Keeping firefly specimens makes for poor environmental education: conservationists

捕螢做標本？ 生態教學錯

TODAY’S WORDS
今日單字

1. regrettable adj. 遺憾的；可惜的；不幸的 

例: It is regrettable that we didn’t have time to visit the museum during our trip. (很可惜我們這趟旅行沒時間去參觀博物館。)

2. intermittently adv. 間歇地 

例: The volcano has erupted intermittently over the past century. (火山在過去百年曾間歇地爆發。)

3. fragile adj. 脆弱的;易受損的 

例: The material is very fragile, so be careful (該材料很容易受損，所以要小心。)

Recently some elementary school kids in Chiayi County were taken on a field trip in a hired car to watch fireflies in Gukeng Township’s Huashan area. A local guide discovered that nearly every child had an insect jar. Stopping them from using the jars, he effectively kept the kids from collecting specimens and creating a regrettable environmental education situation.

The firefly watching season at Gukeng Township’s Huashan area has officially begun, albeit later than usual this year. Nevertheless, fireflies are indeed greater in number this year when compared to previous years. Yunlin County Ecological Conservation Association volunteer Liao Chi-chao says that since the weather has been intermittently cold and warm and rainfall has been minimal, he only spotted two or three fireflies during the Tomb Sweeping Festival, which had initially caused him to worry about there being a possible dearth of fireflies this year. Fortunately, however, the number of lightning bugs has turned out to be greater than years past since the firefly watching season officially commenced.

Last Saturday was the first day of the firefly watching season, says Liao, adding that more than 200 people crowded the Huashan area. Having people be enthusiastic about firefly watching is a good thing, Liao says, but he still warns that with too many people around it could have a negative impact on the overall lightning bug habitat. Local ecology guide Wu Teng-li says that it is laudable for an elementary school from Chiayi County to come to Huashan for an environmental field trip, but says that it is somewhat ridiculous for every single student to bring an insect jar.

Wu stepped in to stop the students from catching fireflies after a local child complained to staff. The students argued with Wu, saying that their teacher had told them to catch the bugs. The students eventually released the lightning bugs after Wu said that he would have the police come to take care of the matter. Educators should teach more about environmental ethics because respecting life has greater educational value than firefly watching, Wu says. The unspoken rules of firefly watching were also broken that day when two cars were driven into the firefly watching area, Wu says.

Lightning bugs are relatively fragile, which is why Liao says that it is so easy to hurt their wings if you try to catch them in your hands. Fireflies are not suitable pets either, Liao says, adding that once you take them home they will not get enough food and usually die within two or three days. For making ecological observations, you can use nets to catch them and then drop them into a glass jar, Liao says, adding that after using a weak light source to observe them you should release the bugs back to their original habitat.

(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)

嘉義縣某國小戶外教學，包車至古坑華山地區賞螢，但孩子們幾乎人手一具昆蟲箱，經導覽員發現、制止，孩子們才放棄「做標本」念頭，生態教育才未留下遺憾。

古坑鄉華山賞螢季開鑼，今年螢火蟲雖然遲到，但數量較往年多，雲林縣生態保育協會志工廖啟超表示，天氣忽冷忽熱，雨量又少，清明節只看到兩、三隻，原本很擔心數量太少，所幸賞螢季正式開始後，「火金姑」數量比往年多得多。

廖啟超說，上週六是賞螢季第一天，華山現場擠進兩百餘人，賞螢踴躍是好事，但人數太多，恐怕會影響到螢火蟲生態；生態導覽員吳登立更透露，嘉義縣某國小週日包車至華山生態教學，走出戶外值得肯定，但每個學生都帶著寵物箱，就有點離譜。

學生抓螢火蟲，被在地小朋友投訴，吳登立上前制止，學生還辯說是老師叫他們捉的，後來他說要警察上來處理，學生才把螢火蟲放出來；吳登立直言，老師應多教教環境倫理，尊重生命，比賞螢更具教育意義。此外，當天還有兩部車硬闖賞螢區，也破壞賞螢潛規則。

廖啟超表示，螢火蟲相當脆弱，用手抓容易傷及翅膀，螢火蟲也不適合當寵物，帶回家後因缺乏食物，二、三天內就會死亡；要作生態觀察，可用細網捕捉，讓蟲蟲滑入玻璃瓶中，再用較弱光源照射觀察，之後就應野放回棲地。

（自由時報記者詹士弘）

(Advanced)

BONUS: CONVERSATION

A : We’re going to watch the lightning bugs tonight. Would you like to go?

