Wednesday, November 13, 2013

電子背包控制蟑螂 被批虐蟑

美國Backyard Brains公司研發1款裝在蟑螂身上的「電子背包」,透過相應的手機應用程式(app)來控制蟑螂的行動,引發虐待昆蟲的爭議,該公司則堅稱此產品用意在鼓勵兒童研究神經科學。
據英國廣播公司(BBC)網站報導,要為蟑螂裝上這種「電子背包」,必須先把蟑螂放在冰水中,以壓制牠的行動。然後要使用砂紙磨掉蟑螂頭部光滑的外層。接下來,是把電極接頭和電極黏在蟑螂身上,再用針在牠的胸部戳一個洞,以便插入電線。
接著還要剪斷蟑螂觸鬚,插入電極,並把小型的電路板固定在牠背上,這樣就可以透過手機app發送訊號,來控制蟑螂的動作,比如左右移動。
美國一些科學網站引據動物行為科學家巴康柏指出,在這整個過程中,蟑螂會受到傷害。他質問說:「如果有人發現,教師要學生使用放大鏡去燒螞蟻,之後再觀察牠們的組織,大家會有什麼反應?」
皇后大學哲學教授艾倫也警告說,這裝置會鼓勵業餘人士以侵入性地方式將其用在生物身上。
已有人寫電子郵件給這家位於密西根州的公司,抗議其稱為機器人蟑螂的電子背包,會把「小孩教成心理病態者」。
該公司則堅稱,全球很快就會有2成人口出現神經功能失調,且這目前仍無有效療法,而蟑螂電子背包可讓學生及早在這方面從事研究生層次的研究。公司也強調人道對待蟑螂、電子背包不會傷害蟑螂。

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

[你怎么看] 马来西亚英文好过新加坡吗?我国获评亚洲英语最佳国家



上个星期有一个调查报告引起了广泛的讨论,全球英语能力指标2013的报告中,把我国评为亚洲英文最好的国家,在非英文为母语的国家中排行全球第11。
尤其是马来西亚的排名超越了邻国新加坡 – 就在网路上引起了风波,毕竟新加坡人都觉得他们的英文好过我们,甚至有人说马来西亚连这个都要贿赂,所以才可以有那么高的排名。
谈谈的朋友们,你们又怎么看?觉得我国的英文是不是真的好过新加坡呢?

国际教育机构英孚教育(Education First)公布的《2013全球英语能力指标报告》显示,马来西亚成人英语能力在60个非母语国家中排名11,除排名创新高外,也首次打败新加坡,成为亚洲英语最佳国家。中国排名亚洲34位。
根据此报告,马来西亚凭58.99评分(第11位)获选为英语能力最佳的亚洲国家,得分比2012年的57.95分数高,属于高程度等级。传统英语强国新加坡首次被马来西亚超越,得分58.92(第12位),但比2012年高。
此外,英语中等水平的亚洲国家和地区,香港排名第22位(54.44),韩国(第24位,54.19)、日本(26位,54.17),而中国大陆仅排名第34位(47.62),台湾则排名第33位(48.93)。
根据这个总部设在瑞士的跨国语言学习机构报告指出,全球范围内,瑞典、挪威与荷兰分别占据前三位置,得分介于66至69分之间。
英孚教育(Education First)指出,这项针对成人英文掌握能力展开的调查,证实英文不但是国际语言,同时也是全球通用的企业与贸易语言,这可从求职者及新生代父母积极培训英文掌握能力,甚至不惜花钱上培训班中得以证实。
同时,它盛赞一些国家如印尼与越南已经在过去6年积极提升了英语水平;中国也进步不少,但脚步稍微缓慢;至于日本与韩国虽然有许多国际私人投资活动,但英语水平不升反降。

