加拿大统计局最新调查结果显示，自2001年以来，為人父者，為孩子出世或收养孩子，向公司告假的人数在上升，不过，他们会较為人母者早点返回工作岗位。

由2001至2006年间，妇女生孩子或收养孩子向公司告假的人数保持稳定，有90%，但男性则由38%上升至55%。

大多数為人父者在孩子出生或收养的孩子一个月后就会復工，远较為人母者為早。是项研究共同作者兼加拿大统计局分析员博普蕾(Pascale Beaupre)表示，未有探討更多父亲告假的原因，不过，可能跟政府给他们延长假期和增加福利有关。

博普蕾周三在渥太华表示，可能為人父者在那段时间可以取得合法假期，不少机构又逐渐引进该种做法，甚至已成為大家生活的一部份。

本国父母现时可以获得35星期有薪產假。报告指当母亲的可能会倾向跟配偶或伴侣分享部份產假。博普蕾表示，是否成為趋势，还要看当父母的是否获得更多支援。政府措施能否协助他们在家庭和工作两方面取得平衡。

研究同时发现，女性结束產假重返工作岗位，所受的压力较男性大。每10名母亲中有6名(62%)表示，由结束產假到重返工作岗位的过渡期感到有压力，有1/5表示压力极大。另方面，65%受访父亲表示，过渡期未觉太大压力，甚至全无压力。

博普蕾表示，女性感到有压力，可能跟离开工作岗位时间较长，一旦復工，会觉得失去方向，有些表示可能在放假期间失去升职机会，又或要再受培训或要再修读课程，那都会构成压力。在孩子出世或收养孩子时告假的父母，有86%表示对重返工作岗位感到满意。报告亦指出，近半家长表示，重返工作岗位感受压力，是跟要在家庭和工作两者起责任取得平衡有关。

It's not a secret that the general population hangs on to no end of non-scientific beliefs despite contrary evidence; the Nobel Intent forums have been visited by proponents of homeopathy and intelligent design, to give just two examples. Two developmental psychologists at Yale are now suggesting these and many other non-scientific beliefs—their list includes "unproven medical interventions; the mystical nature of out-of-body experiences; the existence of supernatural entities such as ghosts and fairies; and the legitimacy of astrology, ESP, and divination"—all originate in childhood. Becoming scientifically literate, in their view, requires overcoming our early mental development.

They argue that most resistance to scientific ideas derives from what children learn before they get exposed to science. They point out that children have some understanding of solids and gravity and recognize that people act with distinct goals in mind. These implicit understandings are enough to help them navigate the physical and social worlds successfully.

The problem is that many of these implicit understandings wind up being limited or misleading. As an example, they note that the early understanding of gravity keeps most children from comprehending the spherical nature of earth until they are over eight years old. Prior to that, they are apparently prone to coping with this conflict in creative ways: the authors note that some will draw the earth as a sphere with a flattened top and suggest that's where the people live.

For concepts that students are constantly exposed to, like a spherical earth, the scientific understanding will gradually prevail. But some of the less prevalent aspects of childhood's intuitive understanding can last well into adulthood. The authors cited a paper that showed that many college students erroneously believe that a ball traveling through a curved tube will continue to travel on a curved path once it exits.

The authors go into extensive details about two cases: rampant teleology and mind-body dualism. Children tend to believe that every object has a specific purpose or function, which fits in nicely with the teleological view of life espoused by many forms of creationism, such as intelligent design. They also view the mind and brain as operating on different levels and performing distinct functions. Among their examples, the authors note that preschoolers believe that the brain is involved in analytical tasks such as math but plays no role in behavioral activities like pretending to be a kangaroo. They suggest that this produces a tendency to accept various forms of mysticism, such as astrology and psychic powers.

So, is society hopelessly stuck in the grasp of our childhood intuitions? The authors argue not, as the age with which children can deal with a spherical earth varies by country, as do the rates of acceptance of evolution. They propose a few factors that contribute to these differences. For one, they emphasize the role of general cultural acceptance. Nobody argues about the existence of germs or electricity, and children are constantly warned against these invisible menaces. For the authors, it's no surprise then that the ultimate acceptance of the science behind them tends to be high.

But many scientific fields, like climate and evolution, a detailed understanding is impossible to generate through experience and is beyond the education of most people. To confuse matters further, people receive conflicting messages as they mature. For evolution, they may receive no message at all or have the scientific understanding of it presented as a belief. In these situations, scientific knowledge is often presented by assertion, and its acceptance depends on the level of trust in the people doing the asserting.

For the most part, this analysis seems to make sense. We've discussed how science often produces a better understanding of the world than common sense, but it wouldn't surprise me if many people still preferred common sense.

The point where the article loses me, however, is the issue of trust when it comes to asserted knowledge. Polls consistently show that the American public has a high degree of trust in scientists; if the authors were right, that should translate to a much higher acceptance of their perspective. Yet the public seems to happily ignore these trusted authorities on a number of issues, in some cases at the urging of politicians, who generally poll very low in the trust department.

So, trust and authority, which science should have, is clearly not enough to overcome these childhood biases. I think it is actually going to take a thorough effort at all levels: better education, more exposure to the opinions of scientists, and a media that's willing to challenge the question itself when the acceptance of evolution is referred to as a "belief." Intuition is a hard bias to overcome, and anything short of the constant and early exposure that we give to things like germs is going to fall short.

The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on assessing and managing children with fever, the first of its kind for all healthcare professionals.
Produced with the National Collaborating Centre for Women and Children's Health, the guidance provides a practical tool to assess the symptoms of a child with fever and advises healthcare professionals on how to care for these children within the appropriate setting.

The guideline recommends that:

*Children with feverish illness should be assessed for the presence or absence of symptoms and signs that can be used to predict the risk of serious illness using the traffic light system tool.

**Children with any 'red' features (those who are at high risk) should be urgently assessed by a healthcare professional in a face-to-face setting.

***Parental perception of a fever should be considered valid and taken seriously by healthcare professionals.

****If symptoms suggest the child is not at a high risk and can be cared for at home, the parent or carer should be provided with a safety net of information which can include, verbal and/or written information on warning symptoms, direct access to other out-of-hours healthcare professionals and follow up appointments if required.

Andrew Dillon, executive lead for the guideline and chief executive, NICE said: 'This is an extremely important guideline for thousands of children and their parents or carers. Infections remain the leading cause of death in children under the age of five years with fever being one of the main symptoms. This guideline will help healthcare professionals to pick up the high-risk symptoms that indicate a child needs urgent medical attention - this will save children's lives.'

There are many things that a parent can do to keep their child from becoming obese, including:

*Respect your child's appetite; children do not have to finish everything on their plate, or finish the entire bottle.

**Avoid pre-prepared and foods with extra sugar.

***Provide your child with a healthy diet, 30% or fewer calories from fat.

****Provide enough fiber.

*****Limit the amount of high-calorie food kept in the home.

******Enjoy physical activities as a family (walking, playing outdoor games, etc.)

*******Do not reward completion of meals with sweet desserts.

********Replace whole milk with skim milk at about 2 years of age.

Children From Low-Income Families May Have Poorer Sleep Than Middle-Class Kids

That's according to a study presented today in Minneapolis at Sleep 2007, the 21st annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

The researchers included Sanjeev Kothare, MD, of St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Willow Grove, Pa.

They studied 32 boys and 32 girls from low-income families. The kids were about 7 years old, on average, and didn't have long-term (chronic) health problems.

When the kids had medical appointments, their parents completed a 35-item survey about the child's sleep patterns.

Survey topics included the child's bedtime resistance, delays in falling asleep, waking up during the night, breathing problems during sleep, and daytime sleepiness.

Kothare's team compared the survey's results to data from a previous study of children from middle-class families.

The children from low-income families had worse sleeping patterns than those from middle-class families, the researchers report. The exact reasons for those differences aren't clear.

