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　　President Obama ranks 15th out of 44 in a poll of the best and worst Presidents while former President George W．Bush earns a place in the bottom five, according to the Siena College Research Institute's recent survey released Thursday

　　Obama won a top ten place in two skill set categories, communication ability(7th)and ability to compromise(用折衷的方法解决争端)(10th), and in two personality trait categories, imagination(6th)and intelligence(8th)．Background, described as family, education, and experience, proved his lowest score at 32nd．

　　This is the 5th time the institute has conducted the survey of U．S．presidents, which is done a year after a new president takes office．The first survey was done in 1982．"Obviously, there's not great validity to the poll since the Presidents have only been in office for one year," says the survey's co-director and statistician Douglas Lonnstrom．"But it's a benchmark for us to see how they move．"

　　Presidents tend to rank around 20th while they are in office, and Obama is no exception．His actions over the next few years will decide if he stays roughly the same like Reagan－who moved from 16th to 20th, 22nd, 16th again, and finally to 18th this year－or like Bush, who fell from 23rd to 39th．

　　Franklin D．Roosevelt has held his title as top president since 1982 with the same four following as top five：Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson．

　　The survey, which ranks Presidents using 20 different factors, shows Jefferson was the most intelligent president, Richard Nixon was the worst at honesty and avoiding serious mistakes, Lincoln had the best overall ability, and Washington was the best leader．

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　　Unconventional in every way, Edward Estlin Cummings?made striking use of grammar．His arts were poetry, painting, and drama, and in all of them he was an experimenter and innovator．The poetry－for which he is best remembered－was marked by strange combinations of words and expressions and produced in very strange printing．The unusual techniques that Cummings used served to present his ideas more forcefully and effectively than would have been the case with more ordinary styles．

　　Cummings was born in Cambridge, Mass, on Oct．14, 1894．He was graduated from Harvard College in 1915 and received a master's degree in 1916．During World War I he served as an ambulance driver in France．He spent six months in a detention camp because of his friendship with another American who had supposedly criticized the Allied war effort．This experience increased his distrust for all officialdom(官场), a distrust that showed itself in many of his later poems as well as in his first book, ‘The Enormous Room', published in 1922．

　　Between the two world wars Cummings divided his time between Paris and New York City．His first book of verse was ‘Tulips and Chimneys'(1923)．In all he wrote 12 volumes of verse, which were collected in ‘Complete Poems'(1968)．The strangeness of his style was criticized by some, but others found it meaningful．

　　Among Cummings' plays were ‘Him', first performed in 1927, and ‘Tom'(1935), a work based on ‘Uncle Tom's Cabin'．An experimental prose(散文)book, ‘Eimi'(1933), recorded a 36-day visit to the Soviet Union．

　　Cummings died at his home in North Conway, N．H．, on Sept．3, 1962．He was the second most widely read poet in the United States, after Robert Frost．He was buried in Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts．

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　　The iPhone, the iPad：each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad(一时的风尚)．Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i”－and many other brands are following suit．The BBC’s iPlayer－which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet－adopted the title in 2008．A lovely bear－popular in the US and UK－that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”．A slimmed-down version of London’s Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name “i”．

　　In general, single-letter prefixes have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use．

　　Most “i” products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name．

　　But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”．Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous．When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines．“Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,” he says．

　　“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability(轻便)．”adds Thorne．

　　Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual．Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason．

　　Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade．

　　But as history shows, people grow tired of fads．From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern．However, as we entered the new century, the trend inevitably disappeared．

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　　Whether it is “women and children first” or “every man for himself” in a shipwreck(船只失事)may depend on how long it takes the ship to sink, researchers said recently．

　　When the Lusitania was torpedoed(用鱼雷攻击)by a German ship in 1915, it sank in 18 minutes and the majority of the survivors were young men and women who responded immediately to their powerful survival instincts(本能)．

　　But when the Titanic struck an iceberg in 1912, it took “three hours to go down, allowing time for more civilize(文明的)behavior to take control－and the majority of the survivors were women, children and people with young children．

　　Economist Benno Torgler of the Queensland University of Technology in Australia and his colleagues studied the two sinkings in order to explore the economic theory that people generally behave in a “rational”(理性的)and selfish manner．The two tragedies provided a “natural experiment” for testing the idea, because the passengers on the two ships were quite similar in terms of gender(性别)and wealth．

　　The major difference was how long it took the ships to sink．They suggested that when people have little time to react, instincts may rule．When more time is available, social influences play a bigger role．But psychologists(心理学家)noted that many factors other than following social norms could come into play in a disaster, including an evolutionary urge to save the species, attachments(依恋)that are formed between individuals during the event and the leadership of authority figures．

　　The extent(程度)of altruism(利他主义)and how it occurs “is a very controversial issue,” said Anthony R．Mawson, a professor of preventive medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center．He thinks the dominant(主宰的)response was attachment behavior．

