James Cook, at the age of forty, was sent by England to explore the Pacific Ocean. On his third voyage, as captain in charge of two ships, the Discovery and the Revolution, he came upon a group of unknown islands which he named the Sandwich Islands after his friend, the Earl (伯爵) of Sandwich. Today the islands are known at the Hawaiian Islands.

    When Cook sailed into a protected bay (海湾) of one of the larger islands, the natives greeted him with curiosity and respect. Some historians said that the islanders welcomed him, believing he was the god, protector of peace and agriculture.

    The islanders were short, strong people with a very well-organized social system. The men fished and raised crops. The women prepared for the children and made clothing for the men and short skirts for the women.

    Writing it down

    Unlike some other European languages, English is a little tricky when it comes to writing. How a word is pronounced and how it is actually spelt can be very different things.

    Same spelling, different meanings

Imagine, then, a situation where two words are spelt and pronounced exactly the same way, but have completely different meanings. Welcome to the world of homonyms（同形同音异义词）. Take, for example, the word "fair"—it can be a kind of festival, an adjective to describe the colour of your hair or how you should play a game. Or "leg", which can be attached to a person, or a table and can also be a distance you travel, or a part of a competition.

Don't take it literally（字面意思）

So how do you know which meaning someone is referring to? You don't, except by the context. Obviously, if someone asks you to "give them a hand", they don't want you to remove what is at the end of your arm.

What's in a name?

    Sometimes even the context doesn't help much—the result can be amusing. These sentences play with the double meaning of a noun:

    Sentence 1: I used to be a banker, but I lost interest.

Sentence 2: A small boy swallowed some coins and had to go to hospital. When his grandmother phoned to ask how he was, the nurse said: "No change yet".

    More ambiguity（歧义）

    Sentence 3 plays with the different meanings of a verb:

    Sentence 3: I wondered why the ball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

Double trouble

    And sometimes a word can be a noun and a verb, but have different meanings. Can you work this one out?

    Sentence 4: Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

    If you like these homonyms, you will be pleased to know that English has plenty more!

    For a long time being happy was considered natural, and there was nothing special to do about it. Now we know that we can work at getting along well with other people. It is possible to act in such a way that other people will like us better.

    One way is being unselfish, not wanting everything your own way or asking for the best share of everything, including the attention of your friends. Another way is to look for good points, not bad ones in other people.

    You don't have to be spineless(无骨气的)in order to be popular. In fact, you will be liked and respected(尊重)if you are not afraid to stand up for your rights(权利). But do it politely and pleasantly. One way to develop a good character is being friendly and polite to your own group, to older people, to strangers and especially to those who do not look important or do not interest you.

    You cannot expect to be perfect, so you must learn not to be too unhappy when you make a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes, and no one is to be blamed unless he refuses to learn from them. Many young people become discouraged(泄气的) when they know their unpleasant qualities—selfishness, laziness, etc. Just remember that we all have some of these faults and have to fight against them.

    When something is wrong, it is best to try to make it right. Perhaps you don't like a teacher or a classmate. Try to see why, and look at yourself, too. Make sure that you are not doing something to make others dislike you. In time, things may turn out all right, then you simply have to learn to get along the best you can with the situation, without thinking too much about it. Worrying never helps in a situation you can't change.

    Like a tired marriage, the relationship between libraries and publishers has long been dull. E-books, however, are causing heartache. Libraries know they need digital wares, but many publishers are too cautious about piracy (盗版）and lost sales to co-operate. Among the big six, only Random House and Harper Collins license e-books with most libraries.

    Publishers are wise to be nervous. Owners of e-readers (电子阅读器）are exactly the customers they need: book-lovers with money. If these people switch to borrowing e-books instead of buying them, what then? Electronic borrowing is awfully convenient. Unlike printed books, which must be checked out and returned to a physical library miles from where you live, book files can be downloaded at home. The files disappear from the device when they are due.

