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    A group of cultural calendars, with creative designs, informative content and delicate printing, were hot sellers last year and now posting photos of the calendars has become a new fad on social networks. Many people posted photos of their cultural calendars with their comments to arouse memories of traditional knowledge. Though the cultural calendars are a return to traditions, designers are racking their brains to make the calendars appear more attractive.

    Big Brothers Big Sisters is based on the simplicity and power of friendship．It is a program which provides friendship and fun by matching vulnerable young people (ages 7-17) with a volunteer adult who can be both a role model and a supportive friend.

    Volunteer tutors come from all walks of life—married, single, with or without children. Big Brothers and Big Sisters are not replacement parents or social workers. They are tutors: someone to trust, to have fun with, to talk and go to when needed.

    A Big Sister and Little Sister will generally spend between one and four hours together three or four times each month for at least twelve months. They enjoy simple activities such as a picnic at a park, cooking, playing sport or going to a football match. These activities improve the friendship and help the young person develop positive self-respect, confidence and life direction.

    Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations exist throughout the world. It is the largest and most well-known provider of tutor services internationally and has been operating for 25 years.

    Emily and Sarah have been matched since 2008. Emily is a 10-year-old girl who has experienced some difficulties being accepted by her schoolmates at school. “ I was pretty sure there was something wrong with me.”

    Emily's mum came across Big Brothers Big Sisters and thought it would be of benefit to Emily by “providing different feedback (反馈) about herself other than just relying on schoolmates to measure her self-worth.

    Sarah wanted to get involved in a volunteer program. “I googled it and found out how to be a part of it. I thought it would be fun for me to get involved in making time to do something because sometimes it is all work and no play.”

    Big Brothers Big Sisters has been of great benefit and enjoyment to both Emily and Sarah. They love and look forward to their time together and the partnership has certainly helped Emily be more comfortable in being the wonderful, happy and unique girl she is!

    What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any especially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.

    Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.

    Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.

    At Jacobs Creek Job Corps, students receive the skills needed to succeed in today's workforce—at no cost to them or their families!

    If you are looking for a better quality of life and are willing to dedicate yourself to our life changing program, Jacobs Creek Job Corps is the place for you!

    Have you ever pressed the pedestrian button at a crosswalk and wondered if it really worked? They're called “placebo(安慰剂）buttons” 一buttons that mechanically sound and can be pushed，but provide no functionality.

In New York City, only about 100 of the 1, 000 crosswalk buttons actually function. Crosswalk signals were generally installed before traffic jam had reached today's levels.

    But while their function was taken over by more advanced systems—such as automated lights or traffic sensors — the physical buttons were often kept, rather than being replaced at further expense. Other cities，such as Boston， Dallas and Seattle， have gone through a similar process, leaving them with their own placebo pedestrian buttons. In London, which has 6, 000 traffic signals， pressing the pedestrian button results in a reliable “Wait” light. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the “green man”— or “pedestrian stage” in traffic signal design profession — will appear any sooner.

    “We do have some crossings where the green light comes on automatically, but we still ask people to press the button because that enables accessible features,'' said Glynn Barton, director of network management at Transport for London.

    These features, such as blind tracks and hearable traffic signals, help people with visual disorder cross the road and only function when the button is pressed. As for the lights, a growing number of them are now combined and become a part of an electronic system that detects traffic and adjusts time frequency accordingly (giving priority to buses if they're running late, for example), which means that pressing the button has no effect.

    According to Langer, a Harvard psychologist, placebo buttons give us the illusion (错觉)of control — and something to do in situations where the alternative would be doing nothing. In the case of pedestrian crossings, they may even make us safer by forcing us to pay attention to our surroundings. “They serve a psychological purpose at the very least,” she added.

A BIG DAY OUT

    Home to Scotland's national maritime (海事的) collection, the award winning Scottish Maritime Museum makes a great day out, with so much to do:

    ● Explore tools and tales across the big Linthouse, a former shipyard (造船厂) building.

    ● See historic ships such as Garnock & Carola, a steam boat built in 1898.

    ● Test a model boat on our indoor boating pond or sail your own on our outdoor boating pond.

    ● Learn about Scotland's importance to maritime history, and about the people that built and sailed Scottish ships around the world.

    Irvine public tours

    Leaving the Linthouse three times a day and lasting about 75 minutes, you will visit the 1920s Tenement Flat and take a step back in time in a typical (典型的) shipyard worker's home. Then, weather permitting, you can experience life at sea onboard MV Kyles, the oldest Clyde-built boat still in service in the UK.

    Getting here:

    By rail: five minutes' walk from Irvine Railway Station

    By road: From the A77, take the A71 and follow the brown signs to the Harbourside and the Maritime Museum. (FREE PARKING)

    By bus: No 11 from Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenson, Kilwinning, Irvine and Kilmarnock;

    No 585 from Ayr, Irvine and Greenock;

    X34 from Irvine, Beith and Glasgow;

    14A Service from Troon all have convenient bus stops nearby.

    By sea: We have our own spot in Irvine harbour that visitors can use. Pre-booking is needed by emailing visitorservices@scotmaritime.org.uk.

    By bike: We have cycle spaces within our boat shop. We are located on Route 7 of the National Cycle Network.

    Opening times and admission:

    Open daily: 10 am – 5 pm Monday to Sunday

    Adults: ￡7.50 (age 17+)

    Concessions (优惠): ￡5.50 (Visitors aged 60+, registered disabled (已注册的残疾人士), or full time students aged 17+)

    Children: Three go FREE (age 16 and under) with any paying adult or concession

    EXTRA CHILD PRICE IS ￡2.

    Registered carers: One free when accompanying (陪同) a paid disabled person

    Group visits: Pre-booked groups of 10 or more receive special rates from ￡4 for a self-tour