*******Sleep Tips for Kids*******
Children need good sleep to be at their best during the day. If they're sleepy at school, it may be harder for them to learn.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), preschool children need 11-13 hours of nightly sleep and school-aged children need 10-11 hours of nightly sleep.
The AASM offers these sleep tips for children of any age or background:

*Follow a consistent bedtime routine.
**Establish a relaxing setting at bedtime.
***Get a full night's sleep every night.
****Avoid caffeine or other stimulants before bedtime.
*****Don't go to bed hungry, but don't eat a big meal before bedtime.
******Keep the bedroom quiet, dark, and a little bit cool.
*******Get up at the same time every morning.
********If your child has sleep problems, talk to the child's pediatrician, who may refer you to a sleep specialist.

SOURCES: Sleep 2007, 21st annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, Minneapolis, June 9-14, 2007. News release, American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

http://children.webmd.com/guide/childrens-health-special-interest-infant-early-toddler

www.edu.gov.on.ca

安省议会周一全员通过《安全学校法》(Safe Schools Act)修订案的三读，按修订后的法例，作出身体欺凌及网上欺凌的学生，都可能被勒令停学或开除。

虽然该案首次將这两种欺凌都列入安省学校正式禁止之列，但该法对欺凌的定义还有待最后敲定。
安省教育厅长韦恩(Kathleen Wynne)指出，该立法將有效地把纪律处分和「治病救人」结合起来，对严重、累犯的违法行為严惩不贷，並设立项目帮助那些被开除出校门的学生不致走上歪路。

校园欺凌，尤其是网上的欺凌，近来已频频见诸全国报刊的头条，一些学生因在Youtube和Facebook等流行网站上张贴欺辱性內容而面临处分。2月份，多伦多地区有19名学生因不满他们学校限制手机的政策，並在网上撰文发泄，而遭到停学处分。

安省保守党领袖庄德利(John Tory)表示，问题的关键是在严惩积犯的同时，確保不至使他们流落街头，脱离学校系统。因為这样等於把他们逼上歪路。

安省新民主党党领汉普顿(Howard Hampton)指出，最近一名15岁学童被枪杀的事件说明，学校急需增加经费来解决保安、安全及其它问题。

鉴於有人投诉学校处罚过严，以及安省人权委员会作出《安全学校法》有针对明显少数及残障学生之嫌的裁定，韦恩表示，她希望作此修订，以便法例可以更為均衡、循序渐进的方式执行。

TORONTO (CBC) - Infants are dying needlessly because they're in overcrowded cribs and sleeping in beds with others, an Ontario coroner's report released Monday says.

The 28-page report released by Ontario's Office of the Chief Coroner noted a rise in child deaths from unsafe sleeping environments, such as crowded cribs and babies sharing beds with siblings or parents.

Ontario's Deputy Chief Coroner Dr. Jim Cairns was resolute in his recommendations: "There ain't any ands, ifs or buts. The only safe sleeping environment for a baby is in a crib with a proper-fitting mattress.

"No bumper pads, no toys, no blankets, no anything," he added. A small baby blanket is okay, but must be tucked in, he said.

Twenty-one children died from unsafe sleeping environments in 2005, a rise from the 16 in 2004.

Cairns pointed to a case in which a five-week-old baby suffocated in a crib filled with adult-sized pillows, comforters and stuffed toys.

"It's a very dramatic example. And unfortunately, it's not rare," he said.

Parents also shouldn't share beds with young children because of the risk of rolling onto them or suffocation from the bedding, Cairns said.

Some groups, however, say the advantages of parents sleeping with their children shouldn't be discounted, if co-sleeping is done safely.

"There is some research that shows that mothers who have babies either in the bed with them, or very close by in one of these sidecar arrangements, were more likely to be able to continue breastfeeding longer," said Teresa Pitman, of the Canadian breastfeeding support group La Leche League of Canada.

Health Canada, however, warns parents not to sleep with infants under the age of two.

Monday's report looked at 195 investigated deaths between 2004 and 2006 that involved accidents, negligence, suicide and homicide.

The report was the second of its kind by the Ontario coroner's office. Cairns hopes with long-term funding it could become an annual review.

THE couch-potato lifestyle has reached “epidemic” levels among children, health experts warned last night.

A diet of television, computer games and junk food is creating a diabetes and heart trouble timebomb for an entire generation, they say.

A survey of more than 3,500 pupils from five inner-city secondary schools, found that only half the children walked to school.

And half of them also spent an astonishing four hours or more a day watching television or playing computer games.

The study follows figures that show a generation of children are so obese that they may not live beyond the age of 50.

In the past decade the number of obese children has doubled and now tops one in four with more than 38 per cent of black girls now regarded as overweight.

The University of Leicester study funded by the British Heart Foundation identified low levels of physical activity in both South Asian and white children.

Professor Kamlesh Khunti, who led the study, said: “Overall the physical activity levels in inner city schoolchildren are very low and parents, schools and community health providers need to address the results of these findings to reduce the future risks of children developing diabetes and heart disease.” 

In recent years, changes to the way children play have dramatically reduced the number of ­calories they burn off.

Parental fears stop youngsters from playing outside and computer games also mean many do little exercise outside school time.

Inside school the problem is worse. Since 1993 up to 5,000 playing fields have been sold off.

There are also fewer sports lessons and pupils have little space to run around at break time. At the same time, fast food consumption has soared, with companies using TV to advertise directly to children.

Earlier this year a study found that couch-potato Britons are costing the health service more than £1billion a year.

Child nutrition professor Alan Lucas of University College London has also warned of the long-term problem of obese ­children.

“Thirty per cent of UK children are now considered to be obese or overweight. It is an immense public health issue in both ­immediate and long-term health,” he said.

Responding to the latest study, Dr Mike Knapton of the British Heart Foundation said last night: “This is an important piece of BHF research.

“The study identified that most children don’t take enough exercise – with South Asian children particularly less likely to walk to school.

“This large study tells us more about the lifestyle differences of ethnic groups which helps us to understand why some groups are more at risk from heart disease.

“Research like this will help us to better tailor health care and health education to today’s multi-cultural UK population.”

A high-salt diet may increase the risk of developing gastric and duodenal ulcers, a U.S. study finds.

Researchers found that high concentrations of salt in the stomach appear to induce gene activity in the ulcer-causing Helicobacter pylori bacterium that causes it to become more virulent. About 20 percent of Americans age 40 and about 50 percent of those over age 60 are infected with H. pylori, but only a small percentage of them develop ulcers.

"Apparently the stomach pathogen H. pylori closely monitors the diets of those people whom it infects. Epidemiological evidence has long implied that there is a connection between H. pylori and the composition of the human diet. This is especially true for diets rich in salt," researchers Hanan Gancz, of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., said in a prepared statement.

"We noted that H. pylori growth rate shows a sharp decline at high salt concentrations. Moreover, bacterial cells exposed to increased salt exhibited striking morphological changes: Cells became elongated and formed long chains," Gancz said. "We conclude that H. pylori exposed to high levels of salt in vitro exhibit a defect in cell division."

The researchers also found that high-salt conditions increased transcription of two genes responsible for the virulence of H. pylori.

"The altered expression patterns of some virulence genes may partially explain the increased disease risk that is associated with a high-salt diet in H. pylori infected individuals," Gancz said.

