B

    Have you ever wondered why the roots of the plants always know which way to grow—into the soil but not above it? Some British scientists have recently solved this mystery.    

      It turns out that roots have special hairs that tie them into the soil and help them grow their way past obstacles, a team at the John Inners Center in Norwich reports in the February 29 issue of Journal Science.

    "The key is in the fuzzy(有绒毛的) coat of hairs on the roots of plants," says professor Liam Dolan. "We have found a growth control system that enables these hairs to find their way and to become longer when their path is clear."

    Root hairs explore the soil in much the same way a person would feel their way in the dark. If they come across an obstacle, they make their way around until they can continue growing in an opening. I the meantime, the plant is held in place as the hairs grip the soil.

    The hairs are guided by a clever chemical trick. A protein(蛋白质) at the tip of the root hairs called RHD2 helps them to take calcium(钙) from the soil. Calcium makes the hairs grow, and produce more RHD2, and take more calcium.

    But when an obstacle blocks the hair's path, or the hair reaches the surface of the soil, the cycle is broken and growth starts in another direction.

    This system gives plants the flexibility to explore a complex environment and to live in even the most unpromising soils, says Dolan.

    In poor soils such as in parts of Australia and Africa, native plants have adapted by producing enormous numbers of root hairs. A better understanding of this adaptation will allow scientists to develop hairy rooted crops that can grow in unfriendly environments.

    According to Dolan, "Research in the John Inners Center is taking a breeding approach(育种方法) to increase hair length in wheat but it will be some time before new cultivars(栽培变种) are developed."

    Spanish River Park

    Location: 3001 Ocean Blvd.,Boca Raton.

    Admission: $16 per vehicle on weekdays,$18 on weekends and major holidays.

    Special Comments: About 95 acres,more than a half-mile of beach with lifeguards.No pets.1,680-foot nature path and large playground area.

    Food/Dining: Picnic areas with barbecue grills（烤肉架）.Phone: (561)393-7811

    Restores: Restrooms and showers available.

    Red Reef Park

    Location: 1400 N.Ocean Blvd.,Boo2 Raton.

    Admission: $16 per vehicle on weekdays,$18 on weekends and major holidays.

    Special Comments: Developed beach (67 acres) with lifeguards.No alcohol or pets permitted.It offers grills and a small playground area.

    Food/Dining: Picnic areas available.Phone: (561) 393-7812

    Restrooms: Restrooms and showers available.

    South Beach Park

    Location: 400 N.Ocean Blvd.,Boca Raton.

    Admission: $15 per vehicle on weekdays,$17 on weekends and major holidays.

    Special Comments: 1,670 feet of beach,25 acres,lifeguards,955 feet of developed beach south of Boca Inlet with lifeguards.

    Food/Dining: Picnic areas available.Phone: (561) 393-7813

    Restrooms: Restrooms and showers available.

    Coconut Cove Waterpark

    Location: 11200 Park Access Road,Boca Raton.

    Admission: Adult $7; Children(4~12)$5; 3 and under free.

    Special Comments: The waterpark offers Sea Monster（怪物）walk pool,Meandering River,a waterslide and a waterfall.No alcohol or pets permitted.

    Food/Dining: Concessions.Phone: (561) 274-1140

    Restrooms: Restrooms and showers available.

    A new study says electronic toys are not helping babies learn.

    "Even if companies are marketing them as educational, they're not teaching the babies anything at this time," said Anna Sosa the study's author.

    Researchers listened to audio(声音的) recordings of parents playing with their babies aged 10 months to 16 months. The researchers compared the experiences when the children played with electronic toys, traditional toys such as blocks, or when the children looked at books. What they found is that parents talked less with their babies when the babies played with electronic toys.

    Why is this important? Research shows that how quickly children develop language is often based on what they hear from parents. When the infants played with electronic toys, parents said little to their children. But with traditional toys, such as blocks, parents shared the names and descriptions of the animals, colors and shapes as their children played. There was even more information given by parents as their babies looked at the pictures in books.

    Of course, there is no need for parents to throw out electronic toys, but they should look at their infants' play with such toys as entertainment, not a learning experience.

    Toy Industry Association spokeswoman Adrienne Appell responded to the study. She said it is important that parents make time to play with their children. "Playing is a way that kids can learn so much, not only cognitive(认知的) skills, but social and developmental skills," she said. She added that play should be balanced, including time for just "make believe" activities, as well as traditional and electronic toys.

