In the mid­1950s，I was a somewhat bored early­ado lescent male student who believed that doing_any_more_than_necessary_was_wasted_effort.One day，this approach threw me into embarrassment.

    In Mrs.Totten's eighth­grade math class at Central Avenue School in Anderson，Indiana，we were learning to add and subtract decimals (小数)．

    Our teacher typically assigned daily homework，which would be recited in class the following day.On most days，our grades were based on our oral answers to homework questions.

    Mrs.Totten usually walked up and down the rows of desks requesting answers from student after student in the order the questions had appeared on our homework sheets.She would start either at the front or the back of the classroom and work toward the other end.

    Since I was seated near the middle of about 35 students，it was easy to figure out which questions I might have to answer.This particular time，I had completed my usual two or three problems according to my calculations.

What I failed to expect was that several students were absent，which threw off my estimate.As Mrs.Totten made her way from the beginning of the class，I desperately tried to determine which math problem I would get.I tried to work it out before she got to me，but I had brain freeze and couldn't function.

    When Mrs.Totten reached my desk，she asked what answer I'd got for problem No.14.“I...I didn't get anything，”I answered，and my face felt warm.

     “Correct，”she said.

    It turned out that the correct answer was zero.

    What did I learn that day？First，always do all your homework.Second，in real life it isn't always what you say but how you say it that matters.Third，I would never make it as a mathematician.

    If I could choose one school day that taught me the most，it would be that one.

    Fikiri Kiponda's path from accountant to marine (海洋的) conservationist was sparked by a chance encounter.    After securing his dream job, Kiponda decided he wanted more. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for until he ran across some turtle hatchlings.

    He didn't know it was turtle. Fortunately enough he got the right person to ask and he got motivated. That person was Nkindi, a staff member at the Watamu Conservation project who later invited him to volunteer on the project. He later left his accounting job and fully devoted himself into the world of sea turtles. Now，he runs and spends his time nursing critically endangered sea turtles back to health.

    Sea turtles have been around for nearly 110 million years and are now considered highly endangered. Their preservation rests on activities of conservationists such as Kiponda as these turtles face numerous threats and signs of their extinction in the next 50 years.

    Local fishermen traditionally catch them to supplement their own low catch rates and sell them for their oil. As changes are made to accommodate more hotels for tourists, there is less available beach land for turtle nesting.

    Kiponda's passion has now spread to his community, changing their attitude towards sea life preservation with his “by-catch release programme.”

    Through this program, fishermen are now paid for returning turtles accidentally caught in their fishing nets. The healthy ones are tagged and released into the marine park while he takes care of sick and injured turtles back to health.

    Before the launch of pioneering spirit like this, turtles caught by fishermen were used for their meat and their oil extracted (提炼) for its medicinal properties.

    “Releasing the turtle back into the ocean is a very good feeling, like, you feel like you've done something concrete and I guess everybody would love to do that...so I guess it's unique work.”

    Time management is the greatest challenge for me in high school．I have to take good care of my subjects, activities, social life and rest．I was often angry with my family members just because I didn't plan my time well．For example, I might shout at them for troubling me when I was working．And sometimes I might say something bad to them when I missed deadlines, even if it was actually my fault for cramming everything in (把所有的事情堆积起来) at the last minute．

    As time goes by, I realize that time management is very important in our everyday life．The best advice to deal with time management is “break it into bits”．It's really important for you to learn how to break a big project into small, manageable tasks．Then you can work progressively and have a sense of achievement whenever you've done with a small part．

    Another piece of advice is to plan a timetable for yourself．It doesn't have to be the one that you follow completely．It's just there to serve as a guide．You can compare your actual timetable with the planned one to see how well you actually use your time．The final suggestion is to always set deadlines for yourself．

    When it comes to medical care, many patients and doctors believe “more is better.” But what they do not realize is that overtreatment—too many scans, too many blood tests, too many procedures—may bring harm. Sometimes a test leads you down a path to more and more testing, some of which may be attacking, or to treatment for things that should be left out.

