1． At this year's Technology Forum，speakers include world-famous people，such as Steve Wozniak，co-founder of Apple Computer，and lesser-known individuals with great ideas to change the world．One of the latter is Jonny Cohen，a high school senior，green businessman and creator of GreenShields．
Since Cohen was a child，he has been innovating and inventing．When he was 12 and took science classes at Northwestern University，he saw a school bus and had an idea：what if the shape of school bus was improved to make it more fuel efficient？This would greatly reduce the amount of pollution it produced．He set about making a wind tunnel in his parents'garage and placed small metal plates or shields on toy school buses to test them．The result：his shields redirected the airflow over and around the bus，decreased wing drag，and produced better fuel economy and less pollution．
Cohen went through various experiments to improve his GreenShields invention．With the help of MIT and Cook-Illinois Bus Company，which donated a full-sized bus for Cohen's experiments，he now has a shield model that is inexpensive and easy to attach，enabling widespread adoption．
How much of an impact can these shields have on climate change？Fuel consumption for the average US school bus is seven miles per gallon．GreenShields increases fuel efficiency by 10-20%，saving about 600 per bus per year，and costs only 30 to attach．Cohen and his partners are now trying to persuade the government to put GreenShields on all school buses．
With almost half-a-million school buses in America using nearly 2.5 billion of fuel per year，a consumption reduction of 10-20% would make a big difference in pollution．Not to mention the roughly 285 million in annual savings on fuel．

2． My wife，daughter，and I moved into our home nine years ago and we spent a lot of time and energy in the yard to get it looking like it does today．We live on a corner，higher than street level，and the entire side of the yard is surrounded by a professionally built rock wall．The front of the house though is another story because instead of a wall along the sidewalk，the rocks appear to be just thrown up onto the dirt as if someone were in a hurry to finish．
We did the best we could with what we had to work with and called this area our"rock garden"．Whenever we had leftover flowers or plants，Denise or I would stick them out front，just to bring some color to the area．We would do all of the yard work on our own，even the tiring weed-pulling．
Last summer I had reached the end of the rock garden and found a tiny little plant that I could not immediately identify，I knew I didn't plant it and Denise claimed that she didn't either．We decided to let it continue growing until we could figure out what it was．
Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the mystery plant，it appeared to be a Sunflower with a tall skinny stalk（茎，杆） and only one head on it．I decided to baby it along and weed around it．As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds，I noticed something unusual．The Sunflower had not started where I saw the stalk begin．It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to reach the sun．
That's when I realized that if a tiny little Sunflower didn't let a big rock stand in its way of developing，we too have the ability of doing the same thing．Once our environment begins to see that we believe in ourselves like that little Sunflower，we can attain the same nourishment（营养） and growth as well．
Stand tall like the Sunflower and be proud of who and what you are and the environment will begin to support you．You will find a way to go under or around your big obstacle in order to reach your desires．

3． He Jiang，who was the first person from China to deliver a Harvard University commencement （学位授予典礼） address，has made the 2017Forbes 30Under 30List．
Forbes'30 Under 30 is a set of lists issued annually by Forbes magazine．On Tuesday，the magazine published the sixth annual 30 Under 30，featuring 600 young inventors and leaders who challenge conventional wisdom and rewrite the rules for the next generation．
The list recognizes 30game-changers in each of 20 industries．All under 30 years old，the candidates were examined by a group of judges in their fields．"The winners are the people that will run every field for the next 50 years，"said Randall Lane，editor of Forbes．
He，a 29-year-old postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology，was chosen for the healthcare category．He was recommended by his professors at Harvard．
At Harvard，He used a new technology to understand more about how flu infects cells，and discovered human genes with strong anti-viral effects．He is now applying the same techniques to white blood cells．He hopes the lab research he did could be put to practical use in healthcare．
He grew up in a small village with limited educational opportunities．By studying hard，He graduated from the University of Science and Technology of China with a bachelor's degree in 2009，and was accepted into Harvard's PhD program on a full scholarship the same year．
In May，the biochemistry PhD delivered a speech representing the university's 13 graduate and professional schools at the ceremony．In the speech，He talked about the unbalanced distribution of science and medicine into places they aren't reaching，like his own village，where his mother once treated his spider bite with fire．

