You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

    Jane Addams (1860-1935)

    Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

    Sandra Day O'Connor (1930-present)

    When Sandra Day O'Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator(参议 员) and ,in 1981, the first woman to join the U. S. Supreme Court (最高法院). O'Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.

    Rosa Parks (1913-2005)

    On December 1,1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott (联合抵制). It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. "The only tired I was, was tired of giving in," said Parks.

    The Internet has opened up a whole new on-line world for us to meet, chat and go where we've never been before.

    But just as in face-to-face communication, there are some basic rules of behavior that should be followed when online. The basic rule is simple: treat others in the same way you would want to be treated. Imagine how you'd feel if you were in the other person's shoes.

    For anything you're about to send: ask yourself, "Would I say this to the person's face?" If the answer is no, rewrite and reread. Repeat the process till you feel sure that you'd feel comfortable saying the words to the person's face.

    If someone in the chat room is rude to you, your instinct is to fire back in the same manner. But try not to do so. You should either ignore the person, or use your chat software to block their messages. If it was caused by a disagreement with another member, try to fix the situation by politely discussing it. Remember to respect the beliefs and opinions of others in the chat room.

    Everyone was new to the network once. Offer advice when asked by newcomers, as they may not be sure what to do or how to communicate．When someone makes a mistake whether it's a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer, be kind about it. If it's a small mistake, you may not need to say anything. Even if you feel strongly about it, think twice before saying anything. Having good manners yourself doesn't give you license to correct everyone else.

    If you do decide to tell someone about a mistake, point it out politely. At the same time, if you find you are wrong, be sure to correct yourself and apologize to those that you have offended.

    It is not polite to ask others personal questions such as their age, sex, and marital status. Unless you know the person very well, and you are both comfortable with sharing personal information, don't ask such questions.

    Being a parent is tough. Prejudice against parents in the workplace only makes it harder.

    Asking for flexible schedule is not unique to working parents only. I've worked with people in their twenties that requested to work a four-day schedule so they could go back to school part time. I've seen older adults in the workplace change their schedules so that they can spend more time at home. Almost everyone has to cut out of the office every now and again for a doctor's appointment or other personal matters. Flexible schedules seem to be synonymous(代名词) with working parents, but in reality, they are not.

    Parents aren't devoted to their jobs. This is really surprising because it's quite the contrary. There is actually strong evidence that parents are more devoted to their jobs than many other employees. They are some of the most focused employees out there. Parents are less likely to change jobs than other employees. Stability(稳定) is key when raising a family.

    Parents aren't good team members. Since it is parents that need to leave the office at 5 or aren't able to come in before 9, most people think that the singletons on the team need to make up for it. In today's technology world, this is hardly the case. While many parents do limit their physical "in office" hours, most spend time on weekends, early mornings, and after work working. Besides, parents may be more likely to take vacations during major holidays due to children's school schedules.

    Parents are at work only out of financial needs. Why would anyone want to leave their children behind and come to the workplace if they didn't have to? Actually, a lot of people do. Caring for children is a wonderful experience, but everyone needs a break. Many parents may still be interested in their field of work, finding work interesting. Money is nice, but it's certainly not the only reason that parents are there.

    The human-caused rise in CO₂ hasn't yet reached its full warming effect, owing to the considerable delay in its impact on ocean temperature. There is still another 0.5^oC of so of warming to occur over the coming decades based on the current concentrations（浓度）of CO₂ in the atmosphere, and far more warming beyond that if CO₂ concentrations continue to rise greatly with the business-as-usual burning of fossil oil. To improve the situation, the world needs to shift firmly from coal, oil and gas to renewable energy by around 2050 and from cutting down trees to planting trees and restoring degraded lands.

    So why do human begins keep dashing in a stupid way ahead, toward certain tragedy?

    The main reason is that our political institutions and giant corporations intentionally ignore the rising dangers and damage.   ①    Managing a major company is about maximizing shareholder value, not about telling the truth or avoiding great harm to the planet. Profit -seeking investors own the major media, or at least influence them through their advertising purchases. Thus, a small yet very powerful group keeps the fossil-fuel-based energy system at growing dangers to the rest of humanity today and in the future.

    We need a new kind of politics that starts with a clear goal: environmental safety for the planet's people, by fulfilling the Paris agreement, protecting biodiversity, and cutting pollution, which kills millions each years.   ②    The new politics will listen to scientific and technological experts, not self-interested business leaders and politicians.

       ③    Such a politics is possible. In fact, the public longs for it. A large majority of the American people,for example, want to fight global warming, stay in the Paris climate agreement, and support renewable（可更新的）energy. Yet, as long as a narrow and ignorant elite（精英）judges Americans and the rest of human beings to wander aimlessly in the political desert, the more likely it is that we will end up in a wasteland from which there will be no escape.  ④   

    In 1973, I was teaching elementary school. Each day, 27 kids entered "The Thinking Laboratory." That was the name students voted for after deciding that "Room 104" was too dull.

    Freddy was an average student, but not an average person. He had the rare balance of fun and compassion(同情). He would laugh the loudest over fun and be the saddest over anyone's misfortune.

    Before the school year ended, I gave the kids a special gift, T-shirts with the words "Verbs Are Your friends" on them. I had advised the kids that while verbs may seem dull, most of the fun things they do throughout their lives will be verbs.

     Through the years, Pd run into former students who would provide updates on old classmates. I learned that Freddy did several jobs after his graduation from high school and remained the same caring person I met forty years before. Once, while working overnight at a store, he let a homeless man sleep in his truck. Another time, he lent a friend money to buy a house.

    Just last year, I was conducting a workshop when someone knocked at the classroom door. A woman excused the interruption and handed me an envelope. I stopped teaching and opened it up. Inside were the "Verbs" shirt and a note from Freddy's mother. "Freddy passed away on Thanksgiving. He wanted you to have this."

    I told the story to the class. As sad as it was, I couldn't help smiling. Although Freddy was taken from us, we all took something from Freddy.