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2021-08-27 10:00:33 #The_Happy_Prince

The Happy Prince

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More than a hundred years ago, Oscar Wilde created this moving story for his children. This tale is old fashioned and modern at the same time. His story of friendship, love, and a willingness to part with one's own riches may be more important today than ever before. Открыть/Комментировать

2021-08-24 10:00:38 #Articles
#job_A #statistics_A #coronavirus

7 Occupations That Are Bouncing Back This Summer

The job market took a large step forward in July with 943,000 people getting hired for new jobs. That's promising news for older workers, with the unemployment rate for people age 55 and older dropping to 4.4 percent, down from 4.9 percent in June. The nation's overall unemployment rate fell to 5.4 percent in July from 5.9 percent one month earlier, according to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The fields that were hiring aggressively in July include several that offer jobs that are popular with older workers. Here are seven fields that bounced back in July based on BLS data.

1. Leisure and hospitality workers

Earlier this summer, more restaurants began to lift restrictions as the vaccination rates started to rise. That's led to a steady hiring boom in dining establishments and bars. There also has been an increase in hiring in hotels, with more than 74,000 people in these fields hired in July alone.

2. Education workers

While there still is much uncertainty about whether schools will be fully open for in-person learning this fall, many school districts have been hiring with the expectation that students will be back on campus. Nearly 29 percent of teachers are 50 or older, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. In addition to jobs for in-person teachers, there also likely will be many opportunities in online tutoring for those with experience working in education.

3. Professional and business services workers

The workers who were hired the most as offices reopened were accountants, bookkeepers and consultants, according to the BLS report. These fields typically also offer many opportunities for part-time and remote work for those with experience.

4. Transportation workers

With more people starting to return to work in business offices, public transportation agencies picked up their hiring to help commuters get from place to place. More than 19,000 people were hired last month by transit agencies, the BLS report found.

5. Health care workers

The hiring boom here mostly results from doctor's and dentist's offices opening more fully for outpatient service. That's welcome news for health care workers who may have been idled during the pandemic and also for people who have delayed important checkups with physicians. But these offices may be quick to return to telemedicine if the delta variant continues to spread.

6. Real estate and rental workers

The pandemic housing market continues to create job opportunities for real-estate agents. The set-your-own hours (of working) nature of this field has long been appealing to many older adults as they look for ways to earn income in retirement without having to keep a regular work schedule.

7. Construction workers

The hiring in this field — a notable turnaround after two consecutive months of job losses — was primarily among people who work in residential construction and contracting. As more construction workers return to on-site jobs, that also could open up opportunities for older adults looking for jobs in the business offices that keep these companies operating.

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2021-08-24 10:00:36 Открыть/Комментировать

2021-08-06 10:00:43 #News
#education_N #China_N #students_N #politics_N

China Clampdown Sparks a Pupil Exodus From Hong Kong Schools

Disillusioned by China’s crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong, engineer Alan Chan emigrated to the U.K last month with his wife and 10-year-old son. Like many other parents, his decision to leave the former British colony was influenced by Beijing’s overhaul of the education system.

“The political changes during the past two years in Hong Kong are suffocating,” said Chan, 46, who has settled in London. “I’d like my kid to grow up in a more democratic environment with a more liberal schooling.”

Thousands of residents have left Hong Kong since China passed a national security law last year in response to pro-democracy protests that swept through the city in 2019. With youths at the forefront of the demonstrations, Beijing has blamed the education system for fostering unrest and ordered schools to adopt a more patriotic curriculum.

“The Chinese and Hong Kong government think the media and the education sector should bear the most responsibility for inciting youths,” said Ivan Choy, a senior lecturer in politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. “They believe both sectors have to be rectified.”

The emigration wave saw the city’s population drop 0.6% in 2020, the first annual decline in 18 years. It also resulted in the biggest drop-off in enrollments last year since 2010 - a total decline of more than 15,000 primary and secondary students. That’s threatening the financial viability of some schools, which are losing both fees and government subsidies as students leave.

“It’s a serious situation, losing around 15,000 students in a year,” said Dion Chen, chairman of the Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council, a body representing non-government schools. “Figures haven’t bottomed yet.”

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Published Aug. 5, 2021

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2021-08-06 10:00:42 Открыть/Комментировать

2021-08-05 10:00:51 #Articles
#communication_A #people_A

How to Identify a Pseudo-Smart Person

Many of my acquaintances feel extremely smart. They have zero achievements to back up their ego. Even when every piece of evidence shows that they’re not so smart, they find a smart reason why the world is wrong and they’re right.

Here are four things I noticed truly smart people never do.

1. They don’t overthink
— Instead, they take immediate action.

Ironically, a hallmark trait of highly intelligent people is humility. Intelligence is a by-product of experience and knowledge, and smart people are painfully aware of the things they don’t know or can’t do.

Overthinking is just a state of inflated ego. You think that you can ‘think up’ an answer to your problem. You think that you’re smart enough to solve a problem just in your head.

Here’s how to identify a pseudo-smart person: ask them what they’ve actually done in order to achieve their goals. If they start justifying their inaction, you’re dealing with a pseudo-intellectual.

