If you wanted to make a Disney-style animation of, say, Reggie, a spirited rabbit, planning to save his forest, you'd have a lead animator draw the extremes of the action: Reggie looking intensely focused, and then proudly announcing, "There's a new hero in the forest! "Then you'd bring in an in-betweener - that is, the animator who draws all the comprehensive frames that bridge the major actions.
In-betweeners don't get the glory, but without them cartoons would hop from one emotional peak to another, missing connective grace. Burny Mattinson (1935 2023) started his career at the Walt Disney Company in the mail room, and, even though he had no formal training in animation, he was given a swing at in-betweening just six months later.
His first big assignment was to in-between the wagging of a dog's tail. Disney animation was famous for its silky elegance, owing in no small part to the skill of its in-betweeners, and, thanks to Mattinson, the tail practically glided from side to side.
Mattinson had wanted to be an animator ever since his mother had taken him to see" Pinocchio" at a theatre when he was six. In a bold move, Mattinson showed up at the Disney Studios gate with his portfolio (作品) as soon as he finished high school. The magical part of this story is that, instead of shooing him away, the security guard liked his drawings and called the head of personnel to take a look.
Thus, Mattinson became a messenger at Disney, beginning a career that would eventually make him the employee with the longest service at the company. He had joined the company at a golden moment. Listing the films that he worked on is a little like listing the entire output of the Walt Disney Company over the past six decades: Sleeping Beauty, "The Lion King," and on and on.
Mattinson was, perhaps, one of the last of an almost extinct genotype - the happy company man, the lifer. He never had an employer besides Disney. When asked what Mattinson enjoyed doing outside of his life at Disney, his son said, "He just loved his work."
The idea that we can have it all and do it all is not new. This myth has been spread for so long, I believe virtually everyone alive today is infected with it. It is sold in advertising. It is included in university applications that require dozens of extracurricular activities.
What is new is how especially damaging this myth is today, in a time when choice and expectations have increased exponentially. It results in stressed people trying to stuff more activities into their already over-scheduled lives.
The word priority came into the English language in the 1400s. It was singular. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years. Only in the 1900s did we pluralize the term and start talking about priorities. Illogically, we reasoned that by changing the word we could bend reality. Somehow we would now be able to have multiple "first" things. People routinely try to do just that. This gave the impression of many things being the priority but actually meant nothing was.
When we don't purposefully and deliberately choose where to focus our energies and time, other people will choose for us, and before long we'll have lost sight of everything that is meaningful and important.
Once an Australian nurse named Bronnie Ware, who cared for people in the last twelve weeks of their lives, recorded their most often discussed regrets. At the top of the list: "I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me." Instead of reacting to the social pressure pulling you to go in a million directions, you will learn a way to focus on what is absolutely essential by getting rid of everything else completely.
Life isn't fair. Some people just seem blessed with the ability to effortlessly charm anyone they meet. Well, it might seem like a magical power, but in fact there are a number of factors at work. The answer is: to a large extent, yes you can.
But first, the bad news. People initially judge each other based purely on physical appearance. With just a glimpse of a face, people make snap judgments about each other's likeability, trustworthiness and confidence. How should we deal with this? People perceive a smiling face as more trustworthy, warmer and sociable. It sounds like common sense, doesn't it? Smile and others will smile with you.
What other tricks might we have? Consequently, three things we can do to signal that we are not a threat: raise our eyebrows quickly, tilt (仰起) our heads slightly, and once again, to smile.
So we've looked at body language, but of course what you say is hugely important too, unless you want to just stand there grinning foolishly. The golden rule of friendship is if you make people feel good about themselves, they're going to like you. In other words, you should not talk about yourself and all your wonderful achievements.
Finally, finding common ground is good to form a connection. Charming people are particularly skilled at seeking out shared interests or experiences to bond with others. Simple things like asking where someone's from really can open up a discussion and allow you to find areas in common. And if all else fails, you can fall back on that most British of topics: the weather.
