If you had a strange sound in your ear, what would you do? One man in Wales who thought he had a fly in his ear called 999, the emergency services number in Britain. And so did a woman who was worried about her green potatoes. Could she make chips with them? Were they poisonous? She didn't hesitate about calling the local ambulance service to ask. According to a recent report, more than 31,000 non-urgent calls were made to the Welsh Ambulance Service in the last year.

    Inappropriate calls are a headache for health professionals everywhere. In the US, prank calls to 911 happen on a daily basis. Many callers use apps which hide their identity. But those who try to be funny shouldn't be surprised if the police have the last laugh. One man from Colorado was arrested for making more than 1,200 prank calls, according to a report on the US television station KOAA—TV.

    People who take these calls are trained to stay calm and keep a straight face, no matter how strange the call sounds. “There's no way for us to know whether the call is real, accidental or a prank call,” said a public safety worker interviewed by the American TV channel.

    The Head of Clinical Services at the Welsh Ambulance Service, Richard Lee, has a warning for prank callers. He says:“ When people misuse the service it means our precious time is being taken away from someone who really does need our help.” Indeed, these hotlines are supposed to help the seriously ill or those with a life-threatening injury. You never know, one day, the person who needs assistance could be you or someone in your family.

    What is the nature of the scientific attitude, the attitude of the man or woman who studies and applies physics, biology, chemistry, geology, engineering, medicine or any other science?

    We all know that science plays an important role in our societies. However, many people believe that our progress depends on two different aspects of science. The first aspect is the application of the machines, products and systems of knowledge that scientists and technologists develop. The second is the application of the special methods of thought and action that scientists use in their work.

    What are these special methods of thinking and acting? First of all, it seems that a successful scientist is curious - he wants to find out how and why the universe works. He usually pays attention to problems which he notices have no satisfying explanation, and looks for relationships even if the data available seem to be unconnected. Moreover, he thinks he can improve the existing conditions and enjoys trying to solve the problems which this involves.

    He is a good observer, accurate, patient and objective and uses the facts he observes to the fullest. For example, trained observers obtain a very large amount of information about a star mainly from the accurate analysis of the simple lines that appear in a spectrum(光谱).

    He does not accept statements which are not based on the most complete evidence available. He rejects authority as the only basis for truth. Scientists always check statements and make experiments carefully and objectively.

    Furthermore, he does not readily accept his own idea, since he knows that man is the least reliable of scientific instruments and that a number of factors tend to disturb objective investigation.

    Lastly, he is full of imagination since he often has to look for relationships in data which are not only complex but also frequently incomplete. Furthermore, he needs imagination if he wants to guess how processes work and how events take place.

    These seem to be some of the ways in which a successful scientist or technologist thinks and acts.

    Why do I volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America? I have many reasons. Perhaps the biggest reason is that someone volunteered to help me. Years ago, I was on the other side of the table. I was lonely and felt kind of lost. More than once, I found myself on the wrong side of a jail cell(牢房). If someone hadn't stepped in, I probably wouldn't even be here right now.

    I've seen the work that Big Brothers Big Sisters has been doing all over the country and I'm pleased to be part of it. I've never done anything that made me prouder than my volunteering work. Big Brothers Big Sisters helped me get my head on straight. There are no words to describe the joy I get from helping somebody turn their life around.

    Don't tell anyone I said that, but volunteering is probably the fastest way to get over sadness or depression. Every time I start to feel bad, I talk to someone who needs my help and it makes me feel better and worse all at the same time. I feel better, because doing good things fills me with a sense of pride. I feel worse because I feel I have no right to complain about my situation especially when I hear what others are going through.

    I've come a long way from where I was. Volunteering is how I want to leave my mark on the world. I recommend volunteering work to everybody, especially for somebody who isn't sure where they're going in life. Helping someone find their path is often the best way to find yours.

    I grew up poor. We had little money, but plenty of love and attention. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still afford a dream. My dream was athletics.

