After suffering through many months of unemployment  (失业). my wife and I moved this week from Colorado to Ohio. where she was starting a new job. Not knowing anybody there. we were pretty concerned about how we'd get our entire home unloaded (卸下) without killing ourselves.

    We made a phone call to hire (临时雇用) a couple of college students to help with all the heavy lifting once we got there. But one neighbor after another stopped by to help us. What ? Have we moved to some other country ? Maybe we've died and gone to heaven!     

    Unloading actually became fun and joy because there were so many wonderful new friends to help when we worked. The more people helped. the easier the work became. We were afraid the job might take days for the two of us alone. but it was finished in a few hours. Many total strangers would either walk by the sidewalk or drive by to ask us if we were moving in. Many were happy that this old house that had sat empty for so long was coming to life again. We were invited to an outdoor meal yesterday by neighbors on the same street.

    All the time. my brain was resting on this new sense of hope that people can be so friendly to strangers. Among all the conversation were lots of offers to help each other in all kinds of ways. It's wonderful to live in such a kind little town. I feel so grateful to be here. and wish the rest of the world could see how an entire community can model  (做榜样) what it's like to help each other.

    Safe Travel Abroad

    Preparing to go traveling abroad can be really stressful （有压力的）, especially if you don't know what to expect. Here is a list of important things to remember, so you know exactly what you need to do before you take off.

    What vaccines(疫苗) do I need?

    Go to your doctor for advice as soon as you know you're going traveling. They will know what vaccines you will need and will be able to advise you on when you need to have them. Remember, some vaccines need to be given months ahead, so make sure you book an appointment as early as possible.

    Do I need a visa(签证)?

    It's important that you have the correct official documents for traveling abroad. If you don't have the necessary paperwork, you might be refused entry. You'll need to check that your passport hasn't been out of date either.

    How do I arrange travel insurance(保险)?

    Travel insurance is really important. It can protect you in different kinds of situations, such as if you need medical treatment or if your flights are canceled. Travel insurance can be arranged easily online or over the phone, but you can always turn to your local travel agency. Travel agents will also be able to advise you on what you are insured against.

    We all know what a brain is. A doctor will tell you that the brain is the organ of the body in the head. It controls our body's functions, movements, emotions and thoughts. But a brain can mean so much more.

    A brain can also simply be a smart person. If a person is called brainy, he is smart and intelligent. If a family has many children but one of them is super smart, you could say, “He's the brains in the family.” And if you are the brains behind something, you are responsible for developing or organizing something. For example, Bill Gates is the brains behind Microsoft.

    Brain trust is a group of experts who give advice. Word experts say the phrase “brain trust” became popular when Franklin D. Roosevelt first ran for president in 1932. Several professors gave him advice on social and political issues(问题)facing the U.S. These professors were called his “brain trust”.

    These ways we use the word “brain” all make sense. But other ways we use the word are not so easy to understand. For example, to understand the next brain expression, you first need to know the word “drain”. As a verb, to drain means to remove something by letting it flew away. So a brain drain may sound like a disease where the brain flows out the ears. But, brain drain is when a country's most educated people leave their countries to live in another. The brains are, sort of, draining out of the country.

    However, if people are responsible for a great idea, you could say they brainstormed it. Here, brainstorm is not an act of weather. It is a process of thinking creatively about a complex topic. For example, business leaders may use brainstorming to create new products, and government leaders may brainstorm to solve problems.

    If people are brainwashed, it does not mean their brains are nice and clean. To brainwash means to make some accept new beliefs by using repeated pressure in a forceful or tricky way. Keep in mind that brainwash is never used in a positive way.

    Norwegian playwright and author Jon Fosse has just been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature for his "innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable". 

    The Swedish Academy credits Fosse as "one of the most widely performed playwrights in the world", although the 64-year-old originally made his name as a novelist, beginning with Red, Black in 1983. He has since written many works of prose and poetry. "His literary works, spanning a variety of genres (体裁) , comprises about 40 plays and a wealth of novels, poetry collections, essays, children's books and translations, " said Anders Olsson, chairman of the Nobel Committee for Literature. 

    Jon Fosse draws inspiration from his rural living environment and personal struggles, which have deeply influenced his distinctive writing style. Growing up in a small coastal village, Fosse was immersed in the beauty of nature and the vastness of the sea, which filled him with a sense of solitude and introspection (内省) that is reflected in his works. Fosse's writing discussed themes of loneliness, longing, and the search for meaning in life. Additionally, his battles with depression have enabled him to explore the depths of human emotions and existential despair. 

    "He touches you so deeply when you read his works," said Anders Olsson. "What is special about him is the closeness in his writing. It touches your deepest feelings —anxieties, insecurities, questions of life and death —which are things that every human being actually faces from the very beginning. In that sense I think he reaches very far and there is a sort of a universal impact of everything that he writes —it has appeal to this basic humanity."

    Fosse is the first-ever laureate writing in Nynorsk, one of the two official languages of Norwegian, but only used by just 10% of the population. As the Guardian writes, "Many Nynorsk speakers see Fosse ‘as a kind of national hero ‘for his championing of the language." Fosse's recognition on a global stage promotes the visibility and importance of Nynorsk as a written standard. It will attract more attention to Nynorsk literature, inspire and encourage Nynorsk speakers to continue preserving and promoting their linguistic heritage. 

Coding(编码) apps and programming apps for kids are becoming increasingly popular. Here are some of the best apps for teaching kids to code.

Scratch

Scratch is by far the most popular coding app for kids, and it is now used in many schools all over the world. It is available for free on the web as well as for Android and iOS, which is why it is so popular. Created in 2003 by MIT students and staff, its coding language is designed for children aged 7 to 16.

The language employs visual blocks or bricks that can be dragged and dropped on a workspace to construct logical chains. As a result, the child will have a better understanding of the fundamental principles of coding.

Daisy the Dinosaur

Daisy the Dinosaur is a free iPad and iPhone programming app. What distinguishes it from the rest is that it is designed specifically for children aged 4 to 7. The app was developed by the same team that created the Hopscotch coding app for kids. If you've ever used that app, Daisy the Dinosaur has a similar user-friendly interface with limited features that is best for beginners.

Cargo-Bot

Cargo-Bot is a free coding app that is available for both Android and iOS devices. It is appropriate for children aged 10 and up. This app specialises in puzzle challenges involving a robotic arm that must be programmed to perform various tasks, most notably moving coloured boxes to create a specific design or pattern.

Kodable

Another relatively well-known coding app for kids is Kodable.' It is free for: both the iPhone and iPad, but there is no option for Android or the web. Kodable is appropriate for both younger children and older teenagers(from 8 years old and up). It is also remarkable for guiding users from a basic to a complex level of coding.

The approach is very game-like, with users able to select a character to guide them through the levels.