A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended. I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her. I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar. But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don't want your money. I just want you to help me find the post office.”

    In a moment, I realized what I had done. I judged another person simply for what I guessed she had to be. I hated what I saw in myself. This incident reawakened my belief in humility（谦恭）,even though I'd lost it for a moment.

The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant. I left Honduras and arrived in the US at the age of 15. I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother. Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and finally I became a network engineer.

    In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice（偏见）. I remember a time, at the age of 17, I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me. I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it's like, and I should have known better.

    But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going. That blind woman on the street of Washington, D.C. cured me of my blindness. She reminded me of my belief in humility to always keep my eyes and heart open. By the way, I helped that lady to the post office. And in writing this article, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson.

    The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication means.Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago,but it has brought new problems.One of the biggest problems is pollution.To pollute means to make things dirty.Pollution comes in many ways.We see it,smell it,drink it and even hear it.

    Man has been polluting the earth.The more people,the more pollution.Many years ago,the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people.When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place,man moved to another place.But this is no longer true.

    Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.

    Air pollution is still the most serious.It's bad for all living things in the world,but it is not the only one kind of pollution.Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water.Noise pollution makes us angry more easily.

    Many countries are making rules to fight pollution.They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city,and from putting dirty smoke into the air.Pollution by SO₂ is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic.We are sure that if there are fewer people driving,there will be less air pollution.

    The earth is our home.We must take care of it.That means keeping the land,water and air clean.And we must take care of the rise in pollution at the same time.

    Women are friendly. They often share with others. But men are more competitive. They are trying to improve their social status. Why? Researchers have found it's all due to the hormone oxytocin (荷尔蒙催生素). Although known as the love hormone, it affects the sexes differently.

    Generally, people believe that the hormone oxytocin is let out in our body in various social situations and our body creates a large amount of it when falling in love or giving birth.

    But in a former experiment Professor Ryan found that the hormone is also let out in our body during a negative situation such as envy (嫉妒).

    Further researches showed that in men the hormone oxytocin improves the ability to recognize competitive relations, but in women it raises the ability to recognize friendship.

    Professor Ryan's recent experiment used 62 men and women aged 20 to 37.

    Half of the participants (参与者) received oxytocin. The other half received placebo (安慰剂).

    After a week, the two groups switched with participants. They went through the same steps with the other material.

    Following each treatment, they were shown some video pictures with different social behavior. Then they were asked to analyze the relations by answering some questions. The questions were about telling friendship from competition. And their answers should be based on gestures, body language and facial expressions.

    The results showed that, after treatment with oxytocin, men's ability to correctly recognize competitive relations improved, but in women it was the ability to correctly recognize friendship that got better.

    Professor Ryan thus concluded, “Our experiment proves that the hormone oxytocin can raise people's abilities to better tell apart different social behaviors.”

    Having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are alone.

    Place friendship in the first place. Find the time to be with friends even if it means letting the lawn(草坪) go unmowed (未割的) or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can't get together, use the phone to keep in touch.

    Open up to close friends. Keeping a deep friendship requires a level of “heartfelt” intimacy (亲密).Don't be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problems， but offer advice only when it's wanted. Help raise friends' self-esteem(自尊) when they are sad about a job loss, or other such events.

    Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies， singing in a choir， and joining in a bowling league.

    Don't wait for a friend to ask for helps. When a friend has the flu， offer to go to the store or drive his or her children to their afterschool activities.

    Never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage， friendship needs care and patience. Become a joiner. Find a group that matches your interests.

    Talk to strangers. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms， or bookstores can lead to firm friendship.

    Enroll in an adult education course. A classroom is an ideal place to meet others with similar interests.

                                                              Ways to Improve Vocabulary in Just One Day

    The average American has a vocabulary in the thousands. Try these tricks to make sure yours builds up.

    ①Watch movies

    "If you see the movie version of your favorite book you're likely to have a deeper understanding and knowledge of the words in it," says Neuman, professor of Childhood and Literacy Education at New York University. "Seeing and reading something on the same topic is really important."

    ②Read magazines

    If you want to improve vocabulary, don't just flip through your favorite magazine, really read it.

    ③Listen to how words sound

    Many people won't remember tricky words unless they come across them frequently. But if you hear a word that you think sounds interesting, you become word conscious(有意识的) and start using it yourself, says Neuman.

    ④Join a book club

    "Book clubs are a wonderful strategy(策略) to learn new words," says Neuman. Not only will it force you to set aside time in your day to read, it's also a good way to discover books you might not normally be drawn to.

    ⑤Listen to the radio

    Those types of programs can expose you to topics you may not be familiar with. Don't miss these middle school vocabulary words adults still don't know.

    ⑥Pay attention to your surroundings

    Next time you walk down a busy street or take a walk in the park, try to describe what you're seeing as much as possible inside your head.

    ⑦Read, read, read

    Even if you don't stop to look up every single foreign word, chances are you can improve vocabulary simply by figuring out(想出)their meaning based on the context

San Francisco Fire Engine Tours

San Francisco Winery Tour 

Running: February 1st through April 30th 

This delicious tour goes through the city on its way to Treasure Island where we will stop at the famous Winery SF. Here you can enjoy 4 pours of some of the best wine San Francisco has to offer. (Included in ticket price)

Departing from the Cannery(罐头食品厂): Tour times upon request 

Duration: 2 hours 

Price: $90

Back to the Fifties Tour 

Running: August 16th through August 31st 

This tour transports you back in time to one of San Francisco's most fantastic periods, the 1950s! Enjoy fun history as we take you through San Francisco for a free taste of ice cream. 

Departing from the Cannery: 5: 00 pm and 7: 30 pm 

Duration: 2 hours 

Price: $90

Frightening Halloween Tour 

Running: October 10th through October 31 st

Join us for a ride through the historical Presidio district. True fire gear(服装)is provided for your warmth as our entertainers take you to some of the most exciting parts of San Francisco. 

Departing from the Cannery: 6: 30 pm and 8: 30 pm 

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes 

Price: Available upon request

Holiday Lights Tour 

Running: December 6th through December 23rd 

This attractive tour takes you to some of San Francisco's most cheerful holiday scenes. True fire gear is provided for your warmth as you get into the holiday spirit. 

Departing from the Cannery: 7: 00 pm and 9: 00 pm 

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes 

Advance reservations(预订)required.