    By the time I was sixteen, I was good at baseball and football. My high-school coach was Ollie Jarvis. He not only believed in me, but taught me the difference between having a dream and showing conviction(信念).

    One summer a friend recommended me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket — cash for dates with girls, certainly, money for a new bike and new clothes, and the start of savings for a house for my mother.

Then I realized I would have to give up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn't be playing. I was dreading(害怕) this, but my mother said, "If you make your bed, you have to lie in it."

When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as mad as I expected him to be. "Your playing days are limited. You can't afford to waste them," he said.

    I stood before him with my head hanging, trying to think of the words that would explain to him why I dreamed of buying my mom a house.

"How much are you going to make at this job, son?" he demanded.

"Three twenty-five an hour," I replied.

"Well," he asked, "is $3.25 an hour the price of a dream?"

    That question laid bare for me the difference between wanting something right now and having a goal. I devoted myself to sports that summer, and within the year I was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play rookie-league ball, and offered a $20,000 contract. I signed with the Denver Broncos in 1984 for $1.7 million, and bought my mother the house of my dream.

    Are you looking for something to do? You might like to try one of these four experiences.

    Crocodile watching

    Do you fancy getting up close to some of the most terrifying animals on earth? Crocosaurus Cove, in Darwin (Australia) has the “Cage of Death”. It's an enclosure that's lowered into a pool. This gives you a 360 degree view of a crocodile as it's being fed. The cable broke once and the cage sank to the bottom, but they've fixed it since then.

    Edge walk

    How about walking along the edge of a building several hundred meters up in the air? If that sounds like fun, head off to the CN Tower in Toronto (Ontario, Canada). Built in 1976, the tower is 553.33 meters tall.

    The Edge walk consists of a 20-30 minute stroll along a 1.5 meter wide platform that runs around the tower's restaurant roof. During the walk, you're encouraged to lean forwards as you look over Toronto's skyline (轮廓线).

    Plastic ball rolling

    Do you fancy rolling down a hill in a plastic ball?

    Plastic ball rolling is popular all over the world, but the place to give it a go is in Rotorua (New Zealand). Brother David and Andrew Akers came up with the idea in 1994. A typical orb(球) is about 3 meters in diameter, with an inner orb size of about 2 meters. There's no brake or steering mechanism, but the inner layer of the plastic ball helps absorb the shock.

    Volcano bungee jumping

    If you're looking for the adventure of a lifetime, how about going bungee jumping off a helicopter into the crater of a live volcano? As part of the jumping, a helicopter ride takes you to the Villarreal volcano, one of the most active in Chile. Once you're at the drop zone, you leap off the helicopter and fall into the volcano. Finally, you enjoy the ride back to the airport flying at 130kph.

    Attracted by the above? If so, please contact us. Only half price from March 22 to April 25th For more information, please click here.

This document sets out the display standards for Glasgow Museums. This guide will help exhibition planners provide access to exhibitions in our museums. Glasgow Museums' aim is to improve access to collections by having as many items as possible on display and without physical barriers. We also try out best to protect these objects without limiting access to them.

Object Placement

·Don't place objects in such a way that they could present a danger to visitors.

·All object displays, cased or otherwise, must be viewable by all, including people who are small in figure or in wheelchairs.

Open Display

·All objects on open display must be secure from theft and damage.

·All objects identified for potential open display must be viewed and agreed on an object-to-object basis by the Security Manager of the museum.

*In some cases, 600mm may be acceptable, provided the plinth height is above 350mm.

Cased Objects

·All cased displays should fall within the general optimum（最优的）viewing band of 750-2000mm. Ensure everything is visually accessible from a wheelchair.

·Position small objects or those with fine detail in the front part of a case, with larger items behind.

·Position small items or those with fine detail no higher than 1015mm from floor level. Objects placed above this height are only seen from below by people in wheelchairs or people who are small in figure.