When I was five, my little sister Olivia and I each adopted a cheetah. Did we raise cheetahs at home? No, we donated to a charity that protects wild cheetahs in South Africa. Our parents told us that if we did not protect them, we might not be able to see cheetahs in the near future.

We soon became interested in helping other endangered animals. A few years later, with help from our parents, we created a non-profit organization to protect them. We wanted the next generation to be able to see these animals, so we named our organization One More Generation. We studied endangered animals and educated our friends about them.

Then one day, a terrible oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. A lot of sea animals were completely covered with oil, and they were dying. We had to do something. We started collecting animal rescue supplies such as pet carrying cages and rubber gloves from everyone in our neighborhood. Four months later, our family drove to the Gulf of Mexico to deliver what we collected and helped to save the animals. While we were working there, we learned something very useful. When we put mayonnaise into a turtle’s throat, the turtle threw up. That way, we were able to get oil out of turtles. I never knew mayonnaise could be used to save animals!

On our last day, we met a marine life specialist. She told us that plastic waste is more dangerous to sea animals than oil spills are. A lot of sea animals and sea birds die from eating plastic waste. After we came home, we created an educational project about how to reduce plastic waste. In addition to this, our organization continues to do various projects to save animals. Although we started small, we are making a big difference. What you do today can change the world, so take that first step!

Odin, who is the highest god, gave up his eye for wisdom.

Thor is Odin’s son and the strongest god of all.

Frey, who is the god of the harvest, controls the weather.

Loki is a god who plays tricks on others.

Thor woke and knew immediately something was wrong. His wife’s beautiful golden hair was gone. He knew only Loki could do such a terrible thing. Thor soon found Loki, who was drinking at home.

“You’d better undo what you did, or you’ll be sorry,” Thor said angrily to Loki.

Loki was scared. He promised that he would get golden hair for Thor’s wife.

Loki knew only the sons of Ivaldi could make fine golden hair. He went to them and said, “I heard Brokk and his brother are the finest smiths. Is that true?”

“No, it is we who are the finest smiths,” the sons of Ivaldi replied.

“They’re making three treasures for Odin, Thor, and Frey,” said Loki. “Do you think you can make treasures better than theirs?”

“Of course we can,” they answered.

“O.K., then you should also make three treasures for them,” said Loki. “The gods will decide on the best treasure.”

Loki also told them that one of the treasures had to be golden hair. They went to work immediately.

Loki then went to see Brokk and his brother. “Ivaldi’s sons are making three treasures for Odin, Thor, and Frey,” said Loki. “I bet that you can never make treasures as fine as theirs.”

Brokk became angry and accepted the challenge. He and his brother produced three treasures of their own.

Loki went to see the three gods with all the treasures. Brokk came along. Loki showed them the treasures from Ivaldi’s sons. The first treasure was for Odin, who had only one eye. It was a spear that never missed its target. The second treasure was a big ship that could turn into a piece of cloth. It was for Frey. The third treasure was for Thor. Loki showed Thor the flowing golden hair for his wife. Thor put the hair on his wife’s head, and it took root and became real hair.

It was now Brokk’s turn to show the gods his gifts. He gave Odin a gold arm ring that produced eight more gold rings every ninth night. Brokk then gave Frey a pig. It could pull his carriage faster than any horse.

“My third treasure is for you, Thor,” said Brokk. “This is the hammer Mjolnir, which you’ll love. If you throw it, it’ll always come back to you. Moreover, nothing can ever break it.”

It was an easy decision to choose the greatest treasure. It was Mjolnir that the three gods liked most. They thought the hammer would protect the gods from their enemies.

“Brokk and his brother,” said Odin, “are the better smiths.”

Brokk proved that Loki was wrong, and the three gods now had precious treasures.

In 1473, twenty-year-old da Vinci worked as a cook at a restaurant in Florence, Italy. When he took charge of the kitchen, da Vinci changed the menu completely. He made simple but artistic dishes like fish with a few carrot slices. Some dishes were even decorated with flowers. Customers, however, were unhappy because they were used to dishes with big servings of meat. As a result, da Vinci lost his job.

A few years later, da Vinci opened a restaurant with his friend Sandro Botticelli. He wanted to create a place where people could try his innovative food. They put up a beautifully painted sign and made a uniquely written menu. Da Vinci believed that people would soon appreciate his creative cooking. Unfortunately, that never happened.

In the early 1480s, da Vinci began to work for Ludovico Sforza in Milan. He was given many different roles, such as a musician, a painter, and an engineer. He was also put in charge of the kitchen. He was happy to be given another chance to pursue his passion for cooking. Da Vinci did not stop at cooking creative dishes. He wanted to cook much more quickly and easily. Thus, he invented new machines for his kitchen. He created machines that could crush vegetables and pull spaghetti. He even made a device that could scare frogs away from the water tank. Surely, they were all very innovative, but most of them were too big or too difficult to use.

