D

    A buld-it-yourself solar still（蒸馏器） is one of the best ways to obtain drinking water in areas where the liquid is not readily available. Developed by two doctors in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it's an excellent water collector. Unfortunately, you must carry the necessary equipment with you, since it's all but impossible to find natural substitutes. The only components required, though, are a 5'  5' sheet of clear or slightly milky plastic, six feet of plastic tube, and a container— perhaps just a drinking cup — to catch the water. These pieces can be folded into a neat little pack and fastened on your belt.

    To construct a working still, use a sharp stick or rock to dig a hole four feet across and three feet deep. Try to make the hole in a damp area to increase the water catcher's  productivity. Place your cup in the deepest part of the hole. Then lay the tube in place so that one end rests all the way in the cup and the rest of the line runs up — and out — the side of the hole.

    Next, cover the hole with the plastic sheet, securing the edges of the plastic with dirt and weighting the sheet's center down with a rock. The plastic should now form a cone(圆锥体) with 45-degree-angled sides. The low point of the sheet must be centered directly over, and no more than three inches above, the cup.

    The solar still works by creating a greenhouse under the plastic. Ground water evaporates (蒸发) and collects on the sheet until small drops of water form, run down the material and fall off into the cup. When the container is full, you can suck the refreshment out through the tube, and won't have to break down the still every time you need a drink.

    Take part in one of these FUN summer camps.ID Tech Camps offer weeklong courses at locations throughout the US.Our junior courses provide additional time for off-computer activities,ensuring a well-balanced day.Learn from instructors who are passionate about technology.There is a maximum of just 8 students per instructor.Just choose a course.

    Adventures in Games Design

    Ages: 7-10

    Dates: July 1-July 7

    Cost: $520

    Don't just play games!Make them!Create your own video game in this fun,exciting video game camp for kids. Design your own arcade or platform game using professional software.Take breaks to play sports outside and do other activities.

    Adventures in Programming

    Ages: 7-13

    Date: July 4-July 10

    Cost: $750

    Let your imagination run wild in this multimedia adventure.Create your own interactive stories,animated adventures and creative comics.Learn drag-and-drop programming basics with scratch (a project of the MIT Media Lab).Computer characters are at your command!Take breaks with supervised outside sports and activities.

    Adventures in Robotics

    Ages: 12-15

    Date: July 4-July 10

    Cost: $1,200

    Imagine it,build it and watch it go!Powered by the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT Base Set and Software,our Adventures in Robotics course explores the exciting world of robots!This course will have you create cool robots on your first day.

    Introduction to Web Design & Photography

    Ages: 9-12

    Date: July 14-July 20

    Cost: $700

    Use a high-end camera and learn the building blocks of web design with Adobe Dreamweaver.Put your photos into your basic website,and then share your creation with your friends and family.The software Adobe Flash may be introduced based on a student's progress throughout the week.

Movie Making Camp

    Ages: 12-15

    Date: July 14-July 20

    Cost: $1,8000

    Are you ready to learn the basics of filming and editing?

    Shoot with professional cameras and see how much fun creative editing can be with the video editor iMovie. Take home a DVD of your final project to show your family.Please remember it takes filmmakers years to master their skills.Please have realistic project expectations.

    One morning, Ann's neighbor Tracy found a lost dog wandering around the local elementary school. She asked Ann if she could keep an eye on the dog. Ann said that she could watch it only for the day.

    Tracy took photos of the dog and printed off 400 FOUND fliers（传单）, and put them in mailboxes. Meanwhile, Ann went to the dollar store and bought some pet supplies, warning her two sons not to fall in love with the dog. At the time, Ann's son Thomas was 10 years old, and Jack, who was recovering from a heart operation, was 21 years old.

    Four days later Ann was still looking after the dog, whom they had started to call Riley. When she arrived home from work, the dog threw itself against the screen door and barked madly at her. As soon as she opened the door, Riley dashed into the boys' room where Ann found Jack suffering from a heart attack. Riley ran over to Jack, but as soon as Ann bent over to help him the dog went silent.

     “If it hadn't come to get me, the doctor said Jack would have died,” Ann reported to a local newspaper. At this point, no one had called to claim the dog, so Ann decided to keep it.

    The next morning Tracy got a call. A man named Peter recognized his lost dog and called the number on the flier. Tracy started crying, and told him, “That dog saved my friend's son.”

    Peter drove to Ann's house to pick up his dog, and saw Thomas and Jack crying in the window. After a few moments Peter said, “Maybe Odie was supposed to find you, maybe you should keep it.”

