Bottled water has become the choice for people who are healthy and thirsty. Bottled water is all over the world. But some say the planet's health, and people's health may be suffering from it.

    The idea that bottled water is safer for humans may not be true. The Natural Resources Defense Council of America said, “There is no promise that because water comes out of a bottle, it is cleaner or safer than water from the tap.” Another New York City-based action group added that some bottled water is “really just tap water in a bottle—sometimes more clean, sometimes not.”

    It is not proven that bottled water is better than tap water. Nick Reeves from the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management said, “The high mineral content(含量) of some bottled water makes them not good for feeding babies and young children.” Also, most bottled water doesn't have fluoride(氟化物), which can make teeth stronger. Kids are drinking more bottled water and less fluoridated tap water, and some say that's behind the recent rise in bad teeth.

    Storing is another problem. Placed near heat, the plastic bottles can produce bad chemicals(化学物质) into the water.

    According to the Environmental Protection Agency, some 2.7 million tons of plastic are used worldwide to bottle water each year. The plastic can take between 400 and 1,000 years to break down.

    In terms of energy use, plastic bottles are also not cheap. One report said that if water and soft drink bottlers had used 10 percent recycled materials in their plastic bottles, they would have saved about 72 million gallons of gas.

    So, if you are worried about the effect of bottled water on the Earth, you can take the following steps.

●Drink from your tap. Unless your government warns against this, it should be fine.

●Get a container(容器). Carry your tap water in a steel or a lined drinking container, and clean it between uses.

●Keep it cool. Don't drink from a bottle that has been sitting in the sun, don't store it near chemicals, and don't reuse plastic bottles.

●Choose glass containers over plastic if possible. When finished, recycle!

    The Bronte sisters were three sisters who became famous novelists． Their lives and works are connected with the lonely moors of Yorkshire, England, where they lived． Patrick Bronte, the sisters' father, was a poor Irishman who became the parish clergyman of the small, isolated town of Haworth, Yorkshire． Bronte was somewhat strange and tended to be strict． His wife died in 1821 and her sister brought up the family out of duty, but with little love or understanding． The sisters went to several boarding schools where they received a better education than usual for girls at that time, but in a bad atmosphere．

Few jobs were available for women at that time, and the Bronte sisters, except for occasional jobs as governesses or schoolteachers, lived their entire lives at home． They were shy, poor, and lonely, and occupied themselves with music, drawing, reading and —above all—writing． Their isolation led to the early development of their imaginations． In 1846, under the male pen names of Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, the sisters published a joint volume of poems．Although only two copies were sold, all three sisters soon had their first novels published．

    Charlotte Bronte's most famous novel Jane Eyre （1847） is largely autobiographical ． Through the heroine, Charlotte relived her hated boarding school life and her experiences as a governess in a large house． Rochester, the hero and master of the house, is fictional． Jane Eyre was enormously successful, but many readers were shocked that Rochester, who tried to make Jane his mistress, should be rewarded by marrying her． Some readers were also shocked because Jane wanted to be regarded as a thinking and independent person, rather than as a weak female．

    Charlotte Bronte wrote three other novels． The first one, The Professor, was not published until 1857, after her death． Shirley （1849） is set among the labour riots of the early 1800s． Villette

    Almost one in five drivers had dozed off behind the wheel, a shocking news report had showed. Of those who were dozing off, 29% have done so with their cars speeding at 70 miles per hour. The report also found a quarter of men have fallen asleep while driving, making it almost twice as many as women.

    The Safety on Wheel Report, by Post Office Insurance, also looked at how often tiredness or a lack of concentration caused accidents. Three in ten drivers have experienced an accident, from passing a walker crossing to hitting another vehicle, because of a lack of concentration. Meanwhile, almost half (49%) of UK drivers have driven when they do not concentrate.

    Paul Haven hand, head of insurance at Post Office, said, “ When tiredness strikes, drivers should avoid the roads.” There is no measurement for tired driving, unlike driving under the influence of alcohol, yet it could result in an equally dangerous accident.

