McDonald’s is the world’s largest fast-food chain. Not only do adults like it, but kids are also very fond of it. Some studies even show that for many kids, any food from McDonald’s tastes better than anything else. One study was undertaken by Dr. Robinson, a professor of pediatrics at Stanford University. Working with 63 children aged 3 to 5, Robinson asked them to try the same food, some of it in a plain wrapper, and some in a wrapper with the McDonald’s brand on it. The result was that children thought the food without a big “M” brand tasted less delicious than the other one.

Why does McDonald’s have such appeal to young kids? The answer perhaps lies in its successful marketing strategies. In addition to its TV advertising, the company also uses placement advertisements in children’s favorite cartoons and Disney movies. The company also promotes colorful toys in its children’s meals, frequently changing 

the gift toy so that children will remain interested in the product. Moreover, the McDonald’s website has become more than a place to check the latest menu or news of discounts. It has become a place where kids can connect with friends, play interactive games, and take part in various contests. The main purpose, as some analysts have said, is to link food with a lot of pleasure. But is McDonald’s food really tastier than other food? Many would say no.

   If you took off your skin and laid it flat, it would cover an area of about 1.9 square meters, making it by far the body’s largest organ. Covering almost the entire body, skin protects us from a variety of external forces, such as extremes of temperature, damaging sunlight, harmful chemicals, and dangerous infections. Skin is also packed with nerves, which keeps the brain in touch with the outside world. 

   The health of our skin and its ability to perform its protective functions are crucial to our well-being. However, the appearance of our skin is equally – if not more – important to many people on this planet. Take skin color for example. Your genes determine your skin’s color, but for centuries, humans have tried to lighten or darken their skin in an attempt to be more attractive. In the 1800s, white skin was desirable for many Europeans. This color meant that its owner was a member of the upper class and did not have to work in the sun. Among darker-skinned people in some parts of the world, products used to lighten skin color are still popular today. In other cultures during the 20th century, as cities grew and work moved indoors, attitudes toward light skin shifted in the opposite direction. Tanned skin began to represent leisure time and health. In many places today, sun tanning on the beach or in a salon remains popular, even though people are more aware of the dangers of UV rays.     Just as people have altered their skin color to show wealth or beauty, some cultures around the globe marked their skin to indicate cultural identity or community status. Tattooing, for instance, has been carried out for thousands of years. Leaders in ancient Egypt, Britain, Peru and other places wore tattoos to demonstrate their social importance or bravery. Today, among the Maori people of New Zealand as well as cultures in Samoa, Tahiti, and Borneo, full-facial tattoos are still used to identify the wearer as a member of a certain family and to symbolize the person’s achievements.

    Being a smart shopper is important. Whether you know it or not, stores are constantly trying to get you to buy products that you don’t need, or more products than you really want. Here are some tricks they use: 

･Placing the most expensive items at eye level on the shelves. Often, the best bargains are on the bottom shelves, where nobody looks. Instead, your eye is naturally drawn to the most expensive items. 

･Crafty pricing. Stores use prices like “$199” or “$399” because your brain processes “$399” as “$300,” not “$400.” 

･Free samples. Eating a small sample of something tasty makes you want to eat more of that item. Hopefully this will lead you to buy something you didn’t know you wanted until you ate the sample. 

･Buy one, get one free deals. Studies show that these seeming “bargains” induce people into spending 150 percent more than they usually do. 

･Store “discount” cards. People who use these cards spend 42 percent more on groceries than people who don’t—usually because the “bargains” for card members induce them to buy products they don’t need. 

･Specialized receipts. If you belong to a store’s points program, you may get a receipt that features a coupon for an item that store knows you buy a lot of. The idea is to give you a small discount so that you’ll come back soon and spend more money than you would have otherwise. 

These are just a few of the many age-old tricks used by many stores to persuade you to part with your cash. Have a look for them next time you are shopping. If you are strict and only buy what you need, then you will save money.

    “God Save the Queen” (or “God Save the King,” depending on the gender of the ruling monarch) was first publicly performed in London in 1745 to support King George II after he was defeated in a battle in the Jacobean uprising that started that year. The song was used to boost morale and the forces loyal to George II would go on to defeat the Jacobites the following year. The song came to be referred to as the national anthem from the beginning of the nineteenth century.

    The words and tune are anonymous, and may date back to the seventeenth century. There are various claimants to authorship of both the words and the tune. The words can be found as early as 1545, when the watchword at night was “God save the King,” the reply was “Long to reign over us.” The authorship of the melody has been claimed by many, including John Bull, Henry Carey, Henry Purcell, and Joseph Haydn.

    There is no authorised version of the National Anthem as the words are a matter of tradition. The anthem has also never been officially declared as the national anthem of the country. The royal anthem is used as the national anthem as a matter of tradition. The words used are those sung in 1745, substituting ‘Queen’ for ‘King’ (and female pronouns for male ones) where appropriate. On official occasions, the first verse only is sung; on a small number of occasions, the third verse is heard as well. The second verse is very rarely heard due to its militaristic nature. There exist many other verses, some dating as far back as the first three verses, but the first three are what can best be taken as the “standard” British national anthem.

    The British tune has since become one of the world’s most recognizable anthems, and has been used in other countries including Germany, Russia, Switzerland, the United States, and even today by Liechtenstein and as the royal anthem of Norway. The song also was an influence on early anthems used in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Some 140 composers, including Beethoven, Haydn and Brahms, have used the tune in their compositions.