Augusto Esquivel is a sculptor who, in his own words, is “crazy with comparisons of reality and potential and the balance between them.” Perhaps the best example of what he's talking about are his most famous creations: the suspended(悬挂的) button sculptures.

Made entirely from buttons hanging on various lengths of string, Esquivel's sculptures are made to look like common objects: a piano, a gumball machine, and even a toilet. If it wasn't for the clear string hanging above, these objects, these sculptures, would look solid, yet you can put your hands right through them. The process starts with him deciding on a subject and setting the acrylic （丙烯酸树脂）from where the buttons are being suspended. He buys buttons of different shapes and sizes, paints them with spray paint, and carefully hangs them. After that, it's a manner of hanging each individual button, which takes a lot of time. For his piano, for example, he individually hung over 60 pounds worth of tiny buttons.

Esquivel's sculptures, while mostly housed inside art galleries, perfectly capture one of the main principles of street art: something that is eye-catching and something that invites interaction. Often the best sculptures outside the art galleries aren't the ones behind guards and fencing, but the ones people can go right up to and touch. In Vancouver, a series of laughing old men are attracting people for pictures and to just generally hang around, but the people who simply walk by and see the sculptures almost always leave with a smile on their face. That's good street art: it draws the viewer in rather than relying on a gallery to draw in an audience and point them to certain pieces.

Esquivel's art is not only a presentation of talent, something that mentions larger philosophical questions, like the ones he stated above, but also just the right combination of interesting idea and painstaking work. One can look at his work in a critical way, or simply appreciate his idea and execution(艺术品的制作).

    Which comes first, happiness or money? Are richer people happier? And if so, how do people get much richer? A recent study could tell you the answer.

    The study looked into thousands of teenagers and found that those who felt better about life as young adults tended to have higher incomes by the time they turned 29.Those who were happiest earned an average of $8,000 more than those who were the most depressed.

    The researchers, from University College London and the University of Warwick, say that very gloomy teens, no matter how tall or smart they were, earned 10% less than their peers, while the happier ones earned up to 30% more.

    Happier teenagers have an easier time getting through school, college and a job interview, chiefly because they always feel better about life. It may also be true that happier people find it easier to make friends, who are often the key to homework help or networking.

    A report in June suggested that professional respect was more important than dollars in terms of workplace happiness. In August scientists announced that they had found the gene for happiness in women, Alas (the same gene doesn't appear to have the same effect on men).And in October researchers in the UK and in the US announced that people who eat seven portions of fruit and vegetables a day report being the happiest.

    The big question is: if it really is true that happier kids end up being wealthier kids , is it necessary for parents to get their kids to do the homework? The fact is that no homework will make kids happy but surely hurt their grades. Studies do show, after all, that more education leads to better-paid jobs, which may give us a deep thought.

    "These findings show that the teenagers' happiness is important to their future success," one of the report's authors writes. "But what is the most important is that we should find a way to help children gain more satisfaction from doing schoolwork."

    When the dog named Judy spotted the first sheep in her life, she did what comes naturally. The four-year-old dog set off racing after the sheep across several fields and, being a city animal, lost both her sheep and her sense of direction. Then she ran along the edge of cliff( 悬崖) and fell 100 feet, bouncing off a rock into the sea.

    Her owner Mike Holden panicked and celled the coastguard of Cornwall, who turned up in seconds. Six volunteers slid down the cliff with the help of a rope but gave up all hope of finding her alive after a 90-minute search.

    Three days later, a hurricane hit the coast near Cornwall. Mr. Holden returned home from his holiday upset and convinced his pet was dead. He comforted himself with the thought she had died in the most beautiful part of the country.

    For the next two weeks, the Holdens were heartbroken. Then, one day, the phone rang and Steve Tregear, the coastguard of Cornwall, asked Holder if he would like his dog bark.

    A birdwatcher, armed with a telescope, found the pet sitting desperately on a rock. While he sounded the alarm, a student from Leeds climbed down the cliff to collect Judy.

    The dog had initially been knocked unconscious(失去知觉的)but had survived by drinking water from a fresh scream at the base of the cliff. She may have fed on the body of a sheep which had also fallen over the edge. “The dog was very thin and hungry,” Steve Tregear said, “It was a very dog. She survived because of a plentiful supply of fresh water,” he added.

    It was, as Mr. Holden admitted, “a minor miracle(奇迹)”.

