Next autumn when you see wild geese heading south for the winter flying in a V formation, you might think about what scientists have discovered as to why they fly that way.

    As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift(提升) for the bird immediately following. By flying in a V formation the whole group adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flies on its own.

    People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the push of one another.

    When a wild goose falls out of the formation，it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go alone and quickly tries to get back into the formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. When the head goose gets tired，it flies back into the formation and another goose flies to the front. It is wise to take turns doing difficult jobs whether it is people or wild geese flying south.

    Wild geese honk (发出雁叫声) from behind to inspire those up front to keep up their speed. What can we learn from this?

    When a wild goose gets sick or wounded by gunshots，and falls out of the formation，two other geese will fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They will stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies，and only then will they go on with their own or with another formation to catch up with their group.

Summer Holiday Fun 2014!

The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!

Peterborough Museum

    The Age of the Dinosaurs' is the museum's main attraction this summer. Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands—on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking around every ember! The museum is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Saturday, and from 12:00pm to 4:00pm on Sundays in August.

Call 01733 864663 for details

Saxon Youth Club

    School holiday fun：Young people aged 13—19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in spots activities, or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road. Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00pm．PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3:30pm and 6:30pm.

Call 01 353 720274 for details

Houghton Mill

    The new play Alice through the Looking Class — a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th August. Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play. Gates open 5:30pm, performance 6:30pm—8:30pm. Tea room will be open until end of the interval. Adult ￡10．Child ￡7．Family ￡20．

Booking advisable on 0845 4505157.

Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey

    Farmland Gaines：From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches, come and join the Farmland Team．Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner！No need to book, just turn up between 12:00pm and 4:00pm on Thursday 19th August Suitable for children aged four and above, each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price Tickets Cost￡7 per child.

For further information, call 01223 810080.

    Helen Thayer, one of the greatest explorers of the 20th century, loves challenges. She says, “I like to see what's on the other side of the hill.” She has gone almost everywhere to do that.

    In 1988, at the age of 50, she became the first woman to travel alone to the North Pole. She pulled her own sled (雪橇) piled with 160 pounds of supplies, and during her trip no one brought her fresh supplies. Accompanied (陪伴) only by her dog Charlie, she survived cold weather and meetings with polar bears. In fact, Charlie saved her life when one of them attacked her. Near the end of her trip, a forceful wind blew away the majority of her supplies. The last week of the trip, she survived on a handful of nuts and a little water each day.

    Helen goes to challenging places not only for adventure, but also for education. Before her Arctic journey, she started a website called Adventure Classroom. On the site, she shares her adventures in order to motivate (激发) students. She explains, “Although kids often see the world in a negative way, without hope for their future, we work to inspire them to set goals, plan for success and never give up…” Helen grew up in New Zealand. Her parents were athletes and mountain climbers. Following how parents' example, she climbed her first mountain at 9. Later, she climbed the highest mountains in North and South America, the former USSR and New Zealand.

    In 1996, she took on another challenge-the Sahara Desert. She and her husband, Bill, walked 2,400 miles across it! In 2001, she and Bill traveled on foot from west to east through the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. They hope to travel in mainland China into Sichuan and Tibet to study pandas this year.

    Helen plans to continue taking trips. She'll use her colorations, writing, photography and environmental work to create programs for her Adventure Classroom website. She wants to inspire her students never to stop facing challenges!

    Finding out what kind and how much physical activity you need

    How do I do it?

    It's your choice. Pick an activity that's easy to fit into your life. Do at least 10 minutes of physical activity at a time. Choose aerobic activities that work for you. These make your heart beat faster and can make your heart, lungs, and blood vessels fitter. Also, do strengthening activities which make your muscles do more work than usual.

    Why should I be physically active?

    Physical activity can make you feel stronger and more alive. It is a fun way to be with your family or friends. It also helps you improve your health.

    How many times a week should I keep physically active?

    It is up to you, but it is better to spread your activity throughout the week and to be active at least 3 days a week.

    How do I build up more physical activity?

    Do a little more each time. Once you feel comfortable, do it more often. Then you can trade activities at a moderate level for vigorous ones that take more effort. You can do moderate and vigorous activities in the same week.

    At the end of last summer my parents' house in Tunstall went up in flames. Several months on, we're still trying to find out exactly what happened, but my parents John and Carole were out when more than half the house was burned to the ground. What was left behind needed to be pulled down and most of the things that were not actually destroyed were so smoke-damaged that they would have to be thrown away.

My parents were both teachers and not the kind of people to fill their house with expensive furniture, so most of their belongings were memories—--including photos and the tracksuit(运动服) that Dad was given when he carried the Olympic torch (火炬). But what really upset me was not the loss of these things.

    Dad had an album(唱片) for every occasion. Once his car got broken into and he was more upset that his cassettes had been nicked(划伤) than about all the rest of the damage. So when I was considering doing something to help after the fire, I immediately thought about his music. We couldn't get the old photos back, but we could replace his CDs and records. Then I started a little page about my dad on the blogging site Tumblr.

    Within a few days, news of what had happened spread by word of mouth, and I was getting messages from friends I hadn't spoken to for years. I also heard from Dad's mates and even from people neither of us had ever met. Soon packages arrived from all over the country. I expected 100CDs if we were lucky, but his new collection would now run into the thousands!

    On Christmas Day, all the records, tapes and CDs were packed into a beautiful box, which of course, was for my dad. A lot of them came from his previous students and he was touched to realize what an effect he had had on their lives. Eventually , he told me, “What could have been a bad Christmas has been a very good one.”

    I was driving home the other day on a sunny afternoon. I had a smile on my face as I sang along to the songs on the radio. It was such a beautiful day that I felt full of happiness. My good mood ended, however, when the radio station took a news break between songs. Then suddenly I found myself listening to yet another story of a rich famous man who had broken the law. I shook my head as I came to a red traffic light.

    As I pulled to a stop I noticed four leather­jacketed bikers. They were standing in the middle of the road with two on either side of the light. They looked rough and dangerous, but as I got closer I noticed each one was holding their helmet in their hands. I rolled down my window as one approached my car. "We are the Brother of the Wheel," he said. "We are collecting money for Christmas Toy Drive for needy children." As I pulled a dollar out of my wallet I looked past his beard and into his eyes. They shined with goodness and kindness that came right from his soul. I dropped the money in his helmet and waved to the other bikers as I drove off. My good mood had returned. My faith in mankind had been bolstered. And I remembered once again never to judge people by their appearance.

    Our society often judges books by their covers but God reads what is written in our hearts and souls. Perhaps one day we will all learn to see the world through the same eyes. Perhaps one day we will realize that looks matter little and actions matter much.