接下来,谈谈和你一起来了解一下整份完整报告。
以英文程度分阶段看国家排名 :
01
(非常高水平 – 1.瑞典,2.挪威,3.荷兰,4.沙尼亚,5.丹麦,6.奥地利,7.芬兰)
(高水平 – 8.波兰,9.匈牙利,10.斯洛文尼亚,11.马来西亚,12.新加坡,13.比利时,14.德国,15.拉脱维亚,16.瑞士,17.葡萄牙)
(中水平 – 18.斯洛伐克,19.阿根廷,20.捷克,21.印度,22.香港,23.西班牙,24.南韩,25.印尼,26.日本,27.乌克兰,28.越南)
02
(低水平 – 29.乌拉圭,30.斯里兰卡,31.俄国,32.意大利,33.台湾,34.中国,35.法国,36.UAE,37.哥斯达黎加,38.巴西,39.秘鲁,40.墨西哥,41.土耳其,42.伊朗,43.埃及)
(非常低水平 – 44.智利,45.摩洛哥,46.哥伦比亚,47.科威特,48.厄瓜多尔,49.委内瑞拉,50.约旦,51.卡塔尔,52.危地马拉,53.萨尔瓦多,54.利比亚,55.泰国,56.巴拿马,57.哈萨克斯坦,58.阿尔及利亚,59.沙特阿拉伯,60.伊拉克)

以区域看英文程度 :
region02
(中东和非洲;亚洲)
region01
(南美洲;欧洲)
谈谈怎么看?一下是笔者自己的一些发现:
  • 马来西亚的英文程度冠亚洲
  • 香港的英文程度这几年不断在下跌
  • 越南是在东南亚排行第四的国家,在我国,新加坡和印尼之后。可是报告中并没有菲律宾
  • 马来西亚的英文程度,高于德国,瑞士,葡萄牙,西班牙
  • 法国的英文程度,还低于中国和台湾;意大利也没有好多少
  • 泰国的英文程度远远落后,排在非常低的阶段
  • 伊拉克在60个国家当中垫底
  • 欧洲国家普遍英文不错,但是西班牙,意大利,法国的英文程度比想象中的低
  • 日本的英文原来算不错,好过法国意大利

Education First 分析各区域的一些研究发现
集合60个国家和地区的资料,英孚EPI指标展示了当今全球范围的英语水準概貌。通过国家、贸易伙伴以及盟国间的比较分析,报告为了解欧、亚、拉丁美洲等地在国家重心和教育政策方面的不同倾向提供了极具价值的研究资料。
亚洲:英语熟练度「意外」低迷
  • 虽然印度曾一度是英国的殖民地并声称是一个英语国家,在这次评测中,与快速提升的中国相比,其英语熟练度并没有展现优势。尽管很难估计每个国家确切使用英语的人数,但今日总体人数已经大致持平,并且中国有望在短短几年内超过印度。同样曾经是英国殖民地的香港地区(第22位,53.54),其成年人英语水準与同为亚洲最富裕群体的近邻日本、韩国相比也并无显著优势,这主要是因为韩国和日本的公共教学体系中都非常重视英语学习,并有大量私人英语培训机构。
  • 马来西亚是亚洲英语水準最高的国家,在非欧洲地区,只有马来西亚和新加坡被划分为高英语熟练度的国家。在马来西亚,居民主体包括马来人、华人和印度人,长期以来,马来西亚学生进入小学后就要求学习英语,进入初中后按照英国「0」级课程体系继续学习。英语不是这三大社区人群自身的语言,却被不同社区共用,扮演著促进沟通的媒介角色。
欧洲:西班牙,法国和意大利程度偏低
  • 欧洲独特的多语言文化使其英语熟练度远高于其它地区。其中,北欧地区熟练掌握英语表现抢眼,几乎所有国家都名列前茅,其中还包括全球排名第一的国家。如今欧洲90%的学生在学习阶段需要学习英语。此外,欧洲很多跨国公司和工厂都使用英语作为工作语言。然而,在西班牙和意大利,其英语熟练度低于其它西欧国家的水準。
拉美:西班牙语击败英语
  • 拉丁美洲是所有地区中英语熟练度排名最低的,平均成绩刚达到最低水準分数线。这一方面也说明了西班牙语在这些地区才是最重要的国际语言,这一通用语种已经确保了国际贸易、外交和旅游得以顺利进行,从而降低了人们学习英语的动力。此外,低水準的教学品质和入学率也导致了拉丁美洲的英语熟练度在所有地区排名垫底。

