The mother of the 13-year-old Dutch girl Laura Dekker, whose plans to make a solo sailing trip around the world have recently made world headlines, has spoken out against the trip. "It breaks my heart to think that because of this I could lose contact with my daughter," she said in an interview. "I have never before made such a difficult decision. But I must accept the consequences. I would rather have a live daughter who I will never see again than a dead daughter." It is the first time that Laura's mother, Babs Muller, has spoken out against the trip. Laura's parents are divorced and the girl has lived with her father since she was six. Her father Dick Dekker supports Laura's plans. However, the Dutch Child Protection Board has decided to place the girl under supervision for two months to ascertain whether she is mentally and physically capable of undertaking the journey. Ms Muller says she is confident that Laura is technically capable of making the journey. "She can sail like the devil. That's not the problem." However, she is afraid of the problems a 13-year-old girl can encounter in the harbors of Third-World countries and of the psychological pressure of being alone for such a long period on the ocean. "The most important thing, in my eyes, is that she is not yet an adult." Ms Muller says she told Laura once before that she was opposed to the idea. Her daughter replied, "If you forbid me, you will have ruined my entire life. Then I'll never want to see you again." However, Laura's mother says that reports that a camera team is planning to follow her around the world could change her opinion about the trip. We can learn that the Dutch Child Protection Board _ . A) will train Laura for two months B) will help Laura realize her dream C) cares about Laura's safety D) doesn't believe in Laura at all
C
Trip 1 Black Bear Count There have been fires in this area in the last few years and the Office of the National Park is not sure how many black bears are still living. Some bears have been seen since the fires, and the Office has asked for young people to help count them. The entire trip will last three hours. Bookings necessary. Cost: Free When: May 8 Trip 2 Garland Valley Bring your drink and lunch for this walk in a beautiful area of the Blue Mountains. Garland Valley is close to the town of Garland but is part of the National Park. Many wild animals live in this area, including many rare birds. This is a great walk for bird-lovers. The trip lasts four hours. Bookings necessary. Cost: $ 15 When: May 8, May 15 Trip 3 Flashlight Adventure Put on your warm clothes, bring a flashlight and a pair of glasses, and come for a night walk along the Dungog Valley. A guide will lead the tour. Many of the animals you will see on this trip can only be seen at night. The guide will tell you about the lives of the animals you see. Numbers are strictly limited on night trips, so be sure to book early. This walk lasts two and a half hours. Cost: $ 12 When: May 8, May 15, May 22 Equipment to be needed: *Please bring enough water and food for all walks. *Wear good walking shoes--no high heels. *Wear a hat for day walks. *Dress warmly for night walks. *Children must be with an adult. *Make sure your flashlight works well and bring extra batteries for night walks. *Follow all instructions from guides during the walks. The mountains are a dangerous place. Bookings: *Bookings for the above trips can be done by telephone (893 - 4847) or on the Internet at (www. bluemountaintour, com) Which of the following is NOT necessary for the three trips? A) Good walking shoes. B) A pair of glasses. C) Food and water. D) A sleeping bag.
D
Q: Monday - 9:00 p.m. PT (11:00 p.m. CT) (Midnight ET) I love to answer questions about children's health. Some questions and their answers become articles, FAQ's, Updates, Fast Facts, Top Tips, or Guidelines here on the site. I answer others in real time during chat. Either way, here is how to submit a question - I am available live, for one hour, every weekday. No appointments are necessary! All you have to do is log on to Chat and ask your question. In most cases, you'll get your answer right there! Some of the questions from chat are selected for me to write about in greater depth. Even if you don't have time to stay at chat, come for a moment, and send your question to the chat host to be considered for a future article. Please join me in chat, Monday - November 22, 2004 at 9:00 p.m. PT(11:00 p.m. CT) (Midnight ET) I will be in the chat room for one hour to answer your children's health questions. To ask your question please type a " ?" mark on the screen A host will call upon you when it is your turn to ask a question. Click here to chat Click here to learn more about chat Click here for a complete chat schedule The writer is probably _ . A) an advertiser B) a lawyer C) a teacher D) an adviser
A: D
(Q).
What if we could replace oil with a fuel which produced no pollution and which everybody had equal access to? The good news is that we can. In fact, we are swimming in it--- literally. Hydrogen is one of the building blocks of the universe. Our own sun is basically a big, dense cloud of the stuff. And hydrogen can be used to create electricity for power, heat and light. The problem is that hydrogen is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It does not exist as a material on its own, but is always part of something else. So it has to be separated before it can be used. Most commercial hydrogen in use now is created from natural gas. As oil will start to run out in around the year 2030, it makes sense to produce as much hydrogen as possible as soon as we can. But natural gas supplies will also begin to run out soon after. Another source is needed. Researchers are now using electricity to make water into hydrogen. Companies are working on the problem in their own areas. The first commercial hydrogen "fuel cells" for computers and mobile phones have already come on to the market. Auto companies have also invested over US $2 billion in the production of hydrogen fuelled cars. The nations of a hydrogen fuelled planet would not fight over energy recourses. There would be a great reduction in pollution. The only by-product of creating hydrogen is pure drinking water--- something that is very scarce in many parts of the world. But that is not where the good news ends. Once the costs of producing hydrogen have been brought down, it will possibly provide power for a third of the Earth's population that has no electricity. And electricity creates wealth. In South Africa over the last decade there has been a large programme of electrification. Thanks to the programme, people do not have to spend their days looking firewood to burn for heat. And with electric light, they can work long into the night. Some scientists see radical changes in the way the human race co-operates. Hydrogen creates electricity, and is also... What is the passage mainly about? A) war and energy B) the future of hydrogen as an energy resource C) the disadvantages of oil D) How to end war
(A).
B