Chuck McCarthy originally considered becoming a dog walker to earn some extra cash, but soon realized that the job required more than walking dogs on a leash. However, walking people didn't require much when they were out on walks. Chuck realized there was money to be made if he walked people around Los Angeles instead.

    It might sound like a joke, but The People Walker, as he calls himself, is very serious about his new job. For $7 per mile, he offers to walk with clients around L.A., listening to their problems or simply making conversations and offering them a sense of security. At 6-feet, 2-inches, and sporting a bulky figure and bushy beard, Chuck doesn't look like the kind of guy you'd want to mess with.

    Chuck's services are aimed at people who need a motivational boost to go walking, those who don't feel safe walking alone in some areas, and those who are afraid that people might see them walking by themselves and think that they have no friends. "I wear my The People Walker shirt upon request and on the first walk with a new client, so they can be 100% sure it's me," McCarthy says. However, he admits some people are a bit uncomfortable with this policy, as they don't necessarily want everyone to know that they're being walked.

    So far, Chuck McCarthy has already had another five people walkers employed, covering various areas, like downtown L.A., Hollywood, Eagle Rock, or Fairfax. Once he posted signs around the city, his phone started ringing and clients began rolling in. And with all the free publicity he has been getting in the press lately, more requests are coming.

    While he hopes that his acting career will pick up soon, in the meantime Chuck is very happy with his people walking business. After all, it's literally a walk in the park and it pays the bills.

Dearest darling girl,

    Today is the beginning of the next stage in your life. We head off to your new home at Stanford. Where do I start in telling you how proud I feel to be called Mummy by you? We've laughed at how you burst into this world with a scowl on your face, how determined you have always been right from feeding yourself to making big decisions for your life. There were days during your illness that I wasn't sure you had the will to make it. Telling you that you needed to want to get better was the hardest and yet the greatest day. From that day you took responsibility and decided you wanted to beat anorexia（厌食症）．

    I don't think I've ever felt so proud of you as when you came home to say that you wanted to go to West Africa between school and university. You chose to go alone, and to raise the money yourself. You have such strength of character and determination. It is at times hard to believe that you are only 18. You experienced something in that month that few dare experience in a lifetime.

    So, Viv, here are my words of wisdom to you as you start your next big adventure. The world is a beautiful place but often a few things can make it seem difficult. God's temple is made of love. It's man's temple that is built of stones. Open your heart to goodness and never ever let negative people or thoughts take hold of you. As Minor Myers put it, "Go into the world and do we'll. But more importantly, go into the world and do good:'

    It is true that with every passing day, I will grow older and weaker. A day may come when I will become forgetful. But even then, you with your bright smile, will light up my heart.

Your Alo

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    London's newest skyscraper (摩天大楼)is called the Shard and it cost about 430 million pounds to build. At a height of almost 310 metres, it is the tallest building in Europe. The Shard has completely changed the appearance of London. However, not everyone thinks that it is a change for the better.

    The Shard was designed by the famous Italian architect Renzo Piano. When he began designing the Shard for London, Piano wanted a very tall building that looked like a spire (尖顶)• He wanted the glass surfaces to reflect the sky and the city. The sides of the building aren't regular. So the building has an unusual shape. It looks like a very thin，sharp piece of broken glass. And that is how the building got the name: the Shard. Piano says that the spire shape of the Shard is part of a great London tradition. The shape reminds him of the spires of the churches of London or the tall masts (桅杆）of the ships that were once on the river Thames.

    The Shard has 87 floors. At the top, there is an observatory. At the moment the building is empty, but eventually there will be a five-star hotel. There will also be top quality restaurants, apartments and offices.

    Before building work began, a lot of people didn't want the Shard though the plans were approved. Now they are still unhappy about the Shard. Some critics say that such a tall skyscraper might be good in a city like New York, but not in London. They say that the best thing about the Shard is its spire shape. But that is the only thing. There is no decoration, only flat surfaces. The Egyptians did that 4,500 years ago. They also think the Shard is too big for London. It destroys the beauty of the city.

    Other critics don't like what the Shard seems to represent. They say that the Shard shows how London is becoming more unequal. Only very rich people can afford to buy the expensive private apartments and stay in the hotel. But the people who live near the Shard are among the poorest in London. So the Shard seems a symbol of the division in society between the very rich and the poor.

    The Shard now dominates the London skyline. It is not certain, however, that ordinary London citizens will ever accept it as a valuable addition to the city.

