I am a writer．I spenda great deal of my time thinking about the power of language—the way it canevoke(唤起)an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth．Languageis the tool of my trade．And I use them all—all the Englishes Igrew up with．

Born into a Chinese family that hadrecently arrived in California, I've been giving more thought to the kind ofEnglish my mother speaks．Like others, I have described it topeople as "broken" English．But I feel embarrassed to say that．It hasalways bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than"broken", as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked acertain wholeness．I'veheard other terms used, "limited English," for example．Butthey seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people'sperceptions(认识)ofthe limited English speaker．

I know this for a fact, because when Iwas growing up, my mother's "limited" English limited my perception of her．I wasashamed of her English．Ibelieved that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say．Thatis, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect．And Ihad plenty of evidence to support me: the fact that people in departmentstores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not giveher good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they didnot hear her．

I started writing fiction in 1985．And forreasons I won't get into today, I began to write stories using all theEnglishes I grew up with: the English she used with me, which for lack of abetter term might be described as "broken", and what I imagine to be hertranslation of her Chinese, her internal(内在的) language, and for that I sought topreserve the essence, but neither an English nor a Chinese structure．Iwanted to catch what language ability tests can never show: her intention, herfeelings, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts．

    The jobs of the future have not been invented, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} By helping them develop classic skills that will serve them well no matter what the future holds.

⒈Curiosity

    Your children need to be deeply curious. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Ask kids, “What ingredients (配料) can we add to make these pancakes even better next time” and then try them out. Did those ingredients make the pancakes better? What could we try next time?

⒉Creativity

    True creativity is the ability to take something existing and create something new from it {#blank#}3{#/blank#}There are a dozen different things you can do with them. Experimenting with materials to create something new can go a long way in helping them develop their Creativity.

⒊Interpersonal Skills

    Understanding how others feel can be a challenge for kids. We know what is going on inside our own head, but what about others? Being able to read people helps kids from misreading a situation and jumping to false conclusions. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} “Why do you think she is crying?” “Can you tell how that man is feeling by looking at his face?” “If someone were to do that to you, how would you feel?”

⒋Self Expression

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} There are many ways to express thoughts and ideas ¡ª music, acting, drawing, building, photography. You may find that your child is attracted by one more than another.

    Your weight has been important since the moment you were born. Maybe you even know what your birth weight was. Most newborns weigh between 6 and 9 pounds, but some may weigh more and some less. But very quickly, a baby gains weight and everyone is glad about that because it means the child is growing bigger and stronger.

    As you get older, your weight is still important. It's something your parents and doctor will probably keep an eye on. When you go for a checkup, the doctor often will record your height and weight and compare it with what it was the last time you came in. The doctor wants to check whether you have a healthy weight because weighing too much or too little can be a problem.

    But these days, being overweight is more common than being underweight. In the last 30 years, a growing number of kids and teenagers have developed weight problems. Today, 1 out of 3 kids and teens between the ages of 2 and 19 are overweight. Many grown-ups understand what it's like to have weight problems, since 2 out of every 3 adults(成年人) are overweight.

    For kids and adults, weighing too much can lead to illnesses and health problems. And a kid who is overweight might be made jokes on or find it hard to keep up with friends on the playground. When people talk about being overweight, they mean that someone has more body fat than is healthy. Everyone has some body fat, but extra (多余的) fat can influence someone's health and ability to walk, run, and get around, as well as how the person looks and his or her self-respect.

    Ever since it was created 30 years ago, The Simpsons, the longest running prime-time (黄金时段) TV show in the country, has become part of US life. So when TV critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz ranked the 100 greatest comedies and dramas broadcast in the US, it came as no surprise that The Simpsons was their top choice.

    This was the show that changed the very concept (概念) of cartoons in Western society. Before it appeared, cartoons were considered a way to learn and have fun, not serious adult entertainment. The Simpsons changed this. The genius (过人之处) of the show is that it has something to offer both adults and children.

    It's a hugely entertaining program that's also full of satire (讽刺) and clever humor. A remark by Chitra Ramaswamy in The Guardian gave a sense of the esteem (敬重) in which The Simpsons is held: “Nothing before or since has matched its capacity to be at once so profoundly (深刻地) clever and so unbelievably stupid.”

    The show's creator Matt Groening, and the brilliant team that work with him, make fun of the US government, social customs, and of course, the idea of family life. But unlike classic US prime-time TV characters, the Simpsons are a dysfunctional (功能失调的) family.

    Bart, the boy, is always in trouble – both at home and at school. That may be in part because of his paternal (父亲的) example. Homer Simpson, perhaps the most iconic character, is a beer-swilling (喝着啤酒的), overweight slob (懒汉) who is normally found in front of the TV. And Marge, Homer's wife and the mother of the family, spends most of her time cooking, cleaning or trying to fix the messes that Bart and Homer make.

    The smartest member of the family is daughter Lisa, who excels (表现卓越) at school but is no goody-goody (讨好卖乖的人): Lisa never misses an opportunity to challenge authority. The youngest member of the family is baby Maggie, who will likely be as much a trouble as her brother and sister when she grows up – if she ever grows up, that is.

    But although the Simpsons are a problem family, viewers are always on their side. One of the reasons the show has remained so popular all these years is that the characters are so likeable. Millions of us identify with (同情) them. They are a working class family struggling to make ends meet. They aren't perfect, but then, who is? And after 30 years, this is still what strikes a chord (引起共鸣) with millions of viewers worldwide.

    There are many places to go on safari in Africa, but riding a horse through the flooded waters of Botswana's Okavango Delta must rank as one of the world's most exciting wildlife journeys.

    Several safari camps operate as the base for this adventure, providing unique rides twice a day to explore deep into the delta. The camps have excellent horses, professional guides and lots of support workers. They have a reputation for providing a great riding experience.

    The morning ride, when the guides take you to beautiful, shallow lakes full of water lilies, tends to be more active. It is unlike any other riding experience. With rainbows forming in the splashing water around you and the sound of huge drops of water bouncing off your body and face. It is truly exciting. You are very likely to come across large wild animals, too. On horseback it is possible to get quite close to elephants, giraffes and many other animals. The sense of excitement and tension levels rise suddenly though, as does your heart rate, as you move closer to them.

    In the evening, rides are usually at a more relaxed and unhurried pace. With golden light streaming across the grassy delta and the animals coming out to eat and drink. Sedate though they are, rides at this time of day are still very impressive. As the sun's rays pass through the dust kicked up by the horses, the romance of Africa comes to life.

    Back at the camp you can kick off your boots and enjoy excellent food and wine. Looking back on your day, you will find it hard to deny that a horseback Safari is as close as you will ever come to answering the call of the wild.

    The popular image of the mountain climber is of a person carefully climbing a steep cliff with a network of safety ropes, but it is not the only kind. Many climbers now enjoy bouldering. It's more accessible and better for the environment.

    Here is an example of a climber addressing a bouldering problem.

    Figure 1: The climber has two routes she could take, one to the left and one to the right. The left one appears easier because it has a jug within easy reach, but look what happens if she chooses that direction. She gets stuck on the rock and has to go back down. Sometimes that is even more difficult than going up.

    Figure 2: The climber takes the one to the right this time. Using a foothold and placing her right hand in a crimp, she is able to lift herself up and locate other handholds. After only a few moves, she is able to throw her leg over the top of the boulder and pull herself up.