When I came to Cincinnati as an au pair (家庭打工留学生), a lot of things there were different from what I knew. My host family lived in a huge house I could only describe as a "castle"．In Germany I had lived in a small apartment together with my mom. Soon I found out that the "castle" was actually rather small in our neighborhood.

    Everybody there was very friendly and polite. They greeted you when they were walking by at least 3 feet away from you. They must not have seen a German au pair before, for most people I met asked me all kinds of questions about Germany. I enjoyed answering their various strange questions. I made a lot of friends and I started to hang out with them.

    Of course, there were a number of new things, and it took me the whole year to find them all out. I never got homesick. Perhaps it was because I did not have too many negative experiences and felt loved and welcomed there.

    However, I had undergone some painful experience back in Germany. I was frustrated by the way people would run me over and not even say "Sorry." Taking up my studies at the TU-Dresden, I felt lonely. Everybody here seemed to be withdrawn(离群的) and I missed everything I had in Cincinnati. Germany was so "cold". I found it so much harder to make new friends. After six months I got a roommate and only two good friends. I also flew back to Cincinnati several times for long periods. I felt that without those visits I was not able to make it.

    Now I am over this German culture shock. It almost took me an entire year. I am still going back and forward between Dresden and Cincinnati four times a year.

    It's a sadness shared by many business start-ups: why did my company fail, while so many others seem to be profiting from the “golden age of entrepreneurship (创业精神）”？

    Some people argue that opportunities and good fortune are the secrets to success. But Innovation Works CEO Kaifu Lee believes that entrepreneurs need to have certain qualities to help them face the difficulties of starting a business. At a recent LinkedIn conference, Lee mentioned some of these qualities.

    “Even though we're now in a golden period for innovation and start-ups, not everyone is meant to be an entrepre- neur. Entrepreneurs share the same qualities — they are confident, communicative and focused. They don't fear losing, and they are good at learning,”he said.

    Lee explained that he often meets young people who are irresolute about setting up a business.“ If that's the case for you then don't do so,” he said at the conference. The bottom line, he said, is that entrepreneurs should be determined and passionate.

    Passion is vital to entrepreneurs since it typically relates to self-motivation, according to Li Jun, 26, founder of Wuhan Lushenglin Plant Wall Co Ltd. “Entrepreneurs often need to work around the clock. It's easier for people to put up with the difficult schedule if they're passionate about what they're doing,” he said.

    Entrepreneurs are also generally thought of as risk-takers. But Yu Xiuhong, general secretary of the Bright China foundation, warns that young entrepreneurs should not take too many risks. “Successful entrepreneurs rarely take risks blindly or jump at opportunities others avoid. Before launching a business, it's advisable to do market research, evaluate yourself and your opponents,” she said.

    Also she advises that young people thoroughly calculate their expenses in advance. Take Li Dongjin as an example, 35-year-old long-term entrepreneur disappeared a week ago after his O2O car washing company failed disastrously. He had gotten an initial investment of 5 million yuan but wasted it all on allowance and publicity.

    Does the future of filmmaking lie in virtual reality (VR) films?

   An ambitious team led by Yale senior Celine Tien might hold the answer to that question.

    Tien produced,directed and acted in Pippa's Pan,which she says is “one of the world's first live-action VR films.”The film,which was completed in April,mixes live action with VR sections.Some of the characters were created via animation（动画）and other techniques that distinguish the film from 360° VR videos like the ones frequently seen on YouTube.

    “360° VR videos are stagnant,which means you don't move with them and see a 360° view of whatever they're filming.”Tien explained.“What we're doing is immersive（沉浸式的）VR.When you put on the goggles (a kind of special glasses) you can physic.ally walk around in the space,pick up objects and engage with the environment.It's a huge difference.”

    The immersive VR film experience is different for everyone who interacts with the medium,but that doesn't mean the film's ending will change for each viewer.

    The film stars two Chinese-speaking actors."It's a love story about a woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease who is trying to bring back memories of her husband,"Tien said.

    The film has already been recognized by the VR industry.After handing in a short demo to the AT&T Developer Summit Conference,Tien and her team were invited to Las Vegas in January,where they came in third place.

    If you're dying to see the film already,your choices area bit limited: Pippa's Pan can't be seen in movie theaters unless they happen to have VR goggles available.According to Tien,many theaters in China will soon have the ability,which makes sense considering China is the film's target market.

    Pippa's Pan will be released in three languages: Chinese,English and Korean.“It can get spread in different ways: at film festivals with VR set ups and through HTC or Oculus headset stores,”Tien says.“If you have VR goggles you can download it and experience it yourself.We will also cooperate with movie theaters that have VR set ups.”

