Food serves as a form of communication in two basic ways. Sharing bread or other foods is a common human tradition that can promote unity and trust. Food can also have a special meaning, and play an important role in a family or culture's celebrations or traditions. The foods we eat—and when and how we eat them—are often unique to a particular culture or may even differ between rural(郊区的) and urban(市区的) areas within one country.

    Sharing bread, whether during a special occasion(时刻) or at the family dinner table, is a common symbol of togetherness. Many cultures also celebrate birthdays and marriages with cakes that are cut and shared among the guests. Early forms of cake were simply a kind of bread, so this tradition has its roots in the custom of sharing bread.

    Food also plays an important role in many New Year celebrations. In the southern United States, pieces of corn bread stand for blocks of gold for prosperity(兴旺) in the New Year. In Greece, people share a special cake called vasilopita. A coin is put into the cake, which signifies(预示) success in the New Year for the person who receives it.

    Many cultures have ceremonies to celebrate the birth of a child, and food can play a significant role. In China, when a baby is one month old, families name and welcome their child in a celebration that includes giving red-colored eggs to guests. In many cultures, round foods such as grapes, bread, and moon cakes are eaten at welcome celebrations to represent family unity.

    Nutrition(营养) is necessary for life, so it is not surprising that food is such an important part of different cultures around the world.

    For many people who live in cities, parks are an important landscape. They provide a place for people to relax and play sports, as well as a shelter from the often severe environment of a city. What people often overlook is that parks also provide considerable environmental benefits.

    One benefit of parks is that plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. According to one study, an acre of trees can absorb the same amount of carbon dioxide that a typical car emits in 11,000 miles of driving. Parks also make cities cooler. Scientists have long noted what is called the Urban Heat Island Effect: building materials such as metal and concrete (混凝土) absorb much more of the sun's heat and release it much more quickly than trees and grass. Because city landscapes contain so much of these building materials, cities are usually warmer than surrounding rural areas. Parks and other green spaces help to lessen the Urban Heat Island Effect.

    Unfortunately, many cities cannot easily create more parks. However, cities could benefit from many of the positive effects of parks by encouraging citizens to create another type of green space: rooftop gardens. While most people would not think of starting a garden on their roof, human beings have been planting gardens on rooftops for thousands of years. Some rooftop gardens are simple container gardens that anyone can create with the investment (投资) of a few hundred dollars and a few hours of work.

    Rooftop gardens provide many of the same benefits as other urban parks and garden spaces, but without taking up the much-needed land. In the summer, rooftop gardens prevent buildings from absorbing heat from the sun, which can significantly reduce cooling bills. In the winter, gardens help control the heat that materials like brick and concrete release so quickly, leading to savings on heating bills. Rooftop vegetables and herb gardens can also provide fresh food for city settlers, making their diets healthier. Rooftop gardens are not only something everyone can enjoy but also a smart environmental investment.

    Kids Connect is a camp specifically for children with physical and mild intelligence disabilities aged 9-16 (Single consideration given to those over the age of 16). It is held in Blockhouse Bay, Auckland. Occasionally we require meeting a child before camp to ensure we are able to meet their needs during the camp. Acceptance is not automatic, but at the decision of the camp director.

    Our camps are conducted by experienced staff. We take every effort to give your children a safe and enjoyable weekend. Our aim is that every child comes away with lasting memories of what they have experienced, explored and enjoyed at our camp.

We focus on building strong, healthy relationships with other children (with and without physical disabilities) and with group leaders.

    We have a weekend packed full of activities, action and fun.

    Team games and competitions, songs

    Cross-country race on a wheelchair accessible track

    Motorcycling

    Process design

    Discussions, great food and loads of fun!

    The camp fee is approximately $135 (subject to change). We also accept payment by way of Ministry of Health carer support forms.

    Day visits and rates can be organized on a personal basis if a full weekend stay is unsuitable

    For a registration form or for more information, please email info@cbm.org.nz or phone 09 6305271

    Kids Connect

    Box 8774, Symonds Street Auckland 1150

    Website: www.cbm.org.nz

    Earthquakes strike suddenly at any time of the day or night, but there's no way to tell when. If an earthquake happens, it may cause many deaths, injuries and damage. So you need a good preparation ahead of time. Decide how and where your family will get together if separated. Choose an out-of-state friend or relative that the family members can call after the quake to report where they are and how they are. Know the safe places in each room: under the strong tables, desks, or against inside walls. Keep enough food, water and other things, including a flashlight, a radio, medicines and clothing.

    During the earthquake, you should keep a clear head and never be too nervous to know what to do. Protect your head and neck with your arms. If possible, take a book, a pillow or any other things to protect yourself from falling glass and ruins. If you are indoors, you must immediately lie under any strong furniture. If outdoors, move to an open area away from trees, buildings, walls or power poles. If you are in a narrow valley, move to the centre of it and look up for falling stones. If you are in a car, move to the side of the road and stop the car. Do not stop near buildings, power lines or on or under bridges. Stay in your car until the shaking stops.

    Do not move a badly injured person unless he is in great danger after the earthquake. Do not use the telephone immediately unless there is a serious injury or fire. Turn on your radio for instructions and news reports. Be prepared for aftershocks. If you want to leave your home, post a message inside your home telling your family members where you can be found.

    We've all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.

    What's the problem? It's possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It's more likely that none of us start a conversation because it's awkward and challenging, or we think it's annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it's an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.

    Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can't forget that deep relationships wouldn't even exist if it weren't for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease(润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. "Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk," he explains. "The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them."

    In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction(互动) with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. "It's not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband," says Dunn. "But interactions with peripheral(边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also."

    Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. "Small talk is the basis of good manners," he says.

Hip-hop started 50 years ago as an escape from poverty and violence in Bronx, New York City. The music and style appealed to Black and Latino teenagers. As hip-hop spread throughout New York, so did the culture.

People often mix up hip-hop with rap. Rap is a musical style that combines quick recitation of rhymes with musical beats. But hip-hop is more than just music. It is a culture, and rap music is one part of it. Hip-hop also includes other activities, like breakdancing, disc-jockeying and graffiti art. In his 1993 song Hip Hop vs. Rap, KRS-One said: "Rap is something you do. Hip hop is something you live." In the early days of hip-hop, playing music on the streets or turning a basketball court into a dance floor may have seemed like a simple invitation to have fun and party. But it actually was an answer to social and economic injustice in poor neighborhoods. It was a way to show joy and imagination even without resources and wealth.

As hip-hop and rap music grew into a force in American culture, entertainers used it to speak to their personal realities. In 1982, in the song The Message, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five criticized poverty and a lack of investment in Black communities. Several years later, Tupac Shakur complained about police violence in the song Changes. Today, hip-hop's influence on music and other industries is so widespread that experts say it becomes difficult to measure.

There is also hip-hop's influence on protest, resistance and political dissent(异议)around the world. From the Arab Spring and the Palestinian freedom fight to feminism and class struggles, rap music is a popular expression for calls to action. Music videos produced by artists in Africa, Europe, Asia and South America often include breakdancers, graffiti and other elements of hip-hop.

"Hip-hop took the chains off us and said, ‘No, we're gonna say it our way,' " Al Sharpton, American civil rights leader, said, "It was that freedom. It was that raw, non-watered down kind of expression."