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　　With large and small keyboards everywhere, neither children nor adults need to write much of anything by hand．That's a big problem．Study after study suggests that handwriting is important for brain development－helping kids get fine motor skills and learn to express and create ideas．Yet the time devoted to teaching penmanship in most schools has shrunk to just one hour a week．Is it time to give up handwriting?Have a look at the link between the brain and penmanship, and you may get the answer．

　　A test among students in grades 2, 4 and 6 found that they not only wrote faster by hand than by keyboard, but also created more ideas when composing essays with handwriting．And other research shows that the finger movements required to write by hand activate brain areas involved with thought, language, and short-term memory．

　　A recent Indiana University study had one group of children practice writing letters by hand while a second group just looked at those letters．Then, both groups of kids entered a functional MRI(核磁共振)that scanned their brains as the researchers showed them the same letters．Researchers found that the brain activity in the first group was far more advanced and“adult-like”．

　　Handwriting also affects other people's way they think of adults and children．Several studies have shown that the same average essay will score much higher if written with good penmanship and much lower if written out in poor handwriting．These studies have also found that people judge the quality of a person's ideas based on his or her handwriting．And the consequences are real：On standardized tests with handwritten sections, like the SAT, all essay that is considered hard to recognize gets a big zero．

　　Studies show that this isn't only an English-language phenomenon．Chinese and Japanese youths are suffering from“character amnesia”．They can't remember how to write characters, thanks to computers and text messaging．Some experts fear that Chinese writing and reading are so closely linked in the brain that China's reading ability as a nation could suffer．

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　　While I was in my 4th month of pregnancy(妊娠期)with my second child, we were preparing for a trip to Louisiana, where Marshall's family live, to celebrate Jane's 2nd birthday．Two days before we were to leave, we got the shocking news that I was going to lose the baby．Not knowing when this would happen, we decided to continue with our trip．

　　Since Marshall's family lives on a 600-acre cattle farm, you often find that you have a lot of time to yourself to think when you are there．That is precisely what I did not want to do at this time．I told Marshall that I needed to get a good book to get lost in while I was there．I told him I heard the Harry Potter books were good, so he went out and got the first one for me．

　　During that trip, I totally got lost in the book, which was of great help during a time when I needed a distraction to forget about the sadness．In the book, I noticed the name“Seamus”．I vaguely remembered it was pronounced“Shamus”and I liked the sound of that．I mentioned it to Marshall and he liked it too．Toward the end of the trip, I had just 5 chapters left and I knew I was about to finish the first book, which I was pretty excited about．

　　Soon after we put Jane down to bed, I had started labor(分娩), so I was unable to read．The labor lasted 5 and 1/2 hours, but Marshall stayed there with me, sitting beside me and reading aloud the last 5 chapters of Harry Potter．I can never fully explain how much that helped me through the experience．And ever since then, Marshall and I both have been fans of the Harry Potter books．We remember how they helped us get through that time of our lives．

　　We were sad to have lost the baby, but the name Seamus started our journey toward adoption．And we gave this name to our adopted son．Though our Seamus doesn't have a drop of Irish blood in him, the name fits him perfectly．

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　　When did you last see a polar bear?On a trip to a zoo, perhaps?If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club．These“Polar Bears”are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water．That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a bit higher．The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60．Members must satisfy two requirements．First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group．This is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club．Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February．

　　Doctors do not agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming．Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops．Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter．

　　The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits(or advantages)of cold-water swimming．They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system(循环系统)because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm．Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water．A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming．

　　The main benefits(or advantages)of cold-water swimming are probably mental．The Polar Bears love to swim year-round; they find it fun and relaxing．As one 70-year-old woman says．“When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away．”

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　　I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America．We were on the bus then．I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me．I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning．

　　I do not remember myself crying for this reason again．In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives．When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see－the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures．The country I was leaving and never to come back was hardly in my head then．

　　The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism(乐观), but the idea did not come to me at once．For the first two years in New York I was really lost－having to study in three schools as a result of family moves．I did not quite know what I was or what I should be．Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me．Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other．I was often sad, and saw no end to“the hard times．”

　　My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home．I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers(移民局官员), took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives．

　　From my experiences I have learned one important rule：Almost all common troubles go away at last!Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little!I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy．

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　　Why did the chicken cross the road?To get to the other side．

　　Most people know this joke．But recently, some people have been much more worried about how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road．

　　“Millions of animals die each year on U．S．roads,”the Federal Highway Administration reports．In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U．S．today．The main reason?Roadkill．

　　“Eco-passages”may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars．They are paths both over and under roads．“These eco-passages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents,”said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society．

　　But do animals actually use the eco-passages?The answer is yes．Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an eco-passage that went under a highway．This showed that the lions used the passage．

　　Builders of eco-passages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them．Animals seem to be catching on．Animals as different as salamanders(火蜥蜴)and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses．

　　The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around．You might see an animal overpass!

