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　　The UK has a well－respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world．But to those who are new to it all, sometimes it can be confusing．

　　October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar．Universities have something called Freshers’ Week for their newcomers．It's a great opportunity to make new friends，join lots of clubs and settle into university life．

　　However，having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind，you can feel nervous when meeting lots of strangers in big halls．Where do you start? Who should you make friends with? Which clubs should you join?

　　Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot．So just take it all in slowly．Don't rush into anything that you'll regret for the next three years．

　　Here are some top tips from past students on how to survive Freshers' week：

　　·Learn rules．Make sure you know British social etiquette(礼节)．Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends．

　　·Be kind．Sometimes cups of tea or even pieces of French fries can give you a good start in making friends．

　　·Be sociable．The more active you are, the more 1ikely you'll meet new people than if you’re someone who is shy and never leaves his room．

　　·Bring a doorstop．Keep your door open when you're in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you’re friendly．

　　So with a bit of clever planning and motivation，Freshers’ Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you'll be passing on your experience to the next year's recruits．

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　　Donna Simpson weighs more than 600 pounds and aims to reach 1，000 pounds．The New Jersey woman is carrying a series of activities to become the world's fattest living woman，admitting that she is as hungry for attention as she is for calorie－rich food．

　　Donna，who wears XXXXXXXL dresses, eats pounds of junk food and tries to move as little as possible．The 42－year－old woman is a model on a website，where admirers and the curious can pay to watch videos of her eating food or walking to the car．She appeared in TV interviews and said she welcomed media coverage．

　　Simpson has submitted a claim to the Guinness World Records for the title of the world's heaviest woman to give birth．Among the heaviest women ever recorded was one who reportedly weighed 1，800 pounds and another who reportedly weighed 1, 200 pounds at the time of their deaths．

　　You might expect her husband to advise her to lose weight，but it is the other way round．To achieve her goal，Donna says she will need to eat up to 12, 000 calories a day，compared to 2000 calories that a normal woman needs．

　　When she came across the website which made very fat women widely known，she came to know there were many women faced with the same problems．And after she admitted her real size，e－mails from people poured in．They sent her gifts through the post，expressing their care for her．Donna was not feeling sorry for her goal，though she might risk her own life in the process．However, some have a different voice in Donna's behavior．They hold that it is more important to do something useful than to become popular．After all，there are so many children faced with the shortage of food throughout the world．

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　　In a few years, you might be able to speak Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, and English－and all at the same time．This sounds incredible, but Alex Waibel, a computer science professor at US's Carnegie Mellon University(CMU)and Germany's University of Karlsruhe, announced last week that it may soon be reality．He and his team have invented software and hardware that could make it far easier for people who speak different languages to understand each other．

　　One application, called Lecture Translation, can easily translate a speech from one language into another．Current translation technologies typically limit speakers to certain topics or a limited vocabulary．Users also have to be trained how to use the programme．

　　Another prototype(雏形机)can send translations of a speech to different listeners depending on what language they speak． “It is like having a simultaneous translator right next to you but without disturbing the person next to you,” Waibel said．

　　Prefer to read? So－called Translation Glasses transcribe(转录)the translations on a tiny liquid－crystal(液晶)display(LCD)screen．

　　Then there's the Muscle Translator．Electrodes capture the electrical signals from facial muscle movements made naturally when a person is mouthing words．The signals are then translated into speech．The electrodes could be replaced with wireless chips implanted in a person's face, according to researchers．

　　During a demonstration held last Thursday in CMU's Pittsburgh campus, a Chinese student named Stan Jou had 11 tiny electrodes attached to the muscles of his cheeks, neck and throat．Then he mouthed－ without speaking aloud－ a few words in Mandarin(普通话)to the audience．A few seconds later, the phrase was displayed on a computer screen and spoken out by the computer in English and Spanish：“Let me introduce our new prototype．”

　　This particular gadget(器械), when fully developed, might allow anyone to speak in any number of languages or, as Waibel put it, “to switch your mouth to a foreign language” ．“The idea behind the university's prototypes is to create ‘good enough’ bridges for cross－cultural exchanges that are becoming more common in the world,” Waibel said．?