　　Psychologist Daniel Kruger of the University of Michigan, US thinks that the answer lies less in social norms and more in our evolutionary heritage．Human beings have a deep instinct to preserve our kind, he said, and that means “people are more likely to save those who have higher reproductive value, namely the young and women in child-bearing years”．

　　Kruger also stressed the importance of leadership during a disaster, noting that the Titanic’s captain appeared to have greater control than the Lusitania’s．

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　　Farm-raised pigs are dirty, smelly animals that get no respect．They’re also an environmental hazard．Their manure(粪便)contains phosphorus(磷)，which, when it rains, runs off into lakes and rivers, consuming oxygen, killing fish, stimulating algae(藻类)overgrowth and emitting greenhouse gases．

　　Doing away with the pig is not an option．Pigs provide more dietary protein, more cheaply, to more people than any other animal．Northern Europe still maintains the highest pig-to-human ratio(比率)in the world(2-1 in Denmark), but East Asia is catching up．During the 1990s, pork production doubled in Vietnam and grew by 70 percent in China－along densely populated coastlines, pig density exceeds 100 animals per square kilometer．The resulting pollution is “threatening fragile coastal marine habitats including mangroves(红树林)，coral reefs and sea grasses ,”according to a report released in February by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations．

　　As it turns out, there is a solution to the pig problem, but it requires a change of mind-set among environmentalists and the public．Two Canadian scientists have created a pig whose manure doesn’t contain very much phosphorus at all．If this variety of pig were adopted widely, It could greatly reduce a major source of pollution．But the Enviropig, as they call it, is the product of genetic modification－which is anathema(忌讳)to many Westerners．

　　The Enviropig is one of many new technologies that are putting environmentalists and organic-food supporters in a quandary：should they remain categorically(无条件)opposed to genetically modified(GM)foods even at the expense of the environment? Elsewhere, trees grown for paper could be made amenable to much more efficient processing, reducing both energy usage and toxic chemical bleach(漂白剂)in waste water from paper mills．The most significant GM applications will be ones that help lessen the problem of agriculture, which accounts for 38percent of the world’s landmass and is crowding out natural ecosystems and species habitats．

　　Chances are, farmers will continue to grow their polluting organic pork, their allergenic(引起过敏的)organic soy and their neurotoxin(神经毒素)sprayed organic apples．Worse still, they will make sure that no one else gets a choice in the matter of improving the conditions of life on earth－unless, that is, others rise up and demand an alternative．

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　　When the sun is up in Amsterdam, the largest city in the Netherlands sits quietly on the Amstel River．You can rent a bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum, or take a water taxi．

　　But when the sun goes down, the partying begins．In the big clubs and in coffee shops, tourists gather to hang out, talk politics and smoke．

　　Several areas of the city clearly show the two worlds that rule Amsterdam．And they are all within a short cab ride of each other．

　　For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open markets, concerts and other events．Several beautiful and very popular hotels can be found there．And there is the Royal Palace and the Magna Plaza shopping mall．

　　But as evening descends on Dam Square so do the party-seeker, hip pop or funk music begins blaring from Club Paradiso and Club Melkweg．These are two of the most popular clubs in Europe．So if you come, be ready to dance．The clubs don’t shut down until 4 am．

　　And while you are there, check out the various inexpensive ways to tour the city．Don’t worry about getting lost．Although Dutch is the official language, most people in Amsterdam speak English and are happy to help you with directions．

　　And you will notice that half the people in streets are on bicycles．They rent for US ＄17 to ＄20 for a whole day．

　　Amsterdam also has a good canal system．From anywhere between US ＄2 and ＄9.50, you can use the canal bus or a water taxi to cruise the “Venice of the North”．

　　You can take in the picturesque canal house architecture：The rows of neat, narrow sour-story dwellings of brownstone with large windows are well worth seeing．Many of them are several centuries old．

　　You might also want to jump out of the canal bus at the Museum Quarter and start walking．Masterpieces by Dutch artists such as Rembrandt, Bruegel, Van Gogh and others are on display at the Van Gogh Museum, Rembrandt House and others．

　　The city has an appreciation of its historic post．One place to visit is the Anne Frank House in Nine Streets．It was there that the young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary during World War II．Visitors can view　Anne’s　original diary and climb behind the bookcase to the room where she and her family hid from the Nazis for two years．

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　　For a while, my neighborhood was taken ever by an army of joggers(慢跑者)．They were there all the time：early morning, noon, and evenings．There were little old ladies in gray sweats, young couples in Adidas shoes, middle-aged men with red faces．“Come on!” My friend Alex encouraged me to join him as he jogged by my house every evening．“You’ll feel great．”

　　Well, I had nothing against feeling great and if Alex could jog every day, anyone could．So I took up jogging seriously and gave it a good two months of my life, and not a day more．Based on my experience, jogging is the most overvalued form of exercise around, and judging from the number of the people who left our neighborhood jogging army, I’m not alone in my opinion．

