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　　Fun-loving Paul Johnson earned the title of the Scarborough Evening News Teacher of the Year 2008．Mr Johnson, of Hinderwell School, was presented with the award after four of his pupils nominated(recommended)him for the prestigious title．

　　Evening News editor Ed Asquith presented Mr Johnson with his certificate－and a cheque for ￡100．His class is also set to enjoy a free trip to the Sea Life Centre which includes being picked up by a complimentary Shoreline Suncruisers open-top bus．

　　The 30-year-old, who lives in Hunmanby, said: “I am just so shocked．I have been nominated for this award for a few years and I never thought I would win it．It is fantastic．It is completely out of the blue．”

　　Mr Johnson has worked as a Year 5 teacher at the school for seven years．He also works as an advanced teacher, which involves visiting other schools in the county once a week to offer cross-curricular teaching．

　　He was chosen as the winner because of his dynamic but educationally engaging approach to teaching, and based on the real way he has demonstrated that every child matters．Each term he picks a theme for his class and the curriculum is based around it．This term they are studying medieval times－and his classroom has a castle in one corner．He also treated his class to a three-day trip to London earlier this year．

　　His nominators were Lucy and Emily Desborough, Rachel Laverick and Rebecca Miller．Classmate Callum Macdonald, 10, said: “He is the best teacher in the world and he deserves this．He is brilliant with us and he is just so funny．He tells lots of jokes which always make us laugh．” Beth Lawty, nine, added: “Our classroom is the best ever．We have really enjoyed being in his class and I will miss him next year．”

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　　There are several advantages in planting trees：they firm the soil, soak(渗透)up extra water and take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere．However, it now turns out that planting trees could add to global warming．We all know that tree roots do a great job of keeping soil firmly on the ground and out of the wind's power．The problem is that some of those dust clouds play an important part in soaking up carbon dioxide．

　　Huge dust storms blow out over the oceans from dry parts of North Africa and central Asia．Tons of dust are lifted and left as a thin film over the ocean surface．

　　Dust from China is carried east and left in the Pacific Ocean．If a tree-planting programme there is successful and the dust supply reduced, the net result may be that less carbon dioxide gets locked away in the ocean．

　　Andy, an environmental scientist has spent the past few years studying dust and says his work shows clearly the complexity of the system．For this reason the need is to focus on cutting carbon dioxide giving off rather than doing anything else．

　　Robert, an American scientist, has shown that when native grassland areas are invaded by trees, carbon is lost from the soil．“We are studying why the soil carbon disappears, but one theory is that trees do a lot more of their growing above ground compared to grass, so less carbon goes directly into the soil from trees,” said Robert．

　　In wet areas of the world, the gain from trees absorbing carbon dioxide above ground seems to be outweighed by the loss of carbon from the soil below ground．

　　Countries that plan to combat global warming by planting trees may have to think again．Solutions to environmental problems are often more complex than they first appear, and understanding the Earth's climate is a very great challenge．

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　　Although there are the many ways in which people communicate through speech, public speaking has probably received more study and attracted more attention than any other．Politicians winning an election, salespeople presenting products and etc．All depend upon this form of public communication．Even people who do not make speaking a part of their daily work are often asked to make public speeches：students at graduation, for instance, or members of churches, clubs or other organizations．Nearly everyone speaks, in public at some time or other, and those, who perform the task well often become leaders．

　　There are many reasons for speaking in public．A public speaker may hope to teach an audience about new ideas, for example, or provide information about some topic．Creating a good feeling or entertaining an audience may be another purpose．Public speakers, however, most often seek to persuade an audience to accept new opinions, to take certain actions, or to see the world in a new way．

　　Public speakers usually know well in advance when they are scheduled to make a speech．Consequently, they are able to prepare their message before they deliver it．Sometimes, though, speakers must deliver the message unprepared, or off the cuff, such as when they are asked to speak at a wedding reception or to participate in an interview．

　　When they do not have to speak unprepared, most speakers write their own speeches．Politicians and business managers sometimes employ professional writers who prepare their speeches for them．These professional writers may work alone or in small teams．Although the speaker may have some ideas into the contents of the speech, the writers sometimes have a great influence over the opinions expressed by their employers．Regardless of how a speech is prepared, the person who delivers it is given credit for its effect upon its hearers．

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　　Kataria is the founder of the worldwide laughter movement．The celebration of world Laughter Day is a positive activity for world peace and is intended to build up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship through laughter．The first “World Laughter Day” gathering took place in Mumbai, India, on 11th January 1998．12,000 members from India and international Laughter Clubs attended it．Now there are over 5,000 Laughter Clubs worldwide on all 5 continents．

