It was warm for a Sunday afternoon in early January. Kevin loved being outdoors among the wild rosebushes in front of his house with a view of distant mountains.

    It had been a good day for his wife, Sharon, too. They spent the morning in front of the house, talking and drinking tea. Sharon felt strong and tried her best to cook, starting a pot of homemade soup — a task that would have been nothing a few years ago, but is a little hard for her now. Her illness had left her weak, often puzzled.

    Sharon was the take-charge person in the family. She was seldom sick until 1997, when she began suffering from terrible headaches. One day at work, colleagues said she didn't look right and urged(敦促) her to go to the hospital. She rose from her chair and fell over. She could hear voices, but couldn't speak. It looked as if she'd had a stroke(中风).

    Other stroke-like symptoms (症状) followed. She had difficulty walking. She ran a fever all the time. The headaches never stopped. She and Kevin spent all their savings seeing doctors and on medical tests.

    In 2000, physicians said Sharon had brain damage that left her with symptoms resembling dementia (痴呆症). Once, she visited a familiar store and couldn't remember where the exit was. Another time, she was making spaghetti, but didn't know what to do after the water boiled.

    After seeing specialists, Kevin and Sharon came to believe that exposure(接触) to mould(霉菌) had caused Sharon's condition. Her world was certainly getting worse. At times she needed a wheelchair. The woman who never liked asking for help had to stay at home and rely on her husband.

    The effects of coffee consumption on health have long been a subject of conflict and uncertainty.Since the 1980s,some have spoken out against coffee as harmful to health,while others have welcomed coffee for its supposed benefits to health.

    According to a scientific report,mild coffee consumption,three to five cups per day,can he taken as a healthy dietary pattern,along with other healthful behaviors.The report also says that coffee consumption helps reduce the risk of heart disease and it protects against Parkinson's disease.

    According to Dr.Donald Hensrud of Mayo Clinic,high consumption of coffee has health risks.Dr.Hensrud mentions the dangers of high coffee consumption for people with a certain illness that slows the breakdown of caffeine in the body.Some studies said that drinking two or more cups of coffee daily can actually increase the risk of heart disease in these people.

    According to conclusions from a recent study led by Dr.Gregory Marcus,a doctor from the University of California San Francisco,daily moderate consumption of caffeine,less than 4 cups,is not associated with these issues.

    Until the scientific community reaches a general agreement on the effects of coffee consumption on human health,it will be up to the individual to decide whether the benefits of drinking coffee are greater than the risks.

    When informed of these possible health benefits and harms of drinking coffee,Harwood,a high school student stated,"Even though there might be some negative effects of drinking coffee,for the most part,coffee drinking sounds good for health.Not to mention I need coffee to stay awake."

    "Everybody is a genius.But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."—Albert Einstein

    If you have a kid with special needs in the school system,chances are you have come across that saying hanging on a classroom wall.My five-year-old daughter Syona has cerebral palsy（脑瘫）and it means,combined with her communication and sight problems,that normal standard isn't always an accurate measure of her abilities.

    By now you have probably heard about Chris Ulmer,the 26-yearold teacher in Jacksonville,Florida,who starts his special education class by calling up each student individually to give them much admiration and a high-five.I couldn't help but be reminded of Syona's teacher and how she supports each kid in a very similar way.Ulmer recently shared a video of his teaching experience."I have seen their confidence increase rapidly."he said.All I could think was: how lucky these students are to have such good teachers.

    Syona's teacher has an attitude that can best be summarized in one word: awesome.Her teacher doesn't focus on what can't be done—she focuses on what can be done.Over the past several months,my husband Dilip and I have seen Syona's confidence increase tenfold.She uses words she wouldn't have thought of using before.She recently told me about her classmate's trip to Ecuador and was very proud when I understood her on the first try.

    I actually wonder what the influence would be if we did something similar to what Ulmer does with his students in our home.We've recently started our day by reminding each other of the good qualities we all possess.If we are reminded of our strengths on a regular basis,we will become increasingly confident about progress and success.

    Staying up late is a potential battle between parents and kids. But the solution could be as simple as changing your meal time.

    Researchers at the University of Surrey, UK, found that delaying (延迟) meals could help change one of the internal (内部的) body clocks. Besides a “master” clock in the brain, there are clocks in other parts of the body. They are usually synchronized (同步的) according to factors including light.

    During the study, researchers tested 10 participants to study the effect of changing meal times on their body clocks. The participants were given three meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the first stage, participants received breakfast 30 minutes after waking. Lunch and dinner followed, after 5-hour intervals (间隔). In the second stage, each meal was delayed by 5 hours. Right after each stage, blood and fat samples (样本) were collected.

    Results showed that later meal times greatly influenced blood sugar levels. A 5-hour delay in meal times caused a 5-hour delay in the internal blood sugar rhythms (规律性变化).

