I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous. I fumbled(摸索) in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes, which had escaped their search. I found one and because of my shaking hands, I could barely get it to my lips. But I had no matches, they had taken those. I looked through the bars at the guard. He did not make eye contact with me. I called out to him “Have you got a light?” He looked at me, shrugged and came over to light my cigarette. As he came close and lit the match, his eyes unconsciously locked with mine. At that moment, I smiled. I don't know why I did that. Perhaps it was nervousness, perhaps it was because, when you get very close, one to another, it is very hard not to smile. In any case, I smiled. In that instant, it was as though a spark jumped across the gap between our two hearts, our two human souls. I know he didn't want to, but my smile leaped through the bars and caused a smile on his lips, too. He lit my cigarette but stayed near, looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile.

    I kept smiling at him, now thinking of him as a person and not just a guard. "Do you have kids?" he asked. “Yes, here, here.” I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for the pictures of my family. He, too, took out the pictures of his family and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them. My eyes filled with tears. I said that I feared that I'd never see my family again, never have the chance to see them grow up. Tears came to his eyes, too. Suddenly, without another word, he unlocked my cell and silently led me out. Out of the prison, quietly and by back routes, out of the town. There, at the edge of town, he released me. And without another word, he turned back toward the town.

How to improve your happiness

    Recent research has shown that people who value their time over the pursuit of wealth are happier. So how can you best make, save and use your time — and ensure you keep a smile on your face?

● Pay someone to do the housework you hate

Why waste precious hours on housework or gardening if you can get someone else to do it?

● Set time limits on tasks you can't avoid

    Give yourself 20 minutes for necessary cleaning or 10 to hang out the washing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

● Enjoy standing in that queue

    With three people in front of you at the checkout, think about how busy you usually are and see the wait as a gift, not a bore(烦人的事情). {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

● Take on one new activity at a time

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}At work and at home, be careful about the duties you take on. If you already feel stressed at work, don't do more at home.

● Learn to say no

    Be firm by declining a new project, or telling someone you can't talk right now or that you can only talk for a couple of minutes.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

● Make lists your friend

    Start a wish list of the things you'd like to do and do more of the items that simply make you feel happy. Keep your daily to-do list manageable by putting it on an index card.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Be friendly but firm.

B. Make sure you start with an easy task.

C. This will get boring jobs out of the way faster.

D. Intending to do several things at once can be tiring.

E. Think about things that interest you, or wait patiently.

F. Trying to master too many new things at once can be unpleasing.

G. Recall things you're grateful for, talk to another customer or read a magazine.

    Modem zoos are different from those built fifty years ago.At that time zoos were places where people could go to see animals from many parts of the world.The animals lived in cages with iron bars（栅栏）.Although the zoo keepers took good care of them,many of the animals did not feel comfortable,and they often fell ill.

    In modern zoos,people can see animals in more natural conditions.The animals are given more freedom in larger places so that they can live as they would in nature.Even the appearance of zoos has changed.Trees and grass grow in cages,and water flows through the places the animals live in.There are few bars;instead,there is often a deep ditch（沟）,filled with water,which surrounds a space where several sorts of animals live together as they would naturally.In an American zoo,the visitors can walk through a special huge cage that is filled with trees,some small animals and many birds,and large enough for the birds to live naturally.In a zoo in New York,with the use of special nights,people can observe certain animals that are active only at night,when most zoos are dosed.Some zoos have special places for visitors to watch animals that live in the desert or under water.

    Modern zoos not only show animals to visitors,but also keep and save rare animals.For this reason,fifty years from now,the grandchildren of today's visitors will still be able to enjoy watching these animals.

    GROUP EVENTS & PARTIES

    Wanting to have a great time for a special occasion (场合), but are tired of the usual restaurant dinner, or house party? If so, then bring your group to Florida Surf Lessons to go surfing and then get ready for a great time on the beach, and in the surf!

    Tell us what your theme is and then let the professionals at Florida Surf Lessons take care of the rest!

