A report by the US' Open Syllabus Project found that the most read books among US college students in the past year were books like The Republic by ancient Greek philosopher Plato and The Clash of Civilizations by US political scientist Samuel Huntington.And according to reports by Chinese college libraries,the most popular books among Chinese students are novels like Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils by Chinese author Jin Yong.

    This is considered by many to be one of the reasons why Chinese students are sometimes not as good at critical thinking or observing global perspectives (视野) as US students—they read too many bestseller novels.

    "By reading texts in history/social studies,science,and other subjects,students build a foundation of knowledge in these fields that will also give them the background to be better readers in all areas,"Robert Pondiscio,vice president of the Core Knowledge Foundation in the US told Th.e Washington Post.

    According to China Youth.Daily,there are usually five stages when it comes to reading,with popular novels at the bottom.More advanced readers normally go on to read classic fictional literature,history and philosophy,or books with critical ideas.

    We spend hours,days or even weeks on a book,so it's only natural that we want to learn something useful in return for our efforts.Many see reading as an investment (投资) in themselves.But this practical view of literature and the thought that history and philosophy books are superior to novels are not agreed by everyone.After all,what they offer are two different kinds of satisfaction.While the former provides knowledge,the latter brings emotional experiences."Fiction and poetry are medicines,"UK writer Jeanette Winterson once wrote."What they heal is the rupture (裂痕) reality makes on the imagination."

    Every year gray whales swim a 10,000 miles round-trip, from the cold waters near Alaska, down the coast of North America to the warm waters near Mexico, and back again. It is one of the longest migrations (迁徙) of any mammal (哺乳动物).

    All day, all summer long, in the cold waters near Alaska, gray whales eat and eat.

    Instead of teeth, gray whales have baleen (鲸须) they use to get food from ocean water. They get big mouthfuls of muck (淤泥) from the ocean floor, then push that muck right back out through their baleen. The mucky water flows through, but tiny animals get trapped in the baleen and licked up.

    When the water starts to freeze, the whales begin their long trip south. They swim night and day, without stopping to eat or rest. During the long journey, migrating whales may push their heads out of the water to see where they are.

    Two months later, the whales reach Mexico. Babies are born here in warm, shallow (浅的) waters called lagoons (濒海湖). Ocean lagoons have no food for the adults, but the babies are safer here than in the open seas. All winter the babies grow big and strong.

    In spring first the dads and teenagers leave the lagoons, then the moms with babies. Migrating gray whales swim close to shore, especially moms with babies. The ice is melting up (融化) north, and it's time for the hungry whales to make the long journey back to their summer feeding grounds.

    Pretty much anyone can book a trip, but not everyone can plan an ultimate adventure that's affordable, accommodating, and fun for everyone in your group. At Tripslnsider.com, we aim to provide you with the best insider secrets in the travel business and a state-of-the-art travel comparison tool to make planning easier than ever.

    Here are some insider tips that we'd like to share with you.

    We hope that you found the tips on this page helpful and can put them to use on your next vacation. Whether you plan to fly, drive, or cruise, become an expert trip planner by using our travel comparison tool for all your transportation and hotel needs. Please visit us again and sign up for our newsletter (简报) to keep getting the best deals and money-saving tips.

    Love to sink into your chairs and relax when you get to school. Then you will not be happy to hear that schools all over the world are seriously considering exchanging traditional desks for ones with no seats at all — Yes, that means you will be encouraged to stand through those already too long math and science lessons! Why would anyone even think of putting kids to such cruelty. Experts say it improves their health and helps fight obesity. While that may seem a little far-fetched (牵强的), the officials at the few schools around the world seem to agree.

    Among them are educators from the College Station Independent School District in Texas, who recently completed a week-long experiment involving 480 students across three elementary schools. The 374 kids that agreed to participate in the study were provided a device that helped record step count and calorie consumption over the entire period.

    All 25 teachers involved in the study reported that students appeared to be more alert and concentrate better, when allowed to stand. The one thing that did surprise the researchers was that younger kids were more willing to stay standing than kids in higher grades. They believe this may have something to do with the fact that after years of being asked to “sit still”, older kids have a harder time adjusting to this unexpected freedom.

    American schools are not the only ones reporting success with stand-up desks. Four schools in Perth, Australia, which have been testing them since October 2013, have seen similar results. In May 2014, Grove House Primary School in West Yorkshire, became Europe's first test one, with a seven-week trial that involved the use of desks made by Ergotron in their fifth-grade classrooms. While official results are not out yet, early reactions from both teachers and students, have been extremely encouraging.

    The findings of these studies and others done previously, all seem to mean that allowing kids to move around in classrooms is a win-win for students and teachers — it helps kids get healthier and provides educators with a more attentive audience.

    June 8

    Culinary (烹饪的）Historians of Washington: Food historian Joel Denker discusses how certain foods acquired culinary significance and ceremonial and economic importance. 2-4 pm .Free. Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, Meeting Room A，4805 Edgemoor Lane，Bcthcsda. 202-487-6740.

    June 11

Beers of Umbria: Beer director Scott Weiss leads a tasting of Italian beers. 7:30 pm. $35, Via Umbria, 1525 Wisconsin Avenue. NW. 202-333-3904.

    June 13

    Wine Dinner: A special menu paired with sparkling (气泡的）wine. 6:30 pm. $75, not including tax and gratuity (小费).Wildfire. Tysons Galleria. Third Floor. 1714 International Dr., McLean. 703-442-9110.

    June 14

    Cooking Class: Chef Gerard Pangaud demonstrates (展示) how to make several seasonal French dishes.11 am-2 pm. $85. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue. SE. 202-549-4172.

    Hot Drinks from Around the World: Participants learn about and sample drinks made from purple com. yak (牦牛) butter, orchid root and more. 10 am. $27. Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria.

    June 18 pm-地 Columbu

    Gourmet Symphony: A special American cuisine-inspired menu accompanied performance by the Inscape Chamber Orchestra. VIP option available.7-9 pm. $49 Columbia Firehouse, 109 S. Saint Asaph St, Alexandria.

    June 28

    Sips: Cocktail reception featuring local artisans (技工）and mixologists (调酒师) benefit D.C. Central Kitchen and Martha's Table. VIP tickets also availabi 7:30 pm. $125 by

    June. 11；$150 thereafter. Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave.NW.

    June 29

    Suppers：Fundraising dinners taking place in more than 35 area homes, featuring chefs Alon Shaya,Carla Hall,Tim Ma,

    Amy Brandwein and more. Proceeds benefit D.C. Central Kitchen and Martha's Table.6 pm. $600.

    The idea that you can use humor, laughter, and play to make you healthier probably seems too simple to be true. However, it is really true and simple. The sense of humor, laughter and play plays an important part in keeping you healthy.

    Treat the blues with a sense of humor, which is closely tied to laughter. Laughter is infectious. Have you ever heard a big laugh of a young child and been able to keep yourself from smiling? When laughter is shared between people, it makes them closer to each other and increases their happiness. Smiling is the beginning of laughter and a smile is also just as infectious as laughter is. You can experience something by smiling at everyone around you, and you will feel happier just by sharing a smile, even with a stranger.

    Play is an important part of making sure that we stay healthy. We are often encouraged to make sure our children play, and are told of the benefits of being out playing. However, what we often forget is that it is just as important for old people to make play be part of their life as it's for children. Physical play is important for the old and it certainly helps prevent illness. While the studies are still in the early stages, the studies that have been done have shown that physical play certainly plays a part in preventing cognitive (认知的) falling.