We all know the saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”， and the fact that there are a whole lot of strange­looking people out there happily loved up would suggest that it's true.But scientists have now performed the biggest test so far，analyzing the preferences of more than 35,000 people，and have shown that we really do all have a unique “type”．

         In fact，the study showed that even identical twins，who share nearly l00 percent of their DNA, aren't attracted to the same people，suggesting that it's our experiences，more than our genes，that determine whether we find someone hot or not.

       “We estimate that an individual's aesthetic(审美的)preferences for faces agree about 50 percent，and disagree about 50 percent，with others，” explained Laura Germine from Harvard University，and Jeremy Wilmer of Wellesley College，lead researchers of the project.

         This fits with the phenomenon that on one hand，fashion models can make a fortune with their good looks，while on the other hand，friends can endlessly debate about who is attractive and who is not，“they added.”Of course，there are some things that people seem to find pretty much universally pleasant to look at，e.g.，most people prefer faces that are symmetric(对称的)．But after analyzing the facial preferences of more than 35,000 volunteers, the researchers found that，it was experiences that seemed to be what shape the “eye of the beholder”．And those experiences are highly specific to each individual.

         So in other words，it's not your family，where you grew up，or how much money your parents make that shape who you're attracted to，it's things like the magazines you read, the social activities you've take part in，and even your first boyfriend or girlfriend，that determine these preferences.

    As I was making my way to the coffee shop，Inoticed an old man was poorly dressed sitting on a bench nearby. I knewfrom first sight that he was in need of some kind of help. He had a littlelunch stretched out in front of him and was wholeheartedly enjoying it.

ThenI joined the line and waited (serve). There was a young man in front of me.He handed the waitress a twenty­dollar bill and requested a glass of orangejuice as well a favor. The (puzzle) waitress looked at the young man,not (complete) understanding the request.

    The young man asked her to give the juice and the change to old man eating hislunch outside on the bench. The waitress said she (give) them to the oldman as he had told her to. Afterwards, there was a wonderful exchange betweenthe waitress and the old man in need of some attention. I only wish I had aphoto (take) to record the smiles on both of their faces.

AsI was thinking about this event later on, I wondered the young man didn'tjust perform this act of kindness (he). I suspect that it is because in hisheart he hoped that this act of kindness might inspire others to do somethingfor this old man, too.

       Blind tasting is a very strange activity. Contrary to what many imagine, it has nothing to do with blindfolds. It involves tasting a wine without seeing the label and it can deliver shocking surprises. I tasted seven champagnes(香槟) blind with a group of professionals recently. There was a shock when they discovered the wine most of them preferred carried a label they regarded as their least favorite. That sort of result is especially common with champagne, the most image­driven rather than quality­driven wine of all. But it happens all the time when wine is tasted blind.

       Because I'm interested in how wines really taste instead of how I think they should, I taste wine blind as often as I can, especially when assessing similar young wines. But blind tasting when you know absolutely nothing about the wine in front of you is something completely different. The most difficult Master of Wine exams include three sessions during which you have a dozen glasses in front of you and nothing more helpful than a printed exam paper asking you to identify (鉴定) each wine as closely as possible, and assess its quality.         

        Now that the MW is behind me, I taste wine completely blind only very rarely, and never in public. So my blind tastings these days are round the dinner table with good friends and once a year when I act as a judge, with Hugh Johnson,  in the Oxford & Cambridge wine­tasting competition. This is the most extraordinary match, always held before the Boat Race but taken just as seriously nowadays. This year's taste­off took place at the end of last month, as usual in the Oxford and Cambridge Club on Pall Mall in London.   

       The metro system in London，widely known as the Tube，is the world's oldest underground railway.However，it's more than just a transport system.

       It is not unusual to see people reading thick books on the Tube，crowded at the door during rush hour.But there's another way     Londoners enjoy literature on the underground，as poems are scattered around randomly.

      The project of the poems has been running since 1986 and poems appear three times a year，six at a time.Two of the poems are always written by living poets.American writer Judith Cherniak，editor and founder of Poems on the Underground，said that most of them are chosen randomly，either from great poets or from unknown enthusiasts of English poetry.

       Conceived(构思)by Cherniak，these poems aim to bring poetry to passengers，and show a wide range of styles.They are classical or contemporary，domestic or international.

      Love or hate poetry，this project “has proved to be an excellent way of introducing poetry，with passengers often wanting to read     more，” according to the government organization Transport for London.“This has led to the publication of a series of Poems on the Underground books，which is now in its 11th edition.”

       This new edition contains poems that have been displayed in carriages over the years.The poems are classified into sections such as love，music，nature，war，and loss.

