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　　Every kid wishes to be an adult．But now as grown-ups, some adults find they cannot leave childhood behind．They become "kidults"(kid＋adult)．Being a kidult has become a lifestyle-choice among young people across Asia．

　　Some kidults collect toys they once played with．Hello Kitty, Garfield, and Snoopy have many adult fans around the world．It is not unusual to see a 20-something woman with a big, Garfield-shaped cushion on her sofa or a Hello Kitty mobile phone accessory(附属品)．

　　Other kidults still enjoy children's stories and fairy tales．For example, Bloomsbury even published the Harry Potter novels with an adult cover．That way, no one else on the subway will know that an adult is actually reading a children's book!

　　"Kidults can be like vitamins to society．Adults who value their childhood and hold on to pure, child-like emotion may be needed in such a rough and dry society," said Lee Sojung, professor of Foreign Studies at Hankuk University(韩国外国语大学)．He added that kidult culture may fill the generation gap between adults and kids．It could give children and their parents books, movies, and cartoon shows to enjoy together．He may be right．

　　Tim Greenhalgh, a professor, explained that some kidults just refuse to grow up．They value childhood because life in a busy and stressful city frightens them．Kidults would like to forget their age and openly show their fear of society and adulthood．

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　　British police have begun a year-long programme of Olympic security tests, conducting sweeping searches of London 2012 venues and practising defensive counter-terrorism tactics(反恐策略)．

　　The exercises described are part of a broad range of tests to check how the police, government departments and emergency services would respond to any problems with the Games．

　　British police have been conducting security sweeps inside the Olympic Stadium in London as part of an anti-terror exercise ahead of next year’s games．Officers have been searching sections of the stadium by hand, while sniffer dogs have been employed to search seats for traces of explosives．

　　The Metropolitan Police’s national security coordinator for the London Olympics, Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison, refused to remark on Tuesday over whether the death of Osama bin Laden had produced intelligence to suggest that the Games were being targeted by Al-Qaeda(基地组织) terrorists．

　　Chris Allison said, “Clearly I’m not going to go into any details of any intelligence, but put it this way, we have planned all of our Olympic plans on the basis of a severe threat from terrorism．We’ve looked at the various attack methods used by terrorists across the world, and put in place the necessary control measures here to make sure the terrorists couldn’t be successful．”

　　Specialist officers from the police “rope access” team have been searching the floodlights at the Olympic Stadium to check for suspicious objects．

　　The British government’s austerity drive has resulted in tough budget(预算)cuts for the police service in London．

　　But the government has insisted that the budget for Olympic security won’t be affected by the cutbacks．

　　Security has been a serious concern for the Olympics since the killing of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 Munich Games．

　　The London Games are seen as a high security threat particularly, as the Olympics offer an international platform for any terror group because there will be live events broadcast worldwide．

　　The 2012 London Summer Olympics begin July 27 and run through August 12．

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　　Online games, social-networking web sites, and chat rooms are fascinating and motivating for teens and help with their development．When adults look at teens today, they think what they are doing is different and seem to be wasting a lot of time．And those activities seem quite foreign．But when we look closely at what kids are doing, it’s not much more different than what their parents did．They are hanging out with their friends, finding romantic partners, and trying to identify themselves．

　　Today’s teens are being raised with technologies that allow them to have self-directed learning on their own terms, on their own time, and without the limitations of a classroom setting．This gives the teens a feeling of freedom．This is very different from how kids learn in school when they are handed a set body of knowledge required to master by their teachers．

　　Teens were motivated to be addicted to online because they were either driven by interest or friendship．And there are some specific findings according to a research：

　　One major finding is that there is a generation gap in how parents and teens view the teen's online activities．Adults think the activities draw their attention from school work and are left in the dark about what their teens are doing online．Teens, on the other hand, understand the value of the Internet and are motivated to take part．

　　Another finding shows that teens are not taking full advantage of the Internet．They are using the social networks to chat and post photos and make friends, which are important to their development, but they are not making use of other existing opportunities to learn about astronomy, foreign languages, and other subjects only a few clicks away．

　　Teens are also improving their social skills online by learning the basic social and technical skills needed to interact(互相作用) in today's digital world．

　　Pressure from those of the same age also takes on a new role online．Teens are reporting that they are more motivated by those of their age online with public spaces that allow the teens to interact and provide feedback to one another．

　　While teens are using the Internet for both social and intellectual development, they are also facing significant challenges on how to manage their relationships online．

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　　What do working mothers worry about the most? It’s the kids of course．Whatever the setting, the question I get asked the most is “Will the kids be alright?” It’s made me realize that we tend to look at the glass half-empty rather than half-filled when it comes to mixing work and family．We forget about all the benefits that we bring to our children when we work ---- and I’m not talking about the obvious financial benefits, although these of course shouldn’t be taken for granted．

