Close your eyes for a minute and imagine what life would be like if you had a hundred dollars less．Also imagine what it would be like spending the rest of your life with you eyes closed．Imagine having to read this page, not with your eyes but with your finger-tips．

    With existing medical knowledge and skills, two-thirds of the world's 42 million blind should not have to suffer．Unfortunately, rich countries posses most of this knowledge, while developing countries do not．

    ORBIS is an international non-profit organization which operates the world's only flying teaching eye hospital．ORBIS intends to help fight blindness worldwide．Inside a DC-8 aircraft, there is a fully-equipped teaching hospital with television studio and classroom．Doctors are taught the latest techniques of bringing sight back to people there．Project ORBIS also aims at promoting peaceful cooperation（合作） among countries．

    ORBIS tries to help developing countries by providing training during three-week medical programs．ORBIS has taught sight-saving techniques to over 35,000 doctors and nurses, who continue to cure tens of thousands of blind people every year．ORBIS has conducted 17 plane programs is China so far．For the seven to ten million blind in China ORBIS is planning to do more for them．At the moment an ORBIS is working on a long-term plan to develop a training center and to provide eye care service to Shanxi Province．ORBIS needs your help to continue their work and free people from blindness．

    For just US$38,you can help one person see; for $380 you can bring sight to 10 people; $1,300 helps teach a doctor new skills; and for $13,000 you can provide a training program for a group of doctors who can make thousands of blind people see again．Your money can open their eyes to the world．Please help ORBIS improve the quality of life for so many people less fortunate than ourselves．

    It is hardly surprising that clothing manufacturers (生产商)follow certain uniform standards for various features(特征)of clothes. What seems strange, however, is that the standard adopted for women is the opposite of the one for men. Take a look at the way your clothes button. Men's clothes tend to button from the right, and women's from the left. Considering most of the world's population—men and women—are right-handed, the men's standard would appear to make more sense for women. So why do women's clothes button from the left?

    History really seems to matter here. Buttons first appeared only on the clothes of the rich in the 17^th century, when rich women were dressed by servants. For the mostly right-handed servants, having women's shirts button from the left would be easier. On the other hand, having men's shirts button from the right made sense, too. Most men dressed themselves, and a sword drawn from the left with the right hand would be less likely to get caught in the shirt.

    Today women are seldom dressed by servants, but buttoning from the left is still the standard for them. Is it interesting? Actually, a standard, once set, resists change. At a time when all women's shirts buttoned from the left, it would have been risky for any single manufacturer to offer women's shirts that buttoned from the right. After all, women had grown so used to shirts which buttoned from the left and would have to develop new habits and skills to switch. Besides, some women might have found it socially awkward to appear in public wearing shirts that buttoned from the right, since anyone who noticed that would believe they were wearing men's shirts.

Reasons to visit St.Louis

Whether you're traveling alone, with a friend or with the whole family, there's a nearly endless selection of activities you'll want to experience—so many that it's hard to decide where to go first.

Missouri Botanical Garden

    You could easily spend an entire day making your way through the 79 acres(英亩)on display here. The gardens also boast(以拥有……而自豪) seasonal exhibits, such as the summer Lantern Festival—taking place through July—that showcases beautiful works of light each year.

4344 Shaw Blvd, 314-577-5100, missouribotanicalgarden. org.

St. Louis Art Museum Free

    There are more than 33,000 works on display here, including the recent addition of 225 donated pieces of feature work by American artists and more than 200 pieces from Asia. The museum is free, and special exhibits are free on Fridays.

    I Fine Arts Drive, 314-721-0072, slam. Org
St. Louis Science Center Free

    With a wealth of displays to keep kids and adults alike entertained and learning all day, the center boasts an impressive 700 hands-on exhibits, including a fossil dig site, water tables in the discovery room, electrical energy demonstrations, and cyber activities.

    5050 Oakland Ave, 314-289-4400, slsc.org

St. Louis Zoo Free (Free for some attractions)

    The zoo includes beautiful naturalistic displays and boasts plenty of activities to keep kids excited, from feeding exhibitions and safaris(游猎), to sea lion shows and conservation talks.

    One Government Drive, 314-781-0900, stlzoo.org.

    It is commonly believed that the earliest Chinese paper-cuts appeared during the sixth century. Some scholars believe it was even earlier. Legend has it that during the Western Han Dynasty(206BC-AD24), Emperor Wudi was very sad after one of his favorite concubines, Madame Li, died. A Taoist priest, Li Shaoweng, cut a piece of hemp paper in the shape of Madame Li. When evening fell, the emperor's servants lit candles in his bedroom; the reflection of that paper-cut on the wall made the emperor think about his beloved concubine.

    The Yuxian paper-cut is different from most paper-cuts produced in other regions of China. Paper-cuts from other regions are mostly cut with scissors or knives from single-colored paper, such as red or black paper.

    There are four major procedures to making the Yuxian paper-cut: First, sketch the pattern on the draft paper; second, fasten the draft to the paper to be cut; third, use a knife to carve out the pattern; and fourth, dye (染色) the paper-cut with various colors.

    Precise cutting skills are needed to make a piece of the Yuxian paper-cut, which highlights the craft maker's artistic taste and dyeing skills. That explains the following saying: "The successful making of a Yuxian paper-cut is 30 percent dependent on the maker's cutting skills, and 70 percent on the maker's dyeing skills."

    The traditional Yuxian paper-cut highlights two themes: flowers and characters in Chinese operas. The paper-cut is particularly known for its vivid description of characters in various traditional Chinese operas. In October 2009, the art of Yuxian's paper-cut was added to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage (非物质文化遗产) established by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).

    Alabama: Priester's Pecans

    Dessert in the South basically starts and ends with an ooey­gooey pecan (核桃) pie. Especially in Alabama, where the pecan is the official state nut. While there are plenty of farms that pick and package pecans, perhaps the most famous is Priester's, a family­run business that's been supplying Alabama with its favorite nuts for over seven decades.

    Alaska: Salmon jerky

    Forget beef jerky (肉干) ­ in Alaska, it's all about the salmon jerky. Home to five different species of the flavorful fish (king, red, pink, silver, and chum), the northernmost state produces nearly one­third of the wild salmon consumed around the world. Bonus: Salmon is one of the seven healthiest fish you can eat.

    Arizona: Saguaro cactus

    The largest cactus (仙人掌) in the United States, the saguaro cactus is found only in Arizona's Sonoran Desert. Living to be up to 200 years old, the cacti, whose flower is also the state's flower, are generally around 30 feet tall and can grow unlimited arms. Want to see for yourself? Visit one of these 10 outstanding desert escapes in America.

    California: Wine Guide

    It isn't called "Wine Country" for no reason. Northern California, specifically Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, produce over 60,000 registered wine labels, making vino (酒类产品) the state's most valuable agricultural product. If you're looking for the most popular varietals (优质酿酒葡萄汁), the top two frequently planted grapes are chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon.