Sharon, Aged 22

    The most important thing to keep in mind when going into high school is to be yourself. Besides, I don't know what your middle school was like, but high school teachers will not care about things such as how much homework you already have in one night. It's best to just learn to deal with things and manage your time wisely so you can achieve everything you need to.

    Frank, Aged 21

    I think almost every kid feels both nervous and excited before their first day. You will probably love it. I know I did. You should join some sports or activities that will make your high school experience more enjoyable.

    Good luck!

    Eddie, Aged 20

    When I started high school I was really nervous too, especially since I had been homeschooled all through middle school and didn't really know anyone. I suppose the best advice would be to just relax. The first couple of days can be a little bit hard, but things will become easier before you know it.

    David, Aged 19

    I am not going to lie. The first day is kind of frightening. But you'll get used to it. Don't be afraid of anyone; upperclassmen will pick on you more if you let them know you're afraid. Just take it easy. Making some friends and staying with them will greatly help you get used to high school quickly. After the first week it's really not bad at all. Don't worry.

    The ninth week of SEAL(Sea, Air, Land) training is referred to as Hell Week. It is six days of no sleep, physical and mental suffering and one special day at the Mud Flats (泥沼）where you will sink into the mud.

    It is on Wednesday of Hell Week that we came down to the mud flats and spend the next 15 hours trying to survive the freezing-cold mud, the cold wind and the strong pressure from the instructors to give up.

    As the sun began to set that Wednesday evening, my training class, having broken some of the rules, was ordered into the mud. We sank into the mud until only our heads could be seen. The instructors told us we could leave the mud if only five men would give up—just five men and we could get out of the cold.

    Looking around the mud flat, it was clear that some of us were about to give up. It was still over eight hours till the sun came up--eight more hours of coldness. Our cries were so loud that it was hard to hear anything. And then, one voice began to fly through the night--one voice raised in song.

    The song sounded terrible, but it was sung with great power. One voice became two, and two became three, and before long everyone in the class was singing.

    We knew that if one man could rise above the suffering then others could as well. The instructors warned us of more time in the mud if we kept up the singing—but the singing went on and on. And somehow, the mud seemed a little warmer, the wind a little weaker and the morning not so far away.

    If I have learned anything in my time traveling the world, it is the power of hope. The power can change the world by giving people hope.

    So, if you want to change the world, start singing when you're up to your neck in mud.

    Researchers found that walking around with a forced smile and fake happiness simply leads to people feeling unhappier. So, putting a brave face on your sadness could be harmful. The research also found that women suffered more than men when pretending to be happy.

    Dr. Brent Scott, who led the study, said employers should take note because forcing workers to smile when dealing with the public can result in bad outcomes. He said, “Smiling for the sake of smiling can lead to emotional tiredness, and that's bad for the organization.” He also said the research showed customer-service workers who had “fake smiles” throughout the day didn't want to work, so their productivity dropped.

    The study is one of the first of its kind to examine emotional expressions over a period of time and compare the different effects on men and women. Dr. Scott's team examined the effects of “surface acting”, or fake smiling, compared to “deep acting”, or making people smile by thinking of pleasant memories.

    Dr. Scott said, “Women were harmed more by surface acting, meaning their moods worsened even more than men's. However, they were helped more by deep acting, which means their moods improved more by thinking of pleasant memories.”

    According to Dr. Scott women tend to suffer more when pretending to be happy because they are expected to be more emotionally expressive than men. Therefore, forcing a smile while feeling down is more likely to go against their normal behavior and cause more harmful feelings.

    Although deep acting can improve moods a little in the short term, Dr. Scott says it's not a long-term solution to feeling unhappy. There have been some suggestions that if you do this over a long period you start to feel unreal. You're trying to develop positive emotions, but at the end of the day you may not feel like yourself any more.

    When you get a cut, you cover it with a bandage. How do you know when to change it? Maybe you just wait until it's wet or dirty. But when people have long-term or chronic (慢性的)wounds that take months to get better, changing bandages too early or to late could make healing take even longer. Changing the dressing on a wound too often can provide an opportunity for infections to get in. But if a bandage gets very wet very quickly from the inside, it might be filling with pus (脓)--a sign an infection has begun. Judging just when to change is important.

    Chronic wounds are common in people who are older or who have certain health conditions. Chronic wounds affect around 6.5 million people per year in the United States. When Anushka Naiknaware, 13, learned about chronic wounds, she decided to make a device that could alert a person when it's time to change their bandages.

    After a lot of trials and errors, the teen settled on a design that used an “ink” filled with carbon nanoparticles(纳米粒子). The teen loaded her ink into a printer cartridge (墨盒) to print onto her special paper, which was to be made into bandage. Well, actually, Anushka loaded her ink into many, many printer cartridges. Just changing a printer cartridge isn't easy, and filling one is even harder.

    The small printed papers cost only 5 to 10 cents, Anushka estimates. The Bluetooth sensor is more expensive, but the teen notes that it could be used over and over again. She also knows there is a long way to go before her design can help patients. It hasn't been tested on a real person yet. “You have to make sure everything works perfectly,” she says.

    As an old saying in China goes, "The days of the Sanjiu period are the coldest days." "Sanjiu period", which is in Minor Cold, refers to the third nine-day period (the 19th to the 27th day) after the day of the Winter Solstice (冬至). There are many different customs related to Minor Cold in China.

    Eating hotpot

    During Minor Cold people should eat some hot food to benefit the body and defend against the cold weather. Winter is the best time to have hotpot and braised mutton with soy sauce. But it is important to notice that too much spicy food may cause health problems.

    Eating huangyacai

    In Tianjin, there is a custom to have huangyacai, a kind of Chinese cabbage, during Minor Cold. There are large amounts of vitamins A and B in huangyacai. As huangyacai is fresh and tender, it is fit for frying, roasting and braising.

    Eating glutinous rice (糯米饭)

    According to tradition, the Cantonese eat glutinous rice in the morning during Minor Cold. Cantonese people add some fried preserved pork, sausages and peanuts and mix them into the rice.

    Eating vegetable rice

    In ancient times, people in Nanjing took Minor Cold quite seriously, but as time went by, the celebration of Minor Cold gradually disappeared. However, the custom of eating vegetable rice is still followed today. The rice is steamed and is unspeakably delicious. Among the ingredients (原料), aijiaohuang (a kind of green vegetable), sausages and salted duck are the specialties in Nanjing.

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.