Christmas was near a season that we took seriously in our house. But a week or so before the 25th, my father would give each of his children $ 20. This was the 1970s, and $ 20 was quite a bit of money.

    But I saw it differently. My father trusted me to have the smart to spend money wisely. Even better, he gave me the means to get it. On a very basic level, my father was giving me a shopping spree (狂欢) every year.. But he was also giving me charge over my own fun, trusting my ability to manage money and making me feel like a grown-up. He didn't buy me Sherlock Holmes, but he gave me the means to walk into the bookstore and choose it for myself, so it felt like a gift from him.

    My mother had a gift for giving me what I needed, usually right at the moment I needed it most. This was when I was 25, I failed at being an adult on my very first try. I had quitted my previous job but had no new one. But when my mother paid me a visit, I put on a good show, telling her I had started my own company.

    My mother knew that I was trying hard and failing at that time. It wasn't until after she left that I noticed at the foot of my bed an envelope thick with cash. She knew how desperately I needed it. She knew that had she just shown up with groceries, or offered to pay my rent, she would have made me feel much worse. The cold, hard cash meant she was helping me. And, funnily enough, the distance with which she gave the gift felt like she was giving me space to fix my life and preserve my dignity. My mother and father both did the same thing. One was giving me the means to take my own decisions, and the other was giving me a second chance when those decisions had cost me dearly.

    “Now I just don't believe that.” Surely all of us, at some point, have watched a movie and thought: It's simply badly researched, or, the makers must think we're fools.

    If movies were completely scientifically accurate, they'd probably be as interesting as a Physics 101 lecture. In real life, there are no explosions in space, gas usually doesn't explode from a lit cigarette, and Bruce Willis/Jackie Chan/Will Smith would most likely be in a coma(昏迷) after getting kicked in the head.

    Recently, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph ran a humorous piece on unconvincing tech moments from some top movies. Let's see what they are all about.

    Telegraph writer Tom Chivers' first example from the end-of-the-world movie Independence Day, in which a character comes up with a virus capable of destroying Windows, the computer system the alien(外星人) spacecraft uses. “It's a good thing they didn't have Norton antivirus,” jokes Chivers.

    It's just one case of a movie that takes a lot of license with its science. Another one Chivers mentions is from Star Wars, where glowing beams of light raveling through space look very impressive. The problem is that in space there are no air particles(颗粒) for the light to reflect off. In reality, they'd not be seen, which wouldn't look so cool on the big screen.

    Chivers' second piece of Star Wars nonsense is the sound the fighters make in the movies: “the bellow(咆哮) of an elephant mixed with a car driving on a wet road”. But sound needs a medium to travel through, like air. In space, there wouldn't actually be any sound at all.

    Few people would deny that the mind-bending Matrix films make for great viewing, but for Chivers, the science in the movies is a little silly.

    And finally, as Chivers points out, DNA is not replaceable. But this bit of elementary genetics passed the makers of the 2002 Bond film Die another Day by. In the film the villain(坏人) has “gene therapy” to change his appearance and his DNA, which is completely impossible.

    Even before my father left us, my mother had to go back to work to support our family. Once I came out of the kitchen, complaining, “Mum, I can't peel(削皮) potatoes. I have only one hand.”

    Mum never looked up from sewing. “You get yourself into that kitchen and peel those potatoes,” she told me. “And don't ever use that as an excuse for anything again!”

    In the second grade, our teacher lined up my class on the playground and had each of us race across the monkey bars, swinging from one high steel rod(杆) to the next. When it was my turn, I shook my head. Some kids behind me laughed, and I went home crying.

    That night I told Mum about it. She hugged me, and I saw her “we'll see about that” look. The next afternoon, she took me back to school. At the deserted playground, mum looked carefully at the bars.

    “Now, pull up with your right arm,” she advised. She stood by as I struggled to lift myself with my right hand until I could hook the bar with my other elbow. Day after day we practiced, and she praised me for every rung(横杠) I reached.

    I'll never forget the next time, crossing the rungs; I looked down at the kids who were standing with their mouths open.

    One night, after a dance at my new junior high, I lay in bed sobbing. I could hear Mum came into my room. “Mum,” I said, weeping, “none of the boys would dance with me.”

