In its early history, Chicago had floods frequently, especially in the spring, making the streets so muddy that people, horses, and carts got stuck. An old joke that was popular at the time went something like this: A man is stuck up to his waist in a muddy Chicago street. Asked if he needs help, he replies,“No, thanks. I've got a good horse under me.”

    The city planners decided to build an underground drainage(排水) system, but there simply wasn't enough difference between the height of the ground level and the water level. The only two options were to lower the Chicago River or raise the city.

    An engineer named Ellis Chesbrough convinced the city that it had no choice but to build the pipes above ground and then cover them with dirt. This raised the level of the city's streets by as much as 12 feet.

    This of course created a new problem: dirt practically buried the first floors of every building in Chicago. Building owners were faced with a choice: either change the first floors of their buildings into basements, and the second stories into main floors, or hoist the entire bulidings to meet the new street level. Small wood-frame buildings could be lifted fairly easily. But what about large, heavy structures like the Tremont Hotel, which was a six-story brick building?

    That's where George Pullman came in. He had developed some house-moving skills successfully. To lift a big structure like Tremont Hotel, Pullman would place thousands of jackscrews(螺旋千斤顶) beneath the building's foundation. One man was assigned to operate each section of roughly 10 jackscrews. At Pullman's signal each man turned his jackscrew the same amount at the same time, thereby raising the building slowly and evenly. Astonishingly, the Tremont Hotel stayed open during the entire operation, and many of its guests didn't even notice anything was happening.

    Some people like to say that every problem has a solution. But in Chicago's early history, every engineering solution seemed to create a new problem. Now that Chicago's waste water was draining efficiently into the Chicago River, the city's next step was to clean the polluted river.

    It is a tall tale（夸张的故事）that terrifies most young children. Swallow a piece of chewing gum and it will remain in your body for seven years before it is digested. An even worse tale is that swallowed（吞） gum can wrap itself around your heart.

    But what does happen if you should accidentally eat a stick of gum? Chewing gum is made out of gum base, sweeteners, coloring and flavoring. The gum base is pretty indigestible(难消化的)—it is a mixture of different ingredients (成分) that our body can't absorb.

    Most of the time, your stomach really cannot break down the gum the way it would break down other foods. However, your digestive system has another way to deal with things you swallow. After all, we eat lots of things that we are unable to fully digest. They keep moving along until they make it all the way through the gut (肠子) and come out at the other end one or two days later.

    The saliva (唾液) in our mouths will make an attempt at digesting chewing gum as soon as we put it in our mouths. It might get through the shell（壳） but many of gum's base ingredients are indigestible. It's then down to our stomach muscles—which contract(收缩) and relax, much like the way an earthworm moves—to slowly force the things that we swallow through our systems.

    Swallowing a huge piece of gum or swallowing many small pieces of gum in a short time can cause a blockage within the digestive system, most often in children, who have a thinner digestive tube than adults—but this is extremely rare.

    Last year I was put into a lower­level math class at school. The reason I was in this class had nothing to do with my intellect (智力) or maths skills. I am blind.

The only problem with being in this class was that I was surrounded by “at­risk” students. These were kids who did not do well in school and they were constantly in trouble with the school and the law.

    One Tuesday morning, I went to a Christian Student Union meeting before school. There was a guest speaker there that day talking to us about praying (祈祷) for our enemies. I began to think about this. As I considered the idea, I prayed and asked God how I could pray for the kids in my class. I had forgotten that they weren't bad kids; they were just lost.

    At first, the prayers were mechanical. When I would hear their voices in class, I would pray, “Dear God, please bless so­and­so...” But as I continued, I began to think of the kids more often, and in my quiet time at home I would ask God to bless (保佑) the rest of my classmates.

    As time went on, my classmates became more than just annoying kids to me. There was something growing inside my heart for them, something that wasn't there before. They began to feel like family, and I was learning to love them in a way I never thought possible.

    I now see that praying is such a powerful act. Prayer is the most powerful tool a Christian has. When I pray for those around me, it also blesses my life, and it changes my opinion of others. I realized I needed God's blessings to see the world through loving eyes. The prayers I said for others turned out to help me the most.

    Are children becoming addicted to the Internet?

