THE FRENCH SPIDERMAN

While no one is looking, Frenchman Alain Robert jumps up natural landscape. But for me, its a
kind of urban mountain. Solan office building and starts to climb the wall. He hangs from
balconies, crawls along ledges and grips the edges of the glass and concrete. Theres no rope and
no safety net _ hes using only his bare hands! By the time he's halfway up, a crowd has gathered
on the pavement below. After an hour, he reaches the top and the crowd sighs with relief.

Alain has climbed over 85 of the tallest structures in the world, including the Eiffel Tower, the
Empire State Building and the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia. One of his first climbs was at the
age of twelve. He didn't have his flat keys and his parents were out, but he was able to climb up
the outside of the building - seven storeys high - and crawl through a window. Nowadays can
manage eighty storeys but, amazingly, Alain suffers from vertigo - he feels dizzy when hes up
high! He has fallen seven times, suffering dozens of broken bones, which has left him partly
disabled. But this doesnt stop Alain. I only think about what I can do, not what I can't do," he
says.

So why does he do it? Apart from raising awareness about world issues such as climate change,
Alain wants people to see their environment differently. He says, Maybe they think their building
is ugly, this big tower with lots of glass - the opposite of a natural landscape. But for me, it's a kind
of urban mountain. So l use the place where they work, and I make it a kind of wonderland.
Everywhere I climb, I see people who are happy.

After a climb, Alain often leaves in handcuffs. What he does is sometimes illegal, but most of the
time he just gets a fine. The police say he cant climb public buildings, but the only thing that stops
this daredevil is rain! When its wet, Alain cant grip the slippery surfaces. In 2002, he got stuck on
the 35th floor of London's Canary Wharf Tower when it started to rain. Alain risks his life every
time he climbs a new building. His nickname may be Spider-Man, but he is no superhero. Hes just
an ordinary man living a very dangerous life!

You can see videos of Alain in action on YouTube.

PHOBIAS
ED-

As the doors of the lift close, your hands start to sweat. It's only a ten-second trip to the sixth
floor, but your heart is beating fast, youre shaking like a leaf and you can't catch your breath.
Everyone else in the lift seems calm, so what are you afraid of? Well, it sounds like you have
claustrophobia, which is a fear of enclosed spaces. If you have a phobia like this, you're not alone.

ED-

People can have either common phobias, like a fear of insects, needles and the dark, or some very
strange ones indeed! Vicki Larrieuxs fear of vegetables, for example - lachanophobia - makes a
trip to the supermarket a nightmare. There are many other cases of odd phobias such as
ablutophobia (fear of washing), anthophobia (fear of flowers), catoptrophobia (fear of mirrors)
and even phobophobia (the fear of phobias themselves)! Some of these fears might sound
ridiculous to you, but to a person who suffers from them, they are very real. Sufferers may miss
out on opportunities, such as going on holiday because they are afraid of flying, feel embarrassed
about their phobia and even get teased by their friends.

ED-

To understand the reason why some people have phobias, first we need to understand fear itself.
When we sense danger, our brain sends signals to pump adrenalin around our body. Our heart
beats faster, our skin sweats to keep us cool and our muscles tense so that we are ready to escape
the danger. This response is called 'fight or flight', which is necessary for our survival. If we met a
bear while hiking, for instance, we would need to be ready to escape fast!

ED-

When someone suffers from a phobia, however, the danger is mostly in their minds its neither
real nor rational. Maybe someone who is afraid of bees, for instance, once got badly stung by a
bee. Their brain now remembers the experience and triggers a fear reaction every time they see a
bee, or sometimes even just a photo of a bee. The fear signal is very strong, so the person believes
the situation that they are in is more dangerous than it really is.

ED-

So whats the solution for someone who has a phobia? Well, many try to avoid the places and
situations which make them afraid, but this only keeps the fear strong. It's much better for the
person to try to face their fear little by little. A person who is afraid of dogs, for example, could
start by looking at a photo of a dog. Then they could stand near someone with a dog on a lead and
slowly work up to the most difficult thing for them - maybe petting a dog. As they get used to the
thing that they are afraid of, they will realise that their worst fear doesnt come true. In time, the
brain will change how it reacts and their phobia will disappear for good!
What is sleep?

Until quite recently, scientists believed that sleep was a simple, resting state, but it isnt like this at
all! When we sleep, our body temperature drops, our heart rate and other bodily functions slow
down, but our brains stay very active.

What are the different stages?

There are four different stages of sleep that repeat every 90 to 110 minutes. Stages N1 and N2 are
light sleep and we can easily wake up. In stage N3, we sleep more deeply and its harder to wake
up. Some people may also sleepwalk or talk in their sleep. The last stage is REM sleep. Our eyes
move around, our brain is very active, and we have a lot of dreams.

Why do we need sleep?

While we sleep, our brain sorts through information, replaces chemicals, repairs cells, and solves
problems. Lack of sleep seriously affects our mind and body. When we don't rest enough, l we may
feel grumpy, forgetful and unable to concentrate. Lack of sleep can also affect our immune
system. Over a long time, it may cause depression and personality changes and eventually even
shorten our life.

How much sleep do we need?

Its different for everyone, but on average, babies need 16 to 18 hours of sleep, teenagers about 9
and adults about 7 to 8.

Catch Some Zzzs!

Tips for getting a good nights sleep

You should try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. This helps your
body to get into a routine.
Avoid drinks like cola and coffee before bedtime - they contain caffeine that keeps you
awake.
Dont exercise or watch scary movies just before going to bed. This will wake your body up
too much and you might find it difficult to fall asleep.
Have a calming bedtime routine, such as having a warm bath or reading.