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　　When we see well, we do not think about our eyes very often．It is only when we cannot see perfectly that we realize how important our eyes are．

　　People who are near-sighted can only see things that are very close to their eyes．Everything else seems blurry(unclear)．Many people who do a lot of work, such as writing, reading and sewing become near-sighted．

　　Then People who are far-sighted suffer from just the opposite problem．They can see things that are far away, but they have difficulty in reading a book unless they hold it at arm’s length．If they want to do much reading, they must get glasses, too．

　　Other people do not see clearly because their eyes are not exactly the right shape．They have what is called astigmatism(散光)．This, too, can be corrected by glasses．Some people’s eyes become cloudy because of cataracts(白内障)．Long ago these people often became blind．Now however, it is possible to operate on the cataracts and remove then．

　　Having two good eyes is important for judging distances．Each eye sees things from a slightly different angle(角度)．To prove this to yourself, look at an object out of one eye; then look at the same object out of your other eye．You will find the object’s relation to the background and other things around it has changed．The difference between these two different eye views helps us to judge how far away an object is．People who have only one eye cannot judge distance as people with two eyes．

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　　Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger(施瓦辛格)muscled aside an unpopular governor last week to win control of California, America's biggest and richest state．Now the former bodybuilder and actor faces the much bigger test of dealing with the state's huge debts and proving to America that he is a real politician．

　　Charming and famous, but with no political experience, few thought Schwarzenegger would realize his goal of becoming governor．But when he sets himself a challenge, he often succeeds．

　　“Every New Year's Day he'd write down some goals,” said Barbara Baker, his former girlfriend．“He achieved almost every single one of them．”

　　Born in a village in post-war Austria in 1947, Schwarzenegger is remembered as a silent boy who set his mind on developing his muscles．

　　“His only interest was in shaping his body to become Mr Universe,” said his first trainer．

　　He ended up winning 13 titles, including Mr Olympia and Mr World．He first came to America in 1968 and worked as a brick-layer before becoming a successful businessman．But this wasn't enough; he wanted to be a movie star too．His first few films weren't hits．However, when he took the lead role in the successful 1982 film” Conan the Barbarian”(野蛮人科南), Schwarzenegger the star was born．He went on to appear in many hit films, including “ The Terminator”(终结者)．

　　“I knew I was a winner．I knew I was destined for great things．” He once wrote．He has often said he was born to lead, so it was natural he would be interested in politics．Although he has not run for office before, he has done much volunteer(义务的)work．In 1995 he started an after-school care foundation(基金会)now active in 15 cities．It encourages poor children to take part in educational, cultural and community programs, as well as computer and sports activities．

　　However, many people think this challenge will be a step too far Schwarzenegger．“I'm not sure he knows how hard it is to run a state this size,” said State Senate(参议院)leader John Burton．

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　　Send us your joke, anecdote(轶事/逸闻)or story, and if we publish it in the magazine, we'll pay as follows：

　　My Story ＄500

　　Personal stories beyond the call of daily life．They must be unpublished, original and less than 1000 words．Click here to read more stories．

　　Kindness of Strangers Up to ＄250

　　True accounts of good karma, inspiring acts of unexpected kindness and generosity, or just something someone did that made your day－or change your life．100-500 words．Click here to read more stories．

　　Anecdotes and Jokes ＄50-＄250

　　Funny things can happen at work and at home－especially when kids are around to pass comment．We may run your writing in Life's Like That, All in a Day's Work or As Kids See It, or as a short filler．Got a new joke? Send it in for Laughter, the Best Medicine．Click here to read more stories．

　　Smart Animals Up to ＄150

　　Has your cat worked out how to use a can-opener? Is your rabbit planting carrot crops? Tell us about clever pets or wildlife in up to 300 words．Click here to read more stories．

　　Send us Your Punchline(妙语连珠)

　　So you think of yourself as a bit of a jokester? See if you can come up with a punchline to this month's joke…

　　You Said It

　　If you'd like to comment on something you saw in Reader's Digest magazine or on this website, this is the place to do it!

　　Is It Just Me

　　Can you be humorous about the trials and mysteries of modern life? Get it off your chest in 500 words．Click here to read more stories．

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　　Glynis Davis：

　　I first put on the pounds when I was in the family way and I couldn't lose them afterwards．Then I joined a slimming club．My target was 140 pounds and I lost 30 pounds in six months．I felt great and people kept saying how good I looked．But Christmas came and I started to slip back into my old eating habits．I told myself I'd lose the weight at slimming classes in the New Year…but it didn't happen．Instead of losing the pounds, I put them on．I'd lost will power and tried to believe that a few bags of fish and chips didn't make any difference but the scales don't lie．