　　With spontaneous(自发的)translators, foreign drivers in Germany could listen to traffic warnings on the radio, tourists in China could read all the signs and talk with local people, and leaders of different countries could have secret talks without any interpreters there．?

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　　People in the United States honor their parents with two special days： Mother's Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father's Day, on the third Sunday in June．

　　Mother's Day was proclaimed a day for national observance by President Woodrow Wilson in 1915．Ann Jarvis from Grafton, West Virginia, had started the idea to have a day to honor mothers．She was the one who chose the second Sunday in May and also began the custom of wearing a carnation．

　　In 1909, Mrs．Dodd from Spokane, Washington, thought of the idea of a day to honor fathers．She wanted to honor her own father, William Smart．After her mother died, he had the responsibility of raising a family of five sons and a daughter．In 1910, the first Father's Day was observed in Spokane．Senator Margaret Chase Smith helped to established Father's Day as a national commemorative day, in 1972．

　　These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents．They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens．They give love and care．

　　These two special days are celebrated in many different ways．On Mother's Day people wear carnations．A red one symbolizes a living mother．A white one shows that the mother is dead．Many people attend religious services to honor parents．It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery．On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants．They often have outdoor barbecues for Father's Day．These are days of fun and good feelings and memories．

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　　A different sort of generation gap is developing in the workplace．Someone－ specifically the father－daughter team of Larry and Meagan Johnson－has figured out that on some American job sites, five generations are working side by side．

　　In their new book about generations in the workplace the pair argue that while such an age difference adds a lot of texture and a variety of life experiences, it can also bring tensions and conflicts．

　　The Johnsons are human－resource trainers and pubic speakers．Dad Larry is a former health－care executive; daughter Meagan is a onetime high－level sales manager．

　　Here are the oldest and youngest of the five generations they identify：

　　They call the oldest group Traditionals, born before 1945．They were heavily influenced by the lessons of the Great Depression and World War Ⅱ．They respect authority, set a high standard of workmanship, and communicate easily and confidently．But they're also stubbornly independent．They want their opinions heard．

　　At the other extreme are what the Johnsons call Linksters, born after 1995 into today's more complicated, multimedia world．They live and breathe technology and are often social activists．

　　You won't find many l5－year olds in the offices of large companies, except as volunteers, of course, but quite old and quite young workers do come together in sales environments like bike shops and ice cream stores．

　　The Johnsons, Larry and Meagan, represent a generation gap themselves in their work with jobsite issues．The Johnsons’ point is that as the average lifespan continues to rise and retirement dates get delayed because of the tight economy, people of different generations are working side by side, more often bringing with them very different ideas about company loyalty and work values．

　　The five generations are heavily influenced by quite different events, social trends, and the cultural phenomena of their times．Their experiences shape their behavior and make it difficult, sometimes, for managers to achieve a strong and efficient workplace．

　　Larry and Meagan Johnson discuss all this in greater detail in a new book, "Generations, Inc．： From Boomers to Linksters－ Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work, "published by Amacom Press, which is available in all good bookstores from this Friday．

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　　A newly－wed couple on a four－month honeymoon were hit by six natural disasters, including the Australian floods, Christchurch earthquake and Japanese tsunami．

　　Stefan and Erika Svanstrom left Stockholm, Sweden, on December 6 and were immediately stranded in Munich, Germany, due to one of Europe's worst snowstorms．Stefan Svanstrom和Erika Svanstrom．

　　Travelling with their baby daughter, they flew on to Cairns in Australia which was then struck by one of the most tremendous cyclones(龙卷风)in the nation's history．From there, the couple, in their 20s, were forced to shelter for 24 hours on the cement floor of a shopping centre with 2, 500 others． “Trees were being knocked over and big branches were scattered across the streets,” Mr Svanstrom told Sweden's Expressen newspaper． “We escaped by the skin of our teeth,” said Svanstrom．