这是什么报告?
2013-11-09_221510
英孚英语能力指标(EF English Proficiency Index,简称EF EPI)是业内首度推出的英语能力标準,为比较不同国家、不同时期的成人英语熟练程度提供了标準化工具。
EF Englishtown行政总裁Bill Fisher表示:「在当今竞争高度激烈的全球经济社会,熟练的英语技能愈发成为在职人士的必备条件。想要参与全球经济发展的国家及地区都意识到,培养大批掌握专业技能并能以英语沟通的毕业生是拓展服务型经济最可行的方式。」
通过进行地区间、国家间的分析比对,该份报告同时揭示了英语能力指标与其他国家间的有趣关联,EPI指标与受教育时间、国家出口实力、收入水平成正比。报告还为各国提高英语熟练度提出了建设性意见,如建立多语言文化,发展更具影响力、标準化的语言能力评估方法,鼓励有效沟通,反对一味纠正语法等。
如何测试?
英孚教育邀请全球60个国家与地区,总共75万18岁以上的成年人,进行听力、阅读等1小时的英语测试,以鉴定他们的英文能力,并统计过去6年近500万名接受评估者的平均成绩,做出上述成绩。
关于EF英孚教育
EF 英孚教育集团是全球领先的国际教育机构,集团成立於 1965 年,本著「打破人与人之间语言、文化和地域上的界限」的使命,凭借 400 间语言学校,已经说明了超过 1,500 万名学员。英孚主要致力於语言培训、学位课程、教育游学和文化交流等方面。从 EF 英孚与 Apple 苹果电脑公司合作共同开发的最初设想开始,EF 英孚的 Efekta™ 系统就是最先进的英语学习方法,运用于 EF 英孚的语言课堂教学和通过 Englishtown.com 开展网上英语互动教学。除了说明 1,200 多个组织开展英语培训之外,EF 英孚还是北京奥运会的官方语言培训提供商,并正在著手说明巴西準备 2014 年足球世界盃。2010年英孚获得中国经营报《职场》杂志「50佳第一工作场所称号」。

大家怎么看这一份报告呢?大家来发表一下意见,毕竟马来西亚可以冠亚洲的事情-应该不是很多。你会为了这份报告而骄傲吗?

Friday, November 8, 2013

日本人奇怪的發明 Another weird Japanese invention


你也許覺得大口吃漢堡是件很過癮的事,但在日本,女性在公共場所張大嘴,被視為是不禮貌也不合乎社交禮儀的行為。日本「新鮮漢堡」為了讓女性顧客可以不用擔心形像的放心享用,於是推出了隱藏嘴巴的“解放包裝” 。據報導,自從使用這個獨特的包裝後,銷售量增加了200%。原來日本女性還是喜歡吃漢堡的。

You may not think much about opening your mouth wide in public, but in Japan, it is actually considered to be bad manners for women to do so.

This was the main reason why the large “Classic Burger” by Japanese burger chain FRESHNESS BURGER didn’t do well with female diners—they had to open their mouths really wide to eat it.

Thus, enter the ‘Liberation Wrapper’. Printed with an image of the lower half of a woman’s face, this burger wrapper is designed to hide the eater’s mouth while she is eating a burger, making it appear as if she is somehow managing to keep her “Ochobo”—“small and modest” mouth—throughout the meal.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

睡美容觉的6个贴士 6 Ways to Get Your Best Beauty Sleep Ever


8小時的睡眠是最好不過的,但往往不是睡眠不足就是睡眠品質不好。美國亞特蘭大睡眠醫學科技學院(The Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and Technology)主任,Kathleen Hall博士的美容覺tips:

1. 沐浴陽光: 雖然不希望在陽光下過度曝曬,但適度的陽光能自然調節身體的生理時鐘。
2. 運動: 每天20-30分鐘的運動,可以幫助入睡,但一定要做在上午或下午做。 睡前的有氧運動會刺激身體,可能更難入睡。晚上運動時,選擇伸展、放鬆身心的瑜珈。
3. 舒適的睡眠環境: 床、枕頭一定要適合自己的身型和睡眠習慣。為了好的睡眠品質,床單和棉被也是值得投資的。
4. 鎮靜的香味: 薰衣草和茉莉花的香味可以幫助入眠。研究顯示,這些香味能減輕焦慮和失眠,還能減緩心跳,放鬆肌肉。
5. 關機: 無論是電腦、平板電腦、電視、手機螢幕,甚至是照明的數字時鐘都會
刺激大腦,可能導致睡眠中斷。 把時鐘放在看不到的地方,才不會讓你專注時間,感到緊張和焦慮。盡量助保持臥室安靜、涼爽,營造一個專心休息的環境。
6. 周末時不要過度補眠: 如果週一至週五沒有得到足夠的睡眠,不要在周末時睡一整天。午睡30-60分鐘,然後早點上床。一切適可而止, 才不會打亂正常的睡眠周期。

Burned out from too much summer fun? These expert tips will get you gorgeously rested for fall.

