Authors (作者)

    Alexandru Micu: Author

    ZME Science author profile | e-mail: alex@zmescience.com

    Main focus: technology, biology

    Curiosity (好奇心) is what drives Alex forward-his interest in learning more about the planet being matched only by his ability to discuss things with a light heart. Alex tries to make others more interested in special science and technology. He does things in his own way.

    Dragos Mitrica: Author

    ZME Science author profile | e-mail: dragos@zmescience.com

    Main focus: wheather

    Dragos loves nature, and does everything he can to understand it. This interest led him to many unexpected places in his life, and now, he mainly studies and understands how ancient (古代的) weather changed, and what this means for the future.

    Henry Conrad: Author

    ZME Science author profile | e-mail: henrykconrad@gmail.com

    Main focus: technology

    Henry Conrad is a game developer from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Whenever he's not working or reading the latest tech news, he enjoys writing about the latest inventions and technology, which benefits (有益) him a lot. It helps him find rich writing materials (材料).

    Mihai Andrei: Editor-in-chief

    ZME Science author profile | e-mail: andrei@zmescience.com

    Main focus: geophysics, environment

    Andrei has put a lot of sweat and tears into ZME Science ever since he was a student. He is always looking for the most interesting subjects, presenting them in a way that everybody can understand. He believes that education is the key towards a better future and he tries to persuade people to become better persons of the planet. His background is in Geology and Geophysics, but now, he focuses more on environmental studies.

    Charity is simple in theory：A heart warms, a hand reaches out. In practice, though, charity can become a troubled mix of motives and consequences. Giving can be driven by guilt, duty, praise, or perhaps the hope that giving will somehow make up for past cruelty or ignorance. Too little charity is far less than valuable. Too much can cause dependence which makes the receiver continuously ask for more.

    Giving from the heart is good. But critics have long worried about misdirected charity that does more harm than good. In his 2012 book, "Harmful Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help（And How to Solve the Problem）, "Robert Lupton, an experienced social worker of 40 years of community work in inner-city Atlanta, argues that charity must not do for the poor what they can do for themselves.

    Due to emergencies such as natural disasters, the afterward financial aid is greatly welcome. Mr. Lupton advocates it should focus on the development of self-supporting. The task can be carried out via, for instance, offering microloans, hiring local builders and suppliers, and trying to found self-supported, locally owned and operated enterprises. What seldom works, he argues, are untargeted handouts from far-off providers and the sudden arrival of inexperienced volunteer-tourists hoping to earn personal reputation by digging wells or mending roofs that locals are perfectly able to take care of themselves.

    Getting charity right isn't easy. But from money raising to the boom in volunteering among Millennials（千禧一代）, from the increasing worldwide willingness to give to the efforts by charity organizations to become more effective and fruitful, there is strong evidence that human beings' ability of taking care of others is growing along with their ability to help without harming.

    Charity can be as simple as holding the door for a stranger and as complex as a global campaign to get rid of malaria（疟疾）.Charity works best when it returns the weak to strength, when it helps a small town shaken by a heavy earthquake get back on its feet. A successful charity is one that eventually is no longer needed.

    It is not always a good thing to praise children because "empty" words may make them unhappy. Words such as "well done" may make them doubt their own abilities, a leading psychologist (心理学家) Stephen Grosz has warned. He says that words such as "you're so clever" or "you're such an artist" could also hinder their future development at school. He says that such empty praise causes children to be unhappy as they may say they can't live up to these expectations.

    Instead he advises parents and teachers to praise children less frequently and use words like "trying really hard," Mr. Grosz said, "Empty praise is as bad as thoughtless criticism (批评). People often pay no attention to children's feelings and thoughts." He also mentions research showing that children who are heavily praised probably perform worse at school.

    Some psychologists from Columbia University asked 128 pupils aged 10 and 11 to work out a number of math problems. Afterwards, some were told, "You did really well­—you're so clever." But the researchers told the other group, "You did really well­—you must have tried really hard." Both groups of children were then given more difficult questions and those who had been told they were clever did not do as well as the others.

