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Tabata training is a very popular way of exercising these days. It doesn’t take much time or space, and it burns calories faster than other ways of exercising. The idea of Tabata training is simple: exercise for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and then repeat (at least eight times). The moves for the 20-second exercise are not difficult to learn. Jumping jacks, high knees, squats, and planks are some of the most common moves. You can decide yourself what moves to do in your Tabata training. For example, you can do more leg exercises if you want strong legs.

One great thing about Tabata training is that your body will keep burning calories for at least an hour after 4 minutes of Tabata training. But to have this wonderful “afterburn,” you need to exercise really hard during each 20 seconds. If you seldom exercise or have heart problems, this exercise may not be good for you. But for people who enjoy exercising but are too busy to go to the gym, Tabata training might just be the answer.

Mordern Worplace

June 5, 2016

The problem of long working hours is a real headache in our country. It kills many people every year (see Figure 1), and many companies are trying to change that. They have at least one “No Overtime Day” in a week, and it is often Wednesday. On “No Overtime Day,” workers are asked to leave their offices before 8 p.m. At 8 p.m., companies play the song “There’s Always Tomorrow” and turn off all the lights.

However, after the workers walk out of their offices, they don’t go home. Some go back later, turn on their table lamps, and keep working, and others find somewhere else to work until very late at night. Restaurants and coffee shops are busier on Wednesday evenings, and they have started selling drinks and meals for these workers.

But why do these people keep working? A study shows that workers who work more hours often have a bigger chance to get paid more and rise higher in their companies. This is true for both men and women (see Figure 2). Working long hours has become a way to show that people are hard-working. Clearly, this must be changed before the problem gets any worse.

Language and Power: Cameroon’s Story

By Elisa Grant, 2 Oct 2017

In the modern world, being able to speak English is often a way to get power. However, this is not true for English speakers in Cameroon. To know why things are different in this African country, we need to go back one hundred years.

In 1919, Kamerun (the name of Cameroon at the time) was cut into two parts: one belonged to France, and the other belonged to the UK. In 1960, the French Cameroon became the Republic of Cameroun, and the UK’s part joined it in 1961. The new country changed its name to the Federal Republic of Cameroon. Although both French and English are Cameroon’s official languages, only around 20% of its people speak English. Also, the government has been in French speakers’ hands since the two parts became one country.

For a long time, Cameroon’s English speakers have felt they are not welcome in their own country. For example, it is very difficult for them to find jobs in the government, and they are often asked to speak French in business and at official events. They have become more resentful at the government and decided to fight for themselves. Since last year, the English speakers have tried to build their own country. Yesterday, they said in a public meeting that they were not part of Cameroon anymore. They are now a new country, “Ambazonia.” When the police tried to stop the meeting, at least eight people were killed.

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THE SOUTHEND TRAIL has been popular with nature lovers for years. The 120-km trail passes beautiful lakes, crosses rivers, and goes through mountains and hills. This gives bird lovers some of the best places for birdwatching. The trail also takes you to the Southend Museum and to two famous castles, Edward Castle and Sloan Castle.

It’s best to plan one day for one part of the trail and start your hike early in the morning, because each part takes at least seven hours. If you don’t want to walk, you can bike, but make sure you stay on the main trail, because the side trails are not wide enough for biking.

There are two types of lodging for visitors. Camping is popular in summer, but it is only allowed on a few campgrounds (see the map). A more comfortable one is to stay at a hotel in one of the towns. You can find some very nice ones that also have breakfast.

English words are made of 26 letters, and palindromes and anagrams are two kinds of word games about spelling. A palindrome is a word or a sentence that reads the same from left to right or from right to left, 40 , “eye,” “Bob,” “my gym,” and “Was it a car or a cat I saw?” An anagram of a word or words is made by putting the letters of the word or words in a different way. Look at the words and their anagrams below. Can you think of other possible anagrams of these words?

Anagrams are often longer words that don’t really mean anything but are fun to say. Sometimes they can even mean something 42 , like when a common word, “restaurant,” becomes “Eat rats, run!”

Actually, palindromes and anagrams are 43 . Palindromes can be used to learn mathematics and make music. Anagrams are also a good way to hide something. In history, people often hid their important studies in anagrams. Can you think of any other way to use them?