　　About a year ago I remember getting a call from the school just as I was pulling up to the house after having driven 20 minutes to the school and 20 minutes back．“Mrs．Brown Quinn, your son asked us to call．He forgot his sports clothes．Can you come back to the school and drop them off?” I was exasperated(恼火)! I had already spent 40 minutes in aggressive weekday morning traffic．I replied, “Sorry, I’m working at the moment．I’m afraid my son needs to learn to be organized．”

　　Being a good parent requires delivering tough love sometimes．Kids need to learn to be independent．It can be a cruel and competitive world out there．Seeking　 interests, including business, outside of your kids, can give you that extra idea that you need not care for your kids with attention．This benefit of working isn’t always immediately evident．

　　It wasn’t until our daughter went away to college that she realized why we had raised her in the way that we did．“Mom, I can’t believe how so many of my friends struggle to manage things on their own．They are constantly calling their parents for help．” You’ll love that moment! After all those years of complaining about why you don’t do this or why you don’t give them that, your kids realize that tough love has made them better people．

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　　Do you love the holidays, but hate the pounds that follow? You are not alone．Holidays are times for feasting and celebrating．Many people are worried about their weight．With proper planning, though, it is possible to keep normal weight during the holidays．Whether it is celebrating at the office party or sitting down for the traditional family dinner, regard eating as a time for tasting a variety of the foods．The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much．You don’t have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy．

　　Here are some tips for preventing weight gain and keeping physical fitness：

　　Don't skip meals．Before you leave home, have a small, low-fat meal or snack．This may help to avoid getting too excited before delicious foods．

　　Control portions．Use a small plate(about 10 inches) and put aside the large ones that may encourage you to "load up．" You should be most comfortable eating an amount of food about the size of your fist．Once you have your "tasting" serving, move away from the buffet．Doing so will make it less tempting(诱惑) to be eating constantly(持续不断的) as your appetite(胃口) is inspired by the sight of food．

　　Begin with soup and fruit or vegetables．Fill up beforehand on water-based soup and raw fruit or vegetables．Or drink a large glass of water before you eat to help you feel full．

　　Stick to physical activity．Don't let exercise take a break during the holidays．A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off extra calories．

　　Avoid high-fat foods．Dishes that look oily or creamy may have a large amount of fat．Choose lean meats．Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables．Use lemon juice instead of dressing or butter．

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　　The NBA’s version of the Ming Dynasty is done．After helping basketball gain a foothold in the world’s most populous market, Chinese star Yao Ming has retired．

　　Yao made it official Wednesday, telling a news conference that a series of foot and leg injuries forced him to end his playing career at the age of 30．

　　“I will formally end my career,” said Yao, who became a household name in China before starting his NBA career with the Houston Rockets in 2002．Yao played eight seasons in the NBA．

　　“Today is an important day for me and holds a special meaning for both my basketball career and my future,” Yao said．“I had to leave the court since I suffered a stress fracture(断裂) in my left foot for the third time at the end of last year．My past six months were a painful wait．I have been thinking about my future over and over．Today I am announcing a personal decision, ending my career as a basketball player and officially retire．But one door is closing and another one is opening．”

　　Yao said he would return to work with his former Chinese team, the Shanghai Sharks, with the possibility of becoming general manager．He already owns the club and wants to contribute more．

　　“My playing career started with the club．I hope I can do something for it,” Yao said．

　　He later appeared with his family on the stage to the applause and cheers of the crowd．He thanked a lot of people－his family, former coaches, even players like Shaquille O’Neal－“for making me a better player．I will be always with you．Thank you．”

　　Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was among those attending the farewell(告别) conference Wednesday．Morey made the long trip from Houston．Morey said 20 hours on planes was tiring but he would be sorry if he wasn’t here．“It’s a big moment,” Morey added．“Yao had a sense of humor, a great attitude and sense of responsibility．I hope we can continue his culture in the NBA．”

　　Yao had played six years with the Chinese national team before joining the Rockets, and was already a star in his home country．He carried the Olympic torch through Tiananmen Square and his country’s flag during the opening ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics in 2008．He also donated ＄ 2 million and set up a foundation to rebuild schools in the wake of the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan．

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　　Everyone talks about the greenhouse effect(温室效应)and how our Earth and its climate are being affected．We can do a science experiment designed by some kids to show this effect and what is happening to the Earth．

　　First prepare the following items：

　　●2 glass containers(容器)that need to be the same size and shape

　　●1 gallon plastic bag

　　●4 cups of very cold water

　　●Ice cubes

　　Fill each container with two cups of cold water．Add the same amount of ice cubes to each container．Then put one of the containers in the plastic bag and close it tight．Put both containers in the sun together and keep them there for at least an hour．

　　At the end of one hour remove the container from the plastic bag and immediately check the temperature of the water．After you record this, find out the temperature of the water that is not covered．

　　When you place the containers in direct sunlight, the air inside the bag becomes very warm．The heat filters(渗入)in but cannot escape so it stays in the closed plastic bag and increases the temperature．What if you leave that for two, three or four hours?

