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　　SINAIn order to let people go out more easily during the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing is going to start a special bus line and seven more night bus lines．40％ of the taxis will be in service for 24 hours．The subway will run longer hours, too．(December 27, 2007)

　　YAHOO－An old man called Shen Yuanyan made five Fuwa toys with 6,000 pieces of paper．It took him a few months to finish them．Mr．Shen will make another five bigger Fuwa toys and send them to Beijing．(January 7, 2008)

　　BAIDU－The Olympic Flame has arrived in Beijing, showing that the Olympic Games in China will soon begin．From today, the torch will carry the Flame across the world．(March 31, 2008)

　　XINHUA－Yang Yang, a famous Chinese skater, received the Beijing Olympic torch from a leader in Sanya, May 4, 2008．Yang ran the first 200 meters during the torch relay(接力)in Sanya, the first leg in the Chinese mainland(大陆)．(May 4, 2008)

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　　The Taj Mahal(泰姬陵)is a love story, a sad and beautiful one．If it didn’t exist, we would easily imagine that the story of its construction(建造)was simply a fairy tale．Three hundred years ago, there lived an Indian emperor called Shah Jahan．His wife was a beautiful and bright woman whom he loved greatly．Her title was Mumtazl Mahan：its shortened form Taj Mahal, means “pride of the palace”．In the year 1630 this beloved wife of the emperor died．He was so brokenhearted that he thought of giving up his throne．He decided out of his love for his wifeto build her the most beautiful tomb that had ever been seen．

　　He called in the best artists and architects from India, Turkey, Persia and Arabia and finally, the design was complete．It took more than twenty thousand men working over a period of 18 years to build the Taj Mahal, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world．The building itself stands on a marble platform 29 meters square and 6-7 meters high．Towers rise from each of the four corners．The Taj itself soars(高耸)another 61 meters into the air．It is an eight-sided building made of white marble．

　　The emperor planned to build an identical tomb of black marble for himself on the other side of the river connected by a silver bridge．However his son put him into a prison in the palace before he could finish, and for the rest of his life, he could only gaze across river at the tomb of his beloved wife．

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　　At first sight, you would think the collection of hundreds of colored shards(碎片)could be a work of abstract art．But the objects are the contents of the stomach of a sea turtle that lost its battle with plastic pollution．

　　Environmentalists examined the stomach of the turtle found off the coast of Argentina．What they found is the symptom of the increasing threat to sea turtles from a human addiction to plastic．

　　Sea turtles often mistake plastic items for jellyfish or other food．Ingesting(摄取)ocean pollution can cause a digestive blockage and internal cuts．The result can be dangerous, followed by death．

　　Humans produce 260 million tons of plastic a year．When those products are pulled into the sea’s currents, the plastics are just broken into smaller pieces which are consumed by marine life at the bottom of the food chain．An examination of a green turtle found off Florida discovered that, over the course of a month, the animal’s faeces(粪便)had contained 74 foreign objects, including “four types of balloons, different types of hard plastic, a piece of carpet-like material and two 2-4 mm tar balls．”

　　“The oceans have become on giant refuse bin for all manner of plastics．All sea turtle species may be seriously harmed, ” according to the biologists Colette Wabnitz, from the University of British Columbia．“The symptom of this growing crisis can be seen inside and on sea turtles as well as their oceanic and terrestrial habitats．It is urgently necessary to directly confront the source of plastic pollution, redesign packaging and rethink the very idea of ‘throwaway culture’．”

　　Almost all marine species, from plankton to whales, have ingested plastic．But, even in small quantities, plastic can kill sea turtles, the biologists said．

　　Fifty out of 92 turtles found dead, stranded on the shorelines of Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil, had ingested a “considerable amount of man-made debris”．

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　　In Kenya, educational and career opportunities are almost non-existent for people born with physical challenges．They face many forms of discrimination － including beliefs that their condition was caused by a curse．But one father whose son Brain was born deaf, mute and blind aims to change all that．Joseph Shiroko started a school four years ago that teaches students who can not hear, speak and who have very low or no vision a wide range of skills to support themselves．

　　The baby clothes the students knit(编织)are well known in the local community．And the school has developed a reputation for its dried smoked meat products．

　　Brain Resource Center, a boarding school, teaches deaf and blind young Kenyans from across the country a variety of skills they can use to earn a living．

　　“We have a number of philosophies that inform what we are doing：accepting these people; loving them; giving them opportunities．” said founder Joseph Shiroko．

　　Teachers, most of whom are graduates from the school or are themselves physically challenged, work with students．

　　Mary Kerubo, 22, has a passion for knitting sweaters, which she plans to continue in her village．

　　“I feel comfortable here because Sween－my teacher understands me,” said Kerubo．“Even if I do not see well, she always repeats her lessons again and again so that I may understand how to make sweaters．I know I will make it．”

　　Kerubo’s teacher, Sween Lyaka, was among the first graduates of Brain Resource Center four years ago．She says her students have a lot of unrecognized potential．

