Chuck Wall teaches management and human relations at Bakersfield College. He walked into class one day and told his students that their homework was to perform a simple and random act of kindness. Not {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (understand) the homework, the students didn't know what to do. Chuck didn't answer their questions. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, he encouraged his students to work it out by themselves.

    One week later, the students entered the classroom and began sharing their stories {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (excited). One reported on helping a poor dog {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (abandon) by its owner. Another student told others about giving blankets away to the homeless. Gradually, more and more students developed the habit of doing such kind acts, from {#blank#}5{#/blank#} they benefited a lot.

    Since then, similar kind acts {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (perform) in schools around the world. Many schools organize a Random Acts of Kindness Week, around November 13^th, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (celebrate) World Kindness Day. Some schools use each day of Random Acts of Kindness Week to perform a {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (differ) kind act, such {#blank#}9{#/blank#} making a new friend, helping someone, doing community service or raising money for a charity. In this way, students learn to consider other people and think about how small actions can make the world a {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (good) place.

    As less people choose to make sugar paintings, the traditional Chinese folk craft might have become a {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(distance) memory in some ways. However, a 38-year-old craftsman, Li Jiangzhong, is committed to {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (keep) the art of sugar painting alive.

    Li worked as a miner for more than ten years. After {#blank#}3{#/blank#} mine closed down, Li turned{#blank#}4{#/blank#} housing decoration, until he {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(force) to give that up due to a finger injury. Earlier this year, he discovered sugar painting, something he really had an interest in.

    Since there was no sugar painting craftsman in his village, he studied by{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(he) through large quantities of videos and information on the Internet. Li loved painting when he was young, and he found it easy to learn the skill in sugar painting. He soon mastered the skill and could make a {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(vary) of sugar paintings. A sugar painting is made with {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(melt) brown or white sugar. Craftsman {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(normal) paint animals and flowers on a stone board with the syrup(糖浆). When the sugar cools down, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} appears is a piece of sugar art.

Time to Learn How to Sort

Whatever we don't want —- no matter whether it's eggshells, newspapers, soda cans or old socks —- it's all garbage. And garbage goes to the garbage bin. There seems to be {#blank#}1{#/blank#}wrong with that. But do you really know how to throw away garbage properly?

    China {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (promote) garbage sorting for over a decade, but for the majority of the public the concept hasn't sunk in. Shenzhen issued a new regulation. It says residents will be fined up to 100 yuan and organizations 1,000 yuan for not sorting rubbish {#blank#}3{#/blank#}specific groups.

    "It's evident that the government is determined to push this forward," said Zhang Ning, a program officer {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(serve) in a Beijing-based public welfare organization. "But I'm afraid the regulation will prove to be counter-productive because garbage sorting has never been achieved by merely imposing severe punishments."

    A recent survey found that 49.5 percent of the respondents said they still don't know how to sort garbage, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}45.5percent just can't be bothered to do it. "Lots of citizens {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(confuse)about what's recyclable and what's general waste. For example, it's scarcely known that tissue is non-recyclable because it's too moisture-prone and usually too polluted {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (recycle)." said Zhang, a representative.

    According to Zhang, 70 percent of garbage is a " {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(misplace)resource". For instance, a ton of waste steel can be refined into 0.9 tons of usable steel, and a ton of kitchen waste is able to produce 0.3 tons of organic fertilizer.

But all of this is based on the condition {#blank#}9{#/blank#}the garbage is categorized properly. And the behavior of households {#blank#}10{#/blank#}the sorting process initially starts —- is the key. Garbage sorting is a chain effect. Misconduct at the very beginning will make all the following efforts go in vain.

    Garbage sorting is a complex issue and takes patience. So next time when you throw away what is called "garbage", do it in the right way.

    Students at a primary school in Hangzhou had their first class {#blank#}1{#/blank#} March 1st on movable type. This is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} ancient Chinese printing system.

    The West Lake Primary School in Zhejiang Province has introduced the course in the new term. An expert in Chinese characters culture has been invited to the campus,{#blank#}3{#/blank#} major responsibility is to teach students how {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (use) the ancient printing technology. Students attend lectures on the history of movable type along with {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (interest) classes on typesetting and printing. They then print their own document, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (apply) the knowledge they've learned. One student printed her {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (new) written essay "Whether the traditional red envelopes kids receive belong to them or their parents?"

    {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (know) as one of the four great inventions of ancient China, movable type printing {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (invent) by Bi Sheng in the 1040s during the Song Dynasty, and it is the world's first system of movable type printing.

    The school said the course is aimed at improving the students' awareness of Chinese characters and their {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (appreciate) of Chinese culture.

    I remember reading a statement by a psychiatrist who said that if you ever feel depressed, the best thing to do {#blank#}1{#/blank#} to do something for someone else. Why? Because it gets you focused outward, not{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. It's hard to be depressed{#blank#}3{#/blank#} serving someone else. Ironically, a by-product of helping others is feeling wonderful yourself.

    I remember sitting in an airport one day, waiting for my{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (fly). I was excited because I had been upgraded to a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} ticket. And in first class, the seats are {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (big), the food is edible, and the flight attendants are actually nice. In fact, I had the best seat on the entire plane. Seat 1A. Before boarding, I noticed a young lady who had several carry-on bags and was holding a crying {#blank#}7{#/blank#}. Having just finished{#blank#}8{#/blank#} a book on doing random acts of {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (kind), I heard my conscience (良心) {#blank#}10{#/blank#} to me, "You scumbag. Let her have your ticket." I fought these promptings for a while but eventually caved in.