(BBC News April 18)All flights in and out of the UK and several other European countries have been cancelled as ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland moves south．

　　Up to 4,000 flights are being cancelled with airspace closed in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark among others．

　　The UK’s air traffic control service(Nats)said no flights would be allowed in UK airspace until at least 07∶00 BST on Friday for fear of engine damage．

　　Safety group Eurocontrol said the problem could last for 48 hours．

　　The volcano is still erupting and the wind direction is expected to continue bringing clouds into UK and European airspace for some time to come．

　　The UK’s airspace restriction was the worst in living memory, a Nats spokesman said．Some 600,000 people are thought to have been affected．

　　Nats suggested that the restrictions were unlikely to be lifted(解除)after 07∶00, saying it was“very unlikely that the situation over England will improve in the foreseeable future”．

　　Passengers were advised to contact their carriers before travelling．

　　Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said he was“closely monitoring the situation”and would be meeting with key transport officials on Friday morning．

　　Experts have warned that the tiny particles of rock, glass and sand contained in the ash cloud from the still-erupting volcano could be sufficient to jam aircraft engines．

　　The Health Protection Agency said the ash from the eruption did not bring a significant risk to public health because of its high altitude．

　　However, the British Lung Foundation has warned people with lung conditions to keep their medication(医疗护理)with them as a precautionary measure．

　　These are some of the knock-on effects：

　　●Eurocontrol says Germany is monitoring the situation and considering partial airspace closures．

　　●The two main airports in Paris and many others in the north of France are closing．

　　●There is severe disruption(崩溃)in France and Spain, where all northbound flights are cancelled．

　　●Nats is due to make an announcement shortly as to the arrangements that will be in place through to 13∶00 BST on Friday．

　　●British Airways offers refunds or an option to rebook after all its domestic flights are suspended．

　　Flybe announces it has cancelled all flights up until 13∶00 BST on Friday and more than 25 services due to run after that．

　　British sports teams have been hit by travel problems after flights were grounded．

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　　Why You Should Celebrate Your Mistakes

　　When you make a mistake, big or small, cherish(珍视)it like it’s the most precious thing in the world．Because in some ways, it is．

　　Most of us feel bad when we make mistakes, beat ourselves up about it, feel like failures, get mad at ourselves．

　　And that’s only natural：most of us have been taught from a young age that mistakes are bad, that we should try to avoid mistakes．We’ve been scolded when we make mistakes－at home, school and work．Maybe not always, but probably enough times to make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction．

　　Yet without mistakes, we could not learn or grow．If you think about it that way, mistakes should be cherished and celebrated for being one of the most amazing things in the world：they make learning possible; they make growth and improvement possible．

　　By trial and error－trying things, making mistakes, and learning from those mistakes－we have figured out how to make electric light, to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, to fly．

　　Mistakes make walking possible for the smallest toddler, make speech possible, make works of genius possible．

　　Think about how we learn：we don’t just consume information about something and instantly know it or know how to do it．You don’t just read about painting, or writing, or computer programming, or baking, or playing the piano, and know how to do them right away．Instead, you get information about something, from reading or from another person or from observing usually…then you construct a model in your mind…then you test it out by trying it in the real world…then you make mistakes…then you revise the model based on the results of your real-world experimentation…and repeat, making mistakes, learning from those mistakes, until you’ve pretty much learned how to do something．That’s how we learn as babies and toddlers, and how we learn as adults．Mistakes are how we learn to do something new－because if you succeed at something, it’s probably something you already knew how to do．You haven’t really grown much from that success－at most it’s the last step on your journey, not the whole journey．Most of the journey was made up of mistakes, if it’s a good journey．

　　So if you value learning, if you value growing and improving, then you should value mistakes．They are amazing things that make a world of brilliance possible．

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Sightseeing Tours in Germany

　　Germany has a variety of cities each with its own characteristics, from the busy city of Berlin, to the ancient city of Cologne, to the Bavarian capital of Munich．Thankfully, these major German cities offer sightseeing tours that offer the opportunity to better explore the surrounding regions and the country’s most historic sites．

　　Berlin on Bike

　　berlin image by J??rgen Remmer from Fotolia.com

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　　Dr．Sylvia Earle wants you to stop eating fish．It’s not because fish are endangered, though wild fish stocks in many oceans are very low．It’s not because they’re bad for you, though fish in many areas are exposed to poisonous substances in the water．It’s because they’re smart．

　　“Fish are sensitive, they have personalities,”says the marine biologist．For Earle, eating a fish would be like eating a dog or a cat．“I would never eat anyone I know personally．”

　　There’s a lot more to fish than meets the eye：they talk to each other, they like to be touched, and they engage in behavior that can seem very human．They can remember things and learn from experience．Earle and a growing number of animal rights activists see these as strong arguments against eating fish altogether．

　　The activists also point out that fish feel pain and fish suffer horribly on their way from the sea to the supermarket．“While it may seem obvious that fish are able to feel pain, like every other animal, some people think of fish as swimming vegetables,”says Dr．Lynne Sneddon．“Really, it’s kind of a moral question．Is the enjoyment you get from fishing(or eating fish)more important than the pain of the fish?”

