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　　A single night of taking the drug Ecstasy(摇头丸)can cause serious brain damage and speed up the start of Parkinson's disease, scientists say．Just two or three Ecstasy tablets can permanently destroy brain cells that affect movement and reasoning, according to American research that links the drug to Parkinson's for the first time．

　　A study by a team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, involving squirrel monkeys and baboons(狒狒)found that both species suffered permanent damage to key cells, which are lost in Parkinson's, after receiving three low doses(剂量)of Ecstasy at three-hour periods．

　　The study is particularly important because baboons are one of the best animal models for the human brain．George Ricaurte, who led the research, said that the widespread abuse of drug might have caused severe damage．“The most troubling result is that young adults using Ecstasy may be increasing their risk of developing Parkinsonism as they get older．”

　　Alan Leshner, a former director of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, said,“This study emphasizes the multi-aspect damage that Ecstasy causes to users．We've long known that repeated use damages brain cells．But this study shows that even very occasional use can have long-lasting effects on many different brain systems．It sends an important message to young people：don't experiment with your own brain．”

　　Janet Betts, a mother whose teenage daughter Leah died after a single Ecstasy tablet in 1995, said,“This comes as no surprise．But people can't see the effects at first, and they say it won't happen to them．We'll see the symptoms later, just as we have with smoking．”

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　　You're in a department store and you see a couple of attractive young women looking at a sweater．You listen to their conversation：

　　“I can't believe it－Lorenzo Bertolla!They are almost impossible to find．Isn't it beautiful?And it's a lot cheaper than the one Sara bought in Rome．”

　　They leave and you go over to see this incredible sweater．It's nice and the price is right．You've never heard of Lorenzo Bertolla, but those girls looked really stylish．They must know．So, you buy it．You never realize that those young women are employees of an advertising agency．They are actually paid to go from store to store, talking loudly about Lorenzo Bertolla clothes．

　　Every day we notice what people are wearing, driving and eating．If the person looks cool, the product seems cool, too．This is the secret of undercover marketing．Companies from Ford to Nike are starting to use it．

　　Undercover marketing is important because it reaches people that don't pay attention to traditional advertising．This is particularly true of the MTV generation－consumers between the age of 18 and 34．It's a golden group．They have a lot of money to spend, but they don't trust ads．

　　So advertising agencies hire young actors to“perform”in bars and other places where young adults go．Some people might call this practice misleading, but marketing executive Jonathan Ressler calls it creative．“Look at traditional advertising．Its effectiveness is decreasing．”It is true, because everyone knows an ad is trying to persuade you to buy something．However, you don't know when a conversation you overhear is just a performance．

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　　Only two countries in the advanced world provide no guarantee for paid leave from work to care for a newborn child．Last spring one at the two, Australia, gave up the bad distinction by setting up paid family leave starting in 2011．I wasn't surprised when this didn't make the news here in the United States－we're now the only wealthy country without such a policy．

　　The United States does have one explicit family policy, the Family and Medical Leave Act, passed in 1993．It entitles workers to as much as 12 weeks' unpaid leave for care of a newborn or dealing with a family medical problem．Despite the modesty of the benefit, the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups fought it bitterly, describing it as "government-run personnel management and a "dangerous precedent(先例)．" In fact, every step of the way, as(usually)Democratic leaders have tried to incroduce work-family balance measures into the law, business groups have been strongly opposed．

　　As Yale law professor Anne Alstott argues, justifying parental support depends on defining(定义)the family as a social good that in some sense, society must pay for．Parents are burdened in many ways in their lives：there is ''no exit" when it comes to children．Society expects－and needs－parents to provide their children with continuity of care．And society expects－and needs－parents to persist in their roles for 18 years, or longer if needed．

　　While most parents do this out of love, there are public punishments for not providing care．What parents do, in other words, is of deep concern to the state, for the obvious reason, that caring for children is not only morally urgent but important to the future of society．To classify parenting as a personal choice for which there is no collective responsibility is not merely to ignore the social benefits of good parenting：really, it is to steal those benefits because they accrue(累积)to the whole of society as today's children become tomorrow's citizens．In fact, by some estimates, the value of parental investments in children, investments of time and money, is equal to 20－30％ of GDP．If these investments bring huge social benefits－as they clearly do－the benefits of providing more social support for the family should be that much clearer．

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　　Getting your teen to think beyond his own immediate needs can be more difficult than cracking a nut with a plastic fork．But don't worry．It's not impossible．There are many ways to encourage your teen to care about those outside his immediate circle of friends．As he begins to have responsibility towards others, he will realize he feels even better about himself．