　　“HAPPY-DEMIC” was the first World Laughter Day gathering outside India．It took place on 9th January 2000．In Copenhagen, Denmark, more than 10,000 people gathered at Town Hall Square．The event went into Guinness Book of World records．“World Laughter Day” is now organized on the first Sunday of May every year．Hundreds of people gather worldwide on that day to laugh together．

　　Today, many people fear widespread international terrorism．The world has never faced so much unrest before．People are at war within themselves．Laughter is a universal language, which has the ability to unite humanity without religion．Laughter can build a common connection between various religions and create a new world order．The idea may sound over-ambitious(野心太大的), and maybe it is．But maybe it is not．It is our deep belief that laughter and only laughter can unite the world, building up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship．

　　Studies also say that laughter helps your body do the following：lower blood pressure; lighten depression; reduce stress; work out the heart, especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercise．So in life, when you can laugh, you should laugh loudly and with your entire body－because it's good for you．

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　　One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students, he used an illustration that those students will never forget．

　　As he stood in front of the group he said, “Okay, time for a quiz．” Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide–mouthed jar and set it on the table in front of him．

　　He then produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar．When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is the jar full?"

　　Everyone in the class said, "Yes．"

　　He replied, "Really?"

　　He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel, then dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the space between the big rocks．

　　He asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"

　　By this time the class was on to him．"Probably not," one of them answered．

　　"Good!" he replied．

　　He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand．He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel．Once more he asked the question, "Is the jar full?"

　　"No!" the class shouted．

　　Once again he said, "Good!"

　　Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim．Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"

　　One eager student raised her hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in!"

　　"Good answer, but no," the speaker replied, "that's not my point．The truth this illustration teaches us is：If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all．

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　　Annual holidays have become a luxury and are no longer a staple of family life, according to government research．

　　A getaway of a week or more is no longer considered essential by many families and is often beyond their reach, said the analysis of what parents and children say they really need．Fashionable clothes for the children, expensive birthday parties and lots of toys are also on the list of luxuries families don't have to have．Instead, recession-hit parents are thinking of the future, and the things they want for their children centre around learning to behave properly, good education and good health．

　　Their picture of what a family ought to have includes a space to eat together away from the television, plenty of fruit and vegetables, and bicycles so children can get exercise．

　　The breakdown of necessities and luxuries was prepared by researchers from the Department for Work and Pensions(DWP)who were trying to establish an up-to-date picture of what parents say they really need．

　　Their findings show how families have scaled down their expectations in the face of economic difficulties－how parents are now concentrating their attention and money firmly on the long-term interests of their children．Many believe that while it is vital for a family to do things together, day trips or weekend breaks are enough．

　　Spending on furniture or decorating the house was also considered luxurious, unless the state of the home was so bad it became difficult to invite visitors in．

　　Instead, researchers said：A family home should have an area where the family can eat together, not on their laps in front of a television．Families should be able to go on outings, overnight trips and possibly short holiday：the fact of being able to share these experiences is more important than the precise activity and its cost．

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　　Imagine a world 400 years ago where children were used as chimney sweeps．The pay was low, it was a dirty trade and there was little reward for the men who did the job and even less for children．

　　Medway's annual Sweeps Festival recreates the joy and laughter enjoyed by the chimney sweeps at their traditional holiday：the one time of the year the sweeps could leave the soot(烟灰)behind and have some fun．The sweeps' holiday was traditionally held on 1 May each year．Locally, they used to mark the occasion by staging a procession through the streets of Rochester．

　　Their fun continued with the Jack-in-the-Green ceremony, a seven-foot character that they used to waken at dawn on Blue Bell Hill, Chatham．The Jack-in-the-Green would walk with the chimney sweeps in their parade．When the Climbing Boys' Act 1868 made it illegal to employ young boys to carry out the trade, the traditional procession gradually began to fade．The final May celebration was held in the early 1900s．

　　The modern day Rochester Sweeps Festival is a colorful mix of music, dancing and entertainment with more than 60 Morris sides and entertainers celebrating throughout the three-day festival．The festival was revived in 1981 by local businessman Gordon Newton, a keen historian．He decided it was time to bring it back and over the years he has helped develop the festival into what it is today－an excellent performance of traditional Britain．

　　Gordon researched the Sweeps' tradition and organized a small parade, involving local Morris teams．In time, Medway Council took over organization of the festival but Gordon remained actively involved．Today he is festival producer and plays melodeon(簧风琴)for several Morris teams．Doug Hudson is the festival's music director, a role he has held for many years．Through Gordon's vision and hard work, Doug's musical ability and the council's help, the Rochester Sweeps Festival has become the largest May Day celebration of its kind in the country．

