Sandra Bullock turned 51 last month. But because she looks exactly the same as she did in Miss Congeniality, a movie filmed back in the 20^th century, everyone calls her “ageless.” Bullock is just one of a number of stars in their 40s and 50s who've had birthdays recently but have not gotten older, unlike the rest of us in their age group. Take Halle Berry. One website put a photo of her 20 years ago next to one of the newly 49-year-old Berry and dared us to choose which was which. “This Is What 49 Looks Like,” it said. Seriously, if that's what 49 looks like, I must be 71.

    However, even a generation ago, famous faces evolved. Look at a picture of Grace Kelly at age 52 in the early 1980s. She looks like a beautiful middle-aged woman. Today she'd look old for her age.

    The goal now is to prevent aging while you are still young, using all the magical nonsurgical options medicine has to offer. Eventually these techniques will become less expensive, and ordinary people my daughter's age will have them. Already anti-aging is starting to be considered maintenance, like coloring your hair. My friends and I find ourselves openly debating techniques that we used to make fun of. Does fat-freezing work? How much time do you have to spend in the gym to keep the body of a 35-year-old after 50? It's all so exhausting. But members of the next generation have it tougher. They'll have to ask themselves whether they want to spend their youth trying not to get old. I've already seen “Sexy at 70” headlines. Will everyone be expected to go to their graves(坟墓) looking hot?

    I also have to wonder what else we are slowing along with age. How do you move on if you're working so hard to stay the same? And besides, if you've known the ache of watching a daughter pack up for college, you know you can't stop the clock.

Everyone can help to save the world

    We are all environmentalists now. We all know about acid rain and the ozone hole. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} As consumers we have the power to make decisions which will contribute to a better world and it is in our power to do what we can to protect the earth.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In this way we have the power to influence retailers (零售商) to sell us these so-called “green” products. Therefore, the supermarkets have understood the message and are now trying to improve their environmental image. They are turning to less wasteful and recyclable packaging. The range of “green” products will continue to expand to meet the growing demand. This message has also reached the manufacturers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They have realized that protecting the environment may start as an advertising campaign but in the hands of intelligent people it can become a very profitable business. Besides, we can do more.

    Furthermore, we also know there are other areas where all of us can make a positive contribution to a cleaner, healthier and safer environment. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There are a number of ways we can do this. For example, we now know how important it is to have our homes well insulated (隔热). We should choose the best energy efficient technology, such as modern light bulbs which can reduce electricity consumption by 80% over the older ones. We must also work hard to reduce the amount of rubbish we produce. We all produce tons of rubbish and waste disposal has become a big problem. As an environmentally-conscious consumer we should buy products which do not have so much packaging. Also, we should try to avoid non-returnable goods at all costs. In Scandinavia and Germany, for example, plastic bottles and cans are now returnable goods.

    In conclusion it is important to emphasize once again the rise of consumer power. We must realize that we are all part of the problem.   {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. We can all reduce energy consumption at home and so cut the emissions from power systems.

B. For example, when we walk into a supermarket we can choose to buy environmentally friendly products and reject products which damage our planet.

C. There are some other ways to protect the environment.

D. Companies are developing environmentally friendly products that maintain a high quality and a low price.

E. But what are we doing about these problems?

F. Nevertheless we must also realize that we have the responsibility to be part of the solution.

G. Everybody has the duty to contribute to a cleaner world.

    The Allendale Cultural Center has expanded its arts program to include classes for young adults. Director Leah Martin announced Monday that beginning in September, three new classes will be offered to the Allendale community. The course titles will be Yoga(瑜伽) for Teenagers; Hip Hop Dance: Learning the Latest Moves; and Creative Journaling for Teens: Discovering the Writer Within. The latter course will not be held at the Allendale Cultural Center but instead will meet at the Allendale Public Library.

    Staff member Tricia Cousins will teach the yoga and hip hop classes. Ms. Cousins is a skilled choreographer(舞蹈指导) as well as an experienced dance educator. She is a Master of Arts in dance education from Teachers College, Columbia University. The journaling class will be taught by Betsy Milford. Ms. Milford is the head librarian at the Allendale Public Library as well as a columnist(专栏作家) for the professional journal Library Focus.

    The courses are part of the Allendale Cultural Center's Project Teen, which was organized by Leah Martin, Director of the Cultural Center. According to Martin, this project is a direct result of her efforts to make the center a more necessary part of the Allendale community. Over the last several years, the number of people who have visited the cultural center for classes or events has steadily declined. Project Teen is primarily funded by the McGee Arts Foundation, an organization devoted to bringing arts programs to young adults. The other members of Project Teen are two students at Allendale's Brookdale High School and three adults with backgrounds in education and the arts.