A. It can be a nice start of a conversation.
B. Instead, you need to show interest in them.
C. There's one incredibly simple tool: your smile.
D. So, can you learn to develop superhuman charm?
E. What good tricks can we employ to become charming?
F. Shared interests are the key to making connections with others.
G. Our brains often survey the environment for friend or enemy signals.
In June a massive "heat dome" baked the famously temperate Pacific Northwest, subjecting parts of Washington State, Oregon and western Canada to extreme temperatures. It is virtually impossible that heat waves like this would have occurred without climate change. Scientists estimate it was a one-in-1, 000-year event. "And that's an ‘at least,'" says Kristie. L. Ebi. "It could be more rare than that. "If warming reaches two degrees Cabove preindustrial levels — the threshold that most national governments have agreed to try to avoid in hopes of reducing climate change impacts, "that event could occur every five to 10 years," Ebi says. "In an average year in the U. S. , heat kills more people than any other type of extreme weather, " says Kristina Dahl, a climate scientist. Hundreds of people died in the recent Pacific Northwest heat wave, according to estimates: there were at least 486 deaths in British Columbia, 116 in Oregon and 78 in Washington. A recent U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found there were more than 3, 500 emergency department visits for heat-related illness this past May and June in a region that includes Oregon and Washington State.
The human body functions best at 98. 6 degrees F (37 degrees C). The body has mechanisms to rid itself of excess heat, most notably sweating. But at a certain point, that fails to work, causing loss of consciousness. People can eventually acclimatize to some level of heat. If you live in a hot climate or work in hot conditions for a period of weeks or months, your body becomes more efficient at sweating and cooling itself down. This process takes time, however.
As the planet warms, heat waves like these this year are becoming frighteningly common and catching climate scientists off guard. "Even a lot of our climate models that project out how frequent extreme heat will be in the future wouldn't have necessarily predicted this level of heat for that part of the country," Kristina Dahl says. "But then to realize that I am seeing it in my lifetime, and living it right now, is really terrifying."
As an ordinary senior school student, I've discovered a wonderful way to 1 life with a positive attitude — my daily bicycle rides. Riding my bike has become more than just a fun activity. It's like a little 2 that has taught me important lessons about staying positive, facing challenges and being 3 .
When I get on my bike and ride around familiar streets, it feels like I'm on a small quest. It's not just about reaching a (n) 4 ; it's about enjoying the ride itself. Cycling has turned into a kind of teacher, helping me understand the 5 of practice and having a can-do spirit. One of the coolest things I've learned is about not giving up when things get hard. You know, when I'm trying to pedal up a steep hill, it's hard! But guess what? Even when my legs feel super tired, I keep going and do not give up, till I reach the 6 Life is kind of like that too. When I have a challenging task or any problems in my studies, I remember those steep hills. I know if I keep trying, I can 7 anything.
Another thing that cycling has taught me is to be ready for surprises. The road isn't always 8 Sometimes there are bumps, and you have to ride around them. When something is wrong with my bike, I do not9 . I try to find a solution. Life's a bit like that too. It's not always easy, but being flexible and staying positive helps me rise to the challenge and handle 10 problems.
The most important part, though, is how cycling makes me feel happy and 11 . The wind in my hair and the rhythm of pedaling makes everything seem OK. It's like a secret power — no matter what's going on, it keeps me happy, lets me 12 my batteries, and lets me come back feeling 13 .
In the end, my daily bike rides have become more than just a way to get around. They've become a (n) 14 for how I want to live my life. Cycling has shown me that being positive, facing challenges with 15 , and keeping an optimistic attitude can turn the life journey into a fantastic adventure. So, here's to more bike rides and more fun!
Tai Hang, a modern-looking neighborhood in Hong Kong, is home to the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, a folk art form that (perform) during the Mid-Autumn Festival for over 100 years. started as a way to rid this fishing village of bad luck has become a cultural treasure.
The dragon is about 70 meters long and weighs more than 200 pounds, with its body (wrap) with pearl grass. More than 70, 000 incense sticks (香柱) are lit and strung along the dragon' s back and head to make the "fire" of the fire dragon. At the festival, hundreds of people work turn to parade the burning dragon through the streets of Tai Hang. The (strong) man among the group has honor of supporting the 30-kilogram head. Dozens of performers (move) the dragon smoothly up and down through the air attract rounds of cheers and (applaud) from surrounding crowds.
The inheritors of the dragon dance have set up workshops to demonstrate various aspects of the traditional art from the making techniques to (base) dance skills. In June, 2022, the Hong Kong Tai Hang Fire Dragon Museum was opened (inspire) more people to learn more about this traditional dance culture.
