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　　Since 1984, Philadelphia has been cleaning up its act．One by one, graffiti(涂鸦)-covered walls are being changed into outdoor art．So far, more than 1,800 murals(壁画)have been painted．Philadelphia now has more murals than any other American city．

　　The walls that were once ugly with graffiti are now covered with beautiful pictures of historical heroes and modern art, thanks to the Mural Arts Program(MAP)．Its work makes schools and public places attractive, and its citizens are very proud．The program began as part of Philadelphia's Anti-Graffiti Network．Jane Golden is the MAP's artistic director．"When people ask me what our program is about," she says, "I answer them with one word：hope．" Each year, the MAP offers youth art programs and workshops．Some one-time graffiti writers even help paint MAP murals．

　　The MAP's work, says Golden, is all about developing a sense of community(社区)．When a neighborhood requests a mural, the MAP works with the people there to develop a message．Some messages have been "Safe Streets," "Love and Care," and "Peace Walk．"

　　The MAP receives up to 50 requests for murals each week．Last year, the workers painted 140 murals．

　　"The making of a mural enters people's collective memory as an extraordinary, pleasant moment in neighborhood history" says Golden, who began as a muralist in Los Angeles．

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　　Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to win it twice．However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner．

　　Born in September, 1987, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies' two daughters．Along with nine other children whose parents were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was one of the teachers．She finished her high school education at the College of Sévigné in Paris．

　　Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics．When World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using X-ray facilities to help save the lives of wounded soldiers．Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgrum．Her services were recognized in the form of a Military's Medal by the French government．

　　In 1918, Irene became her mother's assistant at the Curie Institute．In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute．and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work．They soon fell in love and were married in 1926．Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later．

　　Like her mother, Irene combined family and career．Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1935．Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia because of her work with radioactivity, Irene Joliot-Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956．

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　　Driving cars, trucks and motorcycles is an important part of our lives．We do it every day to get to work, to school or to friends' houses．

　　Driving can be very convenient, but can also cause many problems．Waiting in line at a red light, a driver may get impatient and decide just to drive right through it．If another car is coming from the other direction, there might be a terrible accident．Cutting another car off can make its driver angry, so that driver cuts off someone else．Pretty soon everybody is angry, and impatient．

　　Traffic accidents declare millions of lives every year worldwide．In Taiwan alone, over seven people are killed in accidents every day．The annual death rate from traffic accidents in Taiwan is twice that of Japan．

　　To allow traffic to move smoothly and safely, everybody must follow the rules．Before you drive, learn all the traffic laws．That way of driving is safe, convenient and even fun!

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　　“Mom, I have cancer．”These four words catapulted my son and me on a journey that lasted two years．On that dat I felt a wave of paralyzing fear．

　　Scott was the oldest of my four children．He was 33 years old and a successful assistant principal at SamRayburn Hifht School in Pasadena, Texas．He and his wife Carolyn were busy raising four active children．Scott was 6'2'', weighed 200 pounds and had never been sick a day in his life．

　　A few month earlier a mole(痣)on his neck had changed color．“Dr．Warner called,” Scott said that spring morning．“It's melanoma．(黑素瘤)” I tried to comfort him, naming all the people I knew who had survived skin cancer．Yet, I felt small tentacles of fear begin to wrap around my chest．

　　Our next stop was MDAnderson, the famous cancer hospital in Houston．Scott had surgery at the end of May and was scheduled for radiation treatments over the summmer recess．“There is an 80 percent chance it won't reoccur,” the doctors said．At the end of summer, all his tests came back negative and Scott was back at school in the fall．However, in December, Scott discovered a lump on his neck．It was examined and the result came back “malignant．(恶性的)” We now relized that Scott fell into the 20 percent category．I could feel the tentacles tightening around my chest．He entered the hospital for an aggressive treatment, a combination of interferon and interleukin．

　　After five months of treatment, he had radical surgery on his neck．The test results were encourging, only three of the 33 lymph nodes(淋巴结)removed were malignant．We were very hopefull．

　　For the next six months, Scott's follow-up visits went well．Then in October, X-ray revealed a spot on his lung．The spot was removed during surgery and the doctors tried to be optimistic．It was a daily battle to control the fear and panic each setback brought．

