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　　A study now lends support to the idea that meal-time distractions(分散注意)can mask the clues that we really have eaten quite enough．Moreover, it finds, the caloric fallout of not paying attention to what we're eating doesn't necessarily end when a meal is over．

　　Rose Cooper from England, and her colleagues gathered 22 men and an equal number of women for an experiment．Each person dined alone, continuously receiving nine small shares of food items．These ranged from cheese twists and potato chips to carrots, cherry tomatoes and sandwiches or sausage rolls．

　　Because the goal was to test the potential impacts of distraction on fullness, the researchers randomly assigned half of the participants to eat in front of a computer－and to gain as many wins as possible at the “card” game．Everyone else was told to focus on the sensory qualities of their meal．

　　According to their instructions, the participants ate all of the food given to them．Yet people who played a computer game during lunch found their meal less filling than the mindful eaters had．Game players also swallow down twice as many cookies, almost an hour later, when they were allowed all the dessert they wanted(in the name of a taste test)．The British scientists present their findings in the February American Journal of Clinical Nutrition．

　　The real question is why distracted eating should impact snacking．It appears, the scientists say, that memory plays some tricky role in how we register what we eat and the degree to which it satisfies．

　　Interestingly, eight years ago, Britta Barkeling of Huddinge University in Stockholm and her colleagues reported somewhat related findings．Their 18 overweight subjects had no choice other than to get rid of everything but lunch, on one day－because they were blindfolded．Compared to a day when they could view what they were dining on, these people consumed only three quarters as many calories．Yet even hours afterward, they reported being no less full than on the day they had been able to see their plates．

　　Of course dining in the dark isn't practical．And sometimes what we eat doesn't really invite our absolute attention．But there is certainly a growing mountain of data indicating that mindless eating is a waste of resources, a risk to our waistlines－and a costly threat to health．

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　　“Choo, Choo!” Here comes the Chunnel train．Get aboard if you want to learn more about this underground transportation system．This is an unusual form of transportation, because it is a tunnel that trains travel through and not an actual form of transportation．

　　The Chunnel is actually the English nickname for the Channel Tunnel．In French, it is called le tunnel sous la Manche．It is a rail tunnel beneath the English Channel at the Straits of Dover．It connects Cheriton in Kent, England with Sangatte in northern France．It is the second longest rail tunnel in the world．

　　Did you know that the British and the French had a race while they were building the Chunnel? The race was to see who could get to the middle of the tunnel first．The British won by a little bit．It took 15,000 workers over seven years to dig the tunnel．The tunnel was finished in 1994．

　　The completed Chunnel cost about ＄ 21 billion．But it all paid off, because it became very popular, very quick．Millions of people use it．Now it is getting even more popular．

　　There are three complete tunnels in the Chunnel．The two outside ones are the passenger trains．The small inner one is a guidance train．The guidance train is not used for transportation．Each track is exactly parallel to each other．

　　There are four different train systems in the Chunnel．The Eurostar is a high speed passenger service that connects London, Paris, Brussels, and Lille．The Eurotunnel shuttle is a rail ferry service．These shuttles carry cars and vans．These are railcars that allow drivers to drive their vehicles on and off．There are also two Eurotunnel goods service trains．

　　Now you know more about the Chunnel．Everybody off, this is the last stop．

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　　When a dirty and untidy orange cat showed up in the prison yard, I was one of the first to go out there and pet it．I hadn't touched a cat or a dog in over 20 years．I spent at least 20 minutes, knelt down behind the kitchen as the cat rolled around, relaxed．What he was expressing outwardly, I was feeling inwardly．It was an amazing bit of grace to feel him under my hand and note that I was reaching a life or another creature with something as simple as my care．

　　Over the next few days, there were other prisoners responding to the cat．Every yard period, a group of prisoners gathered there．They stood around talking and taking turns petting the cat．These were guys you wouldn't usually find talking to each other．Several times I saw an officer in the group, not chasing people away, but just watching and seeming to enjoy along with the prisoners．Bowls of milk and water appeared along with bread, wisely placed under the edge of the dustbin to keep the birds from getting it．

　　The cat was obviously homeless and in pretty bad shape．People said that the cat came to the right place．He's getting treated like a king．This was true, but as I watched I was also thinking about what the cat was doing for us．There was a lot of talk about what's wrong with prisons in America．We need more programs．We need more psychologists or treatment of various kinds．Some may even talk about making prisons more kind．But I think what we really need is a chance to practise our own kindness．Not receive it, but give it．After more than two decades here, I know kindness is not a value that's encouraged．It's often seen as a weakness．

