Have you thought about what determines the way we are as we grow up? Remember the TV program Seven Up! It started following the lives of a group of children in 1963. We first meet them as wide-eyed seven-year-olds and then catch up with them at seven-year intervals (间隔): nervous 14-year-olds, serious 21-year-olds, then grown-ups.

    Some of the stories are inspiring, others sad, but what is interesting in almost all the cases is the way in which the children's early hopes and dreams are shown in their future lives, for example, at seven, Tony is a lively child who says he wants to become a sportsman or a taxi driver. When he grows up, he goes on to do both. Nicki says, “I'd like to find out about the moon.” and goes on to become a space scientist. As a child, soft-spoken Bruce says he wants to help “poor children” and ends up teaching in India.

    But if the lives of all the children had followed this pattern, the program would be far less interesting than it actually was. It was the children whose childhood did not prepare them for what was to come that made the program so inspiring. Where did their ideas come from about what they wanted to do when they grew up? Are children influenced by what their parents do, by what they see on television, or by what their teachers say? How great is the effect of a single important event? Many film directors, including Stephen Spielberg, say that an early visit to the cinema was the turning point in their lives. Dr Magaret Me Allister, who has done a lot of research in this area, thinks that the major influences are parents, friends and the wider society.

    Plan on traveling around the USA this summer? If you need help in arranging the trip, or want ideas about where to go and what to do, there are a number of outstanding websites that can make your American dream come true.

                                                                                   Journey to Asia in 2018

    Follow the Silk Route

    Though they were ruled by Russia for more than 100 years, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have remained far more connected to their earlier histories. This 11-day journey, with guidance from Times-selected experts, will take you deep into the heart of these Silk Road nations.

    Journey 11 days

    Time Apr. 15, May 20 and Sept. 23, 2018

    Travelers 20

    Costs $ 6,495

    Saudi Arabia and the Emirates: The Past and Future of Oil

    Oil transformed the Arabian Peninsula, bringing wealth to the traditional area as well as problems with the Western nations that needed it. Learn more on this journey accompanied by New York Times - selected experts. Explore the conservatism（保守主义）that existed in Saudi Arabia, and then see the modern architectural city Abu Dhabi.

    Journey 10 days

    Time Oct. 23 and Nov. 6, 2018

    Travelers 24

    Costs $11.695

    Seventy Years of the State of Israel

    In 2018, Israel will observe its 70th anniversary as a nation. But its history goes back more than 5,000 years, and even now, its future promises many difficulties. On this nine-day journey, travel with experts from the New York Times, a leader in its even-handed coverage of Israel, Palestinians and the Middle East. Enjoy extraordinary opportunities to hear from opinion makers, scholars, grassroots activists and media experts.

    Journey 9 days

    Time Mar. 18 and Oct. 7, 2018

    Travelers 25

    Costs $6,995

    Kashmir: The Religious Melting Pot of India

    One of the most populous nations on earth. India also has some of the most varied religions on earth. On this 13-day journey: explore this nation's colorful religious history, from Delhi to Kashmir, with expert guidance and unparalleled access to remote areas.

    Journey 13 days

    Time Mar. 24, Apr. 14 and Oct. 6, 2018

    Travelers 20

    Costs $7,895

    Phillip Island is a small island and nature reserve off the coast of South Australia, about 140 km from Melbourne. On the island you can see koalas, kangaroos and the main attraction, the Penguin Parade（归巢）on Summerland Beach.

    As dusk was approaching, we made our way down to the beach, as did everyone else. On the beach was a stone grandstand, rather cold on the behind, so bring a coat or blanket to sit on. As it got darker, people talked less, keeping an eye out on the beach to see the arrival of that first penguin.

    Suddenly there was movement at the edge of the surf and all heads turned as one. There, standing by the edge of the water was the smallest penguin we had ever seen. He looked left, then right, as if he was considering crossing a busy road and then he ran quickly across to the sand dunes and the penguin holes.

    He must have been the scout(侦查员), because after him, there came groups of penguins, some consisted of two or three penguins, and some had about ten or fifteen, but they all made the same mad dash across the sand into the holes, as if they couldn't get there fast enough. The groups started to lessen and finally no more penguins emerged from the sea.

    We sat on the grandstand for a while, not talking, just feeling awed(敬畏的) at what we'd just seen. Neither of us had ever seen penguins in the wild before, only in zoos and it was an amazing feeling.

    You could see the penguins here every evening and morning, but they weren't in cages or in small pools. The sea was their playground and it is a sight we would definitely recommend to anyone.

    You weren't allowed to take flash photographs as it scared them. After the penguins had gone to their holes, you could walk along boardwalks and see them there. That's got to be worth a look.

    Some inventions are so useful, but seem so simple, that we wonder why no one thought of them long ago. Post-it Notes, the pieces of paper that you can stick almost anywhere and then remove without leaving any sign that they are there, are an example of such an invention.

    Post-it Notes were invented about twenty years ago by Art Fry, a scientist at 3M Corporation. The idea for the product came from an upsetting experience he often had while singing in his church choir. Fry used pieces of paper as bookmarks to mark the places in his book of songs, but these bookmarks were always falling out. He knew he needed a bookmark that would stay where he put it, but that he could remove without damaging the pages.

    Around that time, Fry heard about a new adhesive(粘合剂) that a colleague, Dr. Spence Silver had created. This adhesive was special because it was sticky, but not too sticky. It was strong enough to hold papers together, but weak enough not to tear the paper when it was removed. Fry saw that the new adhesive could help solve his bookmark problem. One morning, Fry put some of the adhesive on the edge of a piece of paper. Just as he hoped, it made a perfect bookmark.

    A short time later, Fry realized that his new invention had even more uses than being a great bookmark. He came to this realization when he wrote a note on one of his new “bookmarks” and attached it to a report he was going to give to a colleague. Soon, co-workers were asking Fry for more sample of his invention so that they could use the new type of notes themselves.

    Fry and some other people at 3M believed so much in the new product that they persuaded the company to give away thousands of the sticky pieces of paper for trial use. When some salespeople at 3M went to offices and showed workers just how helpful the new type of notes could be, they immediately received many orders. As more and more people discovered how useful Post-it Notes could be, the product took off.

    When my father married my mother in 1943, he gave my mother a 1937 crown coin and told her to keep it in the back of her purse and not to spend it. This would mean that she always felt that she was protected and would always have money if she really needed it.

    When I was married in 1970, my husband, who had heard this story, obtained a 1937 crown coin for me and I have always kept it in my wallet, and I have always had enough for my needs.

    A friend recently fell on hard times, partly through external (外部的) circumstances and partly through poor planning. Friends and I have loaned her money, paid her bills, given her food, and even tried to teach her budget techniques, but none of them has been a solution. She has just slipped deeper and deeper into financial trouble and depression.

    Last week she looked pale and unwell, very depressed and hopeless, very sad for a friend to see and I then thought about how the crown coin, a physical reminder of another's care and love had protected me, so I went to the bank for a $ 100 dollar-bill.

    I told my friend the story and asked her to keep the $ 100 in the back of her wallet. It turned out that she didn't have a wallet, so she put the money in a little pencil case where she kept her coins. She immediately felt better—"I feel rich, and thank you for being a good friend," she said, and we were both a bit teary.

    I went home and remembered a little wallet I had that I'd never used, and thought, "I'll give that to my friend." I opened it, and inside, found $ 100.