When I was a child, I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm, in the winter especially, we wear quite out off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital.

    However, I soon discovered that one big disadvantage is money. It costs so much to go out, not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma(哮喘), and the air is so bad that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of traveling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it because of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.

    Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever you tastes in culture or entertainment(娱乐活动). Besides, there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally, if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising — and, what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.

    Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is, when you are in your teens(十几岁) or twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.

    Mom was a teacher most of her life. When she wasn't in the classroom, she was educating her children or grandchildren: correcting our grammar; starting us on collections of butterflies, flowers or rocks; or inspiring a discussion on her most recent “Book of the Month Club” topic. Mom made learning fun.

    It was sad for my three brothers and me to see her illness in her later years. At eighty-five, she suffered a stroke(中风) and she went steadily(不断地) downhill after that.

    Two days before she died, my brothers and I met at her nursing home and took her for a short ride in a wheelchair. While we waited for the staff to lift her limp body back into bed, Mom fell asleep. Not wanting to wake her, we moved to the far end of the room and spoke softly. Several minutes our conversation was interrupted by a muffled sound coming from across the room. We stopped talking and looked at Mom. Her eyes were closed, but she was clearly trying to communicate with us. We went to her side.

    “Whirr,” she said weakly.

    “Where?” I asked. “Mom, is there something you want?” “Whirr,” she repeated a bit stronger. My brothers and I looked at each other and shook our heads sadly.

    Mom opened her eyes, sighed, and with all the energy she could gather said, “Not was, say were!”

    It suddenly occurred to us that Mom was correcting brother Jim's last sentence. “If it was up to me…”

    Jim leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Mom,” he whispered. We smiled at each other and once again shook our heads…this time in awe (敬畏) of a remarkable teacher.

    When it comes to car hiring,all car hire companies require that you should have a full driving license for at least one year,some of whom may ask for two years,especially for younger drivers.

    Most car hire companies will not automatically hire out a car to someone under the age of 25 or to people over 70. But there are exceptions. Some listed companies are normally prepared to serve people of 21 and over. And some may go over the age limit and provide service for older people( aged 70 and over) providing you have no record of breaking the law and valid license, and a doctor's letter of good health.

    Now read on for some information about national companies with many bases hiring out cars to people aged 21 and older drivers.

    A T-shirt that constantly monitors the heart's activity and detects abnormalities could help protect people against stroke. The T-shirt, which can be washed up to 35 times before it needs replacing, has been developed to improve the detection of dangerous heart conditions like atrial fibrillation( 心房颤动), which causes an irregular heart rhythm and raises the risk of stroke.

    At least one million people in Britain are known to have this condition; however, it's estimated that at least another 500,000 have it but haven't yet been diagnosed because they have no obvious symptoms. Some will have symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness and fatigue; but a large number of people have no idea they're ill until they suffer a stroke.

    Detecting atrial fibrillation involves carrying out an ECG(心电图). Conventional ECGs are done in a hospital and involve highly trained teams of staff attaching up to 24 separate electrodes(电极) to different parts of the body to measure electrical signals. But most patients experience abnormal rhythms only intermittently(间歇地). This means the chance of picking them up during a short hospital check is slim.

    Doctors sometimes issue patients with a device called a Holter monitor to wear under their clothes to try to pick up cardiac( 心脏的) problems. This is an electronic box which clips onto your waistband and is connected to a series of electrodes worn on the upper part of your body. But the box itself is quite bulky, hard to hide beneath clothing and involves a dozen or more wires being attached to the patient's chest.

    The Cardioskin T-shirt, which is made from cotton, could be a much more convenient alternative and can be worn 24 hours a day — meaning it is more likely to pick up any abnormal rhythms in the patient's heart. It has 15 tiny electrodes woven into the material which are strategically placed around the chest area to track the electrical signals from the heart as they travel across the main part of your body.

    The electrodes are powered by a battery which can be removed easily when you need to wash the T- shirt and feed results to a microchip which then sends them out wirelessly to an app. This converts( 转换) the data into an easy-to-read chart showing if the heart rate is abnormal. The results are shared with the patient's doctor so they can check the patient's heart without having to call them into the hospital.

    Martin Cowie, a professor of cardiology at Imperial College London, said, “Cardioskin could be an important development for cardiologists.”

    Sunday Cushion Concerts

    Times: 10 am.&11am.

    Tickets: $5 per person

    The regular Sunday Cushion Concerts introduce children and their families to different instruments and styles of music. Bring your own cushions and secure places by booking in advance! Tickets are available to book over the phone 01865 325325.

    Christmas Show: The Elves (精灵) and the Shoemaker

    17-22 December 2019

    Tickets: $7 per person

    A poor shoemaker is down on his luck, but as Christmas draws close, a simple act of kindness inspires some magical elves to offer their services. Their amazing shoes attract customers from far and wide, earning the shoemaker fame and fortune! But how will he ever repay them?

    This classic story is brought to life for 3-to 7-year-olds and their families. Please book in advance to secure places! For other details, call us at 01865 325331.

    Moving Music

    Michaelmas Term Concert: 6 October 2019

    Times: 11:30am & 2pm

    Tickets: $5 per person

    Please reserve your places in advance, and pay on the door.

    This series of concerts is designed especially for people living with dementia(痴呆), and their families, friends, and carers, to enable them to enjoy a concert experience together and to help unlock memory and movement through the power of music. Concerts are held approximately every three months.

    For more details or to arrange access for transport: Phone 01865 286660.

    Turtle Key Opera

    Friday mornings in Trinity Term: April-June 2019

    Turtle Song is FREE to all participants. To sign up or for more information contact Turtle Key Arts on 01865 525265.

    Turtle Song is an opportunity to compose and sing your own songs with professional musicians. The group will meet weekly over a nine-week period between April and June 2019. The aims are to help people with all forms of dementia and people with memory problems.

    The world maps will soon be altered to reflect an eighth continent! Dubbed "Zealandia" the landmass that lies east of Australia covers 4.9 million km. Over 94 percent of it is submerged (淹没的) in the southwest Pacific Ocean, with just the islands of New Zealand and New C aledonia visible above sea level.

    To be clear, the underwater land is not a recent find. Researchers have known about its existence since 1995 when Bruce Luyendyk discovered and proposed an eighth continent that he called Zealandia. At the time, the area was dismissed as a collection of islands and land fragments (碎片), or at the most, classified as a micro continent—a landmass of continental crust that is not geologically connected to the nearest continent, in this case, Australia.

    However, after observing the areas features on an underwater topography map, New Zealand geologist Nick became convinced that Zealandia is a continent. Mortimer says that while Zealandia is much smaller than our seven continents, at over half the size of Australia, it is unfair to classify it as a microcontinent. The geologist argues, “If you could pull the plug on the world's oceans, then Zealandia would probably long ago have been recognized as a continent.”

    Geologist Christopher Scotese argues that too much of the landmass is underwater, asserting it's "almost a continent the way Pluto is almost a planet." Richard Ernst, a geologist, proposes coining a new term minicontinent—for Zealandia. He thinks this is perfect given that it is too large to be called a microcontinent and too small to be classified as a full-sized continent. Given that there is no international panel to decide the fate of Zealandia, its future as a continent is uncertain. Mortimer hopes that if supporters start using the term Zealandia, it may eventually catch on. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but for now, we will have to be satisfied with just seven continents!