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　　Summer Holiday Fun 2011!

　　The summer holidays are upon us again．Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!

　　Peterborough Museum

　　The Age of the Dinosaurs is the museum’s main attraction this summer．Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands-on exhibits! Watch out for monsters(怪物)lurking(潜伏)around every corner! The museum is open from 10∶00 am to 5∶00 pm Monday to Saturday, and from 12∶00 pm to 4∶00 pm on Sundays in August．

　　Call 01733 864663 for details

　　Saxon Youth Club

　　School holiday fun：Young people aged 13－19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in spots activities, or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road．Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3∶00 pm．PLUS an aero ball match will take place on Thursday ,12th August between 3∶30 pm and 6∶30 pm．

　　Call 01 353 720274 for details

　　Houghton Mill

　　Alice through the Looking Class－a new production of the family favorite on Monday, 30th August．Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play．Gates open 5：30 pm, performance 6∶30 pm－8∶30 pm．Tea room will be open until end of the interval(间隔)．Adult ￡10．Child￡7．Family ￡20．

　　Booking advisable on 0845 4505157．

　　Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey

　　Farmland Games：From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches, come and join the Farmland Team．Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette(饰品)that is fit for a winner！No need to book, just turn up between 12∶00 pm and 4∶00 pm on Thursday, 19th August, Suitable for children aged four and above, each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price．Tickets Cost￡7 per child．

　　For further information, call 01223 810080．

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　　The summer I was ten, my mother decided to bring us to the world of art．My brother and I were not very excited when we realized what my mother meant．What she meant was not that we could take drawing classes or painting classes but that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum．Before each visit to the museum, she made us read about artists and painting styles．It was almost as bad as being in school．Who wants to spend the summer thinking about artists when you could be with your friends at the swimming pool?

　　First we had to read about ancient Egyptians(古埃及人)and their strange way of painting faces and then go to look at them at the museum．My 12-year-old brother thought this was so funny, but I was not interested．Later we had to learn about artists in the Middle Ages who painted people wearing strange long clothing．We had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly(卷曲的)hair and with no clothes on flying around the edges of paintings．I certainly couldn't see what was so great about art．

　　On our last visit to the museum, something happened when I saw a painting by a woman called Mary．In it, a woman was reading to a child．The colors were soft and gentle, and you could tell by the mother' s expression how happy she was just to be with the child．I couldn't stop looking at this painting ! I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made! It was really worth looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much．

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　　In the more and more competitive service industry, it is no longer enough to promise customrr satisfaction．Today, customer “delight” is what companies are trying to achieve in order to keep and increase market share．

　　It is accepted in the marketing industry, and confirmed(证实)by a number of researches, that customers receiving good service will promote business by telling up to 12 other people：those treated badly will tell their tales to up to 20 people, 80 percent of people who feel their complaints are handled fairly will stay loyal

　　New attentions for customer care have come when people can obtain　goods and services through　telephone call centers and the Intemet．For example, many companies now have to invest(投资)a lot of money in information technology and staff training in order to cope with(应付)the “phone rage”－caused by delays in answering calls , being cut off in mid-conversation or left waiting for long periods．

　　“Many people do not like talking to machines , ”says Dr．Storey Senior Lecturer in Marketng at City University Business School．“Banks, for example, encourage staff at call centers to use customer data to establish instant and good relationship with them．The aim is to make the customer feel they know you and that you can trust－ the sort of comfortable feelings people have during face-to-face chats with their local branch manager．”

　　Recommended ways of creating customer delight include：under-promising and over-delivering(saying that a repair will be sent out within five hours , but getting it done within two);replacing a faulty product immediately：throwing in a gift voucher(购物礼卷)as an unexpected “thank you” to regular customers ;and always returning calls , even when they are complaining．

　　Aiming for customer delight is all very well, but if services do not reach the high level promised, disappointment or worse will be the result．This can be eased by offering an aplogy and an explanation of why the service did not meet usual standards with empathy(for example, “I know how you must feel”), and possible solutions(replacement, compensation or whatever faimess suggests best meets the case)．

　　Airlines face some of the toughest challenges over customer care．Fierce competition has convinced them that delighting passengers is an important marketing tool, while there is great potential for customer anger over delays caused by weather , unclaimed luggage and technical problems．

