A cancer-stricken British teenager said on Thursday she had been moved by messages of support from around the world after writing an online “Bucket List” of things she wanted to do before dying.

    Alice Pyne, 15, created an Internet blog in which she described her fight against a cancer of the white blood cells. “I've been fighting cancer for almost four years and now I know that the cancer is gaining on me and it doesn't look like I'm going to win this one,” she wrote.

    For her list, at the site www. alicepyne. blogspot. com, she has included making everyone sign up to be a bone marrow donor (骨髓捐赠者), swimming with sharks, meeting boy band Take That and getting a purple iPad computer.

Messages of support and offers of help quickly flooded her webpage and it became one of the most talked about subjects on Twitter.

     “Oh dear! And I thought that I was just doing a little blog for a few friends!” she wrote after her site attracted huge attention. “Thank you so much for all your lovely messages to me.”

    Alice, who lives with her family in the northwest English town of Ulverston, said the manager of Take That had arranged for her to see the band after reading her blog. A group of local lawmakers have also made efforts with the Anthony blood cancer charity to encourage people to join its stem cell (干细胞) projects.

    I sit on the stoop (门廊) in front of my friend's house at the top of a steep hill. And now my friend is late, and I'm stuck here waiting.

    I see a man approaching.

    "Por favor. Call 911," the man says. "Finger. Cut." With his left hand, he is pressing the handkerchief around his right little finger.

    "No. Have. Phone," I say, as if English is also my second language.

    "Have phone," he says, and dips his chin toward his front pants pocket. There, I find a phone, and call 911.

    The operator answers, and I say "I'm with this guy, and he cut his finger."

    "Did he cut it off?"

    "Did you cut it off?"

    "Sí." He sighs.

    "Yes. He cut it off."

    "Where is it?" the operator asks.

    "Where is it?"

    "Upstairs," he says, pointing with his elbow to the house next door.

    "Go get it," she instructs me.

    I follow the man toward the house. Inside, I see a table saw(锯), and the blood spreading across the ceiling, but I don't see the finger. I lift up each foot and look underneath to be sure I've not stepped on it. I'm getting that jumpy, tight-shouldered feeling like when you've lost sight of a spider that was on your ceiling a moment ago.

    "Do you see it?" I ask him.

    He points at his own finger beside the table saw. I grab a paper towel, pinching it carefully, the way you might pick up a harmless but frightening insect.

    "We have secured the finger," I tell the operator.

    "Hang tight. The ambulance is on its way."

    We sit on the stoop waiting for the ambulance.

    "You're going to be OK," I say, putting my free hand on his sawdust-covered back.

    "Gracias," he says.

    "De nada. Esta no problemo," I reply in broken Spanish.

    It feels good to be able to comfort someone, anyone. For months now, the second my hands would go idle(闲散的), a familiar depression would climb on my back. I have been trying to put on a good face for my kid, but I feel as if I've been failing. Could I save myself? I wouldn't know how. But I am determined to save this man.

    Finally the ambulance arrives, picks him up, and they're off.

    Throughout the evening, I can't stop worrying about the man. I decide to call the hospital.

    "Hi! I helped a guy who cut off his finger, and I don't even know his name, but I'm wondering whether he came to your hospital."

    The nurse says, "His name is Jose Ramos, and he's waiting for surgery. Would you like to leave a message?"

    "No. I don't want to bother him. I just wanted to be sure he was OK."

    The next morning, I call the hospital again. This time, I'm put through to Jose's room. "How was the surgery?"

    "No surgery," he says. "No enough blood."

    "Oh, I'm sorry," I say.

    Later that day, I remember that old proverb about how if you save someone's life, you are responsible for them for the rest of their life, which never made sense to me before. Shouldn't the person who got saved owe a debt, and not the other way around? But today, I get it. It's a great honor to help someone in need.

    I start keeping a lookout for other people in need of assistance. I help push a stalled car out of the road. I aid a disoriented cyclist when her bike gets clipped by a car. I adopt a dog. Then one day, a month or two after the finger incident, I realize I have completely forgotten to be depressed. I've been so busy playing the role of local hero that I have ignored to drag my feet and stare into space and imagine the world without me.

    Now, more than a decade has passed since Jose's accident. Occasionally I search for "Jose" plus "Ramos" plus "finger." I wish I could see him again, to see how he's getting on. But more important, to thank him, because when he lost his finger, he saved my life.

                                                      Four Wild Animal Species Were Endangered

    Maybe you can still see them at the zoo. But that doesn't mean they're doing alright in the wild.

    Tigers

    All six tiger species are endangered, with Suatran tigers and South China tigers at a seriously endangered status. The main reasons for their population decline are illegal hunting and destroyed habitats, as humans clear forests to gather timber and build roadways. Only about 3890 tigers presently live in the wild.