   “Our Tube system has become quite the bastion(堡垒)of British culture，”The London Insider magazine commented.

Attraction of the Minions

When it comes to film, people usually favor good over evil,focus on the hero and ignore the supporting characters.

Originallycomedic background characters in the film Despicable Me(卑鄙的我), these yellow pill­shaped nuts, havetotally stolen the show and turned into a popular figure. This summer thecharacters debuted(首演)in their own self­titled movie in theaters abroad, having the second biggestopening weekend of all time for a cartoon film according to USAToday.Recently, McDonald's has been including Minion toys with kids' meals in someareas, causing loyal fans to flock to the restaurant to collect them all.

Themovie's huge popularity even surprised its writers.“We never knew the Minionswere going to be so popular.It just became a force of nature，” the film's co­writer Cinco Paul toldthe LosAngelesTimes.

For many, the appeal is obviously their cuteness.Their simple nature can easilysurpass cultures and age groups.Even children can draw them.Thousands ofexamples of fan­made Minion art from fingernails to Halloween clothes arevisible on global social media platforms.

Butthere's more to the phenomenon than just cuteness.US entertainment website HitFix explains that their way of communicating makes the creatures influential aswell. But it seems everyone can understand them through theirexaggerated(夸张的)movements and expressions.

Moreimportantly, their childlike mannerisms is a brand of humor that winshearts.“Clumsy, foolish Minions are recognized as the ultimate betapersonalities，”wrote Peter Debruge of US entertainment magazine Variety.

Theydesire nothing more than to serve their most despicable master. “Perhaps we love Minions because they remind us of ourselves，” HuffingtonPost associate Web editor SaraBoboltz wrote, “or an evil version of ourselves.”

     It was in my high school science class.I was doing a task in front of the classroom with my favorite shirt on.

A1 came.“Nice shirt，”I smiled from ear to ear.Then another voice said, “That shirt belonged to mydad.Greg's mother works for my family.We were going to 2  that shirt away, but gave it to her 3.”I was speechless.I wanted to hide.

     I4 my shirt in the back of the closet and told my mom what hadhappened.She then dialed her5 ， “I will no longer work for your family，”she told him.That night, Mom told my dad that she couldn't clean anymore; sheknew her life's 6 was something greater.

      The next morning she 7 with the personnel manager at the Board ofEducation.He told her that without a proper education she could not teach.SoMom decided to 8 a university.

      After the first year in college, she went back to the personnel manager.He said, “Youare9 ， aren't you? I think I have a10 for you as a teacher'sassistant.This opportunity deals with children who are mentally challenged withlittle or no chance of 11.” Mom accepted the opportunity very 12.

  For almost five years, as a teacher's assistant, she saw teacher after teacher giveup on the children and quit, feeling13.Then one day, the personnelmanager and the principal 14 in her classroom.The principal said,“We have watched how you15 the children and how they communicatewith you and admire your hard­working 16 over the last five years.Weare all in17 that you should be the teacher of this class.”

    My mom spent more than 20 years there. 18 her career, she was votedTeacher of the Year.All of this came about because of the 19 commentmade in my classroom that day.Mom showed me how to handle 20situations and never give up.

Wildwood Park Day Camps 2015

     ·Registration & pre­payment required.

     ·Space is limited. Call to check availability.

     ·Download registration form at www. wildwoodlake. org or call 221－0292.

     ·Meet at Wildwood's Olewine Nature Center.

     ·Bring lunch, water, snack and drink.

     Nature Explorers Day Camp (ages 5－6) $40

      Young Children explore nature with activities focused on learning about our senses. Discovery walks, stories, crafts and other fun activities will be included.

     Saturday, November 21 to Sunday, November 22; 9 am to 12 pm

     Wildwood Way Day Camp (ages 7－9) $115

      Learn about animal adaptations, use telescopes on nature walks, explore a stream and enjoy live animal demonstrations!

      NOTE：The second week is a repeat of the first week.

      Mon, December 7 to Fri December 11 OR Mon, December 14 to Fri, December 18; 9 am to 3 pm

      Junior Naturalist Day Camp (ages 10－11) $115

      Explore Wildwood's wildlife while hiking, using telescopes and boating on the lake. Help with scientific studies by distinguishing insects living in water and learn about tortoise tracking.

      Mon, December 7 to Fri December 11; 9 am to 3 pm

      Outdoor Week (ages 12－13) $115

     Get into the wild! Discover the natural world while learning skills like building a shelter with leaves, grass and sticks, distinguishing wild edibles, monitoring tortoise populations, fishing and boating on the river.

      Monday, December 14 to Friday, December 18; 9 am to 3 pm

WILDWOOD PARK

100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, PA 17110