Animal lovers have long suspected that playing with pups was good for the soul, and now science has confirmed it – for students in particular.

    The results of a new study done by researchers at the University of British Columbia concluded that the college students who spent time at drop-in dog therapy sessions experienced an increase in feelings of wellness and a reduction in overall stress. The study, as reported by Science Daily, indicates that playing with pups is not only popular with the students, it's also beneficial to their health. This finding was seen across gender（性别）.

    The study, which published on March 12 in the journal Stress and Health, involved 246 students who were surveyed before and after they dropped by dog therapy sessions. The young participants were given free access to pet, hug with and talk to seven to 12 therapy dogs. Additionally, they filled out questionnaires right before and right after hanging with the dogs, as well as 10 hours later.

    According to researchers, these young adults reported a notable increase in happiness, a significant reduction in stress and a flood of energy right after their sessions with the pups. Although the reported feelings of happiness and satisfaction weren't long-lasting, researchers say other effects have clear, positive advantages.

    “These sessions clearly provide benefits for students in the short-term, so we think universities should try to schedule them during particularly stressful times, such as around exam periods,” Assistant Professor of Psychology at UBC and the study's senior author, Frances Chen told Science Daily. “Even having therapy dogs around while students are working on their out-of-class assignments could be helpful.”

Show Biz Summer 2018

Location: Rosewood Center for Family Arts

Important Information:

* Tuition paid on the first day of class. No tuition refunds（退款）.

* DCT reserves the right to cancel any class; refunds made for cancelation.

* Please accompany students the first day of class.

* Registration begins one-half hour before class time.

How To Register:

* Mail: fill out the form in this brochure.

* Be sure to list the class and group that you want.

Drama Days: $ 175

Entering Grades:

Group A: 1st—2nd; Group B: 3rd—5th.

Time: June 2—June 6

* Create the situations and scenes.

* Showtime—invite family and friends to your Friday Showcase!

* Bring a sack lunch and drink each day!

Laugh Out Loud: $ 175

Entering Grade: 5th

Time: June 23—June 27

* Tell a joke! Learn why old jokes can be the best!

* Work with your class to put on a Comedy Show for family and friends!

Acting—Just Acting: $ 225

Entering Grades: Group A: 1st—2^nd; Group B: 3rd—4th

Time: August 4—August 8

* Start with the characters: Who are you? Be the Star of your Dreams.

* Work with your class to create the plot.

Summer Scenes: $ 225

Entering Grades: 5th—6th

Time: August 11—August 15

* Do you want to be an actor?

* Improve your skills with instructions from professional actors & directors.

    Japan has made a lot of noise in recent years about removing the traditional view that women should stay at home while men go out to work. So it was shocking when, on August 7th, Tokyo Medical University (TMU), a distinguished medical school, admitted marking down the test scores of female applicants to keep the ratio of women in each class below 30%.

    Their defence was that women are more likely to drop out to marry and have children. To judge female applicants to medical school purely on their academic performance would leave Japan with a shortage of doctors, they said. The admission has caused outrage.

    "Doctoring has long been a male field. But it is not the only one. Discrimination is common in banks and trading firms, where stamina (耐力) and loyalty, qualities somehow associated with men, are prized," says Mari Miura, a political scientist at Sophia University. All this embarrasses a government that has promised to make women "shine". The policy seems based on the need for more workers rather than on genuine concern for women.

    Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, says he wants to bring millions more women into the workforce to make up for a labour shortfall caused by its ageing and declining population. In the field of politics, the record under Mr. Abe's premiership (首相任期) is disappointing. Just two members of his 20-strong cabinet are women, including Seiko Noda, in charge of women's rights. Ms. Noda, who makes little secret of her ambition to beat Mr. Abe in a leadership contest next month, has just published a book called "Grab the Future", her public declaration for pulling Japan into line with "global standards". She has almost no chance of winning.

Dear Rose,

    My brother is often in a bad mood, which makes me in a bad mood. What should I do?

Jenny,

    It can be hard to be around someone who is in a bad mood. Since you can't change another person's mood, try to focus on what you can control: your own mood and reaction.

