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　　A healthy amount of sunshine may be the secret to staying young．British scientists have discovered．

　　Vitamin D is produced naturally by the skin in response to(对…的反应)sunlight and may help to slow the ageing process and protect against heart disease, according to the study．

　　Researchers from King's College London studied 2,160 women aged between 18 and 79, looking at their telomeres--- a biological marker of ageing found in DNA．As people get older, their telomeres get shorter and they become more susceptible(易受伤害的)to certain illnesses．

　　But the study found women with high levels of vitamin D had comparatively longer telomeres－a sign of being biologically younger and healthier．

　　The study suggests vitamin D may help to slow down the ageing process of DNA, and therefore the ageing process as a whole．

　　Lead researcher Dr Brent Richards said, “These results are exciting because they show for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D．” This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer．”

　　Professor Tim Spector, a co-author of the report, added, “ Although it might sound absurd(荒唐的), it's possible that the same sunshine which may increase our risk of skin cancer may also have a healthy effect on the general ageing process．

　　Vitamin D made by the action of sunlight on the skin accounts for 90 percent of the body's supply, but lower levels can also be got through food such as fish, eggs and breakfast cereals(粥)．

　　Other studies have suggested the vitamin plays a key role in protecting against cancer and heart disease．

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　　“How can I learn English well?” This is a question many students ask．In my opinion, the most effective way is to learn lessons by heart．If you can recite the text and write it out, you've learned it fairly well．And if you can tell, in your own words, what the lesson says you're a very successful learner indeed．Your English will be quite perfect．

　　This is a difficult task．However, if you try to learn by heart only part of each lesson, you'll find it not half so hard as you might have thought．

　　Learning this way, you will make rapid progress．Of course, writing is also necessary．It helps you a lot on our way to success in English．

　　Equally important is to feel the language．You should be able to laugh at jokes and be shocked at bad news．When using English, you should try to forget your mother tongue．Instead of helping you, your own language gets in your way．So, never try to see English through translation．

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　　The other night as I was getting ready for bed, I turned off my phone and put it on the dresser．My 17- year-old daughter stared at me in disbelief．“But, Mom,” she shouted, “it's so far away!”

　　For today's youth, technology isn't just a handy way to keep in touch or organize your daily life; it's as necessary as eating and breathing －and seems to come just as naturally．Between smartphones, iPods, video games, and the Internet, being wired is a way of life．The average teen sends more than 50 texts a day; younger children spend over 10 hours a week playing video games; the amount of time all kids spend online daily has increased a lot in the past 10 years．

　　We're just beginning to assess how this nonstop connectivity(连接)is affecting our kids' social and intellectual(智力的)development．It's increasingly clear that it's changing the nature of children's relationships to each other, to their families, and to the world around them．It may even be rewriting their brains．

　　In a world where plagiarism(剽窃)is just Wikipedia click away, and people have hundreds of online friends they've never met, helping your kids make smart choices has never been more important．And technology is changing so rapidly that it can be hard to keep up．Just a few years ago, a 10-year-old with a cell phone could do little with it beyond placing a call．Now, handing her one is giving her the ability to text, go online, and send and receive photos．

　　The idea that parents need to get involved in their children's digital lives as actively as they do in academic or sports activities is still new．The digital field is a positive place for kids．It promotes a lot of healthy habits like socialization and a sense of connectedness to the greater world．But children need guidance．

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　　CHICAGO(Reuters)－In the last few years of his life, Dr．Ralph Steinman made himself into an extraordinary human lab experiment, testing a series of unproven treatments －including some he helped to create －as he carried on a very personal battle with pancreatic(胰腺)cancer．The winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in medicine, who died only three days before the award was announced on Monday, October 3, finally tried as many as eight unproven treatments．

　　Steinman was devoted to research that would make a difference in the lives of people．That became more apparent after he suffered from cancer．He didn't want to be thought of as an example of failed concepts．He wanted to see effective treatments made available to people so that they could be helped．

　　Steinman spent his entire career on immunology(免疫学)research for which he won the Nobel Prize, an honor he shares with American Bruce Beutler and French biologist Jules Hoffmann for their contributions to explaining the immune system．And Steinman discovered dendritic(树状的)cells in 1973．

