Warley Woods Community (社区) Trust

    Welcome to our third news letter of the year!

    Our main activity for March is our Walk for the Woods fundraising events on Saturday, 17th March, starting any time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. We will be walking the distance between Warley Woods and Tipperary. It is indeed a long way — 80 miles. The more people that you can get sponsor you, the more money we can raise to helplook after our beautiful woodland. More information is available at ourwebsite.

    The Sunday volunteers planted two beeches and an oak last week. This was thanks to the money from the Big Tree Plant and to Lisa and Gordon Whitiker, whose friends gave money forthe big trees instead of for their wedding presents. Thanks to everyone who took part.

    There were 15 volunteersat the Oral History Training Day which was led very ably by Julia Letts. The group will be meeting again and will start to interview the local people whohave offered to tell their stories. We are happy to hear from others who would like to be interviewed about their memories of the Woods for the project. If you or anyone you know is interested, please call Viv Cole at the office. This project is financed by Heritage Lottery Fund.

    There was a huge response to the Forest Schools activities held at half term. These will be held again during the Easter holidays on the following dates: 4th April from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for over 8s. On 12th April form 10 a.m. to 12 noon, there will be a Teddy Bears' Picnic for the under 8s. All these must be booked in advance.

    Finally, don't forget the Easter Egg Roll on Bank Holiday, 9th April, staring at 11 a.m. Bring your ownhard-boiled and decorated egg to roll down the hill in the woods. The firstpast the finishing line will win a large chocolate egg! This year, due to popular demand, there will also be an Adults' Easter Egg Roll following the children's competition.

    We look forward to seeing you all soon, at one of our many events.

    Melbourne, Australia

    Melbourne is a hotspot travel destination, and it's easy to see its beautiful beaches and busy city life.

    Why it's a great choice: Australia as a whole is considered a safe destination for international travel, and because of that, many solo travelers go there. As an English-speaking country, you won't be faced with any language barriers. Melbourne is easy to get around because you can walk or bike practically anywhere!

    Thailand

    Thailand is great for solo travelers — perhaps because it is one of the Buddhist mindsets, which promote equality among the sexes.

    Why it's a great choice: Thailand is known for its friendly atmosphere, and as a travel hotspot, there are plenty of chances to meet other like-minded travelers. Well known for being very cheap, especially in the north. A good choice if you want to get away on a budget. Thailand has a lot to offer, from the party- central Bangkok to beautiful beaches and tropical (热带的) jungle.

    Hong Kong, China

    Hong Kong is a great place to relax for solo travelers as it is full of “Zen Moments”, such as beautiful gardens and Tai Chi classes.

    Why it's a great choice: Hong Kong is regarded as one of the safest cities in the world. If you're not well traveled, or perhaps a bit tired of things like language barriers, Hong Kong is a great place to start, as it mixes both Eastern and Western at the same time.

    Bali, Indonesia

    Bali is a spiritual place with yoga, spas, healthy food and beaches. The combination of friendly people and splendid visual culture has made Bali number one tourist attraction.

    Why it's so great: you won't be the only solo traveler in Bali. Everyone is known for being extremely friendly and you're sure to meet some amazing characters along the way. As a Hindu island, Bali is the perfect place for a relaxing and spiritual retreat (静修). The Sacred Monkey Foresting Ubud is fantastic 一 if you like monkeys, anyway.

    Now people are very concerned about the food problem. Steve Wilson prefers organic fruit, delivered right to the doorstep. He is willing to pay for it. If this is not possible, the 30-year-old computer technician will spend the extra money at the supermarket to buy organic food.

    “Organic product is always better,” Wilson said. “The food is free of pesticides(农药), and you are generally supporting family farms instead of large farms. And more often than not that it is locally grown and seasonal, so it is more tasty.” Wilson is one of the growing number of shoppers buying into the organic trend, and supermarkets across Britain are counting on more like him as they grow their organic food business. But how many shoppers really know what they are getting, and why are they willing to pay a higher price for organic product? Market research shows that Wilson and others who buy organic food can generally give clear reasons for their preferences—but their knowledge of organic food is far from complete. For example, small amounts of pesticides can be used on organic products. And about three quarters of organic food in Britain is not local but imported(进口)to meet growing demand. “The demand for organic food is increasing by about one third every year, so it is a very fast-growing market,” said Sue Flock, a specialist in this line of business.

