2013年1月30日星期三

2013年1月22日星期二

2013年1月20日星期日

2013年1月19日星期六

新市鎮

九個新市鎮依發展時間約可劃分為四代：首三個新市鎮荃灣、沙田和屯門的發展工程於1970年代初期動工；第二代的大埔、粉嶺／上水和元朗繼而於1970年代後期動工建設；第三代的將軍澳、天水圍和沙田之擴展部份馬鞍山的發展工程則於1980年代展開；而最後一個新市鎮北大嶼山（東涌及大蠔）則在1990年代初開始發展。這些新市鎮的整體計劃人口約為400萬。現時約有300萬人在這些已發展地區及附近的鄉鎮內居住。

現時，政府把新界東北的粉嶺北、古洞北和新界西北的洪水橋劃為發展區，並展開了一連串的公眾諮詢，日後如有需要，會展開這些地區的開發工作。

先玩遊戲，假設他是mayor 他想開發新市場他會怎樣做：

看一套短片之後，再做工作紙。

在學習中提高興趣（Connect to child），再經思考分析。

2013年1月15日星期二

Amazing New Animals

Asia’s Mekong River region holds hundreds of new species

DECEMBER 12, 2011

By Joe Levit

L. LEE GRISMER/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

The psychedelic gecko lives among small to huge boulders strewn across the lowland areas of Hon Khoai Island.

The mighty Mekong is the 10^th-longest river in the world. It begins in China and runs through five other countries on its way to the South China Sea. Some of the world’s most endangered species—such as tigers, Asian elephants and the Mekong giant catfish—live in the Mekong River region. Now it has been announced that scientists working in the area have found more than 200 new species of plants and animals, including fish, reptiles, mammals, amphibians and a bird.

ULF JOHANSSON/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

This tiny bird lives in rocky forests in both Laos and Vietnam. It looks like other birds in the area, but the Limestone Leaf-Warbler’s very loud call helped scientists figure out that it was a new species.

A Collection of Creatures

One of the most interesting new species is the psychedelic gecko, found only on Hon Khoai Island, off the southern tip of Vietnam. This lizard sports a rainbow of lively colors. Its arms, legs and tail are a bright orange color. But it has a bluish body, and its neck is yellow with black lines.

Another new lizard reproduces by cloning, or making an identical copy of, itself. The self-cloning lizard is a species made up entirely of females. No males are needed to create more members.

The wolf snake is a new snake found in a mountain region in China. They are named after wolves because they have big fangs in both their top and bottom jaws. These snakes hunt at night. They try to catch frogs and lizards.

Just because these species are new to scientists doesn’t mean they are new to everyone. One monkey from Myanmar has been known to the local people in the area for many years. The hair on this new monkey’s head makes it look a little bit like rock ‘n’ roll legend Elvis Presley. Besides the distinct hairdo, the monkey also has a short, stumpy nose, with nostrils that face forward.

Threatened Habitat

All of the discovered animals live in a region that is considered rich in wildlife. Unfortunately, the area is also threatened by habitat loss, deforestation, climate change and overdevelopment.

Scientists worry that many creatures may become extinct before they can even be recognized by science in the first place. "This is a region of extraordinary richness in terms of biodiversity but also one that is extremely fragile," said Sarah Bladen, communications director for WWF Greater Mekong. "It's losing biodiversity at a tragic rate."

Pythons Attack the Everglades

An increase of pythons in Florida causes problems for the food chain

FEBRUARY 01, 2012

By Stephanie Kraus

LYNNE SLADKY—AP

Since 2000, 1,825 Burmese pythons have been caught in and around the Everglades.

Burmese pythons are native to India and parts of Southeast Asia. But they have found a new place to lurk. A study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows that the pythons are now a big threat to parts of Florida, especially the Everglades.

What brought the pythons from thousands of miles away to the Sunshine State? The reptile trade is big business. So many snakes are shipped to Florida to be bought as pets. In fact, the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association says the reptile trade is worth more than two million dollars a year. Over the years, some of the pet pythons have either escaped or were turned loose after they grew too big for their owners to care for. (An average python can be anywhere from 12- to 19-feet long.) Others may have slithered from pet shops during Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

LORI OBERHOFER—NATIONAL PARK SERVICE/AP

A Burmese python fights with an alligator in the Florida Everglades.

