Many Americans spend more time in cars these days than in the kitchen. But as lives grow busier—and waistlines grow larger—a number of health experts are calling for Americans to reduce their risk of cancer and other diseases by cooking at home more and eating out less.

    “When dining out, people are likely to gravitate towards all the wrong thing,” says Rachel Brandeis of the American Dietetic Association. “People take in 50% more fat and sodium when they eat out than when they cook at home. And they often miss out on fruits, vegetables and other vitamin-rich ‘powerhouse foods' that may reduce the risk of cancer.”

    Nutritionists know it's not easy to break old habits. Many people say they hardly have time to exercise, let alone fix dinner.

    Brandeis says her secret is organization. She cooks six nights a week, even though she and her husband both work. She spends 20 minutes thinking about a week's worth of menus and writing a list. She shops just once a week. Brandeis says she chooses easy cooking methods, too. Since she is not quite good at cooking.

    The American Institute for Cancer Research has produced a guide filled with tips like “Homemade for Health”. Melanie Polk, the institute's director of nutrition education, says cooking at home has many advantages. It teaches children about nutrition as well as the importance of sharing housework.

    The 39-year-old homemaker Kirstin Kristinus of Washington, D.C. says cooking at home brings her family together. She also tries to reduce her family's cancer risk by preparing every meal with many different kinds of food.

    “The only way to know that you are getting all the good things is to expose yourself to a wide variety of food,” says Steven Shiff, a doctor in New Jersey. “If you eat out at a restaurant, it's a lot easier to choose unhealthful things.”

    However, “families don't have to give up restaurants,” Shiff says. “It is possible to eat healthfully if you eat outside the home. But it takes probably the same sort of planning that you would have to do to prepare meals at home.”

    Do you want to live another 100 years or more? Some experts say that scientific advances will one day enable humans to last tens of years beyond what is now seen as the natural limit of the human life span.

     “I think we are knocking at the door of immortality(永生),” said Michael Zey, a Montclair State University business professor and author of two books on the future. “I think by 2075 we will see it and that' s a conservative estimate(保守的估计).”

    At the conference in San Francisco, Donald Louria, a professor at New Jersey Medical School in Newark said advances in using genes as well as nanotechnology(纳米技术) make it likely that humans will live in the future beyond what has been possible in the past. “There is a great effort so that people can live from 120 to 180 years,” he said. “Some have suggested that there is no limit and that people could live to 200 or 300 or 500 years.”

    However, many scientists who specialize in aging are doubtful about it and say the human body is just not designed to last past about 120 years. Even with healthier lifestyles and less disease, they say failure of the brain and organs will finally lead all humans to death.

    Scientists also differ on what kind of life the super aged might live. “It remains to be seen if you pass 120, you know; could you be healthy enough to have good quality of life?” said Leonard Poon, director of the University of Georgia Gerontology Centre. “At present people who could get to that point are not in good health at all.”

    A warm drink of milk before bed has long been the best choice for those wanting a good night's sleep. But now a study has found it really does help people nod off（打瞌睡）—if it is milked from a cow at night.

    Researchers have discovered that “night milk” contains more melatonin(褪黑激素), which has been proven to help people feel sleepy and reduce anxiety（焦虑）.The study, by researchers from Seoul, South Korea, involved mice being fed with dried milk powder（奶粉） made from cows milked both during the day and at night. Those given night milk, which contained 10 times the amount of melatonin, were less active and less anxious than those fed with the milk collected during daytime, according to the study published in The Journal of Medicinal Food.

    Night milk quickened the start of sleep and caused the mice to sleep longer.

    While the effect of cow milk harvested at different time has not been tested on humans up to now, taking melatonin drugs has been suggested to those who have trouble falling asleep at night.

    Previous （以前的）studies have also showed that milk can be excellent for helping sleep because of the calcium content, which helps people to relax.