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　　Laws that would have ensured pupils from five to 16 received a full financial education got lost in the ‘wash up'．An application is calling on the next government to bring it back．

　　At school the children are taught to add up and subtract(减法)but, extraordinarily, are not routinely shown how to open a bank account－let alone how to manage their finances in an increasingly complex and demanding world．

　　Today the parenting website Mumsnet and the consumer campaigner Martin Lewis have joined forces to launch an online application to make financial education a compulsory element of the school curriculum in England．Children from five to 16 should be taught about everything from pocket money to pensions, they say．And that was exactly the plan preserved in the Children, Schools and Families bill that was shelved by the government in the so-called “wash-up” earlier this month－the rush to legislation before parliament was dismissed．Consumer and parent groups believe financial education has always been one of the most frustrating omissions of the curriculum．

　　As the Personal Finance Education Group(Pfeg)points out, the good habits of young children do not last long．Over 75％ of seven- to 11-year-olds are savers but by the time they get to 17, over half of them are in debt to family and friends．By this age, 26％ see a credit card or overdraft(透支)as a way of extending their spending power．Pfeg predicts that these young people will “find it much harder to avoid the serious unexpected dangers that have befallen many of their parents' generation unless they receive good quality financial education while at school．”

　　The UK has been in the worst financial recession(衰退)for generations．It does seem odd that－unless parents step in－young people are left in the dark until they are cruelly introduced to the world of debt when they turn up at university．In a recent poll of over 8,000 people, 97％ supported financial education in schools, while 3％ said it was a job for parents．

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　　Knowing how much her own children loved presents at Christmas, Ann Sutton always tried to seek help for one or two poor families．With a social worker mother, the Sutton children had inherited her commitment to service, and knew never to take their good fortune at Christmas for granted．This year, Kinzie, her seven-year-old daughter was thrilled that Santa Claus would make a special visit to a 22-year-old mother named Ashley who worked in a factory raising her 12-month-old son by herself．

　　The phone rang on Sunday．A representative from a local organization was calling to say that the aid Ann had requested for Ashley had fallen through．No Santa Claus, no presents, nothing．

　　Ann saw the cheer vanish from her children's faces at the news．Without a word, Kinzie ran into her bedroom．She returned, her face set with determination．Opening up her piggy bank, she put all the coins onto the table：＄3.30．Everything she had．

“Mom,” she told Ann, “I know it's not much．But maybe this will buy a present for the baby．”

　　At a breakfast meeting the next day, Ann told her coworkers about her daughter's story．To her surprise, staff members began to open their purses and empty their pockets to help Kinzie．By day's end, the story of Kinzie's gift had spread beyond Ann's office．She received a call from an unknown donor．If a seven-year-old could give everything she had, he said, he should at least match her gift 100 to 1．He contributed ＄300．

　　On Christmas Eve, Ann drove through the pouring rain to the small trailer where the Ashleys lived．Then she began to unload the gifts from the car, handing them to Ashley one by one．

　　Ashley was very moved．Reflecting on a little girl's generosity, Ashley says she'll one day be able to do something similar for someone else in need．“Kinzie could have used that money for herself, but she gave it away,” Ashley says．“She's the type of kid I'd like my son to grow up to be．”

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　　BEIJING－China will further open its financial sector in“an active and safe”way, the country's central bank vowed on Friday．

　　“China will gradually broaden the chance for the participation of foreign capital in the domestic financial market,”said the People's Bank of China in a sport．

　　“We will strengthen the connections between China's financial market and international ones by attracting more foreign capital in Renminbi-denominated financial products,”the report said．

　　Meanwhile, channels will also be expanded to allow Chinese investment in foreign financial markets．

　　The bank said it would ease restrictions on enterprises and individuals possessing and using foreign currencies and increase the number of qualified foreign institutional investors and the value of their investment quotas(份额)．“We will make use of the financial market to achieve balanced international payments,”said the bank．

　　Last year, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange(SAFE)raised the annual quota for individuals buying foreign currency from US＄20,000 to US＄50,000．

　　“China will work hard for a more efficient and vigorous financial market that can better serve international needs,”the bank said．

　　The country will adjust its financial market rules so they are accepted around the world, encourage reforms and promote more flexible, diversified ways of trading, according to the bank．

　　China fully opened its financial market to foreign capital on December 11 last year, ending a five-year transitional(过渡的)period after entering WTO．