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It was a regular school day, and the air was filled with the usual sounds of chatter and laughter as students prepared for their lessons. Little did I know that this day would soon take a 1  turn, making it an unforgettable day.

As the bell rang, signaling the beginning of our English class, we entered the classroom, completely 2  of the coming danger. The teacher began the lesson, and we were really 3  our literature lesson when, out of nowhere, a loud fire alarm 4  everything.

Panic spread as we understood how 5  it was. Smoke filled the hallway, and a sharp burning smell hung in the air. The neat classroom turned into a mess as everyone 6  to the door, trying to get away from the coming danger.

In all the chaos, I noticed my 7  Sarah looking obviously scared by her desk. I quickly 8  she needed help. Without hesitation, I rushed over, took her shaky hand, and told everyone to stay calm. We went through the thickening smoke together, and each 9  felt like a really long time.

As we reached the door it felt hotter, and we knew we had to hurry. With hearts 10 , we hurried into the playground where teachers and students were making sure everyone stayed sate.

Outside, we took a moment to catch our breath, 11  by the loud sounds of approaching fire trucks. Seeing parts of the building on fire, a sense of 12  washed over us, knowing that we had made it out unharmed.

After everything happened, I couldn't help but reflect on the events of that day. 13 it taught me it's important to stay calm when things get 14 and how helping others during hard times matters. It was a day when ordinary students became unlikely heroes, bound together by the shared 15 to overcome the unexpected challenges.

D

The Mogao Grottoes were a center of Buddhist life and some of the world's great cultures for hundreds of years. However, by the late Qing Dynasty they had been abandoned and nearly forgotten and many of the caves had become damaged by the elements. Around 1900, with the discovery of a library of thousands of ancient documents, the caves received new interest from Chinese and foreign researchers. Unfortunately, this resulted in tens of thousands of items from the caves being taken to foreign museums

In the 1940s, many researchers and artists visited the area to study traditional Chinese art. Copies of some of the artwork painted by respected artists such as Zhang Daqian and GuanShanyue helped people all over the country learn about Dunhuang. These artists were also inspired by the artwork they saw in the caves and it began to influence their painting styles. Others staved in the desert for much longer, Chang Shuhong stayed for the rest of his life — struggling to record the cultural treasures and protect them from the weather. As a result of their efforts the Dunhuang Academy was formed to protect and study the Mogao Grottoes.

In 1987, the Mogao Grottoes were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the caves are open to the public, access is now limited in order to protect the artwork. However, the caves can be seen online in digital form so that people around the world can study and enjoy them.

Despite its remoteness, the Mogao Grottoes continue to draw visitors. And just as the sand and desert have survived largely unchanged through the centuries, this small art gallery in the desert has also survived largely unchanged providing an amazing look at a world long ago past.

C

Workers continue to search the ruins of a large earthquake that hit Morocco Friday. Officials say almost 2,500 were killed in the quake, but that they expect that number will rise. The United Nations said the magnitude 

6.8 earthquake affected 300,000 people. The damage was great because the starting point of the shaking was not far below the ground.

It is the strongest quake to hit the North African nation since 

1900. And, it is reported to be the country's deadliest since 1960, when at least 12,000 people were killed in and near the city of Agadir.

So far, Morocco has accepted support from four countries — Spain, Qatar, Great Britain and the United Arab Emirates. Other nations have offered help as well. Groups from the Moroccan army left Monday from Amizmiz to move into the small mountain villages. Heavy equipment was sent to clear the roads and both visitors and local people lined up to give blood.

Many people continued to sleep outside, fearing smaller earthquakes that often follow a major one. In the village of Imgdal, women and children gathered outside and some kept warm around an open fire on Monday morning.

On a road near the town of Adassil, near the epicenter (震中), one rescue worker, Ayman Koait, was trying to clear the rocks that were restraining trucks from getting by. He said other roads were in bad shape. "We're trying to open them, too," said Ayman Koait.

People said they dug through the ruins of their homes looking for relatives They also moved rocks and walls looking for important items.

Many of the homes are made from wood, rock and mud, which made them fall easily when the ground started shaking. One military (军方的) worker said "it is difficult to pull people out alive" because the walls turned into ruins and did not leave any space for air.

B

An owl (猫头鹰) named Flaco escaped New York's Central Park Zoo last week after his cage was broken. This set off a bird-hunt of police officers and park rangers (护林员). Zoo officials worried that Flaco, who had been kept in his zoo cage for 13 years, may have lost the survival abilities he needed in the wild. They placed some of his favorite treats in the open air to attempt to trap him.