In 1495, Sforza asked da Vinci to make a grand painting, which was based on the last supper of Jesus, on the wall of a church in Milan. Da Vinci gladly took on the project because he had always been interested in food. He spent a lot of time cooking all kinds of food to decide what to put on the table in his picture. “Da Vinci has wasted his time in the kitchen for over a year. That’s the reason why he hasn’t finished the painting yet,” complained the people from the church to Sforza.

Although da Vinci never became a successful cook, he showed great interest in cooking throughout his life. He was not only a great painter but also a creative cook. Now that you know all about his secret passion for cooking, you will never look at The Last Supper the same way.

Tangpyeongchae

One day, King Yeongjo was having dinner with his officials and offered them something special. It was a dish with four colorful ingredients. Each ingredient symbolized a different political party. Yeongjo wanted to say that the four parties should work in harmony like this dish. This dish was called tangpyeongchae. The name came from Yeongjo’s policy tangpyeongchaek.

Sinseollo

In the time of King Yeonsan, there was a scholar who was famous for his honesty. When the king did something wrong, the scholar was never afraid of telling him so. However, the king never listened to him. The scholar was so disappointed that he went to live on a mountain. While he lived there by himself, he mainly ate vegetables. He made a special pot to cook many different vegetables together. People called this pot and the food in it sinseollo. That is because the scholar lived like a sinseon, an imaginary person who lives alone in nature.

Songpyeon

It was the time of the last king of Baekje. One day, the king and his servants found a strange turtle. Something was written on its back. It said, “Baekje is like a full moon, but Silla is like a half moon.”

The king asked a fortune teller, “What does this mean?”

The fortune teller answered, “A full moon will soon become smaller. On the other hand, a half moon will grow bigger and become a full moon.”

The king became worried about his kingdom. However, people of Silla were very happy to learn this and made rice cakes in the shape of a half moon. Since then, people have enjoyed these half-moon shaped rice cakes, songpyeon.

How do I become less nervous?

It was five minutes before Jisu’s big presentation in front of the whole class. Feeling nervous, Jisu was carefully studying her notes in her chair. Then, her teacher came over and told her to stand tall like Wonder Woman. After standing tall for a few minutes, Jisu did not feel nervous anymore. In fact, she was confident that she would make a great presentation. According to Amy Cuddy, a famous psychologist, we can become more confident just by standing tall for two minutes before stressful events. Our bodies change our minds, and our minds can change our behavior. Do you want to feel confident? Stand with your feet apart, and place your hands on your hips. You will not only feel sure about yourself but also look confident to other people.

Who can help me feel better?

When he graduates from high school next year, Taeho wants to become a professional farmer. However, he has never told anyone about it. He is worried that his parents or his friends will not understand. Wanting to clear his mind, Taeho decided to take a day trip on a train by himself. On the train, he told a complete stranger sitting beside him about his problem. He had no idea why he did it. However, he felt much better when he got off the train. Strangely enough, we often tell strangers about our problems just like Taeho. That is because we do not have to worry about being judged or seeing them again. If you have a problem that you cannot share with your family or friends, try talking to a stranger. You will feel much better.

How do I turn a rival into a friend?

Benjamin Franklin once had a political rival who did not like him at all. Franklin wanted to become friends with him, so he came up with a plan. His rival had a rare book. Franklin asked his rival to lend him the book for a few days. When Franklin returned the book, he thanked him deeply. Since that day, his rival became not only a political supporter but also a good friend. Franklin famously said, “Enemies who do you one favor will want to do more.” If you want to turn a rival into a friend, don’t do your rival a favor. Instead, ask your rival to do you a favor.

Denmark is a small country in northern Europe with a population of 5.8 million. For many years, Denmark has been known as one of the happiest countries in the world. People think this is due to the Danish lifestyle “hygge.” In 2017, this word was added to the Oxford English Dictionary, which defines hygge as “the quality of being warm and comfortable that gives people a feeling of happiness.”

In Denmark, hygge is more than just a word; it’s a central part of Danish culture. During the long Danish winters, people stay indoors and enjoy playing board games or chatting with their families and friends over a hot drink. They realize such small things bring joy to their lives. The key idea of hygge is to relax, get together with loved ones, and enjoy simple pleasures.

Hygge can also be seen in Danish schools. The schools there don’t usually focus on good grades or individual success. Most Danish schools don’t give out prizes or trophies for top grades or athletic excellence. Instead, students learn to work together, sharing opinions and emotions with one another in a relaxed atmosphere. As a result, they come to understand each other and learn that working together makes their lives happier.

The rest of the world seems to be slowly waking up to the hygge lifestyle, which is now becoming a global trend. More and more people are looking for happiness in small things and choosing to enjoy more quality time with their friends and families. Books on hygge have become best-sellers, and posts with the hashtag #hygge are a common sight on social media. As these trends show, people all over the world have found happiness from the Danish lifestyle. Do you want to live a happier life? Practice hygge every day, and you will find the happiness you seek.

