Zaman International School Newspaper Issue 17

Volume 2 Issue 17

P

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

“You’re going to reach the top with us.”

15 November 2004

Cambodia's king 'faithful servant’

HNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- King Norodom Sihamoni addressed his nation Saturday for the first time as Cambodia's new monarch, pledging to be a "faithful servant" of the people -many of whom knew little about him until two weeks ago.

Sihamoni, a former ballet dancer, spoke to a crowd of about 50,000 well-wishers who carried his portrait or their country's flag, packing the park in front of the Royal Palace.

"To all the beloved people, through all my life, I will be a faithful servant to all the people, I will always be with the people to share the happiness and suffering," he said, speaking from a pavilion overlooking the grassy knoll across from the golden-hued palace.

Sihamoni was enthroned late Friday in an elaborate ceremony that included blessings chanted by Buddhist monks, the blowing of conch shells and traditional music played with ZAMAN NEWSPAPER Zaman, Publisher Yasemin Tutumlu , Editor-in Chief Zulfi Erken, Editor at Large

Prepared by 12- E Zaman International School Newspaper dedicated to educating students and training journalists.

Published 2 times a month in Zaman International School.

Copyright 2003 by the Zaman International School.

All rights reserved.

No part of this periodical may be reproduced in print or electronically without the consent of The Zaman International School.

drums and gongs.

Sihanouk had told him after his gathered to hear Sihamoni's His ascension came two weeks recent election that "a king is not a d d r e s s , w h i c h i n c l u d e d after he was selected by a panel the master of the country or of speeches by Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Assembly Pr e s i d e n t Pr i n c e N o r o d o m Ranariddh, Sihamoni's half brother.

"I am so happy to see him for the first time in real life. This is great. I have only seen him before in pictures," said Prak Nary, a 44year-old teacher.

Hun Sen and Ranariddh paid tribute to the king, saying his achievements and the role he played during the last five decades were priceless and unforgettable.

"The continuity of the constitutional monarchy is a key to the stability of the kingdom of Cambodia," Hun Sen said.

Ranariddh also wished Sihamoni of political and religious leaders the people, a king is a servant of "great success." to succeed his father, Norodom t h e m o t h e r l a n d a n d t h e " W e a r e c o n v i n c e d t h a t Sihanouk, one of Asia's most people."

Cambodia under your leadercolorful rulers who abdicated S t u d e n t s, m e m b e r s o f t h e ship will be in peace, prosperity three weeks ago citing ill health. armed forces, government and unity," he said. When he Sihamoni said Saturday that officials and everyday citizens finished his speech Sihamoni rose from his chair and applauded him.

The festive atmosphere on Saturday included two bands playing local pop music and the crowd cheering "Victorious!" and raising the countr y's flag or portrait of Sihamoni when he spoke.

Some in the crowd laughed when they got a glimpse of Sihamoni as he emerged from the palace standing inside a convertible Mercedes, making his way to observe a religious ritual at a pagoda before his address.

Saturday's speech marked the end of the three-day coronation.

The swearing-in ceremony on Friday was the pinnacle of the coronation. Shaded by a large

15 November 2004

ZAMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

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GENERAL parasol, Sihamoni was brought to the throne room on a litter led by palace guards and musicians.

Standing before golden statues of his ancestors, he repeated his oath to serve the country and its people three times while bowing before the golden-hued throne.

Fifty-two Buddhist monks -- one for each year of the new king's l ife according to the traditional Cambodian zodiac -- chanted blessings for about 40 minutes.

B y t h e W e s t e r n c a l e n d a r, Sihamoni is 51 years old.

"I am extremely touched to have the opportunity to devote my physical and mental strength and intelligence to serve the nation and the people, and to continue the tradition and glorious achievements of my father," he later told a few hundred dignitaries in the throne room.

Absent from the ceremony was Sihanouk, who was put on the throne by Cambodia's colonial ruler, France, in 1941 and led the country through wars, revolution and the building of a shaky democracy. He was a godlike figure for many Cambodians, and apparently sought not to take any attention away from his son.

For most of the past two decades, Sihamoni has lived abroad, especially in Paris where he served as his country's envoy to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO. He appeared calm during the coronation, often greeting dignitaries by pressing his hands together and bowing in traditional Cambodian fashion.