Sure, you know that getting eight hours of sleep a night is ideal, but how often are you practicing that rule of thumb? If your answer is not often at all, let’s try the scare tactic: Did you know that a lack of sleep can cause dark circles and bags under your eyes? What about weight gain and difficulty shedding pounds? No woman in her right mind wants any of the above—verdad? So, we sat down and chatted with Russell Rosenberg, PH.D., director of The Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and Technology, and Dr. Kathleen Hall, founder and CEO of Atlanta-based companies The Mindful Living Network and The Stress Institute, to create a regimen that’ll get your Zzz’s back on track in no time.

Soak Up Some Sun

“Expose yourself to sunlight soon after awakening,” says Dr. Hall. “This will help to regulate your body’s natural biological clock.” Though you don’t want to overexpose your skin to the sun, Dr. Rosenberg recommends going for a run, gardening, or walking your dog for about thirty minutes in the morning. “It’s the sunlight that hits your eyes and sends signals to your brain that turns off the melatonin production, which wakes you up. Even on a cloudy day, there’s enough light outside to make a difference,” he says.

Work In A Workout

“Twenty to 30 minutes of exercise every day can help you sleep, but be sure to do it in the morning or afternoon,” advises Dr. Hall. “Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.” Later in the day, try taking a yoga class for a more peaceful workout sesh’. “The stretching relaxes your tight muscles and the deep breaths bring needed oxygen into the brain and body, helping you to relax,” says Dr. Hall.

Make Your Bed

According to Dr. Rosenberg, setting the stage for sleep is key. “We are creatures of habit, and the environment that we have when we sleep is important,” he says. First and foremost: Do everything you can to make your bed comfortable. “Try therapeutic shaped foam pillows that cradle your neck or extra pillows that help you sleep on your side, and get comfortable cotton sheets,” says Dr. Hall.

Spritz a Soothing Scent

Lacing your boudoir with calming scents can help you to fall asleep peacefully. But be sure to choose long-lasting scents that don’t overpower the room, like lavender and jasmine. We like Febreze Sleep Serenity Bedroom Mist in Moonlit Lavender and Quiet Jasmine ($3.50 for each, at drugstores). “Research shows that the scent of lavender eases anxiety and insomnia,” says Dr. Hall. “Researchers have also found that it increases slow-wave sleep, the very deep slumber in which the heartbeat slows, muscles relax, and the brain is thought to organize memory. On the other hand, jasmine works like sleeping pills! German researchers found that jasmine is as effective as Valium and similar drugs for relieving anxiety and promoting sleep.” Some jasmine scents have even been proven to be as effective as some pharmaceutical drugs, according to a study by the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Stash Your Gadgets

Computer, tablet, TV, and phone screens use LED lights, which stimulate your brain and prevent you from getting rest. Even a digital clock can cause sleep disruption. “A big, illuminated digital clock may cause you to focus on the time and make you feel stressed and anxious,” says Dr. Hall. “Place your clock so you can’t see the time when you are in bed.” Do, however, feel free to use a fan or white noise machine to help keep your bedroom quiet, blocking outside distractions (plus, keeping your room cool is essential for a comfy rest).

Don’t Try to Play Catch-Up

If you didn’t get much rest during the week, sleeping in on the weekend may not make up for it. “Instead, take no more than a 30 to 60 minute nap on Sunday and then add a little more time in bed in the subsequent workweek,” says Dr. Rosenberg. “That can make a difference. Don’t try to get all of the rest back in one night, try a half hour more every night.” That goes for the other way around too—if you generally get to sleep early on a week night, you can’t expect to stay out on Friday and Saturday, play catch-up on Sunday, and rise and shine with ease come Monday morning. Everything in moderation, bellezas!

