I was at my parent's dinner table. Before me was a worn journal of thin and discolored pages. It was my grandfather's journal and now belonged to my father. My grandfather had passed away in the months leading up to my birth. I never got to visit the places he had frequently and people who had been a part of his life's journey.

    I was now about to enter his world, through the words he had left behind. Within minutes, I was attracted by the power of the written words. In the magical script before me, I was transported to another age when food was an everyday art, planned, prepared and enjoyed in the company of others, and a time when people had the heart to pause，their own lives to embrace (拥抱）each other's struggles. All this was conveyed to me in the beauty of the words that flowed together to connect with the writer's mind and understand the world they lived in.

    That kind of writing seems to be lost on us today. We have gotten used to writing in bite-sized pieces for a public looking for entertainment, and hungry for information. No wonder, there are nearly 200 million bloggers on the Internet and a new blog is created somewhere in the world every half a second. Instead of adding to our collective wisdom, most of these writings reflect the superficiality (肤浅)and impatience of our day and age.

    This not only robs us of the skill of writing impressive essays, it also prevents us from exploring what is truly important. Writing humbles us in a way that is vital for our character growth, by reminding us about the limits of the self and our appropriate place in the vast flow of life. Writing frees us by helping us explore the unknown so that we truly open up to the magic of the world around us. I saw all of this in the writing s of my grandfather. And I've seen it again and again in the writings of the greatest thinkers of humanity. Their writings reflect deep thought on issues of human importance.

    Are you afraid of moving up to senior high school? It is a completely new experience, but you shouldn't worry. We've got a guide to help you.

    You're not alone. Remember that everybody else in your year is in the same boat. You may not notice it, but they're just as nervous as you are.

    Moving to senior high school is a chance, not a problem. Things are different, and all you need to do is to be polite and learn the new rules.

    The teachers will help. If you don't know what to do or are worried about something, then ask for help. Teachers are probably the best people to turn to, because they have experience in helping new students. Pay attention to what your teachers say.

    Everything changes. There are lots of differences between junior high school and senior high school. You will have your lessons with different teachers in different rooms. You will have homework for different subjects on different days, so make sure you get organised. Make sure you know which rooms your classes are in and which days you have your different subjects on.

Other points:

    If you've got an older brother or sister at the school, then ask them for advice.

    Be yourself! It sounds simple, but things will become better if you just act naturally.

    Having early nights makes a difference. You'll also find it easier to get up in the morning!

    My grandfather came from Hungary and was the only one in his family who settled down in the United States. The rest of his family remained in Europe. When World War I broke out, he seemed to have become another man, downhearted. Such obvious change was not born out of concern for his welfare, but out of fear: if his only son, my uncle, had to go to war, it would be cousin fighting against cousin.

    One day in 1918, my Uncle Milton received his draft notice. My grandparents were very upset. But my mother, at the age of 10, felt on top of the world about her soldier brother going off of war. Realizing how he was regarded by his little sister and all of her friends, my uncle bought them all service pins, which meant that they had a loved one in the service. All the little girls were delighted.

    The moment came when my uncle and the other soldiers, without any training but all in uniforms, boarded the train. “The band played and the crowd cheered. Although no one noticed, I'm sure my grandmother had a tear in her eye for the only son. The train slowly pulled out, but not about a thousand yards when it suddenly paused. Everyone stared in wonder as the train slowly returned to the station. There was a dead silence before the doors opened and the men started to step out. Someone shouted, “The war is over!”For a moment, nobody moved, but then the people heard someone bark orders at the soldiers. The men lined up in two lines, walked down the steps, and with the band playing, marched down the street, as returning heroes, to be welcomed home. My mother said it was a great day, but she was just a little disappointed that it didn't last a tiny bit longer.

Do you continue to be healthy in social isolation? NASA is looking for people to spend 8 months locked in a Russian lab for a new experiment.

