It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and Maggie and I were returning from our walk through the woods. We were only a couple of blocks from home when I spotted a cell phone and a credit card sitting on the road. We took them home. We always find amazing things on the street and she looks upon them as a movable feast-a chicken wing here or a barbecue rib there.

    I found another cell phone a few years back, too, and called a number in its phone book. I explained the situation to the guy who answered. He said it was his sister's and that he'd come to pick it up, which he did.

    And that was that. No verbal thank-you, no written thank-you, no “here's a box of chocolates” thank-you.

    I didn't have time to call anyone on my latest found cell phone. I was pouring myself coffee when it started to vibrate(震动) and dance across the kitchen counter.

    “Who's this?” someone asked when I picked up.

    “Who's this?” I countered（反问.“Sarah?”

    She was surprised at my knowing her name until she realized her name was on the credit card. “Could you send them to me?” she asked.

    She lives in Arlington, which is 2 miles from my house.

    “Hmm, no, ”I replied, adding that I thought she could come to get them, and that if I wasn't at home, they would be in my mailbox.

    A day later, when I was out for a run, someone retrieved(取回) them. There wasn't even a piece of paper put in the mailbox with “Thanks” on it. In this age of e-mail and cell phone, there's really no excuse. Years ago, I found something more precious than a $100 bill on the street: a driver's license. I saw  that its owner lived a couple of blocks from me, so I called him up. He asked whether I could slip the license through his front door.

    “I guess I could, ”I replied.

    And that was that.

    For more than twenty years scientists have been searching for signs of life on other planets. Most of these searches have been done over the radio. The hope is that someone in outer space may be trying to get in touch with us. Scientists also have sent radio and television messages on spaceships traveling through space, on the chance that someone may be receptive （善于接受的） to such messages.

    Scientists are using powerful radio telescope to listen to signals from about 1,000 stars, all within 100 light years of earth. In addition, they will scan (扫视) the entire sky to “listen” for radio messages from more distant stars. Using a computer, they will be able to monitor more than eight channels at one time. Scientists are looking for any signal that stands out from the background noise.

    Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy （银河星系）, scientists find that five percent are like our sun. Perhaps half of them have a planet like earth. Such a planet would be a reasonable distance from the star for temperatures to be right for the evolution of life. Based on the inhabitable (that can be lived in) planets in our galaxy, most scientists agree that chances are likely that one or more of these planets support some life.

    However, many scientists wonder whether intelligent （有智力的） life exists on other planets. Some believe that twenty years of searching without any intelligible （可理解的） messages shows that no one is out there. They say that the evolution of intelligence comparable to ours is unlikely.

    Other scientists believe that our search hasn't been long enough to rule out the possibility that intelligent life exists in our galaxy. Although our sun family in only about five billion years old,  our galaxy is about 20 billions years old. In that time, some scientists think it is likely that civilizations are much more advanced than ours. Perhaps these civilizations send us no signals; perhaps we have not recognized the signals they have sent us. If we hope to find intelligent life, these scientists believe that we have to keep looking.

Amsterdam Destination Guide

    Amsterdam is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world,famous for its beautiful canals,top art museum,cycling culture,and Red Light District.It is the capital and most populous city in the Netherlands and often referred to as the "Venice of the North" because of its expansive system of bridges and canals.Here are some of the key points to remember as you plan your trip to Amsterdam.

    Must-See Attractions

    Most visitors begin their Amsterdam adventure in the Old Centre,which is full of traditional architecture, shopping centers,and coffee shops.Don't miss the Dam Square and the areas around Spui and Nieuwmarkt.The infamous Red Light District is also in this area,and definitely worth a visit to see what the type is about.You'll also want to check out Amsterdam's Museum Quarter in the South District,which is great for shopping at the Albert Cuyp Market and having a picnic in the Vondelpark.The top museums to visit are the Rijksmusuem,the Ann Frank House, and the Van Gogh Museum.

    If You Have Time

    There are several, and you should try to explore as many of them as time allows.The Canal Ring is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was originally built to attract wealthy home owners and is a core for celebrity spotting and nightlife today.The Plantage area has most of the city's museum, including the Jewish Historical Museum, the Scheepvaart Museum,and the botanical gardens.

    Free Things to Do

    Have a picnic and bring a bottle of wine to relax and people-watch in Vondelpark Soak up some sun at one of city's beaches.

Take a walk along the canals, smell the flowers, and browse markets along the way. Hop on one of several free ferry services across the IJ River for lovely city views.

    Money Saving Tips

    Unless you really want to see the tulips blooming, avoid booking between mid-March and mid-May.This is when hotel and flight prices surge.