　　For British Airways staff, a winning telephone style is considercd vital in handling the large volume of calls about bookings and flight times．They are trained to answer quickly , with their name, job title and a “we are here to help” attitude．The company has invested heavily in information technology to make sure that infomation is available instantly on screen．

　British Airways also says its customer care policies are applied within the company and staff are taught to regard each other as customers requiring the highest standards of service．

　　Customer care is obviously here to stay and it would be a foolish company that used slogans such as "we do as we please”．On the other hand, the more customers are promised, the greater the risk of disappointment．

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　　Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked．

　　Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup(基因构成)as human beings．What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival．Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible．

　　Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for．Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger．With knowledge, we can lessen its effects．

　　Exploration also allows minerals and other potential(潜在的)resources to be found．Even if we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later．Resources may be more than physical possessions．Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration．The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives．We have already benefited from other spin-offs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems．Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products(副产品)of technological developments in the space．

　　While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us．While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers．The danger exists, but knowledge can help human being to survive．Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist．

　　While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets．It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future．

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　　Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son, mentally and physically disabled, were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence．

　　Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much．The boy looked around and said, “We’re losing by six runs(分)and the game is in the eighth inning(局)．I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the final inning．

　　Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and put on a team shirt with a broad smile and his father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in heart．The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted．

　　In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three．In the top of the final inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the field．Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously joyful just to be in the game and on the field．In the bottom of the final inning, Shay’s team scored again．Now, Shay was scheduled to be next at bat．Would they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

　　Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat．Everyone knew that a hit was almost impossible．The first pitch(投)came and Shay missed．The pitcher again again took a few steps forward to throw the ball softly towards Shay．As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher．

　　The pitcher could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman and Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game．Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman, beyond the reach of all teammates, The audience and the players from both teams started screaming, “Shay, run to first! ”Never in his life had Shay ever run that far but made it to first base, wide-eyed and shocked．．

　　Everyone should, “Run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second．By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time, could have thrown the ball to the second baseman, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions and he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head．

　　All were screaming，“Shay，Shay，Shay，all the way Shay．” Shay reached third base when one opposing player ran to help him and shouted, “Shay, run to third．” As Shay rounded third, all were on their feet, crying, “Shay, run home！”Shay ran to home, stepped on the home base and was cheered as the hero who won the game for his team．

　　That day, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece true love and humanity into this world．Shay didn’t make it to another summer and died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his mother tearfully hug her little hero of the day!

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　　Every fall, like clockwork, Linda Krentz of Beaverton, Oregon, felt her brain go on strike．“I just couldn’t get going in the morning,” she says．“I’d get depressed and gain 10 pounds every winter and lose them again in the spring．” Then she read about seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that occurs in fall and winter, and she saw the light literally．Every morning now she turns on a specially constructed light box for half an hour and sits in front of it to trick her brain into thinking it’s still enjoying those long summer days．It seems to work．

　　Krentz is not alone．Scientists estimate that 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal depression and 25 million more develop milder versions．But there’s never been definitive proof that treatment with very bright lights makes a difference．After all, it’s hard to do a double-blind test when the subjects can see for themselves whether or not the light is on．That’s why nobody has ever separated the real effects of light therapy from placebo(安慰剂)effects．

　　Until now, in three separate studies published last month, researchers report not only that light therapy works better than a placebo but that treatment is usually more effective in the early morning than in the evening．In two of the groups, the placebo problem was resolved by telling patients they were comparing light boxes to a new anti-depressant device that gives off negatively charged ions(离子)．The third used the timing of light therapy as the control．

　　Why does light therapy work? No one really knows．“Our research suggests it has something to do with shifting the body’s internal clock,” says psychiatrist Dr．Lewey．The body is programmed to start the day with sunrise, he explains, and this gets later as the days get shorter．But why such subtle shifts make some people depressed and not others is a mystery．

　　That hasn’t stopped thousands of winter depressives from trying to heal themselves．Light boxes for that purpose are available without a doctor’s prescription．That bothers psychologist Michael Terman of Columbia University．He is worried that the boxes may be tried by patients who suffer from mental illness that can’t be treated with light．Terman has developed a questionnaire to help determine whether expert care is needed．