The findings were to be presented Tuesday at the American Society for Microbiology's general meeting in Toronto.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about H. pylori and ulcers.
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胃溃疡合并出血是上消化道出血的常见原因之一。出血是由于血管受到溃疡的侵蚀、破裂等所致。毛细血管受损时，仅在大便检查时发现隐血；较大血管受损时，出现黑便、呕血。一般出血前症状加重，出血后上腹部疼痛减轻或消失。
　　溃疡病大出血是溃疡侵蚀基底血管破裂的结果，大多为中等动脉出血。大出血的溃疡一般位于胃小弯或十二指肠后壁。胃小弯溃疡出血常来自胃右、左动脉的分支，而十二指肠溃疡出血则多来自胰十二指肠上动脉或胃十二指肠动脉及其分支。
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饮食疗法是预防和治疗溃疡病的重要环节。患者在饮食上应注意做到以下几点：
加强营养应选用易消化、含足够热量、蛋白质和维生素丰富的食物。如稀饭、细面条、牛奶、软米饭、豆浆、鸡蛋、瘦肉、豆腐和豆制品；富含维生素A、B、C的食物，如新鲜蔬菜和水果等。这些食物可以增强机体抵抗力，有助于修复受损的组织和促进溃疡愈合。泛酸多的患者应少用牛奶。

限制多渣食物应避免吃油煎、油炸食物以及含粗纤维较多的芹菜、韭菜、豆芽、火腿、腊肉、鱼干及各种粗粮。这些食物不仅粗糙不易消化，而且还会引起胃液大量分泌，加重胃的负担。但经过加工制成菜泥等易消化的食物可以食用。

不吃刺激性大的食物禁吃刺激胃酸分泌的食物，如肉汤、生葱、生蒜、浓缩果汁、咖啡、酒、浓茶等，以及过甜、过酸、过咸、过热、生、冷、硬等食物。甜食可增加胃酸分泌，刺激溃疡面加重病情；过热食物刺激溃疡面，引起疼痛，层至使溃疡面血管扩张而引起出血；辛辣食物刺激渍疡面，使胃酸分泌增加；过冷、过硬食物不易消化，可加重病情。另外，溃疡病人还应戒烟，烟草中的尼古丁能改变胃液的酸碱度，扰乱胃幽门正常活动，诱发或加重溃疡病。

烹调要恰当以蒸、烧、炒、炖等法为佳。煎、炸、烟熏等烹制的菜不易消化，在胃内停留时间较长，影响溃疡面的愈合。

制订合理的饮食制度吃饭定时定量，细嚼慢咽，少说话，不看书报，不看电视；保持思想松弛，精神偷快。在溃疡活动期，以进食流质或半流质、易消化、富有营养的食物为好。以前有学者为溃疡病人制定了少吃多餐制，以避免过饱或过饥。近年来研究认为，尽管进食可暂时缓解疼痛，但少食多餐不断地刺激胃酸分泌，使胃酸分泌整曰处在活跃状态，显然不利于溃疡病愈合。因此，除急性发作期并发出血、呕血时短期少食多餐外，平时应坚持一曰三餐规律进食。

开水冲鸡蛋疗方：鸡蛋1个，打入碗中，用筷子搅匀，用滚烫的开水；中熟后即可食用。现代医学认为，开水冲鸡蛋质地柔软．容易被胃消化吸收，可大大减轻胃的负担，有利于溃疡病灶愈合。鸡蛋黄中含有卵磷脂，可在胃粘膜表面形成一层薄的疏水层，对胃粘膜有很强的保护作用和抵抗有害因子入侵的防御作用。

为避免病人大便干燥，还需常吃些琼脂、香蕉、蜂蜜等能润肠的食物，这对溃疡病人很重要。

　　青少年时期是人生成长的“关键期”，也是大家公认的“危险年龄”阶段。近期，和平区青春健康培训中心开展了一项以初高中学生为主的青少年个性需求调查。调查显示，自我接纳，师生、同学关系等人际交往问题成为处于青春期的孩子们遇到的最大难题。

　　调查结果表明，初中和高中阶段的学生存在的心理问题最为突出。学生们在人际交往上感觉最为困惑，占调查总人数的23.08%，高于对考试有焦虑情绪的学生比例。

　　除了人际交往方面的青春期心理困惑，17.04%的学生还会因为突发事件引发自身的心理冲突，在这个问题上的调查结果之高出乎专家和家长意料。这反映当前青少年学生应对各种突发事件的心理能力太弱，缺乏承受挫折的能力，以至于影响到正常的生活学习。

　　有关专家表示，在家庭生活中，家长如何与孩子进行心理沟通，对孩子自我意识的形成是非常重要的，甚至会影响孩子的一生。专家建议，家长要“适度”关注孩子的成长，要学会等待。在沟通过程中，父母要对孩子有一个全面的把握。

　　在亲子教育方面，家长要把握三个原则：家长要认识到良好的亲子关系是教育孩子的根本；家长要用成长、发展的眼光而不能用凝固的眼光看孩子；家长对孩子的教育方式要大于教育内容，要找到适合自己与孩子沟通的模式。

30 years in retrospect of Chinese SAT (SAT: 美国“高考”):

http://news.tom.com/hot/gaokao30/index.html

A quick look at the lengths of children's index and ring fingers can be used to predict how well students will perform on SATs, new research claims.

Kids with longer ring fingers compared to index fingers are likely to have higher math scores than literacy or verbal scores on the college entrance exam, while children with the reverse finger-length ratio are likely to have higher reading and writing, or verbal, scores versus math scores.

Scientists have known that different levels of the hormones testosterone and estrogen in the womb account for the different finger lengths, which are a reflection of areas of the brain that are more highly developed than others, said psychologist Mark Brosnan of the University of Bath, who led the study.

Exposure to testosterone in the womb is said to promote development of areas of the brain often associated with spatial and mathematical skills, he said. That hormone makes the ring finger longer. Estrogen exposure does the same for areas of the brain associated with verbal ability and tends to lengthen the index finger relative to the ring finger.

To test the link to children's scores on the College Board's Scholastic Assessment Test (for which the name has changed a number of times in the past 100 years), Brosnan and his colleagues made photocopies of children's palms and measured the length of their index and ring fingers using calipers accurate to 0.01 millimeters. They used the finger-length ratios as a proxy for the levels of testosterone and estrogen exposure.

The researchers then looked at boys' and girls' test performances separately and compared them to finger-length ratio measurements. They found a clear link between high prenatal testosterone exposure, indicated by the longer index finger compared to the ring finger, and higher scores on the math SAT.

Similarly, they found higher literacy SAT scores for the girls among those who had lower prenatal testosterone exposure, as indicated by a shorter ring finger compared with the index finger.

The researchers also compared the finger-lengths ratios to all the children's SAT scores and found that a relatively longer ring finger—indicating greater prenatal exposure to testosterone—meant a wider gap in scores for math versus literacy (writing and critical reading).

"Finger ratio provides us with an interesting insight into our innate abilities in key cognitive areas," Brosnan said, in a prepared statement. The results will be detailed in an upcoming issue of the British Journal of Psychology.

In the future, his team will see if finger-length ratios are related to other cognitive and behavioral issues, such as technophobia, career paths and possibly dyslexia.

　　本该在哈尔滨市一所初中二年级就读的13岁少年李铮(化名)近日离开了学校，回家自主学习，准备明年报考大学。无独有偶，为了冲击围棋职业段，11岁的锦州少年张哲(化名)也已“停学”，在家专心练棋。

　　家里出了个“神童”

　　李铮自8岁起学习计算机技术，在拥有电脑后半年多的时间里，他把电脑“弄瘫”不下十多次。每次父亲请技术人员来家修理时，他就抓住机会，一边仔细观看技术员修理电脑，一边跟前跟后问各种问题。一年后，“启蒙老师”对他说：“我会的东西你都会了，以后我该向你学习了。”

　　2003年，李铮向父亲提出学习计算机编程的想法，父亲把他送入一所电脑学校。慢慢地，李铮开始小有名气，谁要遇到电脑疑难问题无法解决，就找他。

　　天才加上勤奋，2004年，年仅11岁的李铮先后获得北大青鸟APTECH与国家劳动和社会保障部颁发的初级程序员、程序员和软件工程师资格证书，同时还获得教育部颁发的全国计算等级二级VISUALBASIC资格证书。目前，他已独立编制软件40余个。

　　与李铮经历相似的锦州少年张哲，在上幼儿园时便在围棋方面表现出天赋。2000年，为了使儿子的潜质得到充分挖掘，父亲张之江(化名)将他送进了围棋学校。小小年纪的张哲，没有让父亲失望，学习围棋仅一年，就屡次在各类比赛中获奖。

　　“天才儿童”为梦想回家

　　孩子的天赋和成绩，为他们的父母赢得了荣誉。作为家长，当然感到骄傲和满足，可平静下来，他们感受更深的则是压力。

　　李铮的父亲告诉记者，李铮的求知欲非常强，他在学校里接受的教育已远远不能满足他的需要，“如果不能接受更专业更系统的培养，天赋得不到进一步的挖掘，我担心他的特长在三四年后就没什么优势了。”