4． Everything was put neatly into my suitcase．I'm a flight attendant．I'm so organized，my half of the closet could be a display at The Container Store．My husband's half of the closet？Just thinking about it make my head ache．I carried my suitcase downstairs．Bill was in the kitchen cooking．Looking at the messy kitchen，I shouted，"Why do you have to be so messy？"Bill look hurt，"What？"I sighed and left for the airport．
On my last flight，an elderly couple had the seats in my section．They held hands during takeoff．Later I caught them looking into each other's eyes．Something about that look was familiar．Then I realized：it was the look Bill and I had worn in our wedding photographs．I couldn't resist asking them about the secret of their long-lasting marriage．"Have fun together，"the man said，"and never take each other for granted．"
Her words circled in my head long after we landed．Bill wasn't perfect．But then，was I？I kept complaining about his messiness and forgot his kindness，his ability to see the bright side of every situation---qualities that ran so much deeper，the reasons I had married him in the first place．
I took out my cell phone and called Bill．"I miss you already．"I said．"I miss you too，Kim，"he said．As soon as my flights were over，I rushed home．Bill met me at the door．"I have a surprise for you．"he said and led me into the kitchen．I glanced around the room．He really had worked hard．In spite of the fingerprints on that microwave floor，I could see our reflection in it：my husband and I，our smiles glowing with love for each other，just like in our wedding photos．

5． My father's family is not a musical family．They are a family of words．My brother has my father's dark hair，his love of a good argument．I take after my mother．From her I inherited a curious nature，a sense of adventure，bright red hair．I did not，contrary to her hopes，inherit a talent for the piano．That fact was established beyond doubt after unsuccessful attempts to draw music from me．
The piano lessons began when I was four．My mother was convinced that I would be a child Mozart．She found the ideal teacher--Madame Oblenka，a strict Russian woman，whose pursed lips were enough to frighten a wild horse into submission．Madame Oblenka，who expected a little Mozart，was not very delighted to find a little girl banging her fists （拳头） on the keys．
I tried to please her．"Feel the music，"she urged．I"felt"it and winced （退避） my ear--for what is more unpleasant than a series of wrong notes played continuously？She"felt"my music，too，which is why she always left with an angrier expression than when she came．
Once，when I was ten，I managed to record one of my own rehearsals （练习）．In order to escape my practice sessions，I would close myself behind the door of the piano room，put on the tape recording，and read until the tape had finished．That method worked for a week，until my mother began to wonder why I always missed the same B-sharp．She knocked on the door，and，receiving no answer，came in to check on me and found that I had fallen asleep while the tape of my performance played on and on．
I was twelve when my parents finally acknowledged that my hidden talent was not about to emerge any time soon．My mother，refusing to admit defeat，told me to pick another instrument．"Choose anything you want，Honey，"she said，assuming that freedom of choice would inspire devotion．I thought long and hard and chose the drums．My parents，sensitive to noise，would be less than overjoyed by a daily bombardment of playing．I imagined my father in his study，cotton wads in his ears．
I worked my way through several other instruments before my mother hit on another idea．Maybe I wasn't meant to be an instrumentalist．Realizing that drama might be more suited to my talents，Mom took me to a drama teacher．However，he put me backstage，painting scenery．Once I recovered from my sense of injury，I realized the wisdom of his choice．I loved the active，practical backstage world，and I discovered that I had a knack for constructing and painting．I loved the challenge of taking our scanty （贫乏） supplies and using them to make something beautiful．Imagining a scene and then seeing it emerge before me--this，to me，was close to magic．
I'm a sculptor now，and every day I experience afresh the joy of being fully absorbed in the act of artistic creation．It's a wonderful，blissful （乐而忘忧） feeling．I realize that my parents，in their misguided attempts to interest me in music，were trying to give me this feeling．And now I feel grateful．Perhaps they went about it in the wrong way，but their hearts were in the right place．

6． It was one of the hottest days of the dry season．It had not rained in almost a month．The crops were dying．Cows had stopped giving milk．If it did not rain soon，we would lose everything．On this day，I witnessed（目睹） a wonder．
I was making lunch when I saw my 6-year-old son，Billy，walking very slowly toward the woods．Minutes later he came running out again，toward the house．Soon after，I saw him walking toward the woods again．This went on for an hour．Finally I walked out of the house quietly and followed him．
Billy cupped both hands in front of him as he walked，careful not to drop the water he carried．Leaves slapped his face but he kept walking into the woods．Then I saw an amazing sight．Several large deer stood in front of him．Billy walked right up to them．I saw a tiny baby deer lying on the ground．It was dying of thirst，and it lifted its head with great effort to drink the water in my boy's hands．
When the water was gone，Billy ran back to the house．I followed him to the tap．Billy opened it and a small trickle（细流） came out．He knelt down，letting the drops slowly fill up his"cup"．
Now I understood what was going on．The week before，he tried giving water to our horses but I told him not to waste water．Now when he stood up and turned，I was there in front of him．His eyes filled with tears，"I'm not wasting，"he said．I joined him with a small pot of water from the kitchen．I let him walk to the baby deer alone while I stood at the edge of the woods．As tears rolled down my face，they were suddenly joined by other drops…and more drops…as if the sky itself was crying．

