Three Boys and a Dad
      Brad closed the door slowly as Sue left home to visit her mother. Expecting a whole day to relax, he was thinking whether to read the newspaper or watch his favourite TV talk show on his first day off in months. “This will be like a walk in the park.” he'd told his wife. “I'll look after the kids, and you can go visit your mom.”

Things started well, but just after eight o'clock, his three little “good kids”—Mike, Randy, and Alex — came down the stairs in their night clothes and shouted “breakfast, daddy.” When food had not appeared on within thirty seconds, Randy began using his spoon on Alex's head as if it were a drum. Alex started to shout loudly in time to the beat(节拍) . Mike chanted “Where's my toast, where's my toast” in the background. Brad realized his newspaper would have to wait for a few seconds.

    Life became worse after breakfast. Mike wore Randy's underwear on his head. Randy locked himself in the bathroom, while Alex shouted again because he was going to wet his pants. Nobody could find clean socks, although they were before their eyes. Someone named “Not me” had spilled a whole glass of orange juice into the basket of clean clothes. Brad knew the talk show had already started.

    By ten o'clock, things were out of control. Alex was wondering why the fish in the fish bowl refused his bread and butter. Mike was trying to show off his talent by decorating kitchen wall with his color pencils. Randy, thankfully, appeared to be reading quietly in the sitting room, but closer examination showed that he was eating apple jam straight from the bottle with his hands. Brad realized that the talk show was over and reading would be impossible.

    At exactly 11:17, Brad called the daycare center(日托所).“I suddenly have to go into work and my wife is away. Can I bring the boys over in a few minutes?” The answer was obviously “yes” because Brad was smiling.

    Many cities and towns have laws that require people to recycle paper and plastics. Now some state and local governments have passed laws that require citizens to recycle their food waste as well. California and Vermont have statewide laws about recycling food waste that apply to businesses and homes. The process of recycling food waste and turning it into usable soil is called composting(堆制肥料).

    Food waste that can be composted includes fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, tea bags, and eggshells. Garden waste such as stems and leaves can also be composted. Meat, fish, and dairy food waste cannot be recycled.

According to environmental groups, composting reduces the amount of trash going into landfills(垃圾填埋池), and composted waste holds a wide range of nutrients. When compost is added to the soil in gardens and fields, it helps crops grow.

    Reducing the amount of waste that goes into landfills is one reason why cities and states are passing food-waste recycling laws. “Our landfills are far from enough for the creation of new ones is shrinking.” Renee Crowley, a project manager said.

    Officials in Seattle, Washington, say that food waste makes up 30% of the trash going into landfills, and they are looking to reduce that percentage. That city has a law requiring people to recycle food waste. It is banned from all garbage. There is a fine for people who put it into regular garbage.

    Crowley points out that even in cities where food recycling is not a law, there are often places where citizens can drop off their food waste for composting. Many schools and colleges have also started composting programs.

    Those who are against food-recycling laws say that the composting process is costly. In addition, it can be difficult for people who live in apartments to store their waste because they don't have access to outside storage bins. Patti Ferguson from Orange County, California, told her local newspaper that she thought an indoor container containing food waste would get smelly.

    If you're tired of the big city pace and noise, relax yourself by taking a day or a weekend exploring one of these four Georgia small towns：

    Senoia

    About 45 miles from Atlanta, if you want to visit the classic small town, Senoia is the best choice. Built in 1866 as a railroad town, its picture perfection has been filmed for the movies like Fried Green Tomatoes.

    Hartwell

    109 miles from Atlanta

    Named for Nancy Hart, a heroine of the Revolutionary War who served as a spy and captured a group of Tories who threatened her home, Hartwell is known as the "Best city by a Dam Site".

    Tiger

    105 miles from Atlanta in northeast Georgia, this small mountain community sits at the base of 2 856-foot Tiger Mountain, and you can drive Old U. S. 441 right through town and into the countryside any season of the year. The tiny town itself boasts the Tiger Drive-In.

Another attraction is the Tiger Mountain Winery, operating from the site of a five-generation old family farm and winner of three 2017 silver medals in the Los Angeles Wine Competition. Its tasting room is open daily.

    Tallulah Falls

    About 96 miles northeast of Atlanta

    Near the Tallulah River and named for the five falls that flow downward very fast through the gorge, Tallulah Falls had a population of just 168 at the 2010 census.