B : Lightning bugs? Are they still visible now?

A : Yeah. But they aren’t the ones that have a green glow.

B : OK. I’ll go with you guys. I can’t wait.

A : 晚上我們要去看螢火蟲，你要來嗎？

B : 螢火蟲？現在還看得到嗎？

A : 可以啊！不過不是發綠光的品種喔！

B : 好哇！那我跟你們一起去，真令人期待！

LINKS:

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2470

(Firefly with a friend, Eternal Golden Castle, Anping)

Children of overweight women die younger: study 研究：過胖女性生下的小孩易早死

Clothing for pregnant women is on display in Cologne, Germany on Sept. 19.
這是九月十九日展示於德國科隆的孕婦裝。

照片：歐新社

Children born to obese women were 35 percent more likely to die prematurely in adulthood, according to a study released on Aug. 7 that warned of a growing epidemic.

Researchers in Scotland traced 37,709 children of 28,540 women who gave birth between 1950 and 1976.

The children were aged from 34 to 61 at the time of the study published in the online journal bmj.com. Researchers included the data of 6,551 children that had already died prior to the start of the study.

Of the mothers, 21 percent were overweight — meaning a body mass index (BMI) or height-to-weight ratio of 25 to 29.9 — and four percent obese, with a BMI of 30 or more, when they gave birth.

“The offspring of obese mothers were 35 percent and those of overweight women 11 percent more likely to die before the age of 55 years than those of normal-weight mothers,” study co-author Rebecca Reynolds, professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Edinburgh, told AFP.

The team also found that the children of obese mothers were 42 percent more at risk of being admitted to hospital for heart disease as adults.

“Our results suggest that the intrauterine (womb) environment has a crucial and long-lasting effect on risk of premature mortality in offspring,” the study said.

(AFP)

過胖女性生下的小孩在成年時早逝的機率多了百分之三十五，根據八月七日一項警告該流行病日益盛行的研究指出。

蘇格蘭的研究人員追蹤在一九五０至一九七六年間、由兩萬八千五百四十名女性所生下的三萬七千七百零九名孩童。

當這研究刊載於《英國醫學期刊》線上版時，這些子女年齡介於三十四至六十一歲之間。研究人員把在研究開始前已死亡的六千五百五十一名子女也納入資料。

這些母親在生產時，有百分之二十一屬於過重，也就是身體質量指數BMI值在二十五至二十九點九之間；另有百分之四是屬於肥胖，也就是BMI值大於或等於三十。

研究共同作者、愛丁堡大學新陳代謝醫學教授雷蓓佳．萊諾斯告訴法新社表示：「肥胖與過重母親的子女，比正常體重母親的子女，在五十五歲以前死去的機率分別多出百分之三十五與百分之十一。」

團隊也發現，過胖母親的小孩在成人後罹患心臟疾病送醫的機率多了百分之四十二。

研究指出：「我們的研究結果認為，子宮環境對子女是否早死有著關鍵與長期的影響。」

TODAY’S WORDS 今日單字

1. obese adj.

過胖的 (guo4 pang4 de5)

例: Nearly 300 million women are obese this year, according to the data.

(根據數據，今年有近三億女性是過胖的。)

2. epidemic adj.

傳染的；流行性的

(chuan2 ran3 de5; liu2 xing2 xing4 de5)

例: He was probably a victim of the worldwide influenza epidemic.

(他可能是全球性流行性感冒的受害者。)

3. intrauterine adj.

子宮內的 (zi3 gong1 nei4 de5)

例: Intrauterine insemination may be performed.

(子宮內授精是可行的。)

A Journey in Tainan: Shapes in Nature 台南之旅：在大自然裡尋形狀

(Mother Child Yoga 媽咪兒童親子瑜伽)

15 minute vinyasa flow 15分鐘親子瑜伽

Mangroves in Taijiang National Park, Tainan

Start sitting crossed legged, close your eyes and think about all the beautiful shapes we see in nature in Tainan. Focus on deep breathing.

我們開始盤腿交叉，閉上眼睛，深呼吸，想像著我們在大自然界中看到美麗的台南身影。請您務必寬心，讓我們一起專注於深呼吸.

