Monthly Talks at London Canal Museum

          Our monthly talks start at 19:30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don't need to book. They end around 21:00.

November 7^th

          The Canal Pioneers, by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early “civil engineers”.

December 5^th

          Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering, Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London's ice trade grew.

February 6^th

          An Update on the Cotsword Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroudwater Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.

March 6^th

          Eyots and Aits -Thames Islands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames has many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest.

          Online bookings:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/book

          More info: www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson

          London Canal Museum

          12-13 New Wharf Road, London NI 9RT

          www.canalmuseum.org.ukwww.canalmuseum.mobi

                         Tel:020 77130836

    There are two main types of non­verbal communication. Body language is the first. Body language is body movements that depend on a person's attitude or feelings. Body language includes the way people walk，how they stand，and their facial features. In other words，any kind of meaning is shown by a person's attitude or body movements. For example，when a boy is sad he may drop his head and walk slowly. Or，if a girl is happy，she might run and jump or stand up straight and put her hands in the air. People don't have to say anything to show how they feel about things. The colour of people's skin may even show how they feel. For example，if people with light coloured skin get embarrassed，their skin may turn red，or if they are worried，they might get pale. Body language can be voluntary(主动的) or involuntary(无意识的)．An interesting fact is that blind children will smile when happy even though they have never seen a smile.

    The next main type of non­verbal communication is gestures. Gestures are communications like facial expressions，hand signals，eye gazing，and body postures. Examples include smiles，handshakes，waving，and raising certain fingers to say something. For instance，if you saw a friend at a noisy carnival，you might smile and wave at your friend. You might also point at the Ferris wheel if you wanted to meet your friend there. You could do all of these things without saying a word. Another great example is in baseball when the catcher signals to the pitcher the kind of pitch to use for the batter that is up.

    There's no doubt that man is the smartest. But do you know what other animals are smart, too?

    Dolphins

    Dolphins are very smart. Most of the “tricks” they're taught to do are actually behavior they would engage in on their own. They love to play, race and generally enjoy their life to the fullest. They speak a language we have yet to completely understand and like all civilized creatures, dolphins' mothers always provide their young children with guidance and possibly, love.

    Great apes

    The great ape family primarily consists of gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans. Their brain chemistry is so similar to humans' that NASA once used chimpanzees in place of astronauts during many dangerous missions. Gorillas have been taught sign language and orangutans exist in complex familial relationships.

    Elephants

    Everyone has heard the phrase “an elephant never forgets”. Elephants establish long-term friendships, recognizing and remembering their friends years later. If an elephant comes upon a fallen friend, it has even been known to feel sad.

    Parrots

    As proved by this list, parrots are very smart. They are also the only animals listed that can actually hold a conversation. Some parrots know hundreds of words by imitating humans. The birds are also capable of remembering words and using them intelligently in response to situations.

    Every summer, the Serengeti plains (平原) of Africa are worth visiting. Millions of wild animals begin their 1,800-mile journey northwards on their annual migratory (迁移的) route.

    In the month of November, polar bears in their thousands cross the Canadian Arctic, as they head towards the ice sheets of Hudson Bay. The sea ice that forms every winter is the key to the bear's managing to exist, for here they hunt for seals (海豹).

    The Great Bustard, one of the heaviest flying birds, migrates each year across Europe and Asia to its wintering grounds. Unluckily, these and other migratory animals are in danger from human activity.

    We have written several articles on climate change and the effect of rising ocean temperatures. Since 1979, ice sheets in the Arctic have gone down by 30 percent. What does this mean for polar bears? They are forced to stay on land for longer periods of time, which delays their search for food. As a result, bears today are 60 pounds lighter than what they were. Besides, smaller bears also produce weaker babies, and their chances of survival are at risk. In the plains of Africa, migratory animals like gazelles are traveling long distances for food, just to avoid falling prey (牺牲品) to humans who hunt them.

    In an unusual step, experts from 120 countries have agreed to protect 31 migratory mammals, fish and birds. The United Nation's 11th annual Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) was held in Quito, Ecuador. For the first time, 900 experts attended the conference, and the enthusiastic support shows the world is united in conservation (保护) efforts.