　　今年夏天，父亲作了一个大胆决定，让李铮在不到一年的时间内自学初中、高中课程，参加明年高考，目标是清华大学。

　　与李铮相比，张哲的选择似乎更多了些孤注一掷的意味。在经过上午上课，下午学棋的一段日子之后，他干脆“停学”，告别了小学生活，专心准备冲击围棋职业段。张之江表示，尽管“停学”了，但每到双休日及寒暑假，儿子都要进行英语、语文、数学科目的学习。他认为，只要儿子多看书，多实践，学习的效果不比在学校里差。

　　“天才儿童”回家学习惹争议

　　哈尔滨师范大学教授温恒福说，家长的做法可以理解，但不值得提倡。义务教育既是一个国民应受的教育，也为其日后的成功提供必备的基础，家长没有剥夺孩子接受义务教育的权力。目前我国全力推进的新课程改革，就是强调多元文化并存，强调儿童的全面、个性发展，课程设置上跟儿童生活贴近，符合学生身心发展要求和社会发展的需要。

　　黑龙江省教育厅副厅长孟凡杰说，关键是怎样把家长望子成龙的迫切心情引导到正确的方向上，对子女进行科学教育。学校应该在课程改革的过程中，集中社会资源，为挖掘孩子的潜质提供条件，如果这个问题解决了，就破除了以往学校教育“大一统”带来的弊端。

　　据最新一期美国《科学》杂志和《自然》杂志今日报道，美国科学家首次发现一种长寿基因，不仅可以控制生命衰老过程，还能促进健康，使人类向“不老的传说”又大大迈进了一步。

　　美国加州索尔克研究院科学家对蚯蚓进行实验后，首次发现了名为PHA-4的基因，该基因在延长寿命及阻碍老化方面能起到关键作用。

　　科学界目前所知的有两种延寿方法，一个是减少细胞对胰岛素的敏感度，另一个是节食：动物若把食量减少30%，寿命便可延长20%至30%，人类这样做，可以延寿15至20年。

　　由生物专家安德鲁·迪林领导的研究组发现，蚯蚓一旦吃了“关掉”PHA-4基因的细菌，即使他们节食，寿命也不比正常的长。而另一个测试发现，如果拥有PHA-4基因，蚯蚓即使维持正常饮食，寿命也会延长20%至30%。更令人惊喜的是，这样的蚯蚓除了比它的同类长寿，也比其他蚯蚓更有活力。

　　至于能否对人类做类似实验，找出人类的长寿基因，科学家称实验比较复杂，还需要进一步研究。同时，研究人员也指出，为了长寿所进行的节食必须有均衡的营养搭配，绝对不是疯狂节食。

　　有美国专家总结出长寿秘诀:

　　1. 不要赖床

　　2. 保持乐观的生活态度

　　3. 戒烟

　　4. 善于控制情绪

　　5. 多吃富含抗氧化剂的食品

　　6. 锻炼

　　7. 笑一笑

　　8. 减肥

　　9. 释放压力

ATLANTA - Georgia's public schools walk a delicate line as they decide whether to offer the nation's first state-funded Bible classes — measuring the difference between preaching and teaching with the likelihood of costly lawsuits looming for those that miss the mark.

The state school board approved curriculum in March for teaching the Bible in Georgia's high schools, but there hasn't been a rush of schools to start up the classes. Only a handful of the state's 180 school districts have agreed to offer the elective classes so far.

"It has been a very thoughtful, healthy process," said Robin Pennock, deputy schools superintendent of Muscogee County, where the school board decided to offer the Old Testament and New Testament classes next fall. "Most people do realize that this is an area that many people can feel very passionate about."

It's difficult to confirm how many school boards have adopted or are considering the classes. However, Muscogee — which borders Alabama and includes the city of Columbus and the Army's Fort Benning — is one of the state's largest districts to have done so.

"It's important to understand religion; it's something we've gotten too far away from," said Jan Pease, whose 15-year-old daughter attends Northside High School in Columbus.

The Bible already is incorporated into comparative religion and other public school classes in many states, but those classes are funded by the local districts, not with money from state government.

The Georgia law allowing the state-funded Bible classes won overwhelming approval last year from both Democrat and Republican lawmakers. The classes must be taught "in an objective and nondevotional manner with no attempt made to indoctrinate students."

Lawmakers in Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas have considered similar plans this year, although none has received final approval. One proposal in Texas would require all high school students to take a Bible class.

Supporters say fully understanding history, literature and political science — from the writings of Martin Luther King Jr. to the war in Iraq — requires knowledge of the Bible.

"I don't think you can understand Shakespeare, that you can understand a great deal of literary allusions or that you can understand a great deal of Western civilization without understanding the role of the Bible," said Pennock, a former Western civilization teacher.

The Rev. Charles Hasty, of First Presbyterian Church in Columbus, said he hopes exposure to the Bible's teachings may lead some students to seek out a more spiritual approach in their lives.

"It's going to challenge the faith of some students and it may foster the faith of others," Hasty said.

Critics fear the classes could easily turn into endorsements of Christianity.

"Georgia has set teachers up for failure," said Charles Haynes, of the First Amendment Center, a Washington D.C.-based civil liberties group. "The chances of it being unconstitutional are pretty big and the pitfalls are huge."

His group supports religious discussions and study of the Bible in public schools, but Haynes says Georgia's law fails to give enough guidance to teachers on the difference between academic study and spiritual teaching.

No additional training for teachers is required, although Barrow and Muscogee counties, which both will offer the classes, plan to give teachers an online course and other special preparation.

Haynes said the lack of direction in state law makes schools vulnerable to lawsuits if students feel religion is being endorsed.

"People are going to sue," he said. "That's why the Legislature should have been more responsible about putting school boards in situations where they might have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, split their communities and end up in a courtroom."

The First Amendment Center and Georgia's branch of the American Civil Liberties Union both say they plan to monitor how the classes are taught.

Concern about violating the separation of church and state is a reason why some of Georgia's largest districts have steered clear of the classes so far.

"We have to be very careful with that," said Joe Buck, chairman of the Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education. His school system has made no move yet to consider the classes.

Pease, a Christian, said she'd support schools teaching comparative religion classes, including those that studied the holy books of other major faiths like Islam's Quran.

"I don't think any particular religion needs to be pushed on anyone," she said. "But I do think it's important to teach about them."

营养学期刊-Journal of Nutrition-的最新研究报告显示﹐人们只要吃一顿高脂肪快餐﹐就会伤害健康﹐血压上升﹐要冒更大的中风和心臟病风险。

卡加利大学的研究员进行调查﹐將30个学生分成两组。一组人吃麦当劳的快餐早点﹐包括两块薯饼、一个猪柳汉堡包和一个鸡蛋汉堡包。另一组人吃低脂肪早餐﹐包括脱脂牛奶、脱脂酸奶及橙汁。

吃快餐的那组人血压上升、心跳更快﹑血管变得更硬﹐这些都是心臟病和中风的致病因素。

该报告的资深作者坎贝尔医生说﹕「风险大约高出25%﹐这是个很大的影响。」

Along with spitting, run-down housing and bad manners, add unintelligible English to the list of things organizers of the 2008 Beijing Olympics want to ban.

Municipal officials promised on Wednesday to crack down on awkward, Chinese-inflected English, known as "Chinglish," and asked the public to help police bad grammar and faulty syntax.

With 500,000 foreigners expected for the Olympics, taxi drivers who can't speak English -- or signs that mangle the language -- could be an embarrassment and distract from the $40 billion being poured into rebuilding the city for the games.

Throughout the city, examples abound.

A store selling tobacco products advertises: "An Excellent Winding Smoke."

On the floor at Beijing's Capital Airport, a sign reads: "Careful Landslip Attention Security."

On a billboard, this mysterious message: "Shangri-La is in you mind, but your Buffalo is not."

In an elevator, parents are warned: "Please lead your child to tare the life."

Liu Yang, who heads the "Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Program" for the city government, said 6,500 "standardized" English-language signs were put up last year on Beijing roads. But he acknowledged private businesses were not following the rules, which were handed to reporters -- a stack of glossy documents weighing 2 pounds.

