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　　We might like to think we're not influenced by other people, but a new study into the group-buying mechanisms(机制)-like those used on coupon(优惠券)sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial-reveals that telling buyers who come later to the offer how many have already signed up increases the number of purchasers．

　　Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management wanted to understand why group buying sites that have entered the market recently have enjoyed greater success than those operating a decade ago, such as Mercata and MobShop．

　　Earlier attempts typically left potential buyers waiting for days before confirming whether or not they had got the offer they had signed up for．

　　“We think one of the reasons group-buying has been successful recently is because of the short time horizon, ” says Rotman Professor Ming Hu, who co-wrote the study with Professor Mengze Shi and PhD student Jiahua Wu．“It allows for a herding effect．”

　　Another reason is the use of an information structure that discloses to later arrivals how many have already signed onto the deal．

　　Researchers looked at two ways of designing the purchasing mechanism for a group buy： a simultaneous mechanism, where no one knows how many buyers have come before them, and a sequential(连续的)mechanism, where a second group of buyers has the advantage of knowing the size of the first group．

　　The researchers' analytical(分析的)model shows the most successful mechanism is the sequential one because it eliminates uncertainty for those coming later to the deal, and improves the confidence of those who sign on early, as they're able to track the numbers of those who come after them．

　　“That boosts confidence, ” says Professor Hu, who teaches operations management．Deals for "luxury" services, versus everyday items, work better in a group buy scenario(方案)because they offer consumers a greater benefit．

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　　Mobile phones are an important business tool for farmers in rural areas．But they also put a valuable educational tool in their hands．

　　The University of Illinois in the United States has a project called SAWBO-Scientific Animations Without Borders．It produces educational videos that can be downloaded to cell phones．The goal is to help people in developing countries improve their lives．

　　One video shows farmers how to make a natural insecticide from neem seeds to prevent insect damage to crops．The process starts with sorting and drying the neem fruits．Then let the fruit dry in the sun for about three or four days, until they become brown．Using a mortar(碾槌)and stick, the fruits are slightly pounded to remove the shells from the fruits without breaking the seed inside．

　　The videos use computer animation(动画)．Some of the animated characters are a little funny looking-like a farmer with a long nose．But the subjects are serious, including a health video on preventing cholera(霍乱)．Team member Francisco Seufferheld says the information in the videos is meant to be quickly understood．He says, “The information is digested in such a way that in two minutes, we can transmit a complex idea．”

　　The researchers tested the seven-minute video on seven mobile phones．They wanted to see if people would share the video using Bluetooth wireless technology．With Bluetooth, files can be passed to a nearby phone even if neither phone is connected to the Internet．As a result, in one month, the video had spread to one hundred eighteen people in fifty different villages．“This is just incredible impact, ” said Francisco Seufferheld．

　　The team has made a few videos so far．These are available in a total of eighty languages, dialects and accents．Professor Barry Pittendrigh says there are plans for more videos later this year．

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　　They may be small and not able to speak, but babies are proving their amazing cleverness．Scientists began finding infants’ skills are more than they are supposed to be．

　　________

　　Speaking of music, babies can’t seem to resist it．Not only are their ears turned to the beats, babies can actually dance to the music．

　　To test babies’ dancing ability, the researchers played recordings of classical music, rhythmic beats and speech to infants, and recorded the results．They also invited professional dancers to analyze how well the babies matched their movements to the music．The babies moved their arms, hands, legs feet and heads in response to the music, much more than to the speech．The finding suggests this dancing ability is innate(与生俱来的)in humans, though the researchers aren’t sure why it becomes weaker later in their life．

　　Learning Quickly while Sleeping

　　Babies can learn even while asleep, according to a 2011 study．In experiments with 26 sleeping infants, each just 1 to 2 days old, scientists played a musical tone followed by a puff of air to their eyes 200 times over the course of a half-hour．124 electrodes(电极)stuck on the head and face of each baby recorded brain activity during the experiments．The babies rapidly learned to foretell a puff of air upon hearing the tone, showing a four-time increase on average in the chances of tightening their eyelids in response to the sound by the end of the experiments．

　　As newborns spend most of their time asleep, this newfound ability might be crucial to rapidly adapting to the world around them and help to ensure their survival, researchers said．

　　Judging Characters Well

　　Judging another person helpful or harmful is crucial when choosing friends．And that ability starts early．Kiley Hamlin of Yale University showed both 6-and 10-month-olds a puppet(木偶)show, in which one character helped another climb a hill．In another scene a third character pushed the climber down．The little ones then got to choose which character they preferred．For both age groups, most babies chose the helper character．This character-judging ability could be baby’s first step in the formation of morals, Hamlin thought．

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　　Joey is loyal, encouraging and self-sacrificing, always putting others’ interests ahead of his own．He is a hard worker, who also loves to run and play．In short, he’s an ideal friend and a heroic character．

