I left university with a good degree in English Literature, but no sense of what I wanted to do. Over the next six years, I was treading water, just trying to earn an income. I tried journalism, but I didn't think I was any good, then finance, which I hated. Finally, I got a job as a rights assistant at a famous publisher. I loved working with books, although the job that I did was dull.

    I had enough savings to take a year off work, and I decided to try to satisfy a deep-down wish to write a novel. Attending a Novel Writing MA course gave me the structure I needed to write my first 55,000 words.

    It takes confidence to make a new start — there's a dark period in-between where you're neither one thing nor the other. You're out for dinner and people ask what you do, and you're too ashamed to say, “Well, I'm writing a novel, but I'm not quite sure if I'm going to get there.” My confidence dived. Believing my novel could not be published ,

    I put it aside.

    Then I met an agent（代理商）who said I should send my novel out to agents. So, I did and, to my surprise, got some wonderful feedback. I felt a little hope that I might actually become a published writer and, after signing with an agent, I finished the second half of the novel.

    The next problem was finding a publisher. After two-and-a-half years of no income, just waiting and wondering, a publisher offered me a book deal — that publisher turned out to be the one I once worked for.

    It feels like an unbelievable stroke of luck — of fate, really. When you set out to do something different, there's no end in sight, so to find myself in a position where I now have my own name on a contract of the publisher — to be a published writer — is unbelievably rewarding.

    When I was only 3 years old, my mother taught me to memorize and recite poems. She was my first teacher of the arts, and my father was the first to appreciate my performance. Even at that young age, I had a simple understanding of how art and culture affect us as human beings and how we can connect to each other through the arts, which shapes my life to this day.

    When I was growing up, my parents supported my interest in taking acting classes and doing community theater. Their faith in me and the professional（专业的）training I was getting from my theater teachers gave me a sense of purpose and a sense of self-confidence. I learned what artistic achievement actually was and what hard work the business was. While many people see the rosy picture to our business, I was really learning what it would require for me to become a professional.

    I became an actress, but arts education isn't just about preparing our young people for a job in the arts. I recently talked to some of the kids attending theater education. Some of them want to work in theater, and some don't. They are learning not only theater skills, but also about the world around them. They learn about discipline（纪律）and hard work and what's required and what they have to do to bring themselves to the work. They learn how they can be of service in the world through the arts. They learn how to work with a team. By studying the arts, these students are open to worlds and lives that they might not have any other way of knowing about or any other way to connect with in their lives the way they are right now.

    These young people are our future. We are passing the torch to them. And I think that's one of the most important reasons why we need to foster（培养）the arts.

    For 26 years, the Chicago International Children's Film Festival (CICFF) has featured (放映，上演) thoughtful, memorable, meaningful and culturally diverse children's movies. This film festival in 2009 ran from October 22 to November 1 and featured more than 200 films. It is the largest annual film festival in North America and the only Academy­qualifying children's film festival in the world. Winners in the short film category go on to compete in the Oscars！The films came from more than 40 countries. More than 25,000 people attended.

    TFK Kid Reporter Meghan Pfau was there. “We don't just show kids movies. We ask kids to think about what they are watching,” CICFF Director Nicole Drieske told TFK. “Five minutes before the lights go down we have a talk with everybody. We talk about what's going on in our minds when we are watching a movie,” she explains. “Movies teach us so much. If we're not paying attention to what we are watching, we aren't learning as much as we could.” Viewers vote to give their opinions at the end of each movie. The CICFF staff wants kids to feel like they are an important part of the festival.

    Kids can also attend interactive (互动的) workshops led by filmmakers, media professionals and celebrities. And young talent takes part in the CICFF. Eleven­year­old Shiropa Purna wrote and directed Our Boat is Our Address ， which is featured in the festival. “My dad is a director and he taught me many things，”Shiropa says.

    A “children's jury” meets in August to watch more than 100 movies that will appear in the festival. They rate the films based on plot, character, setting, acting and sound. The jury awards more than a dozen prizes. The awards are announced at the festival's Closing Night Award Ceremony.