　　Steinman lived four-and-a-half years after getting pancreatic cancer that typically kills people within a year or less．He worked up to the very end．Steinman's health declined quickly．Dr．Sarah Schlesinger, Steinman's lab director, was told by the family of his death on Saturday．The plan had been for Dr．Michel Nussenzweig, head of molecule(分子的)immunology at Rockefeller who had worked with Steinman for over three decades, to tell the university of his passing on Monday morning．But that was abandoned when the family got an e-mail around 5：30 a．m．from the Nobel Committee at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, saying he had won the medicine prize．

　　Nobel prizes aren't awarded to people after their death．But Schlesinger said entering the hospital secretly had nothing to do with the Nobel Prize．At the end he just wanted to be with his family．At last, though without precedent(先例), the Nobel Committee decided to award the prize to Steinman after his death．

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Dear Tiger Mom,

　　You've been criticized(批评)a lot since you published your memoir(回忆录), Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother．One problem is that some people don't get your humor．They think you're serious about all things, and they think Lulu and I are oppressed(压制)by our ill mother．That is not true．

　　But for real, it's not their fault．No outsider can know what our family is really like．They don't hear us laughing over each other's jokes．They don't see us eating our hamburgers with fried rice．They don't know how much fun we have when the six of us－dogs included －squeeze into one bed and argue about what movies to download from Netflix．

　　I admit：Having you as a mother was no tea party．There were some play dates I wish I'd gone to and some piano camps I wish I'd skipped．But now that I'm 18 and about to leave the tiger den(穴), I'm glad you and Daddy raised me the way you did．

　　A lot of people have accused you of producing robot kids who can't think for themselves．Well, that's funny．I think your strict parenting forced me to be more independent．Early on, I decided to be an easy child to raise．Maybe I got it from Daddy －he taught me not to care what people think and to make my own choices －but I also decided to be who I want to be．

　　Everybody's talking about the birthday cards we once made for you, which you rejected because they weren't good enough．Funny how some people are convinced that Lulu and I are scarred for life．Maybe if I had poured my heart into it, I would have been upset．But let's face it：It took me 30 seconds; I didn't even sharpen the pencil．That's why, when you rejected it, I didn't feel you were rejecting me．If I actually tried my best at something, you'd never throw it back in my face．

…

　　And for that, Tiger Mom, thank you．

Yours,

Sophia

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　　I piled on the pounds and I couldn't lose them．Then I joined a slimming club．My target weight 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 next year, but it didn't happen．Instead of losing the pounds, I put them on．I'd lost will power and tried to believe the saying that fish and chips(薯条)didn't make any difference but the scales don't lie．

　　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 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．

　　I was very happy about winning Young Slimmer of the Year．I'd look in 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．

　　Before moving in with my husband Gavin, I'd always been about 110 pounds, but the pleasant environment 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 always do well in the first few days, then end up having the children's leftovers(剩菜)or eating chocolate happily －my weakness．I'd like to be slim．I decided to take more exercise when my kids are older．

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　　Authorities in India warn that the world-famous Taj Mahal badly needs repairs．Some say that this architectural landmark could eventually collapse(坍塌)unless efforts are made to protect and preserve it．

　　The Taj Mahal, completed in 1648, was built in Agra, India, on the edge of the Yamuna River．The wooden foundation that holds up the building stays strong because of the wet environment around the river．If the river were to dry out, the wooden foundation could crack and fall apart．Over the past decade, the Yamuna has been shrinking, especially during the summer months．This is partly because of the overuse of the river water by residents(居民)and businesses．

　　Some officials have said the building may collapse in as little as five years．Other experts disagree and question whether the building really faces any danger．Certain politicians and historians, however, are pushing the government to begin preservation efforts, or work to repair and take care of the monument．This is not the first time the Taj Mahal has been threatened．In 1996, officials thought air pollution was turning the building yellow．The Indian government ordered nearby factories to stop burning coal or leave the area．

　　Shah Jahan, a former emperor of India, began building the Taj Mahal in 1631．He had it built in honor of his deceased(已故的)wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who is buried inside the Taj Mahal with Jahan．

　　The Taj Maha has been named one of the Seven Wonders of the World, a list of amazing human-made landmarks．The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO)lists the Taj Mahal as a World Heritage Site and helps preserve the famous structure．Because of the building's importance in Indian culture, Minister of Parliament Ramshankar Katheria has taken the case to both the Prime Minister and President of India．Katheria has said, “I am demanding a high level inquiry(调查团)to analyze the severe threat posed to the wooden structures in the foundation of the Taj．”

