When Russell Lyons volunteered for the first time, he read “Goodnight Moon” to a class of San Diego preschoolers. And it wasn't reading — he'd memorized the book and was reciting it out loud. He was 4. Still, he said it felt good there, in front of the other kids, lending a hand. He wanted more of that feeling.

    Thirteen years later, he's getting a lot of it. He's on a five-month road trip across America — not sightseeing, but volunteering.

    The University City resident has spent time at an animal reserve in Utah, a women's shelter in St. Louis, a soup kitchen in New York, a retirement home in Tucson. This week he's in Los Angeles, at a program that supports disabled youth.

    “I just like helping people and feeling that something I do is making a difference,” he said. He resists the idea that his “Do Good Adventure” is all that unusual. It bothers him that the media often describe young people as lazy, self-centered. So he sees his trip as a chance to make a statement, too. “About 55 percent of teens do volunteer work, higher than the rate for adults” he said, according to a 2002 study. “Not everybody knows that. ”

    Of course, some teens do volunteer work because it looks impressive on their college applications. Lyons said he mentioned his trip on his applications. But charity work is a habit with him. Even before the cross country trip, he was volunteering about 200 hours a year at various places. He's made sandwiches for homeless families in Washington D.C. He's taught math to fifth-graders in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

    He gets some of that drive from his mother, Lesley Lyons, who has been involved in nonprofits for much of her life. She was there when her son “read” to the preschoolers — a memory of hers “that will never go away.”

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    Imagine you are in a jumping contest. Animals and insects can also enter this contest. But they might just leave humans in the dust!

    The first event is the long jump. The human athlete is Mike Powell. In 1991, he jumped nearly 30 feet, which is the world record for the long jump. That is about five times his own height.

    His competitor in the long-jump contest is a frog named “Rosie the Ribbiter.” Rosie set the world record for frogs in 1986 by jumping more than 21 feet. Her record has never been broken by any other frog. Compared to Mike Powell, Rosie's jump is not that amazing. But wait! Rosie is only about 10 inches long when her legs are stretched to their full length. She can jump more than 25 times her size. Rosie, the frog, wins the long-jump event.

    The next event is the high jump. Javier Sotomayor, the world record holder, can jump a bar (横杆) 8 feet high. That is about as high as the ceiling in most homes.

    Looking around for someone to challenge his record, Javier might need a magnifying glass (放大镜). The next contestant is a tiny insect called the spittlebug (吹沫虫).

    The spittlebug can jump 28 inches into the air. It is only a quarter-inch long, less than the width of a pencil. If the spittlebug were the same size as Javier, it would be able to jump 600 feet into the air. That is like a human jumping over a building 55 stories high!

    Though the humans lose the “jumping contest,” their competitors would probably agree that Mike and Javier are still pretty excellent athletes. If only Rosie and the spittlebug could speak!

    Eat your vegetables.Wash your hands.Always say“please”and“thank you”.We are full of advice for our children, but when it comes to money,we often have little to say.As a result,our children may grow up with clean hands and good manners,but without any idea how to manage their money.

    Here are some basics that will help guide them their entire lives:

    Show them the future.If your 13-year-old girl were to save $1.000,invest（投资）it at 8% and add $100 every month,by the time she's 65,she would have $980,983!

    Be careful of credit（信用）.Credit cards can help you buy necessary things and build a credit history,but they must be used responsibly,which means paying off your debt in time.Explain to your children that when you buy something using a credit card,you can easily end up paying two or three times what you would have paid if you used cash.

    Teach patience.Suppose your child wants a new bicycle that costs $150.Rather than paying the cash,give him some regular pocket money and explain that by putting aside,say,$15 each week,he will be able to buy it for himself in only ten weeks.

    Provide incentive（激励机制）.Tell your children the importance of saving."For every dollar he or she agrees to save and invest rather than spend,you agree to add another dollar to the pot,"says Cathy Pareto,expert in money planning.

    Explain your values.Values and money are deeply intertwined（纠缠在一起）,says Eilleen Gallo,co-author of The Financially Intelligent Parent.When your child demands that you buy something,explain why you really don't want to buy it.“You might say,‘I'd rather save that money for your education,'”advises Gallo.Every time you spend or don't spend money,you have a chance to share your values.

