Hadi Partovi, founder of Code.org believes every student should learn the basics of computer science just like they do math, physics, or biology, regardless of what they want to do in the future. The expert says knowledge about the subject is important to understand how the world around us works and compares it to learning about photosynthesis(光合作用), even though not every student is going to be a botanist. To spark students' interest, he created the “Hour of Code,” which introduces the world of computing to anyone, from ages 14 to 104, in a fun, interactive manner. Observed annually during Computer Science Week, the event now draws tens of millions of kids from over 180 countries.

    The “Hour of Code”, which can be scheduled anytime during Computer Science Week, begins with an introductory video on computer science. Participants can then select from hundreds of fun assignments that are sorted by both grade level and coding experience. Though each project is designed to last just sixty minutes, beginners can deal with as many challenges as they desire.

    To help introduce computer science in classrooms on a more regular basis, Code.org has also developed a catalog of online courses that can be incorporated(纳入)in a school's regular curriculum. Since the nonprofit began offering the courses in 2013, over 704, 000 teachers have signed up to teach introductory computer science to over 22 million students worldwide.

    Thanks to the efforts of the pioneer, about 40 percent of US schools now offer computer science as a subject. The numbers are even higher—an impressive 70 percent—if after-school offerings such as robotics clubs are included. Even more encouraging, eight years ago, just 19, 390 students took an Advanced Placement Computer Science exam. By the spring of 2017, the number had jumped 415 percent to 99, 868.

    A small school in rural India is gaining attention over the fact that all 300 students are ambidextrous(左右手都灵巧的). Data shows that only one percent of the global population is ambidextrous, but the ambitious founder of Veena Vandini School, in Madhya Pradesh, is aiming to change that, starting at a local level.

    A former soldier and Veena Vandini School founder VP Sharma stated that he was inspired to focus on ambidexterity training by India's first president Rajendra Prasad who was in office from 1950 to 1962. Unexpectedly, the president was ambidextrous. "I read in a magazine that Dr. Rajendra Prasad, India's first president, used to write with both hands. This inspired me to give it a try, “Mr. Sharma said.”Later when I launched my school at my native village, I tried training the students. "

    "We begin training students from standard Ⅰ and by the time they reach standard Ⅲ, they are comfortable writing with both the hands,” Sharma added. "Students of up to standard Ⅶ can write with speed and accuracy. Further, they can write two scripts at the same time, one with each hand. Students also know several languages, including Urdu."

    Every 45-minute class at Veena Vandini includes 15 minutes devoted to handwriting practice, ensuring that every student develops the ability to write with both hands. VP Sharma also believes that the skill better enables students to learn multiple languages, and has them practice writing the same words in different languages at the same time. Although it is widely believed to help increase concentration, more recent studies have found that this is false and studying to become ambidextrous can, in fact, harm cognitive development.

    A Scientific American study revealed that ambidextrous children performed worse than left- or right-handers on a range of skills, especially in math, memory, and logical reasoning. A study in northern Finland indicated that children who are ambidextrous are much likelier to develop mental health issues, including ADHD, language problems, and academic problems.

    Whenever I talk about personality (个性) in relation to choosing a career, someone always complains like this: those tests are so stupid. When I was in the sixth grade, I took one of them and it said that I should be a farmer. While I don't think I would be a very good farmer, the results are probably a lot more accurate (准确) than I'd like to admit. At the time, it seemed ridiculous­I hated the outdoors and physical work, and was particularly sick of being dirty or sweaty. Now, though, as I think in terms of personality, it might have had something to do with my personality: I like long­term planning, working by myself, and being the master of my own fate.

    Personality tests are various, and some are complete nonsense. Be careful of any personality test that claims to be capable of concluding what your dream job is from your favorite food for breakfast, or by the type of animal you like best. While there are many personality assessments (评估) that are very accurate, I'd love to say that they are a second (and often expensive) step. The best choice is to find out about yourself for yourself.

    Before determining the ways to examine your work preferences, it's important to know the difference between liking a topic and liking the work. I once had a young guy who was a third­year marine (海洋的) biology student at a large state school in Ohio. He applied for and was placed into the Whale Watch program, where he found out that he became terribly seasick on any kind of boat­a big disadvantage for a student who thought he wanted to study whales in the wild.