    Children are becoming addicted to the Internet and for many it is one drug that can't be beaten. Not all children, but an alarming number of them are being swept up in this age of digital information.

    Websites like Myspace, Youtube, and Facebook, are becoming so popular that many kids can't help but to be addicted to them just in order to fit. Why not become part of a society where you judged by how many friends on a friend list ? What has become of the world , when instead of calling your best friend on the phone you send them a message electronically and wait around for hours to see if they get on and read it ?Often on the web there just aren't enough adults setting kids straight and too many teenagers causing trouble .

    However, it is biased to claim all kids are addicted, or even that all kids who are addicted to the web are negatively affected by it. While the web can be a large waste pool of negative influence, it is also a wealth of positive knowledge, friendly social networking, and even gateways to future employment. Perhaps it isn't so important whether or not a child is addicted to the web and more important that parents know exactly what the kids are doing there.

    Many computers have optional parent controls that allow parents to block the children from entering certain types of sites, or even individual ones. Such programs are unfortunately not used enough by today's parents, who in many cases are caught up on computers themselves. All one needs to do is google search parental controls and you will be provided with any number of companies that can help with programs for tracing child activity and, if necessary, limit time spent on the Internet .

    Shakespeare's Globe Exhibition & Tour is a unique international resource to explore Shakespeare's work. Open all year round, it gives you an opportunity to learn more about the most famous playwright, Shakespeare, and helps you seek to further the experience and international understanding of him.

    Group Visits to the Exhibition & Tour Opening Hours

    Theatre Tours:

    Monday to Sunday 9:30 am – 5:00 pm

    Exhibition:

    Monday to Sunday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

    Groups of 15 people or more are required to pre-book their visit, and each group will have its own tour guide. To make a reservation, please fill in a Group Request Form and return it to us via email.

    Exhibition and Tour Prices

    Exhibition & Globe Theatre Tour

    Adult: £15.00

    Senior (60+): £13.50

    Student (with valid ID):  £11.50

    Children (5–15): £8.00

    Complimentary: Every 16th person free

    Getting Here

    Shakespeare's Globe 21 New Globe Walk, London SE1 9DT, UK

    We currently have enhanced security, with all bags being checked. Please arrive in good time, do not bring any large bags and check the Calendar before your visit or call +44 (0)20 7902 1500 to find out about our latest opening times.

    By car and taxi

    Where possible, visitors are advised to arrive by public transport or by taxi.

    There is a car park on Thames Exchange on the north side of Southwark Bridge (open 24 hours, seven days a week).

    Black cabs may be found all year round on Southwark Bridge. It may also be possible to pick one up from outside the main foyer(大厅) on New Globe Walk.

Where to eat

    Swan at Shakespeare's Globe serves modern British seasonal food for dinner, afternoon tea or drinks in our beautiful bar and restaurant set over two floors. Available for pre and post-theatre dining.

    Swan Restaurant

    Monday – Friday:12 noon – 2:30 pm & 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm

    Saturday:12 noon – 3:30 pm & 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm.

    Sunday:12 noon – 9:00 pm

    The easy way out isn't always easiest. I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug, my husband of one month, to a special meal. I glanced through my cook book and chose a menu which included homemade bread. Knowing the bread would take time. I started on it as soon as Doug left for work. As I was not experienced in cooking, I thought if a dozen was good, two dozen would be better, so I doubled everything. As Doug loved oranges, I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl. Soon there was a sticky dough (生面团）covered with ugly yellowish marks. Realizing I had been defeated, I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn't have to face Doug laughing at my work. I went on preparing the rest of the meal, and, when Doug got home, we sat down to Cornish chicken with rice. He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed. Twice he got up and went outside, saying he thought he heard a noise. The third time he left, I went to the windows to see what he was doing. Looking out, I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin, holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container. When I came out of the house, he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in out rubbish bin. Picking up the stick again, he held the lid up enough for me to see. I felt cold. But I stepped closer and looked harder. Without doubt it was my work. The hot sun had caused the dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast(酵母) made the surface shake and sigh as though it were breathing. I had to admit what the living thing was and why it was there. I don't know who was more embarrassed(尴尬) by the whole thing—Doug or me.