    E-lending is not simple, however. There are lots of different and often incompatible (不兼容的)e-book formats, devices and licenses. Most libraries use a company called OverDrive，which secures rights from publishers and provides e-books and audio files in every format. Yet publishers and libraries are worried by OverDrive's global market dominance, as the company can control fees and conditions. Publishers were annoyed when OverDrive cooperated with Amazon, the world's biggest online bookseller，last year. Owners of Amazon's Kindle e-reader who want to borrow e-books from libraries are now redirected to Amazon's website, where they must use their Amazon account to secure a loan.

    According to Pew, an opinion researcher, library users are a perfect for market for Amazon. Late last year Amazon introduced its Kindle Owners' Lending Library, which lets its best customers borrow free one of thousands of popular books each month.

    Library supporters argue that book borrowers arc also book buyers and that libraries are vital spaces for readers to discover new work. Many were cheered by a recent Pew survey, which found that more than half of Americans with library cards say they prefer to buy their e-books.

    So publishers keep adjusting their lending arrangements in search of the right balance.

    Random House raised its licensing prices earlier this year, and Harper Collins limits libraries to lending its titles 26 times.

    A few years ago, my husband Charlie and I had marital problems. Growing family responsibilities and financial worries took a toll on us and we began arguing frequently, often late into the night.

    However, neither of us could take the step that would end our eleven-year marriage and bring heartbreak to our three young children. Deep down we knew we still loved each other, so we determined to work it out. Through countless discussions, we began to close the gulf. The more honest we were, the closer we became.

    When I felt we were reaching solid ground, I asked my husband to give me an "eternity (永恒) ring". It was not so much the ring I wanted; it was the reassurance (保证) I thought it would bring.

    We went shopping on a beautiful summer day. We walked hand in hand along a row of jeweler's shops. Finally I found a ring I liked. While waiting for it to be adjusted, the jeweler took my left hand and glanced at my engagement ring. "May I clean it for you?" he asked. "It really doesn't sparkle like it used to." Charlie said as I slipped the ring off my finger. A few minutes later the jeweler was back. The ring shone like new!

    On the drive home, I didn't take my eyes off it. I forgot all about the eternity ring. I just couldn't believe how this old ring suddenly sparkled the way it had the day Charlie gave it to me. I had taken it for granted these past years, but with a little polish it could still make my heart beat fast.

    And that's the way it is with a marriage. You have to work at keeping it polished and new, or else the grime (污垢) of the passing years will hide the joy. I put my hand on the seat between us and spread my fingers. Charlie covered my hand with his. I felt I was lucky to be able to see the sparkle in something gold when I thought I needed something new.

    It seems we're always being told to get more sleep. Studies suggest spending less time on sleep can lead to obesity(肥胖) and even cancer. You might even find yourself with a head full of false memories. But rarely does science explore the dark side of sleeping too much. That's because few of us in today's busy world have the luck of exploring that option.

    In an August 2018 study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers researched the sleep patterns of those "fortunate" few and found they may not be so lucky after all. In fact, they found people who get more than eight hours of sleep have greater health risk compared to those who sleep together less than seven hours. What's more, sleep-aholics-those who manage to get 10 hours a night-stand a 30 percent higher chance of dying compared to the seven-hour crowd.

    The wide-ranging global study involved(涉及) more than three million people who self-reported on their sleep habits and came to an eye-opening conclusion: If you tend to sleep a lot, you may want to buy an alarm clock. As with all things in life, sleep is best taken in moderation(适度).

    You may be thinking: What if I only sleep in on Saturday and Sunday, am I still at risk? The answer is yes, according to a 2019 study published in Current Biology.  Researchers discovered that even if a person sleeps more than seven hours on the weekends but still sleeps less than that on weeknights, they are at risk of gaining weight and developing sensitivity to insulin, which controls the level of sugar in blood.

    For the study, 36 participants were divided into three groups that each had a different sleep schedule: nine hours every night, five hours every night, and five hours from Monday to Friday and sleeping much on weekends. People who get too much sleep tend to feel tired and lack energy. Also, both sleep-deprived(睡眠不足的) groups consume more food and gain weight.