I look in the mirror, and I'm not happy with what I see. I don't have a "perfect" face. I look in the magazines and all I see are girls with fair hair, blue eyes, and, of course, a pretty little nose. They're on the outside of the buses that I take home, the television programs I watch, and the billboards（广告牌） I walk under. Almost every advertisement I see shows this human physical "perfection". These billboards not only tell me what to drink, but also how to look.

    Our society place more importance on a person's physical beauty, rather than their ability, honesty and character. We have influenced women to go through painful surgeries（手术）and starve themselves to become this society built physical model. To be a beautiful woman in the 21st century doesn't mean that you are a brilliant doctor or caring mother. It means you have the perfect jaw, eyes and lips. It means that you can be six feet tall and weigh one hundred and ten pounds.

But what about the women who are starting to leave their youth? Instead of looking at aging as a sign of wisdom, we try to prevent the aging process(过程）. It's a kind of funny thing to want to look eighteen when fifty. Fifty is a relaxed age, when you can step back and look at all you've achieved (successfully complete something). It is when your hard work pays off. Unfortunately, our society just sees you as "old". To stop the aging process, women buy wrinkle（皱纹） creams, do eye lifts and face lifts. They spend thousands of dollars to win the hopeless battle against age.

    I remember when I was about thirteen years old and going through teens, I had oily hair, and a half developed body. I hated the way I looked. I used to cry to my mother all the time, but she would just laugh and tell me that "you don't want anyone to like your appearance. It's your heart that is important, because beauty fades.（消逝）" I knew that she was right. If you work on your heart enough, people will start to see the beauty in you, which lasts and remains on even after you die.

    Family Fun in Canadian Museum of Nature

    Bring the whole family to rediscover our fully reformed museum and new galleries.

    What to See and Do

    Check out What's On for all the events, educational activities and HD movies happening during your visit. On the first floor, you can see birds, dive down into the depths at the helm(舵柄)of a submersible(潜水器)or explore a cave. Don't miss our 3D 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.

    Hours, Admission, Services and More

    Everything you need to plan your visit:

    Opening Hours

    Summer Hours (June1—September 4):

    9am-6pm(Saturday—Wednesday)

    9am-8pm(Thursday and Friday)

    Regular Hours: 9am-5pm(except Monday and Thursday)

    Admission

    Adult: $14

    Senior(65+):$12

    Student (13+):$12

    Child(3-12):$10

    Tiny Tot(0-2):Free

    Parking

    Paid parking is available on the Canadian Museum of Nature grounds.

    Rates

    $3 per half hour

    At most $14 per day(until 4:30 am)

    Evening flat rate(统一价格):

    $5(4:30pm-4:30 am)

    Charges accumulate(evening and next day)of vehicles that are parked overnight.

    Shopping

    Be sure to stop at our Nature Boutique on the second floor for a vast selection of games, books and nature-related souvenirs.

    Explore Nature

    The Canadian Museum of Nature provides a lot of information, images and videos on our websites. The museum participates in several social networks. Follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

    In the rush to get to school, you drop a piece of toast on the floor. Do you throw it away or decide it's still OK to eat? If you're like most people, you eat it. Maybe you follow the “5-second rule”, which says foods are safe to eat if you pick them up within 5 seconds after dropping them. But you might want to think again. Scientists now say that 5 seconds is all it takes for foods to become polluted with enough bacteria to make you sick.

    Bacteria can cause many kinds of illnesses. Some kinds of bacteria can grow on food. If you eat foods on which these bacteria are growing, you can become sick.

    One of these food-borne bacteria is Salmonella. It makes 1.4 million people sick every year. Salmonella is often found in raw eggs and chicken. Cooking kills these bacteria, which is why it is so important to cook eggs, chicken, and other foods thoroughly.

    But how long does it take these bacteria to pollute food? A team of scientists in South Carolina did an experiment. First, they placed an amount of Salmonella on three surfaces: wood, tile, and carpet. They placed a piece of bread and a piece of sausage on each surface for 5, 30, or 60 seconds. After just 5 seconds, both the bread and the sausage picked up enough bacteria to make you sick.

    So, forget the 5-second rule. If your toast drops on the floor, throw it away and get another piece of clean toast. And next time, be careful not to drop it!

