Does your local town have a nickname？If so，what does it say about the area and the people who live there?

    Many cities are recognized across the world by  their unofficial titles.New York is the Big Apple，London is the Big Smoke，and Los Angeles is famously called La La Land.

    Now Britain's National Mapping Agency(规划局)，Ordnance Survey，and the British Linguistics (语言学)Charity，the English Project，are launching an interactive project to uncover the nicknames people use for local places.

    The project，which was launched last week to coincide with English Language Day，is called Location Lingo.It aims to identify the names people use every day，whether it's a term of endearment(昵称) or a hate name.

    The University of Winchester's Professor Bill Lucas is a leader of the English Project.He explains that unofficial place names often show what people think about a place.“The name that people conjure up or create for a place forms an emotional connection，”he says.“So Basingstoke becomes Amazingstoke，Swindon is known as Swindump.Padstow，hometown of chef Rick Stein，is nicknamed Padstein.”

    Basingstoke is a town in central England.The local nickname，Amazingstoke，shows the love that locals seem to have for the area.Swindon，on the other hand，is sometimes called Swindump，showing that local people think it's a big dump.Stanford Le Hope in Essex is called Stanford No Hope by locals.And Padstow in Cornwall is so closely associated with the local celebrity Rick Stein that it's become known as Padstein.

    Since launching the online database (数据库) last week，the creators have already received 3,000 alternative  titles for places and landmarks.

    Some also say that the project could even have a practical use.Glen Hart，Ordnance Survey's head of research，says the information could be very helpful to the emergency services，for example.“By having the most complete set of nicknames，we could help the emergency services quickly locate the right place，and maybe even save lives，”he says.

    If you like texting and are trying to lose weight, a new study found that using texting(发短信) to track diet and exercise habits may help you lose weight.

    Previous research has shown that keeping food and exercise diaries improves the likelihood of success when you are using it to lose weight. Using a computer or a pen and paper to record information, however, can be a burden and cause some people to give up.

    Duke University researchers said using text messages to track eating and exercise habits can save time, and increase the chances that people will stick with their weight-loss rules.

    The study included 26 obese/fat women with an average age of 38. The women used daily texting as part of their weight-loss program. The text messages focused on tracking personalized goals, such as avoiding sugary drinks or walking 10,000 steps a day. Messages also provided brief feedback (反馈) and tips.

    Every morning, the women received a text from an automated system that said, “Please text yesterday's personal information of steps you walked and how many sugary drinks you had.” Based on the women's responses to the text message, the system sent another text with personalized feedback and tips.

    After six months, the women who used daily texting lost an average of nearly 3 pounds, while another group of women who used traditional methods to keep food and exercise diaries gained an average of 2.5 pounds, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

    “Text messaging has become popular and may be an effective method to simplify tracking of diet and exercise behavior,” Dori Steinberg, who was responsible for this research, said.

    Steinberg said, “Text messaging offers several advantages compared to other self-monitoring methods. Unlike web-based diet and exercise diaries, data in a text message can be entered quickly on nearly all cell phone platforms so it is very convenient to receive feedback. Besides, because of the limited number of words used in text messages, it saves time.”

    When your pet is sick, you know it needs medication. But pets, like babies, don't know the pill you want them to take will help them. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some tips to help get your pet to take liquid medicine.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If the answer is yes, then your easiest path is to mix it with canned food. First give your hungry pet a small amount of canned food without the medication. It's important that the pet nibbles (一点一点地吃) at the food and sees that there's nothing wrong.

    Next, while the pet is still hungry, mix the medication in a small amount of food and present it. Repeat as necessary to get the entire dose (剂量) down. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If the pet decides not to finish the meal, the dose will be wasted.

    If the chemist says the medication cannot be taken with food, you need a syringe (注射器) or a dropper to get the liquid down your pet's throat.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Keep a cheerful tone in your voice so the pet doesn't sense your stress or hesitation. Position your pet where it cannot run away, perhaps having a dog sit with his back against a wall or chair – or a cat on your lap.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Use your other hand to insert the syringe or dropper between the cheek and back teeth. Slowly squeeze the medication so the pet won't choke. Try to keep your pet's mouth closed for about 30 seconds until you see it has swallowed. If your pet is being obstinate (倔强的), stroke its throat gently or blow on the face.

    Be sure you end the process with praise and perhaps a treat so your pet will not associate medication with a bad experience.

