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　　A lot of us lose life’s tough battles by starting a frontal attack－when a touch of humor might well enable us to win．Consider the case of a young friend of mine, who hit a traffic jam on his way to work shortly after receiving an ultimatum(最后通牒)about being late on the job．Although there was a good reason for Sam’s being late－serious illness at home－he decided that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn’t work any longer．His supervisor was probably already pacing up and down preparing a dismissal speech．

　　Yes, the boss was．Sam entered the office at 9∶35．The place was as quiet as a locker room; everyone was hard at work．Sam’s supervisor came up to him．Suddenly, Sam forced a grin and stretched out his hand．“How do you do!” he said．“I’m Sam Maynard．I’m applying for a job, which, I understand, became available just 35 minutes ago．Does the early bird get the worm?”

The room exploded in laughter．The supervisor clamped off a smile and walked back to his office．Sam Maynard had saved his job－with the only tool that could win, a laugh．

　　Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected, means of handling the difficult situations in our lives．It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying “no”, criticizing, getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face．For some jobs, it’s the only tool that can succeed．It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialog may start a quarrel．For example, many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people in any other forum．

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　　It was about 11∶15 pm on the passenger ship California．The night was freezing cold and the water was filled with ice from the North Pole, making it difficult for the ship to sail on．

　　In the radio room, ship California’s operator Cyril Evans listened to the radio-talk between a nearby passenger ship and the telegraph station on the Canadian island of Newfoundland．Evans interrupted it and said, “We’re stopped and surrounded by ice．Be careful as you pass through these waters．” The radio operator on the nearby ship replied, “I’m too busy to talk now．I have many messages to send to the telegraph station．” Twenty minutes later, as he turned off his radio and went to bed, Evans could still hear the ship sending its passengers’ telegrams．

　　Earlier in the evening the California’s captain, Stanley Lord, had seen another ship approaching．It looked about the size of his own, but attempts to contact the ship failed．It lay dark and mysterious about 10 miles away．At 00∶40 am there appeared a sudden flash of light just over the mystery ship．Captain Lord, thinking the ship might need help, ordered his officers to signal the ship by lamp．There was no reply．Three more rockets then exploded, none appeared to go higher than halfway up the mast(桅杆)of the mystery ship．Then at about 2∶00 am it turned and slipped into the darkness．

　　In the light of the dawn there was no mystery ship, but 20 miles away was the scene of a great disaster．Unfortunately, the mystery ship had stopped directly in front of the California, preventing people on board from seeing clearly．If this ship had not been there, Captain Lord would have recognized that the rockets were SOS rockets that came not from the mystery ship but from a more distant ship which the California could not see．If Cyril Evans had kept his radio on for just 30 minutes more he would have heard SOS signals coming from that distant ship he spoke with the night before．That ship was the Titanic which was sinking fast, leaving 1,500 of its passengers dead．It was April 14, 1912．

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　　You either have it, or you don’t－a sense of direction, that is．But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map, while others can lose themselves in the next street?

　　Scientists say we’re all born with a sense of direction, but it is not properly understood how it works．One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it．Research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don’t use it, we lose it．

　　“Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around,” says Jim Martland, Research Director of the project．“However, if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car, they never develop the skills．”

　　Jim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction．He makes the following suggestions：

　　●If you are using a map, turn it so it relates to the way you are facing．

　　●If you leave your bike in a strange place, put it near something like a big stone or a tree．Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike．When you return, go back along the same route．

　　●Simplify the way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town, streams, or walls in the countryside to guide you．Count your steps so that you know how far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to find out where you are．

　　Now you need never get lost again!

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　　Before astronauts can go into space, they have to have the right suit．That’s why NASA(美国国家航天和航空局)scientists are developing a new kind of space suit——lighter and more flexible than before．These new space suits will have lots of mobility(灵活性)for the astronauts, but will not need much maintenance(维护)．NASA wants the suits to include new technology that can help astronauts be safe in outer space．

　　Right now, the American space suit weighs about 275 pounds and is big and massive．But the suit is also easy to work in for long periods of time．The Russian space suit is less complicated, but is used only a few times and then gets thrown away．

　　“Finding the right balance is always going to be a challenge,” said a long-time astronaut Jeff Williams．Williams has worn both types of suits．Space suits protect astronauts from both extreme heat and freezing temperatures．They carry life-packs with oxygen for the astronauts．They also shield astronauts from radiation, or particles that send out harmful rays．