That is why we need to start a zero-waste movement, which aims to conserve resources and reduce pollution. Here’s a look at how some zero-waste warriors are saving the environment every day.

Hyeonseo, at school

I love sea animals. When I saw a turtle trapped in plastic waste on the news, I was shocked, so I decided to take action. I always bring a reusable water bottle to school with me. Also, I proposed a No-Trash Day at our class meeting, and now the trash bins in my classroom are removed on Wednesdays. Through this action, I want my classmates to realize just how much waste we produce in a day. I have also introduced some new ways to reduce waste. For my friend’s birthday, I wrote a message for her on the gift’s wrapping paper instead of a birthday card. Everybody loved this idea, so it has caught on at my school. My classmates call me the zero-waste pioneer of my school, which makes me very proud.

Lian, at a store

I buy everything at zero-waste stores. When I shop there, I have to bring my own bags and containers. As soon as I enter the shop, I weigh each of my containers and write the weights on top so I can deduct them from the total. Isn’t that simple? What I like most is that I can buy as much as or as little produce as I want. This minimizes food waste and keeps me from overeating. I can also purchase shampoo, lotion, and detergent there by refilling the bottles with the products I want. When I check out, instead of paper receipts, I receive electronic ones. They are eco-friendly and more convenient for me.

Jason, on a camping trip

When I go camping, I try to eliminate waste and leave nothing behind. First of all, before I go camping, I carefully plan the amount of food for each meal. After planning, I buy fruits and vegetables on the day of my departure to avoid spoiling. Also, instead of buying bags of ice, I freeze bottles of water to keep my food cold. For my meals, I only use reusable utensils, cups, plates, and napkins. The comfort of using proper dishes and cutlery is an extra source of pleasure for me.

On Monday night, two thieves broke into a science lab through a small window to steal samples. Upon entering, they went through all the drawers and cupboards. They even searched through the computer files. After a while, they found the samples they were looking for and quickly left the lab. The next day, the police investigated the crime scene. Unfortunately, the thieves had not left any evidence like fingerprints or hair. Now the police are trying to find out who these thieves are.

Every person has a unique set of microbes that live on his or her skin. Scientists at the University of Colorado wondered whether people’s microbes could help identify individuals. They assumed that the microbes could be used as important clues at crime scenes where fingerprints, blood, or hair might be hard to find.

The scientists knew that when people use a computer, the microbes from their hands remain on the keyboard. To test their hypothesis, the scientists compared the microbes on the hands of three people with the microbes on their computer keyboards. Surprisingly, it was easy to tell the people apart by their microbes.

All humans have 99.9% identical DNA; only the 0.1% is unique. However, they have wildly different microbes living on their skin. According to the study, the microbes found on people’s palms can differ by as much as 87%! Therefore, even criminals that do not leave any other clues might be identified simply and effectively by their microbes.

The scientists also say that microbes are harder to hide than fingerprints. To get rid of fingerprints, criminals only need to wipe down the places they have touched. They can’t remove their microbes quite so easily, though. Furthermore, the microbes can survive on some surfaces for days or even weeks.

The scientists conclude that microbe identification can play a significant role in criminal investigations but add that they still have a long way to go before this method can be put to practical use. However, given that further research is being done, one day it may be possible to catch even the most careful criminal thanks to microbes.

Aerobic Exercise

Hello, everyone! Welcome to Danceholic. Aerobic exercise speeds up your heart rate and breathing and helps lower blood pressure while burning body fat by delivering more oxygen to your whole body. It also increases your “good” cholesterol and decreases your “bad” cholesterol. Today, I’ll introduce a fun and simple aerobic exercise routine you can try at home.

Now, put on your favorite song and let’s get started. Stand tall with your feet apart and start marching on the spot to the beat. Next, swing your arms as you lift your knees. For a more active routine, bring your left knee to touch your right elbow, and switch to the other side. Keep moving to the rhythm for ten minutes.

Strength Training

Hi, we are The Powerful Family! It’s time to get stronger. Strengthening your muscles is important because it not only makes you stronger but also stimulates bone growth. The exercise we’re going to try today is called squatting.

Stand with your feet apart and your arms at your sides. Slowly bend your hips and knees as if you were sitting back into a chair. Let your arms swing forward to help you balance and to keep your back straight. Hold this position for three seconds and then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat this exercise until your leg and thigh muscles start to burn slightly.

Stretching

Good morning, subscribers! Welcome to Yoga for Teens. Sitting still for a long time can cause back pain and even increase the risk of muscle damage. Today, I will share a good stretching routine for my teen subscribers who suffer from back pain. Try out this pose, which not only stretches your muscles but also helps reduce muscle tension.

First, start on all fours. Then, slowly sit back on your heels with your arms stretched out in front of you. Hold this position for five to ten breaths and then return to the starting position. Repeat the motion until you feel relieved of stiffness and pain in your back.