　　They then headed south to Brisbane but the city was experiencing massive flooding, so they crossed the country to Perth where they narrowly escaped raging bush fires．The couple then flew to Christchurch, New Zealand, arriving just after a massive magnitude 6.3 earthquake destroyed the city on February 22．

　　Mrs．Svanstrom said, “When we got there the whole town was a war zone．”

　　“We could not visit the city since it was completely blocked off, so instead we travelled around before going to Japan．”

　　But days after the Svanstroms arrived, Tokyo was rocked by Japan's largest earthquake since records began． “The trembling was horrible and we saw roof tiles fly off the buildings,” Mr．Svantrom said． “It was like the buildings were swaying back and forth．” The family returned to Stockholm on March 29 after a much calmer visit to their last destination China．

　　But Mr．Svanstrom, who also survived the destructive Boxing Day tsunami that hit southeast Asia in 2004, said the marriage was still going strong．He added, “I know marriages have to endure some trials, but I think we have been through most of them．”

　　“We’ve certainly experienced more than our fair share of catastrophes, but the most important thing is that we’re together and happy．”

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　　For most families, a long car journey is the bane of any trip．But for the Zapps, their 83－year－old vehicle has been a home for the past 11 years, as the couple travel around the world on a never ending trip of a lifetime, covering 142, 000 miles over four continents．

　　Herman and Candelaria Zapp, who got married to each other in 1996 and to their journey in 2000, set off from Patagonia, Argentina, heading for Alaska．They came back to Argentina in 2004, but settled there only for a couple of weeks, before deciding the open road is the only way to live．They have been traveling ever since, with a trip around South America between 2005 and 2007, then central America, the U．S．and Canada until 2009．The car was shipped to Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea as they traveled those countries and they are currently in the Philippines on a tour of South East Asia．

　　As a proof that life is possible in such a mobile style, the family of the two slowly grew to a number of six．They became, over the years and while on the road, parents to four children, Pampa(eight), Tehue(five), Paloma(three)and Wallaby(one)．Remarkably, each of their kids has a different nationality．

　　“My grandfather knew that we wanted to travel and to never stop so he gave me the old Graham－Paige car he used on his farm,” Herman said．Each night the six Zapps either sleep in or around a tent set up next to their car, but more often than not they find a friendly local who will put them up for the night．The only hard rule the couple have to stick by is the 40mph speed limit the 83－year old car is restricted to．

　　Their trip is supported with the money coming from selling books they write about the places they visit．

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　　Xiangzi－ Lucky, in English－ is appropriately named．His owner Qiu Hong, a sports marketer, lets the dog enjoy two daily walks, a collection of imported American toys, ＄300 worth of monthly food and treats and his own sofa in her high－rise apartment．When Ms．Qiu feels bored, she takes Xiangzi out for a long run in her car．

　　In a sense, Xiangzi is not just a dog, but a social phenomenon－ and, perhaps, a marker of how quickly the Chinese nation is booming through its transformation from poor farmer to first－world citizen．Twenty years ago, there were hardly any dogs in Beijing, but now there’re 900, 000 registered dogs with countless thousands of others unlicensed．How this came to be is, in some ways, the story of modern China as well．

　　“People used to be focused on improving their own lives, and they weren't really acquainted with raising dogs,” said Ms．Qiu． “But with the improvement in the economy, people's outlooks(观念)have changed．”

　　Having a dog can be a way to relieve the stress in people's lives, but mostly Beijing dogs have, as in the West, become objects of affection－ even devotion－ by their owners．It's easy to find dog－treat stores, dog Web sites, dog social networks, dog swimming pools－ even, for a time recently, a bring－your－dog cinema and a bring－your－dog bar on Beijing's downtown nightclub row．