    I grew up with a fat dad 450 pounds at his heaviest. Every week he would try a new diet, and my family ended up eating whatever strange food he was trying at that moment.

    After my third-grade year, my dad landed a life-changing job in Manhattan. My mom, my little sister and I had to move away from our hometown, Chicago, and leave my grandmother and her beautiful food behind.

    Leaving my grandmother was far more frightening than the move to New York City.  There would be no more special weekends at my grandmother's house, the only place I can remember feeling happy, safe and nourished (有营养的). It was what I desired. In this new city, I felt extremely alone and lost, and I missed my grandmother terribly.

    My grandmother knew just how I felt. And she knew the cure. Every week, she would send me a card with a$ 20 bill, a recipe and a list of what to buy at the market. It kept us bonded, and her recipes filled my body and soul.

    Over the years, I have grown to better understand my father's struggles with weight and the toll (代价) it took on him and those who love him. I have come to realize he was driven not by vanity (自负) or selfishness as much as by a deep pain, I  And in spite of growing up in such an unhealthy eating environment ( or perhaps be-cause of it), as an adult I found a passion and a career as a nutrition consultant.

    Today, my father weighs 220 pounds and is a vegan(素食者). How he got there is a story I hope to share in the coming weeks. More importantly, food is no longer a barrier that keeps us apart, but a bridge that keeps us connected. There is nothing my dad enjoys more than talking with me about dietary theories and his weightloss victories. And now I am the one regularly sending recipe cards to my father s house, just as my grandmother did for me.

    Babies' main food is rice cereal. But it is often poisoned. Studies have found that many brands contain measurable amounts of inorganic arsenic(无机砷),the most poisonous kind. It's not just nice: an August 2018 study tested 50 foods made for babies, including organic and nonorganic brands such as Gerber, Earths Best, and other popular labels, and found evidence of at least one dangerous heavy metal in every product. Fifteen of the 50 contained enough contaminants(污染物)to pose potential health risks to a child eating one serving or less a day.

    Heavy metals can damage cognitive(认知的)development in children, who are especially at risk because of their smaller size. Inorganic arsenic in drinking water has been found to lower the IQ scores of children by five to six ills. And as heavy metals accumulate in the body over time, they can raise the risk of cancer, diabetes and other physical conditions. Of course, finding you're your favorite brand is contaminated is not a reason to panic. Low levels of exposure for short periods are unlikely to cause serious effects, but parents should focus on reducing the overall levels of these poisonous substances in their children's total diet to limit harm.

    Heavy metals occur naturally on Earth and are present in soil and water. But pesticides(杀虫剂), mining and pollution increase their concentrations, and farming and food manufacturing processes can contribute even more.

    Food makers are clearly of keeping baby food poison-free: roughly a third of the tested products did not contain worrisome metal levels. Some companies are already trying to look into the sources of contamination in their products and try to reduce them. More companies should follow. But the best chance of real change will come with laws. Currently there are no U. S rules on acceptable levels of heavy metals in baby foods.

    The government and the food industry should unite to deal with the serious threat to our children.

    Humans were designed to stand upright. And yet in this modern world, too many of us spend our days with our heads lowered for a simple reason: we're staring at the tiny screen of a smart phone.

    People spend an average of 2 to 4 hours each day with their neck bent while shooting off emails or texts. That's 700 to 1,400 hours a year. The success of social media has led to a rapid development of bad smart phone posture(姿势).

    The average adult head weighs 10 to 12 pounds when it's in the upright position. However, because of the gravity, bending your head at a 15 degree puts 27 pounds of pressure on your spine(脊椎); a 30 degree neck bend could equal 40 pounds of pressure; a 45 degree bend adds the force of 49 pounds, according to the research from Dr. Kenneth Hansraj from New York. These stresses may lead to many problems.

    It's no secret that correct posture is better for your back. According to the researchers, good posture is described as ears aligned(成一条直线) with the shoulders. In proper alignment, spinal stress disappeared. It is the best position for the spine. Standing tall doesn't just make you look better; it improves your health, too. Other studies have found good posture has even been connected to ways of behaving. People who have poorer posture often have poorer physical and emotional health.

    The researchers describe bad posture as “the head in a forward position and the shoulders dropping forward in a rounded position”. Bad posture has been connected to many medical problems, including headaches and other problems, depression and heart disease. This is why Hansraj said it's important to be mindful of your smart phone posture. Though it is nearly impossible to avoid the technologies that cause these problems, people should make an effort to look at their phones with a correct posture.