Flaco was not fooled. Instead, he was sighted flying over5th Avenue, and Central Park's skating rink. A number of New Yorkers came into Central Park to try to catch a glimpse of Flaco, taking photos with excitement.

But this week, zoo officials announced they accepted that Flaco remained in Central Park because he had been seen bringing up bones and fur from the park's community of rats. "He has been very successful at hunting and consuming lots of rats in the park." zoo officials told the New York Post." And that's amazing. He's hunting on his own. He's flying better. Flaceo really seems to be enjoying himself out there."

There is a caution attached to this story of an owl who is making it on his own in the city that never sleeps. Owls are nocturnal. They go around searching for food at night. They sleep during the day, or try to, like lots of people who work the overnight shift. Yet some New Yorkers who don't know proper bird-watching behavior reportedly see Flaco sleep in a tree during the day, and begin to shout at him. It interrupts his sleep. Flaco can't try to say "shh, shh" with the traditional New York reply. After all, a bird can't give someone the bird.

A

New York Times best-selling author Susan Casey travelled globally, joining scientists and explorers on dives to the deepest places on the planet. She takes us on an interesting journey through the history of deep-sea exploration, from the legends of the ancient world to storied shipwrecks we can now reach on the bottom. Throughout this journey, she learned how important the deep is to the future of the planet, and how necessary it is that we understand and protect it. The Underworld is Susan Casey's most beautiful and thrilling book, a wonderful show of the natural world.

Event location: The lecture and book signing (签名) will be held at the Linda Hall Library,5109 Cherry Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

Event time: Thursday, January 14th,7:00 pm-8:00 pm

Book signing: Hard copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event courtesy of Rainy Day Books. A book signing will immediately follow the lecture.

Admission package (admits one)

Click to order tickets through the Kauffman Center. Admission is $

40.00 plus Kauffman ticket fee and includes one hardcover of the book and one admission ticket. Reserved seating.

Please note: Attendees (参与者) will receive their books as they arrive at this event. Your electronic ticket will be needed for event entry and to receive your hardcover of the book as you arrive.

Disclaimer (免责声明): All Rainy Day Books Author Event sales are final and non-refundable.

Forest & Bird, a conservation organization in New Zealand, held a contest for Bird of the Century and invited people in the country and abroad to 1  their favorite threatened species, Comedian and talk show host John Oliver 2  Forest & Bird if he could campaign for the püteketeke, a native water bird with eye-catching black-brown 3  around its neck. The organization 4 .

To get 5  for the species, Oliver started a worldwide campaign, which focused on its 6  feather surrounding its neck, romantic mating ceremony and heart-warming parenting style. 

"The püteketeke are fantastic couples and 7 parents who always carry their babies on their backs!" read one of the ads.

His effort 8  The püteketeke began at the bottom of the 9 . But it 10  the contest with 290,374 votes after Oliver started the campaign on its behalf. By comparison, the much more 11  bird kiwi just got 12,904 votes. 

According to Forest & Bird, there are fewer than 3,000 of the bird across New Zealand a few decades ago. But the 12  has been increasing thanks in part to conservation efforts. 

Usually called Bird of the Year, the annual 13 is held to raise awareness about the plight (困境) of the nation's native 14 , 80% of which are on the threatened species list. This year, the contest was named Bird of the Century to celebrate the group's 15 birthday.

D

If you spend more than a couple of days in the country of Georgia, you are very likely to be invited to a Georgian feast even by complete strangers. The multi-hour, multi-course feast is one of the most important events in Georgian culture. 

A popular Georgian story shows the importance of the feast in Georgian culture. When God created the world, He held a meeting to give the different regions of the world to different cultures. But the Georgians arrived late at the meeting. After they apologized and explained that they'd been holding a feast with a stranger the night before and slept later than they'd meant to, God was so touched and impressed by their honesty that He gave the Georgians the best land of all: the part of earth He was saving for himself.

In order to survive the feasts without offending (冒犯) the hosts, it's important for you to know a few things about it in advance.

A Georgian feast will likely have a seemingly unlimited number of dishes. So avoid fully cleaning your plate unless you want more servings. Don't fill up on khachapuri-Georgian cheese bread. There are numerous regional varieties of cheese bread, but khachapuri is the most delicious of all. The cheese bread is usually a heavy lunch on its own, but at feasts it's often considered a side dish or an appetent. Don't make the mistake of having more than a few bites—only to discover that the main meal is still coming.

When you drink, follow the lead of the toastmaster, who presents a scries of toasts throughout the evening. Traditionally, drinkers would dry their glass (or, if keeping with tradition, drain their deer's horn) with every toast. This isn't always done now. Just remember the important rule: say "cheers" after every toast.

