Sharon，Aged 22

    The most important thing to keep in mind when going into high school is to be yourself．Besides, I don't know what your middle school was like, but high school teachers will not care about things such as how much homework you already have in one night．It's best to just learn to deal with things and manage your time wisely so you can achieve everything you need to.

Frank, Aged 21

    I think almost every kid feels both nervous and excited before their first day．You will probably love it．I know I did．You should join some sports or activities that will make your high school experience more enjoyable．Good luck!

Eddie，Aged 20

    When I started high school I was really nervous too，especially since I had been homeschooled all through middle school and didn't really know anyone．I suppose the best advice would be to just relax．The first couple of days can be a little bit hard，but things will become easier before you know it.

David，Aged 19

    I'm not going to lie．The first day is kind of frightening(令人恐惧的)．But you'll get used to it．Don't be afraid of anyone；upperclassmen will pick on(刁难) you more if you let them know you're afraid．Just take it easy．Making some friends and staying with them will greatly help you get used to high school quickly．After the first week it's really not bad at all．Don't worry.

    Drive through any suburb in the U.S. today,and it's hard to miss the bins that have become companions to America's trash cans.Recycling has become commonplace,as people recognize the need to care for the environment. Yet most people's recycling consciousness extends only as far as paper,bottles,and cans.People seldom find themselves facing the growing problem of e-waste.

    E-waste rapidly increases as the techno-fashionable frequently upgrade to the most advanced devices,and the majority of them end up in landfills（垃圾填埋地）.Some people who track such waste say that users throw away nearly 2 million tons of TVs,VCRs,computers,cell phones,and other electronics every year.Unless we can find a safe replacement,this e-waste may get into the ground and poison the water with dangerous toxins（毒素）,such as lead, mercury,and arsenic.Burning the waste also dangerously contaminates the air.

    However,e-waste often contains reusable silver.gold.and other electrical materials.Recycling these materials reduces environmental problems by reducing both landfill waste and the need to look for such metals,which can destroy ecosystems.

    A growing number of states have adopted laws to ban dumping e-waste.Still,less than a quarter of this refuse will reach lawful recycling programs.Some companies advertising safe disposal（处置）in fact merely ship the waste to some developing countries,where it still ends up in landfills.These organizations prevent progress by unsafely disposing of waste in an out-of-sight,out-of-mind location.

    However,the small but growing number of cities and corporations that do handle e-waste responsibly represents progress toward making the world a cleaner,better place for us all.

    As the G20 Leaders Summit(峰会)kicked off on Sept 4, Hangzhou, the host city, took measures to promote its reputation for entrepreneurship(企业), as well as its many beauty sports, to those overseas people.

    Although many may have been surprised when Hangzhou was chosen to host the summit over bigger cities such as Beijing or Shanghai, economic statistics suggest that it's well deserving of the honor.

    When the national economy grew at 6.7 percent in the first half of this year, the lowest in more than two decades, Hangzhou steamed ahead with a huge 10.8 percent growth, becoming one of the only two cities in China, alongside Chongqing, with a double-digit growth rate.

Walking along the streets of Hangzhou, through centuries-old paths and along the Broadway—like Yan'an Avenue, a tourist can pick up whatever he or she wants with just a smartphone, via Alipay or WeChat Pay—no cash or credit cards needed.

    And starting this month, one can also rent public bikes simply by scanning the QR code(二维码)with a smartphone.

Meanwhile, a short video showing the beauty of Zhejiang Province and its capital, Hangzhou, was being aired on CNBC channels during prime time until Sept 12.

    The promotional video, created by CNBC's Catalyst Content Studio, highlighted some of Hangzhou's most charming attractions.

From eye-pleasing beauty spots like the Qiantang River and West Lake to the towering headquarters of leading Internet corporations, the promo(宣传片)showed how the city built its culture on a long history of commerce and developed into a vast modern center of technology, imports and exports.

    When we have troubles we turn to our family. But what would we do if we lost our family? I want to share with you a touching film about an Indian child who loses his loved ones.