Now, in a hunt for food, they are wiping out native species including raccoons, opossums, bobcats and other mammals in the Everglades. According to the PNAS study, in areas where pythons are present, sightings of medium-sized mammals are down as much as 99%. Researchers found a large decrease in the small mammals that are part of a python’s diet. They also found there were more of those mammals living in areas without any pythons.

In January, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a federal ban on the import of Burmese pythons and three other species of snakes to the United States. On Monday, he said that the recent PNAS report shows why the ban was needed.

“The study paints a picture of the real damage that Burmese pythons are causing to native wildlife and the Florida economy,” Salazar said. Some snakes, including the boa constrictor, are still allowed to be imported.

A New Predator

Pythons thrive in the warm, humid climate of the Everglades. But a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report found that the huge snakes are learning to adapt to colder climates too. This will allow them to spread to other areas.

ALAN DIAZ—AP

In January, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a federal ban on the import of Burmese pythons to the United States.

The increase in pythons is causing a huge problem for local officials protecting endangered animals. Michael Dorcas is a researcher who worked on the PNAS study. He says pythons are a new top predator—enemy—and shouldn’t be in the Everglades.

“We have documented pythons eating alligators, and alligators eating pythons,” he said. “It depends on who is biggest during the encounter.”

Snake Census

Since 2000, the National Park Service has counted 1,825 Burmese pythons that have been caught in and around the Everglades. Among the largest was a 156-pound, 16.4-foot python captured last month.

Experts fear the pythons will continue to disrupt the food chain and upset the Everglades’ delicate environmental balance. Even though wildlife officials have tried to remove the snakes in the past, they say the population is now too big to be controlled. The problem could become worse as the snakes continue to breed and multiply.

Sailing Through History

A modern-day cruise ship retraces the route of the Titanic, the “unsinkable” ship that hit an iceberg 100 years ago—and disappeared beneath the sea

APRIL 09, 2012

By Anna Prokos

CHRIS ISON—PA/AP

People wave at the Balmoral cruise ship on Sunday as it leaves Southampton, England. The ship and its 1,309 passengers are embarking on a journey to honor the Titanic’s 100-year anniversary.

A group of 1,309 passengers boarded the MS Balmoral on Sunday, in Southampton, England, on a voyage to retrace the path of the Titanic. The Titanic was the biggest ship in the world when it sailed on its ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912. Of the 2,227 passengers and crew aboard, more than 1,500 died. The ship, which was headed to New York City, carried the rich and famous on its first voyage. It also carried immigrants, who were seeking a better life in America.

Relatives of people who sailed on the Titanic, historians, authors and people fascinated by the story of the unsinkable ship, are on the Balmoral. They want to remember the doomed ship and those who died on her first and last voyage. The historic liner had set sail on April 10, 1912, from Southampton. Late at night on April 14, she hit an iceberg. In the early morning hours of April 15, the Titanic sank.

PA/AP

The Titanic was called the "unsinkable" ship. But on April 14, 1912, after the crew ignored warnings, the vessel struck an iceberg. The impact tore a hole in the ship, causing it to fill with water, break apart and sink into the North Atlantic Ocean.

Follow the Route

The Balmoral is following Titanic’s original route from Southampton. First, the modern-day cruise liner docked in the port of Cherbourg, France, where theTitanic had picked up more passengers. On Monday afternoon, the Balmoral stops in Cobh, Ireland, the Titanic’s last port of call before sailing to New York.

Balmoral will then cruise the North Atlantic Ocean to the location whereTitanic hit an iceberg that ripped the ship’s hull. On Sunday, April 15, at 2:20 a.m.—the time the Titanic went down—passengers and crew will hold a memorial service. The next two days will be spent in Halifax, Canada, where many victims of the sinking are buried. Then, the Balmoral will reach its final destination in New York City, where Titanic was supposed to dock—but never did.

Titanic Today

Today, the 882-foot-long ship lies in pieces more than 12,000 feet below the ocean’s surface. Several teams of divers have explored the site. They have recovered some items such as dishes and silverware and put them on public display. And more trips are planned to the wreckage in the future.

The Titanic and its passengers and crew have been remembered in books, movies and TV programs. But there’s a much more important contribution that Titanic gave us. After she sank, lawmakers and shipbuilders made ships safer. It took a terrible tragedy to make ship travel safer for all.

Saying Goodbye to an Apple Icon

Steve Jobs, technology innovator, dies

OCTOBER 06, 2011

By Joe Levit

PAUL SAKUMA—AP

Apple CEO Steve Jobs shows off the new Apple iPhone in 2007 at the MacWorld Conference in San Francisco

After a quarter-century of pushing and defining boundaries in computing and personal-use technology, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died on Wednesday, October 5. He was 56 years old. Since 2004, Jobs had been struggling with a rare form of cancer.