　　Scientists are using computers to design the new suits．This allows them to change the design again and again, and to even test the design out before actually making anything．“There are a lot more capable tools and technology to get the job done－a lot more knowledge, as well,” said Joe Kosmo．Kosmo helped design, develop, and test suits during the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and shuttle periods．

　　These new space suits will be much lighter and use a new kind of complex material．They also will have a smaller life support backpack, thanks to tiny electronics．NASA hopes to have the first prototypes(原型)in development by 2010 and certify(证明)the suit by 2012．This will be in time for the launch of the Orion spaceship in 2014．

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　　We were on tour a few summers ago, driving through Chicago, when right outside of the city, we got pulled over．A middle-aged policeman came up to the car and was really being troublesome at first．Lecturing us, he said, "You were speeding．Where are you going in such a hurry?" Our guitarist, Tim, told him that we were on our way to Wisconsin to play a show．His way towards us totally changed．He asked, "Oh, so you boys are in a band(乐队)?” We told him that we were．He then asked all the usual broad questions about the type of music we played, and how long we had been at it．Suddenly, he stopped and said, "Tim, you want to get out of this ticket, don’t you?" Tim said, "Yes．” So the officer asked him to step out of the car．The rest of us, inside the car, didn’t know what to think as we watched the policeman talk to Tim．

　　Next thing we knew, the policeman was putting Tim in the back of the police car he had parked in front of us．With that, he threw the car into reverse(倒车), stopping a few feet in back of our car．Now we suddenly felt frightened．We didn’t know if we were all going to prison, or if the policeman was going to sell Tim on the black market or something．

　　All of a sudden, the policeman’s voice came over in a loudspeaker．He said, "Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever, we have Tim here singing on Route 90．” It turned out that the policeman had told Tim that the only way he was getting out of the ticket was if he sang part of one of our songs over the loudspeaker in the police car．Seconds later, Tim started screaming into the receiver(话筒)．The policeman enjoyed the performance, and sent us on our way without a ticket．

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　　Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another．It doesn't matter where you live---in the middle of a modern city or a faraway village---the chances are that you’ll be disturbed by jet planes, transistor radios, oil-powered engines, etc．We seem to be getting used to noise, too．Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they’re working．

　　Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be a very frightening experience for a human being．However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums(耳鼓)．The noise level in some discos is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas．

　　One recent report about noise and concentration suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration, what really influences their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise．It goes on to say that a background noise which doesn't change too much(music, for example)may even help people to concentrate．

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　　Terraforming(Earth-forming)other planets, also known as planetary engineering(行星工程), seems like a task still centuries away for mankind to accomplish．However, it is a vigorous topic that attracts both popular and scientific interest．Why should the possibility of terraforming other planets be studied when it may be centuries before we know enough to even decide if it’s a good idea?

　　Mankind is getting more and more hard facts about other planets．The atmosphere of Venus has been explored; robots have surveyed the surface of Mars; Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn have been studied by spacecraft．Speculations have been answered; new questions have been raised, and enough hard data is right now becoming available to allow us to make the first attempt of planetary engineering．

　　In the past, people with excellent ideas about terraforming have kept them to themselves, or buried them in a desk drawer because they did not realize that anyone else was interested．But now, a wide circle of people has begun to do this kind of work．For instance, NASA funded a project on transforming Mars．

　　There are several strong reasons which demand that the possibilities of terraforming be studied carefully．First, it’s an exciting idea of a possible future for human beings．Such thinking has a valuable role in providing options for our future directions．Secondly, the techniques of terraforming will also help contemporary technologies in weather and climate control．Thirdly, such study may assist us in detecting any possible existence of extraterrestrial intelligence(SETI, The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, 地外文明搜索)and alien(异己的)civilizations on other planets．

　　Though the mission is far beyond our reach at the moment, we should at least keep our options open．Through debate and study on this subject, the possibility of rebuilding other planets to make them suitable homes for people may come true some day in the future．

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　　One of our biggest fears nowadays is that our kids might some day get lost in a “sea of technology” rather than experiencing the natural world．Fear – producing TV and computer games are leading to a serious disconnect between kids and the great outdoors, which will change the wild places of the world, its creatures and human health for the worse, unless adults get working on child’s play．

　　Each of us had a place in nature we go sometimes, even if it was torn down．We cannot be the last generation to have that place．At this rate, kids who miss the sense of wonder outdoors will not grow up to be protectors of natural landscapes．“If the decline in parks use continues across North America, who will defend parks against encroachment(蚕食)?” asks Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods．

