The uninvolved dad, turning up his nose at diapering(换尿布) and too busy to bathe, dress and play with his kids, is mostly a myth(神话) , a big government survey suggests. Most American fathers say they are heavily involved in hands-on parenting, the researchers found.

    The results are encouraging and important " because others have found the more involved dads  are, the better the outcomes for their children. " said researcher Jo Jones of the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control Prevention. She co-authored the report released Friday.

    "Times have changed," said Robert Loftus, 34, of Yonkers, NY. He quit a six-figure sales job a year ago to care for his two young children while his wife works full time. "We are trying to rethink our priorities (优先考虑的事) and family seem to be NO.1 priority while in the past maybe people were more focused on career. "

    The study involved nearly 4.000 fathers who were interviewed in person between 2009 and 2013.

◇ Key findings among fathers living with children younger than 5 :

*9 in 10 bathed, diapered, helped them use the toilet or get dressed at least several times weekly .

* Even higher numbers played with them and ate meals with them that often

* Almost 2 0ut of 3 read to them at least several times weekly.

◇Among dads living with kids aged 5-18.

* More than 9 0ut of 10 ate meals with them at least several times weekly and talked with them about what happened during the kids' day that often.

* Almost 2 0ut of 3 helped with homework several times weekly.

* About half took their kids to or from activities that often.

    Dr. David Hill, a Wilmington, N. C. pediatrician (儿科医生) said the survey reflects what he's seen among his patients' fathers. Increasingly, fathers rather than mothers take their kids to the doctor. Some "are anxious about changing a diaper, " he said.

    Census(调查) numbers show that there were almost 190,000 stay-at-home dads nationwide last year versus 93,000 in 2010. Loftus, the New York stay-at-home dad, said, "I feel fortunate to be able to be such a hands-on father.  I'm doing the most significant occupation in the world. "

    Libraries are doing well in the digital times. Here are some of the most awesome examples.

    ⒈Freiburg University Library, Germany

    The original library of the Freiburg University was rebuilt in 2015 following the project of Degelo Architects. The new building has 41,000 square meters and looks like a cut diamond. Inside, there are 1,200 workspaces in four reading rooms plus 500 work areas. The library offers in the basement a system of automated checkout machines and 700,000 volumes that can be borrowed.

    ⒉Microlibrary at Taman Bima, Indonesia

    This wonderful little public library is located in a Kampung neighborhood near the Bandung airport, Indonesia. The building was designed by the Bandung office of SHAU architect studio. It has 160 square meters and is built upon a preexisting stage that was already used by the local community for events and gatherings. The Bima public library is the first of a series of similar microlibraries that are planned to be built across Indonesia.

    ⒊Public Library of Constitución, Chile

    The city in Constitución, Chile, was devastated by 8.8 degrees earthquake in 2010. The new public library, designed by Sebastian Irarrázaval, is a part of the initiative to rebuild the city. Constitución is one of the biggest clusters of wood production in Chile. This heritage is reflected in the construction of this post-disaster library. It's made almost entirely of wood, and only the firewalls are done with exposed poured concrete. The internal area of the library exceeds 350 square meters. The building was opened in 2015, five years after the earthquake.

    ⒋LiYuan Library, China

    Built in 2011 in a small village of Huairou on the outskirts（郊区）of Beijing, this beautiful nature-inspired library was designed by Li Xiaodong. The 175-square-meter building's interior is spatially diverse by using steps and small level changes to create distinct places. The wooden sticks temper the bright light and spread it evenly throughout the space to give a perfect reading environment. The library closes at dusk because there is no electricity in it.

    Here's an idea whose time has come: A flu shot that doesn't require an actual shot.

    For the first time, researchers have tested a flu vaccine patch (疫苗贴) in a human clinical trial and found that it delivered as much protection as a traditional injection with a needle. Doctors and public health experts have high hopes that it will increase the number of people who get immunized (免疫的) against the flu.

    Seasonal flu is responsible for up to half a million deaths around the world each year according to the World Health Organization. A team led by Georgia Tech engineer Mark Prausnitz has come up with an alternative method that uses “microneedles”. These tiny needles are so small that 100 of them, arranged in order on a patch, can fit under your thumb (拇指).Yet they're big enough to hold vaccine for three types of flu.