He called Friday "the most auspicious day in the history of Cambodia and history of my life" and said he had "greatly been honored as king succeeding our heroic father, who is the father of the nation."

Cambodia's king is seldom involved in day-to-day politics, but the position carries huge cultural significance for the Cambodian, or Khmer, people, and the king has some influence on government decisions.

Sihamoni had reluctantly accepted the job, expressing

concern that his inexperience might hamper his ability to carry out his duties.

But some observers expressed optimism.

"We're happy to see the p e a c e f u l s u c c e s s i o n, " U. S. Ambassador Charles Ray said.

"We hope that the new king will have every success as he works to consolidate stability and peace and freedom in Cambodia."

BIOGRAPHY OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE NORODOM SIHAMONI

MUSIC AND THEATRE COURSES, ACADEMY OF MUSICAL ART OF 1 9 5 9 - 1 9 6 2 : P R I M A R Y PRAGUE. SCHOOLING AT THE NORODOM S C H O O L A N D T H E N AT T H E 1975 : GRADUATED FROM THE DESCARTES HIGH SCHOOL IN ACADEMY OF MUSICAL ART OF PRAGUE. PHNOM PENH (CAMBODIA).

CAMBODIA.

1962-1967 : PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLING AT PRAGUE'S HIGH SCHOOL (CZECHOSLOVAKIA).

1975 : AUTHOR OF A THESIS ON THE CONCEPTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF ARTISTIC SCHOOLS IN CAMBODIA.

1967-1971 : DANCE, MUSIC AND 1975 1976 : HIGHER STUDIES OF T H E A T R E C O U R S E S A T T H E CINEMATOGRAPHY IN THE D.P.R. OF KOREA. NATIONAL CONSERVATORY OF PRAGUE. SINCE 1981 : PROFESSOR OF CLASSICAL DANCE AND ARTISTIC PEDAGOGY AT THE MARIUS PETIPA CONSERVATORY, THE GABRIEL FAURE CONSERVATORY AND THE W.A. MOZART CONSERVATORY OF THE CITY OF PARIS. SINCE 1984 : PRESIDENT OF THE KHMER DANCE ASSOCIATION IN FRANCE AND DIRECTOR GENERAL AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE BALLET GROUP “DEVA”.

SINCE 1990 : DIRECTOR GENERAL AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE K H M E R C I N E M ATO G R A P H I C SOCIETY "KHEMARA PICTURES".

1992 : CHOSEN UNANIMOUSLY BY THE MEMBERS OF THE SUPREME NATIONAL UNCIL OF CAMBODIA TO BE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF CAMBODIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS. 30 AUGUST 1993 : APPOINTED AMBASSADOR OF THE KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA TO UNESCO. 1ST FEBRUARY 1994 : ELEVATED BY H.M. THE KING TO THE RANK OF S D E C H K R O M K H U N ( G R E AT PRINCE).

BORN ON THURSDAY 14 MAY 1 9 5 3 , I N P H N O M P E N H, H I S ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE NORODOM SIHAMONI IS THE SON OF HIS MAJESTY NORODOM SIHANOUK, KING OF CAMBODIA AND OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN NORODOM M O N I N E AT H S I H A N O U K O F

LANGUAGES : KHMER, FLUENT IN FRENCH AND CZECH, GOOD 1 9 7 0 : H I G H S C H O O L ENGLISH AND RUSSIAN. CERTIFICATE PRAGUE (WITH "VERY DECORATIONS : GRAND CROSS GOOD" MARKS).

OF THE ROYAL ORDER OF 1971 : FIRST PRICE COURSE OF MONISARAPHON (CAMBODIA) .

C L A S S I C A L D A N C E O F T H E GRAND OFFICER OF THE LEGION D'HONNEUR (FRANCE).

NATIONAL CONSERVATORY OF PRAGUE. Hean S. Rathneary 1971-1975 : HIGHER DANCE,

15 November 2004

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ZAMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

EDUCATION

A Brief History of Oxford University

Oxford is a unique and historic institution. As the oldest Englishspeaking university in the world, it can lay claim to nine centuries of continuous existence. There is no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at Oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris.