    A sunflower is a sunflower. A mobile phone is a mobile phone. But can you combine the two to do something for your local environment? As early as next year it may well be possible. When you have finished with your mobile phone you will be able to bury it in a garden or a plant pot and wait for it to flower.

    A biodegradable (生物所能分解的) mobile phone was, this month, introduced by scientists. It is hoped that the new type of phone will encourage consumers to recycle.

    Scientists have come up with a new material over the last five years. It looks like any other plastic and can be hard or soft, and is able to change shape. Over time it can also break down into the soil without giving out any poisonous chemicals. British researchers used the new material to develop a phone cover that contains a sunflower seed. When this new type of cover turns into waste, it forms fertilizers. These feed the seed and help the flower grow.

    Engineers have designed a small transparent (透明的) window to hold the seed. They have made sure it only grows when the phone is throw n away. “We've only put sunflower seeds into the covers so far. But we are working with plant experts to find out which flowers would perform best. Maybe we could put roses in next time.” said one scientist.

    As phone technology is developing so quickly, people are constantly throwing their mobiles away. This means manufacturers are under pressure to find ways of recycling them. Some 650 million mobile phones have been sold this year. Most of them will be throw n away within two years, adding plastic, heavy metal and chemical waste to the environment. A biodegradable cover can offer some relief for nature, according to the scientists.

    “The seed comes out and the flower grows in the pot so you don't have to concern yourself with the phone when you have finished using it,” said Kerry Kirwan. She leads the research team, which is based at the University of Warwick in Britain.

    Mrs Smith trembled(颤抖)with excitement when she was told her fortunes(命运). "Somebody is coming home to you, " Mrs Gray said slowly. "He's carrying a rifle(步枪)on his back and he's almost there."

    Mrs Smith felt as if she could hardly breathe. "And there he is!"Mrs Gray cried, pointing to the road. They all rushed to the door to look.

    A man in a blue coat, with a gun on his back, was walking down the road toward the Smith farm. His face was hidden by a large pack on his back.

    Laughing and crying, Mrs Smith grabbed(抓住)her hat and her children and ran out of Mrs Gray's house. She hurried down the road after him, calling his name and pulling her children along with her. But the soldier was too far away for her voice to reach him.

    When she got back to their farm, she saw the man standing by the fence. He was looking at the little house and the field of yellow wheat. The sun was almost touching the hills in the west. The cowbells rang softly as the animals moved toward the barn(畜棚).

    "How peaceful it all is, "Private Smith thought." How far away from the battles, the hospitals, the wounded and the dead. My little farm in Wisconsin. How could I have left it for those years of killing and suffering?"

    Mrs Smith hurried up to her husband. Her feet made no sound on the grass, but he turned suddenly to face her. For the rest of his life, he would never forget her face at that moment.

    "Emma!" he cried.

    The children stood back watching their mother kissing this strange man. He saw them, and kneeling down, he pulled from his pack three huge red apples. In a moment, all three children were in their father's arms. Together, the family entered the little unpainted farmhouse.

    Later that evening, after supper, Smith and his wife went outside. The moon was bright, above the eastern hills. Sweet, peaceful stars filled the sky as the night birds sang softly.

    His farm needed work. His children needed clothing. He was no longer young and strong. But he began to plan for next year. With the same courage he had faced the war, Private Smith faced his difficult future.

Emily, a 14-year-old teenager, walked through her town one afternoon. Her eyes were drawn to the sight of people without homes on street corners, trembling（颤抖） against the chill. It was a scene that stirred something deep within her—a desire to make a difference, no matter how small.

Emily decided to turn her love of baking into a force for good. She whipped（搅打） cream, mixed flour, and baked cookies and cakes in her family kitchen. With the support of her friends and family, she set up a colorful stall in her bustling neighborhood, offering her homemade treats to passersby in exchange for donations.

The response was overwhelming. People were not only touched by Emily's handmade cookies but also inspired by her spirit. Before long, donations were pouring in. In just a few short weeks, Emily had raised over $1,000—a symbol of one's kindness to ignite a community's generosity.

But Emily's heart was set on doing even more. Inspired by the success of her bake sale, she came up with the idea of organizing a charity run. A community-wide event that would bring people together in support of a common cause. She reached out to local businesses and called for volunteers to help her realize the project. On the day of the charity run, participants ran under the clear, open sky, and the running campaign raised over $5,000 for the local homeless shelter.

For Emily, the true reward lay not in the dollars raised or the miles run but in the knowledge that she had touched the hearts of her community and shown that even the smallest act of kindness can make a difference to the world.