　　"Teens are thinking about career, college, and what their future might look like," explains Michelle Maidenberg, a clinical director of Westchester Group Works, a center for group treatment in New York．"This is very challenging and just one of the reasons why they are so focused on their own world．" Once teens participate h community service, however, they begin to look beyond their personal needs．They also learn firsthand about the challenges others face, and they experience a sense of authority as they realize they can make a real difference in others' lives．

　　Not sure how to convince a teen to get away from the cell phone and into a community project?Teens buy into community service when the project or program is in an area of their interest．

　　"Finding something in an area of interest for them keeps them motivated and inspired," Maidenberg says．For instance, if he is interested in culinary(烹饪)school, he could volunteer in a soup kitchen or bake for a project that supports families in need．Volunteer projects in your teen's area of interest will build her knowledge base as well as help others．

　　Parents can do their part by participating in community service themselves．Teens can learn directly from their parents that personal enjoyment is not ,all that matters．

　　Let teens know the benefits they will obtain．“Give them every reason in the world to volunteer," Maidenberg advises．She says that working on community service projects builds confidence．"By working with others, teens improve managerial, interpersonal and communication skills．Community service helps to approach maturity when they take a step back to see the needs of other people," she adds．Another reward：service hours look great on a resume!

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　　An idea came to me, and I turned off the lights in the studio．In the darkness, I took off my shirt and took up the cello(大提琴); it was the first time in my life I'd felt the instrument against my bare chest．I'd never thought about that; music scholars always talk about the resonating properties(共振)of various instruments, but surely the performer's own body must have some effect on the sound．As I dug into the notes I imagined that my own chest and lungs were extensions of the sound box; I seemed to be able to change the sound by the way I sat, and by varying the muscular tightness in my upper body．

　　After improvising for a while, I started playing, still in the darkness．I heard the music through my skin．For the first time I didn't think about how it would sound to anyone else, and slowly, joyfully, gratefully, I started to hear again．The notes sang out, first like a trickle：, then like a fountain of cool water bubbling up from a hole in the middle of a desert．After an hour or so I looked up, and in the darkness saw the outline of the cat sitting on the floor in front of me, cleaning her paws and purring loudly, I had an audience again, humble as it was．

　　So that's what I do now with my cello．At least once a clay I find time to tune it, close my eyes and listen．It's probably not going to lead to the kind of comeback I'd be thirsty for－years of playing badly have left scars on my technique－but I might eventually try giving a concert if I feel up to it．

　　Occasionally I feel a stab of longing, and I wish I could give just one more concert on a great stage before my lights blink off, but that longing passes more quickly now．I take comfort in the fact that, unlike the way I felt before, I can enjoy playing for myself now．I feel relaxed and expansive when I play, as if I could stretch out my arms and reach from one end of the apartment to the other．A feeling of completeness and dignity surrounds me and lifts me up．

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　　Monday：Here I am, in the middle of nowhere．This camping trip idea is not getting off to a very good start．It's raining and the tent leaks．The hiking seemed to take forever, and I still can't understand how it could all have been up hill!How did I ever let my brother talk me into this?When we get home－if we ever get home－he's going to have to do something great to get back on my good side．Maybe he should sponsor a shopping spree(狂购)at the mall!

　　Tuesday：Things are looking up．The sun came out today, so we were able to leave the tents and dry out．We're camped at the edge of a small lake that I couldn't see before because of the rain and fog．The mountains are all around us, and the forest is absolutely beautiful．We spent most of the day dragging out everything out of our backpacks or tents and putting it where the sun could dry it out．Later in the afternoon we tried to catch the fish for dinner, hut the fish were smarter than we were．At night we built a fire and sang songs happily．

　　Wednesday：We hiked to the far side of the lake and climbed to the top of a small peak．From there we could see how high the other mountains were and how far the forest spread around us．On the way up we passed through a snowfield!

　　Thursday：I caught my first fish!We followed the stream that fed the lake．After about two miles, we came to a section that Carol said looked "fishy"．She had a pack rod(竿), which can be carried in a backpack．I asked to cast it, and I caught a fish on my first try．Carol caught a few more．But they were just too pretty to eat for lunch, so we put them back in the stream．

　　Friday：I can't believe we are going home already．It will be nice to get a hot shower, sleep in a real bed, and eat junk food, but the trip has been wonderful．We're already talking about another camping adventure next year where we canoe down a river．It's hard to believe, but I think this city girl has a little country blood in her veins．

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　　Skiing only caught on for ordinary Chinese in the mid-1990s in the country's north and northeast, but has since developed into a pastime that can be practiced nationwide．Here are four resorts(度假胜地)worthy of consideration．

Yabuli Ski Resort

　　The ski resort, built on Yabuli Sun Mountain, part of the Changbai Mountain Range, is located in China's northernmost province, Heilongjiang．

