experienced a shocking electrical accident, which caused him to become both blind and deaf, James Franco's world became completely dark and quiet for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family, especially his wife, did their best to tend and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live.

    One hot summer afternoon, he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet, but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up 20 minutes later, lying face down in muddy water. He was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw: a tree and a muddy road. When Mrs. Franco came running up to him, shouting to their neighbors to call for help, he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.

    The news of James regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However, none of them could give a compellent answer as to why this should happen. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since James lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock, perhaps, the only way for him to regain them was by another sudden shock.

    Have you ever lost your car on a parking lot? You don't have a clue where your car is after shopping. Then you start walking around clicking on your car keys so the alarm goes off. It can be annoying, especially on a hot sunny day.

    No, you needn't install (安装) an expensive GPS system to keep track of your car. That's too expensive. You would need to pay a monthly fee to use it.

    But is there a way to track your vehicle without spending a fortune? Yes, now there is! A California-based company has created a tiny device that works with your smartphone, which could be exactly what you're looking for!

    What is it?

    It's called TrackR. It is a state-of-the-art tracking device the size of a coin. It's changing the way we keep track of the important things in our lives.

    How does it work?

    It's easy! Install the free TrackR app on your smartphone, connect the app to your device and you're ready to go! Simply attach TrackR to whatever you want to keep an eye on. The entire process of setting it up only takes 5 minutes or less.

    You can attach it to your keys, briefcase, wallet, your latest tech gadgets and anything else you don't want to lose. Then use the TrackR app to locate your missing item in seconds.

    If you forget where you have parked your car, pull out your smartphone and open the TrackR app. Tap on the “find device” button on the screen and the app will tell you the exact spot of the last known location of the TrackR.

    What else can I do with TrackR?

    The device is small and unnoticeable enough that you can attach it to your pet. Put it on their collar, and the issue of searching for them when they run away to nearby places will be over! You'll never waste a minute searching the whole house for it.

    TrackR even comes with a double-sided glue (胶水) so you can stick it to your laptop or under your bike seat. Track down and punish the thieves who steal your expensive things!

    How much does it cost?

    You're probably thinking that this device is very expensive. False! TrackR only costs $29! That's a small price to pay for peace of mind, isn't it?

    Where can I buy one?

    You can buy it directly from the company's website by clicking here https: //buy. thetrackr. co/gu/special- offers/15/.

    Throughout the year, a number of Youth Exchanges activities are held by an organization— The International Voluntary Service. These activities give small groups of 45 young people the opportunity to take part in volunteering trips abroad for an average of two weeks. These young people are joined by 45 young people from 34 other nationalities and will be a wonderful intercultural experience in a safe environment.

    Example Youth Exchanges：

    Youth Exchange 1

    Location：Ireland

    Other nationalities: Spain, Italy, Hungary

Theme: Focuses on the topic of community reconstruction and community activities—exploring how local issues facing our communities are connected to global issues. The group will also learn about the ecovillage as an example of a community and take part in teambuilding activities.

    Youth Exchange 2

    Location：France

    Other nationalities: Bulgaria, Italy

    Theme： Organic gardening & continual living. This project will take place in a natural park, where the group will take part in gardening activities and games about continuous development.

    Youth Exchange 3

    Location：Macedonia

    Other nationalities: Serbia, Turkey, Ireland

    Theme：Foster(培养) social inclusion（融入）and motivate personal development of young people through sports and outdoor activities. Promote outdoor activities as a tool to help inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities.

    Youth Exchange 4

    Location：Italy

    Other nationalities： Bulgaria, Greece

    Theme：A social-environmental project that intends to promote social inclusion and continuous development, regarded as a process of civil rights and active citizenship. Over 10 days, the group will take part in activities to raise awareness(意识) about the effect of our behavior on the environment.

    Sweetest Day is always the third Saturday in October. This holiday is much more important in some regions than in others (Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo being the biggest Sweetest Day cities). It is a holiday that is gaining in popularity every year throughout the country.

    Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, aged, and orphaned, but also friends, relatives and associates whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.

    Over 60 years ago, a Cleveland man, believing that the city's orphans and shut-ins (卧病在床的人) too often felt forgotten and neglected, formed the idea of showing them that they were remembered. He did this through the distribution(分发) of small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbors, he distributed these small remembrances on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed, other Clevelanders began to participate in the celebration ceremony, which came to be called "Sweetest Day". In time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the underprivileged(弱势群体)was broadened to include everyone, and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small remembrance. And soon the idea spread to other cities all over the country.

    Sweetest Day is not based on any single group's religious belief or on a family relationship. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning. Because for many people remembering takes the form of gift-giving, Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care, in a practical way.

    A disastrous fire surrounded Notre Dame(巴黎圣母院)destroyed large parts of the Gothic architecture on Monday.

    "Notre Dame is our history, our literature, part of our spirit, the place of all our great events, our wars, our liberations, the center of our lives" French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters in front of the still burning Paris landmark and promised to rebuild Notre Dame.

    "Notre Dame is burning, and I know the sadness felt by so many fellow French people. But tonight, I'd like to speak of hope too, "he said, announcing the launch of a fundraising campaign.

    "Let's be proud, because we built this cathedral(大教堂)more than 800 years ago, we've built it and, throughout the centuries, let it grow and improve it. So I gravely(严肃地)say tonight: we will rebuild it together." he added.

    The disastrous fire engulfed(吞没)the upper reaches of Paris'towering Notre Dame Cathedral as it was undergoing renovations(翻新).

    Tourists and Parisians looked on horrified from the streets below. France's Interior Ministry said firefighters might not be able to save the structure.

    The fire collapsed the cathedrals' spire(尖顶)and spread to one of its landmark towers "Everything is burning; nothing will remain from the frame," Notre Dame spokesman Andre Finot told French media. The 12th-century cathedral is home to incalculable(不可计算的)works of art and is one of the world's most famous tourist attractions, due to Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

    The cause of the fire was not known, but French media quoted the Paris fire brigade(消防队)as saying the fire is "potentially linked" to a 6 million- euro($6.88 million)renovation project on the church's spire and its 250 tons of lead. Officials opened an investigation as Paris police said there were no reported deaths. Some 400 firefighters were battling the fire well into the night.

Target Car Seat Trade-in Event

Frequently Asked Questions:

·What is the car seat trade-in program?

Guests who trade in their old car seats will receive a 20 percent off coupon toward a new car seat.

·What type of car seat qualifies for a trade-in?

Target will accept and recycle all types of car seats, including: baby car seats, car seat bases, as well as car seats that are damaged. Guests will receive a 20 percent off coupon for trading in any one of these items.

·Where do I bring my old car seat to trade in?

Car seats can be traded in at any of the Target stores. Target will have drop-off boxes for guests' unwanted car seats located near Guest Services.

·How do I redeem(兑现) the coupon offer?

Coupons can be applied to both in-store and online purchases and are valid(有效的) until May 31.

·What does Target do with the car seats that are traded in?

Materials from the old car seats will be recycled by Target's partner, Waste Management, to create new products such as plastic plates, plastic buckets and construction materials such as steel beams and carpet padding.

·Is this the first time Target has had car seat trade-in program?

Target introduced its first car seat trade-in program in April 2016. Since the program launched, more than 789, 000 car seats, or 11. 98 million pounds of car seats, have been recycled.