In 1188, the historian, Gerald of Wales, gave a public reading to the assembled Oxford dons and in 1190 the arrival of Emo of Friesland, the first known overseas student, set in train the University's tradition of international scholarly links. By 1201, the University was headed by a

m a g i s t e r s c o l a r u m Oxonie, on whom the title of Chancellor was conferred in 1214, and in 1231 the masters were recognized as a universitas or corporation.

In the 13th centur y, rioting between town and gown (townspeople and students) hastened the establishment of primitive halls of residence.

These were succeeded by the first of Oxford's colleges, which began as medieval 'halls of residence' or endowed houses under the super vision of a Master. University, Balliol and Merton Colleges, established between 1249 and 1264, are the oldest.

Less than a century later, Oxford had achieved eminence above every other seat of learning, and won the praises of popes, kings and sages by virtue of its antiquity, curriculum, doctrine and privileges. In 1355, Edward III paid tribute to the University for its invaluable contribution to learning; he also commented

on the services rendered to the state by distinguished Oxford graduates.

Oxford early on became a centre for lively controversy, with scholars involved in religious and political disputes. John Wyclif, a 14th-century Master of Balliol, campaigned for a bible in the ver

The University assumed a leading role in the Victorian era, especially in religious controversy. From 1833 onwards The Oxford Movement sought to revitalise the Catholic aspects of the Anglican Church. One of its leaders, John Henry Newman, became a Roman Catholic in

nacular, against the wishes of the papacy. In 1530, Henry VIII forced the University to accept his divorce from Catherine of Aragon. During the Reformation in the 16th century, the Anglican churchmen Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley were tried for heresy and burnt at the stake in Oxford.

The University was Royalist in the Civil War, and Charles I held a counter-Parliament in Convocation House.

In the late 17th centur y, the Oxford philosopher John Locke, s u s p e c t e d o f t r e a s o n, w a s forced to flee the country. The 18th century, when Oxford was said to have forsaken port for politics, was also an era of scientific discovery and religious revival. Edmund Halley, Professor of Geometr y, predicted the return of the comet that bears his name; John and Charles Wesley's prayer meetings laid the foundations of the Methodist Society.

1845 and was later made a C a r d i n a l. I n 1 8 6 0 t h e n e w University Museum was the scene of a famous debate b e t w e e n T h o m a s H u x l e y, champion of evolution, and Bishop Wilberforce.

From 1878, academic halls were established for women, who became members of the University in 1920. Since 1974, all but one of Oxford's 39 colleges have changed their statutes to admit both men and women. St Hilda's remains the only women's college.

During the 20th century, Oxford added to its humanistic core a major new research capacity in the natural and applied sciences, including medicine. In so doing, it has enhanced and strengthened its traditional role as an international focus for learning and a forum for intellectual debate.

Peng Leakhena

15 November 2004

ZAMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

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PEOPLE

Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night: God said, Let Newton be! and all was light

N

ewton born at December 25, 1642 in Lincolnshire, England died at March 20, 1727 in Kensington, England was the

had bought a prism “ to tr y therewith the celebrated phenomena of colors.�

At last his revolutionary conclusio

most famous scientist until Einstein.

Newton's main interest at the time of his appointment was optics, and for several years the lectures required of him by the professorship were devoted to this subject. In a letter of 1672 to t h e s e c r e t a r y o f t h e Ro y a l Society, he says that in 1666 he

n that "Light itself is a heterogeneous mixture of differently irrefrangibly rays."

These experiments had grown out of Newton's interest in improving the effectiveness of telescopes, and his discoveries about the nature a n d

composition of light had led him to believe that greater accuracy could not be achieved in instruments based on the refractive principle. He had t u r n e d , c o n s e q u e n t l y, t o suggestions for a reflecting telescope made by earlier investigators but never tested in an actual instr ument. Being manually dexterous, he built several models in which the image was viewed in a concave mirror through an eyepiece in the side of the tube. The society's Philosophical Transactions , and the reactions of English and Continental scientists, led by Ro b e r t H o o k a n d C h r i s t i a n Hoydens, ranged from skepticism to bitter opposition to conclusions which seemed to invalidate the prevalent wave theory of light were published.

