A new book called “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” by Amy Chua has caused a debate (争论) about cultural differences in parenting. Amy Chua is a teacher in an American university and both of her parents are Chinese. In the book, Ms. Chua writes about how she taught her daughters. She told NBC television that she had a clear list of what her daughters were not allowed to do, such as having a play date, watching TV or playing computer games and getting any grade less than an A.

    Many people are against Amy Chua's parenting style (风格), even her husband, who is American. They say it is rude and unfair to children. But she says her parents raised her and her three sisters in that way.

    Ms. Chua says after her younger daughter shouted “I hate my life! I hate you!” she decided to retreat because she was afraid of losing her daughter. But she also says American parents often have low expectations of their children's abilities.

    “The debate is about what it means to be a successful parent and what it means to be a successful child,” said Stacy DeBroff, who has written four books on parenting. She says Amy Chua's parenting style is not limited to Chinese families. It is a traditional way of parenting among immigrants (移民). They hope to get a better future for their children.

    She also sees a risk (风险). When children have no time to be social or to develop their own interests, they might not develop other skills that they need to succeed in life. DeBroff advises parents to develop their own style of parenting and not just repeat the way they were raised.

    Minutes after the last movie ended yesterday at the Plaza Theater, employees were busy sweeping up popcorns and gathering coke cups. It was a scene that had been repeated many times in the theater's 75-year history. This time, however, the cleanup was a little different. As one group of workers carried out the rubbish, another group began removing seats and other theater equipment in preparation for the building's end.

    The film classic The Last Picture Show was the last movie shown in the old theater. Though the movie is 30 years old, most of the 250 seats were filled with teary-eyed audience wanting to say good-bye to the old building. Theater owner Ed Bradford said he chose the movie because it seemed proper. The movie is set in a small town where the only movie theater is preparing to close down.

    Bradford said that large modem theaters in the city made it impossible for the Plaza to compete. He added that the theater's location (位置) was also a reason. “This used to be the center of town,” he said. “Now the area is mostly office buildings and warehouses.”

    Last week some city officials suggested the city might be interested in turning the old theater into a museum and public meeting place. However, these plans were given up because of financial problems. Bradford sold the building and land to a local development firm, which plans to build a shopping complex on the land where the theater is located.

    The theater audience said good-bye as Bradford locked the doors for the last time. After 75 years the Plaza Theater has shown its last movie. The theater will be missed.

    Reading Oktoberfest

    Palmer Park is the perfect place to host the first Reading Oktoberfest, which takes place 15—18 September 2017.

    You can experience everything that makes Oktoberfest, held in a huge Beer tent. We'll have live music and DJs and thousands of people going crazy.

    Opening hours:

    Thursday 15 September 17:00-23:30

    Friday 16 September 17:00-23:30

    Saturday 17 September 12:30-23:30

    Sunday 18 September 12:30-19:00

    Ramsbottom Festival

    With its riverside location, Ramsbottom Festival is one festival which can truly be called beautiful. Here you can enjoy a mix of music, great arts and family shows, as well as a variety of Great British and international food.

    Ramsbottom Festival takes place 16—18 September 2017 at Ramsbottom Cricket Club. Bury, easily reachable by public transport from Manchester city centre.

    The Willow Festival Dorset

    The Willow Festival—the world's largest festival showing new and undiscovered live music bands and artists is coming to Dorset. Fun for all the family, the event also has a shopping area, a world food village, and plenty of activities for kids.

    Tickets are just £10.00, which covers a come-and-go attendance (出席) for all three days.

River Cottage Festival

    It's our first ever family-friendly music festival, right here at River Cottage HQ in Devon. On 17—18 September 2017, the farm will be filled with live music from popular bands in the UK. In between all that dancing you'll be able to watch shows from local craftspeople (匠人) and make your own piece of jewelry (珠宝).

    Tickets will cost you just £35, or £l0 for children under 12 (babies under 2 go free).

    The end of the school year is in sight — Christmas cards, candy canes and of course, end of year reports.