"We will pass the message on to authorities in the advertising sector," Liu said. "If English translation is needed it must be subject to the standards set forth in the regulations."

Liu said a language hotline may be set up for the games to encourage the public to report nonsense English. China's diplomatic missions abroad are assisting, Liu said, "and our people working in foreign companies are helping with correct usage."

"In the future when we set up new signs in public places in English, we hope all these standards will be followed to avoid more additional mistakes."

Liu said Beijing taxi drivers must pass an English test to keep their licenses. But he acknowledged most speak only Chinese, and many are skipping language classes.

"The taxi training courses are not working effectively, and there is a problem of taxi drivers missing classes," he said. "Taxi drivers need to get their licenses renewed every year, and an English test is now part of that that exam. But the exam is not so difficult."

"Some taxi drivers do speak some English, and that's a big change from the past," Liu added. "But the overall level still needs to improve. Some taxi drivers speak no English; they understand no English."

Despite the problems, Liu said one-third of Beijing's 15 million residents speak some English, a claim that was challenged by a local reporter from China's state-run CCTV.

"I think 5 million is a big number," the reporter told Liu.

Liu stood by the figure, but conceded the vast majority of the English speakers fell into a category he labeled "low level."

"They can have very simply conversations, like: `Who am I? Where am I going?"'

People taking part in a game designed to explore egalitarian impulses in human nature consistently robbed from players assigned the most money while giving money to those with the least, scientists said on Wednesday.

James Fowler, a University of California at San Diego political scientist, and his fellow researchers detected what they saw as a "Robin Hood impulse" in people who took part in the experiment, described in the journal Nature.

"That's the classic story we all know, where someone's taking from the rich and giving to the poor, which is exactly what we're seeing in this experiment," Fowler said in a reference to the medieval English folk legend.

"In essence, what we found is that our taste for equality is one of the important reasons why we cooperate with each other, much more so than, say, other species of primates," Fowler said in a telephone interview.

The experiment was carried out last year using 120 paid student volunteers at a computer lab on the campus of the University of California at Davis.

The volunteers sat at computer terminals, and a computer would assign them into groups of four. Once placed into a group, each person was assigned an amount of money and was told how much money the other three members were given.

The players then had the chance to spend some of their own money in order to increase or decrease the amount the others possessed, but their actions provided no financial gain for themselves.

They played the game five times, but never with anyone from a previous group. This was to eliminate the possibility of players trying to establish a reputation for themselves or taking revenge on others who might have taken money from them.

EQUALIZING INCOME

About 70 percent of participants at some point reduced or added to another person's money, most often by taking from the richest players or by donating to the poorest players, the study found.

These actions had the collective effect of equalizing income among the players -- with participants spending their own money to achieve the goal.

The researchers said even players whose own loot had been pilfered in previous rounds were willing to take steps to redistribute the money in an egalitarian manner.

Fowler acknowledged the experiment might yield different results if conducted in another country or somewhere other than a U.S. college campus, but suggested a certain universal egalitarian yearning might be seen.

"I think in general we would find a preference for equality, but there may be significant variations between societies. And so it's certainly a possibility that our desire for equality is in part shaped by our upbringing," Fowler said.

China's rise as a global power is inevitable and could lead to conflict unless Beijing and Washington can cooperate to create a new global order, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said on Tuesday.

Kissinger first came to Beijing in 1971, on a secret mission to re-establish Sino-U.S. ties after more than two decades of diplomatic silence.

Since then, economic reforms have turned China into a powerhouse. Beijing is now running a trade surplus with the United States that Washington last year put at $230 billion, and helps keep its rival afloat by buying vast amounts of U.S. debt.

Washington politicians have also sparred with Beijing over issues related to its rapid development from currency controls to military spending and foreign policy in countries like Sudan.

But Kissinger said China's growing political and economic prominence was irreversible, and if the two nations could not cooperate it raised the specter of war.

"When friends and colleagues in the United States talk about the rise of China and the problems it presents to us, I say the rise is inevitable. There is nothing we can do to prevent it, there is nothing we should do to prevent it," Kissinger said.

"When the centre of gravity moves from one region to another, and another country becomes suddenly very powerful, what history teaches you is that conflict is inevitable. What we have to learn is that cooperation is essential," he said in a lecture to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Challenges ranging from nuclear proliferation to increasingly tight energy supplies and environmental degradation needed to be tackled together.

"I look at Sino-American relations as a challenge to build a new international system based on human insight, on cooperative action, to avoid catastrophe," Kissinger said.

"Those of you who are students and who will be shaping the world should not think of the other country as adversaries."

Kissinger insisted the world must avoid exoticizing China. When he first came to Beijing, he said, his prepared speech contained a line about reaching a "mysterious country," prompting a challenge by master diplomat Zhou Enlai, then China's premier.

"Zhou Enlai put up his hand and said 'What is so mysterious about China? There are 900 million of us and it is not mysterious to us.' That was an important lesson," Kissinger said.

***********围棋与中国象棋***********

�牐犚桓雒飨缘那�别是棋子的等级，象棋是一个等级森严的社会，每个子的与生俱来的能力不同，重要性也不同，虽然在某些特殊情况下小兵小卒也会得到重视，但一般说来低等级的子总是成为牺牲的对象，而将帅是最可气的了，最没用可偏偏等级最高，为了他一个，可以把其它所有人的性命置之度外，真是让人不平。更可笑的是还有一个不能碰面的规定，明显是彻头彻尾的胆小鬼，还有的时候将要胜利的一方的将或帅等在那里，然后调兵遣将用各种方法把对方的头头逼出来见自己，一副小人得志的模样，而这时的败方倒显出些志气来，不出来就是不出来，宁死也不出来，呵呵呵。而围棋则……，很有人性，很讲人权，每一个子都是生而平等的，每个子的重要性是在对局过程中慢慢发展演变而来的，牺牲的情况也很常见，但不是为了保护更高级的子，而是为了大局，为了照顾更大多数的子，这种牺牲是伟大的，让人感到生的伟大、死的光荣，死得其所快哉快哉。

�牐牭诙�个区别在于棋的进程中。象棋的进程是杀棋的进程，双方开始都是兵多将广，然后开始互相撕杀，拼消耗，杀一个少一个，最终目的是杀了对方的老帅。而围棋的进程则不然，它是一个发展的进程，是一个竞争的进程，在竞争的过程中也有对杀，但终极的目标是在发展自己的同时限制对方的发展，最终以发展的结果来评判胜负。总体上来说，象棋是一个由盈到虚的进程，围棋是一个由虚到盈的进程，象棋好象是狭路相逢，围棋好象是中原逐鹿，其中高下不言自明。

�牐牭谌�个区别是和棋的出现。象棋当中，和棋是经常可以见到的，特别是现在的高手对局，不得不采用种种的措施来防止过多和棋的出现。而围棋中却没有和棋，理论上好象存在和棋的可能，但是实战中却没有听说过，反正我没听说过。看起来好象是象棋更调和些：势力相当谁也奈何不了谁的时候就握手言和，就象历史上的三国一样，达到一种均衡，其实这是很不合理的，因为有很多时候，一方明明在子力上占优，但却被弱的一方逼和，真是让人憋气，而围棋就不是这样，围棋是精确的艺术，赢半目也是赢，这样才公平。而且象棋先行后行优势太过明显，而围棋有相应的办法削减先行的优势这样也更合理些。另一方面，就其象征意义来说，和棋所象征的对峙均衡也是短暂的、相对的(因为除人以外没有两只脚的稳固)，而胜负所象征的浑元一统才是稳固的、绝对的，而对于今日的台湾问题，这意义就更是重要了。

***********中国象棋~国际象棋***********

�牐牴�际象棋与中国象棋很大的一个区别就是在于：国际象棋中是“靠女人打天下”，皇后是最有用的。而中国象棋中好像没有女性角色的身影。体现出中西方在男女平等上的文化差异。另外，在国际象棋中是没有国界的，王到哪里，国家就到那里，很富有冒险精神；那一方胜利，所有的地盘就都是囊中之物了。在中国象棋中，有着明显的楚河汉界，王和他的贴身护卫都有自己的范围，不能越雷池半步，保守而谨慎；胜利就是派兵消灭对方的君主，就此而已。这些都体现了中西观念上的一点差异。

*****************STUDIES*****************

In a Texas study, regular (non-honors) elementary students who participated in a school chess club showed twice the improvement of non-chess-players in Reading and Mathematics between third and fifth grades on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills.

