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　　I left university with a good degree in English Literature, but no sense of what I wanted to do．Over the next six years, I was treading water, just trying to earn an income．I tried journalism, but I didn't think I was any good, then finance, which I hated．Finally, I got a job as a rights assistant at a famous publisher．I loved working with books, although the job that I did was dull．

　　I had enough savings to take a year off work, and I decided to try to satisfy a deep-down wish to write a novel．Attending a Novel Writing MA course gave me the structure I needed to write my first 55,000 words．

　　It takes confidence to make a new start－there's a dark period in-between where you're neither one thing nor the other．You're out for dinner and people ask what you do, and you're too ashamed to say, “Well, I'm writing a navel, but I'm not quite sure if I'm going to get there．” My confidence dived．Believing my novel could not be published, I put it aside．

　　Then I met an agent(代理商)who said I should send my novel out to agents．So, I did and, to my surprise, got some wonderful feedback．I felt a little hope that I might actually become a published writer and, after signing with an agent, I finished the second half of the novel．

　　The next problem was finding a publisher．After two-and-a-half years of no income, just waiting and wondering, a publisher offered me a book deal－that publisher turned out to be the one I once worked for．

　　It feels like an unbelievable stroke of luck－of fate, really．When you set out to do something different, there's no end in sight, so to find myself in a position where I now have my own name on a contract(合同)of the publisher－to be a published writer －is unbelievably rewarding(有回报的)．

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　　Here is your best chance to travel around the UK in 2012：More than 200 B＆Bs(bed ＆ breakfast)across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are selected to offer you amazing services for your stay at their lowest prices! Don't miss it．Just collect the vouchers(活动券)in our B＆B Daily printed from 01/04/2012 to 07/04/2012 and book the stays for your travel following the terms and conditions below：

　　●The offer includes a room for the night and a breakfast the next morning．

　　●The offer is of two kinds：￡20 per room, valid(有效的)during stay period of 02/04/2012－31/05/2012 and then again 01/09/2012－31/10/2012；￡35 per room, per night, valid during stay period of 01/06/2012－31/08/2012．

　　●The offer is valid for a basic twin or double room only．

　　●The stay must be booked directly with the chosen B＆Bs before 28/04/2012．

　　●Each voucher can only be used by the holder to book one room for one night．

　　●If voucher holders book either the ￡20 or ￡35 per room per night, any additional services such as lunch, evening meal or activities may require an extra charge．But these are not required in order to take up the offer．Please check directly with your chosen B＆Bs to see what extra services are available．

　　●Vouchers must be presented on arrival．If no vouchers are presented, the B＆Bs may reserve(保留)the right to charge at full price for every night of stay．

　　●Vouchers may not be used together with any other offer．

　　●The voucher holders must pay for the stay in full at the time of booking．Additional ￡10 may be paid to confirm(确认)the booking and will be returned on arrival．

　　●The B＆Bs reserve the right to refuse voucher holders' bookings for people under the age of 18．

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　　On a hill 600 feet above the surrounding land, we watch the lines of rain move across the scene, the moon rise over the hills, and the stars appear in the sky．The views invite a long look from a comfortable chair in front of the wooden house．

　　Every window in our wooden house has a view, and the forest and lakes seldom look the same as the hour before．Each look reminds us where we are．

　　There is space for our three boys to play outside, to shoot arrows, collect tree seeds, build earth houses and climb trees．

　　Our kids have learned the names of the trees, and with the names have come familiarity and appreciation．As they tell all who show even a passing interest, maple(枫树)makes the best fighting sticks and white pines are the best climbing trees．

　　The air is clean and fresh．The water from the well has a pleasant taste, and it is perhaps the healthiest water our kids will ever drink．Though they have one glass a day of juice and the rest is water, they never say anything against that．

　　The seasons change just outside the door．We watch the maples turn every shade of yellow and red in the fall and note the poplars'(杨树)putting out the first green leaves of spring．The rainbow smelt fills the local steam as the ice gradually disappears, and the wood frogs start to sing in pools after being frozen for the winter．A family of birds rules our skies and flies over the lake．

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　　Over the last 70 years, researchers have been studying happy and unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a difference．Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a certain degree by genes．However, of all the factors, wealth and age are the top two．

　　Money can buy a degree of happiness．But once you can afford to feed, clothe and house yourself, each extra dollar makes less and less difference．

　　Researchers find that, on average, wealthier people are happier．But the link between money and happiness is complex．In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in developed countries, yet happiness levels have remained almost the same．Once your basic needs are met, money only seems to increase happiness if you have more than your friends, neighbors and colleagues．

　　“Dollars buy status, and status makes people feel better,” conclude some experts, which helps explain why people who can seek status in other ways－scientists or actors, for example－may happily accept relatively poorly-paid jobs．

　　In a research, Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desires－not just for money, but for friends, family, job, health－rose furthest beyond what they already had, tended to be less happy than those who felt a smaller gap．Indeed, the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income alone．“The gap measures just blow away the only measures of income,” says Michalos．

