Happy Shakespeare Day!

    The 23rd April is World Book Day, but did you know that it is also Shakespeare Day? Everybody has heard of Shakespeare, but do you know many plays he wrote? Have you heard of many of his poetry?

    Shakespeare's plays fit into three categories: tragedies, comedies and histories. Perhaps his most famous play is the tragedy story of Romeo and Juliet, which deals with two young lovers who are forbidden to marry by their parents. Other tragedies include Hamlet, a play about a vengeful ghost Othello, about an army general who is manipulated(操纵) into killing his wife, and Macbeth(麦克白). If you've seen Harry Potterandthe Prisoner of Azkaban written which is sung in the Great Hall after the Sorting Ceremony. These words come from the Witches in Macbeth!

    Shakespeare's comedies include Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night is a play about confusing identities. Two twins are shipwrecked and the sister, Viola, dresses up as her brother, Sebastian, who she thinks is dead. It's hilarious, because the brother reappears without Viola realizing and there's a big love triangle going on: Viola is in love with the Duke Osino, who is in love with Olivia, who falls in love with Sebastian, except she doesn't realize that Sebastian is actually Viola dressed up! Everybody falls in love with the wrong person, but it is all made right in the end.

    The history plays, such as Antony and Cleopatra, Richard III and Henry V are based on the lives of real historical people. Antony and Cleopatra is a story about a doomed romance in ancient Egypt. Cleopatra becomes Antony's mistress and Antony becomes so obsessed with her that he loses his military might. Cleopatra kills self by letting a snake bite her after Egypt's army has been defeated by Octavius and Antony kills himself too.

    Shakespeare's plays can be very heavy going sometimes. Some of the themes they deal with are heavy and complex, so they almost always contain a lighter subplot with characters who aren't closely linked to the characters in the main plot. They are often used in tragedies to lighten the mood of the play and to keep the audience interested in the main plot.

    As health care costs continue to rise, a growing number of companies are working out programs designed to keep their employees healthy.

    Thomas Chapple is the senior vice president. “It's really important to us because medical costs are going up like crazy,” he says. “This company spends more than $ 200 million a year on medical costs for its employees around the country. The best thing we have seen as a way to control the medical cost is individual fitness.”

    “We have a fitness center,” Shawn Flaherty, director of public relations for Freddie Mac., says. “We have a health benefits plan that encourages people to work out three times a week, get cholesterol （胆固醇）checks, as well as 'do not smoke.' If they do that, it will cost them less for the health benefits.”

    Rachelle Clark works for Freddie Mac. “I feel great. You know the benefit is rewarding. I like to look good and feel healthy. I am just fortunate that I work for the company that provides some type of facility for the employees.”

    While on-site fitness centers are popular, some companies pay membership fees at local gyms for employees. The companies also offer classes such as boxing, yoga and dancing. Employees see those health programs as a valuable benefit.

    Tom Brook exercises five days a week. As a newspaper reporter he has a tight schedule, although Tom says it's not that difficult for him to make time for a workout. “It is great. It is right here where we work,” says Tom. “So everybody gets a chance to use it whenever they want to. I have lost weight and never been in better shape.”

    The programs may not be a magic cure for rising health costs, but they seem to have a positive impact on both employers and employees.

    When an earthquake hit a small town，many houses fell down.After the earthquake，all the newspapers reported many stories about some of the families who were in trouble.

    One Sunday，when I was reading a newspaper，a special picture touched me.It gave the clothing sizes of each family member.I thought that this would be a good chance to teach my children to help those who were less lucky than themselves.I said to my seven years old twins，Brad and Brett，and three years old Meghan，"We have so much，and these poor people now have nothing.We'll share what we have with them."

    I filled a box with foods and clothes.While I was doing this, I encouraged the boys to choose their toys and donate some of their less favourite things.Meghan watched quietly as the boys took out their old toys and games and put them together.Then she walked away.A few minutes later she came back with Lucy，her much loved doll.She put the doll on top of the other toys. "Oh, dear," I said. "You don't have to give Lucy.You love her so much."Meghan said，"Lucy makes me happy，Mommy.Maybe she'll make another little girl happy, too."