Azores Destination Guide

    The Azores is a region of Portugal that's made up of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. Compared to many island destinations, the Azores isn't touristy, noisy, or polluted. Instead, travelers can expect to discover untouched nature, fantastic views, and charming villages with rich cultural traditions. Here are the key details you should know to begin planning your trip to the Azores.

    Must-See Attractions

    Nature lovers will be thrilled to discover all of the outdoor trips available to them in the Azores, This is a main spot for hiking, diving, fishing, and whale watching. Some of the top outdoor sights to see include the calderas of Lagoa das Sete Cidades and Lagoa das Fumas and Pico Island, where you can climb the tallest mountain in Portugal. Sao Miguel is the biggest and most populated island, and there are lots of historic homes, restaurants, hotels, and shops here.

    If You Have Time

    Try to visit the Pori of Angra in Terceira, which is a World Heritage Site and close to the hundreds of traditional bullfights that are held every summer. Head to the most westerly island of Flores to see the beautiful coast lined with wildflowers and sheep.

    Free Things to Do

    Visit the beach to take a dip in the comfortable 70-degree water

    Take the five-hour trek lo the peak of volcanic Mount Pico

    Go bird-watching to see some of the Azores 300+ species of birds

    Take a walk around the 15th century town of Heroismo to learn about local history

    Transportation

    The best way to get around the Azores is by car, and there are some really scenic drives to experience here. Buses operate around the islands, but service can be infrequent and unavailable on Sundays and holidays. Cycling should only be attempted if you are in great shape because the terrain is rugged and steep. It's especially enjoyable to take boat to get from island to island, since most towns have ports and are along the shoreline.

    At times my mom has been uncomfortable seeing some quality in me. For example, when I was 12, I went to Puerto Rico all by myself to stay with my grandmother for the summer. My mom was extremely nervous about it. She kept telling me how things were different in Puerto Rico, to always put on sunscreen, not to wander away from my grandmother, and other warnings. She helped me pack and did not leave the airport until she saw my plane take off.

    But despite her worries, she let me go on my own. As I moved into my teens, she continued to give me space to grow and learn, even when it might have been difficult for her. When I reached my senior year, I decided to move away for college. Once again I found that I differed from my peers: while many of them wanted to stay close to home, I couldn't wait to be out in the world on my own. While my mom may not have been happy at the thought of my going away, she was supportive and excited for me.

    One big thing I realized during my senior year, as my mom granted me more freedom, was that she actually believes in me and trusts me. That means a lot. Most of my life, and especially when I was little, the main person I tried to impress in my schoolwork or other things was my mother. I knew she expected nothing but the best from me. Sometimes it was hard to live up to her standards: getting a single B on my report card would make me feel bad because I knew she wanted me to have all A's.

    I know that her high standards have helped me stay focused on what's important, like education, and made me who I am. I am thankful for her support and involvement in my life. Most of all I respect her. She is the strongest woman I know and that's why I have turned out so strong and independent.

    Are you afraid of going to the dentist(牙医)? If so, you're not alone.

    These fears could just be in our heads, however. According to a recent survey by Martin Tickle, a professor at the University of Manchester in the UK, the pain isn't felt most of the time in dental surgeries(牙科手术). In fact, among the 451 interviewed patients, 75％reported no pain at all during their visits, including situations when they had their teeth pulled out.

    Could it be the sound of the drill(钻头)then?

    "I found that the sound of drilling can evoke deep worry in dental patients. Actually they don't have any pain, "Hiroyuki Karibe, a scientist at Nippon Dental University in Tokyo, told The Guardian.

    To find the reason why a drill might bring on a racing heart, Karibe divided the volunteers into low-fear and high-fear groups based on how much they feared a trip to the dentist. Volunteers were played the sound of a drill while their brain activities were watched by a machine.

    What Karibe found in the low-fear group was increased activity in the areas of the brain relative to auditory processing(听觉处理), which means, for these people, the sound of dental drills is no different from other sounds.

    In the high-fear group, however, the brain area that was activated(激活)was different. It was the area that carries out a number of duties, including learning, feelings and, most importantly, memory. This means that these volunteers not only heard the sound, but they remembered it—they made connections between the sound of a drill and the worry it produced in the past, causing their worry to return.

    Understanding how brains reply to the sounds of dentists' drills could help scientists find ways to make patients more relaxed, according to Karibe, because patients who worry about going to the dentist might keep putting off their visits. But the best way is to keep your teeth healthy.