    Ground squirrels

    That's right, even squirrels are endangered, specifically the San Joaquin ground squirrel. Native to California, USA, these guys have been disappearing since 1979 on account of the construction and human developments going through their habitat. Their total population is unknown, but it could be anywhere between 124000 and 4130000.

    Giraffes

    The International Union for the Conservation of Nature recently put giraffes at a vulnerable status, the level just before endangered. The giraffe population has declined 40 percent in the last 30 years, primarily due to loss of habitat and illegal hunting. Some giraffes are killed just for their tails, which are considered status symbols in Africa.

    Asian elephants

    The main threat to Asian elephants, one of the most intelligent animals, is their shrinking habitat. As the human population grows, people invade their land to build roads and railway tracks. Elephants in Myanmar are at an especially high risk for being captured and traded or used illegally in the tourist industry. Fewer than 50000 are left on the entire continent.

    Most heroes are not super. They don't appear in comic books, on television, or in movies. They just do what they believe needs to be done to make their world a better place. Bike Batman is one of them.

    Bike Batman is a 30 - year – old married engineer who lives in Seattle, Washington. He's a cyclist who also buys and sells bikes as a hobby.

    About three year, ago, he was looking for his wife. He found one on Craigslist, a website where people list things they want so sell. As he often does, he also looked at Bike Index, a popular website that allows users to register their bikes and post reports when they're taken. The bike, which he was considering purchasing, clearly matched one reported stolen on? Bike Index. Then he called the person who claimed to be the bike's owner and arranged to meet him－supposedly to complete the sale. When the two men met, Bike Batman told the thief. You've got two option. You can wait until a police officer gets here, or you can just get out of here." You can imagine what the thief did.

    After that first success, Bike Batman developed a safer routine. When he sees questionable bike ads on Craigslist, he cross-references the image with bikes reported on Bike Index. Once he has confirmed it with the owner, he arranges a meet - up with the thief and will call the Seattle police department so that officers can participate in the action. In more than half of the 22 cases in which he has got back and returned bikes y the thieves have been arrested. In one case, Bike Batman even helped a family recover a wide range of prized possessions that suspects had stolen during a home burglary.

    His nickname came from a discussion with a police officer who suggested he be called "Robin Hood". Since he wasn't exactly stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, "Batman" seemed a better fit. The idea of a superhero punishing criminals feels pretty silly to him, but the main reason he continues his work is to keep up Seattle's reputation as a friendly city.

    A DREAM, for me, is like a torch to light up my insipid (平淡的)life and a pair of wings to fly me into the sky. The uncertainty of my future and the heavy burden of schoolwork had driven me into a negative situation and not until I had a dream did I get out there. I decided to become a hostess.

    It was last summer. I went to Jinan, which is famous for its natural springs, and started to learn broadcast hosting. However, I found that it was not easy.

    The weather was bad. It was too hot to stay calm, which made me homesick. I called-my parents at least five times a day. But as I tried my best to adapt to the weather and living conditions there, I became more independent.

    Another thing bothered me, too. My teacher criticized all my mistakes. Grievance (委屈)and exhaustion often reduced me to tears and sweat flowed down my checks. To get her recognition, I practiced my voice skills in a park every day, even on rainy days. You can't imagine how happy I was when she praised me for the first time.

    My dream enabled me to change a lot. Without my dream, I wouldn't have had the courage and the confidence to host the New Year party at our school. On stage, I knew that it was a good beginning to my hosting dream.

    I took the arts examination in the winter. To my delight, I did well. And I was more than excited when I received the offers from Shandong Normal University, Yunnan Normal University and Yunnan Art Institute.

    My dream has powered so much energy in me that my life has become colorful every day. So, however hard it will be to stick to my dream, no way will I give it up!

    Introduction

    Blenheim Palace is one of the Europe's largest and greatest palaces. It was built between 1705 and 1722 as a reward of the British government to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, for defeating King Louis XlV's army at Blenheim, a small Bavarian village on the Danube River. The palace was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, which displayed strength and arm glory. It is the largest non-royal building in England and is now listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

    Winston Churchill

    In 1874, the palace was the birthplace of the duke's most famous descendant. Winston Churchill, who was to become the UK's Prime Minister (some would say Britain's greatest 20th-century politician) and Nobel prize winner for literature. It is also in Blenheim that Winston got married to Clementine Hozier in 1908.

    A lasting exhibition is devoted to the man's life, work and writings. Winston and his wife are buried in Bladon Church within the palace.

    Opening Hours & Admission

    Blenheim is still the home of the 11th Duke of Marlborough and is therefore not open all year round (although the park is). The palace opens its doors to visitors from 12 February to 11 December. Entry to the palace, park and gardens cost £11.50 during the low season and £13 during the peak season (Easter weekend and from 28 May toll September), or £6/£8 for the park and gardens only.

    The park is open all-year round from 9am to 4:45pm (last entry). Admission is £2.50 for adults and £1.50 for children.

    Note that numerous discounts exist for seniors, students, children and groups. Please refer to the official website for more details.