Empathy

    Last year, researchers from the University of Michigan reported that empathy, the ability to understand other people, among college students had dropped a lot over the past 10 years. That could be because so many people have replaced face time with screen time, the researchers said. Today, people spend more time alone and seldom join groups and clubs.

    Jennifer Freed, a director of a teen program, has another explanation. on the TV, and you're showered with news and reality shows full of people fighting, competing, and generally treating one another with no respect(尊重).  Humans learn by example—and most of the examples on it are anything but empathetic.

    There are good reasons not to follow those bad examples. Humans are socially connected with nature. Having relationships with other people is an important part of being human—and having empathy is important to those relationships. Researchers have also found that empathetic teenagers always have high self-respect. Besides, empathy can be helpful for loneliness, sadness, anxiety, and fear.

    Empathy is also necessary for a good leader. In fact, Freed says, many top companies report that empathy is one the most important things they look for in new managers. Social skills—including empathy—are a kind of “emotional(情感的) intelligence" that will help you succeed in many areas of life. “Tests results are important. But if you don't have emotional intelligence, you won't be as successful in work or in your love life,” she says.

    What's the best way to up your EQ(情商)? For starters, let down your guard and really listen to others. “One doesn't develop empathy by having a lot of opinions and doing a lot of talking,” Freed says. To really develop empathy, you'd better volunteer at a nursing home or a hospital, join a club or a team that has a diverse membership, have a “sharing circle” with your family, or spend time caring for pets at an animal shelter.

    Last week, two companies, Kitty Hawk and Uber, announced their plans to bring flying cars to reality very soon.

    Imagine never having to worry about traffic, stop lights, or road construction. A flying car would get to a place much faster than one travelling by road. On the other hand, imagine having to avoid drones (无人驾驶飞机) and other flying cars. Also, what if your battery dies when you are in the air? And, how will you know where to land?

    Kitty Hawk is a start-up tech company supported by Google co-founder, Larry Page. According to the Kitty Hawk website, its car will be able to travel at speeds up to 40 kilometers an hour in the air. It says under US aviation law such a machine “does not require registration or a pilot's license and may be flown in uncongested (不拥挤的) areas for recreational purposes.” As of now, the car can only be flown over fresh water.

    Kitty Hawk is making a list of people interested in buying the flying car. They must pay a deposit of US$100. Those who get their names on the list early will receive US$2, 000 off the final cost of the car. However, Kitty Hawk has not yet announced the price. Kitty Hawk expects its first flying cars will go on sale by the end of this year.

    At a conference last week, Uber announced plans for flying taxis to begin carrying passengers. Unlike the Kitty Hawk company, Uber does not plan to build its flying cars. Instead, it will use the resources of partner companies.

    Like the Kitty Hawk car, Uber flying taxis will use electric power. Uber says its flying taxis could travel up to 241 kilometers an hour. The company said that could reduce the travel time between San Francisco and San Jose, California from two hours on the road to 15 minutes in the air.

    Riders could use the Uber app to book a flying taxi to take them to their destinations. The company has not yet said how costly air taxi travel would be compared to road taxi travel.

    Beneath the water in the China's Qiandao Lake lies a hidden treasure. The ancient city of Shi Cheng (also known as Lion City), located in the province of Zhejiang, has been submerged underwater for 53 years. Shi Cheng was founded about 1,300 years ago in a valley surrounded by the Five Lion Mountains. When the Chinese government decided they needed a new hydroelectric power station (水力发电站)， a dam and man-made lake were constructed and the city was left at the bottom of this new body of water. Now, it sits at depths ranging from 85 feet to about 103 feet.

    Much like the Machu Picchu ruins in Peru, this underwater city remained forgotten until some renewed interests lead to its rediscovery. Qiu Feng, a local official in charge of tourism thought about utilizing Shi Cheng for entertainment on the lake and as a destination for diving clubs. On September 18, 2001, scuba divers made their first attempt underwater. "We were lucky. As soon as we dived into the lake, we found the outside wall of the town and even picked up a brick, "Qiu told Guangzhou Daily in an interview. More research was conducted, and it was discovered that the entire town was intact (1881), including wooden beams and stairs. After the initial findings, international archaeologists and a film crew then recorded the preservation of the lost ruins.

    Looking at surface of the lake, dotted with over 1,000 islands, you'd never know that an entire city was below.

    It's incredible to think that after all this time, the structure still remains intact and we could one day visit it. Until then, Shi Cheng will continue to remain inconspicuously submerged.

    Mary Lyon was a leader in women's education in the nineteenth century. It was a time when women's education was not considered important in the United States. States did require each town to provide a school for children, but there were not enough teachers. Most young women were not able to continue their education. If they did, they often were not taught much except the French language, how to sew clothing, and music.

    Mary Lyon felt that women's education was extremely important. She believed women were teachers both in the home and in the classroom. Mary opened a school for young women in the village of Buckland. She suggested new ways of teaching, including holding discussion groups for students.

    Then, Mary began to raise money for her dream school for the higher education of women. This school would own its own property (财产), guided by an independent group of direction. Its finances would be the responsibility of the directors. It would not depend on any one person to continue. And, the students would share in cleaning and cooking to keep costs down. In 1837, Mary Lyon opened Mount Holyoke Seminary for Women. In 1893, 34 years after her death, under a state law, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary became the first college to offer women the same kind of education as men.

    Mary's efforts led to the spread of higher education for women in the United States. Her influence lasted as the many students from her schools went out to teach others.

    People have strange ideas about food. For example, tomato is a kind of very delicious vegetable. It is one of useful plants that can be prepared in many ways. It has rich nutrition(营养) and vitamin in it. But in the 18th century, Americans never ate tomatoes. They grew them in their gardens because tomato plants are so pretty. But they thought the vegetable was poisonous(有毒的). They called tomatoes "poison apples".

    President Thomas Jefferson, however, know that tomatoes were good to eat. He was a learned man. He had been to Paris, where he learned to love the taste of tomatoes. He grew many kinds of tomatoes in his garden. The President taught his cook a way for a cream of tomato soup. This beautiful pink soup was served at the President party. The guests thought the soup tasted really good. They never thought their president would serve his honored guests poison apples. Jefferson never spoke to his honored guests about the fact.

    An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house building business and enjoy his late life.

    The employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He did his job carelessly and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

    When the carpenter finished his work, the employer came to examine the house and handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."

    What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

    So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.

    Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or build a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived well. The plaque (匾牌) on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project."

    Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.