With obesity rats on the rise among Americans and their pets， two California women have come up with an all-in-one solution — a foggy boot camp where dog owners and their dogs work out together． Thank Dog Boot camp is the nation's first outdoor fitness program where both humans and dogs get a full-body workout while the dogs also learn basic skills． Founded two years ago by twins Jill and Jamie Bowers， the program has grown to include classes at various Los Angeles and Orange County locations and most recently in Northern California．

Classes begin as early as 6 a．m． With instructors yelling out commands in the traditional boot camp style． The difference here is that instructors are certified in both fitness and dog training， and each boot camper happens to have a four-legged partner by their side at all times．“People need to exercise， and dogs need to be trained and exercised，” said Jill Bowers．

The class takes place on a field in a public park with 30 minutes of running and 30 minutes of weight training． Each person has a mat． Their dogs have their own mats and water bowls beside their owner． Various squats， bends， jumps and dashes are combined for the humans． Meanwhile， dogs are told to engage in a series of numbered commands ranging from “sit” to “go” “to” “come”.

“A lack of exercise and training causes logs to have behavioral problem．” said Bowers． “If they don't have enough activities to exhaust their energy， they take it out on your favorite sofa of your designer shoes． With the boot camp， your dog is too tired to be bad．”

Attorney Taylor joined six months ago． “My dog always gets me out of bed，” said Taylor． “It's so used to going now that it's the one making sure I'm up and go out of the door． I've lost 15 pounds and have gained much confidence．”

KONICHIWA, Japanese!

Join us if you are interested to learn how to speak basic Japanese in three weeks’ time.

Promotion period: 01 to 30 October 2010

Free registration to JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test)

No age limit.

You will need to purchase a Japanese dictionary, a conversation textbook and a written exercise practice book at a special price of $115.

If interested, please contact Alice Ong at 6123 4567 or visit our website at www://http. jelulucc.com.cn/jap.

You may also collect a registration form from any nearby Shop &Spend Supermarket.

Choosing a university or college

With over 160 universities to choose from in the UK, and limitless courses and study options on offer, you can make your UK university experience as unique as you are.

Understanding rankings

Higher education institutions are ranked each year by a variety of organisations. The QS World University Rankings, for example, focus heavily on research and reputation, but don’t include the quality of teaching or students’ views. The World University Rankings and the Complete University Guide focus more on research strengths and student satisfaction. The People and Planet University League even ranks UK universities on their environmental and ethical performance.

How to apply—undergraduate (本科)

1. Registering with UCAS

First, go to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) website where you can fill in your application form.

Then write your personal statement. This is your chance to stand out from the crowd by explaining why you are interested in the course, the skills you have that make you suitable, and your life experiences and achievements.

Application deadlines

There are four application deadlines throughout the year:

October—for courses at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or for most courses in medicine

15 January—“on time” deadline for most undergraduate courses

March—for some art and design courses

30 June—late deadline for most undergraduate courses. While you will be able to apply after the January deadline right up until 30 June, it is better to apply early.

2. Receiving an offer

UCAS will contact you with any offers from your chosen universities or colleges. If your offer is “unconditional”, you can relax. Some offers are conditional-usually this means you need to achieve certain results in your current studies or in English language tests.