Consider bringing a small gift, such as sweets or flowers, as a gesture of thanks. Avoid bringing more fond, however, which might imply that you don't think there will be enough on offer.

C

Imagine a school where students are taught by the best teachers in every subject, regardless of locations. Imagine a school where children can go on safe field trips to the Amazon rainforest or Everest base camp. Well, such schools are already being built: in virtual reality(VR). 

Last month, Optima Academy Online (OAO) was launched in Florida and started to deliver courses for elementary, middle and high schools and 170 full-time students from all over the state signed up. They used VR headsets for about three hours a day for formal lessons and then do course work independently with digital check-ins. 

It is worth watching how such educational experiments develop. Used properly, the VR technology can help students to access learning resources and be connected with fellow students and teachers all over the world. But if employed poorly, it will have the opposite effect and turn a digital inequality into an educational one. 

There is growing evidence to suggest that it is happening. In Mexico, according to a survey, only 24% of 15-year-old students in poor schools have access to home computers for schoolwork compared with 87% in rich ones. As reported in another study, some students in northern England have been forced to travel around on the Greater Manchester train network or camp out around McDonald's to access free WiFi because they cannot do their schoolwork at home.

"VR technologies will be widely used in education. The only questions are: for what purpose and at what speed?" says Beeban Kidron, a member of the UK's Digital Futures Commission. "The trouble is that they are too often seen as a shiny new toy that will solve all problems and save money rather than being viewed as a means to enrich learning."

The inescapable truth is that there is nothing that can replace teachers educating students in safe schools—ideally, with access to well-designed technological platforms. Leaving children in their bedrooms with just VR headsets and no physical social interaction with other kids will fill-many of them—and their parents—with horror.

B

My first job at KCRW was Ruth Seymour's assistant. Soon after, I became Assistant General Manager and worked closely with her for 16 years. Therefore, I have had the opportunity to observe her and the enormous impact she had on KCRW and the other radio stations.

Ruth did nothing conventionally and nothing she created was a reaction to anything. She created KCRW not to gain the most listeners or to win any awards but to be an intellectual force for arts, culture and smart ideas. She wanted to start the conversation, not just contribute to it. 

Ruth had the highest artistic standards, which is why KCRW aired radio dramas like the 10-hour Babbitt and 30-hour Ulysses. She created Jewish Short Stories From Eastern Europe and Beyond in two audio collections that featured famous actors reading the work of Jewish authors like Sholem Aleichem, Philip Roth and Isaac Bashevis Singer. KCRW sold more of those collections than anything else in our history. 

Ruth went to a newsstand every day and read articles from New York Times word for word, on the air at noon because ordinary people couldn't easily get that paper then. She discovered people who matched her intellect at dinners or parties and gave them on-air shows on journalism, literature, film, art, theater, travel, dance or music.

She said it best, "I wanted to do the program as an act of love and respect."

When she came to KCRW in 1977, she found herself building the station in a junior high classroom right off the playground. Now KCRW could be heard across Los Angeles. Most powerfully, the radio format(总体安排) she created continues to be used by radio stations—news of the day, debates of ideas, art, artists, food, literature and film. 

Outspoken and fearless women leaders were rare in the 1960s and 1970s—in fact, women couldn't get credit cards apart from their husbands until 1974—which is why her achievements are so singular.

A

If you decide to see the northern lights, consider heading to Canada, where they fill the sky 300 days a year in certain regions. 

Yukon

With its sweeping landscapes and dramatic mountain views, Yukon is an outdoor lover's dreamland. Take advantage of the brief window between the end of summer and first snowfall in autumn to combine outdoor activities like boating along the storied Yukon River with northern light watching.

Churchill

Home to wolves, foxes, whales, moose and snowy owls, Churchill is well known for its arctic wildlife. It also sees an average of 300 nights of northern light activity every year. With over a week in the wild, there's a good chance you'll spot the lights.

Nunavik

Nunavik is Quebec's northernmost region and one of four areas in Canada. It is home to the country's Inuit people. By day, travelers canoe or snowmobile to Vieux Fort-Chimo, a 19th-century fur trading post; hear elders tell stories of a nomadic (游牧的) way of life; and listen to traditional throat singing, or katadjak — all led by an Inuit guide. Under inky skies, the guide offers Inuit insights into the meaning of the light.

Jasper

Located in the Rocky Mountains, Jasper is home to the world's second-largest dark sky preserve, making it one of the best — and most convenient — places to catch northern lights throughout the year.

An especially great time to visit is during the annual Jasper Dark Sky Festival in October when experienced photographers from around the world host workshops to share their best tips and astronomers explain how to interpret space weather data to determine optimal viewing time.