　　Here is the thing： Joey is a horse, who appears as the main character in Steven Spielberg’s new film War Horse．

　　It is based on Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 novel, which also caused the same-titled Tony Awards winning play．

　　The film follows the saga of Joey, a racehorse that’s trained for farm work under the loving care of Albert(Jeremy Irvine)after Albert’s drunk father Ted(Peter Mullan)overpays for the animal at auction(拍卖会)．

　　Then the World War I tears Albert and Joey apart．Joey is sold into the war effort for the British and starts his episodic adventures in Europe．

　　Splendidly staged, the battle plots in the film are visually astounding and impressive．

　　And with Spielberg’s unique, top-notch direction and storytelling skills, War Horse cannot escape its episodic nature, calling to mind another Spielberg film about the horrors of war and its effects upon soldiers and civilians-Saving Private Ryan．

　　While that film shocked with horrific scenes of bleeding, it relied on a company of easily-described characters and a focused storyline to present heroic themes．

　　Like Saving Private Ryan, War Horse clings to a series of characters, not only Albert, but also British officers, French civilians and German soldiers, who display courage in the face of danger．Everyone who comes in contact with Joey is either already in touch with their inner angel or is quickly moved to become more humane．

　　Although none of this covers the fact that we’ve seen this stuff elsewhere before, the lovely sentiment will steal your heart．

　　And the emotional signature of Spielberg can be felt as he establishes the relationship between the boy and the horse and the mood of the piece-there will be tears．

　　Therefore, calling this beautiful, dramatically incomplete film “ Saving Private Joey”, is entirely justifiable．

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　　Human demands on natural resources have doubled in less than 50 years and are now outstripping(超过)what the Earth can provide by more than half, a new report has warned．If this situation continues, globablly it will need the capacity of two Earths by 2030, the Living Planet Report said．And the report, from the World Wide Fund For Nature, the Zoological Society of London and the Global Footprint Network, said British people are still consuming(消费、消耗)far more than the Earth can offer．．

　　Wildlife in tropical countries is also under huge pressure, with populations of species falling by 60 percent in three decades．The study's authors looked at 8,000 populations of 2,500 species and studied the change in land use and water consumption across the globe．Warned that if everyone are now living lifestyles which would require one and a half planets to support their lives, though there are signiflcant differences between rich and poor nations．

　　The UK comes 31st in a list of countries based on their “ecological footprint”the amount of land and sea each person needs to provide the food, clothes and other products they consume and to absorb the carbon dioxide they give off．The country has fallen down the league table from having the 15th biggest footprint in the last report two years ago, but the World Wide Fund For Nature points out this is due to an increase in other countries' impact rather than a reduction in the UK's use of resources．Ireland has the 10th highest ecological footprint in the world, while the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Denmark, Belgium and the USA are the five worst countries for over-consumption of resources．

　　It also carried a warning about the loss of wildlife and ecosystems which people depend on for food, fuel, clean water and other resources-with populations of species declining by 30 percent worldwide between 1970 and 2007．

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Dear Parents of the Class of 2015．

　　On behalf of the University, we would like to invite you to attend Freshman Parents Weekend, which will take place Friday-Sunday, Oct．14－16, 2011．

　　Freshman Parents Weekend is designed to introduce you to some of the most important aspects of undergraduate life at Princeton．Panel discussions, lectures and presentations will provide you with opportunities to hear from and ask questions of administrators(管理者), staff and cllege students who are familiar with the academic, campus life and residential(住校)experiences of our newest students．Open houses, tours, presentations, and cultural and athletic events will allow you to experience many of the activities Princeton students value and enjoy．

　　Just as important as the formal program is the opportunity for your sons and daughters to share their excitement about their lives as they spend time with you, introduce you to their friends and show you around the campus．

　　Please use the online registration form to let us know whether you will be able to come to Princeton for Freshman Parents Weekend．If you prefer to print the form to fill out, please submit the completed form no later than Wednesday, Oct．5．

　　Should you have questions or want further information, please contact Lucy Weise at the Office of Conference and Event Services at(609)258－1741, or email lweise@princeton．edu．

　　We do hope you will be able to join us, and we look forward to meeting you．

Sincerely,

Valerie Smith, Dean of the College

Cynthia Cherrey, Vice President for Campus Life

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　　Bungee jump is the art of tying a very large rubber band to your ankles, then jump off a perfectly good bridge or other high obstacle(障碍物)．Bungee Jumping is an extreme sport that not everyone has the heart to do, but allegedly(据说), once you do your first bungee jump, you are hooked and want to do it all over again, and from different places．

