growing mountain of electronic waste like computers and personal digital assistants. The electronic waste stream is

increasing three times faster than traditional garbage as a whole.

        Electronic devices contain valuable metals such as gold and silver. A Swiss study reported that while the 

weight of electronic goods represented by precious metals was relatively small in comparison to total waste, the 

concentration (含量) of gold and other precious metals was higher in            So-called e-waste than in naturally 

occurring minerals.

         Electronic wastes also contain many poisonous metals. Even when the machines are recycled and the harmful 

metals removed, the recycling process often is carried out in poor countries, in practically uncontrolled ways which 

allow many poisonous substances to escape into the environment.

         Creating products out of raw materials creates much more waste material, up to 100 times more, than the 

material contained in the finished products. Consider again the cell-phone, and imagine the mines that produced 

those metals, the factories needed to make the box and packaging(包装) it came in. Many wastes produced in the

producing process are harmful as well.

        The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that most waste is dangerous in that “the production, 

distribution, and use of products — as well as management of the resulting waste — all result in greenhouse gas 

release.” Individuals can reduce their contribution by creating less waste at the start — for instance, buying 

reusable products and recycling.

        In many countries the concept of extended producer responsibility is being considered or has been put in place 

as an incentive (动机) for reducing waste. If producers are required to take back packaging they use to sell their 

products, would they reduce the packaging in the first place?

Governments' incentive to require producers to take responsibility for the packaging they produce is usually

based on money. Why, they ask, should cities or towns be responsible for paying to deal with the bubble wrap (气

泡垫) that encased your television?

From the governments' point of view, a primary goal of laws requiring extended producer responsibility is to

transfer both the costs and the physical responsibility of waste management from the government and tax-payers 

back to the producers.

    Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman doctor in the United States. Her success opened the way for other women who wanted to do more than nursing. She was born in England in 1821 and her family moved to America when she was eleven years old.

    The Blackwell girls received the same education as their brothers. This was most unusual in those days. Their father died young and they had very little money to live on. Elizabeth and her sisters taught at school. Then a woman dying of cancer urged Elizabeth to study medicine, saying that a woman doctor would have saved her from her worst sufferings. Nearly everyone said a girl should not go to medical school, but she managed to enter Geneva College in New York State. She graduated in 1849 at the head of her class and received the first medical degree ever given to a woman.

    Next, Dr. Blackwell went to Paris. Her only chance of training was in a hospital where women came to have their babies. Four months later, while she was working in the French hospital, her left eye became dangerously infected (感染). She lost the eye. She was very disappointed. But she was soon back at work again, this time in London, England. There she met many famous scientists.

    In 1859, Elizabeth Blackwell was officially recognized as a doctor in Great Britain — the first woman to be honored. She was the inspiration of Elizabeth Garrett, who began the women's medical movement in England. Florence Nightingale, founder of the practice of nursing by women, was another of her friends.

    Dr. Blackwell died in 1910 at the age of 89.

    “I never wanted to come on this stupid hiking trip!” Jeff's voice was panicked. His father stopped and turned to look at the boy.

    “This is hard on you, son. But you've got to come through with your courage.”

    “But I am scared!” Jeff shouted.

    “Please have enough love for your brother to think this through!” His father replied, “We just don't have the time to stop. And I don't know if I can make it without stopping every so often. While you're only ten, you're strong and fast. Do you remember the way back from here to the road, if you had to go alone?”

    Jeff flashed back to the painful scene of his seventeen-year-old brother Mark at their campsite. He'd been bitten by a snake during a rough hike. He needed medical attention right away. Worse still, their cell phone was dead.

    “Jeff? Could you make it to Flint without me? You can get help there.”

    Jeff nodded, said goodbye to his father and continued climbing over the rocks. The rocks and branches threatened his footing and speed, but stone by stone, he made his way up the valley.

    Jeff turned and made the final climbing-up toward the road. When he reached it, he rested himself, breathless. “Can't stop,” he thought. “Mark's in big trouble Keep going.” Just as he pulled himself upright, a truck sped by, heading for Flint " Hey!” he shouted excitedly, waving both arms. The truck stopped, "Jump in, boy! What's up? "The driver asked, Jeff got in and explained. Immediately the driver reached for his cell phone. “Help! Help! Better get the helicopter in there,” he seemed to be shouting into his hand. But Jeff wasn't sure about that because everything got unclear and then went black and quiet.