　　In January, he was diagnosed as having had a “disease explosion．” The cancer had spread to his lungs, spine and liver and he was given three to six months to live．There were times during this period when I felt like I was having a heart attack．The bands constricting my chest made breathing difficult．

　　When you watch your child battle cancer, you experience a roller coaster of emotions．There are moments of hope and optimism but a bad test result or even an unusual pain can bring on dread and panic．

　　Scott was readmitted to the hospital for one last try with chemotherapy．He died, quite suddenly, just six weeks after his last diagnosis．I was completely destroyed．I had counted on those last few months．

　　The next morning I was busy notifying people and making funeral arrangements．I remember having this nagging feeling that something was physically wrong with me．It took a moment to realize that the crushing sensation in my chest was gone．The thing every parent fears the most had happened．My son was gone．Of course, the fear had been replaced by unbearable sorrow．

　　After you lose a child, it is so difficult to go on．The most minimal tasks, combing your hair or taking a shower, becoming monumental．For months I just sat and stared into space．That spring, the trees began to bloom; flowers began to pop up in my garden．Friendswood was coming back to life but I was dead inside．

　　During those last weeks, Scott and I often spoke about life and death．Fragments of those conversations kept playing over and over in my mind．

　　“Don't let this ruin your life, Mom．”

　　“Make sure Dad re models his workshop．”

　　“Please, take care of my family．”

　　I remember wishing I could have just one more conversation with him．I knew what I would say, but what would Scott say? “I know how much you love me, Mom．So just sit on the couch and cry．” No, I knew him better than that．Scott loved life and knew how precious it is．I could almost hear his voice saying, “Get up Mom, Get on with your life．It's too valuable to waste．”

　　That was the day I began to move forward．I signed up for a cake decorating class．Soon I was making cakes for holidays and birthdays．My daughter-in-law told me about a writing class in Houston．I hadn't written in years, but since I was retired I decided it be time to start again．The local college advertised a Life Story Writing class that I joined．There I met women who had also lost their children．The Poet Laureate of Texas was scheduled to speak at our local Barnes and Noble．I attended and joined our local poetry society．I never dreamed that writing essays and poems about Scott could be so therapeutic．Several of those poems have ever been published．In addition, each group brought more and more people into my life．．

　　I don't believe you ever recover from the loss of a child．Scott is in my heart and mind every day．However, I do believe you can survive．

　　Scott fought so bravery to live and he never gave up．He taught me that life is a gift that should be cherished, not wasted．It has taken years to become the person I am today．The journey has been a difficult , painful process but certainly worth the effort and I know that my son would be proud．

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　　ROME：The legend of Leonardo da Vinci is covered in mystery：How did he die? Are the remains buried in a French castle really those of the master? Was the "Mona Lisa" a self-portrait in disguise(伪装)?

　　A group of Italian scientists believe the key to solving those puzzles lies with the remains, and they say they are seeking permission to dig up the body to conduct carbon and DNA testing．

　　If the skull is undamaged, the scientists can go to the heart of a question that has fascinated scholars and the public for centuries：the identity of the "Mona Lisa．" Recreating a virtual and then physical reconstruction of Leonardo's face, they can compare it with the smiling face in the painting．

　　"We don't know what we'll find if the tomb is opened．We could even just find grains and dust," says Giorgio Gruppioni, an anthropologist who is participating in the project．"But if the remains are well kept, they are a biological record of events in a person's life, and sometimes in their death．" Silvano Vinceti, the leader of the group, said that he plans to press his case with the French officials in charge of the said burial site at Amboise Castle early next week．

　　Leonardo moved to France at the invitation of King Francis I, who named him "first painter to the king．" He spent the last three years of his life there, and died in 1519 at age 67．The artist's original burial place, the palace church of Saint Florentine, was destroyed during the French Revolution and remains that are believed to be his were eventually reburied in the Saint-Hubert Chapel near the castle．

　　"The Amboise tomb is a symbolic tomb; it's a big question mark," said Alessandro Vezzosi, the director of a museum dedicated to Leonardo in his hometown of Vinci．Vezzosi said that investigating the tomb could help identify the artist's bones with certainty and solve other questions, such as the cause of his death．He said he asked to open the tomb in 2004 to study the remains, but the Amboise Castle turned him down．

　　The group of 100 experts involved in the project, called the National Committee for Historical and Artistic Heritage, was created in 2003 with the aim of "solving the great mysteries of the past," said Vinceti, who has written books on art and literature．

