Recently I and other Red Cross volunteers met a group of victims from Hurricane Katrina. We were there, as mental health professionals, to offer “psychological first aid” and I was struck by the simple healing power of presence. As we walked in the gate to the shelter, we were greeted with a burst of gratitude from the first person we met. I felt appreciated, but also guilty, because I hadn't really done anything yet.

    I first realized the power of presence many years ago when a friend's mother passed away unexpectedly. I received a call saying she had just passed away. I wanted to rush down there immediately, but didn't want to intrude(打扰) on this very personal period of sadness. I was torn about what to do. Another friend with me then said, “Just go. Just be there.” I did, and I will never regret it.

    Since then, I have not hesitated to be in the presence of others. Once I sat at the bedside of a young man suffering from the pain of his AIDS-ralated dying. He was not awake, and obviously unaware of others' presence. However, the atmosphere was by no means solenm. His family, playing guitars and singing, allowed him to be present with them as though he were still fully alive.

    In my life, I am repeatedly struck by the healing power of presence. In it, none of us are truly alone. It not only is something we give to others but also changes me for the better.

    When you're having a hard time with your homework or when you're preparing for your term paper, these student-focused websites can help you with just about anything you need. The key to getting the most out of these online resources is to know how they can best be used to your advantage.

Facebook

    Although Facebook can be one of your biggest time-wasters and distractions when you are supposed to be getting work done, it can also be one of your most valuable resources. Most of your classmates will probably have a Facebook account, so anyone you need to connect with about a class you missed or about a problem is usually just a few clicks away.

SparkNotes

    With a free library of history timeline, philosophy study guides and library summaries, SparkNotes has covered just about any reading-related jam you find yourself in. Just run a search for the book, play, or short summary of the material you are supposed to read.

Amazon.com

    Do you finish every term with many expensive textbooks you will never open again? Instead of letting the money spent go to waste, get back some of your cash by selling your books on Amazon.

RateMyProfessors.com

    Choosing new classes can sometimes be like trying to pick out your clothes in the dark, a total guessing game. Which teacher gives out the hardest problem sets? How much homework will that history professor give you every week? At RateMyProfessors.com, students all over the country rate their professors on quality, helpfulness, and how hard their classes are.

 Wikipedia

    While Wikipedia isn't aimed specifically at students, it is difficult to think of another website that does more to reduce the pain of paper writing and researching. Wikipedia gives you a quick way to find sources and get the details of almost any topic you need to research — all without walking to the library.

    Today's workplace is unique in history.Never before have we seen people working together who represent such different backgrounds and experiences.This difference of age,race,gender,and work style makes it very difficult to organize and run a company.

    As a result,companies are looking for individuals who can manage a wide range of employees effectively. Increasingly,managers are discovering that age differences among workers are a major cause of concern.

    This has been an important realization.The management difficulties and challenges have led some experts to study intergenerational differences for an understanding of problems in the workplace.What they have discovered is interesting and may provide ways of improving working conditions in companies that employ individuals from different generations.

    The first thing to realize,they say,is that differences of opinion about the importance of work and how to get work done are not a coincidence.That is,it is not an accident that young employees will be different from older employees.In fact,if employers do not pay attention to these differences,it is possible that anger will build up between people and lead to difficulties in the company.

    Resentment（仇恨）between members of different generations,if not attended to（处理）,can lead to extreme anger and unhappiness and even lasting enmity if people are not careful.That individuals from different generations should come to view each other as if they were from different sides of warring countries should not be surprising.

    It is natural for individuals from the same generation to form alliances（联盟）,to come together for protection. Different generations represent different experiences in life,and these lead naturally to different opinions about oneself and one's approaches to work.

    If you were raised in a time of plenty,when products were readily available and relatively inexpensive,you would believe that prosperity is natural and expectable.If,on the other hand,you were raised in a time of scarcity,you would always be careful not to waste things for fear you would not have enough.You would make angry people who seem to believe that problems will always solve themselves.Such optimism in the face of difficulties would be a source of unhappiness between you and them.It is difficult,in such circumstances,to achieve a happy,agreeable atmosphere in the workplace.

