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　　BEIJING－Seven prestigious(有声望的)universities in China announced Sunday that they would begin using the same independent exam－besides the national one－to test students hoping to gain entrance to them in 2011．

　　The seven are Peking University, Beihang University, Beijing Normal University, Nankai University, Fudan University, Xiamen University and Hong Kong University．

　　Students who want to gain entrance to any of the seven universities will only have to sit one independent exam, according to the joint announcement．

　　"This will help lighten the students' load, otherwise they must take several exams for different universities," said the announcement．

　　Passing the exam could result in more than one interview chance, giving the students more opportunities to choose their favorite universities．

　　China’s college entrance exam system is undergoing reform as universities aim to select students based on independent criteria(标准)rather than just using the results of the national exam．

　　In 2003, Peking University and another 21 universities were allowed to pilot(试用)the reform by using their own criteria to independently select five percent of their students．

　　Now nearly 80 universities across the country have the right to select talented students based on their own exams．

　　Education experts regard universities selecting students according to independent examinations as conducive(有助的)to better understanding where the students' talents lie．

　　Although this may be the case, it has also created problems as students may sit many different exams as they often apply for a number of universities．

　　To relieve(缓解)students from such pressures, the national education outline(纲要)(2010-2020)released in July this year encourages high-level universities to group together to use the same exams．

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　　A scientist turns out to be able to see the future by offering each of some four-year-olds a piece of candy and watching how he or she deals with it．Some children reach eagerly for the treat they see．Some last a few minutes before they give in．But others are determined to wait until the last moment．

　　By the time the children reach high school, something remarkable(不寻常)has happened．A survey found that those who as four-year-olds had enough self-control to hold out(坚持)generally grew up to be more popular, adventurous(大胆的), confident and dependable．The children who gave in to temptation(诱惑)early on were more likely to be lonely, easily frustrated(沮丧)and inflexible(固守己见的)．

　　Actually, the ability to delay reward is a sign of emotional intelligence(情商)which doesn't show up on an IQ test．

　　The hardware of the brain and the software of the mind have long been scientists' concerns．But brain theory can't explain what we wonder about(左思右想)most, like the question why some people remain upbeat in the face of troubles that would sink(使…消沉)a less resistant soul(意志不坚定者)．

　　Here comes the theory of Daniel Goleman, writer of Emotional Intelligence：when it comes to predicting(预测)people's success, brain ability which is measured by IQ may actually matter less than(作用不及)the qualities of mind once thought of as "character"．

　　EQ(情商)is not the opposite of IQ．What researchers have been trying to understand is how they work together; how one's ability to handle stress, for instance, affects the ability to concentrate and put intelligence to use．Among the ingredients(要素)for success, researchers now generally agree that IQ counts for about 20％; the rest depends on everything from social class to luck．

　　While many researchers in this relatively(相对地)new field are glad to see emotional issues finally taken seriously, some few fear EQ invites(招致)misuse．

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　　With their weakening bodies, advanced age(老年)or increasing pressure of work or study, people have been advised and usually persuaded to have health care(卫生保健)products．Do you remember your first time to take a nutritional supplement(营养补充品)? What was your first impression?

　　Posted by Amy, Dec．23, 2010 8：05 PM

　　Madeline on Dec．24, 2010 7∶25 PM

　　Years ago, as a young mom with two small children, I struggled to keep up with the demands of a busy life．One day, I woke up feeling so tired that I knew something had to change!

　　A friend gave me some Royal Jelly－an amazing substance(物质)from the beehive(蜂房)．I was doubtful, but desperate(不顾一切的)…so I tried it! In time, I began to experience renewed energy and vitality(活力)like never before! Now, over two decades later, I travel all round the country, sharing my life-changing experience．I'm grateful for the energy to keep up and love to share this wonderful discovery with others．

　　Blanca on Dec．25, 2010 7：02 PM

　　Ten years ago, when I was 73, my mind wanted to be busy and useful, but my body didn't．I became tired and lethargic(无精打采的))．That's when my daughter Madeline tried to persuade me to try her special Royal Jelly．It made such a dramatic(巨大的)difference in her life, so she was sure it could help me too! Hesitating(犹豫)for 2 days, I gave in．She was right! I no longer felt worn out．I had a new, youthful zest(热情)for life and I've been OK－thanks to Royal Jelly!