    Terrence Power, for example, complained that after his wife learned she had Wegener's disease, an uncommon disorder of the immune system(免疫系统), they found it difficult to refuse testing recommended by her doctor. The doctor insisted on office visits every three weeks, even when she was feeling well. He frequently ordered blood tests and X-rays, and repeatedly referred her to experts for even minor complaints. Even when tests came back negative, more were ordered, and she was hospitalized as prevention when she developed a cold. She had as many as 25 doctor visits during one six-month period. The couple was spending about $30,000 a year for her care.

    After several years of physical suffering and near financial ruin from the medical costs, the couple began questioning the treatment after discussing with other patients in online support groups. “It's a really hard thing to determine when doctors have crossed the line,” Mr. Power said. “You think she's getting the best care in the world, but after a while you start to wonder: What is the purpose?” Mr. Power then spoke with his own primary care doctor, who advised him to find a new expert to oversee Mrs. Power's care. Under the new doctor's care, the regular testing stopped and Mrs. Power's condition was stable. Now she sees the doctor only four or five times a year.

    Considering that Sundarbans National Park is situated in thetropics, Septemberto March is the ideal time to come here. April, May and June are too hot while July andAugust often bring heavy season winds that limit travel and don't make for avery pleasant sightseeing experience. You can really enjoy doing lots ofcharming things in the Sundarbans during September to March.

    Take a river tour

    Most tourists who explore the Sundarbans arrive in KhulnaCity first. Fromthere, youcan join a boat tour that travels south along the Ganges River through miles ofpreserved forest all the way to Kotka, where there is a beautiful beach alongthe Bay of Bengal.

    Visit a bird habitat

    This bird habitat is a nesting place for dozens of tropicalbirds found in the Sundarbans. The best way to observe these birds isclimbing up the Sajnekhali Watchtower. If you're lucky, you'll also catch the famed BengalTiger making its rounds through the swampy jungle.

    Visit the Mangrove(红树林)Interpretation Centre

    If you wish to spend some time indoors out of the sweatyheat, goto the Mangrove Interpretation Centre. This place is very educational withmany posters, mapsand exhibits showing the wildlife and varieties of mangrove plants found withinthe park. You'llalso get to see crocodiles in a small pool.

    Take a tour of local villages

    Experience village life that has largely remained unchangedfor centuries. Inthis vast tropical region, there are villages made up of variousethnic groups who rely on fishing, farming and working in the localthrough growing tourist industry for their livelihoods. The Sundarbans is a UNESCO worldheritage site where you can visit villages and talk to locals,who will gladly sharetheir culture with you.

    The National Beekeeping Centre Wales is a free attraction in the countryside that teaches children about the importance of honeybees – with the chance to try lots of local honeys.

    This friendly visitor centre is a supporter of Welsh honeybees, which are increasingly under threat from climate change and loss of wildflower meadows (草地). It raises visitors' awareness of environmental issues and shows the 4,000-year history of beekeeping and honey-making, from the ancient Egyptians to the Romans. A Hive (蜂巢) Aid scheme lets you adopt a beehive(from £50 per person), and regular courses (from £60 per person) train new generations of beekeepers.

    Fun fact

    Bees pollinate (授粉) about a third of everything we eat and play an important role in sustaining (维持) our ecosystems. In economic terms, honeybee pollination could be worth up to £200m to the UK alone.

What about lunch?

    Next door is the Furnace Tearoom, part of the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre, which serves light bites – wraps (卷饼), fruit salads (£7) and coffee. And the nearby Pavilion Restaurant at the National Trust's Bodnant Garden has cooked food, including baked potatoes (£5) and daily specials such as local casseroles (焙盘) with bread rolls (£6), plus coffee and cakes.

    Exit through the gift shop

    There is a range of bee-themed gifts in our gift shop, including bee toys (£2), wooden honey candy (£2) and a selection of honeys all made by Welsh producers (£5). The bestselling Bodnant honey (£8) goes fast.

Getting here

    We are located just off the A470 on the Bodnant Estate in the Conwy Valley, and 10 minutes from the A55 north Wales coast road. Follow the brown signs just after Bodnant Gardens.

    Value for money

    Visits and activities for kids are free, though donations are welcome. Taster days (from £60) and the weekend beekeeping course (£80 per person) are held at Abergwyngregyn village, 10 miles west down the A55.

    Opening hours

    The Visitor Centre opens daily from 10 am-4 pm but it is volunteer-run, so phone ahead to check. Expect lots of fun activities around the annual Conwy Honey Fair.