　　In any event, you should choose a reputable manufacturer．Whatever product you use should give off only visible light, because ultraviolet light damages the eyes．If you are photosensitive(对光敏感的), you may develop a rash．Otherwise, the main drawback is having to sit in front of the light for 30 to 60 minutes in the morning．That’s an inconvenience many winter depressives can live with．

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　　Two hours from the tall buildings of Manhattan and Philadelphia live some of the world’s largest black bears．They are in northern Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, a home they share with an abundance of other wildlife．

　　The streams, lakes, meadows(草地), mountain ridges and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the region．Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing estates and important habitats are endangered by highway construction．To protect the Poconos natural beauty from irresponsible development, the Nature Conservancy(大自然保护协会)named the area one of America’s “Last Great Places”．

　　Operating out of a century-old schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond, Pennsylvania, the conservancy’s bud Cook is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection．By developing partnerships with people like Francis Altemose, the Conservancy has been able to protect more than 14,000 acres of environmentally important land in the area．

　　Altemose’s family has farmed in the Pocono area for generations．Two years ago Francis worked with the Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program．As a result, his family’s land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure financial future for their 7-year-old grandson．

　　Cook owes the Conservancy’s success in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents．

　　“The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community,” Cook said．“The people who live there respect the land．They value quiet forests, clear streams and abundant wildlife．They are eager to help with conservation effort．

　　For more information on how you can help the Nature Conservancy protect the Poconos and the world’s other “Last Great Places,” please call 1-888-564 6864 or visit us on the World Wide Web at www．tnc．org．

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　　We can see how the product life cycle works by looking at the introduction of instant coffee．When it was introduced, most people did not like it as well as “regular” coffee, and it took several years to gain general acceptance(introduction stage)．At one point, though, instant coffee grew rapidly in popularity, and many brands were introduced(stage of rapid growth)．After a while, people became attached to one brand and sales leveled off(stage of maturity)．Sales went into a slight decline when freeze-dried coffees were introduced(stage of decline)．

　　The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this：Different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies．The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not decline．One strategy is called market modification．It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections．Did you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the military?

　　Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market, such as senior citizens．A marketer may re-position the product to appeal to new market sections．

　　Another product extension strategy is called product modification．It involves changing product quality, features, or style to attract new users or more usage from present users．American auto manufacturers are using quality improvement as one way to recapture world markets．Note, also, how auto manufacturers once changed styles dramatically from year to year to keep demand from falling．

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　　It came as something of a surprise when Diana, Princess of Wales, made a trip to Angola in 1997, to support the Red Cross campaign for a total ban on all anti-personnel landmines．Within hours of arriving in Angola, television screens around the world were filled with images of her comforting victims injured in explosions caused by landmines．“I knew the statistics,” she said．“But putting a face to those figures brought the reality home to me; like when I met Sandra, a 13- year-old girl who had lost her leg, and people like her．” The Princess concluded with a simple message：“We must stop landmines”．And she used every opportunity during her visit to

　　repeat this message．

　　But, back in London, her views were not shared by some members of the British government, which refused to support a ban on these weapons．Angry politicians launched an attack on the Princess in the press．They described her as “very ill-informed” and a “loose cannon”．(乱放炮的人)

　　The Princess responded by brushing aside the criticisms：“This is a distraction(干扰)we do not need．All I’m trying to do is help．”

　　Opposition parties, the media and the public immediately voiced their support for the Princess．To make matters worse for the government, it soon emerged that the Princess’s trip had been approved by the Foreign Office, and that she was in fact very well-informed about both the situation in Angola and the British government’s policy regarding landmines．The result was a severe embarrassment for the government．

　　To try and limit the damage, the Foreign Secretary, Malcolm Rifkidnd, claimed that the Princess’s views on landmines were not very different from government policy, and that it was “working towards" a worldwide ban．The Defence Secretary, Michael Portillo, claimed the matter was “a misinterpretation or misunderstanding．”

　　For the Princess, the trip to this war-torn country was an excellent opportunity to use her popularity to show the world how much destruction and suffering landmines can cause．She said that the experience had also given her the chance to get closer to people and their problems．