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　　I'm sure you know the song“Happy Birthday”．But do you know who wrote the song and for whom it was written?

　　The retired professor, Archibald A．Hill in Lucasville, USA could tell us the story．Ninety-seven years ago, two of Mr．Archibald Hill's aunts, Miss Patty Hill and Miss Mildred Hill were asked to write some songs for a book called“Song Storied for the Sunday Morning”．Miss Patty Hill and Miss Mildred Hill were both kindergarten teachers then．They loved children very much and wrote many beautiful songs for the book．One of them was the famous“Good Morning to You．”The song said,“Good morning to you, good morning to you, dear children, good morning to all．”This song was very popular at that time among kindergarten children．But not many grown-ups knew it．A few years later little Archibald was born．As his aunt, Miss Patty Hill sang the song“Happy Birthday”to the melody(曲调)of“Good Morning to you”to her little nephew(侄子)．She sang the song like this：Happy birthday to you!Happy birthday to you!Happy birthday, dear Archie!Happy birthday to you!

　　Miss Patty Hill and her sister had never expected that this song would become so popular, but it really did．People all over the world like the song because of its simplicity in tune(曲调简单)and friendliness in words．

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　　Thanksgiving Day is a special holiday in the United States and Canada．Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing．Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival．This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in．But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest．On December 4,1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia．They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic．

　　The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest．The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620．They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel．Many of the Pilgrims died．But the next year, they had a good harvest．So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast(盛宴)．The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast．Everyone brought food．

　　In time, other colonies(殖民地)began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving．But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day．During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it．He proclaimed(宣布)the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving．Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November．Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours．But the Canadian Thanksgiving Day falls on the second Monday in October．

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　　As young students, you have many dreams．These dreams can be very big, such as winning the Nobel Prize; they can also be small, such as becoming one of the best students in your class．

　　Once you find a dream, what do you do with it?Do you ever try to make your dream real?

　　Andrew Matthews, an Australian writer, tells us that making your dreams real is life's biggest challenge．You may think you're not very good at some school subjects, or that it's impossible for you to become a writer．Those kinds of ideas stop you from realizing your dream．

　　In fact, everyone can realize his dream．The first thing you must do is to remember what your dream is．Don't let it leave your heart．Keep telling yourself what you want every day and then your dream will come true faster．You should know that a big dream is, in fact, made up of many small dreams．

　　You must also never give up your dream．There will be difficulties on the road to your dreams．But the biggest difficulty comes from yourself．You need to decide what is the most important．Studying instead of watching TV will help you to get better exam results, while saving five yuan instead of buying an ice cream means you can buy a new book．

　　As you get closer to your dream, it may change a little．This is good as you have the chance to learn something more useful and find new hobbies．

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　　I was in a terrible mood．Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn't invited me．I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in．“Want to go for a ride, today, Beck?It's a beautiful day．”

　　“No!Leave me alone!”Those were the last words I said to him that morning．

　　My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later．I forgot to be mad at them and when I came home to find a note on the table．My mother put it where I would be sure to see it．“Dad has had an accident．Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”．

　　When I reached the hospital, my mother came out and told me my father's injuries were extensive．“Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911, thank God!If he had moved Daddy, there's no telling what might have happened．A broken rib(肋骨)might have pierced(穿透)a lung…”

　　My mother may have said more, but I didn't hear．I didn't hear anything except those terrible words：Leave me alone．My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more．How much had I hurt him when I hurled those words at him earlier in the day?

　　It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation．I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him．

　　“Daddy…I am so sorry…”

　　“It's okay, sweetheart．I'll be okay．”

　　“No,”I said,“I mean about what I said to you that day．You know, that morning?”

　　My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly．He looked at me and said．“Sweetheart, I don't remember anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident．I remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though．”He managed a weak smile．

　　My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power．They can hurt or they can heal．And we all have the power to choose our words．I intend to do that very carefully from now on．

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　　Jack London is a famous American writer．His most widely known book is the Call of the Wild, the story of the adventure of a large dog in the frozen north．

　　Jack London was born on January 12, 1876, in San Francisco, California．His family was very poor, and Jack had to leave school to make money．He worked hard at many different jobs．

　　Later, Jack returned to school, but he didn't stay．He wrote,“Life and pocket book were both too short．”In 1897, he went to Alaska to find gold．Instead, he found ideas there for his book stories．He returned home and started to write．His writings were successful, and he became rich and famous in his twenties．

　　Jack London was not a happy man, however．In poor health, he took his own life in 1916．He was then only 40 years old．

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