    He says that when collecting his daughter from a school near their home in North London, he heard a teacher tell her, "You have drawn the most beautiful tree. Well done," Later, after she had done another drawing, the same teacher said, "Wow, you are really an artist." In his book, Mr. Grosz writes, "How could I explain to the teacher that I would prefer it if she did not praise my daughter?"

    As a parent of two children, I strongly agree with Mr. Grosz. I praise them when praising is proven right. I want them to know if I praise them, they have done something beyond my expectation, beyond what they are able to do.

    Feel nervous on the first day of school? You are not alone! Here is some advice on how to make you feel comfortable.

    Get ready the night before. Plan out what you're going to wear and what you will need for class. Then get a nice, long sleep. There's nothing worse than looking terrible on the first day of school. If you don't want to oversleep, set an alarm on your phone, or alarm clock to wake you up on time.

    Eat a good breakfast. You'd be surprised at how much happier and more focused you'll be after eating a good breakfast. Have a healthy breakfast. A rich breakfast may make you feel lazy and sugar rich foods may affect your ability to stay focused.

    Decide whether to take the bus, walk, or have a ride from your parents. It's your call. If you want something familiar, take a bus ride and sit next to someone you already know. However, if you are really nervous, you can ask your mom or dad to drive you to school, but expect that there will be heavy traffic.

    Smile and be friendly! You want to seem easy to get along with and that you had the best summer. Smile and be friendly. Instead of coming up as a boring person, compliment people. Everyone needs a little confidence and is happy when praised on the first day of school.

    Great places where you can travel for the coming 2020 New Year's Eve you'll never forget:

    Sydney

    Sydney, Australia, is the first major international city to greet the New Year at midnight. The major fireworks display takes place at Sydney Harbour with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge providing a spectacular (壮观的) backdrop.

    Taipei, Taiwan

    New Year^'s Eve in Taipei, the capital city of the island of Taiwan, is a visual spectacle. The city's tallest building, Taipei 101, is the launching pad for an unforgettable fireworks show. Prime spots to take in the event include National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and the Xinyi Commercial District, which gets quite crowded.

    Cape Town

    Cape Town is one of the most beautifully situated cities in Africa and the world. New Year's Eve fireworks make it all the more spectacular. If you're looking for a place with delicious food and a view of the festivities, Baia Seafood Restaurant is a good choice. If you're in the mood for a party, Cape Point Vineyards is one of many places to consider.

    Las Vegas

    Vegas is lit up year-round, but it goes all out for New Year's Eve. The street is closed off to vehicles, and pedestrians take over for an unforgettable festival. At midnight, various casinos (赌场) launch an impressive fireworks off the roofs of their buildings.

    For further information, you can click on here, the website https: //edition. cnn. com/travel/

Not long after Tony Berlin began working at the state driver's license facility in Niles in 1985, he noticed that some truck drivers who should have failed their exams mysteriously passed them. For six years, starting in 1992, he collected evidence to show why: He believed truck drivers were bribing state workers to get licenses. In another turn of the screw, the workers were using those bribes to buy tickets to the then secretary of state George Ryan's fundraisers, including for his successful bid for governor. Berlin tried to expose the corruption (腐败)-he went to the FBI and the upper ranks of the secretary of state's office - but was repeatedly met with indifference. Then he began to suspect that the truck driver in a 1994 accident that killed six children, all from the same family, got his license through the scheme. In a moment that changed everything, Berlin reached out to the Reverend Scott Willis, the children's father.

It was his call to Willis that connected the crash to what would become known as the licenses — for — bribes scandal (丑闻), "Berlin's the one who started it says the Willises' lawyer. A few months after that phone call, the U.S. attorney's office initiated Operation Safe Road, an ongoing federal investigation that by the end of November had disclosed 34 offenses.

The investigation ultimately netted 75 offenses, including that of Dean Bauer, Ryan's inspector general. He pleaded guilty in 2001 to obstructing (妨碍)justice and was sentenced to 12 months in. prison. Bui the biggest catch was Ryan himself, who was sentenced in 2006 to six and a half years tor fraud and blackmailing. As for Berlin, he continued to work a stale license facilities, in Streator and Pontiac, choosing to stay out of the public eye.