How much do you know about Albert Einstein?

    Albert Einstein, born on March 14, 1879 in Germany, was a great scientist in the world. ①He was strange because he hated haircuts and new clothes. He believed in peace. All his life, he hated war. However, his most famous idea, E = mc², helped create the world's most dangerous weapon (武器). Many people think he was the smartest person in the world. But Einstein said that he thought like a child with many questions and unusual ideas.

    What did he like?

    Einstein liked learning sailing (帆船运动). He sailed in small boats all his life. He once joked, “Sailing is the sport that takes the least energy!” When Einstein was a child, his mother made him take violin lessons. At first, he didn't like the violin. But then he learned to love music and became a good violinist.

    Later, he said, “②热爱是最好的老师。”

    Why is the sky blue?

    In 1910, Einstein asked a question which many children often ask, “Why is the sky blue?” After his careful research, he answered the question like this: “It's because light is made up of many colors including blue. When light travels to Earth, gas particles (气体微粒) spread the blue light all over the sky.” His answer is true in physics.

    A 12-year-old girl from Virginia, US, never thought that a simple message she put online could bring her big problems. She posted the words, "Killing. Meet me in the library Tuesday", with three emojis(表情符号)of a gun, a knife and a bomb(炸弹) on Instagram, a social media (社交媒体). She was told that she broke the law because of threatening (威胁) her school.

    This problem is not far away from us. Ni Hanxiang, a Chinese student at a university in the US, was sent back to China after expressing on social media that he would kill his teachers if he failed to pass his exams.

    In China, posting threatening words online is also against the law. In 2013, Wu Hongfei, a singer, got into trouble for saying on weibo that she wanted to blow up a building.

    "Threatening happens not only face to face but also through the Internet, social media and the telephone," said Mr Cao, a lawyer from Chongqing. "Although the law of China protects people's right of free speech, it doesn't include words that threaten others' lives and national safety."

    "Some people may not mean to threaten. They may just be trying to say 'I' m strong'", said Fred Pratt, a lawyer from the US.

    The girl's mother said her daughter was a good kid who had never been in trouble before. Ni Hangxiang also said he didn't realize that what he put online was so serious.

    "But not knowing the law doesn't mean the law will treat you any differently if you break it," says David Allen Green, a lawyer from the UK. So, do you think we'd better spend a minute or two thinking about the words or emojis we use on social media before we press "send"?

Information Card

    Books are our best friends. They are very quiet, but we can always find both fun and knowledge once we open them. Here are two good books you can read during the holiday.

    The Little Prince(王子)

    French Writer: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

    Both adults and children love this classic book. It is about the adventure of a young prince. It shows the importance of innocence(纯真), imagination and love.

    The little prince comes from planet B-612. In his eyes, adults are all very strange. Unlike them, he sees the essence(本质) of things. He cares more about a flower and a sheep than the "important" things of the adult world.

    The prince lives on his planet with a rose. He loves the rose very much. But he soon feels tired and leaves his planet. He meets many more strange adults on other planets.

    On Earth, he discovers interesting things such as a snake, other roses and a fox. The fox tells him a secret: Only the heart can discover the most important things. This helps the prince realize his love for the rose and he goes back to his planet.

    To Succeed on One's Own

    American Writer: Liu Yong

    Writer Liu Yong from Taiwan wrote this book for his daughter. It can help young people succeed.

    The book teaches you about student, how to use your free time and even what kind of clothes to wear. It answers many teenagers' most common questions. Liu uses his daughter's stories as examples to help readers understand the principles(原则).

    His book is far from boring. There are lively stories and dialogues, with objective analysis (客观分析), hope and confidence(信心) from a good father.

    Do you remember the name of your kindergarten teacher? I do. Her name was Mrs. White.

    I don't remember much about what we learned in her class, but my mother once told me that we used to write a lot. And I would bring back what I wrote and she would look at it and see there were so many mistakes. But there were no red corrections but always a star. Sometimes even a word "Good"! That would make my heart filled with happiness, but it worried my mother.

    So one day when she went to meet Mrs. White, Mother asked her why she never corrected my mistakes, and why she never pointed out those mistakes. Mrs. White said, "The children are just beginning to get excited about using words, about making sentences. I don't want to make them lose that enthusiasm (热情) with red ink. Spelling and grammar can wait. The wonder of words won't ..."

    And thanks to Mrs. White, I had no qualms (顾忌) about writing what I meant even if I couldn't quite spell it out. Life isn't Perfect. It's Beautiful. She helped me understand it.

    Sometimes you feel unhappy. You may forget how great you are. What should you do? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ◆Do something helpful for someone. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    ◆Look in the mirror and say to yourself. "I am a special person and there is no one like me in the world. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}" It may not sound so good, but it really works!

    ◆Start to write diaries. Turn off the TV the let your imagination（想象力）fly! Write down your thoughts，dreams or anything you want! Writing always helps to express（表达）your feelings.

    ◆Smile! Be friendly to people you meet. Look for the god things in your friends and family. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} We all need our family time. Talk with your mom or dad or maybe even your cousin.

    ◆Learn something new! Have you always wanted to design（设计）your own room or to learn how to swim?   

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} New challenges（挑战）are fun. They can also give you a feeling of satisfaction when you have finished.