Steve Greig lost his dog Wolfgang seven years ago, then his life changed forever. Since that loss, he has adopted more than a dozen dogs, all of whom have been in their last few years of life. He chose to rescue senior dogs because they otherwise wouldn't have had a home.
Greig started posting family photos of his animals on Instagram, and his following has grown quickly to more million Instagram followers. Moreover, he has a pig, two rabbits, two ducks, four chickens, two cats, and a 22-kilogram turkey. His mission didn't begin with the intention of going viral, but rather simply to honour Wolfgang's memory. He wanted something good to come out of the tragedy, so he went to a local animal shelter and adopted the oldest dog there. After that, he started photographing his daily life with his animals.
He also didn't originally intend to inspire others, but that's exactly what happened. Shortly after he started posting, his inbox filled with messages from people who had also adopted senior dogs. His fame led to a book, which teaches kids about valuing what is old instead of looking for the next new thing. He now keeps nine elderly dogs at a time, and when they pass away, he adopts new ones in their honour and in honour of Wolfgang.
Part of Greig's popularity on social media is from his family portraits and his updates of the animals, but the other part is from the unique names he gives his pets. Besides Bikini and Tofu, which he named "because it was funny", his other pets have "elderly" names like Loretta and Wilhelmina. He has a new dog named Edsel after the failed Ford model from 1958. He chose the name "because when it originally came out it was worthless, but now it's a collector's item". His attitude towards Edsel is his attitude towards all of his pets, and it demonstrates his value for life in general.
Greig's touching experience with older animals has helped him value humanity even more. Whether he's helping an overlooked and forgotten aging dog or homeless person, there's a common point: sympathy. "They deserve attention, conversation, and help." he says.
Toy industry experts say some people in the United States are turning off their electronic devices to play with classic toys like board games. This is especially true among the so-called millennial generation (千禧一代). One coffee shop in Los Angeles is making profitable use of the increase in popularity of board games.
GameHäus Café opened in November of 2013. The café is dedicated to board games. It has more than 750 games available for its customers. The business does not feature wireless Internet connection. Many customers like Roxanne Lee and her husband Agassi Lai think that is good. Ms. Lee praises the atmosphere of the café. "I think it's very interesting for spending quality time together so that's why I like it."
Agassi Lai used to like playing video games. But everything changed when he discovered board games a few years ago. He likes to play a board game called "Escape the Curse of the Temple."
You keep rolling the dice and try to move to different places and try to escape the temple. Twenty-three year-old Weland Bourne is one of those board-game-loving millennials. "I think more with my generation, they're wanting to take time. They're wanting to take it slowly and I think, too, video games have kind of lost their attraction"
Adrienne Appell is with the Toy Industy Association, She says the new generation just wants to put down the telephone and Tablet and connect directly with other people.
Do you like to keep fit? We're always told that regular exercise is good for our body and mind. More and more people are taking up activities that improve their fitness. But is there a risk that some of us might get obsessed (迷的)and overdo it?
Well, for some people, fitness has become an obsession as they aim for perfection. And fitness trackers and apps can add to this addiction, especially if someone is driven by achievement and perfectionism. And sharing data on social media means exercising becomes public and competitive, which could cause problems in someone who is vulnerable (脆弱的). Experts say this can lead to a medical condition called orthorexia nervosa, or addiction to healthy eating and over-exercise. Untreated, it can lead to malnutrition and mental health complications.
Too much exercise can also take its toll on someone's physical health as well. Symptoms of over-exercising include injuries such as a broken leg and a low immune system. So how much exercise is too much? Researches found the ideal pace to jog was about eight kilometers per hour-and that it was best to jog no more than three times a week or for 2.5 hours in total, showing that moderate jogging is possibly more beneficial than being inactive or undertaking strenuous (剧烈的) jogging.
If you're more of a couch potato than a sprinter, this might sound like good news. But for amateur athletes who can't help but push their bodies to the limit, the advice from Martin Turner, a sports and exercise psychologist, is, "It's all about letting go, not being obsessed, learning not to control everything, saying, "You don't need to be perfect."
In a highly-connected world where your phone is always with you, information is being collected and shared every second, "So what?" you say. "I have nothing to hide. According to some experts, people may not understand the scope (范围) of the problem.
The problem is that while companies and data brokers are hovering up all the information they can, there are no laws governing what they can do with that information. Someone knowing that you ordered three extra-large pizzas for dinner last Friday night may seem harm-less enough, but there's a deeper principle at play. As cyber expert Bruce Schneier says,
"Privacy is a basic human right, and a requirement for maintaining the human condition with dignity and respect."
We click "I Agree" without reading the user agreements. We say we will do one of those privacy checkups one day. but we never quite get around to it. And that means your persona information could be used against you in the future in ways you can't imagine today.
