The O. Henry Museum

    The aim of the O. Henry Museum is to collect, preserve, and interpret artifacts，works and archival (档案的) materials relative to the author, for literary» educational, and historical purposes that are accessible to the public. The museum was set up in 1934, under the authority of the City of Austin, and is both a National Register Property and a National Literary Landmark.

    The O. Henry Museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 5:00 pm. Admission is free. Tours are also available for free. Please contact the museum at least one week in advance to schedule a tour for a group of 10 or more. Metered parking is available on the street in front of the museum. The museum's gift shop has for sale T-shirts, coffee mugs, DVDs, and an array of books by and about O. Henry.

    Group tours:

    We ask for one-week advance notice of groups more than 10 people, including schools, church groups, and organizations.

    Donations:

    Donations greatly benefit the museum and its programs. Inquire about contributing.

    Volunteer:

    Contact us about volunteering at the museum. We are currently in need of a gardener and a volunteer docent (讲解员).

    Staff:

    Valerie Bennett, Curator valerie. bennett@ci. austin. tx. us

    Michael Hoinski, Culture & Arts Education Specialist michael. hoinski@ci. austin. tx. us

    Elizabeth Taylor, Docent

    Location: 409 East Fifth Street, Austin, Texas 78701

    The concept of good manners varies a lot when we compare different cultures, values and ways of living. However, when we talk about the western part of the world, the differences are not so big. In my opinion, going to a restaurant in Brazil will rarely be an embarrassing situation. But there are some basic and necessary rules of etiquette(礼节)that Brazilians usually respect every day. They are:

    ●Being on time is polite, but it is not a strict rule in Brazil. Being late for up to 15 minutes probably will not make a Brazilian angry.

    ●When you go to a restaurant, be careful to greet the people who work at the place, and don't forget to greet the people who are already waiting for you at the table. It's not necessary to hug or kiss everybody if they are already seated.

    ●You can ask somebody about how the food is prepared and also about prices or tips if you are not sure about them.

    ●Before they start eating, Brazilians usually say “born appetite” to their friend.

    ●You should never talk to another person while you still have some food in your mouth.

    ●Making noise while eating is also considered really rude. Avoid doing it.

    ●Be careful not to put your elbows on the table while eating. It is not terrible, but it can be considered a little bit rude by some people.

    ●Don't worry about the time. Usually people in Brazil stay seated for a long time, especially when they have interesting things to talk about.

    ●It's not necessary to talk in a really low voice because people there usually talk in a little loud voice. But please, don't exaggerate.

    ●Finally, saying “thank you” and “bye” are always seen in Brazil.

    Last year，I was on a plane with my friend, waiting for it to take off．The pilot's voice was heard throughout the plane “Sorry for the delay, ladies and gentlemen. Our engines don't work．We are going to jump-start them．Once we get them going, we'll get up in the air and see what happens．"

    That was all he said．"See what happens. Shouldn't we have had a better plan than that？"At that point, I could only laugh nervously. One woman started crying, “OH，no! We are going to crash!”. There are signs of desperation and anxiety, and we hadn't even taken off yet．

    The pilot even seemed unhappy．He told us one engine was working double time and his plan was to get up in the air and see what happens! Then we did．We got up in the air，and what happened？

    Nothing．We arrived in Norfolk, and no sooner had the wheels touched down than applause burst out as everyone on the airplane breathed a sigh of relief．

    All too often, people stop achieving their goals just because they don't have a guaranteed result．But success will never be guaranteed. The best thing that you can do is to just get up in the air and see what happens．

    If your aim is to build a business, then get up in the air and see what happens! Don't give yourself all the reasons why you can't．Do not wait until you have everything you need．You never will．

    If your goal is to start a friendship，say"Hello",get up in the air and see what happens! The results could be very rewarding．If your goal is to learn a new skill, get up in the air and see what happens! It might not be as difficult as you think．It could be fun!

    College is not just about studying, writing essays and burning the midnight oil in the library. Making friends and enjoying yourself is also necessary for the courses. Parties are social events for students to gather and chat with each other.

    Now let's follow a foreign friend to see what parties in the US are like. Get some inspiration to have fun with your friends in your new life.

    Drinking and music College parties in the US are always lacking in creativity and full of wine and music. The basic form rarely changes — drink until you cannot anymore and play loud music at an earth-shaking volume. There is plenty of beer involved, and some mixed cocktails.

    Creativity in dress

    The creativity comes in how parties are dressed up. Parties often have a specific theme, like a 90s party or a sports party. At a 90s party, guests might show up dressed like once-famous celebrities. At a sports party, guests might wear their favorite team's uniforms.

    Held in apartments

    The party is usually held in the apartment of a particular outgoing friend. Everyone will be invited, which means strangers will wander in and out of the apartment where you can get to know and make some new friends.

    Ugly sweater party

    On holidays, parties frequently take on a proper theme. A popular theme around Christmas is the ugly sweater party. The goal is to wear the ugliest sweater you can find, creating an atmosphere of fun.

    Whatever the occasion is, there will be no shortage of booze. If you are smart enough, you won't have so much as to lose your consciousness. Parties are always better when you can remember them the next day.

My First Marathon（马拉松）

    A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.

    I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn't do either well. He later informed me that I was "not athletic".

    The idea that I was "not athletic" stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!

    The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn't even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.

    Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!

    At mile 3, I passed a sign: "GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!"

    By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.

    By mile 21, I was starving!

    As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.

    I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.

    Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a "marathon winner".

    Babies made from three people approved in UK

Babies made from two women and one man have been approved by the UK's fertility regulator. The historic and controversial move is to prevent children being born with deadly genetic diseases.

    Doctors in Newcastle - who developed the advanced form of In Vitro Fertilization or IVF (人工授精) - are expected to be the first to offer the procedure and have already appealed for donor eggs. The first such child could be born, at the earliest, by the end of 2017.

    Some families have lost multiple children to incurable mitochondrial (线粒体的) diseases, which can leave people with insufficient energy to keep their heart beating.

The diseases are passed down from only the mother so a technique using a donor egg as well as the mother's egg and father's sperm has been developed.

    The resulting child has a tiny amount of their DNA from the donor, but the procedure is legal and reviews say it is ethical (伦理的) and scientifically ready.

    "It is a decision of historic importance," said Sally Cheshire, chairwoman of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)."I'm sure patients will be really pleased by what we've decided today."

    But some scientists have questioned the ethics of the technique, saying it could open the door to genetically-modified(转基因) 'designer' babies.

    The HFEA must approve every clinic and every patient before the procedure can take place. Three-person babies have been allowed only in cases where the risk of a child developing mitochondrial disease is very high.

    Prof Mary Herbert, from the Newcastle Fertility Centre, said: "It is enormously pleasing that our many years of research in this area can finally be applied to help families affected by these devastating diseases.

    "Now that that we are moving forward towards clinical treatments, we will also need donors to donate eggs for use in treatment to prevent affected women transmitting disease to their children."

    Prof Sir Doug Turnbull, the director of the Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University, said: "We are delighted by today's decision. We will also provide long-term follow up of any children born."

    NHS England has agreed to fund the treatment costs of the first trial of three-person IVF for those women who meet the HFEA criteria, as long as they agree to long-term follow up of their children after they are born.