    What does getting on a protected list mean? Countries that have signed the agreement will be required to pass laws locally and work with other countries that fall within the animal's migratory path. Only one animal did not make the list. The African lion was rejected (拒绝) for lack of information of the countries where it lives.

    One Sunday, Nicholas, a teenager, went skiing at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine. In the early afternoon, when he was planning to go home, a fierce snowstorm swept into the area. Unable to see far, he accidentally turned off the path. Before he knew it, Nicholas was lost, all alone! He didn't have food, water, a phone, or other supplies. He was getting colder by the minute.

    Nicholas had no idea where he was. He tried not to panic(惊慌). He thought about all the survival shows he had watched on TV. It was time to put the tips he had learned to use.

    He decided to stop skiing. There was a better chance of someone finding him if he stayed put. The first thing he did was to find shelter from the freezing wind and snow. If he didn't, his body temperature would get very low, which could quickly kill him.

    Using his skis, Nicholas built a snow cave. He gathered a huge mass of snow and dug out a hole in the middle. Then he piled branches on top of himself, like a blanket, to stay as warm as he could.

By that evening, Nicholas was really hungry. He ate snow and drank water from a nearby stream so that his body wouldn't lose too much water. Not knowing how much longer he could last, Nicholas did the only thing he could— he huddled in his cave and slept.

    The next day, Nicholas went out to look for help, but he couldn't find anyone. He followed his tracks and returned to the snow cave, because without shelter, he could die that night. On Tuesday, Nicholas went out to find help. He had walked for about a mile when a volunteer searcher found him. After two days stuck in the snow, Nicholas was saved.

    Nicholas might not have survived this snowstorm had it not been for TV. He had often watched Grylls'survival show Man Vs. Wild. That's where he learned the tips that saved his life. In each episode of Man Vs. Wild, Grylls is abandoned in a wild area and has to find his way out.

    When Grylls heard about Nicholas'amazing deeds, he was super impressed that Nicholas had made it since he knew better than anyone how hard Nicholas had to work to stay alive.

    In 1988, after being diagnosed with kidney cancer, Fenn, a high-end gallery owner, came up with a crazy plan: He would bury some of his favorite artifacts somewhere in the Rocky Mountains and then die next to them. "My desire was to hide the treasure and let my body stay there and go back to the soil," he explains.

    The contents are worth somewhere between $I million and $5 million. Then he took his treasure chest out into the Rockies and hid it.He wanted it to be found. But he wasn't going to just give it away.

    In 2010, Fenn self-published a book, The Thrill of the Chase, which includes a 24-line poem that Fenn claims contains nine clues that "will lead to my treasure."

    At first, nobody really noticed. But word spread, and the chase was on.(The book is now out of print, and copies show up on Amazon for as much as $3,200.) Fenn estimates that 350,000 people from across the globe have searched or are currently searching for his treasure. Yet nobody has found it.

    The problem with Fenn's poem is that the "clues" can be interpreted a million different ways. The "home of Brown," for instance, could be Browns Canyon National Monument in Colorado, or Brown Hill in New Mexico. Or a cabin or a bear.(Don't laugh; several people have already looked.)

    "It's all in the poem," some have recently started sharing more details," and the treasure isn't in a mine, I mean, they have snakes in' em. It's between 5,000 feet and 10,200 feet above sea level. It's not in Canada or Idaho or Utah or a grave-yard."

    Why are Fenn's treasure hunters so into what seems like a ridiculous thing to do with their time? Many are quick to say that their lives have been enriched by their experiences. "It's changed us," Neitzel says. "made us more confident, and even saved our marriages. Nothing scares us anymore." They thank Fenn for giving them a reason to take a risk, for giving their lives meaning. Many claim that even if they found Fenn's chest, they wouldn't necessarily spend the money—and might even rehide the chest. Another hunter had this tantalizing insight: "I hope that I never find the treasure. The journey will be treasure enough."

    And so the hunt continues.