The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before me at a huge pile of that troublesome stuff they call “books”.

    I was going to have my examination the next day. "When can I go to bed?" I asked myself. I didn't answer, in fact I dared not.

    The clock struck twelve. "Oh, dear!" I cried, "ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy ."

    The clock struck one. I was quite desperate now. I forgot all I had learnd. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh, God, Please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.

    In many big cities, a lot of old people keep birds, cats, dogs and other animals in their houses. These animals are friendly to the old people and never leave them. So the old people love them and see them as their good friends or families.

    It's not difficult to keep these lovely animals at home. But you have to take them to animal hospitals to give them needles (注射), so they won't get ill or they will make people ill. Now there are lots of animal food stores here and there. People can buy good animal food for their animals there. Old people can buy animal food on the phone or on the Internet. But it's a little more expensive.

    Sometimes it's kind of dirty and dangerous to keep animals. They sometimes look dirty and smell terrible and can be dangerous. For example, an old woman in Shanghai lost her life on the street for her pet dog.

    Maybe old people in big cities have many reasons to keep these nice and clever animals. They may feel lonely when their children leave. And these pets can be their great helpers. They are their good friends and help them in many things.

    It is quite natural for all of us to want to preserve and protect the foods we buy. We always think that the best way is by putting them in our refrigerators. However, there are certain foods which should never be placed in the fridge. The foods listed below may surprise you.

    Bananas in the fridge? Because they keep nutrients better outside the fridge, they should never be placed inside the refrigerator. Bananas are better kept on the counter until they ripen. The cold temperatures actually slow down the ripening process of the bananas, while the moisture and darkness of the fridge will only make them go bad.

    Potato should be placed in a cool, dry and dark space. By reason of the cold temperatures of the fridge, it can turn starch（淀粉）into sugar more rapidly. It is also recommended that potatoes be removed from plastic or paper bags they may have been placed in. Also, keep them unwashed, as well as in a well-ventilated cardboard box.

    Placing your onions inside your refrigerator will eventually end up turning them moldy and soft. Unpeeled（未剥皮的）onions should be kept out of plastic bags and fridge. One of the reasons for this is because unpeeled onions require and need air exposure for maximum life. If you have peeled an onion though, then you should keep it in the fridge, in a covered container.

    Believe it or not, placing garlic in your refrigerator will actually cause it to sprout（发芽）. The garlic will also got moldy and even rubbery. Moreover, inside your fridge, the look of the garlic will rarely change. This means you won't be able to tell if it's any good until you finally slice it open.

    Sometimes you'll hear people say that you can't love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you'll hear people say that you can't expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you've got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we're the apple of our parents' eyes, and that our Grandmas think we're great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics, but sometimes it's a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge, it is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.

    Self-image is your own mind's picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about us. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.

    The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list if you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don't allow doubts to occur in it.

    It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can't move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you're silly because you aren't good at math, find a tutor. If you think you're weak because you can't run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you're dull because you don't wear the latest trends, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn't mean it's true.

    The best way to get rid of a negative self-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat yourself on the back, you'll know you're well on your way. Good luck!

    Broad Band: by Claire L. Evans. Portfolio, 2018（$27）

    Though often outnumbered by men, women stayed in the booming field of computing. In this inspiring tale, writer Evans records the contributions of some B. ROAD of the many women who aided the rise of the modern Internet. Memorable characters include Elizabeth "Jake" Feinler, an information scientist who helped researchers navigate the Arpane and Stacy Horn, who started one of the first social networks, Echo.

    The Wizard and the Prophet: by Charles C. Mann. Knopf, 2018（$28. 95）

    The human population is moving toward 10 billion—some experts think we'll nearly hit that mark by 2050. How will the earth feed, house and otherwise support such a crowd？Environmental thinkers usually fall into one of two camps: those who prefer conservation and controlling consumption, like William ems, Norman Borlaug, for example, Writer Mann carefully record the lives and thought of the founder of these two philosophies.

    A Lab of One's Own: by Patricia Fara. Oxford University Press, 2018($24. 95)

    In World War I many women in the U. K. replaced their aprons with chemical suits and stepped into previously male-only fields of science, where they led war research efforts. Science historian Fara illustrates the lives of many of these forgotten women. Although the era marked a major step forward for women scientists, many worked for small wages in an environment of discrimination. In the nearly 100 years since, women have come a long way, Fara writes, but the glass ceilings remain solid and the pipelines leaky.

    Atom Land: by Jon Buterworth. The Experiment, 2018（319. 95）

    Butterworth takes readers on an amusing journey through the unknown OMS world of particle（粒子）physics. The first stop is "Atom Land," where Butterworth explains how electrons, protons and neutrons come together to build up everything we know. As the journey unfolds, we learn about lesser-known particles. Thankfully, our ship is equipped with tools such as mathematical equations（方程式）and a "laser light" that lights up the darkest of concepts.

World Poetry Day takes place each year {#blank#}1{#/blank#} March 21 to promote the teaching of poetry, as well as the publishing, writing, and reading of this form of writing around the world.

It {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (declare) by UNESCO in 1999 in the hopes of supporting language diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (hear). World Poetry Day was about giving fresh drive and {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (recognize) to international, regional, and national poetry movements. It also focused on promoting a return to the oral (口头的) tradition of poetry recitals, as well as {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (strengthen) the association between poetry and other forms of expression, such as dance, music, and painting.

The day is celebrated {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (global). Government agencies, community groups and individuals get involved in promoting or participating in the day, which enables children to learn and enjoy {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (variety) of poetry. It is a time {#blank#}8{#/blank#} students are busy examining poets and learning about different types of poetry. Poets may be invited to read and share their work to audience at book stores and schools. Ceremonies are held to honor poets of {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (remark) achievements.

All in all, it's a day for poetry: {#blank#}10{#/blank#} ancient art form that still enriches our understanding of humanity today.