　　Think about what is happening to the Earth．There are chemicals that are creating a type of plastic bag around the Earth．It causes our air to get warmer because of the heat from the sun being kept in this closed area．

　　Think about your car in the hot summer．This is what happens when you leave your car outside all day．This greenhouse effect has caused your car to be so hot that you sometimes cannot even touch the steering wheel．

　　This science project goes to show what affects our planet．

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HK's Family Affair

　　The 39^th Hong Kong Art Festival, to be held early next year, will be based on the topic of “family”

　　The art festival, considered to be Asia's best, began in 1973．

　　“We hope that people from Beijing and from all over the world will go to Hong Kong to enjoy the different performances in our art festival,”Douglas Gautier, the festival's management director, said in a press conference(发布会)in the capital．

　　In the 29 days of the festival, which runs from March 8 to April 7,2012, the audience can choose from 111 performances of 51 programmes given by 700 foreign performers, 450 local artists and 160 actors from the mainland．

　　Programmes vary from classical music, jazz, world music, Western and Peking opera, drama and dance to outdoor shows．

　　The programmes include Beethoven's only opera Fidelio, Shakespeare's drama Romeo and Juliet, the ballet Mozartina and African dances, to name just a few．

　　The lineup(阵容)includes the English Touring Theatre, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Zurich Ballet, The Spanish National Dance Troupe, as well as Europe Galante the Petersen Quartet, pianists Angela Hewitt and Lang Lang, and saxophonist Jan Garbarek．

　　In order to increase attendance, hotels and airlines are offering discount packages along with art festival ticket sales, most of which are at 20％ and 30％ cheaper．

　　For more information, please check：www．hk artsfestival．org

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　　I made a promise to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage．For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father．Totally loving．No ifs, ands or buts．

　　The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio．The speaker was quoting a Biblical passage about husbands and their wives．Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will．A person can choose to love．” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband．Well, for two weeks that would change．

　　And it did．Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you．” “Oh, Tom, you noticed”, she said, surprised and pleased．Maybe a little puzzled．After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read．Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach．I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn's been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me．” We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites．

　　So it went．Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums．Relaxed and happy, that's how the whole vacation passed．I made a new promise to keep on remembering to choose love．?

　　There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however．Evelyn and I still laugh about it today．On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression．

　　“What's the matter?” I asked her．

　　“Tom,” she said in a voice filled with sadness, “Do you know something I don't?”

　　“What do you mean?”

　　“Well…that checkup I had several weeks ago…our doctor…did he tell you something about me? Tom, you've been so good to me…am I dying?”

　　It took a moment for it all to be understood．Then I burst out laughing．

　　“No, honey,” I said, wrapping her in my arms．“You're not dying; I'm just starting to live．”

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　　Nick Campbell sat at the side of the road and wondered what to do next．He looked at the second-hand Harley Davidson he'd bought from a back-street garage back home in Miami at the beginning of his trip six weeks before．

　　For years he had dreams of crossing the United States from east to west by motorbike and he'd finally decided that it was now or never．He'd given up his job, sold his car and set off for the journey of his dreams．He'd been lucky, or so he thought, to find this old Harley Davidson and had bought it for a very reasonable price－it had cost him just ＄600．But five kilometers from Atlanta, he had run out of luck．The motorbike had broken down．

　　He pushed the bike into town and found a garage．The young mechanic told him to leave the bike overnight and come back the next day．The following morning, to his surprise, the man asked if the bike was for sale．“Certainly not,” he replied, paid his bill and hit the road．

　　When he got to Kansas the old machine ran out of steam again．This time Nick thought about selling it and buying something more reliable, but decided to carry on．When the bike was going well, he loved it．

　　However, in Denver, Colorado the bike broke down again so he decided to take it to a garage and offer it for sale．The mechanic told him to come back in the morning．

　　The next day, to his amazement, the man offered him ＄2,000．Realizing the man must be soft in the head, but clearly not short of money, Nick asked for ＄ 3,000．The man agreed and they signed the papers．Then the mechanic started laughing．In fact it was several minutes before he could speak and when he could he said, “That's the worst deal you'll ever make, boy．”

　　He removed the seat．On the underside was the inscription(铭文)：

　　“To Elvis, love James Dean．”