Volunteering at a nursing home is an often overlooked volunteer area and yet one of the most needed. Statistics show that only 50 percent of nursing home residents have no close relatives and 46 percent have no living children. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}However, the self gratification and relationships you will receive is too unusual to be replaced.

    Make a list of nursing homes you are able to volunteer at on a regular basis. When doing this, use any resources from family members, friends, or even use an online search engine to find nursing homes. When choosing your home, also keep in mind your schedule; make sure that you can be fully committed to any obligations that the nursing home may give you. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Before calling, choose your times wisely, anytime between 9am-11am and 2pm-5pm would be a good option. By avoiding meal times or later at night, you'll have a better chance for getting information and finding people who are free to talk with you.

    Ask for an application form. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}This step is also where your applicant process begins. They will hand you all necessary applicant information. Most nursing homes will conduct interviews, do background checks, and may even have you receive vaccines and take drug tests.

    Become a "volunteer in training" at the nursing home. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Because of the wide variety of possible areas, you may experience variations in your training length and the content may vary.

A. Expect to attend training if your application is approved.

B. Call or visit the top three of your chosen nursing home options.

C. Volunteering at a nursing home can be a really wonderful experience.

D. From your list, choose the top three that cater to what you are looking for.

E. You will be taken into training depending on the area you are assigned to train in.

F. The process of becoming a volunteer at a nursing home can often be a little too long.

G. The activity director or volunteer coordinator will handle all of your information from here.

    According to sociologists(社会学家), every modern industrial society has some form of social stratification(阶层). Class, power and status are important in deciding people's rank in society.

    Class means a person's economic position in society. A commonly used classification is lower class, middle class and upper class. While sociologists disagree on how these terms should be exactly defined, they do describe societies like the United States quite well. One study shows that 53% of Americans belong to the lower class, 46% the middle class, and 1% the upper class. Interestingly, a surgeon earning $500,000 a year and a bus driver earning $50,000 a year both regard themselves as the middle class!

    Power refers to the amount of control a person has over other people. Obviously, people in positions of great power (such as governors) exercise(行使)big power, but people who take orders from others have less power. Power and class do not always go hand in hand, however. For example, the governor of a state has great power, but he or she may not belong to a corresponding (相应的)economic class. Generally, however, there is a relationship between power and class. To our knowledge, there aren't too many people who aren't millionaires in the U．S. Senate!

    Status is the honor or respect attached to a person's position in society. It can also be affected by power and class, but not necessarily so. For example, a university professor may have a high status but not belong to a high social class or have a lot of power over others.

    Goodreads recommends the following books you want to read for the event to come.

    1).The Lyrics: 1961-2012

    By Bob Dylan

    Simon & Schuster,$60

    What it's about: This heavy,well-timed publication contains lyrics by the songwriter who just won the Nobel Prize in Literature,from his first album,Bob Dylan,through Tempest.

    What's to love: The times may be changing,but Dylan's fans are a constant,traditional devotees who will want this epic collection for their shelves,to sit beside those beloved old large papers.

    2).Taylor Swift: This Is Our Song

    By Tyler Conroy

    Simon & Schuster,$28

    What it's about: An elegant fanzine celebrating all things about Taylor Swift,especially the pop star's countless fans. What's to love: Mom and/or Dad,the fan of Taylor Swift,will think you're pretty cool if he or she discovers this temple to Taylor under the Christmas tree (even if it is a book).

    3).Misty Copeland

    By Gregg Delman

    Rizzoli,$39.95

    What it's about: Star-figure female ballet dancer Misty Copeland strikes a pose(95,to be exact) in photos taken between 2011 and 2014,in the casual setting of dance studios.

    What's to love: Since becoming the first African American woman to be named a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre,Copeland has become a cultural phenomenon,and Delman's arresting pictures capture（捕捉）her muscular power and elegance.

