Mosquitoes have an extraordinary ability to find humans far away and fly straight to their skin. Mosquitoes can do more than cause an itchy (发痒的）wound. Some mosquitoes spread several serious diseases, including Dengue, yellow fever and malaria.

    Over one million people worldwide die from these diseases each year. New research now shows how mosquitoes choose who to bite.

    Mosquitoes need blood to survive. They are attracted to human skin and breath. They smell the carbon dioxide gas, which all mammals breathe out. This gas is the main way for mosquitoes to know that a warm-blooded creature is nearby.

    But mosquitoes also use their eyes and sense of touch. Michael Dickinson is a professor at the California Institute of Technology. His research shows how these small insects, with even smaller brains, use three senses to find a blood meal.

    Michael Dickinson's team used plumes—a material that rises into the air of carbon dioxide gas into a wind tunnel (隧道). They then used cameras to record the mosquitoes. The insects followed the plume.

    Then, the scientists placed dark objects on the lighter colored floor and walls of the tunnel. Mr. Dickinson said, at first, the mosquitoes showed no interest in the objects at all. “What was quite surprising is that the mosquitoes fly back and forth for hours. These are hungry females and they completely ignore the objects on the floor and wall of the tunnel. But the moment they get a hit of CO₂, they change their behavior quite obviously and now would become attracted to these little visual blobs (斑点).”

    This suggested to the researchers that a mosquito's sense of smell is more important in the search for food. Once mosquitoes catch a smell of a human or animal, they also follow visual signals.

    This March is a busy month in Shanghai．There's a lot to do．Here are the highlights.

Live Music — Late Night Jazz

    Enjoy real American jazz from Herbie Davis, the famous trumpet player．He's coming with his new 7-piece band, Herbie's Heroes ． Herbie is known to play well into the early hours, so don't expect to get much sleep．This is Herbie's third visit to Shanghai．The first two were sold out, so get your tickets quickly.

PLACE: The Jazz Club DATES: 15—23 March

PRICE: ￥80,120        TIME: 10:00p.m．till late!

TEL: 6466—8736

Scottish dancing

    Take your partners and get ready to dance till you drop． Scottish dancing is fun and easy to learn．Instructors will demonstrate the dances．The live band, Gordon Stroppie and the Weefrees, are also excellent.

PLACE: Jack Stein's            DATES: every Monday

PRICE: Y60 including one drink TIME: 7:00 —0:00 p.m.

TEL: 6402-1877

Exhibitions — Shanghai Museum

    There are 120,000 pieces on show here．You can see the whole of Chinese history under one roof．It's always interesting to visit, but doubly(加倍地) so at the moment with the Egyptian Tombs exhibition．There are lots of mummies and more gold than you've ever seen before．Let us know if you see a mummy move!

PLACE: Shanghai Museum    PRICE: ￥30 (￥15 for students)

TEL: 6888-6888             DATES: daily

TIME: Monday — Friday 9:00a.m．— 5:00p.m., Weekends 9:00a.m. — 9:00p.m.

Dining — Sushi chef in town

    Sushi(寿司) is getting really big in Shanghai．In Japan, it's become an art form．The most famous Sushi "artist" is Yuki Kamura．She's also one of the few female chefs in Japan．She'll be at Sushi Scene all of this month.

PLACE: Sushi Scene in the Shanghai Hotel      DATES: all month

PRICE: ￥200         TIME: lunch time

TEL: 6690-3211

For a full listing of events, see our website.

    Ibuprofen

    Ibuprofen is used to reduce fever and treat pain in adults and children who are at least 6 months old.

    Important information

    Ibuprofen can increase your risk of heart attack or stroke, especially if you use it in the long term or take high doses(剂量), or if you have heart disease. Do not use this medicine just before or after heart surgery. Ibuprofen may also cause stomach bleeding, which can give birth to death. These conditions can occur without warning while you are using it, especially in older adults.

    Do not take more than your recommended dose. An ibuprofen overdose can damage your stomach. Use only the smallest amount medication needed to get relief from your pain or fever.

    A child's dose of ibuprofen is based on the age and weight of the child. Carefully follow the dosing instructions. Ask a doctor if you have questions.

    Take ibuprofen with food or milk to reduce the likelihood of a stomach upset.

    Shake the liquid before you measure a dose.

    Measure liquid medicine with a special medicine cup.

    Store at room temperature away from heat. Do not allow the liquid medicine to freeze.

    There is some unwelcome news for students preparing for exams and officers putting in long hours—you don't need that "refreshment（提神） break" as much as you may think.

    Scientists believed it was not easy for people to continue their work if they felt the need to have a snack or a rest to make them feel better. They argued that the only way to regain willpower is by supplying more energy to our bodies with rest, food or entertainment.

    But psychologists have challenged this theory, saying weak willpower is in your head. They found that a person's mindset(理念) and belief about willpower determine how long and how well they'll be able to work on a tough mental exercise. "If you think of willpower as something that's limited, you're more likely to be tired when you perform a difficult task," said Professor Veronika Job. "But if you think of willpower as something that is not easily depleted, you can go on and on."

    The researchers led by Mr. Job designed an experiment to test the students' beliefs about willpower. After a tiring task those who believed or were led to believe that willpower was a limited resource performed worse on standard concentration tests than those who thought of willpower as something they had more control over.

    Mr. Job said, "Students who may already have trouble studying are being told that their powers of concentration are limited, and they need to take frequent breaks. But a belief in willpower as a non-limited resource makes people stronger in their ability to work through challenges."

    The findings could help people who are battling with temptation(诱惑): people following strict diets and doing exercise regularly to lose weight, people trying to overcome addictions, employees facing a tight deadline. Willpower isn't driven by a biologically based process as much as we used to think.

    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.

    To develop one's taste in English, the most effective way is to read English books extensively. Yet one may be at a loss to choose the appropriate books, especially as a beginner. As a native Spanish, I would like to share some of my experience.

    My first English novel was Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, recommended by many English teachers and professors as an ideal book for English learners. But my experience was somewhat disastrous. I had great difficulty in understanding the novel, let alone enjoying it. It's not the vocabulary that troubled me, but rather the way Austen constructs sentences, and her way of thinking, which seemed too remote to me at that time. My fading enthusiasm was much recovered after reading Hemingway's novel A Farewell to Arms. No long and complicated sentences. And I particularly liked his brief and straightforward (简洁的) style. So my first suggestion is, as a beginner, you'd better choose contemporary novels instead of classical ones.

    However, if you restrict yourself to novels you will miss a lot of treasures. English essays can at once inform you, entertain you, and improve your taste in English. The best example is Bertrand Russell's work. Its language is plain, yet you cannot help feeling the elegance and the peculiar sense of humor. His simple language enables his philosophy within the reach of ordinary people. Here comes my second suggestion—essays are indispensable.

    Never follow others' recommendations and opinions blindly, however famous or influential (有很大影响的) the person might be. We should be open to various ideas, but always think and determine for ourselves. As a saying goes, one man's meat is another man's poison. With that in mind, we are bound to find out our favorite writers through reading and develop our fine taste in English.