Choosing the Right Resolution (决定)

     Millions of Americans began 2014 with the same resolution they started 2013 with, a goal of losing weight. However, setting weight loss as a goal is a mistake.

To reach our goal of losing weight — the output, we need to control what we eat — the input ( 输入). That is, we tend to care about the output but not to control the input. This is a bad way to construce goals. The alternative is to focus your resolution on the input. Instead of resolving to lose weight, try an actionable resolution: “I'll stop having desert for lunch,” or “I'll walk every day for 20 minutes.” Creating a goal that focuses on a well-specified input will likely be more effective than concentrating on the outcome.

    Recently a new science behind incentives (激励) , including in education, has been discussed. For example, researcher Roland Fryer wanted to see what works best in motivating children to do better in school. In some cases, he gave students incentives based on input, like reading certain books, while in others, the incentives were based on output, like results on exams. His main finding was that incentives increased achievement when based on input but had no effect on output. Fryer's conclusion was that the intensives for inputs might be more effective because do not know how to do better on exam, aside from general rules like “study harder.” Reading certain books, on the other hand, is a well-set task over which they have much more control.

    As long as you have direct control over your goal, you have a much higher chance of success. And it's easier to start again if you fail, because you know exactly what you need to do.

    If you want to cut down on your spending, a good goal would be making morning coffee at home instead of going to a cafe, for example. This is a well-specified action-based goal for which you can measure your success easily. Spending less money isn't a goal because it's too general. Similarly, if you want to spend more time with your family, don't stop with this general wish. Think about an actionable habit that you could adopt and stick to, like a family movie night every Wednesday.

    In the long run, these new goals could become a habit.

    Perhaps you have heard a lot about the Internet, but what is it, do you know? The Internet is a network. It uses the telephone to join millions of computers together around the world.

    Maybe that doesn't sound very interesting. But when you've joined to the Internet, there are lots and lots of things you can do. You can send E-mails to your friends, and they can get them in a few seconds. You can also do with all kinds of information on the World Wide Web (WWW).

    There are many different kinds of computers now. They all can be joined to the Internet. Most of them are small machines sitting on people's desks at home, but there are still many others in schools, offices or large companies. These computers are owned by people and companies, but no one really owns the Internet itself.

    There are lots of places for you to go into the Internet. For example, your school may have the Internet. You can use it during lessons or free time. Libraries often have computers joined to the Internet. You are welcome to use it at only time.

    Thanks to the Internet, the world is becoming smaller and smaller. It is possible for you to work at home with a computer in front in the future, getting and sending the information you need. You can buy or sell whatever you want by the Internet. But do you know 98% of the information on the Internet is in English? So what will English be like tomorrow?

    Both honeybees and ants are social insects that live in groups called colonies. They survive by means of their collective intelligence. Their decision-making power is distributed throughout the group; that is, no one ant or bee makes decisions for the group. Instead, they work together. As Deborah M. Gordon, a biologist at Stanford University, says," Ants aren't smart. Ant colonies are."

    The same is true for bee colonies. Although bees and ants are quite different physically, they have a lot in common in terms of their social behavior. Specifically, honeybees and ants have similar roles within the colony, both have communication systems, and both have the capacity for learning.

    Ants communicate by using chemicals called pheromones, which can alert others to danger or to a food source. For example, when worker ants find a promising source, they let the rest of the colony know how to find it by leaving a trail of pheromones on the way back to the colony. The other ants pick up the message using their sense of smell. Bees, on the other hand, use movement to communicate with each other. Worker bees send messages to each other by means of a "dance". Different speeds and movements send different messages. For example, when worker bees called scouts go out to find a new home for the colony, they return and do a dance for the other worker bees that indicates the location of the new home and how suitable it is. The faster the scouts dance, the better the new location is.

    Honeybees and ants are both capable of learning. One Chinese study found that bees can be trained to learn and remember a route to a food source. The researchers also found that bees can be taught to recognize hidden objects and use the concepts of "sameness" and" difference" to accomplish certain tasks. Ants take this one step further. Recent American research has shown that ants not only have the ability to learn, but also can teach their foraging skills to other younger ants.

They observed that older ants accompany young ants in search of food and teach them the route and how to avoid obstacles.

    As we can see, the social behavior of honeybees and ants is quite similar. Both coordinate complex actions and accomplish crucial survival tasks by cooperating in groups consisting of many individuals. Unintelligent as they may be as individuals, as groups they often show amazing brilliance as they go about their everyday activities.

    February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.

    On the 14th day, it is customary for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals!

    This is the scene that greets you on Valentine's Day, named after Valentine who was a priest in third century Rome. When the emperor decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives, he banned marriage.

    But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor had him put to death.

    While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed "From your Valentine", an expression that is still in use today.

    Valentine died for what he believed in and so was made a Saint, as well as becoming one of history's most romantic figures.

    Nowadays, Valentine's Day wins the same popularity among Chinese young people. It is a time when students "don't want to be alone" according to Gao Shunjie, a student reporter for 21st Century Teens in Jinling High School, Nanjing. Some of her classmates are planning to make Valentine's cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St Valentine.

    Raised in France by her country physician grandfather, Petaluman Laura Reiehek will be recognized for her work helping the homeless, immigrants and elders and she received the Rev. James E. Coffee Human Rights Awards for 2006.

    Her grandfather devoted his whole life to making life better for others and was killed by Nazi soldiers in 1944. She was there when the soldiers took her grandfather's life: "I hid under a pile of leaves. But, you know, I heard it."

    She straggled to work through her anger and hate, but it was necessary for her own survival and serf-respect. After the war, she married Jesse Reichek, an American soldier in France, and they eventually settled in the Bay Area, where he grew to become an artist. They came to Petaluma from Berkeley when he needed more room to paint. They built their own home and treasured their time together.

    Reichek's years of volunteer work began with caring for an old lady in Sonoma County, which made her sensitive to the fact that many older people were living in bad places. So Reichek created Petaluma's first senior center. Then she noticed homeless people. With Mary Isaac, she co-founded COTS 15 years ago.

    These days, she is busier than ever, helping Latino immigrant families and visiting seniors in nursing homes. "Our goal is to promote and educate people in understanding and tolerance (忍受). We must learn to understand and celebrate our differences", said event chairman Harry Troutt, who serves on the commission.

    Chester is one of the best cities in the UK. As soon as you arrive in Chester you will appreciate the city's unique atmosphere and sense of history. Founded by the Romans over 2,000 years ago, much of the Roman influence remains and Chester's city walls are the most complete in Britain. Combined with history and heritage(遗产), Chester is a dynamic city full of bars, pubs, clubs, hotels and restaurants for you to discover, tempting you to visit again and again.

    Travelling to Chester?

    Chester is easily accessible by many means of transport — whether you are travelling by rail, car, bus or plane. Please check our route planner below to help you plan your journey to Chester. Once you arrive in the city there are numerous car parks; however, during rush hours the easiest way to travel in Chester city centre is via park and ride facilities, which are parking lots with public transportation.

    Hotels?

    From bed & breakfasts to the luxury of Chester's only five star hotel, Chester has all covered. Whether your trip is for business or pleasure your room is just a click away!

    Sightseeing and Tours?

    One of the best ways to see Chester is by a guided tour and you have a variety to choose from. Whether you choose the traditional guided walk, to be guided around Chester's historical landmarks by bus or to take a boat down the River Dee, you will sure enjoy the delights of Chester.