Ask any kid, and you'll likely hear that time spent with friends is the coolest and most important part of the school day. Educators, as well, acknowledge that making friends is one of the most valuable things children do as they learn and grow. But many parents are perplexed by their children's social lives, wondering how to help their kids cope with the challenges, heartbreaks, and the joys of making friends, losing them, and making friends again.

    “Friendships help children gradually learn to be independent, contributing members of a community and it's just as important as their academic growth” notes Diane Levin, Ph.D., author of “Remote Control Childhood.” However, it's a slow process. There are many social skills to learn, which advance with age and experience, trial and error, and experiencing the satisfaction that comes from contributing to an ongoing friendship.”

    “Friendship starts as soon as children can crawl off their parents' laps over to another child,” adds Michael Thompson, Ph.D., co-author of her life with you to her life with her friends. but who their friends are, how they interact with them, and how popular they are, is something parents have only limited control over.”

    Experts on children's behavior say that problems like jealousies, breakups, bullying and teasing account for a big part of what parents, kids and teachers talk about, and what parents worry about.

    Get insights into how children's friendships develop and how parents can help, if needed, and find ways to determine if your child is at risk for serious social problems or simply suffering from real (but common) social challenges.

    Let's face the facts. On most occasions, some things may seem impossible, but in every impossibility, there is possibility. Impossible situations don't last forever. While it might be impossible for one, it could still be possible for another. In a word, everything is possible.

    Someone once said, “Success belongs to those who can look at challenges offered by the world as an inspiration.” So your challenges are golden opportunities for success. How can there be wonders if there are no difficulties? You need challenges to show your ability and success comes from the problems you face. Those who refuse to give in come out smiling.

    Robert X. Perez once said, “The seeds of success spring from failure's ashes; failure is not defeat and it just directs you in the right direction. To fail is to understand what you should not do. Remember it and don't give up until your goal is achieved.”

    What should you do when you face difficulties? Jasbeen says, “Yeah, life is difficult, but you shouldn't give up. You should have a positive and calm attitude towards all your difficulties and make the best of them. You may learn something new. You can accept failure and develop mental toughness. Mental toughness is to see the long-term pains rather than be put off by short-term pains. Once you have this toughness, you have an advantage of winning.”

    The only thing in life you ever really regret is the chances you didn't take. You will only regret when you are faced with the consequences of not taking chances and seizing the moment. Take every chance you can!

    Everything you've done in life may be good or bad, but no matter what you may do, you must try your best. You must do something meaningful and do it right now.

    St Moritz, the showiest of Switzerland's Alpine resorts (旅游胜地), is no ordinary ski town. It's responsible for winter tourism as we know it today. It was a small band of English holidaymakers that changed Switzerland forever. In 1864 a bet took place between hotelier Johannes Badrutt and the vacationers on a damp September evening in St Moritz. As they sat around the fire at the Engadiner Kulm Hotel, concerned about returning to the foggy London winter, the Swiss manager saw a golden opportunity.

    “You holiday here in summer,” he challenged them over a bottle of red wine. “Why not enjoy the mountains year-round? Winter is so pleasant that on fine days you can even walk without a jacket.” Attracted by the promise of clean skies against a backdrop of towering peaks, the Englishmen were pleased to accept it; up until then, St Moritz had been a modest hiking destination in July and August. But if Badrutt's promise proved false, the hotelier would pay for their journey and winter-long stay. How could they lose?

    Come mid-December, the group of men returned to Switzerland. Towards the end of their week-long journey, sitting on a horse-pulled sledge and wrapped head-to-toe in furs, they went through the 2,284m Julier Pass in southeastern Switzerland. But by the time of their arrival in St Moritz, the skies had cleared, they were sweating abundantly, and Badrutt, jacketless and with his shirt sleeves rolled up, was there to greet them.

    Of course, Badrutt won the bet. Word quickly spread throughout Britain about St Moritz's distinctive climate—dry and sunny with a high degree of snow certainty. Year-round tourism landed the Alpine town of St Moritz.

    That Badrutt almost single-handedly marketed this undeveloped winter wonderland is a little unbelievable. The first tourist office in Switzerland had been established in the same year as the bet. Other resorts like the ones in Davos and Grindelwald were also popping up then. The story of St Moritz is, in some ways, also a tale of social transformation. But what Badrutt did made the Swiss mountains accessible in a way that no one else had done before, so his role as pioneer cannot be downplayed.

    Literature is an important part of a total language arts program at all grade levels because of the many benefits it offers.

