If you have a chance to go to Finland, you will probably be surprised to find how “foolish” the Finnish people are.

    Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high-class Benz（奔驰）with a fare of two US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to, and then walk off without paying your fare. The driver would not show the least sign of anxiety.

    The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also serve outside diners. Hotel guests have their meals free, so they naturally go to the free dining rooms to have their meals. The most they would do to show their good faith is to wave their registration card to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends to dine free of charge.

    The Finnish workers are paid by the hour. They are very much on their own as soon as they have agreed with the boss on the rate（价钱）. From then on they just say how many hours they have worked and they will be paid accordingly（相应地）.

    With so many loopholes（漏洞）in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take “petty advantages”. But the strange thing is, all the taxi passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. And workers always give an honest account of the exact hours they put in. As the Finns always act on good faith in everything they do, living in such a society has turned everyone into a real “gentleman”.

    In a society of such high moral practice, what need is there for people to be on guard against others? 

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    He wrote that the “human mind is capable of excitement without the application of unpleasant and violent stimulants (刺激物)”. And it appears that simply reading these words by William K Wordsworth proves his point.

    Researchers at the University of Liverpool found the writing of Shakespeare and Wordsworth and the like had a beneficial effect on the mind, making it active and excited by catching the reader's attention and leading to moments of self-reflection.

    Using scanners, they monitored the brain activity of volunteers as they read pieces of classical English literature both in their original form and in a modem translation. And according to the Sunday Telegraph, the experiment showed the more challenging writing and poetry set off far more electrical activity in the brain than the simple readings.

    The research also found poetry, in particular, increased activity in the right brain, an area concerned with “autobiographical memory”, which helped the readers to reflect on their own experiences in light of what they had read. The academics said this meant the classics were more useful than self-help books.

    The brain responses of 30 volunteers were monitored in the first part of the research as they read Shakespeare in its original and modern form. In one example, volunteers read a line from King Lear, “A father and a gracious aged man: him have you madded”, before reading the simpler, “A father and a gracious aged man: him you have enraged”. Shakespeare's use of the adjective “mad” as a verb caused a higher level of brain activity than the straightforward version.

    The next part of the research is looking at the extent to which poetry can affect psychology and provide benefit. Volunteers' brains were scanned while reading four lines by Wordsworth, and four “translated” lines were also provided. The result showed that the first version caused a greater degree of brain activity.

    “Poetry is not just a matter of style. It is a matter of deep versions of experience that add the emotional and biographical to the cognitive (认知的),” said Professor Davis, leader of the researchers.

    The faces of the four U. S. presidents on Mount Rushmore will likely last for centuries. But at a newly opened exhibit in Japan, you can catch them only for about eight months. This year, the annual sand sculpture event at the Sand Museum in Tottori, Japan, is focused on another country. This is the 10^th anniversary of the event. Artists came from 19 countries to shape sand into different sculptures that represent events in U. S. history and American landmarks.

    Tottori is a remote city in western Japan. In the past, not many tourists traveled to it. To attract more visitors, Tottori officials decided to use a natural resource: sand. They decided to create a sand museum that would house a series of sand sculptures based on different geographic areas of the world. The sand from each year's exhibition is used again the next year. The project has been a success. About 500,000 people visit the museum during the eight months. Some return year after year to see the new sculptures.

    The city is now a popular spot for sand sculpture artists too. Sculptors from around the world come to Tottori each spring, spending a few weeks working on their masterpieces. They use special tools to smooth the sandy surfaces, cut angles and details. They use only sand and water to create the huge sculptures, some of which tower over their creators.

    Originally, the artists built their creations outside. But the works lasted less than two months outdoors. So the museum built a permanent structure 10 house the artworks, which extended their life to eight months. Now many more tourists get to see the sculptures. Still, the fact that this art is not permanent is part of the appeal. The temporary sculptures reflect the Japanese value of appreciating the fleeting（稍纵即逝）nature of the world.

    Tottori is not the only Japanese town that shows temporary art like this. Sapporo, in northern Japan, hosts a similar exhibit in the winter, using snow instead of sand. Thai will be just about the time that the U. S. sand sculpture exhibition is taken apart, and the sand is saved for next year's show.

Welcome to our school. You can do a lot of things here. Come and join us.

    My senior year of high school was a very hectic one, to say the least. If I wasn't studying or worrying about my grades, I was working on after-class activities. It seemed as if my life had turned into one crazy cloud of confusion and I hoped to find some sort of direction.

    Finally, I got a part-time job at the local coffee shop. I had thought it would be easy and, for the most part, stress-free. I pictured myself pouring coffee and becoming close friends with my customers.

    What I hadn't expected was the people with so many orders. There were moments when I was very angry simply because I couldn't seem to please anyone. There was always too much sugar, too little ice, or not enough skim milk. However, I kept at it.

    One day, one of my customers came in, depressed. Before he left, I handed him a bag along with his iced coffee. He looked at me questioningly because he hadn't ordered anything but the coffee. He opened the bag and saw his favorite doughnut (甜甜圈) I had given him. He smiled and thanked me before heading out into the rain.

    The next evening, he came. Instead of ordering something, he handed me a single pink rose and a note.

    “Thanks for being so sweet and thoughtful yesterday. It is so nice to meet someone who's warm and unselfish. Please don't change your ways because I truly believe that you will do better. Have a great day!”

    As time went on, I did come across some customers really particular. But anytime I felt depressed, I thought of that man and his kindness. Then I would smile, hold my head up high, clear my throat and ask politely, “How can I help you?”

    It is true that summer is hot. But here is something to make your day easier. Are you prepared? Meet the new AirFreez— an alternative to traditional Air Conditioners that cools you just the same!

    How does it work?

    It is surprisingly easy to set up! You just need to plug it into a socket(插座)OR any USB port (it uses so little energy that it can even run off of a phone or laptop battery).

    Once you have done that, simply fill it with 20oz/0. 6L of cold tap water.

    Now just press the power button and the instant cool air is here!

    What is so special about this little box?

    It is no larger than a lunchbox. It can be powered by a pocket solar panel（电池板）or battery pack and you probably have the world's first and most portable AC unit.

    Bad sleepers are putting the AirFreez next to their beds at night. The relaxing blow of cool, clean air, the comforting soft night light and the quiet create the perfect sleeping conditions!

    The price is just amazing. Most AC units cost at least $ 300+ AND you have to pay more to cover the expensive electricity bills each month. AirFreez costs less than $ 100 (actually $ 53 if you buy more than one here).

    Top Tips:

    To make your air even cooler—add a bottle of cold tap water from your refrigerator or even ice!

    For a beautiful relaxing atmosphere—add a few drops of fragrant oils to the water!