2. They don’t do small talk
— Instead, they lead with borderline honesty and directness.

Truly intelligent people value their time, and they value yours. That’s why you’ll seldom hear a smart person chit-chatting about their vacation for 30 minutes. They just don’t see the point. And it’s not because smart people don’t enjoy being nice — or that they don’t know how to be pleasant.

I think they do it to gauge your reaction. If you appreciate them being direct, they know they’re dealing with another smart person. If you get confused and insulted by their directness — they’ll instantly know you’re probably just trying to look smart.

3. They don’t need a sophisticated reason to act
— Instead, they often act on an impulse.

Many of the people I’ve interviewed explain their actions via seemingly arbitrary reasons. They’ll say things “because I like it” or “it just feels good,” which can make you think that they don’t know what they’re doing.

First of all, truly intelligent people always know what they’re doing. So if they don’t go into a 30-minute lecture explaining to you why they did this or that, it’s probably because they don’t see the point — or don’t have the time.

Pseudo-smart people, on the other hand, will usually have a super-smart reason why they’re doing whatever it is what they’re doing. They will try to convince you that the entire world is behind them on their decision. And then they’ll sit on their butts for 2 months.

4. They don’t hijack conversations
— Instead, they listen more than they talk.

Another hallmark of highly intelligent people is that they’re rarely the centerpiece of the conversation. You’ll rarely hear them dominate over someone — unless they have a reason to.

Partly, it’s because truly smart people realized how futile most conversations are. After years of trial and error, they realized that their words rarely lead to any tangible result. Instead, they focus on actions.

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2021-08-05 10:00:49 Открыть/Комментировать

2021-08-04 10:01:14 #News
#sport_N #olympiad_N

Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs wins 100-meter dash, takes over as fastest man in the world

For more than a decade, one man reigned supreme in the men's 100-meter dash. He swept Olympic gold medals and world championships, racing at a legendary level that no one else could match.

Now Usain Bolt is retired, and his absence at the Tokyo Olympics gave way to a deep, determined field Sunday, all fighting for his title as the fastest man in the world. Who would be the one to take up the mantle? Would it be one of the Americans? Canadian superstar Andre De Grasse? Akani Simbine of South Africa?

Enter ... Italian sprinter Lamont Marcell Jacobs?

Yes, in stunning fashion, it was an unheralded Italian — who was born in El Paso, Texas — who took gold in the first Olympic 100-meter final of the post-Bolt era, winning with a personal-best time of 9.80 seconds. American Fred Kerley took the silver in 9.84, and De Grasse of Canada earned bronze.
Jacobs not only shocked the world; He surprised himself, too.

"It's incredible," the 26-year-old said in English after the race. "My real dream is arrive here and run a final. We run a final and we win a final. It's amazing. I have no words (to) describe this moment."

Jacobs recorded the third-best time in the semifinals, but he was almost a complete unknown — even to his fellow competitors.

"I really ain't know nothing about him," Kerley said.

"I thought my main competition would be the Americans," De Grasse added. "I knew the Americans were going to bring it. (Jacobs' win) really shocked me and surprised me, so really congrats to him. He did his thing. He came out of the blue."

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Published Aug. 1, 2021

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2021-08-04 10:01:12 Открыть/Комментировать

2021-08-03 10:00:12 #Stories
#The_Magic_Hole

The Magic Hole

Penny was a little girl who lived in Alaska. It was ice-cold there. She kept praying that she wish she could play in the lush, green and warm gardens like we do but of course, she couldn’t.

Her father, like all the men there, didn’t have a job. He hunted seals and caught fishes as was the custom. So her father hadn’t even heard of money and even if he had money, there weren’t any planes to take them abroad.

Somewhere near Penny’s house was a deep, dark forest. Everyone was afraid to enter it. They said that whoever entered it would be sucked in by a great hole.

One day, Penny was playing with her Eskimo friends when one of the boys shouted “Hey, I dare one of you to enter the magic forest."

No one dared. Penny picked up a twig and threw it at the edge of the forest. Nothing happened. Penny was astonished. It’s all a legend! We can play, hide and seek in the woods if we want, she thought. She walked slowly towards the woods. It was getting colder and colder she took each step. She walked right into the middle of the forest.

There was a small hill with a great big hole right in the middle of it. She wanted to jump into it. She took a big, deep breath and jumped.

There was a sinking feeling in her stomach. She realized that she falling down deep somewhere. But she did not land. She went spinning and suddenly all her fur clothes vanished and there was a loose dress instead of it. She was at the beach.

She found that she had a bag with her. Inside the bag there was a swim suit, a mattress, a book, a bottle of lotion and a towel. She took all these out.

Her parents and her elder brother were standing there. They helped Penny to spread out the mattress and they had a basket full of fruits which they put on the mattress. Penny and her brother ran joyously to the warm sea. Oh! What fun! She wished it would never end.

But after exactly one hour, it all vanished and she was back in the forest. She hurried home. Her parents didn’t ask her anything. She looked at the watch. Only five minutes had passed since she had left. Now that was strange! 1 hour had passed! She was sure. She had looked at her watch at the beach.

She was confused. ‘Huh! Mama! Papa! Didn’t you miss me?’ she asked her parents.

They were surprised to hear her story. They went to the magic hole together. They jumped into the magic hole one by one. At once they were at the mall. They wore the same clothes as anyone else. When they came back, they didn’t tell anyone. Now they go there often.

It is their favorite picnic spot. Открыть/Комментировать