　　Arguably the world's most famous painting, the "Mona Lisa" hangs in the Louvre in Paris, where it drew some 8.5 million visitors last year．Mystery has surrounded the identity of the painting's subject for centuries, with opinions ranging from the wife of a Florentine merchant to Leonardo's own mother．

　　That Leonardo intended the "Mona Lisa" as a self-portrait in disguise is a possibility that has interested and divided scholars．Theories have existed：Some think that Leonardo's taste for tricks and riddles might have led him to hide his own identity behind that puzzling smile; others have guessed that the painting hid an androgynous lover．

　　If granted access to the grave site, the Italian experts plan to use a tiny camera and radar to confirm the presence of bones．The scientists would then exhume(挖掘)the remains and attempt to date the bones with carbon testing．

　　At the heart of the proposed study is the effort to discover whether the remains are actually Leonardo's, including with DNA testing．

　　Vezzosi questions the DNA comparison, saying he is unaware of any direct descendants(后代)of Leonardo or of tombs that could be attributed with certainty to the artist's close relatives．

　　Gruppioni said that DNA from the bones could also eventually be compared to DNA found elsewhere．For example, Leonardo is thought to have rubbed colors on the canvas with his thumb, possibly using saliva(唾液), meaning DNA might be found on his paintings．

　　Even in the absence of DNA testing, other tests could provide useful information, including whether the bones belonged to a man or a woman, and whether the person died young or old．

　　Even within the committee, experts are divided over the identity of the "Mona Lisa．"

　　Vinceti believes that a tradition of considering the self-portrait to be not just a faithful imitation of one's features but a representation of one's spiritual identity may have resonated(共鸣)with Leonardo．

　　Vezzosi, the museum director, dismissed as "baseless and senseless" the idea that the "Mona Lisa" could be a self-portrait of Leonardo．He said most researchers believe the woman may have been either a wife of the artist's sponsor, the Florentine nobleman Giuliano de Medici, or Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a rich silk merchant, Francesco del Giocondo．The traditional view is that the name "Mona Lisa" comes from the silk merchant's wife, as well as its Italian name："La Gioconda．"

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　　People say teenagers are no good．They make too much noise in shopping malls; they drive recklessly up and down America's main streets; they carry chips on their shoulders as big as the Sears Tower．And at least some of the time those things are true．But we shouldn't forget that there are hard moments in the life of a teenager too．

　　I watched such a moment not long ago at a woman's funeral．I didn't expect the event to affect me．Through much of the ceremony, in fact, I remained unmoved．

　　The teenage grandson stepped forward．With his very first deep breath, every heart in that church was achingly reminded of something we had all forgotten．Softly he began：“I want to share a few values that Nana taught me．She never failed to see light in any situation．When our family dog would truely attract her, what would Nana say?‘oh, what beautiful barking that dog has!' That was Nana．”

　　“She was a strong woman who often lived in the shadow of my grandpa, who was a successful businessman in this city．But she was the one behind the scenes who provided the strength and support for my grandpa's career,” he said, with a voice now trembling, “That was Nana's way．”

　　Through a low sob, he continued, “Whenever she did anything worth recognition, you'd have to hear about it from a different source, because she was never one to show off．”

　　Finally, in a voice breaking free of sorrow, he looked up and said, “Nana taught me courage．She put up an incredible fight to the end, when she died peacefully, which is how she lived her life．That was Nana's way, and I hope I can carry on in the same manner．”

　　There are no hearts as sensitive as those of teenagers, because everything is happening to them for the first time．The trouble with teenagers is that they haven't learned to be controlled．

　　When that boy rose to speak about the woman who surely had been his truest and dearest friend, his honest voice dragged each of us out into the open where we could no longer hide in the calm ceremony．He exposed us to the truth about this very real woman who believed in a boy who probably tried the patience of many adults．He reminded us that his grandmother was more than another dot on the chart of life and death．

　　All over again we felt those powerful losses crossing our own hearts, and we knew that when you say good-bye to something happy, something young in yourself．And that something never really returns, and the pain never really goes away．

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　　Census figures(调查数据)published last Friday indicate that the number of women in management jobs rose by 95％between 1980 and 1990．Most evidence shows that women are still in the lowest class of management and in the lowest-paying industries．

