San Francisco has its cable cars. Seattle has its Space Needle. And, Longview has its squirrel bridge. The bridge, which has attracted international attention, is now a local landmark.

    The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in 1963 by a local builder, Amos Peters, to give squirrels a way to cross the busy road without getting flattened by passing cars.

    The original bridge was built over Olympia Way on the west edge of the library grounds. Before the bridge was built, squirrels had to avoid traffic to and from the Park Plaza office building where office staff put out a nutty feast for the squirrels. Many times, Peters and others who worked in and near Park Plaza witnessed squirrels being run over.

    One day Peters found a dead squirrel with a nut still in its mouth, and that day's coffee break discussion turned into squirrel safety. The group of businessmen cooked up the squirrel bridge idea and formed a committee to ask the blessing of the City Council(市政会).The Council approved, and Councilwoman Bess LaRiviere named the bridge “Nutty Narrows.”

    After architects designed the bridge, Amos Peters and Bill Hutch started Construction, They built the 60-foot bridge from aluminum and lengths of fire hose(消防水带). It cost 1,000.

    It didn't take long before reports of squirrels using the bridge started. Squirrels were even seen guiding their young and teaching them the ropes. The story was picked up by the media, and Nutty Narrows became know in newspapers all over the world.

    In 1983, after 20 years of use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge. Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced. The faded sign was repainted and in July 1983, hundreds of animal lovers attended the completion ceremony of the new bridge.

    Peters died in 1984, and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his devotion to the project.

    Some people seem to have extraordinary memories. Zheng Aiqiang, a "memory athlete" on TV show Super Brain, can remember 2,660 numbers in just one hour!

    You would think people like this have special brains. But according to a recent study by researchers from the US and the Netherlands, the brain structures of ordinary people and 23 of the world's leading memory athletes show no difference.

    That's because good memories can be trained. New research in the journal Neuron(神经元期刊) suggests that you can become a super memorizer with just six weeks of hard training.

    Researchers found that technique(技巧) called loci, invented by ancient Greeks, can greatly help improve memory. By using loci, you are using your imagination to improve the brain's memory networks. You can link(关联) something you need to remember with a place that you know very well. For example, to remember a list of numbers, imagine yourself walking through your house. Each thing is linked to a number. For example, zero could be handle(把手) on the door and five could be the painting on the wall.

    In one study, some ordinary people were given 20 minutes to remember 72 words. First they could only remember 26 of them. But when they were taught loci, they could remember 62 words.

    "Not everyone can become a memory champion. But everyone using the technique can improve a lot from the level they're at," said Boris Konrad, one of the researchers in the study.

    As time went on, Philip's deformity was accepted like one boy's red hair and another's unreasonable obesity. But meanwhile he had grown horribly sensitive. He never ran if he could help it, because he knew it made his limp more noticeable. He stood still as much as he could, with his badly shaped foot behind the other. Because he could not join in the games which other boys played, their life remained strange to him; sometimes they seemed to think that it was his fault if he could not play football, and he was unable to make them understand. He was left a good deal to himself. He had been inclined to talkativeness, but gradually he became silent.

    The biggest boy in his dormitory, Singer, took a dislike to him, and Philip, small for his age, had to put up with a good deal of hard treatment. About half-way through the term there was a game called Nibs. It was a game for two, played on a table or a form with steel pens. Soon nothing was seen but boys playing this game, and the more skilful acquired vast stores of nibs. But in a little while Mr. Watson made up his mind that it was a form of gambling, and forbade the game. Then he ordered all the nibs in the boys' possession be handed in. Philip had been very skilful, and it was with a heavy heart that he gave up his winning; but his fingers itched to play still, and a few days later, on his way to the football field, he went into a shop and bought a pennyworth of J pens. He carried them loose in his pocket and enjoyed feeling them. Presently Singer found out that he had them. Singer had given up his nibs too, but he had kept back a very large one, called a Jumbo, which was almost unconquerable, and he could not resist the opportunity of getting Philip's Js out of him. Though Philip knew that he was at a disadvantage with his small nibs, he had an adventurous disposition and was willing to take the risk; besides, he was aware that Singer would not allow him to refuse. He had not played for a week and sat down to the game now with a thrill of excitement. He lost two of his small nibs quickly, and Singer was jubilant, but the third time by some chance the Jumbo slipped round and Philip was able to push his J across it. He crowed with triumph. At that moment Mr. Watson came in.

    "What are you doing?" he asked.

    He looked from Singer to Philip, but neither answered.

    "Don't you know that I've forbidden you to play that game?"

