Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.

    Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses（球场） in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.

    There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don't need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don't have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.

    Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be "green gyms". They are better replacements（代替物）for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it's free.

    My parents were in a huge argument, and I was really upset about it. I didn't know who I should talk with about how I was feeling. So I asked Mom to allow me to stay the night at my best friend's house. Though I knew I wouldn't tell her about my parents' situation, I was looking forward to getting out of the house. I was in the middle of packing up my things when suddenly the power went out in the neighborhood. Mom came to tell me that I should stay with my grandpa until the power came back on.

    I was really disappointed because I felt that we did not have much to talk about. But I knew he would be frightened alone in the dark. I went to his room and told him that I'd stay with him until the power was restored. He was quite happy and said, “Great opportunity.”

    “What is it?” I asked.

    “To talk, you and I” he said. “To hold a private little meeting about what we're going to do with your mom and dad, and what we're going to do with ourselves now that we're in the situation we are in.”

    “But we can't do anything about it. Grandpa,” I said, surprised that here was someone with whom I could share my feelings and someone who was in the same “boat” as I was.

    And that's how the most unbelievable friendship between my grandfather and me started. Sitting in the dark, we talked about our feelings and fears of life — from how fast things change to how they sometimes don't change fast enough. That night, because the power went out, I found a new friend, with whom I could safely talk about all my fears and pains, whatever they may be. Suddenly, the lights all came back on. “Well,” he said, “I guess that means you'll want to go now. I really like our talk. I hope the power will go out every few nights!”

    In the professional or career world, a gap year is when one stops their formal work life to pursue other interests. However, today gap year refers mostly to a year taken between high school and college.

    During this gap year, American students engage in advanced academic courses, extra-academic courses and non-academic courses, such as yearlong pre-college math courses, language studies, learning a trade, art studies, volunteer work, travel, internships(实习), sports and more.

    British and European students, however, take a much more vacation style approach to the “Gap Year” by generally working for 3-6 months and then traveling throughout the globe for the remaining time before college begins. This is intended to expand the mind, personal confidence, experiences, and interests before college.

    Let's look at the gap year in the following countries:

Denmark

    Denmark has tried to limit the number of students who take a year out, punishing students who delay their education to travel abroad or work full-time. In 2015, it was announced that fewer students than before had taken a year out.

India

    In India, the practice of taking time out after high school education, popularly called a drop year, has been on a quick rise in recent years, primarily students deciding to enroll in coaching institutions to prepare themselves for rigorous(严格的)college entrance examinations. However, using that year for travel is still not common.

Republic of Korea

     In republic of Korea, gap year is defined as time for the youth to think about directions of their lives by going through gap year programs such as voluntary activity, career exploration, education, having a relationship, internship and enterprise while he/she pauses studying.

United Kingdom

    In the United Kingdom a year out is a common choice before university, again to travel or volunteer, gaining life experience. All universities seem to welcome gap year applicants, no different from going straight to university from previous education.

    If you want to convince the boss you deserve a pay rise or promotion, the solution could be simple—eat the same food as they do.Psychologists have discovered managers are much more likely to instantly trust us if we choose the same dishes as them.

    During experiments, discussions over wages and work conditions were much more successful if both sides chose to snack on the same treats.And shoppers were much more likely to buy a product advertised on TV by someone eating a similar food to them at the time.

    The reason is thought to be so­called similarity attraction theory—where people tend to like others who have similar tastes or habits to themselves.But this is believed to be one of the first studies highlighting the role of food in this relationship.Researchers at Chicago University in the US conducted a series of experiments to examine food's role in earning trust.

    In a test, participants were told to watch TV—where someone pretending to be a member of the public praised a certain product.The volunteers were given Kit Kat bars to nibble, while the TV people ate either a Kit Kat or grapes as they talked.

    The results showed viewers were much more likely to express an interest in buying the product if the TV showed the other person eating a Kit Kat too.

    The researchers added, “Although similarity in food consumption is not a sign of whether two people will get along, we find consumers treat this as such.They feel more trusting of those who consume as they do.It means people can immediately begin to feel friendship and develop a bond, leading to smoother transactions from the start.”

    Harley Street psychologist Dr.Lucy Atcheson said it was already known that wearing similar clothes could instantly create trust.But this was the first report that food had the same effect.She said, “This is really interesting.It makes sense as people feel they have common ground and can trust the other person.That means negotiations are more likely to be successful.”

    Many people believe high heels(E)make women look good. It seems that the organisers of the Cannes Film Festival reportedly stopped women in low-heeled shoes from walking the red carpet. But all this charm comes at a cost, wearing heels over 10em high can damage your feel.

    A study by Hanseo University in South Korea suggests that continuous wearing makes women run the risk of getting hurt, and makes them easy to lose their balance, A total of 40 women who wear high heels at least three times a week took part in the study, The strength of their feet was measured regularly, researchers found that two of the four main muscles became stronger after a period of between one and three years, This created an imbalance in their feet, Dr Yong Seok Jee from Hanseo University says that the habit of wearing heels can result in feet out of shape, back pain and unhealthy walking patterns He suggests that women limit the use of these kinds of shoes and exercise their foot muscles properly.

    High heels are considered by some people to be female, but in fact the fashion started with men's feet. These shoes were a form of riding footwear, and were seen on the feet of 17th century Persian soldiers, Elizabeth Semmelhack of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto says: “When the soldier stood up in his stirrups (马镫), the heel helped him keep balance so that he could shoot more effectively.

    Before becoming a main part of modern women's clothing, high heels were used by Louis XIV of France. These shoes were status (身份) symbols Lets face it-nothing shows off status like uncomfortable, expensive and impractical clothing. They say the wearer doesn't have to work in fields or walk very far.

    Monthly Talks at London Canal Museum

    Our monthly talks start at 19:30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don't need to book. They end around 21:00.

    November 7th

    The Canal Pioneers, by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early "civil engineers".

    December 5th

    Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering, Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London's ice trade grew.

    February 6th

    An Update on the Cotswold Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroudwater Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.

    March 6th

    Eyots and Aits-Thames Islands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames had many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest.

    Online bookings: www.canalmuseum.org.uk/book

    More info: www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson

    London Canal Museum

    12-13 New Wharf Road, London NI 9RT

    www.canalmuseum.org.uk   www. canalmuseum.mobi

    Tel: 020 7713 0836