　　Sween says in the future, she plans to purchase four sewing machines that she will use to teach students and produce and sell sweaters in her home village．

　　The center also works with students’ families to set up projects that will continue after the students graduate．

　　Founder Joseph Shiroko’s son, Brain, was the inspiration behind Brain Resource Center．The senior Shiroko says he began the school initially as a project to teach Brain bakery skills．The family later expanded Brain’s training and brought in other young people with similar physical conditions．

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　　Many people turn to the web for health advice．Women use the Internet to look for health information for themselves and their family significantly more than men, research has found．The study, by independent research company Datamonitor, says that for this reason health sites should make greater efforts to appeal to women by covering their health concerns．

　　The researchers, who quizzed 4,531 adults across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US, found that websites have become just as important as some off-line sources of health information．Fifty-seven percent of those who looked for health information in the past 12 months consulted Internet sources．

　　Report author Yvonne MacPherson said, “A distinct advantage of the Internet as a source of health information is that information is easily accessible and can be read in private and at the leisure of the Internet user．” “Good health sites are not meant to replace interaction with a physician．Rather, they help patients prepare for appointments and take more responsibility for their health．” He added．

　　Currently, 32-34％ of adults aged 18 to 54 used the Internet to search for health information．This number decreases to 27％ in the 55 to 64 age group, and further to 14％ in the 65 and over age group．Young Internet users often conduct online health research on behalf of older family members who do not use the Internet．

　　However, Datamonitor says that the audience for health information online will grow naturally as the population ages, and more and more people grow up with the net．It recommends that website operators focus their efforts on building a good long-term relationship with their existing consumers, rather than on attempting to attract non-Internet users．

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　　BEIJING(AFP)－Archeologists in China have uncovered more than 3，000 dinosaur footprints，state media reported，in an area said to be the world's largest grouping of fossilized hones belonging to the ancient animals．

　　The footprints，believed to be more than 100 million years old，were discovered after a three－month excavation(发掘、出土)at a gully in Zhucheng in the eastern province of Shandong，the Xinhua news agency reposed．

　　The footprints range from 10 to 80 centimeters(4 to 32 inches)in length，and belonged to at least six different kinds of dinosaurs，including tyrannosaurs，the report said Saturday．

　　Wang Haijun, a senior engineer at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the footprints faced the same direction, Xinhua said．

　　This indicated a possible migration or a panic escape by plant－eating dinosaurs after an attack by predators(食肉动物), Wang added．

　　Archeologists have found dinosaur fossils at some 30 sites in Zhucheng, known as “dinosaur city．” The region has seen two major digs since 1964, and experts say the discovery of so many dinosaurs in such a dense area could provide clues on how the animals became extinct millions of years ago．

　　Plans are being made to set up a fossil park in the area．

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　　If there is one thing that matters in high school－and for your whole life－it is friendships．My late st novel, THE UNWEITTEN RULE, is about a girl, Sarah, who falls for her best friend Brianna's boyfriend, Ryan, but it's more about wrestling with feelings for a guy that you know you shouldn't have．A lot of the book deals with friendship, the kind of lifelong friendship that means the world to you … and what happens when you realize that maybe it isn't what you think it is．

　　Maybe your best friend isn't your best friend．Maybe she isn't even a friend at all．

　　Friendships are tricky things．You can he sure everything is fine，and that your friendship is going to last forever．．．and it can just end．No explanation，no anything．And it is not easy．In fact，I think losing a friend is worse than losing a boyfriend，especially when it is a friend you’ve had in your life for a long time．

　　One of the things that Sarah struggles with in THE UNWRITTEN RULE，beyond her feelings for Ryan，is her friendship with Brianna－how long they’ve been friends，how she understands Brianna in a way no one else does，and what to do when a crack appears in their friendship，not because of Sarah's feelings for Ryan，but because Sarah begins to wonder if maybe Brianna isn't her best friend after all．

　　Having a friendship end is incredibly painful and one of the things I hated when I was younger－and that I still hate now－is how people say． “Oh，it'll be okay．You'll move on，you'll be fine．”

　　It is true that you will eventually move on and that you will be fine．But you will also always carry that lost friendship with you．It may not take up all of your heart like it does at first，but it will take part of it．

　　And that，I think，is something no one ever talks about and that I wish we could－ and would．

　　What do you do when someone you are friends with decides your friendship is over?

　　How do you deal with it?