　　Instead, the culture encourages keeping your head down, minding your own business, and never letting yourself be weak．

　　The cat did my heart good to see the effect he had on me and the men here．By simply saying, “I need some help here”, he did something important for us．He needed us．And we needed to be needed．I believe we all do．

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　　Modern inventions have speeded up people's lives amazingly．Motor-cars cover a hundred miles in little more than an hour, aircraft cross the world inside a day, while computers operate at lightning speed．Indeed, this love of speed seems never-ending．Every year motor-cars are produced which go even faster and each new computer boasts(吹嘘)of saving precious seconds in handling tasks．

　　All this saves time, but at a price．When we lose or gain half a day in speeding across the world in an airplane, our bodies tell us so．We get the uncomfortable feeling known as jet-lag; our bodies feel that they have been left behind in another time zone．Again, spending too long at computer results in painful wrists and fingers．Mobile phones also have their dangers, according to some scientists; too much use may transmit harmful radiation into our brains, a consequence we do not like to think about．

　　However, what do we do with the time we have saved? Certainly not relax, or so it seems．We are so accustomed to constant activity that we find it difficult to sit and do nothing, or even just one thing at a time．Perhaps the days are long gone when we might listen quietly to a story on the radio, letting imagination take us into another world．

　　There was a time when some people's lives were devoted simply to the cultivation of the land or the care of cattle．No multi-tasking there; their lives went on at a much gentler pace, and in a familiar pattern．There is much that we might envy about a way of life like this．Yet before we do so, we must think of the hard tasks our ancestors faced：they farmed with bare hands, often lived close to hunger, and had to fashion tools from wood and stone．Modern machinery has freed people from that primitive existence．

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　　It was a village in India．The people were poor．However, they were not unhappy．After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries．

　　Then one day, some visitors from the city arrived．They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog's legs．However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places．

　　This seemed like money for nothing．There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use to the villagers．All they had to do was catch them．Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs．Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money．For the first time, the people were able to dream of a better future．But the dream didn't last long．

　　The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well．More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and, there seemed to be more insects around lately．

　　The villagers decided that they couldn't just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak．They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides(杀虫剂)and medicines．Soon there was no money left．

　　Then the people realized what was happening．It was the frog．They hadn't been useless．They had been doing an important job－eating insects．Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly．They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases．

　　Now, the people are still poor．But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs．These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning．

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　　The need to feed a growing population is putting much pressure on the world's supply of water．With 97％ of the world's water too salty to be drunk or used in agriculture, the worldwide supply of water needs careful management, especially in agriculture．Although the idea of a water shortage seems strange to someone fortunate enough to live in a high rainfall country, many of the world's agricultural industries experience constant water shortages．

　　Although dams can be built to store water for agricultural use in dry areas and dry seasons, the costs of water redistribution(重新分配)are very high．Not only is there the cost of the engineering itself, but there is also an environmental cost to be considered．Where valleys are flooded to create dams, houses are lost and wildlife homes destroyed．Besides, water may flow easily through pipes to fields, but it cannot be transported from one side of the world to the other．Each country must therefore rely on the management of its own water to supply its farming requirements．

　　This is particularly troubling for countries with agricultural industries in areas dependent on irrigation．In Texas, farmers' overuse of irrigation water has resulted in a 25％ reduction of the water stores．In the Central Valley area of southwestern USA, a huge water engineering project provided water for farming in dry valleys, but much of the water use has been poorly managed．

　　Saudi Arabia's attempts to grow wheat in desert areas have seen the pumping of huge quantities of irrigation water from underground reserves．Because there is no rainfall in these areas, such reserves can only decrease, and it is believed that fifty years of pumping will see them run dry．

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Goldie's Secret

　　She turned up at the doorstep of my house in Cornwall．No way could I have sent her away．No way, not me anyway．Maybe someone had kicked her out of their car the night before．“We're moving house．” “No space for her any more with the baby coming．” “We never really wanted her, but what could we have done? She was a present．” People find all sorts of excuses for abandoning an animal．And she was one of the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen．

　　I called her Goldie．If I had known what was going to happen I would have given her a more creative name．She was so unsettled during those first few days．She hardly ate anything and had such an air of sadness about her．There was nothing I could do to make her happy, it seemed．Heaven knows what had happened to her at her previous owner's．But eventually at the end of the first week she calmed down．Always by my side, whether we were out on one of our long walks or sitting by the fire．