6 Things That Make Water Unhealthy


喝水是健康的,幾乎任何時候喝都有好處。大多數開發國家
的人們是幸運的,不必擔心在哪裡可以找到乾淨、安全的飲用水,水似乎是理所當然的無處不在。但根據世界衛生組織(WHO),每年有超過340萬的人死於供水衛生所導致的疾病、感染和營養不良。怎麼樣的水是不安全的呢? 

1. 雙酚A (BPA): 美國國家環境健康科學研究所的發現,雙酚A出現在一些塑
料水瓶內,可以滲入飲料,導致健康風險。幸運的是,現在有越來越多不含雙酚A的塑料瓶。但即使是不含雙酚A的瓶子,當暴露在陽光下、微波爐或洗碗機內仍可能滲出有害化學物質。
2. 不洗瓶子: 細菌喜歡溫暖、潮濕的地方,所以要定期用熱肥皂水把瓶子洗乾淨、晾乾。蓮蓬頭也要定期清洗。
3. 加人工甜味劑等添加劑的水。
4. 喝太多: 水有可能喝過多? 是的。低鈉血症是因鈉在體內的水平下降太多,細胞開始膨脹,若不及時治療,可能導致低鈉血症發作和昏迷。這就是為什麼馬拉松選手是比較常見的低鈉血症患者。
5. 咖啡因: 適當咖啡因可改善記憶力和注意力。但咖啡因過頭時,會有煩躁、失眠,焦躁不安的狀況。

Water is one of those things just assumed to be good for you at all times, in all quantities. It's up there on the list of quintessentially nutritious foods and drinks with apples and broccoli and oatmeal. Water is so important and awesome, Michelle Obama wants you to drink more of it and she has created a whole new campaign around encouraging you to do so.

While most people in developed countries are lucky enough not to have to worry about where to find clean, safe drinking water, H2O isn't taken for granted everywhere. Each year, more than 3.4 million people die worldwide because of water supply, sanitation and hygiene issues that lead to diseases, infections and malnutrition, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Life-threatening illnesses aside, there are still a handful of issues with your everyday water. Here are a few of those troublemakers, plus how to avoid them.

Bisphenol A
There's some research to suggest that this chemical, commonly known as BPA, found in some plastic water bottles, can leach into food and drinks, and may pose health risks especially to infants and children, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Luckily, more and more BPA-free bottles are available now. (However, some caution that even BPA-free plastics may still leach unwanted chemicals into your water when exposed to sunlight or microwaves or dishwashers, NPR reported.)

Not Washing Your Bottle
A reusable bottle -- stainless steel, perhaps? -- is a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to one-time-use bottles or cups, but you've got to keep it clean. Bacteria like to hang out in warm, wet places, after all, so screwing the lid on the mostly-empty bottle in your office, then refilling it the next morning is basically laying out the "Welcome" mat. Luckily, all it takes to stay safe is a regular wash with hot, soapy water -- and be sure to leave it open to dry, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Drinking From The Shower Head
shower head
Speaking of warm and wet, it's time to clean your shower head. Yep, the spout is prime breeding ground for bacteria that go flying into the air when you turn on the shower. Luckily for most healthy bathers, this is less dangerous than it is merely gross, but people with compromised immune systems could be at risk, Health.com reported. Do yourself a favor and fight the temptation to sip from that fountain.

Crystal Light
We count 12 ingredients on the label of this "natural" flavoring. Twelve. Ditch the artificial sweeteners and other additives for a slice of fresh lemon.

Drinking Way Too Much
too much water
It's relatively difficult to do, but it is possible to drink too much water. Seriously overhydrating leads to what's called hyponatremia, when sodium levels in the body drop so low, cells begin to swell, according to the Mayo Clinic. Untreated, hyponatremia could result in seizures and coma. But it takes truly overcompensatory gulping to reach that point, which is why refueling marathon runners are among the more common hyponatremia sufferers. Keep this rule of thumb in mind: Don't drink to the point where you feel full from water alone, Shape.com reported.

Caffeine
In and of itself, caffeine may actually do you some good, including improving memory and concentration. But when you add a jolt to something as harmless as a bottle of water, which is what companies like Avitae and Water Joe have done, it's easy to overdo it -- and fast. Where you might sensibly stop after a couple of cups of coffee, you might absent-mindedly continue to sip at your caffeinated H2O to quench your thirst, and before you know it, find yourself in the irritable, sleepless, restless realm of heavy caffeine use.