Throughout the history of the arts, thenature of creativity has remained constant to artists．Nomatter what objects they select, artists are to bring forth new forces andforms that cause change—to find poetry where no one has ever seen orexperienced it before．

Landscape (风景) isanother unchanging element of art．It can be found from ancient timesthrough the17th-century Dutch painters to the 19th-century romanticists andimpressionists．Inthe 1970s Alfred Leslie, one of the new American realists, continued thispractice．Lesliesought out the same place where ThomasCole, a romanticist, had producedpaintings of the same scene a century and a half before．UnlikeCole who insists on a feeling of loneliness and the idea of finding peace innature, Leslie paints what he actually sees．In his paintings, there is no particularchange in emotion, and he includes ordinary things like the highway in thebackground．Healso takes advantage of the latest developments of color photography to helpboth the eye and the memory when he improves his painting back in his workroom．

Besides, all art begs the age-oldquestion: What is real? Each generation of artists has shown theirunderstanding of reality in one form or another．The impressionists saw reality in briefemotional effects, the realists in everyday subjects and in forest scenes, andthe Cro-Magnon cave people in their naturalistic drawings of the animals in theancient forests．Tosum up, understanding reality is a necessary struggle for artists of allperiods．

Over thousands of years the function ofthe arts has remained relatively constant．Past or present, Eastern or Western, thearts are a basic part of our immediate experience．Many and different are the faces ofart,and together they express the basic need and hope of human beings．

    California has become the first U.S. state to approve plans to require newly-built homes to include solar equipment.

    The state's Energy Commission voted 5-0 to approve the new rules, which are to take effect in 2020. The rules will deal with most newly-built residential (住宅的) buildings up to three stories high.

    The move is California's latest step aimed at reaching renewable energy targets and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

    California has set a goal of filling half of its electricity needs with renewable energy by 2030. Officials said they had reached 30 percent by the end of 2017. The state's Governor, Jerry Brown, plans to hold an international climate meeting in September.

    ①The Energy Commission said the cost of adding solar equipment to a single-family home would be about $9,500. But, the group added that homeowners would save at least $19,000 in energy costs over 30 years.

    Robert Raymer is the technical director for the California Building Industry Association. He says the action is a step forward for the wider use of solar power in the U.S. "You can bet every other of the 49 states will be watching closely to see what happens," he told the Associated Press.

    ②Solar companies praised the new requirements, which officials have said will likely raise demand for solar equipment in California by 10-15 percent.

    The Solar Energy Industries Association called it a "historic decision for the state and the U.S." It estimated the action would produce "huge economic and environmental benefits," including bringing tens of billions of dollars into California.

    ③Some legislative and community leaders argued that Californians cannot afford to pay any more for housing in what is already an extremely high-priced market.

    "That's just going to drive the cost up and make California, once again, not affordable to live in," said California Assemblyman Brian Dahle.

    ④Severin Borenstein is an energy economist at the University of California, in Berkeley. He sent an email to the head of California's Energy Commission to urge the state to reconsider its decision.

    He expressed his belief that it is a mistake for California to approve such a policy instead of centering on efforts to develop large solar farms to produce renewable energy. He said these farms would cost much less to operate.

    "Every energy economist I know is shaking their head at this," he told the Wall Street Journal. "In many ways, this is setting the wrong example," he added.

    Two deer jumped out in front of 16-year-old Amanda Floyd's car. She stepped on the brake, stopping the car just in time. But later, she started texting. Distracted (分心的)，Amanda turned left and right, then crashed into another car. Luckily, she wasn't in a real car--she was in a driving simulator (模拟器) at Roosevelt High School, Ohio, US. “I never really realized that cars make a turn that much," Amanda, a Junior, said. She added that she wouldn't text while driving anymore.

    The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and State Highway Patrol brought the simulator to the school. They said they wanted to help students learn about the danger of driving while drunk, while texting, or while talking on the phone.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving claimed 3,4501ives in2016 alone. Experts believe the actual figure is probably higher.