    You might find it easier to stay in a good mood if you leave your brother alone when he feels grumpy (脾气暴躁的). The next time he is in a bad mood, go to a quiet place in your house. Read, exercise, draw, listen to music — do something that makes you feel happy.

    Your parents might have some good suggestions for you, too.

Dear Rose,

   I play soccer, but sometimes I play badly. How can I do better? Jarom,

    To be good at anything, determination and practice are important. Listen closely to your coach, watch other players, then practice, practice, practice! Professional athletes continue to practice their sports each day, knowing that if they start to get lazy, they won't keep or develop their skills.

    In addition to practicing with teammates, you can work on drills on your own.

    Learning more about the sport may help too. Your coach can likely direct you to some good resources on skills development.

Dear Rose,

    I was moved up a grade a few years ago. Now, almost everyone in my previous grade asks me why. It wouldn't be a problem, except some boys ask over and over just to be annoying. What do I do?

Allison (by email)

    If you're sure that they are trying to be annoying, you might respond with something humorous. For example, you could say something like "They told me that the lunch lines would be shorter." Use the situation to turn annoying questions into something to laugh about.

A healthy lifestyle includes many choices. Among them, choosing a balanced diet or healthy eating plan is of the greatest importance. But how do you choose a healthy eating plan? Let's begin by explaining what a healthy eating plan is.

A healthy eating plan that helps you manage your weight includes different kinds of foods you may not have considered. If "healthy eating" makes you think about the foods you can't have, try refocusing on all the new foods you can eat.

Fresh, Frozen, or Canned Fruits -- don't think about just apples or bananas. All fresh, frozen, or canned fruits are great choices. Be sure to try some fruits from other countries, too. How about a mango, a juicy pineapple or kiwi fruit? What you should pay attention to about canned fruits is that they may contain added sugars. You'd better choose canned fruits packed in water or in their own juice.

Fresh, Frozen, or Canned Vegetables – try something new. Don't eat the same kinds of vegetables all the time. You can try to eat different kinds of vegetables, which is important for a good diet. When trying canned vegetables, look for vegetables without added salt or butter. You can go to the produce department(果蔬部) and try a new vegetable each week.

Calcium(钙)-rich foods -- you may firstly think of a glass of low-fat or fat-free milk when someone says "Eat more dairy products " But what about low-fat and fat-free yogurts without added sugars? There is a wide variety of flavors and they can be a great dessert instead of those with a sweet tooth.

What's more, you don't need to give up your favorite comfort food. You can enjoy your favorite foods even if they are high in calories, fat or added sugars. The key is eating them only once in a while, and balancing them out with healthier foods and more physical activity.

The point is that you can figure out how to include almost any food in your healthy eating plan in a way that still helps you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

Workers are returning to their careers, or starting new ones after age 65.

More than ever, work is where many of us get our sense of purpose. That doesn't end at age 65. After being retired for only three months, Sue Ellen King returned to work at the University of Florida Health in Jacksonville, Florida, where she had been a care nurse and nursing educator for 38 years. She is now working part-time in a position created just for her. "It's perfect," she told The New York Times. "I get the satisfaction of having people appreciate what I do." With the average lifespan for those who reach age 64 now getting all the way to 84 years old, those who reach retirement age still have many potential years of work to go.

Job sites connected toward part-timers, temporary positions, and some can also turn up opportunities that may lead to longer-term work. Fred Dodd tried a part-time job after his unemployment as a clerk for large banks at age 63. He'd thought about retiring then. "But part of me just wanted to keep working partly for the money, but more just because I felt I wanted to do more in my career, " he said.

The retired have the advantage of not needing to focus on the earnings potential of whatever jobs they take on, so these older workers are attracted to more meaningful work. And since they are voluntarily putting their skills and experience to good use, they may well have more flexibility than mid-career people. Two-thirds of retirees who'd come back to the work world were doing meaningful work they enjoyed. Legal work and community service were popular choices, as was teaching—all areas in which older workers might have an opportunity to make their own schedules.

Earning more money rarely seems like a bad idea, but it can cause issues for retirees, including effects when they claim Social Security (申请社会保障) benefits early.