　　Another factor that has to do with happiness is age．Old age may not be so bad．“Given all the problems of aging, how could the elderly be more satisfied?” asks Professor Laura Carstensen．

　　In one survey, Carstensen interviewed 184 people between the ages of 18 and 94, and asked them to fill out an emotions questionnaire．She found that old people reported positive emotions just as often as young people, but negative emotions much less often．

　　Why are old people happier? Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live with it, or they're more realistic about their goals, only setting ones that they know they can achieve．But Carstensen thinks that with time running out, older people have learned to focus on things that make them happy and let go of those that don't．“People realize not only what they have, but also that what they have cannot last forever,” she says．“A goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of 85, for example, may bring far more complex emotional responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20．”

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　　One of the traditions which is now a necessary part of Christmas is that of Father Christmas, or Santa Claus．According to the modern legend, he is a magical figure who visits all the children of the world during the night before Christmas Day, leaving presents which they find the next morning．He flies through the night sky in a sledge pulled by reindeer, and enters houses by climbing down chimneys．This strange legend is based on the life of a man called Nicholas, but in fact we know very little about him．Historians think he was a Christian bishop(主教)in Turkey in about 285－350 A．D．One of the stories about him is that he helped three poor girls．No one would marry them because they were so poor．To provide them with money for their weddings, Nicholas secretly dropped some gold coins down the chimney of their house．After Nicholas died, he was made a saint(圣人)by the church．The name Santa Claus thus comes from St Nicholas．His feast day was celebrated in December, and parents started giving their children secret presents from St Nicholas．Over the years, this custom became part of our Christmas traditions．

　　Recently, a psychologist has claimed that Father Christmas is “the perfect fantasy” for children．According to Professor Anthony Clare, children love the character of Father Christmas because he is like an ideal father：He loves children and gives them presents, but he never criticizes them．He is never angry, and children do not even need to thank him for the presents．Other writers, however, point out that Father Christmas can be a frightening character to some children．Jane Bidder says that some children are terrified of this fat, bearded old man．It can certainly confuse many children．As parents, we warn our children to be careful of strangers and never to let them into the house, and yet we tell children that a strange man will come into their bedroom at night! Some children can become very worried about this idea and fear that he is a kind of burglar．

　　Most children, however, understand from their parents and from the media that Father Christmas is basically a benign character, and look forward to his annual visit with joy and excitement．

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　　Louis Armstrong had two famous nicknames．Some people called him Bagamo．They said his mouth looked like a large bag．Musicians often called him Pops as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music．

　　Born in 1901 in New Orleans, he grew up poor but lived among great musicians．Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth．Armstrong often said “Jazz and I grew up together．” Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet(短号)at a boy's home．In his late teens Armstrong began to live the life of a musician．He played in parades clubs and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River．At that time New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians．Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal．

　　In 1922 he went to Chicago．There the tale of Louis Armstrong begins．From then until the end of his life, Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went．Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song．

　　His cornet playing had a deep humanity(仁爱)and warmth that caused many listeners to say “Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over．” He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the best-known and most admired people in the world．His death on July 6, 1971 was headline news around the world．

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　　“LORENA! LET'S GO, LORENA!” says a banner(横幅)waved by smiling girls wearing sunglasses．Their favorite golfer has just taken the lead．With one big push, the fans are on the green, throwing Lorena Ochoa into the air．It's just like a soccer match in Mexico City; only this is a golf tournament in Arizona．

　　“It's fun to share the excitement with my country,” says Guadalajara native Lorena Ochoa, the first-ever Mexican golfer to be ranked number one in the world．She has single-handedly created golf fever in Mexico．She's a national hero．Although many Mexicans have never played golf, that doesn't stop them from cheering for Lorena．Taxi drivers talk about how great Lorena is for Mexico．Mexican girls want to learn how to play golf．

　　It wasn't like that when Lorena was little．Golf courses were still private in Mexico, and few girls played golf when Lorena was a kid．She golfed with her older brothers at a members-only club in Guadalajara．Today, things are changing, thanks to Lorena．The 27-year-old has opened a string of golf academies where anyone can learn the game．

　　Playing with her brothers may have helped Lorena's own game．They taught her how to golf when she was just five years old．Lorena excelled(突出)at the sport quickly．Soon it was hard to get Lorena off the golf course, she'd practice until darkness made it impossible to continue．She won Mexico's national junior title when she was eight, qualifying for the World Junior Championships in San Diego．Since she had never played outside her country before, Lorena's father worried it might be a wasted trip, but she ended up winning．Lorena also won the tournament the following year, and every year after until she turned l2．That year, she won the title playing with borrowed clubs, since hers got lost at the airport!