    In a foreign country, a man visited a local restaurant. He didn't speak their language. He ordered something indecipherable off the menu. When the waiter brought him a plate of delicious looking fried noodles, he smiled and made an OK sign at the waiter with his thumb and forefinger linked in a circle. Looking angry, the waiter then picked up the dish and thrown it to his lap. What he did wrong, he wondered. Well, nothing is quite as it seems when it comes to using hand gesture in another country.

    Gestures have been used to replace words in many countries, and they are often specific to a given culture. Gesture may mean something complimentary in one culture, but is highly offensive in another.

    The gesture “thumb-up” is commonly misinterpreted. In English, it is popularly known as 'thumbs up', despite the fact that the action is commonly performed with only one hand. English-speaking Caucasians use it to signal 'OK', which is the same meaning as O.K. ring gesture. The two can in fact be used almost interchangeably.

    Avoid using this gesture in Southern Sardina or Northern Greece unless you want to invite a fight. While American, British and Australian would use the thumb up to signal hitch-hiking to the drivers, this message will not encourage a Greek driver or motorist to stop to give them a ride.

    There are no right or wrong signals, only cultural differences. Lack of cultural understanding will lead to disharmony among people from different cultures. When we know what to look for, such encounters with other cultures are actually very interesting, fascinating and fun. It is certainty a great topic to discuss over a cup of coffee and cakes.

    Let's have fun!

    Big Hugs Elmo

    Sesame Street Big Hugs Elmo. There are so many ways to play with Sesame Street Big Hugs Elmo! When preschoolers give Elmo a great big hug, he'll hug back, say fun phrases or sing a sweet song about hugs! Press Elmo's left foot and he will invite children to join in 1 of 4 imagination activities. There are 50 plus lively sounds and phrases. Elmo loves getting hugs from you. Let's play.

    Furby Boom Figure—Peacock

    A whole new generation of Furby creatures is about to be born! Dust off your Furbish dictionary and get ready to party with your Furby Boon creature! Your Furby has a mind of its own, and the way you treat your Furby will shape its personality—so the more fun you have with it, the better! It speaks more English the more you play with it. Tickle（挠痒）your Furby, talk to it, and feed it.

    FurReal Friends Cuddles My Giggly Monkey

    Cuddles My Giggly Monkey responds in lifelike ways to being loved and cared for. Feed her with the banana-shaped bottle and she will move her mouth like a real baby monkey, make slurping sounds, and even say “mm” when she's full! Snuggle（偎依）her close and she will turn to snuggle right back while making sweet, lovable monkey sounds. When it's time for bed, rock Cuddles, and she will also sleepy sounds.

    The First Flower Girl Doll—Disney Sofia

    Your little Sofia then first fan will love this target-exclusive 10 flower girl doll; she is inspired by the hit animated series from Disney Junior, Sofia the First. This beautiful Sofia doll is beautifully dressed in a never-before0seen gown inspired by the flower girl fashion she wore at her mom's royal wedding.

    Earthquakes strike suddenly at any time of the day or night, but there's no way to tell when. If an earthquake happens, it may cause many deaths, injuries and damage. So you need a good preparation ahead of time. Decide how and where your family will get together if separated. Choose an out-of-state friend or relative that the family members can call after the quake to report where they are and how they are. Know the safe places in each room: under the strong tables, desks, or against inside walls. Keep enough food, water and other things, including a flashlight, a radio, medicines and clothing.

    During the earthquake, you should keep a clear head and never be too nervous to know what to do. Protect your head and neck with your arms. If possible, take a book, a pillow or any other things to protect yourself from falling glass and ruins. If you are indoors, you must immediately lie under any strong furniture. If outdoors, move to an open area away from trees, buildings, walls or power poles. If you are in a narrow valley, move to the centre of it and look up for falling stones. If you are in a car, move to the side of the road and stop the car. Do not stop near buildings, power lines or on or under bridges. Stay in your car until the shaking stops.

    Do not move a badly injured person unless he is in great danger after the earthquake. Do not use the telephone immediately unless there is a serious injury or fire. Turn on your radio for instructions and news reports. Be prepared for aftershocks. If you want to leave your home, post a message inside your home telling your family members where you can be found.