The Bowler family had a very unusual experience this year. It was one of more than 400 families who applied to 1900 house, a reality TV show which took a typical family back a hundred years to see how people lived in the days before the internet, computer games and even electricity.

    The Bowler family spent three months in a London home without a telephone, computers, TV, or fast food. The bowlers wore clothes from 1900, ate only food available in England at that time, and cooked their meals on a single stove. Paul Bowler still went to work every day in a then uniform. The children changed their clothes on the way to and from school and their classmates didn't know about their unusual home life. Joyce stayed at home, cooking and cleaning like a typical housewife of the time, though everything took three times as long.

    So does Joyce think that people's lives were better in the old days?

    “I think people in the old days had just as many troubles and worries,” Joyce said. “And I don't think their life was better or worse, there were lots of things back then that I'm happy I don't have to deal with nowadays, but on the other hand life was simpler.” “We had a lot more time with our family, and it was hard being nice to each other all the time,” eleven-year-old Hilary said.

    So what did the Bowler family miss most about modern life while living in the 1900 house?

Paul, 39: “telephone and a hot shower”

Joyce, 44: “a quick cup of tea from a kettle you could just turn on”

Hilary, 11: “rock CD”

Joseph, 9: “hamburger and computer games”

    If you're showering every day, you're probably over doing it. In fact, showering too often can actually hurt your body in the long run.

    As Time's public health column explains, daily showers are common due to social norms more than any proper health need. We connect being freshly showered with being attractive and pleasing, so we tend to showering often to feel better.

    But what's the ideal shower frequency? In terms of your health — not how you look or smell — probably once or twice a week, assistant professor of dermatology at George Washington University, Dr. C. Brandon Mitchell says. “Your body is naturally a well-oiled machine,” he says. “A daily shower isn't necessary.”

    Of course, your situation may vary. If you have a job like car maintenance or construction, you'll obviously have a visible layer of dirt you'll need to wash off every single day. Similarly, if you work out every day, you may not have any health risks by washing every day, but you'll still be smelly. If you feel like you need to take daily showers for aesthetic（审美的）reasons, at least make most of them light showers. “I tell patients who shower daily not to soap their whole bodies,” Mitchell says. Hit your pits, butt and groin, which are the areas that produce strong smells. The rest of your body doesn't need much soaping, he says.

    Too much time spent under the hot water can dry out your skin, cause cracks（裂纹）that can lead to infections or germs getting into your skin, and take away the natural oils on your skin that help keep it healthy. So, even if you're aiming to be your most presentable, be sure to keep it moderate to avoid hurting your skin in the long run.

    Eleven leatherback turtles (棱皮龟) are swimming across the Pacific Ocean to the Galapagos Islands in a "race". It will be reported online to attract people's attention to the situation of the endangered (濒危的) animals.

    People have put small tracking devices (跟踪装备) on the turtles so that they can monitor their journeys as they head south from their birthplace to their feeding grounds near the Galapagos, about 1,500 km away.

    People can choose a turtle online and track it at http://www.greatturtlerace.com. The turtle that travels furthest in two weeks' swimming will be the winner.

    There is no prize for the winner of the "race". Rather, they just want to help people take notice of the dangers facing the animal that has lived in the oceans for 100 million years.

    Scientists say 95 percent of the turtles in the Pacific Ocean have disappeared in the last 20 years, because of human activities like fishing, stealing their eggs and building near their homes.

    Thousands of leatherback turtles lived at Playa Grande 10 years ago, but the number has dropped below 100 in the last 5 years.

    The leatherback turtle "race" will not be broadcast on TV at the same time because the turtles leave Costa Rica at different times. Instead, a group will provide a day-to-day showing of the first 14 days of their journeys at the same time as if they were racing.

    The activity will collect money to protect Playa Grande.

    Sleep deprivation(缺失)is an important hidden factor in lowering the achievement of school pupils, according to researchers carrying out international education tests.