A New Brunswick, Canada, study, using 437 fifth graders split into three groups, experimenting with the addition of chess to the math curriculum, found increased gains in math problem-solving and comprehension proportionate to the amount of chess in the curriculum.

In a Zaire study conducted by Dr. Albert Frank, employing 92 students, age 16-18, the chess-playing experimental group showed a significant advancement in spatial, numerical and administrative-directional abilities, along with verbal aptitudes, compared to the control group. The improvements held true regardless of the final chess skill level attained.

In a Belgium study, a chess-playing experimental group of fifth graders experienced a statistically significant gain in cognitive development over a control group, using Piaget's tests for cognitive development. Perhaps more noteworthy, they also did significantly better in their regular school testing, as well as in standardized testing administered by an outside agency which did not know the identity of the two groups. Quoting Dr. Adriaan de Groot: "In addition, the Belgium study appears to demonstrate that the treatment of the elementary, clearcut and playful subject matter can have a positive effect on motivation and school achievement generally..."

A four-year USA study, though not deemed statistically stable due to a small (15 students) experimental group, has the chess-playing experimental group consistently outperforming the control groups engaged in other thinking development programs, using measurements from the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking.

The Venezuela "Learning to Think Project", which trained 100,000 teachers to teach thinking skills, and which involved a sample of 4,266 second grade students, reached a general conclusion that chess, methodologically taught, is an incentive system suffficient to accelerate the increase of IQ in elementary age children of both sexes at all socio-economic levels.

A study using a sub-set of the New York City Schools Chess Program produced statistically significant results concluding that chess participation enhances reading performance. A related study, conducted in five U.S. cities over two years, selected two classrooms in each of five schools. The group receiving instruction in chess and logic obtained significantly higher reading scores than the control groups, which received additional classroom instruction in basic education (reading, math or social studies).

*****************FACTS*****************

Chess is found as required curricula in nearly 30 countries.

In Vancouver B.C. the Math and Chess Learning Center, recognizing the correlation between chess playing and math skills development, has developed a series of workbooks to assist (Canadian) students in math.

The mathematics curriculum in New Brunswick, Canada, is a text series called "Challenging Mathematics" which uses chess to teach logic from grades 2 to 7. Using this curriculum, the average problem-solving score of pupils in the province increased from 62% to 81%. The Province of Quebec, where the program was first introduced, has the best math marks in Canada and Canada scores better than the U.S.A. on international mathematics exams.

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Terrell Bell encourages knowledge of chess as a way to develop a preschooler's intellect and academic readiness.

The State of New Jersey passed a bill legitimizing chess as a unit of instruction within the elementary school curriculum. A quote from the bill states "In countries where chess is offered widely in schools, students exhibit excellence in the ability to recognize complex patterns and consequently excel in math and science..."

Funding for chess activity is available under the "educate America Act" (Goals 2000), Public Law 103-227, Section 308.b.2.E.: "Supporting innovative and proven methods of enhancing a teacher's ability to identify student learning needs and motivating students to develop higher order thinking skills, discipline, and creative resolution methods." The original wording of this section included "such as chess" and passed both houses of Congress that way. But the phrase was deleted later in Conference Committee.

*****************ANECDOTAL*****************

Several articles discuss chess as a tool to assist special needs kids. Rob Roy of Connecticut: "Children with special problems can also learn chess. I taught a successful course for emotionally and educationally disadvantaged children in the Waterbury schools and used chess as a way for them to learn and practice self-control. It was like turning on switches in their heads. You see the child looking at a problem, breaking it down, then putting the whole thing back together. The process involves recall, analysis, judgment and abstract reasoning." Andrew Rozsa, psychologist, speaking of his gifted son: "He has had real social and behavioral difficulties since he was 18 months old... He was thrown out of several schools... Things became pretty bad at about age 9 1/2. Nothing seemed to work, nothing. ... Today he is a straight A student and his behavior problems are minimal (but not trivial). ... Sorry, no control subjects, no double blind, no defined independent variables (actually there are two: chess and age). Nonetheless, I think that the great improvements we have seen are, to a large extent, due to chess."

The article "Chess Improves Academic Performance" features a number of testimonies from school principals, including: "Not only have the reading and math skills of these children soared, their ability to socialize has increased substantially, too. Our studies have shown that incidents of suspension and outside altercations have decreased by at least 60% since these children became interested in chess." "It's the finest thing that ever happened to this school. ...chess makes a difference...what it has done for these children is simply beyond anything that I can describe." "I see (students) able to attend to something for more than an hour and a half. I am stunned. Some of them could not attend to things for more than 20 minutes." etc.

The New York City Schools Chess Program included more than 3,000 inner-city children in more than 100 public schools between 1986 and 1990. Based on academic and anecdotal records only, Christine Palm writes that the Program has proven that: --Chess dramatically improves a child's ability to think rationally --Chess increases cognitive skills --Chess improves children's communication skills and aptitude in recognizing patterns, therefore: --Chess results in higher grades, especially in English and Math studies --Chess builds a sense of team spirit while emphasizing the ability of the individual --Chess teaches the value of hard work, concentration and commitment --Chess instills in young players a sense of self-confidence and self-worth --Chess makes a child realize that he or she is responsible for his or her own actions and must accept their consequences --Chess teaches children to try their best to win, while accepting defeat with grace --Chess provides an intellectual, competitive forum through which children can assert hostility, i.e. "let off steam," in an acceptable way --Chess can become a child's most eagerly awaited school activity, dramatically improving attendance --Chess allows girls to compete with boys on a non-threatening, socially acceptable plane --Chess helps children make friends more easily because it provides an easy, safe forum for gathering and discussion --Chess allows students and teachers to view each other in a more sympathetic way --Chess, through competition, gives kids a palpable sign of their accomplishments --Chess provides children with a concrete, inexpensive and compelling way to rise above the deprivation and self-doubt which are so much a part of their lives.

John Artise (B.S., M.A.) draws upon his years of psychological research in chess to identify the contribution chess makes in education and learning. He identifies four areas of growth: memory improvement, logic, observation and analysis, and operant conditioning.

A two year program conducted in the Republic of Kichinov observed improvement in memory and better organizational skills.

Chess program funded by Oakland (California) Youth at Risk program proves to be an effective vehicle for saving troubled youth.

Chess program in the troubled East Harlem district, New York, also rescues kids from drugs and gangs.

Saratoga Springs editorial: "Chess is the last best hope for this country to rescue its skidding educational system and teach the young generation the forgotten art of nurturing an attention span."

U.S. children are being deluged by a tidal wave of TV ads for foods like candy, snacks, sugary cereals and fatty fast food, according to a study that exhaustively tallied the number and type of ads kids see.

The release of the report on Wednesday by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, which studies health-related issues, comes at a time of growing obesity among U.S. children that some experts attribute in part to incessant marketing of so-called junk food.

The study tracked shows watched by children ages 2 to 17 on 13 broadcast and cable television networks in 2005, analyzing the advertisement quantity and content. Children saw many thousands of food ads a year, most touting unhealthful products, it found.

Children ages 8 to 12 viewed the most food ads -- on average, 21 daily and more than 7,600 a year totaling nearly 51 hours. Those ages 13 to 17 viewed 17 food ads daily and more than 6,000 a year totaling nearly 41 hours.

Children ages 2 to 7 saw 12 food ads daily and 4,400 a year totaling almost 30 hours. These younger children watched less TV overall and were more likely to watch channels with limited or no advertising like PBS and Disney.

Half of all ad time on children's shows was for food products -- a higher proportion than for any type of show. About 80 percent of these were for candy, snack foods like chips, sugary cereals, fast food, sodas and other soft drinks.