　　Fishermen and(fried)fish lovers are doubtful．“I’ve never seen a smart fish,”says Marie Swaringen as she finishes off a plate of fish at a Seattle seafood restaurant．“If they were very smart, they wouldn’t get caught．”

　　“For years, everyone’s been telling us to eat fish because it’s so good for us,”says another diner．“Now I’ve got to feel guilty while I’m eating my fish?What are they going to think of next?Don’t eat salad because cucumbers have feelings?”

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　　The British last an average of eight minutes and twenty-two seconds before they lose temper, according to new research．

　　The Internet has increased people’s service demands and it is destroying the classic British characteristic of patience．More than half of the British have admitted they lose their temper quicker than ever before．People have become so used to the speed and convenience of the Internet that more than seven in ten get angry if forced to wait longer than one minute for a web page to download．

　　Being kept on hold made the British see red more than anything else, with the average person reaching their impatience limit after five minutes and four seconds．

　　In today’s fast food culture, restaurant rage starts after only eight minutes and thirty-eight seconds, when the average diner will start to wonder whether the meal they have ordered will ever arrive．

　　People running late to meet a friend should not leave it any longer than ten minutes and one second if they do not want to face their anger．

　　Finally, when receiving a text or voicemail, be warned that the clock is ticking as the average Englishman expects a response within thirteen minutes and sixteen seconds．

　　Mark Schmid, of telecom giant TalkTalk, which conducted the research among 2,050 people, said that the speed of the online world is making us less prepared to wait for things to happen in the offline world．“This is causing people to reach the point of impatience earlier than ever before．”

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　　The dog that gave us the most trouble was a beagle(猎兔犬)named Murphy．As far as I’m concerned, the first thing he did wrong was to turn into a beagle．I had seen him bounding around on the other side of a pet-shop window, and I went in and asked the man,“How much is that adorable fox terrier(小猎狗)in the window?”Did he say“That adorable fox terrier is a beagle”?No, he said,“Ten dollars, lady．”Now, I don’t mean to say one word against beagles．They have rights just like other people．But it is a bit of a shock when you bring home a small ball of fluff(绒毛)in a shoebox, and three weeks later it’s as long as the sofa．

　　Murphy was the first dog I ever trained personally, and I was delighted at the enthusiasm with which he took to the newspaper．It was some time later that we discovered, to our horror, that－like so many dogs－he had grasped the letter but not the spirit of the thing．Until the very end of his days he felt a real sense of duty whenever he saw a newspaper－any newspaper－and it didn’t matter where it was．I can’t bring myself to go into the details, except to mention that we were finally forced to keep all the papers in the bottom of the icebox．

　　He had another habit that used to leave us open to a certain amount of criticism from our friends．He never climbed up on beds or chairs or sofas．But he always sat on top of the piano．In the beginning we used to try to pull him off．But after a few noisy fights in which he knocked a picture off the wall, scratched the piano, and smashed a lamp, we just gave in－only to discover that he hopped up and down as skillfully as a ballet dancer．

　　Nowadays if I go anywhere, I just ask if they have a dog．If they do, I say,“Maybe I’d better keep away from it－I have bad allergy．”This sometimes annoys the host．But it works．It really works．

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　　If there is one thing that matters in high school－and for your whole life－it is friendships．

　　My latest novel, THE UNWRITTEN RULE, is about a girl, Sarah, who falls for her best friend Brianna’s boyfriend, Ryan, but it’s more about wrestling with feelings for a guy that you know you shouldn’t have．A lot of the book deals with friendship, the kind of lifelong friendship that means the world to you…and what happens when you realize that maybe it isn’t what you think it is．

　　Maybe your best friend isn’t your best friend．Maybe she isn’t even a friend at all．

　　Friendships are tricky things．You can he sure everything is fine, and that your friendship is going to last forever…and it can just end．No explanation, no anything．And it is not easy．In fact, I think losing a friend is worse than losing a boyfriend, especially when it is a friend you’ve had in your life for a long time．

　　One of the things that Sarah struggles with in THE UNWRITTEN RULE, beyond her feelings for Ryan, is her friendship with Brianna－how long they’ve been friends, how she understands Brianna in a way no one else does, and what to do when a crack appears in their friend ship, not because of Sarah’s feelings for Ryan, but because Sarah begins to wonder if maybe Brianna isn’t her best friend after all．

　　Having a friendship end is incredibly painful and one of the things I hated when I was younger－and that I still hate now－is how people say．“Oh, it’ll be okay．You’ll move on, you’ll be fine．”

　　It is true that you will eventually move on and that you will be fine．But you will also always carry that lost friendship with you．It may not take up all of your heart like it does at first, but it will take part of it．

　　And that, I think, is something no one ever talks about and that I wish we could － and would．

　　What do you do when someone you are friends with decides your friendship is over?How do you deal with it?