　　Lorena was talented in so many other sports, including tennis and basketball, that she surely would have been a standout in any of them．But she picked golf．

　　“I like that．Golf is an individual sport．It's complete in every way．．．mentally and physically．”

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　　Sterling Room for Writers

　　Location

　　2nd floor, Central Library．

　　Opening hours

　　●Monday：10 a.m．－6 p.m．

　　●Tuesday ＆Wednesday：10 a.m．－8 p.m．

　　●Thursday－Saturday：10 a.m．－6 p.m．

　　●Sunday：noon－5 p.m．

　　Open the same hours as Central Library．

　　Brief Introduction

　　The Sterling Room for Writers was founded through the generosity of Donald Sterling, Jr．and Sis Hayes in honor of their parents Donald and Adelaide Sterling．Donald Sterling was a newspaperman in Portland for 42 years, and managing editor at the Oregon Journal from 1919-1952．Adelaide Sterling, a writer herself, was active in many charitable organizations．The family's goal is to provide writers with space for convenient access to the resources of Central Library．

　　The room's separation from the busy public areas of Central Library creates a relatively quiet place for writing and research．Four large tables provide enough workspace, and connections for laptop computers are available．

　　Application and Admission

　　You may complete an online application form for admission to the Sterling Room for Writers, which is highly recommended for speed and convenience．Printed application forms are also available．Pick one up at Central Library or request one by calling the Central Library director's office at 503.988.5231．You may also mail your request for a printed application form to the Central Library, Central Director's Office, 801 S．W．l0th Ave．, Portland, OR, 97205．

　　The selection of writers for admission to the Sterling Room for Writers is the responsibility of employees of Central Library．Individual applications are reviewed by a panel(专门小组)of library staff members．

　　Once a writer's application is reviewed and accepted, a library representative will contact the writer．Accepted writers must visit the Information Desk on the second floor to receive a room key, which they must return when they leave．

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　　A new law is leading to debate in Wisconsin．The state recently lowered its minimum(最小的)hunting age．Under the new plan, children as young as 10 may hunt with an adult．Each pair can have only one gun or bow, and the adult and child must stay within arm's reach of each other at all times．

　　Some say the new plan is on target．They believe that teaching more kids how to hunt will protect Wisconsin's traditions．Hunting is a way of life for many residents in the state．However, other people say giving kids control of weapons is asking for trouble．They worry that someone will get hurt．

　　Should kids be allowed to hunt? Student reporters Michael Tobin and Emily Jue express their opinions about the issue．

　　Yes．Hunting is a valuable skill for kids to learn．

　　I think children under the age of l2 should be able to hunt because hunting can be a very useful skill．If you were stranded(陷于困境的)in the wild with nothing but a gun, you would have a better chance of survival if you knew how to use it．

　　The law makes sure that kids learn with an adult present．Having an experienced hunter that you know teaching you is extremely valuable．Paul Huchette, a retired businessperson from Latrobe, Pa．, agrees．“Kids under the age of l2 should be able to hunt under the supervision(监管)of a parent,” Huchette says．

　　Michacl Tobin, Oregon

　　No．Hunting is dangerous for young children．

　　I believe that children should not be allowed to hunt．Placing a gun in a child's hand isn't safe and could result in unthinkable consequences．You are teaching young children to get joy through killing and by watching animals suffer．They can also use their guns at the wrong time for the wrong reasons．

　　Also, children aren't physically mature enough．They can easily miss their targets and hurt themselves or others．How would you feel if a bullet came whizzing(飞驰而过)by your house?

　　“Teaching young children a sport that involves killing an animal isn't very wise,” says Lily Cao, a fifth grader from Houston, Texas．

　　Emily Jue, Texas

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　　The practice of swapping fashions(交换时尚)in Japan has recently been attracting worldwide attention．The activity is aimed at making more effective use of resources by providing a forum for people to exchange free of charge those fashion items．Everyone has something such as clothes, shoes, bags, accessories(首饰), etc．that they don't use anymore and that sit in their closets because, say, they no longer fit．

　　Japan's first major fashion swap event, “xChange,” was held in September 2007 in Tokyo．Junko Niwa, a pioneer of this activity in Japan, explains the meaning of the name：“ ‘X' means ‘anything'．I hope that xChange will be a venue for exchanging anything, including ideas, knowledge, and beliefs, in addition to clothes．”

　　Participants put tags(标签)on each of the items they bring and write their names and brief introductions concerning the tagged items．For example, on the tag of a white jacket the former owner wrote, “This is a gift from a friend, but it's just not my style．” The tags make people imagine who used to wear the item and thus make people aware of the human connection．

　　When asked for feedback(反馈), participants say things like, “I'm very lucky to get such lovely clothes for free,” and “I am happy to see someone try on and choose what I brought here．” Unwanted clothes for one person can be new and exciting for someone else．Plus, xChange achieves close to a 100-percent reuse rate by donating leftover clothes to companies that reuse or recycle secondhand clothing．Anything they cannot use, they then donate to developing countries or reuse them as rags．

　　Since 2007, the xCtl1ange event has been held every two or three months in a different region of Japan, always attracting many participants．This success is probably because anyone can easily participate, and also because it is an active event that gives participants opportunities to enjoy fashion without increasing the impact(影响)on the environment-or their pocketbooks．

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