If you've not heard that the decade-old princess-culture is causing problems—especially if you're a parent—you must be actively working to avoid it.

    The latest study adding fuel to the fire comes out of Brigham Young University and finds that the Disney princess obsession can be harmful to girls.

"I think parents think that the Disney princess culture is safe. That's the word I hear time and time again—it's safe." Lead study author Sarah M. Coyne of the Mormon institution in Utah noted in a press release. "But if we're fully jumping in here and really embracing (accepting) it, parents should really consider the long-term impact of the princess culture."

    So, what's the problem this time around? Same as always, confirmed the study, published in the journal Child Development, which involved the assessment of 198 preschoolers: Lots of engagement with princess culture (whether through moves or toys) can lead to gender-stereotypical(性别定性) behavior as well as self-critical body image.

The strict gender stereotypes can hold girls back. "They feel like they can't do some things," Coyne said, "They're not as confident that they can do well in math and science. They don't like getting dirty, so they're less likely to try and experiment with things."

On the other hand, "Disney princesses represent some of the first examples of exposure to the thin ideal," Coyne said. "As women, we get it our whole lives, and it really does start at the Disney princess level, at age 3 and 4."

So, what should a parent do? Try his or her best to avoid all princesses for the entire of a girl's childhood? I'd say, have moderation in all things, have your kids involved in all sorts of activities, and just have princesses be one of many, many things that they like to do and engage with." Coyne suggested. "This study has changed the way I talk to my daughter, the things I focus on, and it's been really good for me as a parent to learn from this study," Coyne said. "I usually can't say that my research findings have such a personal impact on my life."

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    In the spring of my career, I found myself questioning the choice of my life's work. The students did not appear to be motivated; the paperwork was overwhelming (巨大的) and the constant changes of educational direction were discouraging. But I just could not bring myself to do anything else. “Next year,” I would say, “next year I will switch jobs, make more money and have far less stress.” Next year just never came. I am now in my forties. And while I am no longer in the classroom or at the schoolhouse, I remain an educator. It finally dawns on me that there is no other profession that will let me change children's minds and have an impact on their future. For every student that finally “got it”, for every new teacher that said, “You inspired me to stay,” I get the raise that has never quite made it to my paycheck.

    I was on a plane recently and the flight attendant asked my name. When I told him, he said, “I knew that was you! You taught at my elementary school. You made me take my cap off in the building and told me I was handsome.” He then paused and said, “I think I kept my hat on until you saw me, just so I could get that compliment (赞美). Thank you for making me feel special.”

    We have now entered an age where nothing is private and secrets are hard to keep. Your “friends” are counted by simply clicking a button. Face-to-face interactions are seen by many as unnecessary and time-consuming. Of course, we can do anything online, including teaching and learning. But I guess I am just old school. I want to look into your eyes when the answer finally dawns on you.

    TO： ALL STUDENTS

    FROM ： John Keating

    SUBJECT ： Academic Honesty Policy

    As we start a new semester at City College, I would like to remind everyone of our commitment to academic honesty.

    Today, all students received a copy of our Academic Honesty Policy. I know everyone's mailbox can get very full at this time of year. However, this document is very important. It explains the rules that we expect all members of our academic community to follow. You are responsible for reading and understanding these rules. If you have any questions about the policy, please make an appointment to speak with your academic advisor.

    What is academic dishonesty?

    Often students can be unsure what we mean by academic dishonesty. The Academic Honesty Policy explains the types of behavior that are not allowed. Here are two examples of academic dishonesty：

    Cheating is breaking a rule to get a higher grade. Some examples of cheating include:

    Copying a classmate's answers during an exam.

    Looking at notes during an exam.

    Submitting homework that you borrowed from another student.

    Taking an exam for another student.

    Plagiarism is submitting the words or ideas of other people as your own work. Some examples of plagiarism include：

    Copying text from the Internet and submitting it as your own work.

    Copying text from a book, changing some of the words, and submitting it as your own work.

    Using another person's ideas and not giving that person credit.

    What happens if you are found guilty of academic dishonesty?

    If you are accused of academic dishonesty, the Student Honor Office will investigate your case. If you are found guilty of breaking the rules, the college will take disciplinary action. In serious cases, students can receive a failing grade. They may also be asked to leave school for good. For less serious cases, students could have to revise their work and receive a lower grade.

    Academic work can be difficult. At times, you may be tempted to use dishonesty to make the work easier. As you gather the knowledge and skills that will prepare you for your future career, remember this: It is our values that will help us achieve these goals. With every action, always remember to be honest, responsible and fair.