    At some point in life, many people suffer a mental problem. While most people get over it, for others it doesn't go away easily.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) says that about 20 percent of children and teenagers across the globe suffer from mental illness. It's thought that the number of children and teenagers with mental illness around the world will increase by half by 2020. It will become one of the main causes of disease, disabilities and even death.

The reason for mental problems among young people may be the increasing pressure in life. Study and relationships have always caused huge stresses for school children. For instance, they experience school bullying(欺凌)and academic pressure.

    In China, the picture isn't bright, either. About 30 million Chinese children and teenagers under the age of 17, or 10 percent of children and teenagers in China, have a mental health challenge, reported China Daily.

    Also, according to China Daily, Chinese people don't seek help with their mental problems. They fear that others will think less of them if they admit that they are in trouble. Many Chinese people are ashamed of their mental problems and mental illness is taboo(禁忌)in any Chinese families.

    In the UK, over three-quarters of young people believe their mental health problems have a social shame and a quarter of young UK people wouldn't ask for help if they developed a mental problem.

    Young people who don't seek help for their condition may be creating problems for themselves in the future. If you feel something is wrong within you – seek help.

Feeling down? Here are three things to try if you feel low.

    Go to a psychology teacher. The teacher will listen to you and offer help – for free!

    Call 800-810-1100. It's the number of a hotline run by the Mental Health Research and Prevention Center. The line is open 24 hours a day.

    Tell your parents and visit the hospital if the situation gets out of control.

    It's the 3rd Annual Family Fun Fair!

    • Games   • Crafts (工艺品)   • Apple pie contest

    • Food   • Face painting   • Door prizes (门票对号奖)

    … and more!

    What: A chance to celebrate spring, support our community (社区), and have fun!

    When: Saturday, February 8th from 9 a. m. to 3 p. m., rain or shine!

    Where: The big field next to Hopedale Elementary School

    For more information: Contact Peter Halm at 555-0191

    Don't miss the 3rd annual Family Fun Fair!

    This fair promises to be even better than last year's fair—no kidding!

    Last year the game booths (摊位) were a big hit. (Who could forget Principal Snyder winning a toy dog that was so big it took four students to carry it to her truck?) This year we have two new game booths. So get ready to take part in the games.

    Visit our craft tables. They will be better than ever! You can buy items such as clothing, backpacks, and gift baskets.

    Children aged 5 and under can have their faces painted for FREE by Mr. Garcia's third-grade art class.

    No fair would be complete without food. We will be selling hot dogs, ice cream, roasted nuts, and cotton candy at our booths. For those of you who love to bake, why not enter our new apple pie contest? Just bring your pie to the pie table on the morning of the fair. At 1 p. m., our judges, Coach Carter and math teacher, Mrs. Adams, will choose a winner.

    Won't you please support our school by coming to the fair? Tickets are only $2 each. Door prizes will be given. You could win sports equipment, a new camera, or dinner for four at Merino's Restaurant!

    This will be the best fair ever. Don't miss it!

    Last summer, after finishing my work in China, I took the trip of a lifetime on the Trans-Siberian Railway (西伯利亚铁路). Leaving Beijing early on a Wednesday morning in July, my wife and I travelled through some awesome (令人惊叹的) countryside before we arrived in Moscow the following Monday.

    The first part of the journey took us past the Great Wall and through the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. At the Mongolian Republic border, we had a delay(耽搁)while the wheels were changed because the railway is different.

    On our way to the capital, Ulan Bator, we saw herdsmen (牧人) on horseback looking after their cattle. There was a great thunderstorm as we crossed a vast open plain. Later we had a quick tour of Ulan Bator.

    Next, the train took us into Siberia. After a stop at Irkutsk, a popular holiday resort(度假胜地), where a tour group left the train, we passed the great Lake Baikal. Later, we saw some lovely wooden houses in pretty, sunny countryside. This surprised us, as we had imagined Siberia as being covered with thick snow.

    Over the next few days, we passed through Novosibirsk, Omsk and other cities in the heartlands of the Russian Federation. By now, our body clocks were losing their sense of time. We wanted to sleep and eat at the wrong time!

    At last we reached Moscow. We were so tired that we slept for 16 hours that night. The next day we went sightseeing. We saw the Dremlin and some other magnificent (宏伟的) buildings in the Russian capital. Then, all too soon, it was time for us to return to our home in London.