A. Before you call your pet in, be sure to have the medication and any other materials you'll need ready.

B. Once the pet is in position, use one hand to gently open the pet's mouth from above, tilting back the head slightly.

C. Ask the vet if the liquid medication can be given with food.

D. You should know the reason why the pet refuses to take medicine.

E. Never mix the medication with the full meal.

F. They just know it smells funny and they don't want it.

G. Don't force your pet to swallow all the medicine.

    Studies have shown that drinking water on empty stomach can help increase metabolic (新陈代谢的)rate up by 30%.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. You know what that means right? -- Quicker weight loss!{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, then you will be able to digest food faster and maintain a slim figure despite eating those extra calories. However, this doesn't guarantee you to bite down on all that junk food. Furthermore, you will need to add in around four litres of water into your daily routine for best results.

    Constipation(便秘)is one of the most painful conditions which also results in remains of poisonous substances inside the body. But did you know that one of the other benefits of drinking water is that it helps to clear out your bowels? The colon(结肠),which is in part responsible for bowel movements, require water to function properly.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Drinking water on empty stomach especially if it's hot, can improve the health of our nervous system. Early morning, the stomach is most receptive. At this moment, if you love coffee, which makes central nervous system excited, your nervous system will be affected from the get-go. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, it can properly supply water to your nervous system, which will help it function properly.

    Again, if you are likely to suffer migraine attacks, then water can help fight it off.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} So just by increasing your water intake, you are basically preventing your chances from suffering another headache attack. This is especially so when you are drinking water on empty stomach, as your body didn't get any liquid when you were asleep.

A. If your metabolic rate is higher

B.H you just have a glass of warm water instead

C. When your skin is properly containing combined water inside

D. This means that the rate at which calories are burned increases by nearly one third

E. So just drink down a glass of water and sit on your toilet for a clean colon

F. Your doctor might have already told you that headaches happen due to lack of water

G. Besides, we all know that having a healthy appetite is good for overall health

    You can't always predict a heavy rain or remember your umbrella. But designer Mikhail Belvacv doesn't think that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet.

    That's why he created Lampbrella, a lamp post with its own rain sensing umbrella.

    The designer says he came up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia. "Once, I was driving on a central Saint Petersburg street and saw the street lamps lighting up people trying to hide from the rain. I thought it would be appropriate to have a canopy(伞蓬) built into a street lamp," he said.

    The Lampbrella is a standard-looking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy. It has a built-in electric motor which can open or close the umbrella on demand. Sensors (传感器)then ensure that the umbrella offers pedestrians shelter whenever it starts raining.

    In addition to the rain sensor, there's also a 360 motion sensor on the fiberglass street lamp which detects whether anyone's using the Lampbrella. After three minutes of not being used the canopy is closed.

    According to the designer, the Lampbrella would move at a relatively low speed, so as not to cause harm to the pedestrians. Besides, it would be grounded to protect from possible lighting strike. Each Lampbrella would offer enough shelter for several people. Being installed at 2 meters off the ground it would only be a danger for the tallest of pedestrians.

    While there are no plans to take Lampbrella into production, Belyaev says he recently introduced his creation to one Moscow Department and insists this creation should be installed on the street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies to provide shelter.

    If you use social media to chase away loneliness, a new study suggests you're going against the grain.

    We may have heard a lot about the benefits of interacting with others online, but the findings of a study conducted by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists show a direct relationship between social media usage and feelings of isolation (隔绝). In short, the more time you spend on social media, the lonelier you may feel.

    With increased interaction on a large number of apps that allow for endless virtual connectivity, loneliness seems like the last problem frequent social media users would face, but according to the leader of the study Brain Primack, it has the exact opposite effect.

    "Mental health problems and social isolation are at widespread levels among young adults nowadays," Primack said, "We are naturally social creature, but modem life tends to separate us instead of bringing us together. While it may seem that social media presents opportunities to fill the social void (空隙), I think this study suggests that it may not be the solution people were hoping for."

    Primack and his team examined the social media habits of 1,787 U.S. adults aged 19 to 32 via a questionnaire that asked about the time and frequency they spent on the most popular social media platforms. Eventually, they determined that young adults who are constantly logging into social media reported more feelings of isolation than those with less social media usage. Frequent exposure to unrealistic descriptions on social media instead of face-to-face social interactions may give people the impression that others are living happier, more connected lives, and this may users feel more socially isolated in comparison.