　　The idea of bungee jump came from an ancient ceremony held on an island in the Pacific．The legend goes like this, a man was arguing fiercely with his wife, and she ran away from him and into the forest．She climbed a Banyan tree and wrapped her ankles with vines(藤), to save herself in case she fell off．Her husband eventually found her, and climbed the same tree to make peace with this wife．But, the woman jumped from the tree to get away, and he jumped after her immediately to save her．So she bounced back up and he hit the ground very hard and died．This legend is said to start the coming of age ceremony practiced on the island, where young men about to enter adulthood, would tie the vines to their ankles, and jump off tall trees of little cliffs．If the young men lived after they had jumped, they would be recognized as men．If they got ready and at the last minute would not do the jump, they were forever recognized as boys and hardly ever married．

　　In the modern world, bungee jumping started, again allegedly, on April Fools day, 1979．A group from Oxford University, England, calling themselves "The Dangerous Sports Club" used nylon rubber to conduct an improvised(即兴的)bungee jump, and four of them jumped for the first time．The his the world press headlines, and a new extreme sport has been born．

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　　I owe my father a huge thank you! Sure, I need to thank him for all those years of paying my bills, fixing my bikes, and providing a shoulder to cry on．But this year I realized that his contributions to my childhood were much more than that．

　　I grew up as Daddy's Little Girl．If I had a problem that needed fixing or a question that needed answering, he was the one I ran to．He counseled me through everything from math homework as a high school student to career choices as a young adult．He always expected that I do my best in whatever I did, and he believed I could succeed in anything I put my mind to．As a result, I learned to hold myself to those same standards．He always showed me unconditional love, which helped me learn to love myself．It was something I'd taken for granted until I realized from talking with my friends that they had no similar view of their self worth．Having fathers that didn't believe in them left them to grow up not believing in themselves．

　　As I was growing up, my father also modeled how a woman should be lavished．He lavished my mom with love and respect．As a result, I grew to expect nothing less than that from the men I dated and from the man I would eventually marry．Dad was a living picture of godliness(虔诚), honesty and responsibility．It was only recently that I realized what a deep effect fathers have on their daughter's lives．That is why I want to thank my dad for the godly example of love that he has been to me throughout my life．

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　　Are you stressed out, scared or worried all the time? Do you avoid going to certain places, seeing friends or doing certain things because of your worries? Do your worries keep you awake at night? If you've answered yes, you may be suffering from anxiety．

　　Anxiety is a normal and necessary part of life．Anxiety is your brain's way of telling you about danger．It is anxiety which helps you jump out of the way if a car is speeding towards you．But if it gets out of hand, anxiety can get in the way of your getting on with life and can become a real problem．If this is the case for you, treatment may be a helpful way for you to get your anxiety under control．

　　Anxiety is a normal part of life．Some people may feel uneasy if moving to a new place and some may get overly anxious in certain situations．There are lots of reasons for this．One main reason is after a stressful thing which has happened in your life．So, if you are involved in a car crash, it's quite likely that you will be more worried than other people around cars and driving．

　　Being anxious also probably runs in families．If your parents suffer from anxiety then you are more likely to be anxious too．This is probably partly due to genetics, and partly because of how things are when you're growing up．

　　Even though people don't talk about it much, anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems．About 1 in 4 people will have an anxiety problem at some time in their life．

　　If you have an anxiety problem it's hard for other people to understand why something that doesn't worry them, like being in a crowd of people, can be so scary for you．This can make you feel separated and lonely, as may become worse and worse．

　　The good news is there are lots of excellent treatments available for anxiety．These include taking therapies(疗法)and drugs．

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　　Although new laws have been passed in some American states to cut down on Distracted(分心的)driving, many accidents and deaths were still related with it, especially using cell phones while driving．Recently the Obama administration is considering disabling cell phones in cars aiming to cut down cell-phone-related road deaths．

　　Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the nation's anti-distracted-driving supporter, said in an interview on November 18 that federal officials are looking at technology to disable cell phones inside cars．

　　"I think it will be done," LaHood said．"I think the technology is there and I think you're going to see the technology become adaptable in automobiles to disable these cell phones-We need to do a lot more if we were going to save lives．"

　　Also on Thursday, the transportation government started a new "Faces of Distracted Driving" video campaign that features people who have been killed or lost their loved ones because of inattentive drivers．The video features heartbreaking stories of children killed, in crashes because of phoning or text messaging, and new videos are expected to be added every few weeks．

　　A driver is four times more likely to crash while using a mobile phone．More than 5,500 people were killed last year by distracted drivers, and another 500,000 were injured．LaHood has said it is never safe to talk on a cell phone while driving, hands-free or not, because it can really cause distraction．

　　Incidentally, a lot of people seem to agree with this viewpoint-a new research shows nearly two-thirds of Americans support a national ban on the use of cell phones while driving, even if the driver is using a hands-free device(装置)．But the research didn't ask how people feel about government-issued mobile phone scramblers or other disabling devices．

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