Chinese New Year for Kids

    Chinese New Year for Kids is a full color paperback book with beautiful Chinese illustrations (插图). This is a hands-on workbook for parents and teachers, written for children from ages 3 to 12 years old, for use in the classroom or at home. Music, physical movement, art, and food all add to the atmosphere of taking an imaginary trip to China during the Chinese New Year.

   The Polar Express

One couldn't select a more delightful and exciting premise (前提) for a children's book than the tale of a young boy lying awake on Christmas Eve only to have Santa Claus sweep by and take him on a trip with other children to the North Pole. And one couldn't ask for a more talented artist and writer to tell the story than Chris Van Allsburg.

   The Secret of Saying Thanks

Perhaps you'd like to know a secret, one of the happiest ones of all. You'll discover it all on your own, maybe when you least expect. If you've not yet discovered the secret of saying thanks, it's waiting for you. The secret can be found in the sunrise that offers promises for the day ahead, or in the gentle shade of a tree sheltering you from the hot rays of the sun.

   The Runaway Pumpkin

When Buck, Billy and their little sister Lily spy the biggest pumpkin they've ever seen, they can't resist (抵制). Buck and Billy try to roll the pumpkin down the hill to show everyone, but it's too big! Before they know it, it's rolling out of control down the hillside. It knocks over Gran dpa Baxter and makes him think of pumpkin soup. And when Poppa Baxter finally stops, all he can think of is pumpkin bread.

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

February 6th

    An Update on the Cotsword 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 into: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 77130836

    Could the device, smartphone or PC, which you are using affect the moral decisions you make when using it? To test it, researchers presented multiple dilemmas to a sample set of 1,010 people. The participants were assigned a device at random.

    One case of the questions participants were asked is the classic “trolley(有轨电车) problem”: A runaway trolley is headed towards five people tied up on a-set of train tracks. You can do nothing, resulting in the deaths of five people, or push a man off a bridge, which will stop the trolley. The practical response is to kill one man to save five lives, which 33. 5 percent of smartphone users chose, compared to 22.3 percent of PC users.

    “What we round in our study is that when people used a smartphone to view classic moral problems, they were more likely to make more unemotional, reasonable decisions when presented with a highly emotional dilemma, “Dr Albert Barque-Duran, the lead author of the study, told City, University of London. “This could be due to the increased time pressure often present with smartphones and also the increased psychological distance which can occur when we use such devices compared to PCs.”

    As for why the researchers started this study, Dr Barque-Duran noted, “Due to the fact that our social lives, work and even shopping take place online, it is important to think about how the contexts where we typically face moral decisions and are asked to engage in moral behavior have changed, and the impact this could have on the hundreds of millions of people who use such devices daily. “It's clear that we need more research on how our devices affect our moral decision making because we're using screens at an ever increasing rate.

About aspirin:

    Aspirin is a commonly used drug which can be taken to relieve discomfort caused by numerous medical problems including headaches, toothache, inflammation and infections. It is also suitable to treat colds and flu-like symptoms, and to reduce a high temperature.

    Who can take aspirin?

    Adults and children over 16 years of age.

    Who should not take aspirin?

    Women who are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. Aspirin may harm your unborn baby.

    Women who are breast-feeding. Aspirin can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby.

    People who have any problems with the way the liver works or with the way the kidneys work.

How to take aspirin:

    Take aspirin after meals, with a full glass of water or milk.

    The recommended dose ranges from two to three tablets at a time. Never take more than 4g (12 tablets) in any 24 -hour period.

    You must not take these tablets with any other medicine which contains any aspirin or painkiller.

How to store aspirin:

    Keep all medicines out of the reach and sight of children.

    Store aspirin in a cool, dry place, away from direct heat and light.

    Do not put aspirin in the bathroom because the dampness there can cause it to lose its effectiveness.

    Throw away aspirin that smells strongly of vinegar.

Possible side effects:

    Feeling sick, increased risk of bleeding, stomach pain, indigestion and heartburn are common. If these effects continue, contact your doctor.

    Ringing in the ears, difficulty breathing, dizziness, and mental confusion are rare. If these occur, stop taking the drug and contact your doctor for further advice.

    During the past Spring Festival, many children may have received red packets from their families. But Xing Pu, a 40-year-old economist, is asking the government to give red packets to every Chinese citizen.

    Xing suggested the government give out 1,000 yuan to each Chinese since the government income has increased rapidly in recent years. He said his suggestion would allow everyone to directly enjoy the fruits of the country's economic success, help the lower-income groups deal with rising prices and increase consumption around the country.

    Recent years have seen the government carry out a series of pro-poor (扶贫)and prorural (惠农)policies, including increasing spending on public health-care and cutting down the agricultural tax. But the lower-income group still needs more help.

    Xing said he has borrowed many ideas from practices in countries like the United States and Singapore. Earlier this year, the governments of the two nations offered cash handouts (救济)to their citizens. As for in China, "We can even encourage the rich to donate their 1,000 yuan red packet to the poor" said Xing.

    Although Xing's suggestion has gained wide support among ordinary Chinese on the Internet, many other economists criticized it as unpractical. "To better use the increase of money, handing out money is not a solution that holds good for all time. It could be better to improve the public service or cut the price of energy use in daily life," said Qiao Xinshcng, an economic professor.

    After disappearing for over 19 years, measles (麻疹) is making a comeback in America. Since January 2019, the disease has infected more than 700 people, mostly small children, and the number seems to be increasing daily.

    Measles is an infectious disease that typically begins with a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Many people also lose their appetites and feel sleepy. About three to four days after the symptoms start, the person breaks out into a rash (皮疹) that begins on the face at the hairline and then spreads to the neck and the rest of the body.

    In healthy people, the recovery, which takes between two to three weeks, starts soon after the rash begins. However, for about 40 percent of patients — mainly kids under the age of five or older adults — the disease often leads to pneumonia (肺炎), which, if left untreated, could result in death.

    The recent outbreak is thought to have been caused by travelers picking up the virus in a country where the disease is still existing and exposing it to an unvaccinated (未接种的) community in the US. In New York, it was carried back by someone who had recently visited Israel, which is currently undergoing a significant measles, while in Washington, "patient zero" was infected by a type that is currently circulating in Europe.

    To limit the spread of the disease before it gets out of hand, US health officials are attempting to educate communities with high rates of unvaccinated children. They are also urging adults to consult with their physicians and get injected if considered necessary by the doctor.

    Hopefully, health officials worldwide will be able to convince parents that vaccinating their children will protect, not harm, them.