1.     Begin in child pose/Little Seed. Mommy “rains” showers and sunshine on her child’s back.

從孩子的姿勢開始/小種子。
媽咪您是“雨和陽光”喔^^
現在，小種子正沐浴在陽光、雨的滋潤，洗滌小種子的背部。

2.  Now Mommy is a little Seed. Her child also rains softly on Mommy’s back. The child lays on her back and becomes the sunshine and the sky.

現在換成媽媽是一個小種子。您的孩子也下雨輕聲在媽媽的背上。孩子爬、趴在媽媽的背上，變成陽光和天空。

3. Then the seed begins to grow, first a little stem.

然後，種子將開始生長，起初發芽出枝幹囉。

4.      Then it grows leaves of different shapes. Some are triangle shaped.

接著它生長出許多不同形狀的樹葉。有些是三角形的。

5.     Some are star shaped. 有些葉子是星狀。

6.    Some plants grow flowers. This is an orchid flower. Tainan is famous for orchids.

有些植物會生長出美麗的花朵。這是蘭花。台南最國際知名的蘭花。

7.    This is a lotus flower. My hands are lotus blossoms.

   這是一朵蓮花。我的手是一朵盛開的蓮花。

Standing series 直立站挺的系列：

8. Tainan is special. Tainan has mangroves.

台南的紅樹林是造物者得天獨厚的禮物。

9.  Mangrove seeds are long and fall down into the water.

紅樹林細長的種子而落入水中。

10. Many animals live in the mangrove. Like water birds. They have long legs and bills to catch the fish. 紅樹林提供給許多動物的生活。像水鳥。他們有著長長的腿和獨特捕獲魚法，在紅樹林裡有最佳的藏身與覓食。

11.    Crabs also live in the mangrove. 螃蟹也住在紅樹林。

12.  Many Mommy fish swim to the mangrove to lay their eggs. The mangrove is like a giant nursery for fish. 許多媽咪的魚遊到紅樹林產卵。紅樹林就像是一個巨大的育嬰(魚)室。

Closing: Shavasana

After we use our bodies we rest. 

收盤：Shavasana

辛苦了媽咪我們的親子瑜珈結束，很榮幸我們一起分享盡情舒展的享受，希望今天的安排您的身體、筋骨有得到舒緩，祝福您永遠健康。  T. Kathy敬啟

Egret in the mangroves, at Sihcao Wildlife Preserve, Tainan.

Resources:
http://tainancity.wordpress.com/2010/04/07/taijiang-ecological-culture-zone/
http://np.cpami.gov.tw/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2775&Itemid=159
http://www.namastekid.com/
http://www.themindfulword.org/
http://alchemyoga.com/
http://www.citymomnow.com/

Flu risk cut by vigorous exercise 劇烈運動減少感冒風險

People do yoga in Caracas, Venezuela on May 21, 2012.
民眾二０一二年五月二十一日在委內瑞拉的卡拉卡斯練瑜珈。Photo: AFP  照片：法新社

Doing at least two and a half hours of vigorous exercise each week cuts the chance of developing flu, new data suggests.

Around 4,800 people took part in this year’s online Flu Survey, run by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Moderate exercise did not appear to have a protective effect, the researchers said.

One of the questions people must answer when they register, as well as their age, if they are around children and if they have been vaccinated, is how many hours of “vigorous exercise” they do each week, such as running, fast cycling or competitive sports, ranging from none to more than five hours.

They are then asked to log in each week and note how they are feeling, and whether or not they have any flu-like symptoms.

The researchers say their findings suggest 100 cases of flu per 1,000 people could be prevented just by engaging in vigorous exercise.

(Liberty Times)

新數據顯示，每週至少劇烈運動兩個半小時，可降低感冒機率。

約四千八百人參加倫敦衛生與熱帶醫學院今年在線上進行的「感冒調查」。

研究人員說，溫和的運動似乎不會帶來保護效果。

除了年齡、身邊是不是有小孩、是不是有接種疫苗，人們登記調查時必須回答的其中一個問題是，每週「劇烈運動」多少小時，例如跑步、快速踩腳踏車，或是有競爭性的運動，從完全沒有到五小時以上。

接著他們被要求每週上線一次，登記自己感覺如何，有沒有類感冒症狀。

研究人員說，他們的發現顯示，每一千人中，有一百例感冒透過劇烈運動即可預防。

（自由時報／翻譯：自由時報國際新聞中心）

TODAY’S WORDS
今日單字

1. vigorous adj.