    For a long time, I didn't hear anything. Then she said, “Oh, honey, someday you'll be beating those boys off with a bat.” Her voice was faint and cracking. I peeked(偷看) out from my covers to see tears running down her cheeks. Then I knew how much she suffered on my behalf. She had never let me see her tears.

    Growing ups I always envied my friends who lived in one town in their whole lives. Coming from a military family makes this impossible. My brothers and I soon found that if we didn't like a place we lived in, we'd soon be moving to a new place. Through all the ups and downs, I now realize that' everything I've done, seen, and learned has made me into the person I am today.

    The field day was the best day ever created. Being good at sports which I had done together with parents seemed to help me find my position at a new school. Despite the hot weather in San Antonio, Texas, I had to take outdoor activities. Sometimes we •took the family mountain biking after school. My brothers and I were arranged to join in the swim team and practice yoga. These are the things I remember about my childhood. Now I thank my parents for teaching me these vital principles, which I will have with me the rest of my life.

I was always the shy girl and afraid to be myself. This didn't bother me until I reached junior high school, when some girls judged me by what I wore, who I talked to and how skinny I was. I felt like I'd never done anything wrong to deserve such criticism. It was not until last year that I realized that I had to stay different from them and live my life according to my principles. I decided to be my own person. I never thought that being nice could cause me to be disliked. Anyway, I began hanging out with girls who had a lot in common with me like preferring outdoor sports. They were accepting and non-judgmental. I am now content in u knowing that I am my own person and don't let others control my life.

    When international aid is given, steps must be taken to ensure（确保）that the aid reaches the people for whom it is intended. The way to achieve this may not be simple. It is very difficult for a nation to give help directly to people in another nation. The United Nations Organization （UNO） could undertake to direct the distribution of aid. Here however rises the problem of costs. Also tied with this is time. Perhaps the UNO could set up a body of devoted men and women in every country who can speedily distribute aid to victims of floods and earthquakes.

    More than the help that one nation can give to another during a disaster, it would be more effective to give other forms of help during normal times. A common proverb says, "Give me a fish and I eat for a day, teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime." If we follow this wise saying, it would be right to teach people from less developed nations to take care of themselves. For example, a country could share its technology with another. This could be in simple areas like agriculture or in more complex areas like medical and health care or even in building satellites. Even a small country is able to help less developed nations. Sometimes what is taken for granted, like the setting up of a water purification plant or the administration of a school, could be useful for countries which are looking about to solve common problems. It does not cost much to share such simple things. Exchange students could be attached for a number of months or years and learn the required craft while on the site. They can then take their knowledge back to their homelands and if necessary come back from time to time to clear doubts or to update themselves. Such aid will be truly helpful and there is no chance of it being temporary or of it falling into the wrong hands.

    Many countries run extensive courses in all sorts of skills. It will not cost much to include deserving foreigners in these courses. Besides giving effective help to the countries concerned, there is also the build­up of friendships to consider. Giving direct help by giving materials may be effective in the short run and must continue to be given in the event of emergencies. However, in the long run what is really effective would be the sharing of knowledge.

    Yellowstone National Park is the flagship of the National Park Service and a favorite to millions of visitors each year. The park is a major destination for all members of the family. By driving the grand loop road, visitors can view the park from the comfort of their vehicle and also take a rest at one of the many roadside picnic areas.

    How much is the entrance fee?

    $25 - Private, noncommercial vehicle;

    $20 - Motorcycle or snowmobile (winter);

    $12 - Visitors 16 and older entering by foot, bike, ski, etc.

    This fee provides the visitor with a 7-day entrance permit for both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

    A $50 park annual pass provides entrance for a single private non-commercial vehicle at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The $10 Interagency Senior Pass (62 and older) is a lifetime pass available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

    Where can you stay?

    Inside Yellowstone, you can choose to stay in modern or historic hotels and cabins inside the park like the Old Faithful Inn, the world's largest log structure. For those who want to be a little closer to nature, there are 12 campgrounds with a range of services from primitive pit toilets to shower and laundry facilities. There's also RV camping with and without dumping stations.

    Staying outside the park gives you unique Old West experiences but still keeps you close to park attractions.

    If you're taking a road trip to Yellowstone, you'll want to check out our Hotels and Cabins On The Road section.