Of the many unpleasant emotions we can experience, fear may top the list. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Fear can also keep us from pursuing the things in life that really matter — like following our dreams, and developing important relationships. I have some ideas, though, of how to be free from fear.

Experience fear.

I used to be very afraid of speaking in front of people. I would get sweaty palms and my stomach would be so tied up that I wouldn't be able to eat. However, each time I spoke, I noticed afterwards that it wasn't that bad. Things I fear are never as bad in reality as I make them out in my mind. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

Create space.

    The first and most important step to being fearless is to create some space between ourselves and the emotion of fear. This isn't accomplished by ignoring the fear, or trying to talk ourselves out of it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. In fact, a recent research shows that by simply admitting the emotion we actually begin to reverse the "fight or flight(逃避)" response in the body.

Control the breath and feel the fear.

    Once we acknowledge the presence of fear, the second step is to control the breathing so that it becomes slower and gentler. We try to make the breath just a little bit longer, and feel how fear manifests(展现) in the body. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    With practice, we can create enough space between us and the emotion of fear so that we're able to replace a fearful thought with a positive one. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. For instance, before I get up to speak in front of a group of people, I imagine that the audience is positively impressed by what I say and that I manage to complete the speech successfully.

Wanted, Someone for a Kiss

    We're looking for producers to join us in the second of London 100FM. You'll work on the station's music programmes. Music production experience in radio is necessary, along with rich knowledge of modern dance music. Please apply in writing to Producer Vacancies, Kiss100.

Father Christmas

    We're looking for a very special person preferably over 40, to fill our Father Christmas suit. Working days: Every Saturday from November 24 to December 15 and every day from December 17 to December 24 except Sunday, 10:30—16:00

Excellent pay

Please contact the Enterprise Shopping Center, Station Parade, Eastbourne.

Accountants Assistant

    When you join in them in our Revenue Administration Unit, you will be providing assistance within all parts of the Revenue Division, dealing with post and other general duties. If you are educated to GCSE grade C level we would like to talk to you. This position is equally suitable for a school leaver or for somebody who has office experience.

Walden District Council

Software Trainer

    If you are aged 24-45 and have experience in teaching and training, you could be the person we are looking for. You should be good at the computer and have some experience in programme writing. You will be allowed to make our decision, and to design courses as well as present them. Pay upwards of ￡15,000 for the right person. Please apply by sending your CV (简历) to Mrs R. Ogilvie, Palmlace Limited.

Look into hunters' eyes

    Have you ever been face to face with a cat or a sheep? If you have,you probably noticed that cats narrow their eyes to vertical (垂直的) slits (狭缝),while sheep have horizontal pupils (瞳孔).

     Why is the difference?

    Scientists from the Universities of California Berkeley and Durham in Britain may have the answer. Their research, published recently in the journal Science Advances, suggested that pupils' shapes could tell whether an animal is a hunter or gets hunted.

    The researchers took a close look at the eyes of 214 land animals.The challenge was to see if they could find a relationship between an animal's role in the food chain and the pupils' shapes.

    They found a pattern. Species with pupils that are vertical slits are more likely to be small ambush predators (捕猎者) – creatures that lie in wait for their lunch.In contrast,those with horizontal pupils are more likely to be plant-eating prey (猎物) species.

    Evolution chose the arrangement for a good reason.For hunters such as household cats,it appears that vertical pupils not only improve their ability to keep track of moving objects like mice,but also maximize (使最大化) their ability to judge the distances of the animals they hunt.

    However, an interesting discovery from the study is that the slit pupils are mostly linked to hunters that are close to the ground. Therefore, bigger cats who actively hunt down their prey, like tigers and lions, don't have slit pupils.

    On the other hand, for plant-eating prey animals, horizontal pupils give them a wider field of vision.When stretched (伸展) horizontally,the pupils allow for more light to enter from the front, back, and sides. Meanwhile, they also limit the amount of light from the sun above so the animal can see the ground better.“ Once they do find a predator,they need to see where they are running,” said leading researcher Martin Banks,a UC Berkeley professor of optometry (视光学).“They have to see well enough out of the corner of their eye to run quickly and jump over things.”

