Girls’ rights

Can the movement achieve lasting change?

A movement to protect and expand girls' rights around the world is gaining support from governments, international donors and advocacy groups. Improving girls' lives is not only a moral issue — research shows it also speeds economic development. Activists are pushing to end child marriage, educate all girls, improve their reproductive health and reduce violence and discrimination against them. Although girls' mortality and school enrollment rates have been improving, obstacles remain. Nearly 120 million girls do not attend primary school, and 15 million girls under 18 marry each year, often under duress, ending their schooling and putting them at risk for domestic violence and health complications. In some countries girls' progress is threatened by religious extremists, such as the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and Boko Haram in Nigeria. Activists say that to have lasting effects, girls' rights campaigns must establish effective onthe-ground programs that change societal attitudes as well as local policies.

CIVIL-CRIMINAL LITIGATION

www.law.umich.edu/clinical/generalclinic/Pages/caseexamples.aspx. Acessado em 21/10/2015. Adaptado.

It took nine years and a lot of work going to US Courts of Appeals, for nearly 40 clinic students to stop the deportation of a mentally retarded man who had come to the United States with his family at age 14 and lived here for 33 years. At the final hearing, the immigration judge restored the client\'s permanent resident status. Students are now helping the client gain U.S. citizenship.

Read the text and choose the CORRECT alternative.

Big Ben’s Culture

Big Ben is a focus of New Year celebrations in the UK, with radio and TV stations tuning to its chimes to welcome the 'official' start of the year. Similarly, on Remembrance Day, the chimes of Big Ben are broad-cast to mark the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month and the start of two minutes silence.

For many years ITN's "News at Ten" began with an opening sequence which featured Big Ben with the chimes punctuating the announcement of the news headlines. This has since been dropped, but all ITV1 and ITV News Channel bulletins still use a graphic based on the Westminster clock face. Big Ben can al-so be heard striking the hour before some news bulletins on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service, a practice that began on December 31, 1923.

The clock features in John Buchan's spy novel The Thirty-Nine Steps and makes for a memorable climax in Don Sharp's 1978 film version, although not in Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 original adaptation. A similar scene is recreated in the 2003 film, Shanghai Knights which culminates with Jackie Chan hanging from the hands of the clock. The clock also appears in the animated cartoon Basil, the Great Mouse Detective.

An earlier film climax on the clock face of Big Ben appears in Will Hay's 1943 film My Learned Friend, alt-hough the scene is more slapstick than thriller.

( ) People can watch and listen to Big Ben’s chimes for New Year celebrations on radio and TV stations in the UK.

( ) All news channels start with an opening sequence from Big Ben’s chimes.

( ) Big Ben is featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Thirty-nine Steps.

( ) You can see Big Ben in the Great Mouse Detective.

( ) A thriller scene from My Learned Friend shows the face of Big Ben.

Shoes with high heels are the fashion choice for many women around the world. However, a new study by Stanford University in the USA proves that wearing high heels over a long period of time can permanently injure the body. The study by a biomotion team from the University scanned the knees of healthy women as they walked at a normal pace in flat shoes, 1.5 inch heels and 3.5 inch heels. The results send a warning to women who want to wear high heels that they risk permanent damage to their knees. The researchers found that when women wear high heels, their knees are held in an awkward, bent position causing the joints to perform as though aged or damaged joints would – increasing the risk the condition known as osteoarthritis, which could require surgery.

Britain’s Daily Express newspaper reports a recent survey of 1,200 women that shows how popular high heels are. It said 93 per cent of women felt sexier and more feminine when they wore heels, 88 per cent said they considered themselves more stylish and 77 per cent said their heels made them feel slimmer. Most women prefer to ignore health warnings, and even the pain and discomfort of wearing heels, to look and feel good.

A British doctor, Tim Allardyce, said he regularly treats women with problems caused by wearing heels. “Because of the odd angle at which the feet are held in high-heeled shoes, it increases the downward pressure on the knees by 25 per cent, placing significant stress on the kneecaps, even when you’re standing still,” he explains. He added: “Standing and walking on the balls of your feet throws the skeleton out of its usual, healthy alignment, which means muscles and joints throughout the body have to compensate to maintain its centre of gravity and keep the body upright.”

Advice for new students from those who know (old students)

The first day of college I was a ball of nerves. I remember walking into my first class and running to the first seat I found, thinking everyone would be staring at me. But nobody seemed to notice and then it hit me: The fact that nobody knew me meant nobody would judge, which, upon reflection, was what I was scared of the most. I told myself to let go. All along the year, I forced myself into situations that were uncomfortable for me – for example, auditioning for a dance piece. Believe it or not, that performance was a highlight of my freshman year. My advice: challenge yourself to try something new, something you couldn’t have done in high school. – Ria Jagasia, Vanderbilt University, ’18.

TIME 100 ICONS
Malala Yousafzai
By Mezon Almellehan
April 16, 2015

Champion of education

I’M 16 years old and from Dara’a in Syria. I fled to Jordan with my Family two years ago.

Spending time with Malala Yousafzai made me stronger. I didn’t know her before meeting her in Za’atari camp last year, but I understand she suffered, and yet continues to fight for what she believes in – for rights of children and for their education. She is an inspiration for me.

When it comes to continuing our education as refugees, I am on the front lines with my friends, speaking to other girls throughout the camp on the importance of going to school. My mother and father are always encouraging me. I saw this in Malala too, and her close relationship with her mother and father.

I’ve always loved learning and education, but since I fled with my Family, these views have grown stronger. I have seen too much wrong to not use my voice. Malala has shown that education is crucial for laying a foundation for girls and boys to have secure lives.

I know no matter what I go through today, it will make me a stronger person for tomorrow. Rather than giving up, my friends and I will continue to think positively and try to make our community better. Girls need to learn to take care of themselves, because if they don’t, nobody will. Our lives are completely diferente now – we’ve gone from living in homes to surviving in tents in refugees camps. Education is the only way to regain our spirit and control over our lives.

I was so honored to be in Oslo to watch Malala be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. To see a Young woman recognized with such an award made me realize that yes, I can make a difference, and I have to continue to fight for what I believe in – that all girls and boys can bring change to our world.

Complete o diálogo usando as palavras da caixa abaixo.

enjoy interested into love love playing really watching

Pat: What do you do in your free time?

Tim: I ___________¹ sports. I ___________² like karate and I ________ ³ playing golf. But I’m not really ___________⁴ in watching sports on TV. I don’t ___________ ⁵ watching professional golf, for example. What about you?

Top chocolate myths

- Dark chocolate contains fewer calories than milk chocolate Both dark and milk chocolate contain roughly the same amount of calories per 100g, which is about 550kcals. But dark chocolate contains more cocoa, which has health benefits.

- Chocolate gives you acne Some people feel their skin health is more sensitive to chocolate, so they prefer to avoid it, but there is no evidence that the two are linked.

- Chocolate causes migraines Chocolate does contain small amounts of tyramine and phenylethylamine - amino acids from the protein in chocolate - both of which can trigger a migraine. However, there is no evidence to suggest that chocolate alone can cause them.

- Chocolate makes you fat It all depends on how much you eat. Eating a large chocolate bar every day on top of your usual daily intake could lead to some weight gain. However, as part of a healthy and balanced diet including 30 minutes of exercise five times a week, chocolate as a treat will not make you fat.