Do you like air travel with a service dog? Air travel makes some people very nervous. The crowds, the noise and flying itself can cause unease. But there are classes people can take to help them defeat their fear of flying. And, let me introduce similar training for service dogs that suffer the same problem

    Service dogs almost never leave the side of the people they care for. You will see them working on buses, trains and other public transport systems. But the busy environment found at an airport can trouble even the best trained working dog.

    People with disabilities depend on their dogs. They want the animals to safely guide them through security areas. They also need the dogs to remain calm on duty on the plane, even when the flying is not smooth. This takes special training. The Air Hollywood K9 Flight School is one place where such help can be found.

    The school has a piece of equipment that provides the sights, sounds and even the feel of an airplane in flight. It is called a flight simulator, which was built for filming airplane scenes in movies.

    Sandy Alexander has a disability that requires his two-year-old dog, Doc, to be always at his side. Mr. Alexander took the dog to the flight school to get him ready for plane trips. He says Doc did not like the bumpy part of the flight simulation( 模拟).

    Dog trainer Mary Segall is with Canine Companions for Independence. It provides dogs for people with disabilities. Ms Segall says successful training is based on a simple rule: preparation.

    "Dogs need to be exposed gradually and repetitively to stimulation, to the environment, to loud noises, to sounds and to other dogs so that when this experience happens to them on a daily basis, they are able to act in a way that they're used to acting and that they don't get excitable."

    Dog owners who attended the training at Air Hollywood K9 Flight School say they now feel much more at ease about future flight. Their dogs also seem ready for take-off.

    As a teenage rock fan, all Dennis Vorreyer really expected of the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago two weekends ago was the chance to see his favorite bands perform live.

    But he and his father, Jeffrey, who accompanied him to the festival, signed up for Lollapalooza's text-message network, and thus learned about a guitar-playing contest taking place there. Dennis, 14, entered and won a new Gibson guitar. Tad Kubler, the lead guitarist for the Hold Steady, who was involved in the contest, then invited Dennis to perform with the band as it closed its set.

“Having your cell phone everywhere is important for everybody now,” Dennis said. “I never dreamed of playing Lollapalooza.” The modern mobile phone — equipped with camera, Internet access and more— has proved to be a liability for some performers, like Akon and Beyonce, whose regrettable moments were captured by fans and then immortalized on YouTube and similar sites. But for the fans themselves, mobile phones are becoming as important an accessory as an all-access wristband. Beyond using them to record a short souvenir, they are becoming a ticket to everything from free ringtones to VIP treatment.

    On Gwen Stefani's recent tour, as many as 20 percent of the audience at some shows agreed to pay 99 cents for text messages and the chance to win better seats, according to the mobile marketing company Impact Mobile. At festivals like Lollapalooza, thousands of fans sign up to receive continuous updates from concert organizers about promotions and special events.

Even when there is no fee, the service comes at a price: fans must give their phone numbers to marketers. And purists — and some artists — disapprove of fans pecking out text messages or snapping pictures during performances. Still, the arrival of a new generation of phone-based activities could add a new twist to live events at a time when rising ticket prices have discouraged many concertgoers.

    “Long time no see” is a very interesting sentence. When I first read this sentence from an American friend's email, I laughed. I thought it was a perfect example of Chinglish.

    Obviously, it is a word-by-word literal translation of the Chinese greetings with a ruled English grammar and structure! Later on, my friend told me that it is a standard American greeting. I was too surprised to believe her. Her words could not convince me at all. So I did a research on google.com. To my surprise, there are over 60 thousand web pages containing “Long time no see.” This sentence has been widely used in emails, letters, newspapers, movies, books, or any other possible places. Though it is sort of informal, it is part of the language that Americans use daily. Ironically, if you type this phrase in Microsoft Word, the software will tell you that the grammar needs to be corrected.

    Nobody knows the origin of this Chinglish sentence. Some people believe that it came from Charlie Chan's movies. In the 1930s, Hollywood moviemakers successfully created a world wide famous Chinese detective named “Charlie Chan” on wide screens. Detective Chan likes to teach Americans some Chinese wisdom by quoting Confucius. “Long time no see” was his trademark. Soon after Charlie Chan, “Long time no see” became a popular phrase in the real world with thanks to the popularity of these movies.

    Some scholars refer to America as a huge pot of stew. All kinds of culture are mixed in the stew together, and they change the color and taste of each other. American Chinese, though a minority ethnic(少数民族的成员) group in the United States, is also contributing some changes to the stew! Language is usually the first thing to be influenced in the mixed stew.