At first Newton patiently answered objections with further explanations, but when these produced only more negative responses, he finally became irritated and vowed he would n e v e r p u b l i s h a g a i n, e v e n threatening to give up scientific investigation altogether. Several years later, and only through the tireless efforts of the astronomer Edmund Halley, Newton was persuaded to put together the results of his work on the laws of motion, which became the great Principia.

The Optics was written and originally published in English (a

Latin translation appeared 2 years later) and was consequently accessible to a wide range of readers in England.

Furthermore, its content and manner of presentation made the Optics more approachable.

It was essentially an account of experiments per formed by Newton himself and his conclusions drawn from them, and it had greater appeal for the experimental temper of the educated public of the time than the more theoretical and mathematical Principia.

Of great interest for scientists generally were the queries with which Newton concluded the text of the Optics--for example, "Do not Bodies act upon Light at a distance, and by their action bend its rays?" These queries (16 in the first edition, subsequently increased to 31) constitute a unique expression of Newton's philosophy; posing them as negative questions made it possible for him to suggest ideas which he could not support by experimental evidence or mathematical proof but which gave stimulus and direction to further research for many generations of scientists. "Of the Species and Magnitude of Curvilinear Figures," two treatises included with the original edition of the Optics, was the first purely mathematical work Newton had published.

Botum Uch

15 November 2004

ZAMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

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GENERAL

Giant Pandas Are Black and White and Loved All Over

T

he giant panda is a national treasure in China and is therefore protected by law. This unique bear has long been revered by the Chinese and can be found in Chinese art dating back thousands of years. The Chinese call their beloved p a n d a s " l a r g e b e a r- c a t s. " People outside of China have been fascinated by giant pandas since they were first described by French Missionary Pere Armand David in 1869.

Now, more than 100 years later, the worldwide love for pandas has been combined with international efforts to keep them from becoming extinct.

How Did the Panda Get Their Colors?

Scientists aren't exactly sure. One theory is that pandas developed the contrasting black and white colors over time so they would stand out in the forest and be able to find each other to mate.

Are Giant Pandas Really Bears?

For years scientists have wondered whether pandas are bears, raccoons, or in a group all their own. Through studying the genetic code (DNA) in pandas' cells, scientists have confirmed the panda's relationship with bears. Giant pandas are similar to other bears in their general looks, the way they walk and climb, and their skull characteristics. It's important to know that pandas are bears, because the more we know about pandas, the better we can help them reproduce and survive.

Giant Pandas Start Out Small Giant pandas are only about the size of a stick of butter at birth, and they're hairless and helpless.

The panda mother gives great care to her tiny cub, usually cradling it in one paw and holding it close to her chest. For several days after birth, the mother does not leave the den, not even to eat or drink!

Yet despite the attention they receive from their mothers, many young pandas do not survive. Through captive propagation programs in China and other zoos around the world, we are learning more about the care of panda cubs and how to help them reach

adulthood.

Bamboo Is Food and Shelter to Pandas Bamboo is the most important plant in a giant panda's life.

Pandas live in cold and rainy bamboo forests high in the mountains of western China.

They spend at least 12 hours each day eating bamboo.

Because bamboo is so low in nutrients, pandas eat as much as 84 pounds (38 kilograms) of it each day.

Pa n d a s g r a s p b a m b o o stalks with their five fingers and a special wristbone, then use their teeth to peel off the tough outer layers to reveal the soft inner tissue.

Strong jaw bones and cheek muscles help pandas crush and chew the thick stalks with their flattened back teeth. Bamboo leaves are also on the menu, as pandas strip them off the stalks, wad them up, and swallow them. Giant pandas have also been known to eat grasses, bulbs, fr uits, some insects, and even rodents and carrion. At the San Diego Zoo, pandas are offered bamboo, carrots, yams, and special leaf eater biscuits made of grain and packed with all the vitamins and minerals pandas need.

Vocal Pandas Pandas make a bleating sound similar to the sound a lamb or a goat kid would make. It's a friendly sound, a greeting. They don't roar, the way you think of a brown bear roaring. But they do bleat and honk, they sometimes huff, bark, or growl, and young cubs croak and squeal.