    Can you imagine walking into a gym and seeing dogs lifting weights or cats jogging? We're being a bit silly thinking of dogs and cats going to the gym, but we do have a reason. Just like human beings, pets that don't get enough exercise can become overweight.   
   Overweight pets can develop serious health problems just like we can. So, if you have a pet, part of being a good owner is making sure that your pet gets the right amount and kind of exercise.

    Before you start your pet on an exercise program, be sure to schedule a check-up for your pet and ask your veterinarian how much and what type of exercise your pet needs.

    Just like humans, pets need to be started out slowly. Over time, they will get fit and be able to exercise for longer periods of time. If you exercise alongside your pet, you'll benefit, too!

    Starting out, you might want to play with your pet for 15－20 minutes at a time. Gradually, you can turn those plays into several 30－minute walks or jogs each week. If your pet is especially active, you can extend them to an hour or longer.

    Of course, some pets, such as cats, may not be easy to take for a walk or a run. These pets still need exercise, though. Don't underestimate the value of energetic indoor play, such as games of chase, for these types of pets.

    As you start exercising with your pet, here are some things to keep in mind:

    Make sure your pet has plenty of water before, during, and after exercising.

    If you have older pets, don't push them as hard.

    Watch the heat! If you are outside, exercising with your pet will be best early in the morning or later in the day.

    Many animal and plant species have become extinct and many more are in critical danger. Finding ways to protect the earth's wildlife and conserve the natural world they inhabit (居住) is now more important than ever.

    Dodo

    The Dodo is a classic example of how human caused damage to the earth's biology. The flightless Dodo was native to the Island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It lived off fruit fallen from the island's trees and lived unthreatened until humans arrived in 1505. The easily controlled bird became a source of food for sailors and was attacked by animals introduced to the island by humans such as pigs, monkeys and rats. The population of Dodos rapidly decreased and the last one was killed in 1681.

    Rhinos

    The Rhino (犀牛) horn is a highly prized item for Asian medicine. This has led to the animal being hunted in its natural habitat. Once widespread in Africa and Eurasia, most Rhinos now live in protected natural parks and reserves (保护区). Their numbers have rapidly decreased in the last 50 years, and the animals remain under constant threat from poachers (偷猎者).

    The Giant Panda

    The future of the World Wildlife Fund's symbol is far from certain. As few as 1, 000 remain in the wild. The Chinese government has set up 33 panda reserves to protect these beautiful animals and made poaching them punishable with 20 years in prison. However, the panda's distinct black and white patched coat fetches a high price on the black market and determined poachers still pose (造成) one of the most serious threats to the animals continued existence.

    Whales

    The International Whaling Commission is fighting to ensure the survival of the whale species. Despite the fact that one-third the world's oceans have been declared whale sanctuaries (保护区), 7 out of 13 whale species remain endangered. Hunted for their rich supply of oil, their numbers have decreased to just 300. Collisions with ships, poisonous pollution and being caught in fishing nets are other major causes of whale deaths.

    Tigers

    The last 100 years has seen a 95% reduction in the numbers of remaining tigers to between 5, 000 and 7, 000 and the Bali, Javan, and Caspian tigers are already extinct. The South China tiger is precariously close to disappearing, with only 20 to 30 still alive. Like the Rhino horn, tigers' bones and organs are sought after for traditional Chinese medicines. These items are traded illegally along with tiger skins.

    It is rightly said one can share any secret with a true friend. He may know your deepest fears and weaknesses and yet will never take advantage of you. However, keeping a friend's secrets to yourself and not telling the world is what makes the bond grow strong and last forever. You need to develop trust and mutual (互相的) understanding before you start sharing secrets with each other. With friends, secret talks never seem to end and it can get really amusing to know what has been going on in your friend's mind.

    There is a certain time in life especially from the teenage years when one starts having a personal periphery (界限) in life and parents are excluded (排斥) from it. It is because there are certain things that they can't understand and we can't discuss with them. That is when friends become the best secret sharers. They are the ones to whom one reveals one's feelings and best kept secrets.

    It is a general belief that only girls share secrets. But boys have their own secrets that they discuss with only closest friends. The secret talks can range (变化) from relationships, talks about fights with parents, secret activities and anything that is not supposed to be known to others! If you think secrets are limited to only teenagers, get your facts right! Secrets can be shared at any age and there is no hard and fast rule that secrets are shared only among youngsters.

    Sharing secrets with a friend is not just fun, but it also helps to develop a lasting trust in one another. Sometimes, sharing secrets will tell you more about the person. You will come to know whether your friend is reliable and trustworthy and whether it is worth sharing your secrets with them. You can call it a test of friendship.