    The creative journaling class will be cosponsored by Brookdale High School, and students who complete the class will be given the opportunity to publish one of their journal works in Pulse, Brookdale's student literary magazine. Students who complete the hip hop class will be qualified to participate in the Allendale Review, an annual concert sponsored by the cultural center that features local actors, musicians, and dancers.

    All classes are scheduled to begin immediately after school, and transportation will be available from Brookdale High School to the Allendale Cultural Center and the Allendale Public Library. For more information about Project Teen, contact the cultural center's programming office at 988­0099 or drop by the office after June 1 to pick up a fall course catalog. The office is located on the third floor of the Allendale Town Hall.

    Do you want a pleasant holiday? The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!

    Peterborough Museum

    The Age of the Dinosaur is the museum's main attraction this summer. Get close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands-on exhibits! The museum is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays in August.

    Call 01733-864663 for details.

    Saxon Youth Club

    School holiday fun: Young people aged 13—19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in sports activities, or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road, Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. Plus an aeroball tournament will take place on Thursday,12th August between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

    Call 01353-720274 for details.

    Houghton Mill

    Alice Through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday, 30th August. Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play. Gates open 5:30 p.m., performance 6:30 p.m.—8:30 p.m. Tearoom will be open until the end of the interval. Adult￡ 10. Child ￡7. Family ￡20.

    Booking advisable on 0845-4505157.

    Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey

    Farmland Games: From Welly Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches, come and join the Farmland Team. Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner! No need to book, just turn up between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, 19th August. Suitable for children aged four and above, each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission. Tickets Cost￡7 per child.

    For further information, call 01223-810080.

    This player is neither the answer to Bafana Bafana's goal-scoring problem, nor holds any hope of being in the national team for the World Cup. But Mmane Koko trains every morning and is now used to playing soccer. She said, 'Before I can do my domestic(家庭的) jobs, I go to train every morning. This helps me keep my body healthy. I started exercising after my doctor told me that exercising can keep my body healthy.'

    Mmane Koko, aged 66, said if she had been exposed to soccer at an earlier age, she would have become a top South African striker and could have stolen the limelight from Noko Matlou, who helped South Africa achieve its best ever result in the African women's soccer cup. She encourages young people to start playing sports early and to continue into their old age as it helps to lower blood pressure and prevent obesity(肥胖症).

    She added that because soccer is not only about exercising, but also helps one to put bread on the table, it could make a difference socially. She also says soccer is a business and that clubs these days pay generously. Therefore if the young take sports seriously, they can make a living out of it. But this can only happen if our government participate in developing sports and building stadiums for future generations.

    Exercise does us a lot of good as Mmane Koko says. We can live longer and feel better through exercise. It gives us energy surprisingly enough! Regular exercise reduces our risk of all kinds of disease. It can help us relieve stress and anxiety, increase our endurance(耐力) and sleep better. Exercise can contribute to our mental well-being and helps treat depression. So if you want to stay fit, keep on exercising to keep your body healthy.

    How far would you go for your kids education? That's a question many parents are asking in the wake of the college cheating scandal(丑闻)involving 38 wealthy parents around the country, including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman. Here's how far I went. In the fall of 2017 my husband and I lost our jobs. We had to tell our daughter, Casey, that we couldn't afford to send her back to school for her junior year at Fordham University. We decided the best choice for our family would be for Casey to sit out a year. We promised that we would get her back the following year. Casey decided to spend the year volunteering in South Africa On Sept 30, 2017, we put our oldest child on a plane halfway around the world. Casey worked as a tutor teaching kids math, English and music in Johannesburg. We did get Casey back in school in time. When she returned to the campus, she studied harder. She isn't what she used to be. Each day is marked by gratitude because she knows what it is like not to be able to get an education.

    I wonder why the college cheating scandal happened and I think it boils down to this: Parents want to create a comfort zone for their kids. Of course, we want the best for our kids but sometimes we forget that real growth doesn't happen in times of comfort; those valuable lessons come when we are forced to think in ways we otherwise wouldn't have.

    While I did less for my child than these wealthy parents did in terms of means, in other ways I did more. I taught her that disappointment is a part of life and we should face it bravely rather than avoid it. My husband and I showed Casey that her strength is in her struggle. That's how far I went for my kid s education. And I dare say she is wiser and better off for it.