    Literature provides pleasure to listeners and readers. It is a relaxing escape from daily problems, and it fills leisure moments. Making time for recreational reading and using high-quality literature help to develop enthusiastic readers and improve achievement. Developing a love of literature as a recreational activity is possibly the most important outcome of a literature program.

    Literature builds experience. Through reading, children expand their horizons through vicarious(引起共鸣的)experiences. They visit new places, gain new experiences, and meet new people. They learn about the past as well as the present and learn about a variety of cultures, including their own. They discover the common goals and similar emotions found in people of all times and places. Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly, Giff, a hard survival story, is set in Ireland during the potato hunger of I845,and Patricia Polacco's The Butterfly, deals with Nazis, resistance, and Jewish persecution(迫害)during World War II.

    Literature provides a language model for those who hear and read it. Good literature exposes children to correct sentence patterns, standard story structures, and varied word usage. Children for whom English is a second language can improve their English with the interesting context, and all children benefit from new vocabulary that is woven into the stories.

    Literature develops thinking skills. Discussions of literature bring out reasoning related to sequence; cause and effect; character motivation; predictions; visualization of actions, characters, and settings; critical analysis of the story; and creative responses.

    Literature helps children deal with their problems. By finding out about the problems of others through books, children receive insights into dealing with their own problems, a process called bibliotherapy. Children might identify with Gilly, living angrily in a foster home in Katherine Paterson's The Great Gilly Hopkins, or with Mary Alice, a city girl forced to live with her grandma in a "hick town" in Richard Peck's A Year Down Yonder.

    You've heard of the fat suit and the pregnancy suit; now meet AGNES—the old person suit.

    AGNES stands for “Age Gain Now Empathy(换位体验)System” and was designed by researchers at MIT's AgeLab to let you know what it feels like—physically—to be 75 years old. “The business of old age demands new tools,” said Joseph Coughlin, director of the AgeLab. “While focus groups and observations and surveys can help you understand what the older consumer needs and wants, young marketers never get that Ah ha! moment of having difficulty opening a jar, or getting in and out of a car. That's what AGNES provides. ”

    Coughlin and his team carefully adjusted the suit to make the wearer just as uncomfortable as an old person who has spent a lifetime eating poorly and not doing much exercise. Special shoes provide a feeling of imbalance, while braces on the knees and elbows limit joint mobility. Gloves give the feeling of decreased strength and mobility in the hands and wrists, and earplugs make it difficult to hear high—pitched sounds and soft tones. A helmet with straps(带)attached to it presses the spine(脊柱), and more straps attached to the shoes decrease hamstring flexibility, and shortens the wearer's step.

    AGNES has been used most recently by a group of students working on a design of an updated walker. By wearing the suit they could see for themselves what design and materials would make the most sense for a physically limited older person. Coughlin said the suit has also been used by clothing companies, car companies and retail goods companies to help them understand the limitations of an older consumer.

    “AGNES is not the destiny of everybody,” he said. “She is a badly behaved lady who didn't eat and exercise very well. A secondary benefit we've found with AGNES is that it has become a powerful tool to get younger people to invest in their long-term health. ”

Central Axis: The Backbone of Beijing

Beijing Central Axis (中轴线), running north-south through the heart of the old city of Beijing and governing the overall layout of the capital, is{#blank#}1{#/blank#}integration of building complexes and archeological sites. Initially constructed in the 13th century and shaped in the 16th century, Beilng Central Axis was continuously perfected over seven centuries, giving rise to a well-organized and imposing building ensemble that manifests (彰显) the {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(idea) order of the ancient Chinese capital deep {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(root) in the capital planning tradition for over two millennia.

From Yongding Gate to the Bell and Drum Towers via Zhengyang Gate, Tian'anmen, Taihe Palace, Jingshan Mountain, Beijing Central Axis connects the outer, inner and imperial city {#blank#}4{#/blank#} the imperial palace. The main buildings along the central axis are symmetrical and staggered in {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(high), thus creating a unique and magnificent picture. In addition to {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(form) the backbone of the frame of Beijing city, it serves as the best embodiment of the capital's boundless charm {#blank#}7{#/blank#}makes it a famous historical and cultural city.

The Central Axis of Beijing which links the ancient times and the present has experienced the changes of times and witnessed the continuous development of the Chinese civilization. Nowadays, the application for the world heritage status of Beijing Central Axis {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(include) in the core area planning already, and this amazing urban landscape is becoming a development axis that {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(highlight) the protection of the ancient capital and the development of the city. In the future, it will continue to glow (焕发) with vibrant charm and nourish the Chinese civilization which stands in the East of the world with a {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(calm) and more confident posture.