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| White-collar workers going to great lengths for stress relief A soldier of the South Korean special attack corps paints his eyes during a friendly Taekwondo match at a South Korean Army Base in Pochon, north of Seoul. Stressed out white-collar workers are scaling (攀登) skyscrapers, camping out on rooftops, smashing up restaurants, pretending to be children and even visiting cemeteries in a bid to relieve the pressure of modern life. As the country's economy continues to steam ahead, once popular forms of entertainment, such as karaoke, card games and even boxing bars, appear to be losing their appeal. Consider the members of Shanghai's Cat Rain club. By day, this group of young women works executive jobs, but by night they climb buildings so they can spend the night on the roof. "It's a good way to release our pressure. You feel relaxed when you're sitting on the roof, looking up to the sky and chatting with intimate (亲密的) friends," said Gong Ying, 25. The stress of work is not just limited to people in Shanghai. A recently opened restaurant in Beijing encourages customers to smash plates-as long as they are willing to pay to replace them. Though there has been some debate about the extravagance (奢侈) of such services, some psychologists say the activity reflects the desire of some white-collar workers to vent their angst. Some workers even appear eager to return to their childhoods. This May, hundreds of people took part in a festival in which adults pretended to be children. It was an adults-only event, and participants could read comics and eat sweets all day. Scenic places such as parks and rivers can also help people relax and put things in perspective. But a cemetery? Cemetery companies in Shanghai organized visits to local graveyards for stressed-out workers in March. The participants were taken to quiet spots in the cemetery where they could contemplate (考虑、打算) life and their futures. Roof-camper Chen Bin, an IT marketing professional, said she had camped out on a rooftop about 30 times. When she's not sleeping out under the stars, she also has several other adrenalin-fueled interests, such as downhill racing and paragliding. "Pressure may bring us distress, but it doesn't mean we can't find ways out," Chen says."Life should be imaginative." |
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| Do you raise salmon (鲑鱼) in your classroom at school? Do you ever have class while floating down a river in a canoe? Do you ever throw your school lunch leftovers into a compost (混合肥料) bin when you are finished? They are all part of a regular school day at Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School in New Haven, Connecticut. Known as a "green" school, Barnard attracts students from all over the region who are interested in environmental studies. "We do Earth Day all the year round," said Marjorie Drucker, Barnard's Magnet Resource teacher. With the school's special classes, its 325 students study the environment all day long. "Being green means that everything in the building is designed with the environment in mind," Drucker told Scholastic News. For example, the lights go off when people leave the room, and special windows provide "passive light", cutting down on the need for electric lighting. When a window is open, the air-conditioning automatically turns off. Conserving energy is not all that students do to help the environment. While learning about the dying salmon population in the Connecticut rivers, students also do something to help out-they raise more salmon. In the classrooms there are fish tanks containing salmon eggs. The eggs are kept in water at two degrees Celsius. After the eggs hatch, students observe the baby salmon through all the stages of development, and then release the adult salmon into Connecticut rivers. Composting is another part of taking care of the environment at Barnard Students deal with their lunches by throwing the remaining food into a compost bin in a greenhouse. The compost is used to help grow plants. At Barnard, almost everything has to do with the environment. Students sing songs about the environment; their artworks have something to do with the environment; even their math classes are focused on protecting the environment. Barnard offers chances that students can't get in a regular school. The school's goal is to teach children to be good environmental role models. They also learn to live in a different way. To attend the school, students have to apply and express their interest in protecting the environment. "Students come here because they care about the environment," said Drucker. |