    None of the study volunteers had serious side effects. The groups that got patches had mild skin reactions that were not seen in the regular needle group, while the volunteers in the regular needle group were more likely to experience pain. Overall, 70 percent of the volunteers who got vaccine patches said they'd rather use them again than get a traditional flu shot. The study authors declared it a success on all fronts.

    The biggest beneficiaries could be people in low- and middle-income countries, where flu vaccines are hard to come by. Reducing pain is nice, but other benefits—the patch costs less，is easier to transport, doesn't require refrigeration, can be self - administered and doesn't cause waste of needles—are even better.

    “Microneedle Patches have the potential to become ideal candidates for vaccination programs,” wrote Katja Hoschler and Maria Zambon of Public Health England.

    Scientists have recreated a 1985 study of birds in Peru that shows climate change is pushing them from their natural environment. Thirty years ago, researchers studied over 400 kinds of birds living on a mountainside in Peru. In 2017, researchers looked again at the bird populations. They found that almost all had moved to higher places in the mountain. Almost all had decreased in size. And, the scientists say at least eight bird groups that started at the higher elevations (高地) had died out completely.

    The researchers say the birds might have moved up the mountain because of temperature changes. Or changes to food sources may have forced them to go higher. The findings were published in a science journal. The 1985 research has documented birds and other animals moving up in elevation (高地) in reaction to warming temperatures. Mark Urban, a biologist at a university, said this recent study was the first to prove that rising temperatures and moving to avoid them can lead to extinction.

    In 2016, Fitzpatrick, director and a co-writer of the study passed his notes, photos and other records to Benjamin Freeman. Freeman has been researching tropical birds for more than 10 years. He set out in August and September of 2017 to copy Fitzpatrick's study. His team used the same methods, searching the same places in the same time of year.

    Freeman's team wanted to see how things had changed for the bird groups since 1985. The average temperatures on the mountain had risen 0.42 degrees Celsius. His team placed 20 sound recording devices on the mountain to record the sounds of birds that might not easily be seen.

    Freeman said that the birds moved an average of 98 meters further up the mountain. He believes that temperature is the main cause of the birds' movement. Fitzpatrick noted that birds used to living in areas with little temperature change may be especially at risk because of climate change. He said, “We should expect that what's happening on this mountain top is happening more generally in the Andes, and other tropical mountain ranges.”

    Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on neighboring farms fell into conflict(冲突) . It was the first serious one between them in 40 years of farming peacefully side by side. In the end, they fell apart.

    One morning, a man with a carpenter's toolbox came for some work. The elder brother said, "I have a job for you. Look at the farm across the creek(河沟). My younger brother lives there. It was he who used his bulldozer(推土机)to dig the creek last week to spite(刁难) me. So I want you to build me a fence, an 8 – foot – high fence, in order not to see his place any more." The carpenter smiled and said, "I see. I'll try to do a job that satisfies you." Then the elder brother went downtown.

    At sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer's eyes opened wide! To his surprise, there was no fence there at all! Instead, there was a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work! He saw his younger brother coming to him with the hands outstretching. The brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other's hands. They turned to see the carpenter lift his toolbox on his shoulder.

"No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other work for you," said the elder brother. "I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but I have so many more bridges to build."

    For many people, the Transformers movies are the greatest Hollywood blockbusters (大片). And among the Transformers themselves, the yellow Autobot named Bumblebee is certainly the favorite. He may be one of the smallest and weakest of the alien machines, but he is always loyal to his friends and shows great bravery in battle.

    In the new film, Bumblebee is found in a junkyard (废车场) and is full of honeybees. He always finds himself in awkward (尴尬的) situations, but people like his cute and naive looks. In addition to his blue eyes, Bumblebee's body language and movements are adorable. At one point, he sits with his legs straight out, with his huge feet making him look like a 5-year old trying on his dad's shoes.

    Bumblcbee is the Transformer who has the greatest affinity (亲和力) with humans. He starts journey with Watson, who is at a loss about her future and wants a friend. As a result of their adventure together. Watson grows up and starts to work toward her life goal of becoming a musician. As for Bumblebee, as we know, is a robot from outer space, he now has a better understanding of his task to protect the Earth. Every adventure has a beginning, as the movie poster puts it. More importantly, every adventure needs a good partner. The considerate, positive and warm Bumblebee is definitely a good choice according to US actress I Hailee Stcinfeld, who plays Watson in the film.