7． As my fortieth birthday approaches，inevitable as a new hair-do，I realize how many women friends I've had over the years．Most have come and gone with the changes of life，just like the latest shoe fashions waltz in and out of my closet．
Some of my friends，like some of my shoes，were silly mistakes．They never did fit properly，and they always felt slightly"off"，no matter how hard I tried to fit my feet into them．Others were my absolute favorite for a while，but they wore out or wore off．All style and no substance； the quality just wasn't there．
Then there are my true friends-the ones who，like a pair of fine shoes，never go out of style or out of favor，whose appeal and value just increase with wear and time．These are friends who stay in touch and stand by me-as if they and I have never gone off to a new state，or a new job．Physical distance does not separate us； time does not change the fundamental fact of our friendship； the wear and tear of life does not stop us．The sole still support us； the colors and lines still please us； the uppers，still strong but grown soft，gently bent around feet．Our connection is securely fastened，unaffected by the whirlwind of changes we've each been through，even when life carries us in different directions．
If the comparison fits…
Deborah is the evening shoe，elegant and lovely．She appreciates the finer things，choose only the best，and still looks polished long after the rest of us have drooped．She is a study in elegance and knows the difference between bone，and winter white．From this splendid treasure，I've come to recognize my own appreciation for the finer things in life-and to the realization that I deserved them．
Jane is that pair of essential，timeless pumps that I wear often and would be lost without．With this classic，my basic needs and comfort level are assured-leaving me time and energy for fun．I can move gracefully from day to night，from work to play，from jokes to discussion．My step is light； laughter comes easily and I am ready for adventure．
Georgiana is my pair of standard white Keds-familiar，comfortable and good for all seasons．I've had them since long before．They are part of my childhood．They take me home，and I am a kid again diving into the ocean on a hot summer day．They have been up the hill and through the mud with me．They keep me moving forward，even when putting one foot in front of the other feels like the hardest thing I've ever done．I know I can slip them tomorrow and all days after．I am indebted to these lovely worn sneakers．
In the shoe rack of life，these are the friends I cherish．They are the base upon which I stand．They accompany me on my chosen path，regardless of where it leads or how bumpy or winding it gets．

8． Though many Internet celebrities try to shrug off their fame，Yan Mingliang，27，has dreamed of joining the Internet elite（精英） ever since he entered college．
However，luck didn't favor him．Instead，fame fell into the lap of his pet dog，Beiji．In early 2015，Yan used his microblog to post two pictures of Beiji lying on the ground，and they went viral on social media．Because he took the photos at a strange angle，it almost looks like Beiji's body has fallen apart．
Finally，Yan got to experience what is like to be an Internet celebrity，or more accurately，the owner of an Internet celebrity dog．New followers started to flood in，and Yan received hundreds of private messages each day．In less than four weeks，Yan managed to attract more than 20，000followers．"I am famous now．"Yan thought at that time．
However，fame didn't just bring joy，but also annoyance．Since Beiji was only 3months old and Yan sometimes had to put him into a cage as a means of"education"，there were also private messages from followers who fiercely criticized Yan for being too cruel．
"It gradually occurred to me that no matter how frankly you present yourself on social media，Internet users only witness part of your life．And their judgments depend on that partial life story of yours，"said Yan，"They don't know how hard it is to raise a pet dog when you're unemployed，Yan explained．They also don't care about whether the dog they're enjoying is being pushed too hard．"
Yan finally decided to leave his Internet fame behind and focus more on his real life．"The lesson I learned is that，if you can't live up to your followers'expectations，it's better not to be an Internet celebrity，"he said．