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| When people talk about the civilization of ancient Babylon, the Hanging Gardens must be brought into their discussion. It was not until the reign (统治时期) of Naboplashar (625-605 BC) of the Neo-Babylonian Dynasty that the Babylonian civilization reached its top honor. The ancient city of Babylon must have been a wonder to travelers. Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC), son of Naboplashar, then came to power and ruled for 43 years. It is he who is believed to have built the legendary Hanging Gardens. The Gardens were built to please his homesick wife. She found the dry, flat ground of Mesopotamia boring. In the place where she grew up, there was green grass and mountainous plains. The King wanted to recreate her homeland. A lot of people still believe in the existence of the Hanging Gardens, despite the fact that most descriptions of the Gardens come from Greek historians while Babylonian records remain silent on the Hanging Gardens. Even the historians who gave detailed descriptions of the Hanging Gardens never saw them. Modern historians argue that it was Alexander's soldiers that made up the story. When they reached the rich land and saw Babylon, they were impressed with the beautiful scenery. When they later returned to their poor homeland, they told about the amazing gardens in Babylon. And it was the imagination of poets and ancient historians that mixed up all these elements to produce one of the world's wonders. Some of the mysteries surrounding the Hanging Gardens were not solved until the twentieth century. Archaeologists are still struggling to gather enough evidence before reaching the final conclusions about the location of the Gardens, their water supplying system, and their true appearance. Some recent researchers even suggest that the Hanging Gardens were built by Senaherib who ruled 100 years earlier than Nebuchadnezzar II did. |
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| Host family accommodation, or living with host families, remains popular among language travel students for its advantages. These days, host families are trying to offer more in terms of quality, for they still have something to worry about. Host family accommodation is often seen as the number-one choice for its advantages in language study, cultural communication and cost of living. Staying alongside host families enables students to get enough practice for the short time of their studying so that their language acquisition is likely to become faster. Living in host families also has the advantage for students of being able to spend a lot of time communicating with their "host parents", and get to know the local way of life, people and culture. Another advantage is that host family accommodation can sometimes be the least expensive. It attracts students for it ensures them a family type of living at a low cost. The advantages, however, have not prevented host families form worrying. On one hand, some host families are losing their unique selling point. The problem is that the majority of hosts in big cites, now generally single and young, have less times available for students but the selling point for host family accommodation is communication practice. One the other hand, students' expectations have risen. They are becoming more demanding and asking for more than ever from their accommodation, as they come mainly from high socio-economic groups in their own countries. To get out of the difficult situation, host families are now making efforts to improve the quality of service. They are trying to making living conditions better, including broadband Internet service, private bathroom, and access to plenty of hot water for long showers. They are also providing students with structured family activities. It is believed that host family accommodation will keep the popularity vote with language travel students. |
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| Wondering how many calories the banana cream pie on your plate has? Some Japanese have a novel way to find out: Photograph it with a cellphone and send the image to an expert. With cellphones becoming common in Japan and rising concern over expanding waistlines, health-care providers will allow the calorie-conscious people to send photos of their meals to nutritionists (营养学家) for advice. Public health insurance offices in Osaka in Western Japan have launched the service on a trial basis. About 100 cardiac (心脏病的) patients signed up in the first year, followed by diabetes and obesity patients in the second."Japanese have been getting fatter, especially men in their 20s and 30s. There is concern over what they learned about nutrition when they were younger," the Osaka official, Satomi Onishi, said."We're hoping that this program can help us deal with the problem." Osaka is using a system developed by Asahi Kasei Corp. The system is operating among about 150 health-care providers and local governments around the country Nutritionists can work with photos from one day's meals to several weeks' worth. Results come back in three days. People can also log on a website to get further information. Dr Yutaka Kimura has developed a similar system at Kansai Medical University's Hirakata Hospital, also in Osaka. Five patients have taken part in the programme, which costs $37 to join and $21 per month. Patients photograph meals over the course of three to seven days, and a nutritionist e-mails advice to them. "Patients used to fill in meal logs, but people tend to forget things or underestimate (低估) their portions (份)," Kimura said. "Photographing meals and e-mailing them can be easier and get more accurate results." As Japanese have turned to bigger portions and more meat and fried foods, obesity and related illnesses such as high blood pressure have become a rising concern. The Health Ministry estimated last year that more than half of Japanese men and about one in five women between 40 and 70 years old were at the increased risk of heart disease, type II diabetes and other diseases because of obesity. With the Health Ministry hoping to see a 25% reduction in the number of people at the risk of these diseases by 2015, Osaka officials hope the cellphone program will help. |
