There is an English saying that “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter can really improve people's health.

    Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works on several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.

    Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effects of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated（忍耐）the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress and pain.

    As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients' condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.

Three Blocks of Stones Forest Park

    Three Blocks of Stones Forest Park, located in the southeast of Fushun, is a high and beautiful mountain, on the top of which there are three large blocks of stones, accounting for its name. It is covered with thick and tall trees, with a clear and clean river flowing down it

Opening time: 8:30—16:30  (from April 1st to October 31st)

Admission ticket: 45 yuan    (free for kids under 7 years old)

Telephone number : 13823011112

Fushun Royal Ocean World

    Fushun Royal Ocean World, located in the west of Fushun, is made up of Aquarium（水族馆）, surf house, and water park in it. Here you can see many rare sea creatures and polar animals. And also you can have a good time surfing or playing in the water park

Opening time: 8:30—16:30

Admission ticket: 90 yuan/adult 50yuan/kid (free for kids under 5 years old, accompanied by at least one adult)

Telephone number :55556000

Hetuala City

    Hetuala city is Manchurian, where the later Jin was located. The ancestors of Nurhachi(努尔哈赤)used to live here, and the Nu Zhen nationality once settled here. This city, which lies in the far north of Fushun, is divided into two parts, the inner city and the outer city.

Opening time: 8:00—17:00

Admission ticket: 80 yuan(free for kids under 5 years old and the elderly over 70 years old)

Telephone number : 15904130413

Exhibition hall of Fushun war criminals

    Exhibition hall of Fushun war criminals, was built in May 1986 Japanese war criminals were once put in prison here. The emperor of Manchukuo, Puyi and his ministers were also transformed into ordinary people here. In the exhibition hall over 800 historical pictures and more than 500 material objects are on display. It is a good patriotic（爱国的） education base for all the people, especially the students. Exhibition hall of Fushun war criminals is just in the center of Fushun.

Opening time : 8:30—16;00 (closed every Monday)

Admission ticket: 70 yuan( free for kids and all the primary and junior students and the elderly over 70. Free for all on September 18^th)

Telephone number: 55918918

    The Allendale Cultural Center has expanded its arts program to include classes for young adults. Director Leah Martin announced Monday that beginning in September, three new classes will be offered to the Allendale community. The course titles will be Yoga(瑜伽) for Teenagers; Hip Hop Dance: Learning the Latest Moves; and Creative Journaling for Teens: Discovering the Writer Within. The latter course will not be held at the Allendale Cultural Center but instead will meet at the Allendale Public Library.

    Staff member Tricia Cousins will teach the yoga and hip hop classes. Ms. Cousins is a skilled choreographer(舞蹈指导) as well as an experienced dance educator. She is a Master of Arts in dance education from Teachers College, Columbia University. The journaling class will be taught by Betsy Milford. Ms. Milford is the head librarian at the Allendale Public Library as well as a columnist(专栏作家) for the professional journal Library Focus.

    The courses are part of the Allendale Cultural Center's Project Teen, which was organized by Leah Martin, Director of the Cultural Center. According to Martin, this project is a direct result of her efforts to make the center a more necessary part of the Allendale community. Over the last several years, the number of people who have visited the cultural center for classes or events has steadily declined. Project Teen is primarily funded by the McGee Arts Foundation, an organization devoted to bringing arts programs to young adults. The other members of Project Teen are two students at Allendale's Brookdale High School and three adults with backgrounds in education and the arts.

    The creative journaling class will be cosponsored by Brookdale High School, and students who complete the class will be given the opportunity to publish one of their journal works in Pulse, Brookdale's student literary magazine. Students who complete the hip hop class will be qualified to participate in the Allendale Review, an annual concert sponsored by the cultural center that features local actors, musicians, and dancers.

    All classes are scheduled to begin immediately after school, and transportation will be available from Brookdale High School to the Allendale Cultural Center and the Allendale Public Library. For more information about Project Teen, contact the cultural center's programming office at 988­0099 or drop by the office after June 1 to pick up a fall course catalog. The office is located on the third floor of the Allendale Town Hall.