9． It was a snowy Friday．When I observed the snowflakes falling onto my car，I really began to wonder if I was going to make it on time．Of course I must，because I have no option．
About two weeks ago，what my daughter Ellen had talked about was he Christmas concert to be held in her school and some rumors about it．"Mom，Rachel was supposed to sing alone，but guess what happened？She's not!Linda will replace her to do it．""Mom，I get to stand next to Tyler in the whole concert!""Mom，you won't believe it，but I Lexie's whole family is coming to the concert，even from another state!"Making a long way out of state to see third graders sing Christmas carols seemed to be a pretty big deal for her．
When I sat in traffic，I thought about all the school events I had attended alone．Elllen never mentioned it，but I wondered how she felt about me being the only one whoever came to her events．My own family lived out of town，and her father and his family never quite managed to fit those things into their schedules．I wondered if it bothered her．
At eight o'clock the concert was scheduled to begin．With only a few minutes to spare，I found myself running：first，through the snow-drifted parking lot，then through the school passage．I entered the crowded hall and found a vacant seat near the front．From her place onstage，Ellen saw me run for the chair，and she smiled．I was close enough to hear the loud conversation of the children onstage．
"Look，Ellen，there is my uncle and my cousin．They came all the way from West Virginia．I can't believe my whole family is here!"Ellen smiled at Lexie and said，"My whole family is here，too!Look，there she is!"Ellen gave me a big smile．I saved back at her，never once noticing the melting snow dripping off my head．It suddenly occurred to me that while we tried to teach our children all about life，they actually taught us what life was all about．

10． My mind went blank when I saw the gun pointing against the car window as we pulled out of the garage．This can't be happening to me．Then I felt the gun，cold，against my head，and I heard my friend Jeremy saying，"What do you want？Take my wallet，"but at the time I thought of nothing．
I remember being a little annoyed when the gunman pulled me from the car by the hair．I remember the walk to the house-Jeremy，me，the two men with two guns．I remember the fear and anger in the gunmen's voices because Jeremy was being slow，and I remember wondering why he was being slow．I did not realize that Jeremy had thrown the keys into the bush．But I remember that sound of the gun hitting Jeremy's head and the feeling as the man who had hold of my hair released me．And I remember the split second when I realized he was looking at Jeremy，and I remember wondering how far I could run before he pulled the trigger．But I was already running，and upon reaching the car across the street，I didn't crouch（蹲伏） behind it but screamed instead．
I remember thinking there was something ridiculous and illogical about screaming"Help，help!"at eight o'clock on a Tuesday evening in December and changing my plea（恳求） to the more specific"Help，let me in，please let me in!"But the houses were cold，closed，unfriendly，and I ran on until I heard Jeremy's screams behind me announcing that our attackers had fled．
The neighbors who had not opened their doors to us came out with baseball bats and helped Jeremy find his glasses and keys．In a group they were very brave．We waited for the police to come until someone said to someone else that the noodles were getting cold，and I said politely，"Please go and eat．We're OK．"
I was happy to see them go．They had been talking of stricter sentences for criminals，of bringing back the death penalty（处罚） and how the President is going to clean up the country．I was thinking，they could be saying all of this over my dead body，and I still feel that stiffer sentences wouldn't change a thing．In a rush all the anger I should have felt for my attackers was directed against these contented people standing in front of their warm，comfortable homes talking about all the guns they were going to buy．What good would guns have been to Jeremy and me？
People all over the neighborhood had called to report our screams，and the police turned out in force twenty minutes later．They were ill-tempered about what was，to them，much trouble about nothing．After all，Jeremy was hardly hurt，and we were hopeless when it came to describing the gunmen．"Typical，"said one policeman when we couldn't even agree on how tall the men were．Both of us were able to describe the guns in horrifying detail，but the two policemen who stayed to make the report didn't think that would be much help．
The policemen were matter-of-fact about the whole thing．The thin one said，"That was a stupid thing to do，throwing away the keys．When a man has a gun against your head you do what you're told．"Jeremy looked properly embarrassed．
Then the fat policeman came up and the thin one went to look around the outside of the house．"That was the best thing you could have done，throwing away the keys，"he said．"If you had gone into the house with them…"His voice became weaker．"They would have hurt her"-he twisted his head toward me-"and killed you both．"Jeremy looked happier．"Look，"said the fat policeman kindly，"there's no right or wrong in the situation．There's just luck．"
All that sleepless night I replayed the moment those black gloves came up to the car window．How long did the whole thing last？Three minutes，five，eight？No matter how many hours of my life I may spend reliving it，I know there is no way to prepare for the next time-no intelligent response to a gun．The fat cop was right．There's only luck．The next time I might end up dead．
And I'm sure there will be a next time．It can happen anywhere，anytime，to anyone．Security is an illusion（幻觉）； there is no safety in locks or in guns．Guns make some people feel safe and some people feel strong，but they're fooling themselves．