強有力的 (qiang2 you3 li4 de5)

例: There has been vigorous opposition to the proposals for a new road.

(新路提案遭到強力反對。)

2. vaccinate v.

接種疫苗 (jie1 zhong3 yi4 miao2)

例: The children were vaccinated against major childhood diseases.

(孩子們接受預防接種，防止兒童重大疾病。)

3. range v.

（在範圍內）變動 ((zai4 fan4 wei2 nei4) bian4 dong4)

例: Prices range from US$50 to US$250.

(價格從五十美元到兩百五十美元不等。)

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The full moon may make it hard to sleep: study 研究：滿月會讓人難以入眠

Photo: Getty Images/AFP

照片：蓋帝圖像／法新社

Swiss researchers said on July 25 that people really do have a hard time getting a good night’s sleep when the moon is full, even when they cannot see it.

The results of a study on 33 volunteers published in the journal Current Biology showed that people took longer to fall asleep at night and slept for a shorter time during a full moon.

The volunteers were monitored on two separate nights, and were not aware of the cycle of the moon during their time in the sleep lab.

When there was a full moon, people slept an average of 19 minutes less and took five minutes longer to fall asleep than they did when there was a new moon.

“The lunar cycle seems to influence human sleep, even when one does not ’see’ the moon and is not aware of the actual moon phase,” said Christian Cajochen of the Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel.

Study participants also reported feeling less well-rested, and showed lower levels of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep and wake cycles, during the full moon.

“To our knowledge, this is the first report of a lunar influence on objective sleep parameters,” the study said.

(AFP)

瑞士研究人員七月二十五日指出，當月圓時，人們難以得到好的睡眠品質，就算他們看不見月亮也一樣。

一項刊載於《當代生物學》、針對三十三位自願者所進行的實驗指出，月圓之夜時，人們花更久的時間入睡，而且睡眠時間會較短。

受試者在兩個不同的夜晚被監測著，而且他們在睡眠實驗室的時候並未被告知當時月亮圓缺情形。

當滿月之夜時，受試者較新月夜平均少睡十九分鐘，而且至少晚五分鐘才入眠。

瑞士巴塞爾大學精神病醫院的克里斯提安‧凱喬承說：「月亮的盈虧變化似乎會影響人類睡眠，不管我們是否親眼看見月亮，或知不知道今天月亮的盈虧情況。」

在月圓之夜的時候，受試者也表示覺得睡眠品質不好，顯示出腦中褪黑激素含量較低，褪黑激素是與生理時鐘相關的荷爾蒙。

研究表示：「就我們所知，這是第一份月亮會影響睡眠的報告。」

（法新社／翻譯：自由時報國際新聞中心）

TODAY’S WORDS 今日單字

1. asleep adv.

睡著地；缺乏警惕地 (shui4 zhao2 de5; que1 fa2 jing3 ti4 de5)

例: Do you have trouble falling asleep?

(你有難入眠的困擾嗎？)

2. monitor v.

監控；監測 (jian1 kong4; jian1 ce4)

例: Please continue to monitor his vitals.

(請持續監控他的生命跡象。)

3. be aware of phr.

意識到 (yi4 shi4 dao4)

例: He doesn’t seem to be aware of how serious the problem is.

(他好像沒意識到這嚴重的問題。)

Children get sick more easily with unpredictable spring temperatures 春天乍暖還寒 兒童易染病

Above and below: Children and parents wait in the pediatrics department of a hospital in Greater Taichung on Jan. 2.
兒童與家長一月二日在台中市一所醫院的小兒科候診。

photos: Tsai Shu-yuan, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報蔡淑媛

• 1
 
• 2

It is easier for children to get sick in the spring due to highly unpredictable weather and temperatures as well as children’s lower resistance to infection. Chang Tao-tse, a pediatrician at Miaoli County’s Da Chien General Hospital, says there have been many cases of colds, bronchitis, mycoplasma pneumonia, and croup recently. He reminds parents to pay more attention when a child is not feeling well and to seek immediate medical attention.