    Hours later, Jeff opened his eyes to find himself in a hospital, with his father nearby. His father told him that the helicopter airlifted Mark to the hospital and he would be fine in a few days. His father hiked himself out of that valley and took a ride from someone to the town. “You're a hero, son,” his father finally said with a smile.“ You saved Mark.”

    A young woman sits alone in café sipping tea and reading a book. She pauses briefly to write in a nearby notepad before showing her words to a passing café waiter: “Where are the toilets please?” This is a familiar scene in Tokyo's so-called “silent cafes”, where customers are not allowed to speak, and only communicate by writing in notepads.

    The concept rises by a desire to be alone among young Japanese, a situation brought by economic uncertainly, a shift in traditional family support structures and the growing social isolation. The phenomenon is not limited to coffee shops but covers everything from silent discos, where participants dance alone wearing wireless headphones connected to the DJ, to products such as small desk tents designed for conversation-free privacy in the office. One Kyoto company even offers single women the opportunity to have a “one woman wedding” – a full bridal affair, complete with white dress and ceremony, and the only thing missing is the groom. The trend has its own media expression – “botchi-zoku”, referring to individuals who consciously choose to do things completely on their own.

    One recent weekday afternoon, Chihiro Higashikokubaru, a 23-year-old nurse, travelled 90 minutes from her home, to Tokyo on her day off in order to enjoy some solo time. Speaking quietly at the entrance of the café, Miss Higashikokubaru said: “I heard about this place via Twitter and I like the idea of coming here. I work as a nurse and it's always very busy. There are very few quiet places in Tokyo, and it's a big busy city. I just want to come and sit somewhere quietly on my own. I'm going to drink a cup of tea and maybe do some drawings. I like the idea of a quiet, calm atmosphere.”

    The desire to be isolated is not a new concept in Japan, home to an estimated 3.6 million “hikikomori” – a more extreme example of social recluses（隐士）who withdraw completely from society.

    Looking for new and creative ways to reach your fitness goals? Now's the time to check out the following hottest fitness apps for the new year.

    Hot5

    Platform: iOS

    Cost: Free

    Hot5 contains pages and pages of 5-minute video workouts that are easy to follow. You can find video workouts of all varieties and difficulty levels that will work you out with only five moves. Hot5s are modern. It is also beautifully designed and user friendly.

    GymPact

    Platform: iOS, Android

    Cost: Free

    We all need a little motivation when it comes to working out, and GymPact is a perfect way to get inspired. Make a commitment to working out a certain number of times a week. Choose the amount of money you are willing to risk. If you don't achieve your goal? Your credit card gets charged. Achieve your goal? You get paid!

    Fitocracy Macros

    Platform: iOS

    Cost: Free

    More than just a calorie-counting app, Fitocracy Macros tracks only the calories you take in. You'll have to research how many calories are actually in the food you eat. That aside, it's a simple and easy app that will help you achieve your dieting goals.

    Zombies, Run! 2

    Platform: iOS, Android

    Cost: 25yuan

    Zombies, Run! 2 mixes games and stories into your run as you complete missions in a world full of zombies. Whether you're gathering supplies, saving a fellow human, or avoiding a crowd of the undead, this app adds excitement to your normal jog with imagination and competition.

    When I was young, I read many kinds of books, including fairy tales. Most of the books described heroes who were handsome and heroines who were beautiful. So, I believed I had to be beautiful if I wanted to become a great person.

    As I grew up, I began to realize outer beauty was not so important to make someone good. I remember a friend of mine, Janie, who was so beautiful that every classmate wanted to talk with her, but she was very arrogant(傲慢的).

    She believed that she could do everything she wanted because she was so beautiful, but she lost friends one by one. My poor friend! But she learned a good lesson: inner beauty is more important than outer beauty. After she learned that, she changed her attitude and made friends again.

    Whenever I see TV advertisements, I feel that these things make us believe beauty is very important—especially physical attractiveness. Although we say that inner beauty is more valuable, we often look to plastic surgery to make us more beautiful. There seems to be a boom(流行) in plastic surgery. It is surprising to realize the number of people who try it is increasing day by day.

    We know good-looking guys usually get higher scores on job interviews. So, what is real beauty? I want to say that inner beauty is the real one because if someone has beauty in his soul, he looks like a really beautiful person.

    The beauty looked at with eyes doesn't last forever. Instead of concentrating on outer beauty, we should concentrate on inner beauty. The point is that inner beauty is more important than outer beauty. So, if we make the effort to make our minds beautiful, we'll be happier.