Lundy Island is owned by the National Trust and has been named for the famous breeding pairs of Puffins who inhabit it. These and other seabirds are the island’s primary inhabitants. The humans who live there are employees of the trust and manage the local farm as well as tourist accommodations. The island is currently of interest primarily as a site for scientific study as both the notable population of seabirds and the unique marine life surrounding Lundy offer endless opportunities for engaging observation, study, and research of rare organisms It is the first designated Statutory Marine Reserve in the country as well as the first Marine Conservation Zone in the country. It has been named as the country’s tenth greatest natural wonder.
Despite its lack of current occupants, Lundy Island has had a thrilling history. As an island, it has been home to periods of piracy and smuggling as well as relatively peaceful habitation. Its human history dates back to prehistoric times, as evidenced by the discovery of ancient flintwork from the Mesolithic period. Other notable historic finds on this island include Bronze age burial mounds, an early medieval monastery, and four inscribed gravestones from the early medieval period. Since its first periods of visitation and inhabitancy, the island has been repeatedly seized and held by opportunistic parties who usually wound up on the shady side of any law and treated the island like a personal fiefdom, slave holding, or kingdom.
Over 20,000 day trippers visit the island every year to walk, dive, climb, fish, snorkel, paint, take photographs, and watch birds. It is a particularly restful site where the nights are so clear as to make the stargazing virtually unparalleled. There are 23 holiday properties as well as a campsite for the use of overnight visitors to the island. Diving is a particularly popular activity among these visitors as Lundy Island is known for its wide variety of marine habitats and wildlife, including a large number of rare and unusual species of seaweed, branching sponges, sea fans, and cup corals, as well as one man made reef. There are also 137 shipwrecks to visit, two of which are protected. These include: the battleship Montagu, the coaster Robert, the confederate paddle steamer Iona, the Carmen Filomena, the Earl of Jersey, Ethel, and The Heroine, among others.
Fewer and fewer people in the English speaking world are currently looking at second language benefits as they have somehow become convinced that English alone will always be sufficient for their communication needs. This is obviously quite a sad state of affairs because the importance of learning a second language is just as high as it ever was. This article will briefly focus on the reasons for the importance of second language study.
* Communicate with a wider range of people: Some English speakers may indeed be convinced of the fact that you only need English to get around in this world. However, a few foreign trips will quickly bring them back to earth as far as this belief is concerned. Most of the people of the world do not speak English and it not even nearly the largest first language in the world (that honour goes to Mandarin Chinese). While it is true that English is by far that fastest growing second language in the world this does not mean that everybody is currently learning English, or that they even want to do so! Communication between people from different part of the world will therefore be well served by some ‘reciprocal language learning’!
* Get ahead in the workplace: We often hear about the reality of globalisation. One of the implications of this trend is that more companies are doing business in more countries from more diverse linguistic background. This means that some companies are almost desperate for bilingual staff members. Knowing a second language can therefore drastically improve your employment prospects.
* Cultivate an appreciation for the cultures of the world. Language is an integral part of a person’s identity. If you therefore make an effort to understand somebody’s language you are making almost automatic progress in understanding that person (or country) better. This is of course to be welcomed in our world with its many divisions.
* Cultiavte sharper thinking and language skills. Study after study have shown that being bilingual has intellectual benefits that goes far beyond the simple satisfaction of being able to communicate with people from other cultures. Studying a second language will give you insights into the nature and structure of language that would have been very difficult to achieve in a monolingual environment. It also turns you into a more rounded thinker as it bring you new insights into the many ways in which problems can be solved.
In short, learning a second language will make you a better thinker. It will even improve your English, it has been proven that first year English students who took a second language at school consistently outperforms those who did not!
An interesting study conducted in Rhode Island indicates that you might not need a zeaxanthin formula, if you consumer four egg yolks, every day.? But, you will have higher cholesterol levels.
Egg yolks are not an excellent source of the nutrient.? Each contains about 2/10 of a milligram.? Four would still provide less than a milligram.?
Studies indicate that the average American already consumes between 1 and 2mg per day.? Adding another milligram might bring the total up to three.? The USDA recommends 4-8mg per day.? Positive benefits for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have been seen at 6-10mg per day.? In one study, researchers concluded that a cup of kale every day could prevent blindness in AMD.? A cup of kale contains more than 20mg.
At first, the effect that the nutrients had in AMD was unknown.? Now, researchers are able to measure the increased density of the macular pigment, which provides protection against oxidation from blue light and UV rays.? It’s something like a filter.
Blue light and UV rays cause an increase in free radical molecules, which in turn cause a decrease in the antioxidant pigments.? A lutein and zeaxanthin formula has been shown to increase the density of the macular pigment by as much as 50%.?
But, eating more eggs is a double-edged sword.? On one edge, you have the benefits of increased nutrients that include a number of different antioxidants and all of the essential amino acids.? On the other edge, you have the risks of increased fat and cholesterol intake.
The study participants in Rhode Island were all on statin drugs, which are also double-edged swords.? On the one edge, you have the benefits of lower cholesterol, which may reduce your risk of heart disease and AMD.? High cholesterol is one of the risk factors for the disease.? A zeaxanthin formula will not provide those benefits.
On the other edge of the statin drug sword is reduced production of coenzyme Q10 within the body.? COQ10 is an essential antioxidant.? Without it, the muscles will literally die.? When statins inhibit the production of cholesterol within the body, they also inhibit the production of COQ10.? So, ultimately, statins can cause muscle death.? That’s a risk that many of us are not willing to take.
Researchers have proven that it is possible to lower your cholesterol naturally with dietary changes and nutrients like policosanol.? Instead of buying a zeaxanthin formula right now, you might want to learn more about the benefits of other nutrients.?