　　Maybe my latest novel can provide something for you．

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　　This tour takes you back in history to a moment that “will live in infamy(声名狼藉)．” Explore the historic artifacts at the Arizona Memorial Visitor Center commemorating(纪念)the attack on Pearl Harbor, then travel around beautiful Oahu on a Circle Island guided bus tour．

　　The Arizona Memorial Visitor Center is Hawaii's number one visitor attraction．View the film of the attack on Pearl Harbor and browse the historic artifacts on display．Then ride the Navy launch across Pearl Harbor to visit the Arizona Memorial．Then, board a tour bus for a scenic trip around the island of Oahu．Get your cameras ready for the beautiful view over Windward Oahu at Nu’uanu Pali Lookout．Visit Byodo－In Temple, which is set against a picturesque mountain backdrop．

　　You'll also see the famous North Shore surfing beaches of Sunset, Banzai Pipeline, and Waimea Bay and drive through rustic Haleiwa Town．Visit Dole Plantation and discover the history of Hawaii's pineapple industry before enjoying a no host lunch at the Polynesian Cultural Center(lunch is not included in the listed－price)．

　　Inclusions：

　　Scenic bus tour of Oahu island

　　Film viewing at Arizona Memorial Visitor Center．Pearl Harbor

　　Visit of Byodo－In Temple and Dole Plantation

　　Available：

　　Mon．－Fri．

　　Hours of operation：

　　7 AM to 5 PM

　　Note：

　　Strict security measures forbid purses, handbags, fanny packs, backpacks, camera bags, diaper bags, luggage and/or other items．Visitors may bring a camera and cam－recorder．A storage facility, operated by a private vendor, is available for visitors coming to the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, the Battleship Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum．

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　　Ten years ago, Pierre Omidyar, a software engineer working in California's Silicon Valley, began thinking about how to use the internet for a trading system in which buyers and sellers could establish a genuine market price．Over a long holiday weekend he wrote the computer code．At first, a trickle of users arrived at his website－including his girlfriend, who traded PEZ candy dispensers．By the end of 1995, several thousand auctions had been completed and interest in eBay was growing．And it grew and grew．From this modest beginning, eBay has become a global giant, with around 150m registered users worldwide who are set to buy and sell goods worth more than $40 billion this year．

　　The remarkable tale of eBay's growth points to some important lessons for any business trying to operate online－and today that includes, one way or another, most firms．The commercial opportunities presented by an expanding global web seem almost limitless．But the pace of change is rapid, and so is the ferocity(激烈)of competition．To succeed, firms need agility(灵活), an open mind and the ability to reinvent themselves repeatedly．Most of all, they need to listen carefully to their customers, paying close attention to what they do and don't want．

　　Such qualities, of course, would be valuable in any kind of business．Yet for online firms they are not a luxury, but necessary for mere survival．This is true for a variety of reasons．The internet is not only growing, but changing rapidly－which, in turn, changes the rules of the game for any business relying on it．The barriers to entry are still low compared with those for most offline businesses, which means that just keeping track of your existing rivals is not enough．These may not represent the greatest competitive threat tomorrow or the next day．That could come from a number of directions－a firm in a different type of online business; one that does not yet exist; or even from one of your own customers．On top of all this, the behavior of many consumers is constantly changing as well, as individuals discover new ways to shop and interact with each other via the web．

　　All these factors make the internet a dangerous place to do business, as well as one full of promise．eBay's history demonstrates both of those things．It is probably safe to say full of promise．eBay could have existed without the internet－or could have grown so fast．Even though there have been signs of the firm's blistering(快速的)pace slowing a bit in America, its most “mature” market. there remain vast opportunities overseas, particularly, some argue, in China．Meg Whitman, eBay's chief executive, believes the company is still only at the beginning of what it could achieve．

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　　Where do most writers get their ideas? For Yoshiko Uchida, it all began with Brownie, a five-month-old puppy．So excited was Yoshiko by Brownie's arrival that she started keeping a journal, writing about all the wonderful things Brownie did and the progress he made．

　　Soon she was writing about other memorable events in her life, too, like the day her family got their first refrigerator．She also began writing stories, thanks to one of her teachers．Yoshiko wrote stories about animal characters such as Jimmy Chipmunk and Willie the Squirrel．She kept on writing, sharing the kitchen table with her mother, who wrote poems on scraps of paper and the backs of envelopes．

　　Yoshiko grew up in the 1930 s in Berkeley, California．Her parents, both of whom had been born in Japan, provided a loving and happy home for Yoshiko and her sister．They also provided a stream of visitors to their home who later found their way into Yoshiko's stories．One visitor who later appeared in several of Yoshiko's stories was the bad-tempered Mr．Toga, who lived above the church that her family attended．Mr．Toga would scold anyone who displeased him．The children all feared him and loved to tell stories about how mean he was and his false teeth rattled(咯咯响)when he talked．

　　Yoshiko also included in her stories some of the places she visited and the experiences she had．One of her favorite places was a farm her parents took her to one summer．The owners of the farm, showed Yoshiko and her sister how to pump water from the well and how to gather eggs in the henhouse．They fed the mules that later pulled a wagon loaded with hay while Yoshiko and the others rode in the back, staring up at the stars shining in the night sky．Yoshiko, who lived in the city, had never seen such a sight．As Yoshiko gazed up at the stars, she was filled with hope and excitement about her life．The images of that hayride stayed with her long after the summer visit ended, and she used them in several of her stories．

　　The experiences Yoshiko had and the parade of people who marched through her young life became a part of the world she created in over twenty books for young people, such as The Best Bad Thing and A Jar of Dreams．Because of such books, we can all share just a little bit of the world and the times in which this great writer grew up．