　　The doglike devotion of pet owners here seems to have softened the city government heart．In 1994, Beijing officials relaxed their no－dog policy to “severely restrict” dogs．In 2003, it was changed again to allow anyone to own a dog, but to limit city dogs to no more than 35 centimeters in height．And nowadays the restriction seems to be loosely carried out．

　　As for stir－fried Pekingese(京叭狗)－ well, that dog, too, may have seen its day．A formal suggestion to ban the eating of dogs has been made by a law professor named Chang Jiwen, who considered himself “not so much a dog lover as a China lover”．“With China developing so quickly, more people should know how to treat animals properly, ” he said in a telephone interview．

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Cherry Blossom Spots

　　Below is a list of some of Tokyo's most popular spots for cherry blossom(樱花盛开)viewing, including the typical timing for best viewing in the average year and japan－guide．com ratings．

　　Shinjuku Gyoen Early April

　　10 minute walk from Shinjuku Station, 200 yen(日元), 9∶00 to 16∶30

　　In its Western and Japanese style gardens, Shinjuku Gyoen features more than one thousand cherry trees of over a dozen varieties．There are spacious lawn areas, and the atmosphere is calm and peaceful．Thanks to the early and late flowering trees, Shinjuku Gyoen is a recommended hanami destination for those who miss the main season by a week or two．

　　Ueno Park Early April

　　A few steps from Ueno Station, free admission

　　One of Japan's most crowded, noisy and popular spots for cherry blossom parties, Ueno Park has more than 1000 trees along the street leading towards the National Museum and around Shinobazu Pond．Ueno Park is a good hanami destination if you visit Tokyo early in the season, as the blossoms there follow a slightly faster schedule(typically two or three days faster)than the blossoms in other spots in the city．

　　Sumida Park Early April

　　A few steps from Asakusa Station, free admission

　　The park stretches for a few hundred meters along both sides of Sumida River．Some food stands are available．Cherry blossom viewing(hanami)can also be enjoyed from boats that sail slowly along the river．Trees are lit up in the evenings．

　　Koishikawa Botanical Garden Early April

　　10 minute walk from Hakusan or Myogadani Station, 330 yen, 9：00 to 16：30

　　Koishikawa Botanical Garden is a spacious park with many cherry trees of different varieties and a Japanese landscape garden．Because it requires an admission fee and is a place of study, it remains relatively calm．

　　Ratings：best of the best best of Japan outstanding

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　　Clean your ears, because airport security might soon be scanning them．According to a recent discovery, the shape of ears could provide a reliable new way of identifying people at airports．

　　Researchers discovered that ears of each person have a unique shape and they have created a system that can scan them．The ear scanning technique uses a technology called image ray transform that highlights all the tubular structures(结构)of the ear and measures them．Professor Mark Nixon, a computer scientist who led the team from the University of Southampton, believes ear scanning could take place as passengers walk through security gates, for example, by placing cameras on either side to record an image of their ears．Comparing the results against a database of ear shapes, the new system could help airport security workers instantly identify passengers．

　　Nixon and his team tested 252 images of different ears and found the system was able to match each ear to a separate image held in its database with 99 percent accuracy．

　　Besides ear scanning, there have been other systems developed for identity recognition．

　　“With facial recognition, the systems are often confused by crows feet(鱼尾纹)and other signs of ageing,” Nixon said． “Your ears, however, age very gracefully．They grow proportionally(按比例)and your lobe(耳垂)gets a bit larger, but otherwise your ears are fully formed from birth．” What's more, facial recognition software is often confused by changes in expression so people need to control their faces and in some cases even avoid wearing make－up．

　　An ear scan system would also offer a less invasive alternative to retina(视网膜)scanning, which requires passengers to stare at scanners from a close range．

　　Fingertip detection has long been the most effective way of identifying someone．Nixon expects there to be a combination of different techniques that can be used at the same time to identify a person．”