                                                                             Bread Garrett's Comedy Club

    Category: Comedy

    Best known for his role on the Emmy award -winning sitcom（情景喜剧）Everybody Loves Raymond, Brad Garrett returns to his Vegas roots with his comedy club at the MGM Grand. It is a good place to check out when you need a break from work.

    Prices from: $56.40 and up

    Age restriction: Must be 21 years of age or older

    Show Length: 115 minutes

    Mac King Comedy Magic Show

    Category: Comedy, Magic

    The Mac King Comedy Magic Show is different every afternoon, with lots of audience participation. He is willing to make fun of himself instead of his guests in order to make everyone feel welcome and entertained. The afternoon is kid-friendly from start to finish. Still, whether you're eight or 80, you won't be able to figure out King's secrets.

    Prices from: $40.90 and up

    Age restriction: No age restriction

    Show Length: 90 minutes

    The Mentalist, Gerry McCambridge

    Category: Comedy, Magic

    Using his skills as a “mentalist”, Gerry McCambridge shocks the crowds as he uses his abilities to predict just what audience members will do next. Anyone who has seen the show has walked away in disbelief, amazed by his unusual power.

    Prices from: $34.99 and up

    Age restriction: Under 13 will not be admitted into the theater

    Show Length: 75 minutes

    Rock of Ages

    Category: Plays & Musicals

    The cheerful Rock of Ages brings audiences back to the times of big hair and even bigger bands with 28 popular rock songs from the 80s including Every Rose Has Its Thom, I Wanna Know What Love Is, Here I Go Again, and more.

    Rock of Ages has been nominated（提名）for five Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical. It also received a Drama League nomination for Distinguished Production for a Musical.

    Prices from: $74.00 and up

    Age restriction: Must be 15 years of age or older

    Show Length: 125 minutes

    Of all the mountain gorillas that veterinarian Mike has treated in the past 18 years, a gorilla named Ijabo stands out the most. When Ijabo was three days old, an examination showed that one of his legs was badly damaged. Mike removed Ijabo's leg below the knee. Five years later, Mike says Ijabo is doing well. “I still see him every now and again,” Mike told TFK. “It's heartwarming.”

    Mike is a co-director of Gorilla Doctors. The organization provides medical care to ill and injured mountain and Grauer's gorillas. Its 16 veterinarians work in national parks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. For years, the apes have fallen victim to habitat loss, poaching, and disease. According to their website, Gorilla Doctor's task is to save the apes “one gorilla at a time”.

    The doctors treat mostly gorillas that are accustomed to humans. Trackers, guides, and veterinarians check on habituated gorillas in the field several times each week. Sometimes, a gorilla has a medical problem that requires treatment.

    That calls for an intervention. A helper shoots the animal with a dart(飞镖). If the gorilla appears to have a serious but treatable illness, the dart contains antibiotics to fight off infection. If it appears to need surgery, the dart contains a drug that leaves the gorilla unconscious and unable to feel pain.

    Although the gorillas are critically endangered, there are signs of hope, thanks in part to Gorilla Doctors. The mountain gorilla is the only great-ape species whose population is growing.

    “Habituated mountain gorillas are increasing by 4% each year, which is as fast as the human population is growing globally,” Mike says. He notes a recent study that credits the work of Gorilla Doctors for 50% of that growth. He is proud of the role his team has played in making it happen.

    There have always been a lot of commonly believed but false ideas about being fat and doing exercise. Some people believe that they can't help putting on weight as they get older, while others hold that if they stop exercising, their muscles will turn into fat. Here are some more myths:

I'll never lose weight — I come from a fat family.

Wrong! While we can't change the body type we are born with, we can't blame our genes for making us fat. There's plenty of evidence that fatness runs in families, and the main reason is that they share the same habits of eating too much and exercise too little.

    I am fat because I burn calories slowly.

Wrong! Fatness is not caused by a slow metabolism (新陈代谢). If fact, although fat people consume more energy that slim people, they also fail to realize how much they eat! Keeping a diary can help you work out your daily food intake more accurately.

    Exercise is boring.

    Wrong! Anything will become boring if you do it many times. The key is to develop a balanced and varied program that's fun as well as progressive. If you enjoy a Sunday walk, take a different route. If you do Yoga, try a tai chi class. If you like swimming, set yourself a distance or time challenge.

    No pain, no gain.

    Wrong! Exercise is not meant to hurt. Indeed, pain is your body telling you something's wrong, and continuing to exercise could lead to serious injury. You may experience mild discomfort as you begin to exercise regularly, but this your body adapting to the positive changes in your lifestyle and the aches should disappear relatively quickly. If you don't, rest and seek medical advice.