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The Chinese New Year is now widely known as the Spring Festival because it starts the beginning of Spring. (it) origin (起源) is too old to be known. Several explanations are hanging around. But all agree that the word Nian, which in modern Chinese means "year", was (original) the name of a monster beast started to eat people the night before the beginning of a new year.

One legend goes that the beast Nian had a very big mouth that would swallow a great many people with one bite. People were very (frighten). One day, old man came to help them, offering to subdue Nian. He told people (put) up red paper decorations on their windows and (door) at each year's end to scare away Nian in case it came back again, because red was the color the beast feared the most.

Today, the custom of putting up red paper and setting off fire-crackers  (be) still around. However, people have long forgotten why they are doing all this, except that they feel the color and the sound add to the  (excite) of the celebration.

One day, my son Ryan said, "I'm going to keep working until everyone in Africa has clean water." I thought, oh, boy! But I'd heard about encouraging children to be 1 and dream big dreams. So I didn't want to say that he couldn't make a 2 .

At first, he planned to make money to build a 3 in Africa. But when he 4 his first $70 made by doing chores in neighborhood to a charity (慈善机构), he was told that it actually 5 $2000 to build a well. It was a lot of money, but Ryan didn't 6 . He persuaded his classmates and neighbors to give money. And I wrote to the local newspaper to make his story go 7 . After several months, Ryan had 8 the $2000, with which a well was built near a primary school in Uganda. The children at the school 9 needed to walk for hours to get water. They were 10 to him and invited him to visit.

In Uganda, Ryan saw the well with his own eyes and hundreds of students who had turned out to 11  him. Seeing that he really had 12  these children, he broke into a 13  smile. 

Now there is a Ryan's Well Foundation. His dream has 14 the lives of so many people, though most of whom we will never meet. Ryan has shown me what the 15 of dreams can do.

Public Speaking

It can be stressful to deliver a speech in front of people. What do you say? How do you catch people's attention? What do you do if you mess up? You can use the following basics about the art of public speaking to help you overcome these challenges and be a good speaker.

Point everything back to the central idea

Before you begin your speech, figure out your core message. It makes it easier to decide what to say and it helps you make every other decision, from the structure to the specific stories and concrete images that you include.

To make your presentation memorable, you can try using "sticky stories" in your speeches — honest, vivid anecdotes (逸闻) with details that engage the senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. People remember stories and images.

Practice in front of people

Practicing your speech can ease feelings of nervousness and help you adjust your presentation. Ask a friend or a family member to listen to you as you practice. You can also take a voice memo with your phone and play it back to yourself.

Slow down and start again

If something unexpected happens in the moment — say you stumble (结巴) or lose your place — pause or slow down. Take a deep breath and go back to the beginning of a sentence or restate the word you stumbled on. And don't worry people don't notice those pauses as much as you think they do. The point is to set yourself up for success, not perfection.

A. Use vivid imagery and storytelling.

B. These problems will drive you mad.

C. Avoid big words and long sentences.

D. Even if someone does notice, that's OK, too.

E. Then make sure all the ideas in your speech point back to it.

F. There's also a chance to practice short speeches on important topics.

G. By doing so, you can get supportive feedback to improve your speech.

Japan has started releasing wastewater into the ocean. But this isn't the kind of wastewater that flows from city streets into stormwater drains. It's treated nuclear wastewater used to cool damaged reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, stricken by an earthquake over a decade ago.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has approved the plan by Japan to release more than a million tons of treated nuclear waste water from the destroyed Fukushima power plant into the ocean, believing Japan's claims that the wastewater would be safe. However, Neighboring countries and other experts say it remains environmentally harmful that will last generations and may affect ecosystems all the way to North America.

Local fishermen, who heavily depend on the ocean's resources, fear a huge decrease in their marketability. "Japan's self-interest should not harm the well-being of humanity in the long run." They said.

The release of the wastewater into the sea is a threat to the ocean environment and will damage Japan's international image. The amount of money Japan would need to spend in restoring (恢复) its international image will far exceed that required to solve the problem in an eco-friendly way.

In my childhood, my mother spent her evening hours doing something for someone else. Sometimes she knitted (编织) hats for babies, and at other times, she cooked chicken soup for sick neighbors. Therefore, I wasn't surprised when one evening my mother announced she had undertaken a new project.

"I am going to telephone seniors," said my mother. "Every night? But you don't even know these people." "It doesn't matter," she said. "What's important is that I listen." I was sixteen years old and couldn't understand why my mother was willing to spend her evenings talking to strangers. She had friends and my two older sisters to call if she felt lonely. "They will talk your ear off. Some people didn't even stop to catch breath." I said.

My attitude didn't stop my mother's enthusiasm for the project. That evening, she settled on the sofa and dialed. For a while, I listened as she asked the woman on the other line about her day and what she had eaten for dinner. When she finished the call, I said, "Why do you care whether she had cookies or rice pudding for dessert?" My mother grasped one of my hands and gave it a slight squeeze. "I'm the only person she talked to today."

It took me more than thirty years to fully understand the meaning of that statement. Now, as my mother is nearing eighty, I find myself thinking about those nightly calls she used to make. I am often the only person who telephones my mother, and sometimes I'm the only person she speaks to all day. I ask her what she cooked for dinner, but mostly I just listen as she describes a walk she took, or how her dog Lucky stole foods from the refrigerator. I realize that my mother's calls were life lines that ensured housebound seniors remained connected to the world. Without her, their world would have been empty.

Global Works provides international travel programs that help teens learn about the world.

Costa Rica: Wild Adventure

This service program brings you into a wildlife reserve, where you will do some voluntary work to help protect local animals. After an overnight white-water rafting (漂流) trip you get to work on sea turtle (海龟) protection projects on Costa Rican beaches!

GRADES: 9-12 DAYS: 21 DESTINATION: Costa Rica FOCUS: Wildlife Protection

AVG.GROUP SIZE: 18 Students/3 Staff

Fiji Islands: Sunny Service and Island Immersion (沉浸)

Looking for an unforgettable travel program? Join our Fijian family! Experience Fijian life firsthand and contribute to service projects that bring us to the heart of the local community. In this teen volunteer program, you will have a chance to play with the local kids and teach them English!

GRADES: 9-12 DAYS:17 DESTINATION: Fiji Islands FOCUS: Working with Children

AVG.GROUP SIZE: 16 Students /2 Staff 

Puerto Rico:Hurricane Relief

This is a hands-on service trip focused on hurricane relief and disaster prevention efforts. Home repair work is the heart of this program. The projects we work on will help families and communities to deal with a future hurricane.

GRADES: 9-12 DAYS: 8 DESTINATION: Puerto Rico, United States

FOCUS: Building Services

AVG.GROUP SIZE:18 Students /3 Staff 

France: French Immersion

Want more than just a standard France teen travel program?This French adventure has it all! From the Palais de Versailles to the French Alps, your journey introduces you to some of Frances most attractive sites and stories.

GRADES: 9-12. DAYS: 21 DESTINATION: France FOCUS: French Immersion

AVG.GROUP SIZE: 18 Students /3 Staff