Once when I was facing a decision that involved high risk, I went to a friend. He looked at me for a moment, and then wrote a sentence containing the best advice I've ever had: Be bold and brave — and mighty (强大的) forces will come to your aid.

      Those words made me see clearly that when I had fallen short in the past, it was seldom because I had tried and failed. It was usually because I had let fear of failure stop me from trying at all. On the other hand, whenever I had plunged into deep water, forced by courage or circumstance, I had always been able to swim until I got my feet on the ground again.

          Boldness means a decision to bite off more than you can eat. And there is nothing mysterious about the mighty forces. They are potential powers we possess: energy, skill, sound judgment, creative ideas — even physical strength greater than most of us realize.

       Admittedly, those mighty forces are spiritual ones. But they are more important than physical ones. A college classmate of mine, Tim, was an excellent football player, even though he weighed much less than the average player. “In one game I suddenly found myself confronting a huge player, who had nothing but me between him and our goal line,” said Tim. “I was so frightened that I closed my eyes and desperately threw myself at that guy like a bullet（子弹） — and stopped him cold.”

       Boldness — a willingness to extend yourself to the extreme—is not one that can be acquired overnight. But it can be taught to children and developed in adults. Confidence builds up. Surely, there will be setbacks (挫折) and disappointments in life; boldness in itself is no guarantee of success. But the person who tries to do something and fails is a lot better off than the person who tries to do nothing and succeeds.

       So, always try to live a little bit beyond your abilities—and you'll find your abilities are greater than you ever dreamed.

    Primary schools could be told to remove some traditional subject-based lessons and replace them with “personal development” classes to encourage children to improve their social and practical skill. Parents, teachers and pupils, who took part in the investigation carried out for the biggest ever official review of the primary curriculum, argued that the number of subjects taught to very young people should be reduced.

    The review, being conducted by the government's school's director Sir Jim Rose, will consider how to redesign the primary school day to handle concerns that too many pupils leave primary school unable to read, write and do maths at the level expected of them. It will also address criticisms that pupils are expected to study so many subjects there is little time for creative learning.

    The 60 focus groups brought together 1,500 parents, pupils and school staff and is expected to heavily influence the thinking of the Rose review, which the government is promising to back. Instead of a broad range of subjects, pupils should study in-depth literacy and maths lessons alongside a more creative curriculum that encourages pupils to develop personal, learning and thinking skills, they say. Such lessons might include “healthy lifestyles, sex and relationships education, drugs and alcohol education”.

    “Child and personal development as priorities have been shamefully neglected in recent years in the rush to hit targets in the basics.” John Bangs, head of education at the National Union of Teachers, said, “The worst thing would be to evaluate child development through the current high stakes testing system. That would weaken the capacity of teachers to meet children's unique needs.”

    However, the shadow schools minister, Nick Gibb, said, “If lessons on lifestyle are given the same status as traditional subjects, it is the most disadvantaged children who will be worst affected.” “Children are not able to personally develop and succeed in the future if they don't have a grasp of basic subjects such as maths and English early on in primary school. Removing high requirement from the primary curriculum would increase the inequality gap between less well-off pupils and the rest.” Nick added. A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) said, “This is a summary of stake holder's view, not the views of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority or the DCSF, and has been submitted to Sir Jim Rose's review as evidence to consider.”

    A qualified doctor who rarely practiced but instead devoted his life to writing．He once said: “Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my lover．” Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, was a great playwright and one of the masters of the modern short story．

    When Chekhov entered the Moscow University Medical School in 1879, he started to publish hundreds of comic short stories to support his family．After he graduated, he wrote regularly for a local daily newspaper．

    As a writer he was extremely fast, often producing a short story in an hour or less．Chekhov's medical and science experience can be seen through the indifference (冷漠) many of his characters show to tragic events．In 1892, he became a full time writer and published some of his most memorable stories．

    Chekhov often wrote about the sufferings of life in small town Russia．Tragic events control his characters who are filled with feelings of hopelessness and despair．

    It is often said that nothing happens in Chekhov's stories and plays．He made up for this with his exciting technique for developing drama within his characters．Chekhov's work combined the calm attitude of a scientist and doctor with the sensitivity(敏感) of an artist．

    Some of Chekhov's works were translated into Chinese as early as the 1940s．One of his famous stories, The Man in a Shell, about a school teacher's extraordinarily orderly life, was selected as a text for Chinese senior students．

    Bike Share Toronto is the city's official bike share program, designed to give locals and visitors a fun, affordable and convenient alternative to walking taxis, buses and the subway. There are 200 Bike Share Toronto stations and 2,000 bikes across the city, making Bike Share the most accessible way to get around and explore.

    How it works

    Become an Annual Member or buy a day Pass to access the system.

    Find an available bike nearby, and get a ride code or use your member key to unlock it.

    Take as many short rides as you want while your pass or membership is active.

    Return your bike to any station, and wait for the green light on the dock(停靠点) to make sure it's locked.

    Choose a plan

    For Visitors

    Day Pass: $7. Unlimited 30-minute rides in a 24-hour period.

    3-Day Pass: $15. Unlimited 30-minute rides in a 72-hour period.

    For locals

    Monthly Pass: $25. Unlimited 30-minute rides for a month.

    Annual Membership: $90. Unlimited 30-minute rides for a whole year. The Annual Membership is the best deal for locals of Toronto and other frequent riders.

    The fee of the first 30 minutes of each ride is included with the membership or pass price. Don't charge extra fees if you drop off your bike within 30minutesatany other station. If you keep a bike out for longer than 30 minutes a time, you will be charged an extra fee, $1.50 for the first extra 30 minutes, $4 for the next 30 minute, and $7 for each additional 30 minutes after that.

    Contact us

    Customer Service: (855)898-2388

    Repair Service: (855)-2378

    Corporation Partners: (855)898-2398

    Employment Opportunities:(855)898-2498

    I decided to ski to the North Pole. It was after I saw an advertisement in a newspaper looking for people to join a team to ski 350 miles to the North Pole. Back in 1996, there had never been a woman from the UK who had accomplished this challenge. I wondered what it would be like to survive in temperatures cold enough to freeze your flesh in seconds, so I sent off for the application form.

    The application form full of pictures of male explores arrived. The words “Are you man enough for the ultimate(极限的)challenge?” made me angry and even more determined to get on the team.

    Over 500 individuals applied for a place in the team, and the selection process included physical and psychological tests designed to pick the best group. In one test, there was a huge rope ladder we had to climb, and I froze at the top because I have a fear of heights. I thought my hopes were fading as most other applicants sailed past, leaving me behind. But two others helped me over, and later I found out that the organizers were not looking for amazing individuals, but great team players, and this moment had shown them who would take care of others in the team.

    I had revealed(显示)my weakness, and in a place like the Arctic, you have to be yourself, as there is nowhere to hide. These personalities of asking for help and showing weakness are necessary for women to master.

    I realized that by being myself, I could succeed. I was selected for the team. I realized that I could achieve more than I ever imagined — more importantly, by sharing my story with others, I could inspire them to take a step into the new world and reveal more of their abilities.

    We've all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.

    What's the problem? It's possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It's more likely that none of us start a conversation because it's awkward and challenging, or we think it's annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it's an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.

    Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can't forget that deep relationships wouldn't even exist if it weren't for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease(润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. "Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk," he explains. "The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them."

    In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction(互动) with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. "It's not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband," says Dunn. "But interactions with peripheral(边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also."

    Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. "Small talk is the basis of good manners," he says.