You Who Came FromThe Star and The Heirs (继承者们) have been subjects of hot online discussions throughout Asia. Besides, the book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, read by the hero You Who Came From The Star was a hard to get item on Amazon for a while.

    The two TV programs have several common elements (因素): a tall, handsome, and rich hero who loves the heroine blindly and always protects her, and an equally handsome man madly in love with the same woman . Both programs describe the purity of love, which is expressed through a kiss or a warm hug. Perhaps that's the secret of their success: perhapspeople still like Cinderella type stories.

    The widening wealth gap is a matter of social concern both in South Korea and China, and the challenges that young people face in their hope for a better life might have caused many ordinary girls to dream of marrying rich, caring men. This is precisely what the popular South Korean TV drams describe. In fact,South Korean TV dramas are tailored to meet the market's demands.

    Many netizens evensaid at an earlier time that South Korean TV dramas had become popular because of their stereotyped (模式化的) themes: traffic accidents, cancer and other incurable diseases. But all that has changed with the success of You Who CameFrom The Star and The Heirs, which Chinese directors can use as examples, aswell as inspiration, to improve their productions.

    Annie Oakley was born in 1860 in Darke County, Ohio. Her family was very poor. She decided to help family even when she was young, so she learned to use a gun, and began hunting animals for food. She could shoot them without losing the important parts of the meat.

    Soon her shooting ability became well known. When she was sixteen, she was invited to a competition with a famous marksman(神枪手) , Frank Butler. Annie surprised everyone by winning the competition. Later that year she and Frank married.

    In 1882 Annie Oakley and Frank Butler started putting on shows together. Frank Butler was the star of the show and she was his assistant. The famous native American leader, Sitting Bull, thought so highly of her shooting ability that he called her "Little Sure Shot". Later Annie Oakley became the star of the show and Frank Butler was her assistant. Posters （海报）for the show called her the "Champion Markswoman".

    During World War I, Annie Oakley wanted to train a group of women volunteers for the army, but the United States did not accept it. She gave American soldiers shooting lessons, and traveled across the country visiting many training camps. She gave shooting performance and raised money to support the American soldiers.

   Annie Oakley died on November 3, 1926. Eighteen days later, Frank Butler died too.

    Here are some great people and their achievements.

    Mary Anderson ­ windscreen wiper.

    Back on a freezing winter's day in 1902, Mary Anderson was travelling by train through New York City. Snow was falling, forcing the driver to stop repeatedly and get out to clear it. Each time the door opened, Mary suffered a gust of sub-zero air. She had an idea: why not make some kind of a rubber blade that could be operated from inside the vehicle? And that's exactly what she did.

    Josephine Cochrane ­ dishwasher

    The dishwasher dates back even earlier to the 19th century, and to the dinner parties thrown by a lady called Josephine Cochrane. As a frequent host, she wanted a machine that could wash dishes faster than people. Her response was to develop what was to become the first commercially successful dishwasher. Interestingly, innovation was in her blood: her grandfather had invented the steamboat.

    Stephanie Kwolek ­ Kevlar

    Kevlar is the lightweight fibre used in bulletproof vests. The material is used by millions every day and has saved countless lives. The super tough fabric is also used in objects ranging from gloves to airplanes. Incredibly, its strength-to-weight ratio(比强度) is five times higher than steel. Again, it was invented by a woman, the American chemist Stephanie Kwolek, in 1964.

    Grace Hopper ­ first compiler(编译程序)

    One of the most important inventions of the 20th century must surely be the computer programme. The world of programming is unbalanced in terms of gender. Men vastly outnumber women, and take home around 30% more pay than their female counterparts on average. But back in the 1940s and 1950s, women were at the forefront of this new field. Grace Hopper is credited with inventing the first compiler in 1952, which serves as the bridge between code and the binary(二进制的) ones and zeros understood by computers.

    A few years ago, my husband Charlie and I had marital problems. Growing family responsibilities and financial worries took a toll on us and we began arguing frequently, often late into the night.

    However, neither of us could take the step that would end our eleven-year marriage and bring heartbreak to our three young children. Deep down we knew we still loved each other, so we determined to work it out. Through countless discussions, we began to close the gulf. The more honest we were, the closer we became.