    Dogs certainly need to bark (犬吠) every now and then, but if your neighbor's dog is getting in the way of your daily life, you need to do something.

    "Before you take action, you should record the dates and times that the barking happens to find out any patterns," says Schweitzer, who is a dog owner. You might notice the barking only happens when the owners are at work, or during thunderstorms.

    After two to three weeks of observing (观察), go to your neighbors with the facts. Wait for a time when the barking is over. "Since you're trying to keep a good relationship, you can't go when you're angry and upset," says Schweitzer. Besides, your neighbors might not even realize the barks are a problem, especially if the worst barking happens when they're not at home.

    Politely explain the times when the barking gets bad, and then suggest a way of solving the problem. Ask if the dog can stay inside during storms, or offer a dog training class.

    Making friends with the dog could help you gain some peace and quiet. If your neighbors introduce you to their dog, you should give the dog a treat. "If they become more comfortable seeing you, they're less likely to bark when they see you or when they're in the backyard，" says Schweitzer.

    Whatever you do, don't talk with your other neighbors about the problem or start a petition (诉状) to get the dog to quiet down. "Those make people feel angry," says Schweitzer. "That's when things escalate."

    If weeks go by and you still aren't seeing a difference, follow up with a note. Tie a dog treat on the note to build trust with your neighbors, and make a copy before dropping it off. That way, you'll have evidence (证据) that you've discussed it before and followed up politely if you need to bring in a third party, says Schweitzer.

    Compared with solar and wind energy, which are booming, tidal (潮汐的) power is a loser in the clean - energy competition. But if you did want to build a tidal power station, there are few better sites than the mouth of the River Severn, in Britain. Its tidal range, the difference in depth between high and low tides, of around 15 metres is among the largest in the world.

    Engineers and governments have been toying with the idea since at least 1925. But none of the suggested projects has materialised. Price is one objection. A study thought that tidal energy might cost between ￡216 and ￡368 ($306 - 521) per MWh of electricity by 2025, compared with ￡58 - 75 for seagoing wind turbines (轮机) and ￡55 - 76 for solar panels. Environmentalists also worry that any plant would change the tides, making life harder for wildlife.

    An engineer called Rod Rainey thinks he has a way around both problems. He plans to replace the conventional turbines of previous plans with a much older technology. Specifically, he plans to span (横跨) the river mouth with a line of water wheels. This is a design that dates back to the early days of the Industrial Revolution. Examples can be found fixed to the sides of old watermills (水磨).

    But there would be nothing old - fashioned about Mr Rainey's wheels. Thirty metres high and sixty wide, they would be made from ordinary steel. Two hundred and fifty of them, along with the supporting structures, would be floated into place and secured to the seabed, creating a line 15km long. Together, they could supply power at an avenge ate of 4GW. That is about as much as two biggish nuclear power stations would manage. Substituting one of the wheels with a set of locks would provide a shipping channel about twice the width of Panama Canal, permitting upstream ports such as Avonmouth and Cardiff to continue operating.

Four simple steps to be truly thankful

    Thanksgiving is more than pie and turkey. It's about helping and loving the family, friends and world around you. The following tips will help you show your thankfulness.

    ⒈Family

    A lot can happen in a year. Your family may have added some loved ones and lost some at the same time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, and let your family know how important they are to you and how glad you are that you all could get together.

    ⒉Friends

    Do what you always do — throw a party. In college, Chicago natives Heather and Nosheen threw a dinner party for their friends on Thanksgiving and came up with HANTDE: Heather and Nosheen's Thanksgiving Day Extravaganza. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    "HANDTE is a reunion time that we all look forward to every year," Heather says. "{#blank#}3{#/blank#}, so HANTDE has become a time to see and be with each other."

    ⒊Community (社区)

    You could volunteer at a local soup kitchen or bring unused items to a food bank. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. This year, Heather and Nosheen are asking their HANTDE guests to offer a donation, which they will donate to help low-income families.

    ⒋Self

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, for example, the debts you paid off or the friends you've made. Being able to give thanks for yourself and what you've done is the first step to being able to show thankfulness to others.

A. Stop racing for the next raise

B. Look back on your recent achievements

C. Take the time to raise a glass during dinner

D. You could also turn your celebration into a good cause

E. We have jobs now and don't see each other that much

F. What started in their dorm room now is a yearly tradition

G. Perhaps a family member is fighting against a deadly disease