    The effects of coffee consumption on health have long been a subject of conflict and uncertainty. Since the 1980s, some have spoken out against coffee as harmful to health, while others have welcomed coffee for its supposed benefits to health.

    According to a scientific report, mild coffee consumption, three to five cups per day, can be taken as a healthy dietary pattern, along with other healthful behaviors. The report also says that coffee consumption helps reduce the risk of heart disease and it protects against Parkinson's disease.

    According to Dr. Donald Hensrud of Mayo Clinic, high consumption of coffee has health risks. Dr. Hensrud mentions the dangers of high coffee consumption for people with a certain illness that slows the breakdown of caffeine in the body. Some studies said that drinking two or more cups of coffee daily can actually increase the risk of heart disease in these people.

    According to conclusions from a recent study led by Dr. Gregory Marcus, a doctor from the University of California San Francisco, daily moderate consumption of caffeine, less than 4 cups, is not associated with these issues.

    Until the scientific community reaches a general agreement on the effects of coffee consumption on human health, it will be up to the individual to decide whether the benefits of drinking coffee are greater than the risks.

    When informed of these possible health benefits and harms of drinking coffee, Harwood, a high school student stated, "Even though there might be some negative effects of drinking coffee, for the most part, coffee drinking sounds good for health. Not to mention I need coffee to stay awake."

    It can be tough to pull kids away from their computers and mobile devices these days. While they're playing games, wouldn't it be great if they could be learning at the same time? Good educational apps offer fun challenges that teach specific grade - level skills. Here are four that combine fun and learning.

    Understanding Math ( $ 3.99 ； iOS)

    Understanding Math goes beyond basic comprehension to gain a deeper understanding of the whys and how's of math. The app tracks your child's progress to determine strengths and weaknesses in different skill areas, and you can customize (订制) your child's learning experience to suit the needs.

    Word Creativity Kit ( $2.99； iOS)

    Word Creativity Kit aims not only to make creative writing fun but also build up grammar rules. The app presents a series of words from seven categories, such as space or fantasy. Kids add their own words to finish the complete thoughts that these words have inspired.

    Barefoot World Atlas ( $4.99； iOS)

    Barefoot World Atlas helps kids learn about geography and world cultures with a touch of the screen. Each region features a set of sub – topics, from wildlife and natural features to native people, landmarks, and architecture. These facts and illustrations are delivered in photographs, sounds, and hundreds of mini videos.

    My Grades & Homework ( $0.99； iOS)

    A combination of grades and homework tracker, My Grades & Homework can help your child stay organized and on top of the progress in school. A convenient calendar and course list format and offer a glance at your child's assignment schedule that he or she might not normally get from standard homework planners.

PRACTITIONERS

Jacqueline Felice de Almania(c.1322) highlights the suspicion that women practicing medicine faced.Born to a Jewish family in Florence,she moved to Paris where she worked as a physician and performed surgery.In 1322 she was tried for practicing unlawfully.In spite of the court hearing testimonials(证明)of her ability as a doctor,she was banned from medicine.

Tan Yunxian(1461-1554) was a Chinese physician who learned her skills from her grandparents.Chinese women at the time could not serve apprenticeships(学徒期) with doctors.However,Tan passed the official exam.Tan treated women from all walks of life.In 1511,Tan wrote a book,Sayings of a Female Doctor,describing her life as a physician.

James Barry(c.1789-1865) was born Margaret Bulkley in Ireland but,dressed as a man,she was accepted by Edinburgh University to study medicine.She qualified as a surgeon in 1813,and then joined the British Army,serving overseas.Barry retired in 1859,having practiced her entire medical profession living and working as a man.

Rebecca Lee Crumpler(1831-1895) worked as a nurse for eight years before studying in medical college in Boston in 1860.Four years later,she was the first African American woman to receive a medical degree.She moved to Virginia in 1865,where she provided medical care to freed slaves.