Chang says that the common cold is the most frequently seen illness among children in the springtime. Usually a cold passes simply by drinking more water and resting, but if a high fever persists there is the possibility that it will bring about tympanitis or sinusitis. Parents and teachers should teach children to wash their hands often, avoid visiting public places, and wear masks if they do have a cold so that the virus does not continue to spread.

Also common in the spring is bronchitis, the initial symptoms of which resemble the common cold — coughing and a runny nose, but usually the patient recovers in one to two weeks. High fevers and labored breathing occur in serious cases, possibly leading to hypoxia, which requires hospitalization and is a situation that must be taken very seriously.

Chang says that mycoplasma pneumonia is often seen in school-aged children. Its initial symptoms include headaches, fever, sore throat, and lethargy. After two to five days, coughing begins, and sometimes non-respiratory symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pains, conjunctivitis, and skin rashes also appear.

Croup occurs when a child’s voice suddenly becomes hoarse, with a “barking” cough, stridor, and breathing difficulties, during which time parents usually do not know what to do. Chang says the symptoms of croup usually appear late at night or early in the morning. Breathing warm steam can mitigate the symptoms, but it must not be taken lightly in cases of epilottitis, high fevers, short-temperedness or difficulty swallowing, or if it leads to an acute obstruction of the airways.

Other illnesses that are frequently seen in the spring include chicken pox, enterogastritis, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and enteroviruses. Some viruses are picked up at school, so teachers must also help in protecting children’s health by letting parents know when a child is not feeling well and arranging for them to see a doctor.

(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)

春天氣候多變、乍暖還寒，兒童的抵抗力比較弱，因此容易生病，苗栗大千綜合醫院小兒科醫師張濤澤表示，最近常見的有感冒、支氣管炎、黴漿性肺炎與哮吼等，請家長多留意，發現孩子身體不適應趕快就醫。

張濤澤指出，感冒是兒童在春季最常見的流行疾病，一般感冒只需多喝水、多休息，但如果高燒不退，有可能併發中耳炎、鼻竇炎等，家長、老師應教導小朋友勤洗手，避免出入公共場所，如果感冒應戴上口罩，以免擴大傳染。

支氣管炎也好發於春天，初期症狀像感冒，有咳嗽、流鼻水，大多數一到二週可痊癒，但病情嚴重時會合併高燒與嚴重的呼吸窘迫、甚至缺氧，必須住院治療，不可不慎。

他表示，黴漿性肺炎常見於學齡期的兒童，初期症狀包括頭痛、發燒、喉嚨痛、全身無力，二到五天後出現咳嗽，有時也會有嘔吐、腹痛、結膜炎與皮膚疹等非呼吸道方面的症狀。

哮吼是指幼兒突然聲音沙啞、咳嗽像狗吠聲，吸氣有喘鳴聲及呼吸困難，常讓家長們不知所措。張濤澤說，哮吼常發生在夜間和清晨，吸入濕熱的蒸氣可減輕症狀，但如果併發細菌性會厭炎，會出現高燒、煩躁、吞嚥困難，甚至持續惡化阻塞氣道，不能大意。

兒童在春季的常見疾病還包括水痘、腸胃炎、過敏性鼻炎、異位性皮膚炎、腸病毒等，有些疾病是在學校被同學感染造成，因此小朋友的健康也需要老師協助守護，發現學童身體不適應立即家長反映，安排就診。 （自由時報記者傅潮標）

TODAY’S WORDS 今日單字

1. pediatrician n.

小兒科醫師 (xiao3 er2 ke1 yi1 shi1)

例: Your child should see a pediatrician instead of a family doctor if they have a complex medical issue.

(如果你的孩子有比較複雜的醫療問題，應該看小兒科醫師不是家庭醫師。)

2. hoarse adj.

沙啞的 (sha1 ya3 de5)

例: The coach’s voice was very hoarse after yelling at the players during the game.

(教練因為比賽時對球員喊叫，聲音變沙啞。)

3. chicken pox n. phr.

水痘 (shui3 dou4)

例: Chicken pox usually occurs during childhood and is highly contagious.

(水痘通常好發於孩童時期，且傳染性頗高。)

Resources:

http://www.indiaparenting.com/alternative-healing/12_4039/yoga-for-improving-immunity.html
http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/yogasutra/yoga-to-build-immunity/214995