    The discovery showed that meal times are in line with (与……一致) the body clock that controls blood sugar levels.

    This is a small study but the researchers believed the findings could help jet lag (飞行时差反应) sufferers and night-shift (夜班的) workers.

    In a study by the University of Surrey in 2013, researchers explored what happened when a person's body was changed from a normal pattern to that of a night-shift worker's.

    After people work through the night, over 97 percent of the body's rhythmic genes are disrupted (扰乱).

    These findings explain why we feel so bad following a long flight, or after working at night, according to Simon Archer, one of the study's researchers.

    “It's like living in a house. There's a clock in every room in the house and in all of those rooms those clocks are now disrupted, which of course leads to chaos (混乱) in the household,” fellow researcher Derk-Jan Dijk told the BBC.

    Changing meal times didn't affect the “master” body clock – the one controlling when we get sleepy – but it can reset the body clock that controls blood sugar levels.

    This wouldn't necessarily cure jet lag completely, but it might reduce the negative effects.

    A study published earlier this year suggested that just a weekend camping trip could be enough to reset our body clocks. And now this latest research shows regular food schedules could play a key part too.

    Some people find visiting ordinary museums to be a bit dull. Fortunately for them, there are unusual museums to check out, such as underwater museums!

    How can you visit and what can you see?

    Many underwater museums are supported by companies that offer guided tours. A trained guide leads groups around a stunning underwater display of statues in each museum. Depending on the depth of the museum, visitors may be able to view the sculptures from a glass bottomed boat or by swimming on the surface. Other underwater museums are deeper and are most accessible to scuba divers.

    Why are the museums underwater?

    Underwater museums have many functions. One of their aims is to create a man-made reef environment where sea creatures can live. That's why some of the museums are located in areas that were damaged by hurricanes or are considered underwater ''deserts''. The statues in the museum are designed in a way that encourages the growth of coal and plant life. Over time, the statues and plants attract a growing number of fish to the area.

    Florida, U.S.A.

    Florida is home to different types of underwater museums. The state's newest underwater museum, the Underwater Museum of Art, can be found off the coast of Grayton Beach. This part of the Gulf Mexico is an underwater desert, so creators hope that the exhibit will improve the marine ecosystem.

    Cancun, Mexico

    For years, Cancun has been a popular tourist destination. And one of the major draws is the water. The Museo Subacuatico de Arte is an ideal place for snorkelers and first-time divers. There they can enjoy more than 500 statues that help to make up a man-made reef. This museum was created to offer visitors a replacement for the areas natural reef, which has been damaged.

    Canary Island, Spain

    Museo Atlantico, off the coast of Lanzarote, has an impressive display of more than 300 statues. They were created by the same sculptor who made the Cancun statues. They focus on man's interaction with the marine world.

    Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship

    $2,500 awards available:1

    The Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship is a $2,500 one-time scholarship. Applicants must:

    Be a graduating high school senior with a documented learning disability who will be enrolled (招收) in a two-year community college, a training program, or a specialized program for students with learning disability in the fall；

    Demonstrate (证明) financial need;

    Provide most current documentation of an identified learning disability (Please note: attention-deficit (注意力缺乏症)/ hyperactivity disorder (多动症) alone is not considered to be a learning disability; candidates with AD/ HD must also provide documentation of a specific learning disability);

    Be a United States citizen.

    Contact: afscholarship@ncld.org            Tel:646-616-1211

    Marion Huber Learning Through Listening® (LTL) Scholarship

    $6,000 or $2,000 awards available: 6

    The awards are presented to those who are high school seniors with learning disabilities, in recognition of academic achievement, outstanding leadership, and service to others. The awards are given to six students who are chosen by a selection committee every year. The three top winners will get $6,000 each and the other three winners $2,000 each.

    Contact: naa@learningally.org         Tel: 800-241-4792

    Joe Hornsby Ⅲ Scholarship

    $2,000  awards available: 4

    The scholarship will focus specifically on students who have special needs because of physical disabilities and want to further their education at a college/ university or trade school. Applicants must:

    Be a graduating senior of a high school in Mesquite Independent School District;

    Be planning to attend or be enrolled in an undergraduate program at a college, university or technical training program;

    Have had at least a "C" average during high school (2.0 GPA)

    Contact: scholarship@dallasfoundation.org     Tel: 214-741-9683

    WSAJ Past Presidents. Scholarship

    7,500 awards available: 2

    Applicants must be high school seniors who have a history of achievement despite having been a victim of injury or overcoming a disability or similar challenge, and a documented need for financial assistance. They must also have a record of commitment to helping people in need or protecting the rights of injured persons and a plan to apply their education toward helping people. The scholarship is only open to students of Washington.

    Contact: anta@washingtonjustice.org          Tel: 214-741-9863