    4).@ NatGeo: The Most Popular Instagram Photos

    By National Geographic

    National Geographic,$19.95

    What it's about: National Geographic's popular Instagram account(nearly 63 million followers) comes to book form in this title filled with eye-popping images from around the world.

    What's to love: Here's proof that NatGeo's talented photographers have conquered social media while maintaining the usual quality of their work.And for fans of more traditional coffee-table-size books,check out National Geographic's Wild,Beautiful Places:Picture-Perfect Journeys Around the Globe ($40).

    After years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park. By last year, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170 wolves.

    Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.

    The disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations — major food sources (来源) for the wolf – grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation (植被), which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park's red foxes, and completely drove away the park's beavers.

    As early as 1966, biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park. They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems. Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.

    The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolvers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone. Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone .Elk, deer, and coyote populations are down, while beavers and red fores have made a comeback. The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.

    The morning had been a disaster. My tooth was aching, and I'd been in an argument with a friend. Her words still hurt: “The trouble with you is that you won't put yourself in my place. Can't you see things from my point of view?” I shook my head stubbornly-and felt the ache in my tooth. I'd thought I could hold out till my dentist came back from holiday, but the pain was really unbearable. I started calling the dentists in the phone book, but no one could see me immediately. Finally, at about lunchtime, I got lucky.

    “If you come by right now,” the receptionist said, “the dentist will fit you in.”

    I took my purse and keys and rushed to my car. But suddenly I began to doubt about the dentist. What kind of dentist would be so eager to treat someone at such short notice? Why wasn't he as busy as the others?

    In the dentist's office, I sat down and looked around. I saw nothing but the bare walls and I became even more worried. The assistant noticed my nervousness and placed her warm hand over my ice-cold one.

    When I told her my fears, she laughed and said, “Don't worry. The dentist is very good.”

    “How long do I have to wait for him?” I asked impatiently.

    “Come on, he is coming. Just lie down and relax. And enjoy the artwork,” the assistant said.

    “The artwork?” I was puzzled.

    The chair went back. Suddenly I smiled. There was a beautiful picture, right where I could enjoy it: on the ceiling. How considerate the dentist was! At that moment, I began to understand what my friend meant by her words.

    What a relief!

We all know someone who holds court wherever they find themselves with amusing stories. For the rest of us, conversation can be trickier. Our editor asked Catherine Blyth, the author of The Art of Conversation for her tips on how to shine — and not get cancelled — at your next small-talk.

Consider what you want from a conversation

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. In fact, a conversation is usually a way to get something we want, whether that's to making a friend, or to asking someone on a date. Knowing what you want will keep things flowing. "At least, what you can get from a conversation is an interesting adventure with another mind. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}." says Blyth.

Guide the other person to help you

"There's nothing more flattering (受宠若惊) than feeling like that you've helped someone," Blyth says. She suggests finding a way to make the other person useful to you. "{#blank#}3{#/blank#}, that allows you to reveal a bit of yourself while inviting them to help, which is a great way to get conversation started."

Listen attentively and purposefully

Are you listening to understand, or listening to respond? That's a perfect question a would-be conversationalist should ask themselves. "A good listener indicates what interests them. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. If I'm conversing with someone who makes it all about themselves, I'll gently point that I'm not interested and shift us towards other topics." says Blyth.

Keep your phone out of sight and out of mind

"If you're chatting with someone with your phone next to you, what you're saying is ‘you're only as important as my next notification'," says Blyth. "Whatever you do on a screen isn't a conversation. Problems arises from comparing real conversation to text messaging. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. We need to give each other some grace."

A. Seeing the world through the eyes of others is a reward itself

B. People feel bad about conversation because they think it's a performance

C. Your responses should show which topics are interesting and which aren't

D. The best mindset you bring to small-talk is the idea that it's a treasure hunt

E. A direct praise is good, but if it's something like ‘I love that coat, where did you buy it?'

F. In a real conversation, you can't look things up, think about how to phrase your thoughts

G. You have to constantly be listening with your ears, your mind, and be conscious of doing so