    Birthday Parties: Surfing birthday parties are a fantastic way to celebrate life by getting out there and experiencing it. Guests at a surfing party will be grateful for this opportunity to join you in beginning this new and exciting challenge in life. We provide goodie bags (礼品包) and all. Parents: Not only will your child appreciate you but your celebrity status (名人地位) with their friends will soar!

    Teams & Clubs: Mix up the daily routine by taking your team or club surfing with Florida Surf Lessons. Your group is sure to have a wonderful experience.

School Field Trips: Attention teachers! Give your kids a field trip that is educational, fun and sure to please.

    Reunions & Family Events: Surfing is a terrific way to bring loved ones and friends together.

    Graduation Parties: Let's go surfing to celebrate this great occasion.

    Age Requirements: Min: 5 years old — For Both Kids and Adults—Men and Women

    Group Size: Over 5 People

    When Offered: Every day from July 1 to August 30. Click Here For More Information!

    Cost: $48.00 per person(A 20% discount will be given to a group of over nine people)

    Included: Professional Surf Instruction + Surfboard + Party Favors

    Lesson Length: 3 Hours (booking ahead of schedule is needed)

    Male And Female Instructors Available: Yes

    Contact Us: 561-625-5375· info@floridasurflessons.com

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are among the most famous awards for student achievement in the literary and visual arts. Past winners include such short story masters as Donald Barthelme, Joyce Carol Oates, and Stephen King.

The contest offers several categories relevant to short story writers: short story, flash fiction, science fiction, humor, and writing collection (graduating seniors only).

Who can enter? The contest is open to students in grades 9 to 12 (including homeschool-ers) in the US, Canada, or American schools abroad.

What do winners receive? The contest offers a variety of scholarships (some as high as $ 10,000) and cash awards (some as high as $ 1,000) at both the regional level and he national level. Winners may also receive certificates of recognition and opportunities for publication.

How are entries judged? The awards have three judging standards: originality, technical skill, and the reflection of a personal vision or voice. Be sure to read past winners to get an idea of what's been successful. The judges change every year, but they always include people who are highly accomplished in their field.

When is the deadline? Competition guidelines are updated in September, and submissions are usually accepted from September through early January. Regional Gold Key winners will automatically advance to the national competition.

How do I enter? All students begin by entering a regional competition based on their ZIP code. See the guidelines for additional information.

A new study reveals that pigeons (鸽子) can tackle some problems just like artificial intelligence, enabling them to solve difficult tasks that might challenge humans. Previous research has theorized that pigeons employ a problem-solving strategy, involving a trial-and- error approach, which is similar to the approach used in AI models but differs from humans' reliance on selective attention and rule use. To examine it, Brandon Turner, a psychology professor at the Ohio State University, and his colleagues conducted the new study. 

In the study, the pigeons were presented with various visual images, including lines of different widths and angles, and different types of rings. The pigeons had to peck (啄) a button on the right or left to indicate the category to which the image belonged. If they got it correct, they received food; if they were wrong, they received nothing. Results showed that, through trial and error, the pigeons improved their accuracy in categorization tasks, increasing their correct choices from about 55% to 95%. 

Researchers believed pigeons used associative learning, which is linking two phenomena with each other. For example, it is easy to understand the link. between "water" and "wet". "Associative learning is frequently assumed to be far too primitive to. explain complex visual categorization like what we saw the pigeons do," Turner said. But that's exactly what the researchers found. 

The researchers' AI model tackled the same tasks using just the two simple mechanisms that pigeons were assumed to use: associative learning and error correction. And, like the pigeons, the AI model learned to make the right predictions to significantly increase the number of correct answers. For humans, the challenge when given tasks like those given to pigeons is that they would try to come up with rules that could make the task easier. But in this case, there were no rules, which upsets humans. 

What's interesting, though, is that pigeons use this method of learning that is very similar to AI designed by humans, Turner said. "We celebrate how smart we are that we designed artificial intelligence: at the same time, we regard pigeons as not clever animals," he said.