Current Apple CEO Tom Cook summed up the feelings of many people when he sent a recent email to Apple employees. “Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor,” Cook wrote. “Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

A Booming Business

In recent years, the Apple brand that Jobs led has been associated with huge success, and huge sales. Six weeks after the attacks on 9/11, Jobs talked about a new MP3 player created by the company, the now well-known iPod. The company introduced the iTunes Music Store in 2003, allowing consumers to inexpensively purchase and download music. It took Apple just five years to pass Wal-Mart as the country’s largest music retailer.

KEVORK DJANSEZIAN—GETTY IMAGES

A memorial created for Steve Jobs at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California

A true breakthrough happened in 2007, when Apple showed off its iPhone. This device was essentially a computer that you could carry in your pocket. “Every once in awhile, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything,” Jobs said about the iPhone. Consumers agreed. Many camped out in front of Apple stores in order to be the first to buy the new device. Four years later, the company was selling more than 220,000 iPhones a day.

In 2010, Apple got into the tablet computer industry with the iPad. The company sold 14.8 million iPads in 2010, which was well beyond what industry analysts predicted. These popular gadgets have made Apple a top company. Throughout his career, Jobs went beyond merely creating new products. His greatest skill was to envision and then sell to the public entire industries.

A History of Success

Jobs was born in San Francisco, California, in 1955. He grew up in Silicon Valley—a nickname for the area that is home to many technology companies—and started Apple with friend Steve Wozniak when he was 21 years old. Their first product, Apple I, didn’t do much in the market, but 1977’s Apple II, which combined Wozniak’s technical skills and Jobs’s design ideas, became a bestseller.

In 1979, Jobs stopped by Xerox's PARC research lab, in Palo Alto, California. He saw a prototype for a computer that featured the “mouse” controller that is now commonly used. Back at Apple headquarters, he asked his team to make their own versions of this now-standard tool. "Within 10 minutes . . . it was clear to me that all computers would work this way someday," Jobs later said.

The mouse was part of Apple’s strong 1984 product, the Macintosh. The Macintosh computer cost a whopping $2,495, but was by far the most advanced personal computer released at that point in history. The mouse was a huge part of that success, and Jobs admitted as much. “We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas,” he said in a 1996 interview.

PAUL SAKUMA—AP

Steve Jobs, Apple Computer’s chairman of the board, introduces the Macintosh computer in 1984.

Some Famous Failures

Not everything Jobs touched was an instant success, or even a success at all. Apple’s first model to showcase the mouse technology failed. Called the Lisa, the computer’s $10,000 price tag was too much for most consumers.

Then there was the departure from Apple. During slow sales in 1985, company president John Sculley deprived Jobs of his decision-making power. Jobs decided to quit the company.

While away from Apple, Jobs pooled money with the company Canon, as well as former presidential candidate Ross Perot, to found the computer company NeXT. The NeXT system looked cool and was full of innovations, but it couldn’t find a home in the marketplace. It’s products were too expensive, and few of them sold.

But Jobs didn’t let setbacks stop him. When he returned to Apple, in 1997, Jobs found success again with the iMac, a computer that featured a transparent outer case design. In 1998, Apple sold about 2 million iMacs. A year later, the iMac was America’s best-selling computer.

A Fitting Farewell

Steve Jobs used to always prefer talking about Apple rather than about his personal life. In 2005 though—shortly after learning that he had cancer—Jobs did talk about life, and how he thought it should be lived. "Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice,” he said in a graduation speech to students at Stanford University. “And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." Sounds like the advice of an innovator.

Japan's Nuclear Fears with Mind Map examples

Japan's Nuclear Fears

More trouble takes hold of the Asian nation after a strong quake and powerful waves caused deadly destruction last week

MARCH 16, 2011

By Jonathan Rosenbloom and Kelli Plasket

The effects of the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan last Friday are still playing out at Japan's nuclear power plants. Nuclear reactors at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are experiencing cooling problems after the tsunami waves knocked out the plant's power and backup power.

KYODO NEWS/AP

People with empty jugs walk through a damaged neighborhood in Kesennuma, Japan, in search of fresh water. Water and food supplies are low following Friday's massive earthquake and tsunami.

