There is a story about a man who lost his legs and left arm in an accident. After the accident, only a finger and thumb on his right hand remained.

    He was a brilliant, creative, and educated man. He had gained a lot of experience while traveling around the world, so he became very depressed after his accident. He was afraid that he would spend the rest of his life suffering and would no longer be able to spend his life in a meaningful way. Then, he realized that he still had partial function of his right hand and could still write even though it was very difficult. An idea occurred to him, “Why not write to other people who need encouragement?”

    He wrote to the prison ministry about sending letters to the prisoners. The prison minister replied, “Writing to the prisoners is acceptable, but your letters will not be answered.”

    Filled with excitement, the man knew he could write his letters. He began sending one-way messages of God's love, hope, strength, and encouragement. He wrote twice a week, testing his strength and ability to the limit. He poured his heart and soul into his words and shared his experience, sense of humor, optimism, and faith.

    It was difficult to write those letters, especially without hope of a reply. One day he received a letter from the prison ministry. It was a short note from the officer who monitored and checked the prison mail.

    The letter said, “Please write on the best paper you can afford. Your letters are passed from room to room until they fall to pieces!”

    No matter what circumstances life may present, we all have unique experiences, abilities, and God-given talents. We can discover ways to reach others who desperately need messages of encouragement and strength.

    A new library in Tianjin—Tianjin Binhai Public Library—recently became an online hit. The Daily Mail described it as the “world's ultimate (终极的) library”, while the word “breathtaking” was the choice of Newsweek magazine. One look at the library and you'll see why. With its futuristic (未来主义) design and walls loaded with books, it's the dream library of every book lover.

    But as the surprise continues, there's a burning question lying in the back of our minds: When physical bookstores are closing down one by one, what makes libraries safe from the wave of digitalization (数码化)? And do we really still need libraries now that we've got the Internet in our hands?

    Reporter Ian Clark has the answer. “Libraries are not declining in importance—people are simply changing the way they use them,” he wrote on the Guardian website.

    What Clark means is that libraries have shifted from simply being storehouses of books to a medium to help “bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots” according to website Libraries Are Essential. Since not everyone can afford a smartphone, a tablet or an Internet connection, and not everyone has the know-how to search the Internet correctly and efficiently, it's public libraries that make sure that these resources and technologies are available to a larger group of people.

    "Nobody is trying to sell you anything in the library. There is no pressure to buy and there is no judgment of your choices/' Anne Goulding, a professor at Victoria University in New Zealand, wrote on the Newsroom website. “There are few other spaces that you can just 'be' without somebody questioning your presence or your motivation."

    FOREIGN TEACHERS ARE NEEDED ALL OVER CHINA

    Ad No.90374

    Posted Oct 12, 2016 13:27 by Amanda

    Date due: Dec 12,2016

    Beijing Language Teaching Part Time

    We are looking for Teachers, whose Native Language is English, willing to teach in China.

    Mostly schools are in South of China.

    The Benefit package for ESL Teachers includes:

    Period: 1st Mar.2017 to 1st Jul.2017

    Salary: 4,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan /Month

    Teaching load&schedule:20 teaching hours per week

    A rent-free, fully furnished apartment for living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom

    Kitchen equipment provided. Other electric appliances will be supplied: water heater, microwave etc.

    If you are interested, please read the information above and kindly send your application to attach the following documents(doc or JPEG format). The subject to be mentioned, as "Teach in China".

    ⒈Resume(简历)

    ⒉A copy of academic degree/diploma/certificate

    ⒊A copy of your valid passport

    ⒋A recent color photo

    ⒌A letter of recommendation/or release letter from your previous Chinese school(Only if you worked in China previously)

    ⒍Any other relevant information that you think might help your application

    While most people have the idea that volcano eruptions are one of the most destructive disasters in nature, seeing a volcano erupt is a wonderful experience, and you can really feel the heat by climbing to the summit of Pacaya for a close-up view.

    There are guided tours every day up this highly active volcano from Antigua, giving travelers a chance to see Mother Nature at her most powerful. Pacaya is an easy drive from Antigua, a beautiful city with many colorful houses along its old streets that are turned into art-works during its Holy Week festival. No matter when you come to Antigua, you won't miss the Pacaya-tour companies.

    But climbing Pacaya is no easy job: it is 2,560 meters high, and reaching the summit takes two to three hours of seemingly one-step-forward and two-step-back movements. As you climb you hear the dull sounds of eruptions high above. Steaming, hot remains from recent eruptions begin to line the path as you near the active summit: the Mckenney Cone (火山锥). Just as though you were going to walk over to the edge of the cone, the road turns to the left and up to the relative safety of the old, inactive summit.

    Many tours are timed so that you arrive at the cone of the volcano in plenty of time for sunset and the full contrast between the erupting red lava(岩浆) and the darkening sky. On a good day the view from the summit is extremely exciting. The active mouth boils, sending red lava over its sides, and once in a while shoots hot steams up to 100 meters into the air. There is a strong bad smell in the air even if you take care to be upwind of the cone. As evening turns deeper into the night, the burning lava quietly falls down the side of the volcano. For you, too, it is time to get down.

    Universities and colleges in the United States are trying new programs for international students to increase enrollment and income. Some universities are experimenting with bringing international high school students to their campuses. These programs permit students to complete their high school diploma while earning college credit at the same time.

    One example of this model is at the University of Southern Maine, or USM. The program is called the "International Academy". The school is expecting its first class of international high school students this fall. Joanna Evans is the director for the academy. The program is officially a "boarding school on a university campus" that serves 11th and 12th grade international high school students only.

    The students will take classes at the University of Southern Maine to complete their high school diploma. However, because the classes are university-level, the students will receive college credit at the same time.

    According to Evans, the students they admit will have to be very strong. Their course schedule will be the same as taking only advanced-placement courses. The goal is that, by the time they complete their high school diploma at the academy, they will be ready to start college as a third-year college student.

    Their English language skills also must be strong. The Academy looks for students with a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL score of 79,or a 6.5 on the International English Testing System, or EELTS. However, there are classes available to provide additional English language training when the students arrive if they need it.

    All incoming students at the academy are required to take a college writing class in their first term. If English is not their first language, they will take a class taught by teachers with a background in teaching students who speak English as a foreign language.

    Although they are only high school students, the expectations are the same as college students. "Students need to be ready to take university classes, and that is the deal" Evans said.

    Most animals on land are known to us, but many living things underwater are not. Now let's get to know some of them.

    Sea cucumber

    Sea cucumber are strange animals living at the bottom of the sea. They wear brown or pale green coats with many sticks up. When summer comes, they stay deep to sleep because they are afraid of heat. And when it is autumn, they move to shallow (浅的) water and get their food.

    Pike

    The pike is a kind of freshwater fish. They are good swimmers and like swimming near boats, waiting to be fed. They have sharp teeth to catch fishes. When they are young, they live in groups. However, when they grow up, they prefer to live alone.

    Cuttlefish

    A cuttlefish can swim quite fast, so it is also called rocket (火箭) fish. It has eight arms and two feelers on its head, just around its mouth. It ejects ink (喷墨) when it is in danger. Its meat is delicious, and it is often the first choice for many people.

    Octopus

    An octopus has long arms, with which to catch food and protect itself. When it is sleeping, one or two of its arms are still on duty, keeping moving. Once it feels something dangerous, it can wake up at once to take action.