    I looked at Meghan for a long moment.She taught me a lesson.It's easy to give something that we don't want any more，but hard to give what we cherish(珍爱)，isn't it?

    Family Fun in Canadian Museum of Nature

    Bring the whole family to rediscover our fully redecorated museum.

    WHAT TO SEE AND DO

    Check out What's On for all the events, educational activities and HD movies happening during your visit. Care for birds, dive down into the depths at the helm (舵柄) of a research submersible(潜水器) or explore a cave… on the first floor. Don't miss our gallery play areas on the third floor when visiting with kids. By visiting here, your children will learn more about nature. Check out Our Exhibitions which presents our special exhibitions and our galleries. Be sure to stop at our Nature Boutique on the second floor for a vast selection of games, books and nature-related souvenirs from 9:30 am until the museum closes for the day.

    HOURS, ADMISSION, SERVICES AND MORE

    The Canadian Museum of Nature provides a lot of information, images and videos on our websites about nature, such as http://www.nature.ca/en/family-fun and http://www.expeditionarctic.ca/. The museum also participates in several social networks. Follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

    Neither style of thinking is better or worse than the other; they're just different, as Professor Ankush Chopra explains. To be a great artist, musician, or big-picture thinker, holistic thinking is important—it's about context, and intuition (直觉) is important. Many careers like those in science or law, reward analytic thinking, which looks at parts and units, and is specific and logical. Of course, the most successful people will be able to do both kinds of thinking, though generally holistic thinking, linked to creativity, is more difficult to teach than analytic thinking.

    So those people who are analytic thinkers will see a price of $1.99 by looking at the single numbers, and will prioritize the first number when it comes to price. "Holistic thinkers tend to view all price numbers as a whole and are  less likely to be affected by the nine-ending price effect," Lingjiang Lora Tu, Ph. D. , professor of marketing at Baylor and  a study's lead author, told Phys. org.

    However, that the type of thinking allows holistic thinkers to see the whole rather than the parts goes out the window when they're stressed or distracted (分心的).

    "Our findings suggest that regardless of consumers' thinking style, nine-ending prices are most likely to be effective in situations that overuse consumers' resources, such as when shoppers are time-pressured at the checkout counter or distracted by background music or occupied with an interactive product demonstration," Tu said.

    This study was done with the idea that marketers should know about these differences in thinking style and keep them in mind when they're pricing things for different types of people. But anyone who buys things can benefit too, by figuring out what kind of thinker you are, and then keeping that in mind when the signs show "sale" with a loud noise!—and reminding yourself that nobody makes the best decisions when they're distracted.

    As you know, there are many fantastic parks in New York City.

    Central Park

    One of the most famous parks in the world, Central Park is a man-made wonder. Not only is it the first public park built in America, but it is also one of the most frequently visited parks, with over 25 million guests per year. Set in the middle of busy Manhattan, its grounds serve as a safe harbor, not only for athletes, and musicians but also for lots of migratory birds each year. One can spend an entire peaceful day wandering its grounds, gazing upon nearly 50 fountains, monuments, and sculptures or admiring its 36 bridges.

    Hudson River Park

    Hudson River Park is a waterside park on the Hudson River that extends from 59th Street south to Battery Park in the New York City district of Manhattan. Bicycle and pedestrian paths, including the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, span the park north to south, opening up the waterfront for the public to relax. The park includes tennis and soccer fields, children's playground, dog run, and many other features.

    Washington Square Park

    Washington Square Park, located in the heart of Greenwich Village, is a very popular and often crowded place. People from all backgrounds gather to this large square dotted with trees.

    Central Park Zoo

    The Central Park Zoo is a small 6. 5-acre zoo located on Central Park in New York City. The zoo began in the 1860s, making it the first official zoo to open in New York. The zoo was improved in 1934, with the addition of many new buildings ranged in a quadrangle around the sea lion pool. Finally, the zoo was repaired in the mid-1980s and reopened in 1988, replacing the old-fashioned cages with naturalistic environments.