    It is a particular problem in richer countries with sleep experts linking it to the use of mobile phones and computers in bedroom late at night. Sleep deprivation is such a serious problem that lessons have to be dragged down to a lower level to suit sleep-deprived learners, the study found. The international comparison, carried out by Boston College, found the United States to have the highest number of sleep-deprived students, with 73% of 9- and 10-year-olds and 80% of 13- and 14-year-olds identified by their teachers as being negatively affected.

    In literacy(读写能力) tests there were 76% of 9- and 10-year-olds lacking sleep. This was much higher than the international average of 47% of primary pupils needing more sleep and 57% among the secondary age group.

    Other countries with the most sleep-deprived youngsters were New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Australia, England, Ireland and France. High-performing Finland is also among the most lacking in sleep. Countries with the best records for getting enough sleep include Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Japan and Malta.

The analysis was part of the huge date-gathering process for global education rankings, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study(TIMSS)and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study(PIRLS)

    “I think we underestimate the impact of sleep. Our data show that across countries internationally, on average, children who have more sleep achieve higher in maths, science and reading. That is exactly what our data show,” says Chad Minnich of the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center.

    “It's the same link for children who are lacking basic nutrition,” says Mr Minnich, based at the Lynch School of Education, Boston College. “If you are unable to concentrate, to attend mentally, you are unable to achieve at your best level, because your mind and body are in need of something more basic. Sleep is a fundamental need for all children. If teachers report such large proportions of children suffering from lack of sleep, it's having a significant impact. But worse than that, teachers are having to adjust their instruction based on those children who are suffering from a lack of sleep. The children who are suffering from a lack of sleep are driving down instruction.”

    That means that even the children who are getting enough sleep are still suffering from this sleep-related lowering.

    When my daughter Sara was in the fifth grade, she came to me with a problem." Marcy hates me！" she cried." Because Kathy is my friend, too. She wants me to be her friend and nobody else's. You talk to Marcy. You tell her that I want to be her friend, but I can have other friends, too！"

    Oh！I looked at her for a few moments，wondering how I got into this mess，when suddenly an idea came to me.

    Picking up two baskets from the living room, I explained, "When everyone is born, he or she has a little basket. This little one here is yours. The big one is mine. As you grow, so does the basket. You can see your little basket is inside mine because when you were born, there were too many things you couldn't do for yourself. I did everything you couldn't do on your own." She nodded.

    "Well, as you grew older and began to do some things on your own, I began placing a few more things in your basket. When you learned to tie your shoes, that went in your basket."

    She said softly, "I can tie my own shoes."

    "Right. As you grow older，there will be more and more things you must do on your own." As I spoke, I gradually took her basket out of mine and handed it to her." You will finally carry your own basket with things only you can do."

    She looked up at me and said," I understand. There are some things that I have to do for myself because they are in my basket."

Plan your vacation. The following four places are your fantastic destinations. You can enjoy a completely different experience.

Israel

If you're looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, National Geographic 'Travel says visitors should head to Jerusalem to celebrate Easter with thousands of pilgrims (朝圣者). If the crowds get too huge, visitors are told to take a boat ride to King Herod's 2,000-year-old Masada fortress (要塞) or set off on a peaceful morning boat ride across the sea of Galilee.

Panama

Costa Rica and the Caribbean often enjoy much more popularity than Panama, but visitors should consider the centre American country if they want a "less-crowded paradise". The travel site states, "Here, horses are still the primary means of transportation and local fishermen serve fresh seafood and fruit from their home kitchens for roughly $ 6 a plate."

Svalbard

If you're a fan of winter activities, but are in need of some sun, then perhaps a trip to Svalbard is a good choice. National Geographic Travel notes, "The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is located about 620 miles south of the North Pole. In late spring, the sun never falls below the horizon—meaning you can take in all the Vitamin D you desire." Popular activities in the area include hiking and wildlife spotting.

Namibia

During spring, Namibia is regarded as the perfect destination with reduced travel costs on cooler evenings. In late May, National Geographic Travel says that the watering holes start to dry up again, which attracts giraffes and black rhino from their hiding spots. If you're fond of adventurous exploration, head to the Namibia Desert for a spot of sand boarding.