Do you intend to study at an American university? It takes a long time to get accepted at most American schools, perhaps as much as a year. That's why you should start choosing a school as soon as possible. It's a good idea to apply to several different institutions, so that you'll have a better chance of acceptance at one. You should start looking for information now, because the more information you have about each college, the better choice you can make.

    There are two good ways to get information you need. One is a general reference (参考) book, called Guide to American Colleges and Universities. The other good source of information is the catalogue (目录) published by each school.

    You can study the general guide in almost any American library. This book has many useful statistics, such as the number of students, the average test scores for people accepted to the school, the number of books in the library, and the number of teachers. You can also find the address of each school in this book.

    Although the general guidebook has helpful information, some of the facts may be out-of-date. For example, many schools raise their tuition every year. Since you'll need to know what your education will cost, out-of-date information will not be good enough. Also, schools sometimes change their requirements for entrance. To be sure that you are getting present information, write to the university and ask for its catalogue. The catalogue has more detailed information. For example, the catalogue can tell you if there is a special foreign student advisor, what kind of courses are offered, and what kind of housing is available. Some universities have dormitories, but at others you have to find your own place to live.

    With all of this information, you should be able to pick out several good schools.

Teaching Poetry

    No poem should ever be discussed or "analyzed", until it has been read aloud by someone, teacher or student. Better still, perhaps, is the practice of reading it twice, once at the beginning of the discussion and once at the end, so the sound of the poem is the last thing one hears of it.

    All discussions of poetry are, in fact, preparations for reading it aloud, and the reading of the poem is, finally, the most telling "interpretation" of it, suggesting tone, rhythm, and meaning all at once. Hearing a poet read the work in his or her own voice, on records or on film, is obviously a special reward. But even those aids to teaching can not replace the student and teacher reading it or, best of all, reciting it.

    I have come to think, in fact, that time spent reading a poem aloud is much more important than "analyzing" it, if there isn't time for both. I think one of our goals as teachers of English is to have students love poetry. Poetry is "a criticism of life", and "a heightening of life". It is "an approach to the truth of feeling", and it "can save your life". It also deserves a place in the teaching of language and literature more central than it presently occupies.

    I am not saying that every English teacher must teach poetry. Those who don't like it should not be forced to communicate this to anyone else. But those who do teach poetry must keep in mind a few things about its essential nature, about its sound as well as its sense, and they must make room in the classroom for hearing poetry as well as thinking about it.

    Babies' main food is rice cereal. But it is often poisoned. Studies have found that many brands contain measurable amounts of inorganic arsenic(无机砷),the most poisonous kind. It's not just nice: an August 2018 study tested 50 foods made for babies, including organic and nonorganic brands such as Gerber, Earths Best, and other popular labels, and found evidence of at least one dangerous heavy metal in every product. Fifteen of the 50 contained enough contaminants(污染物)to pose potential health risks to a child eating one serving or less a day.

    Heavy metals can damage cognitive(认知的)development in children, who are especially at risk because of their smaller size. Inorganic arsenic in drinking water has been found to lower the IQ scores of children by five to six ills. And as heavy metals accumulate in the body over time, they can raise the risk of cancer, diabetes and other physical conditions. Of course, finding you're your favorite brand is contaminated is not a reason to panic. Low levels of exposure for short periods are unlikely to cause serious effects, but parents should focus on reducing the overall levels of these poisonous substances in their children's total diet to limit harm.

    Heavy metals occur naturally on Earth and are present in soil and water. But pesticides(杀虫剂), mining and pollution increase their concentrations, and farming and food manufacturing processes can contribute even more.

    Food makers are clearly of keeping baby food poison-free: roughly a third of the tested products did not contain worrisome metal levels. Some companies are already trying to look into the sources of contamination in their products and try to reduce them. More companies should follow. But the best chance of real change will come with laws. Currently there are no U. S rules on acceptable levels of heavy metals in baby foods.

    The government and the food industry should unite to deal with the serious threat to our children.

    Bullgatortail 10 minutes ago

    I particularly enjoy the works of Greenwich Village poet Edward Field, whose interest in cinema led to a number of poems based on old monster movies (including many about Frankenstein and my favorite, Curse of the Cat Woman).

    Litteacher 8 29 minutes ago

    There are so many to choose from! I love Robert Frost, especially "Mending Wall", mostly because he is my dad's favorite poet. However, personally I love Lnagston Hughes's poem "Dreams" because it always brings happiness to me. I am also a big fan of the older poems, such as Spenser's "One Day I Wrote Her Name Upon the Strand" because it is so simple, and "The Tyger" and "The Lamb" by William Blake because I love the language.

    Michael Ugulini 51 minutes ago

    My favorite poet is Suji Kwock Kim. Ever since I read her book of poetry "Notes from the Divided Country", I have been a big fan of her clear and thoughtful writing. My favorite poem of hers is "Borderlands", which she wrote in memory of her grandmother. It is a poem about her grandmother's experiences during the war.

    Loraaa 1 hour ago

    Hard to decide! But if I have to, I'd say Emily Dickinson. Her life was so wonderful and her opinions about life are also interesting. Her understanding of nature speaks to the heart of anyone who loves the outdoors! Dickinson also understood human nature very well. Her poems speak of love, loneliness, ect. Finally, my favorite poem by her is "I Never Saw a Moor". I love her thoughts!

For many students who desire to move around but not far freely, one of the most common vehicles is the bicycle. For such a seemingly simple invention, its story is not that simple.

Most historians trace its origin back to 1817, when a German nobleman named Karl von Drais invented a wooden, two-wheeled machine that riders moved forward with their feet. His invention became popular in both England and France, where it eventually became known as the velocipede. Unfortunately, it was eventually banned as a danger to pedestrians and was rarely seen after the early 1820s.

Things were quiet for several decades until the bicycle development took off in the 1860s. An important milestone happened in Paris in 1863 when pedals (踏板) were added to the front axle (轴) . This occurred in Pierre Michaux's workshop but it's unclear whether he or his employee, Pierre Lallement, should be given credit for the innovation. Lallement moved to the United States, where he obtained a patent for "improvements in velocipedes" in 1866. These new machines proved to be popular, and the name "bicycle" had come into use by 1869. However, many people referred to them as "bone shakers", which described their clunky ride due to a heavy wooden frame and steel wheels.

In the 1870s, "high wheelers" or "penny-farthings" became popular. However, with a large front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel, they could be dangerous, if riders had to stop suddenly, as they would "take a header" when their momentum (动量) carried them over the front wheel onto their heads. Eventually, English inventor John Kemp Starley designed a "safety bicycle" with two same small wheels, a chain drive, and a set of gears. With tires added in and brake (刹车) systems bettered in the following decades, bicycle production had skyrocketed to over one million bicycles by 1899.

Mass production of bicycles increased their popularity greatly, since they became affordable for the average person. Over the course of the 20th century, manufacturers continued to improve the features and design of bicycles as new technologies appeared.