Giant Pandas Face Big Problems In Today's World Today, only around 1,000 giant pandas survive on Earth. There are several reasons why pandas are endangered: Low reproductive rate Pandas like to be by themselves most of the year, and they have a very short breeding season when a male will look for a female to mate with. Females give birth to one or two cubs, which are very dependent on their mothers during the first few years of life. In

the wild, mother pandas will care for only one of the young. In panda facilities in China, keepers help to hand raise any twin cubs. One baby is left with the mother and the keepers switch the twins every few days so each one gets care and milk

directly from the mother.

Bamboo shortages When bamboo plants reach maturity, they flower and produce seeds, and then the mature plant dies.

The seeds grow slowly into plants large enough for pandas to eat.

Giant pandas can eat 25 different types of bamboo, but they usually eat only the 4 or 5 kinds that grow in their home range. The unusual thing about bamboo is that all of the plants of one species growing in an area will bloom and die at the same time. When those plants die, pandas move to another area. But now, with humans taking up much of the panda's h a b i t a t, p a n d a s a r e o f t e n unable to move to another area and may face starvation.

Habitat destruction China has more than one billion people. As people build more cities and farms and use more natural resources, giant pandas lose their homes.

Hunting When hunters set snares for other animals, like musk deer, t h e t r aps o ft e n k i l l pan das instead.

It Takes an International Effort Work to keep pandas from becoming extinct crosses

oceans and international boundaries. In China, wildlife reserves have been established to ensure that the remaining wild pandas have space to live, eat, and move around without human interference. There is still much that humans do not know about pandas. We must understand how pandas survive, reproduce, and communicate.

Researchers at zoos like the San Diego Zoo are studying pandas' scent marking, their nutritional needs, and how they communicate with each other. Working together with Chinese panda experts may help increase the number of giant pandas and ensure the future survival of the giant panda population Giant panda Mei Sheng (MayShun) was born August 19, 2003 at 1:14 p.m. He is the first male to be delivered by mother Bai Yun as well as the second cub to be born at the San Diego Zoo. Bai Yun's first cub is Hua Mei, who was born in August 1999.

Meaning "born in the USA" and "beautiful life," Mei Sheng has become an instant favorite of panda lovers worldwide, as they have followed his progress from his first week via the Panda Cam. Though he and Hua Mei share the same mother, it was not immediately known who was his father, as mother Bai Yun had mated with male Gao Gao during her estrus period, and was also artificially inseminated with frozen sperm from Shi Shi, who is Hua Mei's sire and now lives in China.

In November 2003, genetics researchers from the Zoo's department of Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES) determined the cub's father to be Gao Gao. The much-anticipated result became available after separate DNA tests were conducted with the use of the cub's hair and saliva, which were obtained by the Zoo's veterinary staff during weekly exams. DNA from Bai Yun and Shi Shi was taken from blood samples, while Gao Gao's DNA was from a cell culture.

Han Keomonika

15 November 2004

ZAMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

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SCIENCE THE

Y

ou have been entrusted with the care and feeding of the most extraordinary and complex creation in the universe. Home to your mind and personality, your brain houses your cherished memories a n d f u t u r e h o p e s. I t orchestrates the symphony of consciousness that gives you purpose and passion, motion and emotion. But what do you really know about it?

Here you can get to know your brain the food it likes, the challenges it craves, the rest it requires, the protection it deserves.

Within these pages you will find the fruit of decades of research.

Here you can participate in today's neuroscience renaissance, and learn what you can do for your brain.

Renew - Stress on the Brain Those aggravating things that go wrong in the day and those irritating things that go bump in the night disrupting routines and interrupting sleep all have a cumulative effect on your brain, especially its ability to remember and learn.

As science gains greater insight into the consequences of stress on the brain, the picture that emerges is not a p r e t t y o n e. A c h r o n i c overreaction to stress overloads the brain with p o w e r f u l hormones that are intended only for shortterm duty in emergency situations. Their cumulative e f f e c t d a mages and kills brain cells.

HUMAN

BRAIN

How Your Brain Responds to

it's warning to get out of the way.

Yo u can ' t

Stress Did you know that the emotional and physical responses you have to stress are set in motion by a series of chemical releases and reactions? Find out what is really going on inside your body and why not all stress is bad. “Attack of the Adrenals�-A Metabolic Story

move your car because you're stuck in a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam that reaches as far as the eye can see. There must be an accident up ahead.