    While most parents welcome an assessment of their kids' performance, they do not expect their own input to be evaluated. But a school in the UK is changing that. As well as assessing their students, they are dishing out grades to mums and dads. Parents that are really involved in their kids' education are rewarded with an A, and parents that haven't done their bit get a disappointing D.

    The school, Greasley Beauvale Primary in Nottinghamshire, uses standard such as whether mums and dads have attended school events such as plays and parent teacher evenings to decide on the grade. The school's principal, Donna Chambers, said that the scheme had been well received.

    “There were some critics. In spite of it, between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of parents started out in the lower categories but now that has been reduced to just two per cent,” she explained.

    Chambers hopes that the scheme will help motivate parental involvement. “The system is important because you have got to get the parents on board from day one. That one hour initial conversation saying they could improve will make a difference to the rest of that child's academic life”, she said.

    But while the scheme may be well intentioned, it is likely to be connected with parent shaming. There are lots of reasons why some mums and dads might not be involved in school activities such as work commitments, looking after younger children or caring for elderly relatives.

    And of course, being involved in your kid's education doesn't begin and end at school. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes from helping with homework to keeping uniforms freshly laundered. And what about all the parents who stayed up sewing special costumes at the last minute? Surely that earns a gold star instead of a grade!

    When Mackenzie Foy got the call from film director Lasse Halls telling her that she'd landed the role of Clara in the newDisney film The Nutcracker and the Fоur Rеаlmѕ, she said "yes immediately. "I was just excited to go on a new adventure," Foy told the Evening Standard. Indeed, when many actors and actresses choose to appear in films simply for the fame and exposure, Foy, the17-year-old US actress, does it for the "adventure".

    It's true that every movie Foy has ever been in is an adventure. In The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn for example, the then 11-year-old Foy plays a half-human-half-vampire girl who has a superpower. In Interstellar, then 14, plays the daughter of a scientist who travels across the universe to try to find ways to save human beings from destruction. And now, in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, which will be released in Chinese cinemas on November 2, Clara is going on yet another exciting journey. This time, she allows a doll that her parents give her as a Christmas gift into a strange world.

    Foy likes excitement in real life, too. In fact, she has a first-degree black belt in tae kwon do( MY y ilÏ)."I am dying to do an action movie," she told VanityFair. "I can do my own stunts." And not happy with simply being in front of the camera, Foy dreams of trying something new one day. I want to be a director once I finish high school," she told the Evening Standard. "I want to make films that will make people end up looking at the world in a different way, so that they will feel inspired and learn something new."

    While IQ (Intelligence Quotient) tells you how smart you are. EQ (Emotional Quotient) tells you how well you use your smartness. Professor Salovery, the psychologist who created the term, EQ, says that it is IQ that gets you hired but it is EQ that gets you promoted.

    Supported by his research, he suggested that when predicting future successes, a person's brainpower, as measured by IQ tests, might actually matter less than a person's character, or EQ. Professor Salovery may be correct. For example, have you ever wondered why some of the best and smartest students in your class end up failing exams? Perhaps it is because of their EQ. People often make the mistake of thinking that EQ is the opposite of IQ. It is not. Although it is hoped that people have both high EQs and IQs, there is little doubt that those with low EQs have a hard time surviving in life.

    For a long time, researchers discussed if a person's IQ could be raised. The geneticists said no, while the social scientists said yes. Furthermore, the social scientists said that it was possible to improve a person's EQ, particularly in terms of "people skills", such as understanding and communication.

    Recently, a professor released the findings of a study on senior high school students. When some normal students were introduced to some disabled students, they found that afterwards they were more willing to help people in difficulties. At the same time, there was a marked change in the disabled students' attitudes. They became more positive about their disabilities and were more eager to try new things. People with high EQs often have positive attitudes towards life and are open to different ideas, so they tend to be more creative in their thinking. Please remember that having a high IQ is helpful but having a high EQ might even be more helpful.