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　　The research carried out by the University of Bari in Italy could help prove hospitals who are accused of wasting money on art and decoration as it suggests a pleasant environment helps patients ease discomfort and pain．

　　A team headed by Professor Marina de Tommaso at the Neurophysiopathology Pain Unit asked a group of men and women to pick the 20 paintings they considered most ugly and most beautiful from a selection of 300 works by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli．They were then asked to look at either the beautiful paintings, or the ugly painting, or a blank panel(板)while the team put a short laser pulse at their hand, creating a sensation as if they had been stuck by a pin．The subjects rated the pain as being a third less intense(剧烈的)while they were viewing the beautiful paintings, compared with when looking at the ugly paintings or the blank panel．Electrodes(电极)measuring the brain's electrical activity also confirmed a reduced response to the pain when the subject looked at beautiful paintings．

　　While distractions, such as music, are known to reduce pain in hospital patients, Prof de Tommaso says this is the first result to show that beauty plays a part．

　　The findings, reported in New Scientist, also go a long way to show that beautiful surroundings could aid the healing process．

　　"Hospitals have been designed to be functional, but we think that their artistic aspects should be taken into account too," said the neurologist．"Beauty obviously offers a distraction that ugly paintings do not．But at least there is no suggestion that ugly surroundings make the pain worse．I think these results show that more research is needed into the field how a beautiful environment can alleviate suffering．"

　　Pictures they liked included Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh and Botticellis Birth of Venus．Pictures they found ugly included works by Pablo Picasso, the Italian 20th century artist Anonio Bueno and Columbian Fernando Botero．"These people were not art experts so some of the pictures they found ugly would be considered masterpieces by the art world," said Prof de Tommaso．

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　　From bankers to factory staff, employees in the West face a cold prospect of losing their jobs as a global recession(衰退)starts to bite．For colleagues in the East, the pain is more likely to come through a pay cut．

　　Human resource experts say cultural differences explain why Asian companies try harder to preserve jobs in difficult times, which will prevent unemployment and may help Asian economies survive at a time of slowing exports．The East Asian attitude may also make it easier for companies to recover quickly from the economic downturn since they will not need to rehire or train new staff, but build up a more loyal and devoted group．

　　“In the Confucian mindset(儒家思想), the right thing to do is to share the burden, which is the sense of collective responsibility．While in the West, it's more about individual survival,” said Michael Benoliel, associate professor of organizational behavior at Singapore Management University(SMU)．

　　In contrast, local Western companies from General Motors to Goldman Sachs plan to lay off workers by the thousands, but at the Asian units of Western multinationals or western units of Asian groups, job cuts will probably be less severe．

　　Japan's jobless rate was 4 percent in September, up from 3.8 percent in January, while Hong Kong's was flat at 3.4 percent．But US unemployment is expected to have jumped to 6.3 percent last month from below 5 percent in January．

　　Experts say that while there are noticeable differences in labor practices in East and West, the gap will narrow as more firms become more multinational and competition forces firms to adopt the best practices of rivals(对手)from abroad．

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　　The cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 is about ＄ 160,140! That doesn't even touch college tuition．For those with kids, this figure might lead them thinking how much they could have banked．For others, that number might confirm the decision to remain childless．

　　But ＄160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down．It translates into ＄ 896.66 a year, ＄741.38 a month, or ＄171.08 a week．That's a mere ＄24.44 a day! Just over a dollar an hour．

　　Still, you might think the best financial advice says don't have children if you ever want to be "rich"．It is not．

　　What do you get for your ＄160,140?

　　●Naming rights．

　　●Giggles under the covers every night．

　　●More love than your heart can hold．

　　●Kisses and hugs．

　　●Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies．

　　●A hand to hold usually covered with jam．

　　A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, and building sandeastles．

　　For ＄160,140, you never have to grow up! You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, and never stop believing in Santa Claus．You have an excuse to keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching cartoons , going to Disney movies, and wishing on stars．

　　For ＄160,140, you get to be a hero just for taking the training wheels off the bike, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless．

　　You get a front row seat to history; to witness the first step, first word, first date, and first time behind the wheel．

　　You get to be immortal(不朽的)．

　　You get another branch added to your family tree．

　　You get an education in nursing, criminal justice and communications that no college can match．

　　You have all the power to correct a mistake, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a party, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost．

　　…

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