So what can you do to protect yourself? If you're worried about your personal information getting lifted, don't hand over your name, address, or phone number easily. Besides, choose a paper receipt or no receipt rather than getting one via text or e-mail. To stop your phone acting as a tracker, also turn off Location Services for all apps except maps and others that expressly need to know where you are. You can do this in settings, under Privacy and Location.
A. Don't be so sure.
B. Yet we do little to block the spies.
C. Care about who owns and controls the data.
D. We don't want to prevent all Internet spying.
E. Privacy is not just about freedom from embarrassment.
F. You can minimize some unwanted spying by taking these measures.
G. That includes things you thought were private, such as your health data, beliefs and daily habits.
Sitting in the classroom, I felt confused.
Our teacher pointed at the blackboard and gave us instructions. Looking around, I watched as my classmates 1 their heads and started writing. A wave of 2 washed over me-I couldn't read the board, for I couldn't see clearly. It didn't 3 at primary school because my teachers always read aloud what they were writing. But now, I was expected to read by myself.
Mum took me to a(n) 4 . I was diagnosed with a terrible sight problem. I was 5 blind.
However, despite all the difficulties, I'd amazingly 6 to reach the age of 13! As a kid living on a farm, I was always falling over objects. I could only 7 the outlines of things and contrasts between different shades. I was given reading 8 but they didn't help much.
9 to let my diagnosis hold me back, I continued doing everything I loved, including milking the cows. Over the years, I've 10 lovely family holidays, but sometimes felt like my families were being too 11 to me. So I was thrilled when I heard about a travel company that takes those who are blind or have poor 12 Aussie adventures without families' company. 13 , I booked myself onto a trip to the 14 . It was amazing to appreciate places, such as the beach and seaside theme parks, with 15 who were just like me. And the incredible guides were great at 16 us through all the way while making sure we had a fun and 17 time. Since then, I've travelled with them a lot. While we can't see the sights like others, our 18 take us to awesome places. I don't want people to feel sorry for me. I'm so lucky to have a wonderful family and lots of 19 .
Life is 20 —you don't need vision to "see" that.
Shen Kuo(沈括) was a scientist of the Northern Song Dynasty. He was all-round scholar of astronomy, physics, chemistry, geology and medical science. , Shen Kuo's reputation has been mostly in the field of scientific writing: he was the first (build) graphic maps.
Thanks his mother, Shen Kuo received a formal education in his childhood. He was diligent and he read so much that he suffered eye pain later in life. While in his (thirty), Shen Kuo frequently dreamed of a place. In the dream, he climbed a hill, the top of was covered with brightly colored flowers and trees. Clear waters (flow) at the base of the hill, with trees on either side. Later on, when (travel) around, he was shocked to find a piece of land that was (exact) the one in his dream. There he settled and wrote of the discoveries he had made in his lifetime.
This extraordinary story is the origin of Shen's the Dream Rivulet Diary(《梦溪笔谈》) . The Dream Rivulet Diary was a milestone in the history of Chinese science. So far, this amazing scientific work (put) into a number of different languages, including English, French, German and Japanese.
When I arrived at 6 a m. in the large hospital kitchen, Rose was already checking name tags on the trays (托盘).
"Hi, I'm Janet." I tried to sound cheerful, although I already knew Rose's reputation for being impossible to work with. "I'm scheduled to work with you this week."
Rose stopped what she was doing and peered over her reading glasses. I could tell from her expression she wasn't pleased to see a student worker.
"What do you want me to do? Start the coffee?" I asked.
Rose coldly nodded and went back to checking name tags.
I filled the 40-cup pot with water and began making the coffee when Rose yelled, "That's not the way to make coffee." She stepped in and took over.
Nothing I did pleased her. All morning, her eagle eyes missed nothing and her sharp words hurt.
Totally exhausted, I trudged the six blocks home late that June afternoon. As a third year university student working my way through school, I had never before met anyone like Rose.
Fighting back tears, I wrestled with my dilemma alone in my room. "What shall I do?" The answer caught me completely by surprise. I needed to love Rose.
Working with Rose the next morning, I ignored the hurtful remarks thrown in my direction and did things Rose's way as much as possible. As I worked, I silently began to surround Rose with a warm blanket of love.
Over the next few days, an amazing thing began to happen. My focus shifted from what she was doing to me and I started seeing Rose as the hurting person she was. Then her icy tension began to melt away.
Throughout the rest of the summer, we had numerous opportunities to work together. Each time, she seemed truly happy to see me. Her bitterness gave way as she started opening up. As I worked with this lonely woman, I listened to her, something no one else had done. I learned that she was burdened by elderly parents who needed her care and her own health problems.
The days slipped by quickly as I finished the last several weeks of my summer job. I soon would be returning as a full-time university student and say goodbye to Rose.
注意：
1）所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2）应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3）续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4）续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
One day, while I was working alone in one of the hospital kitchens, Rose entered the room.
Paragraph 2:
Although I never saw Rose again, I still remember her vividly.