The findings were based on a sample of 1,638 hours of TV programing that included 8,854 food ads. Some shows were specifically made for children and others not. Of all the ads, none touted fruits or vegetables.

'TACKLING CHILDHOOD OBESITY'

"The first thing that this study makes clear is that kids of all ages in this country are exposed to what I think we'd all agree is a large amount of food advertising on television," said Vicky Rideout, who studies the influence of the entertainment media on health for the foundation.

"Second, it's pretty clear that most of the food ads that kids see on TV today are for foods that nutritionists would argue children probably need to be eating less of, not more of, if we've going to get serious about tackling childhood obesity in this country."

Daniel Jaffe of the Association of National Advertisers said the study may accurately depict the advertising situation in 2005, but not the current one, noting that many food advertisers now offer more products lower in calories and fat.

Jaffe said that 11 companies accounting for about two-thirds of food advertising to children have pledged to devote at least half of these ads to promote healthier lifestyles or good nutrition.

Mary Sophos of the Grocery Manufacturers/Food Products Association trade group said food companies increasingly are introducing new and reformulated products with more whole grains and fiber and less calories, fat, salt and sugar.

But Kansas Republican Sen. Sam Brownback (news, bio, voting record) said industry needs to get more serious about anti-obesity steps or face the possibility of stronger government regulatory action.

Margo Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which has spotlighted nutritional shortcomings of many popular foods, said industry self-regulation is not working.

Wootan said these food ads can undercut efforts parents may make to get children to want healthful foods.

"The problem is that food marketing almost makes us parents out to be liars -- that the kind of diet that we encourage our children to eat is light years away from the kind of diet that food marketers market as desirable to eat," Wootan said.

Three decades ago, medical investigators began sounding the alarm about how lead exposure causes IQ deficits in children. Today, researchers at the University of Virginia Health System say children with sleep disorders can face similar risks of intellectual impairment.

UVa researchers have been studying sleep disturbances in children with enlarged tonsils and adenoids for the past seven years. In a recent study, they discovered that youngsters who snore nightly scored significantly lower on vocabulary tests than those who snore less often.

"Vocabulary scores are known to be the best single predictor of a child's IQ and the strongest predictor of academic success," explains Dr. Paul M. Suratt, a pulmonologist who directs the UVa Sleep Laboratory.

According to Dr. Suratt, the vocabulary differences associated with nightly snoring are equivalent to the IQ dissimilarities attributed to lead exposure. "Studies show that, even at nontoxic levels, lead exposure can reduce a child's IQ by more than seven points," he notes.

Sleep disorders can be intellectually and behaviorally detrimental to children because they interrupt the deep sleep patterns needed for healthy development. At night, children with sleep disorders can be observed snoring, snorting, gasping, tossing and turning. During the day, these children can be irritable, hyperactive and unable to concentrate.

A key goal of the UVa researchers is to predict which children with sleep disorders are most likely to suffer cognitive impairment or develop behavior problems. "It's more difficult than you would think," Dr. Suratt explains. "Children with sleep disordered breathing may have cognitive impairment even if they don't completely stop breathing, even if their oxygen levels don't fall and even if they don't totally wake up."

In a series of studies involving six to twelve-year-olds, researchers have been piecing together a list of risk indicators. So far, snoring frequency combined with sleep lab results have proven to be the most reliable predictors of intellectual impairment and behavioral problems. Sleep duration and race appear to be important risk factors, too.

"One of our most recent studies found that kids who snore nightly and spend less time in bed score significantly lower on cognitive tests than children who snore less frequently and spend longer times bed," Dr. Suratt explains. "We've also found that obstructive sleep disordered breathing (OSBD) occurs more often in African American children and, therefore, places them at greater risk of cognitive impairment."

As part of their quest to accurately identify at-risk children, UVa researchers are now testing a device that records breathing sounds during sleep at home. When used in the lab, this method has proven more sensitive than existing equipment in detecting sleep apnea in children.

"We're getting closer to the day when we can quickly establish risk profiles and effective treatment plans for children with sleep disorders. Our goal is to minimize the cognitive and behavioral problems that often develop," says Dr. Suratt.

Deep below the ocean's surface, blue whales are singing--and for the first time, scientists think they know why. Researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography recorded the sounds and say they offer new insight into the behavior of the passenger jet-sized animals.

Using tags suctioned to the whales' bodies, researchers tracked the whales and found that as they feed, they send out calls to let each other know where they are, each group employing a different sound.

The noises play a similarly important role during mating season when males sing long, low-pitched songs to indicate their reproductive fitness to females. Females select mates based on size and estimate that by evaluating males' songs: Larger males can take in more air and hold notes longer.

The research appears in the January 25 issue of the Marine Ecology Progress Series journal.

A related study, also by Scripps researchers, found that there are distinct "dialects" of whale-speak in different regions of the ocean. The finding could have implications for preservation efforts.

The scientists used acoustic recordings to delineate nine population regions worldwide. They found the whales weren't evenly distributed, though: Populations using a "Type 1" call, for example, live within a narrow band of ocean hugging the North American coast, while whales that use a "Type 4" call are spread over a large swath of the Northern Pacific Ocean.

The second study was published in a recent issue of the Journal of Cetacean Research Management.

The scientists say the dialect findings could help guide conservation efforts for blue whales, whose numbers dwindled to dangerously low levels before whaling moratoria were enacted: There were once an estimated two to three hundred thousand in the Southern hemisphere, but today that number is closer to 1,000, Scripps scientist John Hildebrand told LiveScience.

"By listening to the animals," he said, "you can tell something about the areas in which they are interacting to breed and that's important to know for managing and conserving the animals."

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What a woman eats during pregnancy may influence the odds that her child will develop allergies, a new study hints.

Dr. Joachim Heinrich, of GSF-Institute of Epidemiology, Neuherberg, Germany, and colleagues studied associations between maternal diet during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy and allergies and eczema in offspring at age 2 years.

They analyzed data from 2,641 children. Overall, 17.7 percent of all children had doctor-diagnosed eczema at age 2. A total of 9.3 percent were sensitized to food allergens, most commonly milk and eggs, and 4.8 percent were sensitized to inhaled allergens.

After adjusting for potentially confounding factors, positive associations were observed between high maternal intakes of margarine and vegetable oils during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy and eczema during the first 2 years in the offspring.

On the other hand, eating a lot of fish late in pregnancy seemed to offer some protection against eczema in offspring.

The study also found that children born to moms who ate a lot of celery and citrus fruit were at increased risk for sensitization to food allergens. Sensitization to inhaled allergens was also associated with high maternal intakes of deep-frying vegetable fat, raw sweet pepper and citrus fruit.

Despite these apparent associations, the researchers say "before any recommendations can be made, randomized clinical intervention trials should be performed to confirm the cause-effect relation observed in the present study."

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February 2007.

BOSTON -- The state's top education official has recommended that the Board of Education approve Massachusetts' first charter school taught mostly in Chinese.

The nine-member board was expected to grant a charter for the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion School Tuesday after the endorsement from Education Commissioner David Driscoll, said Heidi Guarino, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education.

The charter school eventually would be open to 300 students, kindergarten through eight grade, from Amherst, Springfield and dozens of other cities in western Massachusetts. Teachers would follow a traditional public school curriculum with one twist -- most classes would be exclusively taught in Mandarin Chinese.

"Given that China is one of the largest economies in the world, and soon may be the largest, it only makes sense to do this," said Richard Alcorn, the lead writer of the school's charter application.

Alcorn, an Easthampton businessman who imports rare Chinese books and artifacts, said he has lobbied several individual school districts in western Massachusetts to start Mandarin immersion programs for the past six years because he wants his young children to learn in Chinese.

The districts balked, but Alcorn said a regional charter school was more viable because it could draw interested students from a wider area. He said research showed that students who learn in French, Spanish, Chinese or any other immersion programs perform better in all subjects, not just foreign languages.

The school's designers already have received an overflow of applications for the 44 seats available for the first school year, which they hope would begin in the fall. They have started interviewing potential teachers and administrators, Alcorn said.