Look for accommodations in Amsterdam's South District,where rates are generally cheaper than in the city center.

    Buy train tickets at the machine instead of the counter to save a bit of money.

    Instead of hiring a tour guide,hop on a canal boat.They're inexpensive and will give you a unique point of view of the city.

    Check out our homepage to view price comparisons for flights,hotels,and rental cars before you book.

    At least 35 percent of Beijing households will be covered by family doctor service at the end of this year. All local households will enjoy the service as of 2020, according to the Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission.

    It is good that Chinese communities can expect more general practitioners(从业者)，who do not specialize in any particular area of medicine but who are able to treat the general health problems for people of all ages. By the end of last year over 8 million residents in Beijing had reportedly signed up for family doctor services, accounting for more than 40 percent of the city's permanent population.

    Since 2009 China has launched scores of programs nationwide to ensure citizens have fairer access to elementary public health services ，among which the introduction of family doctors has been one of the most successful. Some regions have issued guidelines on the promotion of the family doctor service. And four months ago, Premier Li Keqiang said in this year's Government Work Report that the service should cover at least 85 percent of the Chinese cities this year.

    The expanding coverage, however, may not guarantee more residents will be offered quality medical services.

    Family doctors in some places rarely visit the families they are assigned to, and some of them have been struggling to solve patients problems either because of their unfitness or because they have too many households to attend to. In some cases, a family doctor might be assigned to see hundreds of residents a day.

    That highlights the need to better the arrangement of medical resources and to offer proper encouragement to family doctors, who should get patients to make appointments rather than employ temporary arrangements.

    Careers in zoology are extremely varied and unique, and can provide incredible learning and work opportunities for anyone devoted to animal studies and welfare. Zoology, or the study of animals, is a wide field with many specialties, including research, conservation, veterinary (兽医的) medicine, and the care of animals. For people with a love of animals and some training, dreams of careers in zoology may come true.

    Some careers in zoology focus on research and scientific studies. These careers may allow those with a good theoretical science background to develop and run studies that improve human understanding of the animal world. Research in zoology can help create safer and more effective products for animals or can teach humans more about animal behavior in order to aid in conservation, breeding programs, and habitat preservation.

    Careers in zoology that focus on conservation attach great importance to the continued survival and increased protection of animal species. Conservationists may work with political groups or governments to help make laws to protect and preserve animals, or may work in the field gathering information on potential threats to the health of global ecosystems. Some conservationists work in educational fields, trying to improve human efforts to save animals from extinction.

    Animals are subject to illness and injury, and some careers in zoology help to create a safe, stable animal population. Veterinary medicine is an important specialty field, and may take several years of intensive training to qualify as a certified veterinarian. While many veterinarians focus on the small-animal practice of domestic pets, vets in rural areas often work with large farm animals and more adventurous veterinarians may work with exotic species in zoos and wildlife preserves. .

    Humans love to observe animals, and modern-day zoos and wildlife preserves help meet that interest while providing facilities to assist with conservation programs. Zoology careers in zoos can range from overseeing breeding programs, to creating the proper diet for a deer, to cleaning the tiger's cage. Many volunteer and entry-level jobs are available for people that love animals.

    Farah was sitting in the kitchen going over the party list with her mother. The exams were over and Farah wanted to invite her friends for a party.

    "Farah, aren't you going to invite Hafsa?" her mother asked. Hafsa had been her best friend since childhood.

    "Mother, you know I am now a part of Purple Girls Club and we have some rules about people we can be friends with," Farah answered.

    "Really? And what are the rules?" her mother asked.

    "Well, only very pretty girls can be part of our group. And Hafsa is so...you know...dark."

    "I cannot believe it," her mother said angrily.

    As Farah left the kitchen, her father called her from the living room. Farah went to her father and paled when she saw the exam report in his hands. "Farah, what has happened to your grades? You have failed in Mathematics," her father said. Farah had no answer. The truth was that the activities of Purple Girls Club left her with very little time for studies. "Farah, it says that you can take part in supplementary exams(补考). If your grades don't improve then, I'll cancel(取消) your trip to Spain." Farah went to her room and called Gina, the leader of Purple Girls Club, "Gina, can you help me to complete my notes before the exams?" Gina laughed. "Exams? Who cares about exams?"

    One by one, she called her friends in the club but no one seemed to care or wanted to help. Farah knew Hafsa would help her. Farah also knew Hafsa had been hurt by her, but Hafsa said, "If you need any help, just let me know. We can study together till your exams." Next Monday, as two friends entered the school together, Gina called out. "Farah, you know our rules. You cannot be friends with those who do not belong to our club."

    "Gina, I have a new rule about friendship," Farah replied.