    Drivers are advised to take a 15-minute break from driving every two hours. However, a third (36%) are so eager to reach their destination that they will ignore feelings of tiredness. What's more, almost one in five (18%) will drive for longer than four hours without a break, while 6% carry on for up to 6 hours. Just over a quarter (27%) choose a quick stop to buy a cup of coffee, which is a very popular way for drivers to get rid of tiredness, and only 17% stop to have a rest until they feel energetic again. Mr. Havenhand added, “Drivers should plan ahead and rest before starting a long journey; besides, they can take regular breaks to recharge their batteries while on road; in some cases, if they do feel too tired to concentrate on the roads, they could consider an alternative means of transport.”

How to Fill Your Empty Walls with Beautiful Art

    If you've ever stared at an empty wall wondering what to put there, you're not alone. The idea of having the same museum print as everyone else doesn't seem that appealing.

    But, many people who may be interested in purchasing art are at a loss on how to start. The amount of time taken to discover art and artists that you truly love, and the expense of purchasing art, keep many people from even considering it.

    But now, TurningArt is solving this dilemma(困境). TurningArt is an online subscription(订阅 ) service that allows the average consumer to learn about art and be able to afford to own it. TurningArt offers art-lovers an online gallery of thousands of works, from highly accomplished and successful artists, to view in their homes and eventually buy if they want to.

    Here's how it works

    Visit TurningArt.com to browse through the work of hundreds of independent artists from across the country. Sorted by style, medium, color, price, artist, or even region, new art is added daily. You're sure to find several things you like.

    Then, simply sign up for one of TurningArt's subscription plans. These start at just $10 per month. TurningArt will send you your first piece, framed and ready to hang right out of the box. The piece will not be the original, but rather a museum-quality print produced together with the artist. You can request the next piece at any time. New prints arrive in a mailer that you can use to send back your old prints.

    You can enjoy each piece for one, two, or three months—however long you want. And, best of all, you never have to worry about taping, sizing, or centering your new print, because all prints are pre-sized to fit easily into the frame originally sent to you.

    If you've got an empty wall to fill, or simply like the idea of getting fresh art in your home every now and then, TurningArt is for you.

    When Boris left school, he could not find a job. He tried hard and he wrote letters to many companies until he could not afford to buy any more stamps. Boris began to lose his confidence, then depressed. Still he went on trying and still he failed. He began to think that he had no future at all.

    “Why don't you start your own business?” one of his uncles told him. “The world is a money-locker. You'd better find a way of opening it.”

    “But what can I do?”

    “Get out and have a look round.” advised his uncle. “See what people want; then give it to them, and they will pay for it.”

    Boris began to cycle around the town and found a suitable piece of waste ground in the end. Then he set up his business as a cycle repairer. He worked hard, made friends with his customers and gradually managed to win his good fame. A few months later, he found that he had more work than he could deal with by himself. He found a number of empty shops but they were all no good: in the wrong position, too expensive or with some other problems. But at long last, he managed to find an empty shop in a new place where there were plenty of customers but no competition.

    Boris and his assistant taught themselves how to repair motor-cycles. Slowly but surely the profits increased and the business developed. At last, Boris had managed to open the money-locker and found bank notes and gold coins inside.

    Welcome to Holker Hall & Gardens

    Visitor Information

    How to Get to Holker

By Car: Follow brown signs an A590 from JB6, M6.Approximale travel times: Windermere-20 minutes, Kendal-25 minutes, Lancaster-45 minutes, Manchester—-1 hour 30 minutes.

    By Rail: The nearest station is Cark-in-Cartmel with trains to Carnforth, Lancaster Preston for connections to major cities & airports.

    Opening Times

    Sunday-Friday (closed on Saturday)11:00 am-4:00pm,30 March-2nd November.

    Admission Charges

    Special Events

    Producers: Market 13th April

    Join us to taste a variety of fresh local food and drinks. Meet the producers and get some excellent recipe ideas.

    Holker Garden Festival 30th May

    The event celebrate its 22nd anniversary with a great show of the very best of gardening, making it one of the most popular events in gardening.

    National Garden Day 28th August

    Holker once again opens is gardens in aid of the disadvantaged. For just a small donation you can take a tour with our garden guide.

    Winter Market 8th November

    This is an event for all the family. Wander among a variety of shops selling gifs while enjoying a live music show and nice street entertainment.