　　Roz Juma：

　　To be honest, I never weigh myself any more．I've learnt to be happy with myself．It seemed to me that I would feel sorry about every spoonful of tasty food that passed my lips．My idea is simple．You shouldn't be too much thinking about food and dieting．Instead, you should get on with life and stop dreaming of a super-thin body．This is obviously the size I'm meant to be and, most of all, I'm happy with it．

　　Lesley Codwin：

　　I was very happy about winning Young Slimmer of the Year．I'd look at the mirror unable to believe this slim lady was me．That might have been my problem－perhaps from then on I didn't pay any attention to myself．Winning a national competition makes everything worse, though, because you feel the eyes of the world are fixed upon you．I feel a complete failure because I've put on weight again．

　　Ros Langfod：

　　Before moving in with my husband Gavin, I'd always been about 110 pounds, but the pleasant housework went straight to my waist and I put on 15 pounds in a year．Every so often I try to go on a diet…I'm really good on a few days, then end up having the children's leftovers or eating happily chocolate－my weakness．I'd like to be slim, but right now my duty is the children and home．I might take more exercise when my kids are older．

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　　Silence is unnatural to man．He begins life with a cry and ends it in stillness．In between he does all he can to make a noise in the world, and he fears silence more than anything else．Even his conversation is an attempt to prevent a fearful silence．If he is introduced to another person, and a number of pauses occur in the conversation, he regards himself as a failure, a worthless person, and is full of envy(嫉妒)of the emptiest- headed chatterbox(喋喋不休的人)．He knows that ninety-nine percent of human conversation means no more than the buzzing of a fly, but he is anxious to join in the buzz and to prove that he is a man and not a waxwork figure(蜡塑人像)．

　　The aim of conversation is not, for the most part, to communicate ideas; it is to keep up the buzzing sound．There are, it must be admitted, different qualities of buzz; there is even a buzz that is as annoying as the continuous noise made by a mosquito(蚊子)? But at a dinner party one would rather be a mosquito than a quiet person．Most buzzing, fortunately, is pleasant to the ear, and some of it is pleasant even to the mind．He would be a foolish man if he waited until he had a wise thought to take part in the buzzing with his neighbors．

　　Those who hate to pick up the weather as a conversational opening seem to me not to know the reason why human beings wish to talk．Very few human beings join in a conversation in the hope of learning anything new．Some of them are satisfied if they are only allowed to go on making a noise into other people’s ears, though they have nothing to tell them except that they have seen two or three new plays or that they had food in a Swiss hotel．At the end of an evening during which they have said nothing meaningful for a long time, they just prove(证明)themselves to be successful conservationists．

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　　Northern Europeans spend a lot of time in their cold and cloudy winters planning their summer holidays．They are proud of their healthy color when they return home after the holiday．But they also know that a certain amount of sunshine is good for their bodies and general health．

　　In ancient Greece people knew about the curing powers of the sun, but this knowledge was lost．At the end of the nineteenth century a Danish doctor, Niels Finsen, began to study the effect of sunlight on certain diseases, especially diseases of the skin．He was interested not only in natural sunlight but also in man-made produced rays．Sunlight began to play a more important part in curing sick people．

　　A Swiss doctor, Auguste Rollier, made full use of the sun in his hospital at Leysin．Leysin is a small village high up in the Alps．The position is important, the rays of the sun with the greatest healing power are the infra-red(红外线的)and ultraviolet(紫外线的)rays; but ultra-violet rays are too easily lost in fog and the polluted air near industrial towns．Dr．Rollier found that sunlight, fresh air and good food cure a great many diseases．He was particularly successful in curing certain forms of tuberculosis(结核病)with his "sun-cure"．

　　There were a large number of children in Dr．Rollier's hospital．He decided to start a school where sick children could be cured and at the same time continue to learn．It was not long before his school was full．

　　In winter, wearing only shorts, socks and boots, the children put on their skis after breakfast and left the hospital．They carried small desks and chairs as well as their school books．Their teacher led them over the snow until they reached a slope(斜坡)which faced the sun and was free from cold winds．There they set out their desks and chairs, and school began．

　　Although they wore hardly any clothes, Rollier's pupils were very seldom cold．That was because their bodies were full of energy which they got from the sun．But the doctor knew that sunshine can also be dangerous．If, for example, tuberculosis is attacking the lungs, unwise sunbathing may do great harm．

　　Today there is not just one school in the sun．There are several in Switzerland, and since Switzerland is not the only country which has the right conditions, there are similar schools in other places．

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　　At 2∶30 December 5, 1945, five US Navy training planes took off in clear weather from the base Lauderdale, Florida．The planes flew east over the coast…and disappeared．The group was Flight 19, on a run between Florida and Bahamas．Tailor was the group leader．At about 3∶40, Tailor reported that his compasses(指南针)were not reading properly．The other planes followed their leaders aimlessly, first east, then west, then northeast over the ocean, as Tailor tried to make sure of the direction by radio．Then, suddenly Tailor was heard to give orders to dive…