Meanwhile the road construction crew a few feet from your car is jack-hammering the pavement. You are about to enter the stress zone. Inside your

The ambulance siren screams b o d y t h e a l e r t g o e s o u t.

"Attention all parasympathetic forces. Urgent. Adrenal gland missile silos mounted atop kidneys have just released chemical cortisol weapons of brain destruction. Mobilize all i n t e r n a l d e f e n s e s. La u n c h immediate counter-calm hormones before hippocampus is hammered by cortisol."

Hormones rush to your adrenal glands to suppress the streaming cortisol on its way to your brain. Other hormones rush to your brain to round up all the remnants of cortisol missles that made it to your hippocampus.

These hormones escort the cortisol remnants back to Kidneyland for a one-way ride on the Bladderhorn. You have now reached metabolic equilibrium, also known as homeostasis.

The Effect of Lead on Our Brains The news about lead and the brain is not good. Scientists think that even small amounts of lead in the body can lower intelligence, promote anti-social behavior, contribute to attention-deficits, and cause progressive mental decline.

Scientists have also studied what happens to physical parts of the brain when lead is introduced.

All in all, the more you know about the effect of lead on the brain, the more you can recognize its potentially harmful impact. topics Lead Lowers Intelligence Study In 1995, the American Academy of Pediatrics reviewed 18 scientific studies on the correlation between children's mental abilities and lead in their blood. "The relationship between lead levels and IQ deficits was found to be remarkably consistent," the Academy said. "A number of studies have found that for every 10 ug/dL (microgram per deciliter) increase in blood lead levels, there was a lowering of mean IQ in children by 4 to 7 p o i n t s. " ( T h a t ' s l e s s t h a n a thousandth of a gram of lead.)

Neov Vannika

15 November 2004

ZAMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

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ENTERTAINMENT

Crossword 5B : Washing of the body, esp. by putting oneself completely in water.

1C : Get up from a lying, sitting, or kneeling position.

6C : Hamano "????" to church every Sunday.

1D : Piece of printed paper (usu. with perforated edges) stuck on letters, etc., to show the postage paid.

7D : Sound made by a cat.

1E : The fifth letter of the alphabet.

4E : Soft or semi-liquid food for ver y young children, or for invalids.

8E : Building Exper t System.

2F : Archive program for tape.

6F : ????tross : Large, white, web-footed seabird.

1G : Flat sea-fish with a Across delicate flavour. the neck to the buttocks.

1A : Kinds of plant from which 1B : Poem, usu. in irregular 6G : Shor t, sharp warning fibres are obtained for the metre and expressing noble sound from a horn, whisle, etc. m a n u f a c t u r e o f r o p e a n d feelings, often in celebration of 1H : Come into existence; coarse cloth. come to notice. some special event.

6A : Surface of the body from

7H : 1 1I : Fall or strike suddenly, violently, and noisily.

7I : For each.

Down 1A : Four-legged solidhoofed animal with flowing mane and tail, used from early times to carry loads, for riding, etc.

2A : Prepare for publication.

3A : Bedrock tableland.

4A : The 16th letter of the English alphabet.

6A : Container made of flexible material (paper, cloth, leather) with an opening at the top.

7A : Smallest unit of an element that can take part in a chemical change.

8A : The bone below the eye.

9A : The 11th letter of the alphabet.

4C : Wife of emperor.

9C : Knitted jacket or jersey.

5B : The 2nd letter of the alphabet.

5D : Pennsylvania.

5H : What did you say?

6E : Tap with the open hand.

2F : A unit of pressure equal to 1/760 of an atmosphere.

3F : ????s : Name by which a person is called on other occasions.

7F : Curve crossing itself.

1G : An airline company.

Yasemin Tutumlu

15 November 2004

ZAMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

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HEALTH

"Don't smoke" said the cigarette packet S

moking and Your Digestive System Cigarette smoking causes a variety of life-threatening diseases, including lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease. An estimated 400,000 deaths each year are caused directly by cigarette smoking.

Smoking is responsible for changes in all parts of the body, including the digestive system.

