No poem should ever be discussed or “analyzed”，until it has been read aloud by someone，a teacher or a 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 the 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(提升)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 put that dislike on 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．

    Adding math talk to story time at home is a winning factor for children's math achievement, according to a new research from a university. The study from psychologists Sian Beilock and Susan Levine shows a marked increase in math achievement among children whose families used Bedtime Math, an iPad app that delivers engaging math story problems for parents and children to solve together.

    Even children who used the app with their parents as little as once a week saw gains in math achievement by the end of the school year. The app's effect was especially strong for children whose parents tend to be anxious or uncomfortable with math.

    Previous research from this group has demonstrated the importance of adults' attitudes about math for children's math success. For example, a recent study found that math-anxious parents who help their children with math homework actually weaken their children's math achievement.

    The new findings demonstrate that structured, positive interactions around math at home can cut the link between parents' uneasiness about math and children's low math achievement.

     “Many people experience high levels of anxiety when they have to solve a math problem, with a majority of adults feeling at least some worries about math,” said Beilock, professor in Psychology and author of Choke, a book about stress and performance. “These math-anxious parents are probably less likely to talk about math at home, which affects how competent their children are in math. Bedtime Math encourages a dialogue between parents and kids about math, and offers a way to engage in high-quality math interactions in a low-effort, high-impact way.”

    Study participants included 587 first-grade students and their parents. Families were given an iPad installed with a version of the Bedtime Math app, with which parents and their children read stories and answer questions involving math, including topics like counting, shapes and problem-solving. A control group received a reading app that had similar stories without the math content and questions related to reading comprehension instead. Children's math achievement was assessed at the beginning and end of the school year. Parents completed a questionnaire about their nervousness with math.

    The more times parents and children in the math group used the app, the higher children's achievement on a math assessment at the end of the school year. Indeed, children who frequently used the math app with their parents outperformed similar students in the reading group in math achievement at year's end.

    Kids seem to spend endless hours on smartphones, computers and tablets these days. The best thing parents can do to prevent it is to encourage youngsters to spend more time outdoors in the sunlight.

    There has been a massive rise around the globe in short-sightedness—or myopia as it's officially known—over recent decades. Myopia or short-sightedness is becoming more common. Lack of natural light seems to be the key issue. “The main factor seems to be a lack of exposure to direct sunlight, because children who study a lot and who use computers or smartphones or tablet computers a lot have less opportunity to run around outside and are less exposed to sunshine and because of that children seem to be at more risk of developing shortsightedness.”

    Professor Hammond says, “It may be there's no coincidence that in East Asian countries, the most myopic ones all relate may to be the that maths league tables(排名表). These kids are being pushed with very intensive education from a very young age and spend a lot of time indoors studying close up. Therefore the concern is that all close work—like playing with the iPhone—carries the potential that it could make them more shortsighted.”

    The best thing to do, say the experts, is to get children playing outside as much as possible. “In a perfect world, probably on average across the week and the weekend, two hours a day outdoors is protective of becoming short-sighted in children. Healthy diet is really also important—in terms of getting oily fish, green vegetables, green leafy vegetables as much as possible.

    “What we need to look at is ways of modifying the impact that these activities have on their visual development.” Professor Hammond said, “There are eye drops and other treatments to slow myopia progression. But in terms of preventing myopia itself, there isn't any data out there at the moment in terms of the question, 'Could the drops we use slow progression or stop myopia developing at all? ' ”

    I was a very lucky girl.Many girls didn't know they could take part in or even be good at sports,but I never needed to be told that because I grew up with my grandmother who was a great Olympian.Even today,many girls need that extra nod in sports,but where can they get it?

    I first met Paul Newman in 1968, when George Roy Hill, the director of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, introduced us in New York City. When the studio didn't want me for the film - it wanted somebody as well known as Paul - he stood up for me. I don't know how many people would have done that; they would have listened to their agents or the studio powers.

    The friendship that grew out of the experience of making that film and The Sting four years later had its root in the fact that although there was an age difference, we both came from a tradition of theater and live TV. We were respectful of craft(技艺)and focused on digging into the characters we were going to play. Both of us had the qualities and virtues that are typical of American actors: humorous, aggressive, and making fun of each other - but always with an underlying affection. Those were also at the core(核心)of our relationship off the screen.

    We shared the brief that if you're fortunate enough to have success, you should put something back - he with his Newman's Own food and his Hole in the Wall camps for kids who are seriously ill, and me with Sundance and the institute and the festival. Paul and I didn't see each other all that regularly, but sharing that brought us together. We supported each other financially and by showing up at events.

    I last saw him a few months ago. He'd been in and out of the hospital. He and I both knew what the deal was, and we didn't talk about it. Ours was a relationship that didn't need a lot of words.

Yesterday morning I was having breakfast in the 37th floor club lounge(休息室) at the InterContinental Bangkok, quite enjoying my conversation with Julia. She is a lovely Bavarian lady who works in the club lounge. Suddenly I felt really dizzy(晕眩的). I hadn't drunk anything the night before and had got a great night of sleep, so I found that a bit strange. But it continued. After a few moments I realized what was going on -- I wasn't dizzy, but it was an earthquake. For over 20 seconds the club floor was shaking.

Julia tried to remain calm and asked us to go down the stairs. When I walked past the rooftop pool, I saw water rushing out of it, which terrified me even more. I skipped down the 37 flights of stairs as if I were taking part in the Olympics.

However, as I was trying to get to the ground floor, I found it strange that nobody else was escaping. Eventually I made it to the ground floor. Again, I had never been in an earthquake before, so I had no sense of what it was like during an earthquake. I was kind of expecting disorder on the streets, a thousand people in the hall, and a general Armageddon style setting.

Sure enough I hurriedly got through the doors on the first floor and went straight to the reception desk, thinking the girl at the desk knew what was going on. But she looked quite confused, not knowing what I was talking about. Then I asked another one but I got the same response. I believed the world was coming to an end, while everyone looked at me as if nothing had happened.

Well, as it turned out, nothing did happen to them. Clearly there was an earthquake in Myanmar, and it was only felt at the top of some of the taller buildings in Bangkok.

Julia kept the club lounge closed for safety for some time, while I was happy just to be on the ground level.