    Filled with much housework, meals and childcare at home, many people feel that being at work sounds more like having a picnic. Even for those who have a happy family life, they feel actually more stressed at home than at work.

    Recently, a study carried out by the researchers at a university in the USA found lower levels of hormone released in response to stress in a majority of subjects when they were at work compared to when they were at home. This was true for both men and women, and parents and people without children.

    Both men and women showed less stress at work. But women are more likely to report feeling happier there. Men were more likely to feel happier at home. Experts say there are other reasons why work is less stressful than home for many. “Paid work is more valued in society,” said Sarah Damaske, the lead researcher on the study, “Household work is boring and not particularly rewarding.”

    We get better at our job with time and the increased competence means less stress and more rewards. Yet none of us, no matter how long we've been doing it, ever truly feels like an expert at parenting or even at marriage.

    The support and friendship of co-workers also offer stress relief. At home, meanwhile, stress spreads and increases quickly. “That's the reason why most housewives wish they were the bread earners,” Dr. Damaske says.

    Much of the advice to families and couples includes the warning to “leave work stress at office” and even to change our mind-set from work to home, for example, a walk around the block. The recent findings, though, suggest our home life, not our attitude, might be due for some change.

Emilia Dobek traces her interest in space and the universe back to third grade when she and her father watched a blood moon — a total lunar eclipse (月食) — on the roof of their house.

Now a seventh grader at East Prairie Elementary School, Dobek recently won the national Discovery Education Lockheed Martin Beyond Challenge by designing a space station for travelling to Mars.

She says that night watching the lunar eclipse started a strong desire in her that has yet to run out of fuel. So when her teacher Andrea Smeeton received information about the national challenge, Smeeton said she immediately had one student in mind.

"I knew she would love the challenge and that she would go way beyond in her search," Smeeton said. "She immediately started researching bone density (密度) of astronauts and how to have food on Mars. "

"My design will ensure the safety of the astronauts and make sure their comfort is out of this world," Dobek says.

Dobek's design calls for building the MSS or Mars Storage Station to put the supplies in. It also includes the SGF or Self-Growing Farm, and she details how it would work with the elements on Mars.

Then there is physical and leisure activity for the astronauts under Dobek's design. A simulator (模拟装置) allows astronauts to choose their exercise machine and virtual reality environment. Rooms have circular ceilings so astronauts will be able to watch downloaded shows and even see places on Earth, such as their homes.

"I want to tell other kids to follow their passions," Dobek said. "Whatever they want to do, they should push for it and always try their best."

Plan your vacation. The following four places are your fantastic destinations. You can enjoy a completely different experience.

Israel

If you're looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, National Geographic 'Travel says visitors should head to Jerusalem to celebrate Easter with thousands of pilgrims (朝圣者). If the crowds get too huge, visitors are told to take a boat ride to King Herod's 2,000-year-old Masada fortress (要塞) or set off on a peaceful morning boat ride across the sea of Galilee.

Panama

Costa Rica and the Caribbean often enjoy much more popularity than Panama, but visitors should consider the centre American country if they want a "less-crowded paradise". The travel site states, "Here, horses are still the primary means of transportation and local fishermen serve fresh seafood and fruit from their home kitchens for roughly $ 6 a plate."

Svalbard

If you're a fan of winter activities, but are in need of some sun, then perhaps a trip to Svalbard is a good choice. National Geographic Travel notes, "The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is located about 620 miles south of the North Pole. In late spring, the sun never falls below the horizon—meaning you can take in all the Vitamin D you desire." Popular activities in the area include hiking and wildlife spotting.

Namibia

During spring, Namibia is regarded as the perfect destination with reduced travel costs on cooler evenings. In late May, National Geographic Travel says that the watering holes start to dry up again, which attracts giraffes and black rhino from their hiding spots. If you're fond of adventurous exploration, head to the Namibia Desert for a spot of sand boarding.