This fact can have serious consequences because it is the digestive system that converts foods into the nutrients the body needs to live.

Current estimates indicate that about onethird of all adults smoke.

And, while adult men seem to be smoking less, women and teenagers of both sexes seem to be smoking more. How does smoking affect the digestive system of all these people?

Harmful Effects of Smoking Smoking has been shown to have harmful effects on all parts of the digestive system, contributing to such common disorders as heartburn and peptic ulcers. It also increases the risk of Crohn's disease and possibly gallstones. Smoking seems to affect the liver, too, by changing the way it handles drugs and alcohol. In fact, there seems to be enough evidence to stop smoking solely on the basis of digestive distress.

Heartburn and Smoking Heartburn happens when acidic juices from the stomach splash into the esophagus. Normally, a muscular valve at the lower end of the esophagus, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), keeps the acid solution in the stomach and out of the esophagus. Smoking decreases the strength of the esophageal valve, thereby allowing stomach juice to reflux, or flow backward into the esophagus.

Peptic Ulcer and Smoking

A peptic ulcer is an open sore in the lining of the stomach or duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. The exact cause of ulcers is not known. A relationship between smoking cigarettes and ulcers, especially duodenal ulcers, does exist. The 1989 Surgeon General's report stated that ulcers are more likely to occur, less likely to heal, and more likely to cause death in smokers than in nonsmokers.

Why is this so? Doctors are not

other things, the liver is responsib l e f o r p r o c e s s i n g d r u g s, alcohol, and other toxins to remove them from the body.

There is evidence that smoking alters the ability of the liver to handle these substances. In some cases, this may influence the dose of medication necessar y to treat an illness.

Some research also suggests that smoking can aggravate the course of liver disease caused by excessive alcohol intake.

really sure, but smoking does seem to be one of several factors that work together to promote the formation of ulcers.

For example, some research suggests that smoking might increase a person's risk of infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).

Most peptic ulcers are caused by this bacterium.

People who smoke are more l i ke l y t o d e v e l o p a n u l c e r, especially a duodenal ulcer, and ulcers are less likely to heal q u i c k l y a m o n g s m o ke r s i n response to otherwise effective treatment. This research tracing the relationship between smoking and ulcers strongly suggests that a person with an ulcer should stop smoking.

Liver Disease and Smoking The liver is an important organ that has many tasks. Among

Gallstones and Smoking Several studies suggest that smoking may increase the risk of developing gallstones and that the risk may be higher for women. However, research results on this topic are not consistent, and more study is needed.

Second-Hand Smoke: Harmful to All Around It S e c o n d - h a n d s m o ke ( a l s o called passive smoke or environmental tobacco smoke) is the combination of smoke from a burning cigarette and smoke exhaled by a smoker. The smoke that burns off the end of a cigarette or cigar actually contains more harmful substances than the smoke inhaled by the smoker. This means that people who don't smoke but are regularly around those who s m o ke a r e e x p o s e d t o t h e

health risks of cigarette smoking.

How does secondhand smoke affect non-smokers?

Even if you don't smoke but are exposed to second-hand smoke on a regular basis, your body will absorb nicotine and other harmful substances just as smokers' bodies do. In addition, the longer you are around s e c o n d - h a n d s m o ke, t h e greater the level of harmful substances in your body. As a r e s u l t, y o u m a y h a v e a n increased risk of developing s m o k i n g - r e l a t e d d i s o r d e r s, including: Lung cancer Heart disease Emphysema Eye and nasal irritation Asthma Who is at greatest risk of being harmed by second-hand smoke?

Although any person who spends a lot of time around those who smoke has an increased chance of developing a smoking-related illness, certain people are extremely susceptible to the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.

These include: INFANTS and children. Because young children can't choose to leave a smoke-filled environment, this constant exposure makes them especially vulnerable to the health risks of second-hand smoke. Infants and children who are regularly exposed to second-hand s m o ke h a v e a n i n c r e a s e d chance of developing the following conditions: o Frequent colds o Asthma o Chronic coughs o Ear infections o High blood pressure o Learning and behavior problems later in childhood In addition, among infants up to 18 months of age, second-hand smoke is associated with as many as 300,000 cases of bronchitis and pneumonia each year.

Monita You