　　That's why it was such a shock when she pulled away from me one day when we were out for a walk．We were a long way from home, when she started barking and getting very restless．Eventually I couldn't hold her any longer and she raced off down the road towards a farmhouse in the distance as fast as she could．

　　By the time I reached the farm I was very tired and upset with Goldie．But when I saw her licking(舔)the four puppies(幼犬)I started to feel sympathy towards them．“We didn't know what had happened to her,” said the woman at the door．“I took her for a walk one day, soon after the puppies were born, and she just disappeared．” “She must have tried to come back to them and got lost,” added a boy from behind her．

　　I must admit I do miss Goldie, but I've got Nugget now, and she looks just like her mother．And I've learnt a good lesson：not to judge people．

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　　American cities are similar to other cities around the world．In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture．American cities are changing, just as American society is changing．

　　After World War Ⅱ, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increased．Los Angles and Houston are cities where population shifts(转移)to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society．In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents became wealthier．They had more children so they needed more space．They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes．They bought houses in the suburbs．

　　Now things are changing．The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults．Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities．They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest．Many young professionals are moving back into the city．They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers．

　　This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits．Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent．In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities．

　　Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying．Some city residents now see a bright, new future．Others see only problems and conflicts．One thing is sure：many dying cities are alive again．

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　　During my many contacts with people in China, I have been asked by two different people what I would recommend to them so that they could be happy．One of these people was my student and friend who began her question by saying I always appeared happy to her．She then asked how I could be this way and if I could teach her how to be happy all the time．The other inquiry was basically the same and came from the secretary of a company for which I was doing some work．

　　The first one to ask was my student and in thinking about an answer I even explored in class the idea of optimism and pessimism, of people who feel the glass is always half full and those who think it is half empty．It was easy to show that different people react differently to the same situations and conditions but that didn't bring me much closer to understanding why．

　　About two months later I was riding to the airport in a taxi with the company secretary who asked me the same question and it made me think．Why did both these ladies feel they needed help to become happy? Indeed, why did either of them think they were not happy? Why did they choose to ask this question of me? Why are some people generally happy while others are not?

　　Certainly if someone is healthy, it might be expected that they are happy, and this is probably true．However, some people have money and health but have a miserable disposition that makes it difficult for them to have friends and meaningful relationships．Similarly, one would expect those who have little to complain about their fate and many do, but others are able to enjoy what they have and enjoy life．It seems the difference must lie within the people．What we may be looking at is acceptance of a personal set of circumstances and the contentment which flows from that．It should not mean, however, that those people cannot wish for something better．

　　If the difference between people who are happy and those who are not lies within the people themselves, can happiness be learned? I think there are things we can do, such as dreaming of the future, which can give us the sort of positive outlook which will generally make us happy people．

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　　This year Canada's navy is one hundred years old．To mark the occasion, military ships from six different countries around the Pacific Ocean came to Canada for a four-day celebration．There were parades, parties and demonstrations of navy search and rescue aircraft and a show put on by the Snowbirds．

　　The Snowbirds, Canada's aerobatic team, fly Tudor jet aircraft that are not particularly fast or particularly new but with amazing and sometimes hair-raising precision．They put a formation of nine aircraft into a space that would normally hold only one and they change the information in flight, roll it, loop it, break it and reform it in a dizzying ballet in the sky．The Snowbirds are one of the best aerobatic flying teams in the world and they are a readily recognized symbol of Canada just as the Great Wall is a recognized symbol of China．For a Canadian, watching the Snowbirds fly can bring tears．They make us very proud．

　　The Snowbirds have been flying since 1971．All of the pilots are serving members of the Canadian Air Force．They are all very young, all are highly-skilled and each is attached to the Snowbirds for two or three years．Each winter they practice in the cold, clear skies and each summer they put on more than fifty air-shows across the country and sometimes abroad．What they do is highly specialized．They often fly less than two meters from each other at speeds of about seven hundred and fifty kilometers an hour．

　　Flying is, by its nature, inherently risky and what the Snowbirds do increases that risk．While the pilots are all highly trained professionals, eight Snowbird pilots have been killed over the years．I have been fortunate enough to watch the Snowbirds fly probably fifteen or twenty times and if I know they are going to be flying I will go to see them again and again．This is not because I want to see someone do something dangerous, it is because I want to see something done so well－it is almost unbelievably precise and beautiful．I want to watch nine aircraft in an incredibly tight formation, each one painted in the red and white of my country's flag, soaring through the cloudless blue sky．I want to feel that pride and that tear just behind my eyelids that comes from watching something uniquely and wonderfully Canadian．

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