　　Quickly, two giant Martin seaplanes were sent up to search for Flight 19．Several hours later, the wind became strong and visibility(能见度)dropped．A return to base was ordered．But only one of the Martin seaplanes landed．Four days later, the Navy and Coast Guard combed a 100,000 square－mile area with more than 100 planes and ships．No sign was ever shown of the missing planes．

　　Today, people have noted the disappearance of many ships and planes in the southwest part of the North Atlantic and began to call this area the Bermuda Triangle．

　　The points of the triangle are Bermuda, Puerto Rico and a particular place in the Gulf of Mexico, west of Florida．It is a two－faced water world of tiny islands, bright beaches and beautiful waters．Yet thick fogs, powerful currents(激流)and sudden storms are hidden behind this smiling surface．

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　　I was 9 years old when I found out my father was ill．It was 1994, but I can remember my mother's words as if it were yesterday：“Kerrel, I don't want you to take food from your father, because he has AIDS．Be very careful when you are around him．”

　　AIDS wasn't something we talked about in my country when I was growing up．From then on, I knew that this would be a family secret．My parents were not together anymore, and my dad lived alone．For a while, he could take care of himself．But when I was 12, his condition worsened．My father's other children lived far away, so it fell to me to look after him．

　　We couldn't afford all the necessary medication for him, and because Dad was unable to work, I had no money for school supplies and often couldn't even buy food for dinner． I would sit in class feeling completely lost, the teacher's words muffled as I tried to figure out how I was going to manage．

　　I did not share my burden(负担)with anyone．I had seen how people reacted to AIDS．Kids laughed at classmates who had parents with the disease．And even adults could be cold．When my father was moved to the hospital, the nurses would leave his food on the bedside table even though he was too weak to feed himself．

　　I had known that he was going to die, but after so many years of keeping his condition a secret, I was completely unprepared when he reached his final days．Sad and hopeless, I called a woman at the nonprofit National AIDS Support．That day, she kept me on the phone for hours．I was so lucky to find someone who cared．She saved my life．

　　I was 15 when my father died．He took his secret away with him, having never spoken about AIDS to anyone, even me．He didn't want to call attention to AIDS．I do．

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　　The next generation telephone is called Superphone or personal Communication Network(PCN)．Your superphone goes wherever you go, in your pocket．You can use it in the street, in an aeroplane, a boat, or a taxi; you can call from anywhere on the globe to anywhere else．Calls travel at the speed of light, via satellites using ultraviolet, high-frequency wave bands and each communication is automatically billed to your account．

　　This new phone is the size and shape of a billfold(皮夹)．You unfold it to use it．, making it long enough to reach from your ear to your mouth．There is a miniaturized touch pad, on which to enter the number you are calling．There is also a tiny liquid crystal screen on which you can read weather, news or financial reports．These news items are constantly updated by the company that sells the service．Letter keys on the touch pad also allow you to use this electronic marvel as a computer or word processor．You can plug it into your large home or office computer in order to transfer any data that you feed in during a business trip．The PCN also stores any useful information of your own that you might need as you travel, such as the names, addresses and phone numbers of several hundred people, important meetings, flight details and so on．When you need information, you simply call it up on the screen．You can even use your PCN to activate electronically controlled equipment at home．For example, you could switch your oven on or off, start the sprinkler system in your garden during a dry spell, get your video recorder to record a show on television, turn off the central heating, and so on．All of this from thousands of miles away, perhaps from the back of a camel in the desert．Prototypes are already being trialed．In spite of the complex technology, they will be cheap because of the enormous sales that will be made．

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　　Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in a bid to cut the emission of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming．

　　Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroo farts contain no methane(甲烷)and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who emit large quantities of the harmful gas．

　　While the usual image of greenhouse gas pollution is a billowing smokestack pushing out carbon dioxide, livestock passing wind contribute a surprisingly high percentage of total emissions in some countries．

　　"Fourteen percent of emissions from all sources in Australia is from enteric methane from cattle and sheep," said Athol Klieve, a senior research scientist with the Queensland state government．

　　"And if you look at another country such as New Zealand, which has got a much higher agricultural base, they're actually up around 50 percent," he said．

　　Researchers say the bacteria also makes the digestive process much more efficient and could potentially save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers．

　　But it will take researchers at least three years to isolate the bacteria, before they can even start to develop a way of transferring it to cattle and sheep．

　　Another group of scientists, meanwhile, has suggested Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos．

　　The idea is controversial(争议), but about 20 percent of health conscious Australians are believed to eat the national symbol already．

　　"It's low in fat, it's got high protein levels and it's very clean in the sense that basically it's the ultimate free range animal(散养动物)," said Peter Ampt of the University of New South Wales's institute of environmental studies．

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