    It's a fine spot for fishing and picnicking on the town's three lakes，swimming at the Georgia Power Company's Terrora Beach. Come Saturday night in spring，summer and folk stay for live Bluegrass bands on Bluegrass Square in downtown Tallulah Falls. You can even bring your own instrument and join in.

    It's fun to dream about vacationing in Europe, but international flights are not always particularly affordable. If you're looking to experience a taste of European culture, however, there are many places in the US with a European heritage (传统).

    Founded by Spanish settlers in 1565, St. Augustine is full of Spanish-inspired architecture, historical sites and other attractions. The Colonial Quarter is a popular tourist area, and there are many places to grab traditional Spanish food.

    Holland, Michigan

    Holland was settled in 1847 by Dutch Calvinist separatists, under the leadership of Dr Albertus van Raalte. Terrible economic conditions in the Netherlands forced them to emigrate (移居国外), while their desires for religious freedom led them to unite and settle together as a group. Much of the original architecture was destroyed in an 1871 fire, but the city still has many windmills, eateries, art and even an annual tulip festival and holiday market.

    New Glarus, Wisconsin

    More than 160 years after it was founded, New Glarus has maintained much of its Swiss heritage and old world traditions. New Glarus' Swiss immigrant roots are proudly on display with its Alpine architecture, Swiss Historical Village Museum and Yodel Club. The Wisconsin village also puts on cultural events like the Heidi Folk Festival and Swiss Volksfest.

    Solvang, California

    Located near Santa Barbara, Solang is a charming California city with Danish roots.  A group of immigrates from Denmark founded Solvang just over 100 years ago to create a Danish home away from home. As such, the city is full of Danish architecture, restaurants, shops and even a copy of Copenhagen's famous Little Mermaid statue.

    My husband and I recently went to Disney World with our three children. We had a wonderful time. Besides, I experienced something that left a deep impression on me.

    Our children were excited about the attraction where children could drive the cars. They were so delighted that I decided to stand beside the track to get pictures of everyone as they drove past on the track.

    As I waited for them to drive by, I noticed a car with a father and his son who was about 7 years old. They rolled down the hill at the beginning, but suddenly the car stopped. The young driver looked nervous, "I can't do it." His father quietly said, "Yes, you can."

    "No. I can't!"

    "Yes, you can, son."

    The little guy was almost in tears, "I can't!" With deep patience, the father said, "Son, you can do this. I'm going to help you." A moment later, with the father helping his son, the two went smoothly (顺利地) on their way down the track.

    The scene brought tears to my eyes and it reminded (使想起) me of my dear father. Just like that little boy's dad, my father used to say the same words to me. Every time things got hard or when I experienced setbacks along the way, he would say, "Michelle, you can do this. I'm going to help you."

    Time and time again the words greatly encouraged me on the journey. I'm aware that I can't do things under my own power, but the words "Yes, you can" come beside me and give me wisdom and strength. As I benefited (受益) a lot from them, I often tell my children never to say "I can't" easily when they meet something difficult.

    A recent documentary produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has caused a stir in China and in the UK.

    The documentary, titled Are Our Kids Tough Enough? focuses on five Chinese teachers who are sent to teach 50 UK teens at a school in Hampshire.

    The teachers instruct the students for a month. The pupils are then tested, and the results are compared to the ones of those who have continued in the regular UK education system. The idea is to see if the Chinese method improves academic performance.

    The Chinese teachers use their own teaching methods but receive strong resistance from the students. A clip from the documentary online shows some problems, with Chinese teachers calling their students lazy and lacking in discipline, while the students say the high pressure and harsh teachers are driving them crazy.

    This has aroused a new debate in both China and the UK, with some arguing the teenagers need more regulation and discipline. Others say Chinese methods encourage rote learning (死记硬背) instead of independent thinking. For instance, Chinese language teachers should do more than pass on knowledge about words and characters. They should inspire students, helping them feel the sentiment from Chinese literature. This is a higher level of teaching.

    Yang Dongping, dean of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, says, "The Chinese teaching methods are designed to strictly train the majority. Foreign teaching methods, however, are more natural and relaxing, and designed to inspire students' interest in learning. Education methods are based on culture. That is why a successful education method in one place may not work that well when simply 'transplanted' into another place."

    Yang Dongping says, "The documentary does reflect some problems rooted in traditional Chinese teaching methods. Nobel prize winner, Yang Zhenning, gave a very fair comment on this issue. He said the Chinese-style education method works for most ordinary qualified students effectively, helping them reach high standards. However, it may weaken the training for high-potential outstanding students."