E-reading and e-books are slowly conquering the world. Compared to traditional paper books, e-books in some schools and universities attract more interest because the information flow seems much easier to manage and comes in a greatly higher quantity.

    Japan is known for the reform-minded attitude towards the gadget(精巧装置)world and for the fact that it is one of the first countries that encouraged in the educational system the emailing of homework.

    The digital textbook looks like the logical step in the world of learning. It is natural but it is also completely untraditional.

    The plan of the largest publishing companies to get in line with the trend is to save a large quantity of paper and make the kids become interested in learning using a cool gadget. Many USA universities and colleges have made students be used to the procedure of downloading the courses and of course the procedure involves interactive software and also the chance of using the computer.

    The traditional education system is still unwilling when it comes to giving up books. The standard approach of information taught out of a book and Shakespeare read out of an old school novel makes studying English as traditional as it can be.

    In a world where kids would rather see the movie than read a book, the digital age has brought along a completely different flavor to reading. Bringing that flavor in school will make teaching a greener and also a completely different matter.

    In a class this past December,after I wrote some directions on the board for students about their final examination,one young woman quickly took a picture of the board using her smart phone.When I looked in her direction,she apologized:"Sorry.Was it wrong to take a picture?"

    “I can't read my own handwriting,”the young woman explained."It's best if I take a picture of your writing so I can understand the notes."

    That remark started a class-wide conversation about taking a picture instead of taking notes.For those in the photo-taking camp,motivations extended beyond their inability to comprehend their own handwriting.Some took pictures of notes because they knew their phone was a safe place to store material.They might lose paper,but they wouldn't lose their phones.Some took photos because they wanted to record exactly the manner in which I had noted information on the board.Others told me that during class they liked to listen to the discussion attentively.

    Yet the use of cameras as note takers,though it may be convenient,does raise significant questions for the classroom.Is a picture an effective replacement for the process of note-taking?

    Instructors encourage students to take notes because the act of doing so is more than merely recording necessary information—it helps prepare the way for understanding.Encouraging students to take notes may be an old-fashioned instructional method,but that a method has a long history doesn't mean it's out of date.Writing things down engages a student's brain in listening,visual,and kinesthetic learning—a view supported by a longstanding research.The act of writing down information enables a person to begin committing it to memory,and to process and combine it,establishing the building blocks of learning new concepts.

    Taking a picture does indeed record the information,but it deletes some of the necessary mental engagement that taking notes employs.So can the two be equally effective?

    I'm not sure how to measure the effectiveness of either method.For now,I allow students to take notes however they see fit—handwritten or photographed—because I figure that some notes,no matter the method of note-taking, are better than none.

    Recently, we have already shown that climate change has led to a dramatic increase in storm surge risk in New York City, making devastating events like Hurricane Sandy more likely.

    What can we say about the role of climate change in the unprecedented disaster that is unfolding in Houston with Hurricane Harvey? There are certain climate change-related factors that we can, with great confidence, say worsened the flooding.

    Sea Level rise attributable to climate change-some of which is due to coastal subsidence(下沉) caused by human disturbance such as oil drilling-is more than half a foot(15cm) over the past few decades. That means the storm surge was half a foot higher than it would have been just decades ago, meaning far more flooding and destruction.

    In addition to that, sea surface temperatures in the region have risen about 0.5C(close to 1F) over the past few decades from roughly 30C(86F) to 30.5C(87F), which contributed to the very warm sea surface temperatures(30.5-31C, or 87-88F). There is a simple thermodynamic(热力学的) relationship known as the Clausius-Clapeyron equation that tells us there is a roughly 3% increase in average atmospheric moisture content for each 0.5C of warming. Sea surface temperatures in the area where Harvey intensified were 0.5-1C warmer than current-day average temperatures, which translates to 1-1.5C warmer than “average” temperatures a few decades ago. That means 3-5% more moisture(水分) in the atmosphere. That large amount of moisture creates the potential for much greater rainfalls and greater flooding. The combination of coastal flooding and heavy rainfall is responsible for the devastating flooding that Houston is experiencing.

    Not only are the surface waters of the Gulf of Mexico unusually warm right now, but there is a deep layer of warm water that Harvey was able to feed upon when it intensified at near record pace as it neared the coast. Human-caused warming is penetrating down into the ocean. It's creating deeper layers of warm water in the Gulf and elsewhere. Harvey was almost certainly more intense than it would have been in the absence of human-caused warming, which means stronger winds, more wind damage and a larger storm surge.

    Finally, the more tenuous but potentially relevant climate factors: part of what has made Harvey such a devastating(毁灭性的) storm is the way it has stalled near the coast. It continues to strike Houston and surrounding regions with a seemingly endless flood, which will likely top out at nearly 4ft(1.22m) of rainfall over a days-long period before it is done. The stalling is due to very weak prevailing winds, which are failing to steer the storm off to sea, allowing it to spin around and wobble back and forth. This pattern, in turn, is associated with a greatly expanded subtropical high pressure system over much of the US at the moment, with the jet stream pushed well to the north. This pattern of subtropical expansion is predicted in model simulations of human-caused climate change. More tenuous(微弱的), but possibly relevant still, is the fact that very persistent, nearly “stationary” summer weather patterns of this sort, where weather anomalies(both high-pressure dry hot regions and low-pressure stormy/rainy regions) stay locked in place for many days at a time, appears to be favoured by human-caused climate change.