    Rosa Parks became famous in 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. She was important in the movement for civil rights（民权） in the American South during the 1950s and 60s. At the time, blacks in the South were forced to sit in the back of public buses and to give up their seats to white people.

    Parks moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1957 to escape death threats. She continued living in Detroit until her death in 2005, at age 92. But the house in Detroit where Parks lived for many years was abandoned and scheduled to be torn down. Her niece, Rhea McCauley, bought it for $500 to stop it from being destroyed. She then gave it to American artist, Ryan Mendoza.

    Mendoza and others took it apart and then sent it across the Atlantic Ocean to the German capital of Berlin. There, he led efforts to rebuild the house. It now is behind his own house in Berlin. It gets daily visitors, although it is difficult to find, Mendoza said.

    But less than a year after the house was rebuilt in Berlin, Mendoza decided it should be returned to the United States. He made the decision after deadly violence took place at a recent white nationalist event in Charlottesville, Virginia. That incident increased calls for removing statues of Confederate（美国南部联邦的） leaders from the Civil War in the U.S.

    Mendoza said there are not enough civil rights monuments "to balance things out" with the Confederate statues. He said the Rosa Parks house belongs back in America "Imagine if the house were on a public setting in a prominent city in the U.S.," Mendoza said. "That's an education tool that shouldn't be denied by the American people. They have to know their past."

    The house would be welcomed back in Detroit. Detroit has failed to protect historical homes in the past. Such houses include the former home of Ralph Bunche, the first African-American to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Detroit's failure to protect history also is shown by the loss of the Rosa Parks house, Hammer said.

    There was an earthquake this morning. I was working in front of my computer when it hit the city. The quake started with a sudden loud noise. I thought that something heavy in a neighbor's house probably had fallen. However, the walls and the floor began to shake. I finally realized it was an earthquake.

    My son Zac, a sixteen­year­old boy, was sleeping with his door locked. Being sixteen, he can sleep through any kind of noise. "Zac!" I shouted. "Are you OK?" But nobody replied. I was a little worried. I couldn't imagine that someone was able to get such a deep sleep. The house was dancing. There were waves in the swimming pool. I was afraid the house would come down. "Zac!" I yelled, knocking on his door with an open palm (手掌). "Zac! Wake up! It's an earthquake! We need to get out!"

    My son finally emerged in his underpants. We looked around the room. I knew that we should hide under a table to stop things from falling on us and stay away from glass. Unfortunately, none of our furniture was designed for hiding under. "Should we go into the garden?" Zac asked. "No, trees could fall on us!" I said. Actually, Zac had done earthquake drills (训练) at school. He must have been told to hide under a desk and cover his head. But we had nothing to cover our heads in the house.

    Luckily, before we took any action, the windows stopped moving and the pool calmed down. Everything went back to normal soon. But both my son and I knew what we should do, because we knew if there had been a really big earthquake this morning, we couldn't have escaped from it.

You already know that playing sports helps keep you fit. But you might not know why it's so important to get a sports physical at the beginning of your sports season.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Most require students have a sports physical before they can play school sports. But even if a sports physical isn't required, doctors still recommend getting one if you are active in any sports.

A sports physical can help find out and deal with health problems that might affect your sports performance or increase the chance of getting hurt. For example, if you have frequent asthma (哮喘) attacks, the doctor can change your medicines. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Your doctor may offer training tips or recommend exercises or physical therapy (疗法) to help you avoid injuries.

Most teens go to their regular doctor's office to get a sports physical, since your doctor knows you and your health history best. Some get their sports physical at school. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Each one is armed with a medical professional who does a specific part of the physical exam.

Plan your sports physical at least 6 weeks before your sports season starts. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Neither you nor your doctor will be very happy if your sports physical is the day before baseball practice starts and it turns out there's something that needs to be taken care of before you can suit up.

Sports physicals are usually good for 1 year, though you probably will have to complete a sports form each season. If there are any changes in your health history, like a new injury or you notice new symptoms (症状), you may need to see the doctor before being allowed to play. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. That way, you can breathe more easily when you run.

B. Let your gym teacher or coach know if your health has changed.

C. During school physicals, you may go to "stations" set up in the gym.

D. The medical history questions are usually on a form that you can bring home.

E. Mention you need a sports physical so your doctor can set aside time to do both.

F. The sports history and exam help to tell if it's safe for you to take part in your sport.

G. If your doctor finds a problem, this should leave enough time to for tests or treatment.