    You can have some other examples than adoptions（采用）from Chinese, such as pizza from Italian, susi from Japanese, and déjà vu from French etc. There is a long list! Americans do not just simply borrow something from others. They will modify it and make it their own, so you would not be surprised to find a tofu and peanut butter hamburger in a restaurant, or to buy a bottle of iced Chinese green tea with honey in a grocery store. Since Americans appreciate Chinese culture more and more nowadays, I believe more Chinese words will become American English in the future. In this way the American stew keeps adding richness and flavor.

    Every year, thousands of students choose to study in another country for a semester, the summer, or a year. Studying overseas can be an exciting experience for many people.

Why do you study overseas?

    Living in another country can help you to learn a language, and about another culture. You will see the world in a new way, and learn more about yourself. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Many companies today want employees who speak a second language, or have experienced living or working in another country.

    Make the right choice.

    Once you decide to study overseas, you have to make some choices. To choose the right country or school, ask yourself: Where do I want to go and why? How much do I want to pay? How long do I want to study overseas? {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Get your passport and visa (签证) early! Before you go, learn some of the language, and read about some common customs in your host country. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Bring some of it, and a credit card with you.

    Once you are there.

    After the first few weeks overseas, many students will feel a little homesick. They may miss their family, and familiar ways of doing things. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When you feel sad or homesick, try to talk to others, or write your feelings in a notebook.

A. Get ready to go.

B. Learn about the country.

C. Get quick access (进入) to foreign universities.

D. Overseas study may also look good on your future resume (简历).

E. Do I want to live with a host family, with roommates, or alone?

F. Remember that it takes time to get used to a new place, school, and culture.

G. As a study-abroad student, you will pay tuition fees (学费) to the overseas institution.

    Planning a trip abroad with your family or friends this summer vacation? Here are a few travel tips about travel abroad do's and don'ts to keep you safe.

    ⒈If you want to make your trip safe and easy, plan ahead. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. The less you have to carry around, the more quickly you can move. Besides, planning ahead will save your time and make sure you don't miss best things.

    ⒉{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. No one wants bad things to happen but you'll feel better when you're ready for them if they do. When you travel abroad, you are in a place you don't know well and you can always be a target, especially your valuables. Don't keep large amounts of cash in your wallet.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Also, take copies of your travel documents with you and leave your passport and other important documents in the hotel.

    ⒊Nothing ruins a trip faster than the unexpected crisis. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. It will insure yourself against unexpected accidents, so it is necessary to buy the insurance. But you need to be careful about the items in the contract (合同), so that you know what you are and are not covered for when you book travel insurance.

    ⒋While enjoying the moment in the bar, be cautious and keep an eye on your drink at all times. Besides, being on holidays doesn't mean you have the right to do what you want.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Keep these tips in mind and make the most of your time. Have fun with family and friends and explore and enjoy your time away.

A. Expect the unexpected

B. Try putting smaller notes in several different pockets

C. Don't leave your hotel alone

D. Take the necessities with you

E. Take more in any case

F. Don't forget to buy the travel insurance

G. Be respectful and don't do anything illegal

Take a Break from Technology

In today's world we are constantly surrounded by technology. It's true to say that technology makes our lives easier. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Otherwise we put ourselves at risk of developing hundreds of health problems. Over the summer the days are longer, sunnier and free from school. With all this free time, why not put it to good use and do something that doesn't involve technology?

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}There are hundreds of possibilities: crafts, cooking, learning a musical instrument or a new sport. Maybe you've always wanted to try out that recipe, but haven't had time? Perhaps you fancy learning how to knit, so you can have a new sweater for the autumn? You could use your free time to learn something new. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

If you just fancy relaxing, why not head to a beach? Take along your favourite book and relax on the sand or go for a walk along the coastline (just make sure you're aware of the tides!). If you don't live near a beach, you could go to your local park. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Whatever you choose to do with your summer, try something new!{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Also, you might make new friends along the way. Next time you find yourself aimlessly channel -hopping, have a think at what else you could spend your time doing.

A. To start with, you could learn a new skill.

B. Technology has become an important part of our lives.

C. And perhaps it'll lead to an exciting opportunity in the future.

D. You might surprise yourself and find a hidden talent within you.

E. Why not take along a picnic, or try and identify some of the local wildlife?

F. However, increasingly scientists are saying that we need to give ourselves a break.

G. In our increasingly technology-driven world, have we become addicted to technology?