    In conclusion, while we cannot say climate change “caused” Hurricane Harvey, what we can say is that it exacerbated several characteristics of the storm in a way that greatly increased the risk of damage and loss of life. Climate change worsened the impact of Hurricane Harvey.

    With child behavior, there is almost much more than it meets the eye. Because it occurs at so many different levels, child behavior that seems simple at one level can often be much more complex and meaningful at another.

    For instance, a little child's pattern of getting into cupboards, drawers and closed rooms, even after being told not to, is easily considered as bad behavior. When viewed at that level, the pattern is unacceptable and could lead to punishment. But it can be viewed at a more complex and meaningful level, namely child exploration. If a child regularly experiences an angry parent who seems determined to prevent any exploratory activities, the child will decide to continue to achieve future discoveries. When parents view this behavior as born out of natural curiosity rather than simple opposition, they are more likely to accept and appropriately monitor it. Although it may lead to warning responses to ensure the child's safety, it is less likely to lead to punishment.

    There are countless other examples. Holding a goldfish outside its bowl is foolish at one level but also can be seen as a young child's attempt to express physical affection for a pet. Spending time with friends rather than family is selfish at one level but also indicates a teen's need for independence.

    The point here is that child behavior is often exhibited in simple forms that can appear to be oppositional, selfish or generally unacceptable if viewed only at that basic level. However, when viewed at a more meaningful level, the same apparently simple behavior can be seen as something larger and potentially more adaptive. This doesn't mean the behavior should be ignored, especially if it is inappropriate. But looking at the bigger picture of a child's behavior, adults might gain a fuller understanding of what they're dealing with, which can create more flexibility in how they respond.

    Social media is one of the fastest-growing industries in today's world. Your friends' lives may look more exciting than yours on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but a new research shows it is because they are faking (伪造) it.

    A recent survey has found around two-thirds of people on social media post images to their personal information to make their lives seem more adventurous. And more than three quarters of those asked said they judged their peers based on what they saw on their Instagrm, Snapehat or Facebook pages.

    The British survey, by smart phone maker HTC, found that, in order to make our own pages and lives appear more exciting, six percent also said they had borrowed items to include in the images in order to pass them off as their own. More than half of those surveyed said they posted images of items and places purely to show off, causing jealousy among friends and family.

    Behavioral psychologist Hemmings said the trend was unsurprising due to the rise of social media. "We're living in a world instant communication." she said. "Fashion and style used to live and die in magazines; now people are in search of authentic, peer-to-peer recommendations as well, making social media an equal power house to magazines and newspaper."

    "With images being shared in an instant, we desire to know what our friends are wearing, or what super stars are buying, as soon as they have got them." Such is the influence of social media sites like Instagram, 76 percent of those asked also said seeing items on social influences them to buy them, with men more likely to take style advice and buy what they see.

    Chinese girl looking for language exchanger

    PostedAugust 10, 2018 16:25 by Sophia

    Tag:Seeking Language partners Guangzhou

    Sex:Female

    I am a Chinese girl in my 20's, can speak andwrite in English, but I'dlike to make some improvement. People always look for making it better, right?

    Meanwhile, I also like to meet more friends if we really have some topics to share.

    Andif you are in Guangzhou or visit here, I am more than willing to show you aroundin my spare time.

    Reply to happycora hotmail. com or call 15015704625

    Tianhe nice apartment for share

    PostedAugust 24, 2018 16:47 by Vivian

    Tag:Seeking roommates, Guangzhou Tianhe District

    I have a room available for rent in a sharedapartment in Central Tianhe district.

    The room has a big window with a nice view. The apartment itself is on the 22th floor of a new safe building on Tianhe Bei Lu, about 10 minutes walk from subway stations on lines 1 and 3, as well as buses andother transportation methods very close.

    If you are interested, please feel free to phone me (Vivian)on 13145751201 (message preferred), or email me on vivian liu2006 hotmail. com.

    Business Guide

    PostedAugust 26, 2018 08:46 by Sony

    Tag:Business Services Guangzhou Baiyun District

    Dear Foreign Friends, I am a professional interpreter (口语翻译), now looking for an interpreter job right now. Please readmy information as below:

    Name:Sony Song

    Sex:Male

    Age:22 years old

    Education:StudiedEnglish in Da Shan Foreign Language College

    Ability:Speak fluent English, know Guangzhou city very well, can also guide you to Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Dongguan, Shunde, Macao, Hongkong, etc.

    Contact Detail:E-mail/ MSN:sonysong4 hotmail. com; cell phone:15112015812

    Looking for flat

    PostedAugust 11, 2018 14:03 by LucyTag:Apartments wanted, Guangzhou

    Hello!This is Lucy coming from Peru andlooking for a short term flat, from 15th August until 16th September 2018. If somebody can give some information, sendme pictures, price and address. Email:lucitamaron  hotmail. com; cell phone:13800013900

    Thanks a lot in advance!