    In the mid-nineteenth century, as iceboxes became increasingly common in American homes, there were efforts to find cheaper and more reliable sources of ice. In the eighteen-thirties, scientists discovered a way to make ice, which is similar to how a refrigerator works. In 1860, there were four artificial-ice plants in the United States; in 1889, there were about two hundred; by 1909, there were two thousand. Ice now came from factories, not ponds, and it was turned out in three-hundred-pound blocks by lowering steel cans of pure water into tanks of refrigerated salted water. Kept below thirty-two degrees, the salted water did not freeze, but the water in the cans did. Those cans were then lifted from the tank, and the ice was taken out of them.

    The ice blocks were delivered to home users, and to the fishing and chemical industries. On the railroads, trains carrying fruit and vegetables had cars at each end filled with blocks of ice. It was a growing industry.

    The great trade began to fall away in the middle years of the twentieth century. The railroad business shrank, and, in the immediate postwar period, block ice lost out to home refrigerators and then to small commercial ice machines. By the nineteen-sixties, things looked very dark. “It was scary,” Dan Ditmar, an ice expert in San Antonito, told me. “Your biggest customers were cafeterias and country clubs, and you'd go out there and they'd say, 'We don't need you anymore; we've got ice machines.'”

    Then the companies that survived the slump（a slump is a period when there is a reduction in business）began investing（投资）in newly developed ice-cube machines, and by the late sixties American ice was becoming a packaged-ice business. And packaged ice was exactly what the country needed. These were years of increased leisure time—more barbecues, more cars, and more houses by the lake. “Things exploded in the nineteen-seventies, Paul Handler said. Ice cubes evolved. They became hugely popular^ shoveled（铲）here and there into picnic coolers and fast-foof sodas. They became noisier.

    There is no question that fewer teenagers are on the roads in the US.

    In 1978, 50% of 16-year-olds had got their first driving licences. In 2008, according to the US Transportation Department, it was just 30%. The number of those aged 19 and under with driving licences has also been declining since 1978, when 11,989,000 had licences. In 2010, it was 9, 932,441, or 4.1% of American drivers.

    In the UK, 683,273 teenagers have driving licences—just 1.85% of total licence holders, according to Department of Transport figures from September 2010.

    But the decline in the US may have more to do with tougher tests and the introduction of the new rule in many states, which force drivers aged under 16 to be with licensed drivers of 21 years and older when driving.

    In recent years, the annual number of journeys being made by American drivers of all ages has declined clearly for the first time ever. Car use began falling in 2007, when average petrol prices almost doubled to $ 4.12 a gallon, and the economy became worse.

    But there are signs that it is getting back to normal and America remains a country on wheels. It has a higher number of cars per head of population than any other country in the world.

    “Cars will always be a popular means of transportation in America. You have to take into consideration some places don't have access to public transportation. Cars are the only way some people can get around,” says Kristin Nevels. This makes driving necessary in some rural states, where about twice as many teenagers are on the road than in big cities.

    It is not always a good thing to praise children because "empty" words may make them unhappy. Words such as "well done" may make them doubt their own abilities, a leading psychologist (心理学家) Stephen Grosz has warned. He says that words such as "you're so clever" or "you're such an artist" could also hinder their future development at school. He says that such empty praise causes children to be unhappy as they may say they can't live up to these expectations.

    Instead he advises parents and teachers to praise children less frequently and use words like "trying really hard," Mr. Grosz said, "Empty praise is as bad as thoughtless criticism (批评). People often pay no attention to children's feelings and thoughts." He also mentions research showing that children who are heavily praised probably perform worse at school.

    Some psychologists from Columbia University asked 128 pupils aged 10 and 11 to work out a number of math problems. Afterwards, some were told, "You did really well­—you're so clever." But the researchers told the other group, "You did really well­—you must have tried really hard." Both groups of children were then given more difficult questions and those who had been told they were clever did not do as well as the others.

    He says that when collecting his daughter from a school near their home in North London, he heard a teacher tell her, "You have drawn the most beautiful tree. Well done," Later, after she had done another drawing, the same teacher said, "Wow, you are really an artist." In his book, Mr. Grosz writes, "How could I explain to the teacher that I would prefer it if she did not praise my daughter?"

    As a parent of two children, I strongly agree with Mr. Grosz. I praise them when praising is proven right. I want them to know if I praise them, they have done something beyond my expectation, beyond what they are able to do.