　　First of all, jogging is very hard on the body．Your legs and feet take a real pounding(追击)running down a road for two or three miles．I developed foot, leg, and back problems．Then I read about a nationally famous jogger who died of a heart attack while jogging, and I had something else to worry about．Jogging doesn’t kill hundreds of people, but if you have any physical weaknesses, jogging will surely bring them out, as they did with me．

　　Secondly, I got no enjoyment out of jogging．Putting one foot in front of the other for forty-five minutes isn’t my idea of fun．Jogging is also a lonely pastime．Some joggers say, “I love being out there with just my thoughts．” Well, my thoughts began to bore me, and most of them were on how much my legs hurt．

　　And how could I enjoy something that brought me pain? And that wasn’t just the first week; it was practically every day for two months．I never got past the pain level, and pain isn’t fun．What a cruel way to do it! So many other exercises, including walking, lead to almost the same results painlessly, so why jog?

　　I don’t jog any more, and I don’t think I ever will．I’m walking two miles three times a week at a fast pace, and that feels good．I bicycle to work when the weather is good．I’m getting exercise, and I’m enjoying it at the same time．I could never say the same for jogging, and I’ve found a lot of better ways to stay in shape．

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　　From good reading we can derive pleasure, companionship, experience, and instruction．A good book may absorb our attention so completely that for the time being we forget our surroundings and even our identity．Reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life．It increases our contentment when we are cheerful, and lessens our troubles when we are sad．Whatever may be our main purpose in reading, our contact with good books should never fail to give us enjoyment and satisfaction．

　　With a good book in our hands we need never be lonely．Whether the characters portrayed are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends．In the pages of books we can walk with the wise and the good of all lands and all times．The people we meet in books may delight us either because they resemble human friends whom we hold or because they present unfamiliar types whom we are glad to welcome as new acquaintances．Our human friends sometimes may bore us, but the friends we make in books need never weary us with their company．By turning the page we can dismiss them without any fear of hurting their feelings．When human friends desert us, good books are always ready to give us friendship, sympathy, and encouragement．One of the most valuable gifts bestowed by books is experience．Few of us can travel far from home or have a wide range of experiences, but all of us can lead varied lives through the pages of books．Whether we wish to escape from the seemingly dull realities of everyday life or whether we long to visit some far-off place, a book will help us when nothing else can．To travel by book we need no bank account to pay our way; no airship or ocean liner or stream-lined train to transport us; no passport to enter the land of our heart's desire．

　　Through books we may get the thrill of hazardous adventure without danger．We can climb lofty mountains, brave the perils of an Antarctic winter, or cross the scorching sands of the desert, all without hardship．In books we may visit the studios of Hollywood; we may mingle with the gay throngs of the Paris boulevards; we may join the picturesque peasants in an Alpine village or the kindly natives on a South Sea island．Indeed, through books the whole world is ours for the asking．The possibilities of our literary experiences are almost unlimited．The beauties of nature, the enjoyment of music, the treasures of art, the triumphs of architecture, the marvels of engineering, are all open to the wonder and enjoyment of those who read．

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　　It’s hardly surprising that weather is a favorite topic for so many people around the world－it affects where we choose to love, what we wear, our moods, and perhaps even our national characteristics．Studies have shown the changeable weather can make it difficult to concentrate, cloudy skies slow sown reaction, and high humidity with hot, dry winds makes many people bad-tempered．

　　If you live in a place like Britain, where the weather seems to change daily if not hourly, you could be forgiven for thinking that the weather is random．In fact, the weather is controlled by systems which move around areas of the globe．In the UK the weather depends on depressions(低气压), often called lows, and anticyclones(高气压), also known as highs．These systems start in the Atlantic Ocean, and make their way across the British Isles from the west to the east．Highs bring sunny weather, while lows bring rain and wind．In modern times, human activities seem to be altering weather patterns．Gases produced by heavy industry change the temperature of the Earth’s surface, and affect cloud formation．Some researchers say that factories in Europe and North America may have been one of the causes of the droughts in Africa in the 1980s．

　　The human race has always tried to guess the weather, especially in areas of the world where there are frequent changes．Traditional rhymes point to early attempts to identify weather patterns, popular poems include：

　　Red sky at night, shepherds’ delight; red sky in the morning, shepherds’ warning．

　　Flies will swarm before a storm．

　　Rain before 7, clear by 11．

　　While folk wisdom can still provide a guide to help forecast weather, today’s methods of prediction increasingly rely on technology．Satellites, balloons, ships, aircrafts and weather centers with sensitive monitoring equipment, send data to computers．The date is them processed, and the weather is predicted．However, even this system cannot predict weather for longer than about a week．

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　　As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation．Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down．But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body．

　　Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it．In fact, it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be．A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life．It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health．

　　The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual．Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities, others lose heart at the first sign of unusual difficulties．When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically．In fact we make choice between "flight or fight" and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death．The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response．It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered．Since we can't remove stress from our lives(it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it．