The simulator is basically a computer program. Like many computer games, it was a hit with the students. They lined up and crowded around to watch each other take turns. The simulator has a steering wheel! (方向盘) ,brake and gas pedal (油门踏板) . It is made up of three large computer screens on a table.

    Students choose a distraction, such as driving while drunk or texting. They always crash, of course. Then, they are pulled over by the police to be taught the bad results of their driving: how much damage they've caused, what their fine is, if anyone died in the accident, and if they're going to go to prison.

    "It teaches how to drive without being on the road," said Shante Thompson, 16. She had just crashed into a deer.

    ODOT spokesman Justin Chesnic said hundreds of kids have gone behind the wheel so far. He said even more have benefited from watching their classmates. "Driving is such a major responsibility, so take it seriously" he said. “Put away your cellphone. A lot of the accidents out there are because of distracted driving. It can not only change your life, but it can change someone else's life forever. The results are serious."

    "Depend on yourself" is what nature says to everyone. Parents can help you. Teachers can help you. Others can help you. But all these only help you to help yourself.

    There have been many great men in history. But many of them were poor in childhood, and had no uncles, aunts or friends to help them. Schools were few and not very good. They could not depend on them for education. They saw how it was, and set to work with all their strength to know something. They worked their own way till they became well­known.

    One of the most famous teachers in England used to tell his pupils, "I can not make worthy men of you, but I can help you make men of yourselves."

    Some young men do not try their best to make themselves valuable to the human beings. They can never gain achievements unless they see their weak­points and change their courses. They are nothing now, and will be nothing as long as they live, unless they accept the advice of their parents and teachers, and depend on their own honest efforts.

    Here are some professions Americans consider to be the most honest. Maybe the rest of us can learn from what these people do to establish good relationships with others.

    MEDICAL DOCTORS

    Jack Jacob, Age: 44, Fountain Valley, California

    I try to introduce myself in a pleasant way. I sit down. I don't stand. I make good eye contact with the patient and his or her family. Communication skills are key, as well as showing understanding and availability. For a physician, the most rewarding thing is when someone who has seen your work chooses you.

    ENGINEERS

    Chrissy Keane, Age: 41, Crofton, Maryland

    I don't know that being an engineer means you are automatically trustworthy. However, I do think that most engineers like to follow rules and be organized. They tell you what they think, whether you want to hear it or not. Those are important elements in building trust.

    POLICE OFFICERS

    G. M. Cox, Age: 64, Fort Worth, Texas

    As a police officer, I have the best interests of the people I serve in my heart and in my actions and I'm going to treat everyone the same way. I always want to go up to people and speak to them with respect. Don't talk down to them. You have to establish and maintain that trust. Be equal!

    Do you think the United Kingdom and the United States are alike? Winston Churchill once joked that the people of Britain and the people of America are separated only by their language. Do you think that is true? The British and the Americans both speak English as the official language. However, each uses some different words. We Americans are similar to the British. After all, our country was once owned by the UK,so we have a lot in common. But there are many differences between us.

    The UK has a king or queen, and the leader of the government is the Prime Minister. The US has no kings or queens. Our leader is the President.

    Both the British and Americans use pounds and ounces, pints, quarts, and gallons. Both use miles, yards, and feet. Our money is different, though. The British use pounds and pence. Americans use dollars and cents.

    Driving in a car is very different in the UK. They drive on the left side of the road. We drive on the right. What we call the hood of the car, the British call the "bonnet". British cars run on "petrol", which we call gasoline.

    In our everyday life, we do many of the same things as the British. But we describe them differently.

    A young mother here might push a baby in a baby carriage. A British mum pushes a "pram". The British watch "telly", while we watch TV. We like to eat French fries, but the British call them "chips". Millions of Americans drink coffee, but most British prefer tea.

    So we are different in many ways. But we stay friendly anyway.