　　It has the best snow quality, skiing trails and impressive views．Wild animals are often spotted on the site．

　　The resort serves as the primary training centre for China's national teams．It also has a trail vertical drop from 200 meters to 1,200 meters with an average drop of 700 meters．

　　What's cool：The largest ski resort in China．

Beijing Huaibei International Ski Resort

　　This is a great destination for snowboarders and skiers to escape the rush life of the city and is a large recreational spot that boasts excellent ski slopes, world-class facilities, beautiful natural scenery, as well as convenient accommodation and dining services．

　　Travelers are also able to take a bird's eye view of the Great Wall by catching a cable car along 1,200 meters．

　　What's cool：Close to the Great Wall and Beijing's largest ski resort．

Shennongjia Ski Resort

　　Opened in 2004, the ski resort is located in the inland of Shennongjia．It covers an area of 100,000 square meters and is only 0.5 km from the Shennongjia National Nature Reserve．

　　There are ski tracks for beginners and more than 20 coaches for tourists．While experiencing the excitement of skiing, people can also admire Shennongjia's distinctive scenery of countless different odd mountain valleys, unknown beautiful flowers and plants．

　　What's cool：Largest winter sports complex for skiers from South and Central China．

Changbai Mountain Ski Resort

　　The ski resort is an ideal place for skiing and ice-skating because of its well-constructed ski tracks, comprehensive winter sports training facilities and breathtaking environment．

　　Enthusiasts can also choose other activities including motor skiing, sleigh skiing, shooting and hunting．

　　The area's natural hot springs are another attraction of the resort．

　　What's cool：The resort is located in the heart of Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve's thick forest and has natural hot springs．

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　　Winston Churchill once described Russia as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery(谜)inside a puzzle”．Observers of Russia in the 21st century could surely say the same of the country's president, Vladimir Putin．

　　Born in Leningrad, six months before the death of Stalin, the young Putin experienced a poverty-stricken childhood but received a good education．He developed lifelong interests in judo and spy novels, and first applied to the KGB(苏联国家安全委员会)at the age of 17．When they told him to go away and come back with a degree, he completed with an efficiency(效率)that would later serve him well．

　　Putin used his KGB training, plus his own discipline and common sense, in a series of jobs．He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when president Boris Yeltsin resigned in a surprising move．Putin won the 2000 presidential election and in 2004 he was re-elected for a second term lasting until 7 May 2008．

　　Due to term limits, Putin was unable to run for a third presidential term．After the victory of　Dmitry Medvedev, in the 2008 presidential elections, he was appointed to be Russia's Prime Minister．

　　Putin is regarded as one bringing political stability and re-establishing the rule of law．During his presidency, Russia's economy(经济)bounced back, seeing GDP increase by 72％, poverty cut more than half, and average monthly salaries increase from ＄80 to ＄640．Analysts have described Putin's economic reforms as impressive．At the same time, his conduct in office has been questioned by political opposition at home, foreign governments, and human rights organizations for leading the Second Chechen War, and for his record on human rights and freedoms．

　　Whether he wants to drive Russia into a new stage, or believes in the values of its Soviet past, he is determined to put his nation back on its feet．To do this, Vladimir Putin may have to show his true colors sooner rather than later．

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　　New media has been growing fast and influencing people's lives in ways few things have done before．In 2010, China's new media industry witnessed explosive development．But with “new” comes uncertainties and challenges．The following are brief reviews on the development of China's new media and outlooks on its future．

I．Micro-blogging (微博)

　　Short and convenient, micro-blogs also experienced “a big bang” in China last year, with the number of micro-bloggers at China's popular portal(门户网站)sina．com．cn almost doubling in less than six months．Afterwards, the other three major web portals, including sohu．com, qq．com and 163．com, each set up their own micro-blogging services．With more government officials and entities(实体)registering, China's micro-blogging services are expected to play a more important role in connecting the public and the governments in 2011．

第一节　Search Engines

　　Baidu's position in the search engine market would face fierce challenges from sohu．com, Microsoft's Bing and goso．cn from the People's Daily．Xinhua is also preparing to start its search engine together with China Mobile, a leading company in mobile networks．Goso and Xinhua both have the advantage of providing content, while Bing has a big edge in technology and funds．They are expected to pose threats(威胁)to Baidu in 2011．

第二节　Internet of Things

　　IoT refers to a network of real-world objects linked by the Internet and interacting through on-line services．China set up its first IoT research center in Shanghai in March 2010．Within the same week, Premier Wen Jiabao stated in the annual government report that it would “accelerate the research and development, as well as application of the Internet of Things．”

　　However, some experts say China's IoT is still in an early stage, and it'll take a long time for it to let the public enjoy its full functions．