　　Maybe my latest novel can provide something for you．

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　　Here below are two pieces taken from a blog．

　　▲Growing up as one of three girls I’ve always been keen on women’s issues．And now with three daughters to raise, I have the responsibility of ensuring that they grow up without any preconceived(预想的)ideas of their capabilities ＆ potential based on their gender．Earlier this year I read an article that indicated that women surpassed men in the workforce for the first time in history．That is a milestone!And while we still don’t have equality in leadership positions or pay(especially if you’re a mom), we have made significant progress over the past couple of decades．All this prompted me to do some digging around to see what else I could learn．Here are some fun facts from the census bureau for you：

　　●29％ of women aged 25 or older had obtained a bachelors degree in 2008 vs．18％ in 1987．

　　●55％ of all college students were women in the Fall of 2008．

　　●60％ of women 20 years or older participate in the workforce today vs．34％ in 1950．

　　●14％ of the armed forces were women in 2008．compared to 2％ in 1950．

　　▲We’re all looking to stretch the value of our dollar as much as possible．Every day as you juggle the needs of your family, remember to eat right, take your vitamins and keep up with laundry and bills－you probably also look for budget friendly, family appropriate activities．A day trip to a national park is a great way to explore all the wonders of nature, without breaking the bank．Once or twice a month, my wife and I will prepare for a leisurely hike in one of our favorite parks close to home．The night before, she makes some homemade granola and I make sure our reusable water bottles are full and on ice．Next time you’re looking for an inexpensive adventure that your family isn’t soon to forget, take a hike!To find a national park near you, just visit www.nps.gov

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　　This tour takes you back in history to a moment that“will live in infamy(声名狼藉)．”Explore the historic artifacts at the Arizona Memorial Visitor Center commemorating(纪念)the attack on Pearl Harbor, then travel around beautiful Oahu on a Circle Island guided bus tour．

　　The Arizona Memorial Visitor Center is Hawaii’s number one visitor attraction．View the film of the attack on Pearl Harbor and browse the historic artifacts on display．Then ride the Navy launch across Pearl Harbor to visit the Arizona Memorial．Then, board a tour bus for a scenic trip around the island of Oahu．Get your cameras ready for the beautiful view over Windward Oahu at Nu’uanu Pali Lookout．Visit Byodo－In Temple．which is set against a picturesque mountain backdrop．

　　You’ll also see the famous North Shore surfing beaches of Sunset, Banzai Pipeline, and Waimea Bay and drive through rustic Haleiwa Town．Visit Dole Plantation and discover the history of Hawaii’s pineapple industry before enjoying a no host lunch at the Polynesian Cultural

Center(lunch is not included in the listed-price)．

　　Inclusions：

Scenic bus tour of Oahu island

Film viewing at Arizona Memorial Visitor Center．Pearl Harbor

Visit of Byodo－In Temple and Dole Plantation

　　Available：

　　Mon．－Fri．

　　Hours of operation：

　　7 AM to 5 PM

　　Note：

　　Strict security measures forbid purses, handbags, fanny packs, backpacks, camera bags, diaper bags, luggage and/or other items．Visitors may bring a camera and cam-recorder．A storage facility, operated by a private vendor, is available for visitors coming to the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, the Battleship Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum．The facility(象征性的)storage fee．The storage facility is in operation daily 6∶30 AM to 5∶30 PM．

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　　BEIJING(AFP)－Archeologists in China have uncovered more than 3, 000 dinosaur footprints, state media reported, in an area said to be the world’s largest grouping of fossilized hones belonging to the ancient animals．

　　The footprints, believed to be more than 100 million years old, were discovered after a three-month excavation(发掘、出土)at a gully in Zhucheng in the eastern province of Shandong, the Xinhua news agency reposed．

　　The footprints range from 10 to 80 centimeters(4 to 32 inches)in length, and belonged to at least six different kinds of dinosaurs, including tyrannosaurs, the report said Saturday．

　　Wang Haijun, a senior engineer at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the footprints faced the same direction．Xinhua said．

　　This indicated a possible migration or a panic escape by plant-eating dinosaurs after an attack by predators(食肉动物), Wang added．

　　Archeologists have found dinosaur fossils at some 30 sites in Zhucheng, known as“dinosaur city．”The region has seen two major digs since 1964, and experts say the discovery of so many dinosaurs in such a dense area could provide clues on how the animals became extinct millions of years ago．

　　Plans are being made to set up a fossil park in the area．