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| Quality after-school programs are designed to improve academic performance, decrease youth crimes and other high-risk behaviors, and help young people grow into healthy, successful adults. The effect of quality after-school programs on academic performance is clear. Studies show that students who take part in such programs show better work habits, higher rates of homework completion, improved grades, and higher scores on achievement tests. They also have fewer absences and are less likely to blame. After-school programs also influence high-risk teen behavior. Various studies show decreased rates of crime, drug use, and teen sex among youth who join in well-run after-school programs when compared to similar youth who do not. Finally, after-school programs play an important role in supporting the following fields of development: physical development, mental development and social development. Thus, one can safely say that after-school programming is an effective method to help young people become contributing members of society. Although there is enough proof from both small and large assessments that after-school programs can make a positive difference, it is important to note that not all programs are equal. First, dosage (时量) matters-young people who attend the most hours over the most years benefit more than members who attend less often or over a shorter period of time. Next, after-school programs make bigger difference for those students who need help most and have the fewest choices. Finally, program qualities matter. After-school programs work best when they create unique opportunities for youth. They should provide opportunities for positive relationships, skill building, meaningful involvement (参与), expression, suggestion, service, and work. Staff characteristics make an important difference in the quality of a program. The adults should treat youth as partners, create safe and fair environments, encourage personalized (个性化的) involvement, and actively create learning opportunities. In short, although after-school programs have promising future, how they are designed and run matters. |
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| People say teenagers are no good. They make too much noise in shopping malls; they drive recklessly up and down America's main streets; they carry chips on their shoulders as big as the Sears Tower. And at least some of the time those things are true. But we shouldn't forget that there are hard moments in the life of a teenager too. I watched such a moment not long ago at a woman's funeral (葬礼). I didn't expect the event to affect me. Through much of the ceremony, in fact, I remained unmoved. Then her teenage grandson stepped forward. With his very first deep breath, every heart in that church was achingly reminded of something we had all forgotten. Softly he began:"I want to share a few values that Nana taught me. She never failed to see light in any situation. When our family dog would literally attract her, what would Nana say? 'Oh, what beautiful markings that dog has.' That was Nana. "She was a strong woman who often lived in the shadow of my grandpa, who was a successful businessman in this city. But she was the one behind the scenes who provided the strength and support for Grandpa's career," he said, with a voice now trembling."That was Nana's way." Through a muffled sob, he continued. "Whenever she did anything worth recognition, you'd have to hear about it from a different source, because she was never one to brag." Finally, in a voice breaking free of sorrow, he looked up and said, "Nana taught me courage. She put up an incredible fight to the end, when she died peacefully, which is how she lived her life. That was Nana's way, and I hope I can carry on in the same manner." There are no hearts as sensitive as those of teenagers, because everything is happening to them for the first time. The trouble with teenagers is that they haven't learned to be controlled. When that boy rose to speak about the woman who surely had been his truest ally and dearest friend, his honest voice dragged each of us out into the open where we could no longer hide in the calm ritual. He exposed us to the truth about this very real woman who believed in a boy who probably tried the patience of many adults. He reminded us that his grandmother was more than another dot on the chart of life and death. All over again we felt those powerful losses crisscrossing our own hearts, and we knew that when you say good-bye to a beloved grandparent, you say good-bye to something happy, something young in yourself. And that something never really returns, and the pain never really goes away. |