    When I felt we were reaching solid ground, I asked my husband to give me an "eternity (永恒) ring". It was not so much the ring I wanted; it was the reassurance (保证) I thought it would bring.

    We went shopping on a beautiful summer day. We walked hand in hand along a row of jeweler's shops. Finally I found a ring I liked. While waiting for it to be adjusted, the jeweler took my left hand and glanced at my engagement ring. "May I clean it for you?" he asked. "It really doesn't sparkle like it used to." Charlie said as I slipped the ring off my finger. A few minutes later the jeweler was back. The ring shone like new!

    On the drive home, I didn't take my eyes off it. I forgot all about the eternity ring. I just couldn't believe how this old ring suddenly sparkled the way it had the day Charlie gave it to me. I had taken it for granted these past years, but with a little polish it could still make my heart beat fast.

    And that's the way it is with a marriage. You have to work at keeping it polished and new, or else the grime (污垢) of the passing years will hide the joy. I put my hand on the seat between us and spread my fingers. Charlie covered my hand with his. I felt I was lucky to be able to see the sparkle in something gold when I thought I needed something new.

    Peyto Lake, Canada

    Located in Banff National Park, Canada's first national park Peyto Lake is one of the most wonderful lakes in the world. What makes it truly beautiful is its unique greenish-blue color, and placement in the Canadian Rockies. Named after trail guide Bill Peyto, this lake is located at a height of 1,860m.

    Entry Details: $9.80 adult, $8.30 senior, $4.90 youth, and $19.60 family

    Best Time to Visit: July, August, and September

    Lake Argentino, Argentina

    Located in the Patagonian province in Argentina, the lake is truly beautiful. Surrounded by glaciers and snow-covered mountains, the lake presents visual delights like none other. With a maximum depth of 500 meters, it's the biggest freshwater lake in Argentina. The lake is famous for fishing.

    Entry Details: $15~$20, changes as per season, but entry for tourists above 70 years of age is always free.

    Best Time to Visit: December to March, and late November

    Lake Baikal, Russia

    Being the world's oldest and deepest lake, Baikal is about 395 meters long, 49 meters wide and 1,637 meters deep. It holds more water than the Five Great Lakes of America combined, and is thus the largest freshwater lake globally. Located in the south Russian region of Siberia, a trip to view this lake is a trip of a lifetime!

    Entry Details: No Entrance fee here

    Best Time to Visit: March to April

    Lake Como, Italy

    Considered one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe, Lake Como has attracted tourists since Roman times. Located in Lombardy, Como is one of the deepest lakes in Europe. Surrounded by villas and palaces, this lake has attracted some of the wealthiest. Today, many celebrities(名人) have houses here. Here you can enjoy water sports, take a flight over the lake, or try skiing during the winters-every tourist has something he's going to like!

    Entry Details: Free

    Best Time to Visit: July and September

VAZOnepwr Blade 5 Dual

Cordless Blade 5 is a great one for sheer suction(吸力) power. It's easy to use it under furniture and it works well on all surfaces. The dust tank holds 0.7 litres and it comes with two batteries for 90 minutes of charge. If you're on a budget, the Blade 4 is a good option (now£250,from£450;vax. co.uk)

MIele Complete C3

At 890W, this corded vacuum is "exceptionally powerful" and its "Air Clean" filtration traps even tiny particles. It has a 12m radius(半径) and comes with three tools, stored in the body(£219;miele.co.uk)

Shark CZ500UKT Duo Clean

This 880W corded vacuum has remarkable suction power. It can switch between cleaning carpets or hard floors, and has an anti-hair-wrap brush roll and an LED light to show up dust (£330; sharkclean.co.uk)

Dyson Ball Animal Multi-floor

Unusually easy to move or turn skillfully thanks to its responsive rollerball, this bagless vacuum delivers strong suction and is great for getting up pet hair. A bit heavy at 7.4kg, it has a ten-metre cord and 3.5-litr e caddy, which ejects at the touch of a button (£380; dyson.co.uk)

Henry HVR 160-11

A long-standing favourite, the Henry is famously strong and great value. It has a large six-litre dust bag, and packs 620W of power. Its cord is a generous ten metres, and it has a long 2.2m hose, which is useful for cleaning up high and under sofas (£130; myhenry.com).