    Good luck with the new semester.

John Keating

President

City College

    Have you ever learned about F. Scott Fitzgerald? F. Scott Fitzgerald, born on September 24, 1896, an American novelist, was once a student of St. Paul Academy, the Newman School and attended Princeton. University for a short while. In 1917 he joined the army and was posted in Alabama, where he met his future wife Zelda Sayre. Then he had to make some money to impress her.

    His life with her was full of great happiness, as he wrote in his diary:" My own happiness in the past often approached such joy that I could share it even with the person dearest to me but had to walk it away in quiet streets and take down parts of it in my diary."

    This side of paradise, his first novel, was published in 1920. Encouraged by its success, Fitzgerald began to devote more time to his writing. Then he continued with the novel the Beautiful and Damned (1922), a collection of short stories Thales of the Jazz Age (1922), and a play The Vegetable (1923). But his greatest success was The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, which quick brought him praise from the literary world. Yet it failed to give him the needed financial security. Then, in 1926, he published another collection of short stories All the Sad Young Men.

    However, Fitzgerald's problems with his wife Zelda affected his writing. During the 1920s he tried to reorder his life, but failed. By 1930, his wife had her first breakdown and went to a Swiss clinic. During this period he completed novels Tender Is the Night in 1934 and The Love of the Last Tycoon in 1940 while his wife was in hospital in the United States, he got totally addicted to alcohol. Sheila Graham, his dear friend, helped him fight his alcoholism.

    Wood has many great characteristics that make it the perfect building material. It is cheap, durable, easily available, and most importantly, environmentally sustainable. The one thing it is not, is transparent! Now thanks to a team of scientists at Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology the material may even be able to add that feature to its already impressive list.

    Lead researcher Dr, Lars Berglund said he was inspired to create the transparent wood after learning how Japanese researchers had developed a see-through paper for use in flexible display screens for electronic devices. The team began by pulling out the wood's lignin(木质素). The lignin-free wood was then dipped into a polymer(聚合物)and baked at a temperature of 158°F for four hours. The result was a hybrid product that was not only stronger and lighter than the original wood but also, almost transparent. The researchers were able to adjust the level of transparency by varying the amount of the polymer injected and also by changing the thickness of the wood.

    While scientists have previously created a see-through wood for small-scale applications like computer chips, the transparent wood is the first one being considered for large scale applications. The researchers, who revealed their findings in Biomacromolecules on April 11, picture using the transparent wood in buildings to allow for more natural light, or to create windows that let in the desired amount of light without sacrificing privacy.

    Wood that allows light to pass through could lead to a brighter future for homes and buildings. Berglund also thinks the wood could play a significant role in the design of solar panels. The semitransparent material would be able to keep light longer and give it more time to interact with the conductor, thus resulting in better solar efficiency. Additionally, substituting the currently used glass with this new product would help solar energy manufacturers improve their carbon footprint and lower the cost. They are now experimenting with ways to scale up the manufacturing process so that the transparent material is cost-effective to make and easy to use.

Dickens House Museum

Type: Historic House / Palace

Address: 2 Victoria Parade, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 1QS

About

Dickens House Museum, Broadstairs celebrates Charles Dickens' long connection with Broadstairs from 1837 to 1851, through personal items and letters. Guided tours available.

The museum is housed in the cottage that was Charles Dickens' inspiration for the home of Betsey Trotwood in David Copperfield. David's description of Betsey's cottage with its square gravelled garden full of flowers, and a parlour of old fashioned furniture still fits today.

The character Betsy Trotwood is based on Miss Mary Pearson Strong who lived in the cottage that is now the museum. According to the reminiscences of Charles Dickens' son Charley, he and his father regularly had tea and cakes in the parlour (会客室) with the kindly and charming Miss Mary Pearson Strong. He also remembers that Miss Pearson Strong was completely convinced of her right to stop the passage of donkeys along the cliff top in front of her cottage. This belief became the donkey incident for the character of Betsy Trotwood, with the famous quote: "Janet! Donkeys!"

Spread over four floors, the Charles Dickens Museum holds the world's most important collection of paintings, rare editions, manuscripts, original furniture and other items relating to the life and work of Dickens. Perhaps the best-known exhibit is the portrait of Dickens known as Dickens' Dream by R. W. Buss, an original illustrator of The Pickwick Papers. This unfinished portrait shows Dickens in his study at Gads Hill Place surrounded by many of the characters he had created.

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