When humans go to the moon and travel to Mars, they will need to be prepared for long-term space travel and even longer stays on these far-off destinations. Currently, NASA's Artemis program aims to land humans on the moon for the first time since NASA's Apollo 17 mission landed in 1972.

While the moon is the main goal of NASA's Artemis program, the agency's larger goal is to send people to Mars. But long-term space travel and habitation won't be easy. Such missions will present both physical and mental challenges as astronauts work to not only survive, but perform important scientific research in uniquely difficult environments.

In the upcoming NASA-Russia experiment, a group of people will live in a closed facility at Russia's Institute for Biomedical Problems, which is in Moscow. This habitat facility was used in2011 for notable series of Russian mock (模拟的) Mars missions known as Mars 500. During these missions, groups of people spent 520 and 105 days on two separate missions in the facility.

The facility, according to the statement, will have "environmental factors similar to those astronauts are expected to experience on future missions to Mars". The group of people will spend 8 months living together in isolation and working on scientific research.

By living and working in this Mars-like environment, participants in this study will help NASA researchers better understand the psychological and physiological (心理和生理的) effects of isolation. These missions help researchers not only perform relevant science experiments but also see how people might get on under strange conditions for long periods of time.

So, if you're finding that living in social isolation works for you, you might be particularly well-suited for living in a Mars-like environment and this could be for you. But first, you have to qualify. NASA is looking for "highly motivated" Americans between the ages of 30-55, who must speak both Russian and English fluently and have a Master of Science, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Medicine, or military officer training. Applicants with other related experience may also be considered. Those who are chosen to be a part of this group will be paid for their work.

Once,in a lovely garden,lived the most beautiful butterfly in the world.She was so pretty,and had won so many beauty contests {#blank#}1{#/blank#} she had become very proud.One day,the naughty cockroach(蟑螂)got fed up with her showing off,and decided {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(teach)her a lesson.

She went to see the butterfly,and in front of everyone she said that the butterfly wasn't really that {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(beauty),and that the butterfly only won the competitions because the judges had been paid.In {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(real),the cockroach was the most beautiful.

The butterfly was {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(anger) and said to the cockroach,"I will beat you in a beauty contest,with whichever judges you yourself choose."

"OK,I accept.See you on Saturday," answered the cockroach,and left without {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(wait) for a reply.

That Saturday everyone went to the beauty contest.The butterfly {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(arrive) completely confident of victory until she saw {#blank#}8{#/blank#} the judges were:cockroaches,worms and beetles.All of {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(they) preferred the ugliness and bad smell of the cockroach.

The butterfly was left {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(cry)and disappointed,wanting never to enter another beauty contest in her life.Fortunately,the cockroach forgave the butterfly for her pride and they became friends.

Recently, a 15-year-old girl Lynn Sumpter broke the rules by going to a sleepover party secretly. And her 1 gave her a choice between handing over her phone for a month, or giving them access to her social media for two weeks. She chose the latter and the netizens are so 2 of it.

Lynn Sumpter's social media 3 by her parents, Tawnya Ford and Lary Sumpter, began early in November with an instagram (照片墙) post that 4 she had chosen to abandon her social media for two weeks. So her 5 could expect "some amazing Instagram posts, snapchats and tiktoks from her parents". On November 11, Lynn's dad had already begun his 6 exploration to embarrass his teen daughter, by 7 one of his photos, saying "Felt cute. Might delete later". But that was 8 the beginning. From posing in a tight top and 9 a blonde wig (假发) to dancing around in a pair of shorts and a tank-top (背心), it seemed like there was nothing the 43-year-old wouldn't do to 10 .

Over the course of two weeks, Lynn Sumpter's Instagram following 11 from around 2,700 to 12,700 at the time of this writing, so she should probably thank her parents for their 12 punishment. The only question is "Can she 13 dad Larry's creativity?" She'll have to give it a(n) 14 as many of her social media fans are already 15 her to bring dad back.