　　Lori oa Dec．25, 2010 10∶27 PM

　　When my mom Madeline was introduced to Royal Jelly, it affected my life, too! Mom gave me some of her fantastic(奇妙的)Royal Jelly．Boy, things did turn around! I had more energy and stamina(耐力)and was finally able to keep up with high school and, eventually(最后), college activities．Today, I' m a busy mom in my mid-thirties with two active boys and a new business! I have enough energy to do it all! I'm glad I took my Mom's advice．

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　　It's 5∶00 in the morning when the alarm(闹钟)rings in my ears．I roll out of bed and walk blindly through the dark into the bathroom．I turn on the light and put on my glasses．The house is still as I walk downstairs while my husband and three kids sleep peacefully．Usually I go for a long run, but today I choose my favorite exercise DVD, insanity(健身舞蹈)．Sweat pours down my face and into my eyes．My heart races as I force my body to finish each movement．As I near the end of the exercise, I feel extremely tired, but a smile is on my face．It's not a smile because the DVD is over, but a smile of success from pushing my body to its extreme limit．

　　Some people enjoy shopping, smoking, food, work, or even chocolate．But I need exercise to get through each day．Some shake heads when they see me run through the town．Others get hurt when I refuse to try just one bite of their grandmother's chocolate cake．They raise their eyebrows(眉毛), surprised by my "no thank you," or by my choice to have a salad．Over the years, I have learned that it's okay to just say "no．" I shouldn't feel sorry for refusing food that I don't want to eat．

　　So what drives me to roll out of bed at 5∶00 a. m.? What gives me the reason to just say no to ice cream? Commitment．A commitment to change my life with a way that reduces daily anxiety, increases self-confidence and energy, extends life and above all improves my body shape．This is the point where a smile appears on my face as I look at myself in the mirror or try on my favorite pair of jeans(牛仔裤)that now fit just right．It's through commitment and sweat that I can make a difference(有影响)within myself inside and out．

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　　I had the meanest(吝啬的)mother in the world．While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal(麦片粥), eggs and toast．Others had cokes and candy for lunch, while we had to eat a sandwich．As you can guess, my supper was different than the other kids'．But at least I was not alone in my suffering．My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did．

　　My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times．She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing．We had to wear clean clothes every day．Other kids always wore their clothes for days．We reached the height of disgrace(丢脸)because she made our clothes herself, just to save money．

　　The worst is yet to come．We had to be in bed by 9∶00 each night and up at 7∶45 the next morning．So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law．She made us work．I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us．Through the years, our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing．My mother, however, would merely be content with black marks．None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout(辍学者)．

　　She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults．Using this as a background, I'm now trying to bring up my three children．I'm filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world．

　　At one time, people used to travel to foreign countries because they thought the building, the food, the national dress there would be different from home．Nowadays, however, one large city is very like another．They all have their Hilton or Sheraton Hotels which look like Hilton or Sheraton Hotels everywhere．They all have their McDonald’s, their KFCs, their Pizza Huts．Office buildings look the same everywhere, and most city centers are full of office buildings．And, of course, people are driving the same brands of Japanese or European cars, usually wearing the same kinds of clothing and watching the same American movies and TV shows．Airports are the same everywhere and the world’s airlines are all flying the same aircraft, Boeings or Airbuses．

　　What, therefore, is the purpose of foreign travel for people who are not on business? What do tourists hope to experience in a foreign country that they cannot experience at home? Why do they travel to foreign countries at all? The answer could be that people are very interested in the past．It is a nation’s history that is its main attraction．Most of today’s tourists travel overseas to find out what foreign countries and cultures used to be like, not what they are like today．The words “cultural tourism” are now part of the language of tourism, and it is the museums and works of art in many countries that are their main attractions．

　　If they are lucky many countries also usually have at least a few beautiful places for tourists to visit．

　　Finally there is perhaps a nation’s greatest attraction：its people．A nation is not just its historical buildings, its works of art or beautiful places, and it is also the people who live in it．This is why a country such as Thailand attracts millions of people every year．They come mainly because of the friendliness of the Thai people, and it is why the Pacific Islands are also so popular．There may not be much to see or do in Fiji, but there are lots of friendly, smiling people to make visitors feel welcome．