　　I first noticed that girls were different from boys when I was about 4 years old．No experiences either in my personal life or in my business life have caused me to change my opinion．Throughout my adult life, however, I have had to evaluate again and again these differences between men and women and how they affect the way men and women relate to one another and to the environment in which they work．Working with women has given me deep understanding I would never have gained in any other way．

　　Women are working at a decided disadvantage in the business world created by men to make things comfortable for men．To me, this means men often understand the rules without having to be taught or even having to think about them．It is not so easy for women．If I may fall back on typically male sports terms, women have had to learn both the game and the game plan at the same time．

　　At least in my own observation, women in business tend to be more honest than men．A direct question to a woman often results in a direct response．This quality makes it more difficult for women to “yes” an employer．It also makes women more trustworthy than the men who often can't, or won't, give a straight answer to a question．Women are also more open than men about their feelings, their ambitions, and everyday situations in the office．This makes them easier to be hurt than men．Traditionally, women in business have been more severely judged than men．They have had to be better in a job than a man to get ahead．

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　　A recent study, which was published in last week's Journal of the American Medical Association, offers a picture of how dangerous it is to get a lift from a teenage driver．Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers has three times the possibility of a serious accident, compared with a teenager driving alone．

　　The authors also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased greatly after 10 p．m．, and especially after midnight．With passengers in the car, the driver was even more likely to die in a late-night accident．

　　Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience．“The basic issue is that adults who are responsible for giving out licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled driving is．” he says．

　　Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to mitigate(使缓解)the problem is to have states set up so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a process with several stages．A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself able to drive in the presence(在场)of an adult, followed by a period of driving with night of passenger restrictions(限制)before graduating to full driving rights．

　　Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies．

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　　Sure, it's good to get along with your teacher because it makes the time you spend in the classroom more pleasant．

　　And yes, it's good to get along with your teacher because, in general, it's smart to learn how to understand the different types of people you'll meet throughout your life．

　　“But really, there's one super-important reason why you should get along with your teacher．When you do, learning bursts right open,” says Evelyn Vuko, a longtime teacher who writes an education column(专栏)called “Teacher Says” for the Washington Post newspaper．

　　In fact, kids who get along with their teachers not only learn more, but they're more comfortable asking questions and getting extra help．This makes it easier to understand new material and do your best on tests．When you have this kind of relationship with a teacher, he or she can be someone to turn to with problems, such as problems with learning or school life, such as bullying．

　　As a kid in a primary or middle school, you're at a wonderful stage in your life．You're like a sponge(海绵), able to absorb lots of new and exciting information．On top of that, you're able to think about all this information in new ways．Your teacher knows that, in most cases, is very excited to be the person who's giving you all that material and helping you make it．Remember, teachers are people, too, and they feel great if you're open to what they're teaching you．That's why they wanted to be teachers in the first place－to teach!

　　Some kids may be able to learn in any situation, whether they like the teacher or not．But most kids are sensitive to the way they get along with the teacher, and if things aren't going well, they won't learn as well and won't enjoy being in class．

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　　Wanted，Someone for a Kiss

　　We're looking for producers to join US on the sound of London Kiss l00 FM．You'll work on the station's music programmes．Music production experience in radio is necessary, along with rich knowledge of modern dance music．Please apply(申请)in writing to Producer Vacancies，Kiss 100．

　　Father Christmas

　　We're looking for a very special person，preferably over 40，to fill our Father Christmas suit．Working days：Every Saturday from November 24 to December l5 and every day from December 17 to December 24 except Sundays, 10∶30－16∶00．

　　Excellent pay．

　　Please contact the Enterprise Shopping Centre，Station Parade, Eastbourne．

　　Accountants Assistant

　　When you join the team in our Revenue Administration Unit, you will be providing assistance within all parts of the Revenue Division, dealing with post and other general duties．If you are educated to GCSE grade C level we would like to talk to you．This position is equally suitable for a school leaver or for somebody who has office experience．

　　Wealden District Council

　　Software Trainer

　　If you are aged 24－45 and have experience in teaching and training, you could be the person we are looking for．You should be good at the computer and have some experience in programme writing．You will be allowed to make your own decisions, and to design courses as well as present them．Pay upwards of ￡15,000 for the right person．Please apply by sending your CV(简历)to Mrs R．．Oglivie, Palmlace Limited．