    The main character in the 2016 Australian film Lion is a child named Saroo. When he is 6 years old, he follows his brother Guddu to a job, but gets lost. Saroo ends up in a new city and is adopted by a kind Australian family.

    However, one day Saroo is reminded of his original family. He knows immediately that he must find out as much about them as he can, so he racks his brains (绞尽脑汁)for all that he can remember.

    Lion is the most moving film that I have ever seen. When I saw the young Saroo trying to help his brother while they worked on a construction site at such a young age, I was amazed.

    In today's society，the poor are always looked down upon. But I saw in the eyes of young Saroo great courage and kindness that made me think differently. He has great qualities that help him survive in the strange city where he finds himself.

    When Saroo sees that people are kind he rewards them with the sweetest smiles and loves them with all of his heart. Saroo's goodness, I believe, allows him to live a happy life with his Australian foster (收养)family.

    It is unbelievably hard for Saroo to reunite with his original family. He can't even remember the name of his hometown. It takes him days to find the real one. In fact, he has to go through every alternative (供选择的东西)he can find on Google Maps.

I'm deeply impressed by Saroo's determination. It is why, when I saw the movie, I cried at the moment when he finally found his mother.

    Lion is full of moving and impressive details. There are so many that I can only mention a few of them here. But what stands out most to me is Saroo's commitment (投身)to finding his original family，and the fact that his search doesn't stop him from loving his foster family.

    I want to recommend this film to everyone. See it and you'll come to understand so much about family and love.

    A family in Florida had a happy Christmas this year thanks to two local police officers, who answered a 911 call only to discover there was no emergency at all.

    When they arrived at the house of a single mother with two children, the officers discovered the younger child, about two years old, was playing with the phone. There were no signs of Christmas or holiday cheer in the house. "They weren't smiling. It seemed like they weren't happy at all. They were missing something," Officer Paramore said. "The mother mentioned that they weren't going to have a Christmas that year. It was pretty obvious that the family was struggling," he said. "So we told each other that something had to be done."

    Paramore and his partner, Barry Ward, left the house with a plan. The next day, they went to a supermarket and bought a tree, lights and some ornaments (装饰物) with their own money. Then they returned to the apartment to deliver some holiday cheer. "They hugged the tree," Paramore said. "I was glad to see that this family was going to have something to sit around and use." The police department posted the video on YouTube, hoping to share the happy news and inspire others.

    The department has received tons of donations and phone calls from people around the country asking how they can help the family. "We are covered," said Stephanie Slater, public information officer for the Boynton Beach Police Department. "We're asking people to do good in their communities on behalf of our officers. We appreciate it very much that people are talking about this after watching the news on TV because they need to see and need to be reminded that police officers are good guys," she said. "They are human beings who have a kind heart and they do things that go unnoticed like this every day."

    Get top tips from an expert photographer while you are taking digital photographs in the Garden at Kew.

Event details

    Wednesday 13 – Thursday 14 February, 2019

    Time: 10:30 am – 4 pm

    Place: Kew Gardens

    Course Fee: £160

About the course

    This course is designed for camera-owners who would like to know the basics. It will explain some of the basic principles of photography such as focus and exposure as well as many of the practical aspects such as how to download and store images.

    The great part of the time will be spent practicing techniques by actually using cameras out in the beautiful gardens at Kew. There will be many opportunities to ask questions, review your own images and learn some top tips.

    This course is suitable for people with any sort of camera. It is useful to bring along instructions books, and you'll need to make sure your batteries are fully charged and your memory card has some free space on it.

About the tutor

    Edward Parker is an expert tree and forest photographer who, over the last 20 years, has worked in more than 40 countries around the world. He has written more than 30 educational books and his photographs have been on exhibition at Kew Gardens, Downing Street and the Horniman Museum. Photographing Trees is his latest book.

How to book

    Email adulated@kew.org with a contact number, or call at 020 8332 5641.