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　　Catherine Destivelle is a rock star．She loves rock, but she can’t sing or play the guitar! She is a rock climber and a big star in France and Italy．She is the most famous woman climber in the world because she often climbs without ropes．She climbs in many countries but most often in the French Alps near Chamonix, where she lives．She started climbing near her home in Paris when she was five．Then, at fourteen, she joined the French Alpine Club to learn more, but immediately she climbed better and more quickly than the older members of the club．She won her first competition in Italy in 1995．

　　Three years ago she found a new route up the Dru Mountain near Chamonix．The climb took eleven days and for four days the snow was so heavy that she could not move．Last year other climbers tried to follow the new Destivelle Route, but they failed．They are going to try again this year．

　　People always ask her about her climbing．She says, “I climb because I’m in love with mountains．I like touching the rock and reading the face of the rock．I like it a lot．I felt at home on the side of a mountain．I prepare well before I go, so I’m never worried．”

　　Catherine chooses new mountains from books－like buying from a shopping catalogue(目录)! “I see a nice mountain and I go to climb it!” Her next mountain is in Pakistan．She is going there next month．“It’s much bigger than the Dru, so it’s going to take longer to climb．An American climber, Jeff Lowe, is coming with me to help．”

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　　Britain’s oldest man made his first visit to London yesterday at the age of 101．Mr John Evans, who spent 60 years working as a miner in South Wales, had never found the time or money to make the trip from his home in Forest–fach, near Swansea．“There was a trip to the White City, but it was ten shillings’ return from Swansea－too much I thought．All my money went to the family then,” he said．But when British Rail offered him an all–expense–paid birthday gift to the capital, he just could not refuse．

　　He arrived at Paddington Station in his best suit, favorite Panama hat and a red rose in his buttonhole．“It’s very exciting．There’s no doubt about it,” he said．

　　Until yesterday he had never been far from home．“But I’ve been on the seas to that faraway land called Fracombe 21 miles from home,” he joked．During the next two days Mr Evans will be taken on a short tour of London to see the sights．Top of his list is a visit to the House of Parliament．

　　The only arrangement he does not like is the wheelchair provided for him if he gets tired．“I don’t like the chair－people will think I am getting old,” he said．His secret for a long and healthy life has been well publicized－no wine, no tobacco and no anger．

　　Before setting off from Swansea with his 76–year–old son, he said jokingly, “I’m glad to see they’ve given me a return ticket．”

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　　In the US and Britain, the slogan around colleges was “Save water．Shower with a friend．” Now, Wuhan University has come up with another system for the campus bathhouse．It charges students for the amount of time in a shower．Before entering the bathhouse, students pay for the amount of time they want in the shower with cash or their student ID card．The clock starts ticking the minute the tape is turned on．It pauses when a button is pressed for soap．An integrated circuit(IC)card reader at each tap shows the time．No money, no water．The benefits of the new system can be seen with the old system, which charged 1 Yuan for each person regardless of time in the shower．The university used about 320 tons of water daily under the old system, but only 160 tons now．

　　Many students use the new system but opinions on it are divided．Some students say it is bad because bathing had become a sort of race．Many people using it for the first time are not sure how long they need to shower．Some might be embarrassed if their time is up and they’re still covered in soap．They have to ask the bathhouse worker to help them buy extra time．

　　“It’s a flaw in the system that you can not buy extra time on the ID card,” said Ren, a freshman in Wuhan University．The university is also considering some students’ suggestions that they be allowed to pay after they’ve finished the shower．Not surprisingly, some are complaining about losing the hour shower．But many students say the move helps them develop a water-saving sense．

　　Without the time limits, most students tended to shower for 30 to an hour in the bathhouse．

　　Some even used the hot water to wash their clothes．“In my experience, 10－20 minutes is enough,” said Dai Zhihua, a third-year student who usually takes 8 minutes．

　　A similar system has been installed in other universities．Shanghai Normal University introduced it at its Fengxiang Campus in September．The bathing fee there is 0.2 Yuan per minute．One male student responded by setting a record with a two-minute shower．

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　　Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day．“I was a clothes addict,” he jokes．“I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled．” Today David wears casual clothes－khaki pants and sports shirt－to the office．He hardly ever wears a necktie．“I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable．”

　　More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work．In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual．In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday, but only on Friday．This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”．“What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing．” said business consultant Maisly Jones．

　　Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code．“A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code．” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes．In a study conducted by Levi Strauss Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale(士气)．Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative effect on productivity．Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money．“Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said．“For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes．”