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    After years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park. By last year, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170 wolves.

    Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.

    The disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations — major food sources (来源) for the wolf – grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation (植被), which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park' s red foxes, and completely drove away the park' s beavers.

    As early as 1966,biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park.They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems.Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.

    The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolves. The U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone. Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone. Elk,deer,and coyote populations are down,while beavers and red foxes have made a comeback.The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.

Improve your memory

    Some people often complain about their poor memory. Actually there are several ways to keep your memory sharp. This article will show you some simple tips.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}When you say these things, you begin to plant the thought in your mind and it may become true. Tell yourself you can remember anything as long as you put your mind to the task. You  will see an improvement in your memory.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}If you have trouble remembering phone numbers or other blocks of numbers, it can be really helpful to try this method. If you remember them in smaller groups, like two or three digits (数字), it will also be much easier to remember the numbers.

    Be sure to see a doctor if you are really losing your memory. A poor memory can be a sign that you are in low spirits.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Playing games also helps improve your memory. Any type of games that involves(涉及) remembering things is wonderful.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Try and remember it when you have nothing better to do. A useful tip for anyone interested in games is to often work on solving word puzzles and similar types of games.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Not only will your memory probably improve, but you will also have a great deal of fun.

A. Remember numbers in small groups.

B. Stop telling yourself you have a weak memory.

C. Take a right attitude.

D. If you don't like games, you can go over a list of "to do things".

E. If so, treating it could be the key to getting your memory back.

F. If you don't know your condition, you cannot treat it!

G. Such games use the same skills needed to remember facts and help keep the mind sharp.

    Oh my God, the robots are taking over! We're doomed! Doomed! Now that I've gotten that out of my system, it's become clear that while we may or may not be doomed, the robots are taking over. The latest example is the government's new guidelines for self-driving cars.

    Tesla, Google and Uber are already testing driverless cars in cities across America. Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick is among those predicting that by 2021, self-driving cars will play a big part in urban settings.

    Nearly 40,000 people died last year in this nation in automobile-related accidents, and we believes driverless cars can save tens of thousands of lives annually.

    Makes sense. Robot drivers are less likely to get drunk, drive without a license, text while driving or feel agitated at the scene of a pileup. On the other hand, I wonder how these highly sensitive cars will react, with walkers constantly dashing into the street. Will they jam on the brakes every 10 seconds?

    But there's a bigger picture. Not only are robots replacing humans behind the wheel, but behind the work desk, in warehouses, senior homes, you name it. Robots aren't just taking over in the workplace.

    The question is, where can't a robot function better than a human? How about writing songs? A robot can go through every combination of notes in record time and come up with a pleasing melody. The lyrics might be a different story. Is a Grammy-winning song co-written by Hank Human and R-3071 in our future?

    Finally, it's only a matter of time until we have robot politicians and presidential candidates. Why not? They can be programmed to be experts in world and domestic affairs and come up with the best solutions without corruption and bad humors.

     Actually, it's too bad such technology isn't available in 2016. Pretty sure the robot would win in a landslide.

    Most people agree that eating healthy food is important. But sometimes making good food choices can be difficult. Now, there are apps that can help people learn about the food they eat to improve their health and their dining out experience.

    Open Table app

    Open Table app helps people choose restaurants when they want to go out to eat. It is a free service that shows users restaurant available based on where and when they want to dine. It gives users points when they make reservations(预定), which can add up to discounts on restaurant visits.

    Max McCalman's Cheese & Wine Pairing app

    Wine and cheese can be a great combination. But which wines go best with which cheeses? Max McCalman's Cheese & Wine Pairing app can help. It provides information about hundreds of different cheeses and suggests wines to pair with each. Max McCalman's Cheese & Wine Pairing app is free.

    HappyCow app

    Vegetarians do not eat animal meat. Vegans do not eat any animal products. The HappyCow app is made for both groups. Users can search for vegetarian-vegan restaurants and stores around the world.

    LocalEats app

    Restaurant chains, like McDonalds, can be found almost anywhere a person might travel. But sometimes travelers want to eat like locals. The LocalEats app is designed for that. It can help you find local restaurants in major cities in the US and in other countries. It costs about a dollar.

    Where Chefs Eat app

     “Where Chefs Eat” is a 975-page book. Most people would not want to carry that around. But there is a much lighter app version of the same name for just $15. Six hundred chefs provide information on 3,000 restaurants around the world on the Where Chefs Eat app.

    We moved to Elmont in 1956. I was 4 years old. Elmont was a wonderful place to grow up. There were lots of kids, great schools and we had a big yard. My father, Nicholas Denaro, believed that grass was not just to look at, but that children were meant to play on it. We played games and badminton there. A white fence separated our backyard from a small wood. My friends and I jumped the fence and entered the woods.

    My father had the most amazing hand. He could fix anything. He gave those amazing hands to his son, my younger brother, Frank, who also became handy around the house. But my father saved his green fingers for me. He grew flowers, tomatoes, strawberries and figs（无花果） and he shared his love of gardening with me.

    Fourteen years ago, I went to a local nursery and bought a fig tree for Dad for Father's Day. My mother, Bridget Denaro, called it the best gift I could have given him. He planted it exactly in the middle of the front yard.

    He loved that tree and enjoyed delicious figs every year, except just after Sandy hit in 2012. He was so disappointed when cold weather just after the super storm froze all the remaining figs.

In 2015, my father died of aspirating pneumonia(呼吸性肺炎) at 97. We sold our family home of 61 years last year. We left behind Dad's tree, full of figs waiting to ripen. We considered taking it with us, but decided that his Father's Day fig tree belonged to Elmont. The new owner generously allowed me to take some branches so that I could have a precious reminder of my much-loved father and the Elmont home.

    Before you were my teacher, I thought that teaching was the last thing I wanted to do. Why would someone want to come in every day and attempt to instruct students, many of whom couldn't care less, or to get paid very little compared with the work he or she put in?

    You may have thought that the only thing I was learning from you was the course, but that's not all l learned. From reference books to funny jokes, you made each class exciting. You always tried to make class charming so that we could be excited about learning. However, those days have gone by.

    Whenever I was confused and needed extra help, you were the exact one to turn to. I would walk into your room for help and there would be several kids. You ran from one student to the next helping each one through their confusion. You could have gone back home after the bell rang. Instead, you chose to Stay and care about what your students did.

    You didn't only care about my learning, but you also cared about other things I was involved in. At the beginning of the year, we wrote down our hobbies and interests. You remembered what we wrote, too. I had missed class for track meets (田径运动会)and when I came back the next day, you would ask me how it went. Many of the teachers never bothered to ask what I liked to do.

    These things showed me the value of teaching. They showed me how much of an influence a teacher can have on a student. I want to be the one that influences students and pushes them toward success. I want students to leave my classroom thinking that their time was worthwhile (值得的). I want to be the inspiration for them that you were for me. Whenever it gets hard for me to continue on this path, I'll remember you and what you did for me.