　　Without having a nature experience, kids can turn out just fine, but they are missing out a huge enrichment of their lives．That applies to everything from their physical health and mental health, to stress levels, creativity and cognitive(认知的)skills．Experts predict modern kids will have poorer health than their parents－and they say a lack of outside play is surely part of it; research suggests that kids do better academically in schools with a nature component and that play in nature fosters(培养)leadership by the smartest, not by the toughest．Even a tiny outdoor experience can create wonder in a child．The three-year-old turning over his first rock realizes he is not alone in the world．A clump of trees on the roadside can be the whole universe in his eyes．We really need to value that more．

　　Kids are not to blame．They are over-protected and frightened．It is dangerous out there from time to time, but repetitive stress from computers is replacing breaking an arm as a childhood rite(仪式)of passage．

　　Everyone from developers to schools and outdoorsy citizens, should help regain for our kids some of the freedom and joy of exploring, taking friendship in fields and woods that cement(增强)love, respect and need for the landscape．As parents, we should devote some of our energies to taking our kids into nature．This could yet be our greatest cause．

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　　For thousands of years, the most important two buildings in any British village have been the church and the pub．Traditionally, the church and the pub are at the heart of any village or town, where the people gather together to socialize and exchange news．

　　As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved．Many of them have become historic sites．The most famous example is the pub in the city of Nottingham called “Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem”, which dates back to the year 1189 AD and is probably the oldest pub in England．

　　However, British pubs are not just for kings and queens; they welcome people from all classes and parts of society．On a cold night, the pub’s landlord or landlady can always find a warm place for you by the fire．There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drink available at an affordable price．

　　That’s how things used to be．Things are beginning to change．It is said that the credit crunch(信贷紧缩)is causing 39 British pubs a week to go out of business．People do not have enough spare money to spend on beer．Recently, the UK government banned smoking in all pubs, and that may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs．

　　This decline is happening despite the fact that in 2005 the UK government started to allow pubs to stay open after 1l pm．Previously, with 1l pm as closing time, customers would have to drink quite quickly, meaning they sometimes got more drunk than they would if allowed to drink slowly．The British habit of drinking a lot very quickly is known as “binge drinking”, and it causes long-term health problems for people and problems with violent crime for communities．

　　In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to change with the market．British pubs now offer something for everyone．A lot of pubs used to be “Working Men's Clubs”, meaning that women could not usually enter．Today, however, women can freely enter 99％ of pubs without experiencing any problems．Perhaps things are changing for the better after all．

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　　Here are four pieces of news from China Daily．

　　SHANGHAI－The Huachen Group, which has put 83 million yuan in the development of the commerce market since its official registration(注册)late last year, recently held a meeting in Shanghai to show the use of its newly opened tourism business payment network．The network aims to serve tourists from all over the world, but especially from Europe and the United States where credit cards are popularly used．After opening the www．ehinaeonet．Com website, netizens can get information about hotels and tourism services on tourism page．Hotels and services can be reserved(预定)and payment made through credit cards．The network opened in February in Beijing．

　　SYDNEY－The Sydney Olympic flame will travel underwater on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef during the torch(火炬)relay following a successful test．

　　Scuba diver Wendy Craig, a marine biologist, will carry the torch on three-to-four-minute underwater journey at Agincourt Reef on June 27, creating Olympic history, organizers said yesterday．

　　Burning at 2,000 degrees, the torch is expected to remain alight three meters underwater because of a special kind of technology which creates a “fierce flame”--- too powerful to be drowned out by water．Charles Tegner, managing director of torch creator, said the flame would burn like a flame from oxygen-producing chemicals．

　　BEIJING－The election of a new leader in Taiwan can not change the fact that Taiwan is part of China．“Taiwan Independence” in whatever form will never be allowed, according to a statesman of China’s central government．

　　“We should listen to what the new leader in Taiwan says and watch what he does．We will observe where he will lead Cross-Straits relations．We are willing to exchange views on Cross-Straits relations and peaceful reunification(重新统一)with all parties, organizations and people in Taiwan who favor the one-China principle,” says the statesman, from Taiwan Affairs Office of the CPC Central Committee．

　　HAIKOU－Customs officers in Haikou, capital of South China’s Hainan Province, recently stopped a boat loaded with 781 cases of foreign-brand cigarettes being smuggling(走私)into China．The cigarettes are estimated to be worth more than 1．8 million yuan, said a customs officer．They discovered the smuggling boat as they were going around the northern sea area of Yangpu Port．

　　The smuggled cigarettes cases, packed into two containers, were disguised to avoid being examined．The boat was registered(注册)in the coastal city Xiamen in East China’s Fujian Province．All eight suspects(嫌疑犯)aboard the boat were kept by the police in Haikou．

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