    In the future we might live somewhere other than Earth, like Mars. Some people ask how this will be possible. Well, Mars is in fact a lot the same as the earth. The days are almost the same as those on the earth. However, the two planets vary in temperature.

    Since there is mostly carbon dioxide on Mars, it would be quite difficult for a human to just land on it. So, special types of homes and space suits have to be designed. The space suits should be almost like the ones astronauts use now, and except that they have to be warmer so that the astronauts can survive the cold temperatures. The space suits must also be able to withstand (承受) high pressure and potentially dangerous radiation that can kill.

    The houses should be similar to our homes today with a slight difference. All of the houses and other buildings should be built inside a large dome (圆顶状物) or bubble. The domes should be made out of glass, and would also be able to prevent radiation from affecting the people inside. The domes will be connected to a machine (like plants which turn carbon dioxide into oxygen).

    With Mars' population growing, how would the people on its surface get fresh food and water? Just like humans use domes, they can also use domes to grow plants. However, the domes where the plants are grown must be built to expand. Once we upgrade the domes to a larger size then we can grow more food by cultivating (种植) more plants. To get the food or come in connect with other domes, there will be long narrow tunnels like roads that connect to each dome separating them by several doors so that the pressure in each dome can remain the same.

    On Mars, so many other things are available to us. As humans, we can have access to rare and fairly expensive metals that aren't very easy to get hold of on Earth, and a colony on Mars enhances (提高) our chances of finding these metals. So when someone here on Earth says that going to Mars is impossible, please tell them that they'll never know it until they try and they may try very soon. After all it's our future. Why not make it on Mars?

    Whenever we see a button, we are eager to press it because we know something will happen. This is true in most cases, for example on a doorbell and on the "on/off" button on the TV. But some buttons are actually fake, like the "close" button on a lift.

    Many people are in the habit of pressing the "close" button because they don't have the patience to wait for the lift doors to shut. But lifts "close" buttons are a complete scam, at least in the US-the doors will not close any faster no matter how hard you press.

    It started in the 199os when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in the US, making sure that all lifts stayed open long enough so that people with disabilities could enter. Only US firefighters and repairmen can use the buttons to speed up the door-closing process if they have a code or special keys.

    But to normal lift riders, the buttons aren't completely useless. According to psychologists, fake buttons can actually make you feel better by offering you a sense of control." Perceived（能够感知的）control is very important. It reduces stress and increases well-being," Ellen J. Langer, a psychology professor, said," Having a lack of control is associated with depression."

    Experts have revealed that a lot of buttons that don't do anything exist in our lives for this same purpose. For example, many offices in the US have fake thermostats（温度调节器）because people tend to feel better when they think they can control the temperature in their workspace.

    But psychologists found it interesting that even when people are aware of these little" white lies", they still continue to push fake buttons because as long as the doors eventually close, it is considered to be worth the effort.

   "That habit is here to stay," John Kounios, a psychology professor, said," Even though I have real doubts about the traffic light buttons, I always press them. After all, I've got nothing else to do while waiting.  So why not press the button in the hope that this one will work?"

    We all long for friendship, but how to make a friend? "The best time to make a friend is before you need one." Joy Steven said. The following are some tips for you.

    People equal friends

    Friends usually begin with strangers. Getting in touch with other people is the first step to make a friend. Friends can't be made in empty air. Best friends take time to make.

    Friends understand friends

    Friends understand each other when talking. Many unpleasant personal quarrels can be avoided if you will take the time to understand others' feelings and points of view.

    Friends touch friends

    Touching is a warm form of communication between friends. When you see best friends communicating, you will notice them stand close together, touch each other comfortably and listen to each other. Sometimes a friendly touch is more powerful than words.

    Friends praise friends

    Praise is a powerful tool to make a friend. Honest praise can affect (影响) your friends' lives. So try to praise your friends including your general ones.

    Friends can loyal (忠诚的) and trustworthy

    Trust and loyalty go hand in hand for friends. Friends can share secrets with you, because good friends never break confidence (信心) and are loyal forever.