    Philip's heart beat fast. He knew what was coming and was dreadfully frightened, but in his fright there was a certain exultation. He had never been swished. Of course it would hurt, but it was something to boast about afterwards.

    "Come into my study."

    The headmaster turned, and they followed him side by side. Singer whispered to Philip:

    "We're in for it."

    Mr. Watson pointed to Singer.

    "Bend over," he said.

    Philip, very white, saw the boy quiver at each stroke, and after the third he heard him cry out. Three more followed.

    "That'll do. Get up."

    Singer stood up. The tears were streaming down his face. Philip stepped forward. Mr. Watson looked at him for a moment.

    "I'm not going to beat you. You're a new boy. And I can't hit a cripple. Go away, both of you, and don't be naughty again."

    When they got back into the school-room a group of boys, were waiting for them. They set upon Singer at once with eager questions. But he did not answer. He was angry because he had been hurt.

    "Don't ask me to play Nibs with you again,' he said to Philip. 'It's jolly nice for you. You don't risk anything."

    "I didn't ask you."

    "Didn't you!"

    He quickly put out his foot and tripped Philip up. Philip was always rather unsteady on his feet, and he fell heavily to the ground.

    "Cripple," said Singer.

    For the rest of the term he tormented Philip cruelly, and, though Philip tried to keep out of his way, the school was so small that it was impossible; he tried being friendly and jolly with him; he abased himself, so far as to buy him a knife; but though Singer took the knife he was not placated. Once or twice, driven beyond endurance, he hit and kicked the bigger boy, but Singer was so much stronger that Philip was helpless, and he was always forced after more or less torture to beg his pardon. It was that which rankled with Philip: he could not bear the humiliation of apologies, which were wrung from him by pain greater than he could bear. And what made it worse was that there seemed no end to his wretchedness; Singer was only eleven and would not go to the upper school till he was thirteen. Philip realized that he must live two years with a tormentor from whom there was no escape. He was only happy while he was studying and when he got into bed. And often there recurred to him then that queer feeling that his life with all its misery was nothing but a dream, and that he would awake in the morning in his own little bed in London.

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    Omega AXL Inkless Pen

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    Have you ever thought of taking a train and having an adventure(奇遇)?Riding the train can be a real adventure. That is how I feel every time I take Amtrak. I often take a four－hour trip to visit my children. Every time I take this trip I never know what will happen.

    Last week when I was on the train and over an hour into the train ride, there was a man sitting by himself in the back of the train carrying on a mobile phone conversation－in another language. It was loud and disturbed most of the people on the train. I think it was annoying.

    Fortunately I sat next to a wonderful old lady who was taking a two－day trip by train. She said her two daughters were distraught at the thought of her driving for three days to reach her home, although she had no trouble driving. The train ride was the only choice for her. She loved to look out of the window and watch the world go by on the train.

    She was fun to talk to and asked me when my children started being parents. That is a very good question. Both of us are old and have children. She asked that same question from time to time.

    There are always many people on the train from all walks of life, different countries, and many languages. Riding the train is a great way to increase your knowledge and take in all kinds of cultures. If you get hungry, you can buy food in the food car at any time. If you need to use the restroom there is always one available.

It sure beats driving the car, which has to stop for food and restrooms. And it is better than taking the bus.

A 15-year-old Colorado high school student and young scientist who has used artificial intelligence (AI) and created apps to address polluted drinking water, drug addiction and other social problems has been named Time Magazine's first-ever "Kid of the Year". 

Rao told The Associated Press in an interview from her home that the prize is nothing that I could have ever imagined. And I'm so grateful and just so excited that we're really taking a look at the upcoming generation and our generation, since the future is in our hands. 

Time said Rao stood out for creating a global community of young innovators and inspiring them to pursue their goals. Rao insisted that starting out small doesn't matter, as long as you're passionate about it. 

She told Time contributing editor Angelina Jolie in an interview that her science pursuits started early as a way to improve social conditions. The drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan, inspired her work to develop a way to detect pollutants and send those results to a mobile phone, she said. 

"I was like 10 when I told my parents that I wanted to research carbon nanotube sensor technology at the Denver Water quality research lab, and my mum was like, A what?" Rao told Jolie. She said that work is going to be in our generation's hands pretty soon. "So if no one else is gonna do it, I'm gonna do it. "

In a world where science is increasingly questioned or challenged, Rao insisted that its pursuit is an act of kindness, the best way that a younger generation can better the world. 

"We have science in everything we're involved in, and I think that's the biggest thing to put out there, that science is cool, innovating is cool, and anybody can be an innovator. " Rao said, "Anybody can do science. "