On Monday morning, an explosion occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi plant that blew off the roof of one of the buildings. Some radiation—energy that can be harmful at high levels—has been released into the air as efforts continue to shut down the reactors. Two of the three reactors that were operating when the quake struck have since been damaged. Cooling problems at the reactors have led to nuclear fuel overheating and fires, causing fears of a meltdown at the plant. Now, 50 workers are working around the clock to flood the reactors with seawater to cool off the fuel rods.

Fears of radiation exposure in Japan are slowing down recovery efforts from the tsunami. Some 70,000 residents have been evacuated from the 12-mile area around the plant. Another 140,000 people in a 19-mile area have been told to stay indoors. Many outside of the area are heading south, just to be safe. Radiation exposure testing centers have been set up for residents, but authorities believe that most people have not been exposed to high levels of radiation.

A Rippling Effect

The massive earthquake that struck Japan last Friday registered a 9.0 magnitude—upgraded from an original 8.9-magnitude reading by the U.S. Geological Survey. It was the most powerful temblor to hit Japan since officials there began keeping records 140 years ago. Before this, the country's worst earthquake was an 8.3 temblor in 1923. Japan lies on the "Ring of Fire"--an area rimming the Pacific Ocean. About 90 percent of the world's earthquakes take place in that region. With the updated 9.0 reading, Friday's quake ranks as the fourth largest quake in the world since 1900, scientists say.

The center of the quake was located about 17 miles beneath the ocean floor, in a spot 80 miles off the eastern coast of the island nation. "The earthquake has caused major damage in a broad area in northern Japan," Prime Minister Naoto Kan said. This week, millions of people are still without water, food or heat as recovery efforts continued and as new problems arose at the nation's nuclear power plants.

Dozens of cities and villages along a 1,300-mile stretch of coastline were shaken by violent tremors Friday. Because it struck below the Pacific Ocean, the quake set off waves as high as a three-story building. The monstrous waves, called a tsunami (soo-nah-mee), swept away homes, boats and cars as the water roared several miles inland, stopped, and rolled back out to sea. Highways buckled, telephone lines snapped, and fires broke out. Hundreds of aftershocks, or smaller quakes, have followed the big quake, causing more damage and forcing residents to seek safety outside.

Tokyo, Japan's capital, is about 230 miles away from the center of the quake. But even there, people felt the ground shake. Buildings swayed, at least 2 million homes were without electricity, and trains stopped running. "At first it didn't feel unusual, but then it went on and on. So I got myself and my wife under the table," said Jesse Johnson, an American living in Tokyo. "I've lived in Japan for 10 years and I've never felt anything like this before. The aftershocks keep coming. It's gotten to the point where I don't know whether it's me shaking or an earthquake."

Japan's Devastation

TSUYOSHI MATSUMOTO—THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN/AP

Residents of Kesennuma in northern Japan, walk along a road with the ruins of the town behind them

The total damage, deaths and injuries won't become clear for days or even weeks. On Wednesday, Japanese officials reported that the death toll has reached more than 3,600, though thousands remain missing. "In the 65 years after the end of World War II, this is the toughest and the most difficult crisis for Japan," Prime Minister Kan said.

A large-scale emergency response operation continues in northern Japan. As of Monday, about 15,000 people have been rescued. A 60-year-old Japanese man floated on a piece of his house's roof for over two days. He was rescued 10 miles offshore Sunday when sailors spotted the man waving a red flag.

Many of the world's nations have offered to assist Japan. President Obama has ordered five Navy ships to head for the island to help, as well as search and rescue teams. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is closely watching the situation. She promised immediate disaster relief assistance. "We are working closely with the government of Japan to provide additional help," she said in a statement. As the damage becomes clearer, Japan may need all the help it can get.

Japan

Challenge

How much did you learn during your virtual voyage through Japan? Find out by taking our quiz below.

1. What is origami?
The art of letter writing
The craft of paper folding
The Japanese word for "thank you"

2. A crane is a symbol of what in Japan?
Long Life
A long winter
Good crops

3. What is Japanese currency, or money, called?
Won
Yen
Rupee

4. What is the capital of Japan?
Hong Kong
Tokyo
Shanghai

5. In what year did Tokyo host the first-ever Summer Olympics to be held in Asia?
2010
1996
1964

6. What is Mount Fuji?
The tallest mountain in the world
An inactive volcano
A Buddhist temple

7. What does the red circle on the Japanese flag represent?
Earth
Sun
Fire

8. How do you say "goodbye" in Japanese?
Sumimasen
Arigato
Sayonara