They are searching for building space and aim to cover startup costs with a combination of federal, state and private grants, he said. Alcorn declined to comment on how much those costs would be.

In the first year, the school would teach kindergarten and first-grade classes and gradually phase in curriculum through eighth grade, according to the school's application filed with the state. Students would still have to meet state-mandated thresholds on the MCAS standardized tests and take typical classes in English and language arts.

Charter schools -- small and specialized public schools that receive state money but remain independent from local school boards -- have met strong opposition from teachers' unions.

Anne Wass, president of the Massachusetts Teachers' Association, said the union supports language immersion and creative teaching, but is against charter schools because they siphon money from public schools.

"There's nothing to prevent innovation in regular schools public schools," she said. "But these charters are like private schools dressed in public dollars."

Massachusetts operates 59 charter schools -- 51 with state oversight and eight that operate under local school districts -- with a waiting list of more than 16,000 students.

随着中国经济的飞速发展，法国人开始意识到学习汉语的重要性，越来越多的家长支持孩子学习汉语，中小学生学汉语的人数在逐年增加。

报道说，２００１年，法国学汉语的孩子不到４０００人，今年已增至１万多人。汉语目前位居英语、西班牙语、德语和意大利语之后，是法国学习人数最多的第五大外语。

不仅如此，几乎所有的法国学区都设有汉语教学课程，１５所小学也在教授汉语。汉语教师人数也在不断增加。

法国政府今年２月任命若埃尔·拉桑为首位汉语督学。巴黎雅克—德库尔中学校长让—皮埃尔·洛朗扎蒂是汉语教师协会副会长，他认为学习汉语并非易事，家长应鼓励孩子天天练习。

面对日益兴起的汉语热，中国各高校也积极展开推广普及活动。前不久，１５所中国大学参加了巴黎教育展，以吸引更多的法国学生赴华留学。

随着中国经济实力的不断增强，越来越多美国家长送子女上汉语学习班，或者聘请会说汉语的保姆或者中国学生到家里，教孩子们学讲普通话。

总部位于美国纽约的亚洲协会副会长迈克尔·莱温表示：“目前，汉语已经成为一门炙手可热的语言。”亚洲协会是美国一个宣传和推广亚洲文化的非赢利性组织。

普通话是目前全球最多人使用的语言，学讲普通话热潮在最近几年开始“席卷”美国校园。事实上，由于希望学习普通话的美国人越来越多，美国很多学校的汉语学习班都出现供不应求的状况。莱温表示：“很多美国教育界人士和家长都认为中国是一个充满机遇的地方。他们现在面临的主要问题是到哪里去找一些高素质的汉语教师，来满足美国人学习汉语的需求。”

“英语已过时”

亚洲协会汉语语言计划的负责人王树汉（音译）表示，目前全美国大约有三四百家学校提供汉语课程，学习汉语的学生人数在2.5万人到5万人之间。

位于首都华盛顿附近的波拖马可河小学从1996年开始提供汉语初级学习班，每年招收150名学生。由于这个课程实在太受欢迎，目前等候学习名额的学生就有40人。至于每年空出的几个学位，学校不得不通过抽签进行派位。据悉，汉语学习班的学生里面有18％是亚洲裔的学生。

波拖马可河小学校长琳达·歌德博格表示：“现在汉语非常流行。那些认为英语是第一语言的观念已经过时……”

当地居民戴安娜·康威表示，她和丈夫决定把家里3个孩子都送去汉语学习班，希望孩子们能够多了解中国的语言和文化，因为中国在世界舞台的影响力越来越大。康威说：“无论以后孩子们选择哪条道路，学习汉语对他们都大有裨益。虽然法语也是一门美丽的语言，能够帮助你了解欧洲和非洲很多国家，但是，汉语是打开亚洲大门的钥匙。”

“学汉语很酷”

在波拖马可河小学汉语班的教室里，所有的标示都有英语和中文两个版本。学生们每天花半天的时间用汉语学习数学和自然科学，剩下的半天则用英语学习阅读、社会学和语言学等文科课程。很多学生还利用春假到中国旅行。

波拖马可河小学的三名汉语教师对学生只说普通话。汉语班的10岁学生詹姆斯表示：“汉语很难，但是很酷，人们会因为你会说汉语而觉得你很厉害。”

除了汉语学习班大热之外，美国许多家政公司也在面临华人保姆或者家庭教师稀缺的问题。许多客户要求找一个会说汉语的保姆或者家庭教师，而家政公司无法满足他们的需求。

在纽约市，由于华人保姆供不应求，部分高质素华人保姆的年薪比一般保姆的平均年薪多出两万美元。据报道，一个华人保姆因为有两个家庭争夺，最后获得7万美元的年薪。

此外，到美国家庭教中文来换取食宿的中国学生也越来越受欢迎。

美国老师：

“现在汉语非常流行。那些认为英语是第一语言的观念已经过时……”

美国妈妈：

“无论以后孩子们选择哪条道路，学习汉语对他们都大有裨益。虽然法语也是一门美丽的语言，能够帮助你了解欧洲和非洲很多国家，但是，汉语是打开亚洲大门的钥匙。”

美国学生：

“汉语很难，但是很酷，人们会因为你会说汉语而觉得你很厉害。”

学汉语成时尚

目前，韩国一共有16万大中学生在学习汉语，这个数字比5年前增加了66％。在1993年~ 2005年期间，日本提供汉语课程的中学增加了两倍，汉语已经成为除英语之外最热门的外语。即使在亚洲一些比较贫穷落后的国家，学汉语也成为了一种新时尚。中国是柬埔寨最大的海外投资国，因此很多柬埔寨人开始觉得汉语变得跟英语一样重要。在亚洲之外，学习汉语的学生人数迅速增长。从2000年到2004 年，参加汉语高级水平考试的英国学生人数增加了57％。

By Rachel Pegg

Children will be made to learn Chinese from the age of three at a private school.

Brighton College has taken the unprecedented step of making Chinese Mandarin compulsory for all pupils from the time they join the nursery.

When they reach 18 it is hoped they will have an enviable command of the language of what could become the world's biggest superpower.

This, says headmaster Richard Cairns, will give them a priceless boost in the global employment market.

The £20,400-a-year school made national headlines in January last year when it announced it was to make Mandarin compulsory for pupils in the senior school.

Now the school has taken up an offer under a programme run by HSBC and the British Council to bring Mandarin teachers from China to the UK.

A new teacher has started at the school and the first trial lessons for three-year-olds were held last week. Compulsory classes will become part of the curriculum in September.

Mr Cairns, who has himself been learning Mandarin, said: "We have taken this decision because we want to ensure that every child leaves Brighton College prepared for the realities of the 21st Century.

"China is certain to be the second- largest economic power in the world by the time these three-year-olds leave the college in 2022.

"I believe it is essential as many children as possible are well placed to take advantage of the opportunities this presents.

"A knowledge of the language, culture and politics of China will also encourage children to be less Anglo-centric and more willing to engage with very different societies from our own."

Children in nursery and reception will have three short sessions of Mandarin a week.

In time, all 200 pre-prep children, 300 children in the prep school and 700 college pupils will learn Mandarin.

Mr Cairns said: "It makes sense to begin this process with our very youngest pupils.

"I witnessed a one-off lesson yesterday with a class of nursery pupils and was struck by how receptive they were. The concept of a word changing its meaning according to the tone used seemed not to faze them at all."

Eventually, the school plans to arrange work experience placements for Year 11 pupils, aged 15 and 16, to work in businesses and study in China.

Mr Cairns added: "When these children leave university in 2025 they're going to most likely go into the City or business, where they are going to have to trade with China. For me, it is a nobrainer.

"Even if they leave Brighton College knowing only 1,000 words, they will know 1,000 more than most British youngsters and that will open doors."

The school offers lessons in Mandarin, French, Spanish, German, Latin and Greek. There are about 12 Chinese pupils but they are mostly Cantonese speakers.

Sue Wicks, head of the preprep where French is taught to three and four-year-olds, said: "Young children have a thirst for knowledge and an openness of mind and ear that makes them natural linguists."