Scientists are debating how to limit their newly-discovered power to change genetic structure (结构). Scientists already modify the genes (基因) of farm animals and agricultural plants to make them more productive or stronger. But now they can also change genes in wild animals and plants. These genes would continue into later generations. For example, it may be possible for scientists to remove from existence the kind of mosquitoes, small flying insects, that carry the Zika virus. They might also be able to permanently remove species (物种) of plants and animals that are damaging to other species.

    In a report published last week, the U. S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NAS) said it supports continued research on this kind of gene control. But it warned that it is not possible to know what will happen when these changed plants and animals are released (释放) into the wild.

    Sixteen biologists, ethicists (伦理学家) and policymakers are on an NAS committee that is examining the issue. They say that there is value to the new technology. But, they say, there is not enough evidence to support the release of modified organisms (生物体) from the laboratory into nature.

    Many people would support stopping mosquitoes and rats from carrying diseases. But scientists say we must understand the possible scientific, ethical, legal and social results of such action before we decide whether to take it. Gene modification is spread through reproduction (繁殖).

    Changed genes will continue to spread as long as an animal or plant continues to reproduce. They cannot be limited to a farm or kept within a country's borders. Scientists are wondering what may happen if a modified organism mates with another species. They are not yet sure how the modified genes would affect the other species. It is possible that those genes could harm those creatures or even lead to their disappearance from our planet.

Ways to Have an Amazing Day

    I am a big believer in the Law of the Harvest: we harvest what we sow. If we plant the seeds of success every day, we will get a successful harvest. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Try new things

    So many of life's great experience wait just on the other side of our fears or our comfort zone. When the opportunity to try something new comes up, ask yourself, “Why not?” {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Don't miss out on the great moments that are waiting all around you every day!

Keep learning

    When we were kids it seemed that every day had something new that we had not experienced before. That is why young children will ask their parents “Why?” about a thousand times a week. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} A lifetime of learning leads to a love for life.

Be kind

    It has been said that you can measure a person by how he treats the people who can do nothing for him. How often do you stop to talk to the people you meet with every day？One great way to get more out of your day is to fill it with people you know. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} And take a moment to learn a little about them.

Find a purpose

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It may be to run a marathon, write a book, start a business, develop a product, or learn a new hobby or profession.

A. Have one or more big “life goals”.

B. If we don't plant enough, we cannot have a good harvest.

C. We are learning and growing.

D. You have to make the most of every day in life.

E. Provide meaningful services for other people in any situation.

F. Many of the great moments in life are linked to new experiences.

G. The best way to know more people is to be kind to everyone you meet.

    No one knows how much money Dr. Lyle Tullis gave away to students. I was his colleague for nearly a decade and I never stopped being amazed at his generosity. Our college has a program of providing cross-cultural experiences for students. Lots of students take advantage of summer experience oversea. I discovered that no group left for overseas with some of its members receiving financial help from Dr. Tullis.

    It wasn't that he made a lot of money. For one thing, he taught in a church-run school. There, his salary was half of what those people earned in a tax-supported school.

    Other colleagues occasionally complained about the low pay. Not Lyle Tullis. Occasionally some professors would leave our campus for a better-paid position. They told me they did so because, with better pay, they could provide for their families.

    The size of Lyle Tullis' paycheck never seemed to be the most important thing to him. I realized that one day when I was thanking him for helping a student, his eyes shone as he said to me, “I've got so much money that I don't know what to do with it. So, I just give it away.”

    Most people wouldn't have thought that way. Dr. Tullis drove one of the oldest cars on campus. It was even older than almost any of the students' cars. His home, while comfortable, was not fancy at all. But Lyle Tullis lived with the feeling that he had so much money that he needed to give it away.

    He was one of the favorite on campus. Cynics(愤世嫉俗者) might say he bought fame. But they would misunderstand. Lyle wanted to devote his life, all of it, to helping others.

    Believe it or not, school uniforms are absolutely not only clothes for students. They stand for the culture or beauty appreciation standard of a country. To wear uniforms has become a trend in most countries in modern society. Well, let's take a look at school uniforms in different nations. This will be interesting. And here, you will detect diverse allure (魅力)！

    The style of England school uniforms is rather classic, simple and respectable. Middle school students must wear traditional western-style school uniforms. Boys wear traditional western-style clothes, regular leather shoes and must wear neckties. Girls also wear western-style clothes, regular leather shoes and must wear bow ties. This classic clothing style unconsciously affects England students' temperament(性格)and also sense of beauty.

    Both boy and girl students in Australia are required to wear black leather shoes and white socks. They wear school uniforms all the time except the physical education, when they need to wear gym suits.

    Students in Malaysia obey rather strict rules. Girls' dresses must be long to cover the knees. Shirts must cover the elbow. Comparing with Thai students, they are much more conservative. School uniforms in most schools of China are only different in size. You can't find big differences between boys' uniforms and girls' uniforms only from the appearance. Both of them are loose sport suits.

    Have you ever taken a test that you thought you could have passed easily, only to make some silly mistakes that really hurt your grade? More than a few students have done that. And some seem to do it over and over again.

    There are several problem areas that can cause students to goof up or do poorly in a test that they could have passed.

    Some students can become overconfident in their knowledge of the subject matter. They think they know the material better than they actually do. It is easy for students to misjudge their own knowledge, and when they realize that they don't know the material, it is too late.

    What happens more often, though, is that some students feel they are smart enough to be able to guess their way through a test. So they don't bother studying the material. They are overconfident in their ability to figure things out.

    In either case, overconfidence can result in lower grades in tests. Does this apply to you?

    Another thing that can happen is that students underestimate (低估) the difficulty of the test. They expect an easy test, but the teacher throws in a real tough test that they haven't prepared for. Sometimes the teacher may cover material in the test that students weren't expecting. That can happen, especially if you weren't paying attention in class.

    Finally, there are students who don't feel that getting a good grade is important to them, so they don't bother to study or even try to do well. Such students may be trying to punish their parents, have a poor image of themselves, or are just plain foolish. Hopefully, you are not one of these students.

    Runners never forget crossing the finishing line at their first marathon, and that will be especially true for Mike Kohler. When Kohler crossed the starting line in Fargo last Saturday, he thought he was going to run 13.1 miles, his first half marathon. Six hours later, he had "mistakenly” completed his first full marathon, 26.2 miles.

    Kohler, a 26-year-old plumber (水管工) who now lives in West Fargo, had lined up for the half marathon that he hoped to complete in 150 minutes. He didn't realize he was in a starting fence with the full marathoners. Several miles later, Kohler began to realize he was on the course for the full marathon. "The 8-mile mark was when I figured out that I had made a mistake," he said. "Between then and 13.1, I debated with myself about what I should do."

    At some point — he doesn't remember when — he doubled down on the distance. "After I decided I was going to keep going, the thought of quitting didn't come back. Run, walk, or crawl, I wanted to finish," he said.

    Until Saturday, Kohler's longest race was a 10-kilometer run, just over 6 miles. Even the most casual marathoners do a training run of 18 miles before the race. From his experience, he said he learned one thing: sometimes people can do more than they think they can.

    After his long race, he went right back to work, put in a 10-hour day and then boarded a flight to Scotland for a vacation. "I was pretty sore, but I found the more I kept moving, the less sore I was, so I tried my best to go about life normally — minus running,” Kohler said from Glasgow. "I needed a break from that for a bit."

    Not for too long, though. He's already considering the Bemidji Blue Ox Marathon in October.