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| People unhappy with the rich: Poll There is growing dissatisfaction toward rich people, according to a new online poll. The poll by the China Youth Daily in collaboration(与…合作) with Sina.com has highlighted the apparent discontent (不满) over the country's widening income gap. Nearly 8,000 people filled in online questionnaires last week, and when asked to use three words to describe society's rich, the top responses were "extravagant" (奢侈的), "greedy" and"corrupt". About 57 percent of those polled said that"extravagant" was the best word to describe the rich, followed closely by "greedy". Ironically, despite their dissatisfaction, 93 percent of those polled wished they could be rich too, and that richer people should be"socially responsible". Some 33 percent of respondents also praised rich people for being"smart". Nearly 90 percent of respondents agreed that most people in society, including themselves, were willing to speak up for the poor but were reluctant to take action and actually do something for them. The survey comes on the heels of a heated debate over comments made by renowned economist Mao Yushi, who said he was "speaking for the rich and working for the poor". A report released by the Asian Development Bank last Wednesday revealed that China's Gini coefficient-an indicator of the wealth divide-rose from 0.407 in 1993 to 0.473 in 2004. An earlier CASS report said that the richest 10 percent of Chinese families now own more than 40 percent of all private assets, while the poorest 10 percent share less than 2 percent of the total wealth. The country's income disparity (悬殊) is close to that of Latin America, the report which came out in January, said. |
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| The farm economy of the United States has changed a lot in the last seventy years. In the 1930s, twenty-five percent of the nation's population lived on farms. Today less than one percent of Americans do. Farm incomes have changed over the years too. For example, in 1933, people living and working on farms had much less money to spend than other Americans. At that time, farm families had about one-third the income of non-farmers after all necessary expenses had been paid. By the late 1970s, however, that difference had almost disappeared. In 2004,farmers had their best year ever. The average farm family earned about eighty-one thousand dollars. That is more than the average American family, which earned about sixty thousand dollars. The Department of Labor measures the pay of industrial workers differently. It measures the average hourly and weekly pay for industrial workers. This is because factory workers are generally paid by the hour unlike farmers who earn income from their farm businesses. Generally, the average hourly pay for all industrial workers is about sixteen dollars. And the average weekly pay, about five hundred fifty dollars. Industrial and other services employ about eighty-six percent of the labor force. |
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| Maybe you are an average student. You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessary so, however, Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here's how. 1) Plan your time carefully. When you plan your week, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. then decide a good, regular time for studying. Don't forget to set aside enough time for entertainment. A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to realize what is happening to your time. 2) Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, free of everything but study materials. No games, radios, or television! When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject. 3) Make good use of your time in class. Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teachers say. Really listening in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says. 4) Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes. Review the important points that your teacher mentioned in class. If you know what your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material will become more meaningful, and you will remember it longer. 5) Develop a good attitude about tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be overly worried. There are other methods that might help you with your studying. You will probably discover many others after you have tried these. |
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| A long story about people is usually called a novel. It can be about any kind of man, woman, or child. It can be about kings, or Chicago newsboys, or housewives. The French writer, Victor Hugo, wrote his novel Les Miserables about a poor man who stole a loaf of bread. The American writer, Ernest Hemingway, wrote A Farewell to Arms about a young American with the Italian Army in World War One. A novel can tell the story of any kind of action, over any period of time. The modern Irish writer, James, Joyce, covers less than twenty- four hours in Ulysses. Yet, Joyce takes a thousand pages to tell all that happens from the time one man gets up in the morning until he goes to bed early the next morning. A German writer, Herman Hesse, uses only one hundred and fifty pages in his novel Demian to cover a boy's life from the age of ten until he becomes a young man. A novel does not just tell the things that people do. It also tells why they do them. The Badge of Courage, by the American novelist, Stephen Crane, tells about a young soldier in the War between the states who runs away the first time he is in battle. The book shows why he acted as he did. It describes his mental suffering until he overcomes his fears. People buy novels because they enjoy reading about other people. The novel satisfies the human desire to know and understand our fellow creatures. |
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