    But what happens when they bend down to eat? Researchers checked this by watching prey animals in the Oakland Zoo in California, US. They believe that when goats lower their heads to eat,their eyes rotate (旋转) to keep their pupils horizontal.

    So it seems that the eyes are indeed the window to the soul!

    WeChat is a social mobile application with voice and text messaging timeline and several social features like ‘Message in a Bottle'. WeChat, a popular instant messaging tool run by Tencent Holdings, aims to help users access mobile services without downloading separate apps, which experts said may challenge the business of smartphone app distributors such Apple Store.

This new feature, named ‘Mini Programs', allows WeChat users to find a variety of services such as ticket buying by scanning a QR (quick-response) code, saving them the trouble of installing a number of different apps on smart devices, according to the transcript of a speech by Zhang Xiaolong, Tencent's senior executive vice president, on Wednesday. The new function is expected to come online on January 9.

    Zhang, known as the father of WeChat, emphasized that ‘Min Programs' is not a mobile app distributing function.

    Still, experts and app developers said that the rollout (推出) of ‘Mini Programs' on WeChat will erode the market share of app distributors like Apple Store in China.

     “‘Mini Programs' will attract lots of start-ups, because a program based on WeChat can help them build up businesses at much lower costs,” a Shanghai-based app developer, told the Global Times Wednesday.

    If a start-up wants to promote its business via a separate application, it has to hire a special team to develop two different apps— one each for iOS and Android.

    Lsiunched in 2011, WeChat has evolved to include services such as ‘Order Taxi', ‘Food Delivery', e-commerce and payments from just an instant messaging app.

    When the sun sets in Hong Kong, the city skyline comes alive. Billboard（广告牌）lights flash, and light up the crowded streets. The colorful lights from the tall buildings are one of the city's main attractions.

    “Oh, my god. The lights are so amazing. We love it. It's so nice.” said one visitor.

    But this appreciation is not shared by everyone in Hong Kong. Lat year then government reported a record number of complaints. The curtains may be drawn. But residents argue the bright light outside is hard to escape. “We receive some complaints about the light pollution. They find it very hard to sleep or they have disturbance from the light outside.”

    Scientists at the University of Hong Kong spent 18 months studying levels of light pollution and collecting more than 5 million measurements. They found Hong Kong one of the world's worst “victims”. The lights pollution condition in Hong Kong was extremely severe. Particular in cities, the night sky brightness, as well as the lights, is a few hundred times over the level of that of a night sky without light pollution. In cities such as Seoul, London, Shanghai and Paris, billboard lighting is under control. And there are punishments for people who go against the law.

    But in Hong Kong, there are no laws. A volunteer regulation called Charter of External Light（户外灯光约章）encourages visitors to switch off between 11 p.m. and 7 p.m. The critics say it's not enough to make a difference. The government says 4800 businessmen have signed up to the Charter so far. And it's satisfied that it's working.

    But not everyone is convinced and some residents are taking upon themselves to act. Zoe Chow led a campaign to have a commercial building switch off their midnight. She won but she believes the lights will eventually turn back on. “I know that the building has signed the Charter of External Light. But it is voluntary, not mandatory（强制的）.

    It is often necessary to release a fish, that is, set it free after catching, because it is too small, or you just don't want to take it home to eat. In some cases, releasing fish is a good measure that will help keep fish variety and build their population size. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) encourages fishermen who practice catch-and-release fishing to use a few simple skills when doing so. The advice provided below will help make sure that the fish you release will survive to bite again another day.

    —When catching a fish, play it quickly and keep the fish in the water as much as possible. Don't' use a net in landing the fish and release it quickly to prevent it from dying.

    —Hold the fish gently. Do not put your fingers in its eyes. Don't wipe the scales (鱼鳞) off the fish because it might cause it to develop a disease and reduce its chance of survival.

    —Remove your hook (鱼钩) quickly. If the hook is too deep or hooked in the stomach, cut the line and leave the hook in. The hook left inside will cause no serious problem to the fish.

    —Take good care of the fish by moving it gently in water. Release the fish when it begins to struggle and is able to swim.

    —Do not hold fish in a bucket or some other containers and later decide to release it. If you are going to release a fish, do so right away.

    With a little care and by following the suggestions given above, you can give the released fish a better chance of survival.