Both men and women are livinglonger these days in industrialized countries.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Ingeneral, they can expect to live six or seven years more than men. One reasonfor this is biological.

      One important biological factor thathelps women live longer is the difference in hormones between men and women.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Between the ages of about 12 and 50,women produce hormones that are involved in fertility(生育能力). These hormones also have a positive effect on the heartand blood flow. In fact, women are less likely to have high blood pressure orto die from heart attacks.

       {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Theyhelp the body defend itself against some kinds of infections. This means thatwomen generally ger sick less often and less seriously than men. The commoncold is a good example: women, on average, get fewer colds than men.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Scientists are still not exactly sure howinfluence aging, but they believe that they do. Some think that a woman's bodycells have a tendency(向) to age more slowly than a man's. Others think that a man's body cells have a tendency to age more quickly.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A．However,women, on average, live longer.

B .The biological factorplays an important part.

C. Women are also helped bytheir female genes.

D. The female hormones alsoprotect the body in another way.

E. Recent research seems tosupport both of these possibilities.

F. Therefore, women are morehealthy than men and can live a better life.

G. Hormones are chemicalswhich are produced by the body to control carious body functions.

    How many calories are there in every meal you eat? That seems like a difficult question to answer. But students at Aitkin High School in the United States can easily answer it now. They put what they eat into an online calorie counter（计算器）. It quickly measures the amount of calories in their meals.

    In fact, this is part of the school's health class. It includes heart health, nutrition and fitness. Students can learn basic knowledge about fats, proteins, calories and sugar.

    Students learn how to balance calories in and out. They will know what happens when the balance isn't there. “The online calorie counter has turned out to be a cool tool to help you make healthy choices. Making one healthy eating decision can really make a difference.” Adam Carlson, the teacher in charge, told local newspaper Aitkin Independent Age.

    They also discus good ways to burn calories in the gym. According to Carlson, the gym is a great place to burn calories and get stronger. But it doesn't work for everyone. So they try to find different workout tips. “I'm trying hard to teach the students that working out can be fun, challenging, and doesn't need to take hours out of the day,” she said.

    The class has indeed changed students. “I am now watching what I am eating and pay attention to the food labels,” said seventh-grader Karena Burgstaler. Another student James Erickson began to control his sugar input because it almost went over his daily calorie intake goal.

    Women in northern European nations are closest to equality with men on wages, education, health and education. That is the finding of a report by the World Economic Forum. The United States ranked 28th. On Friday, President Barack Obama announced the government will require large businesses to report how much they pay men and women. The data will be used to target companies that pay women less to do the same jobs.

    According to the World Economic Forum report, women worldwide continue to lag behind men on wages. Based on current trends, they will need 126 years to catch up, according to the report. Women are making progress. But they still only earn what men did 10 years ago, say the report's authors. The report measures the gender gap for women in 145 nations for health, education, economic opportunity, and political power. Women have not achieved equality in any of the 145 nations included in the survey, says the report.

    Women came closest to equality in four Northern European nations – Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden. Ireland ranks No. 5. At the bottom of the women's gender ratings are Yemen, Pakistan, Syria, Chad, Iran and Jordan.

    More women than men are attending colleges in 97 nations. But women make up a majority of skilled workers in only 68 nations. Women control the majority of government and political positions in only four.

    At last week's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer at Facebook, spoke about gender equality. “The reason to work towards equality – whether woman or man – is that it is better for you,” Sandberg said. “We should be doing this not because it's the right thing, but because it's the smart thing. Do it because it will help you.” The World Economic Forum completed its worldwide 2015 gender gap survey in November.

    Half a year ago I came across a book called "Salt, Sugar and Fat. How the Food Giants Hooked US", but finished it only recently. I am far from being a fan of junk food, over-salty, or over-sweet stuff, and honestly this food doesn't appeal to me at all. Maybe it is related to the fact that I grew up in Russia and at that time we were not so exposed to the foreign, especially made in America foods. We knew Coca Cola, Pepsi, juice powder and Cheetos, but this stuff was not so cheap or available to buy it every day and we couldn't buy them in large quantities. We didn't know the word "fat" was not a bad thing but a normal of life for some people. We always had sweets and especially on holidays they were served as a dessert along with a cake. Russians like eating sweets when they drink tea. Even with my passion to desserts I still can't relate myself to the people Michale Moss was writing about, those consumers who could not say “no” when it came to junk food.

    What I found interesting in the book was that the author didn't focus on diets, necessity to exercise, sleep well at night and all other things we all are pretty aware of. The aim was not to teach people how to live but instead, after having made a huge research, interviewed more than 100 people in the food industry, Moss reveals the ugly of the food business. It puts all the facts in front of us and offers a choice: to buy or not to buy. However, the answer was known at the very beginning. Moss mentions the well-known food like Coca, Cola, Pepsi, Nestle and some others and tells how skillfully the consumers can be cheated when it comes to choosing what to put in the food basket in the supermarket. We like this taste of a chocolate, the crispy chips, and sweet porridges because it was all put on test by groups of scientists who made experiments to reveal what kind of taste will be most appealing to us. It involves brain, of course. Apart from scientific researches, it was also due to successful marketing strategies and plans that people prefer to buy food.

    In this companies' money race, the most vulnerable(易受伤害的)victims are kids. They can't tell good from bad and love everything that makes them feel good. Commercial ads of fast food particularly targeted kids and played on the fact that mothers can't fully control what their children eat because they spent all day at work. Mothers themselves buy chocolates bars and com flakes for their kids, guided by a powerful brainwashing that actually, these products were not unhealthy, on the contrary, it was encouraged to give them to kids, because fat and sugar provide energy, so they are good, right?

    Giving a credit to some food companies, they made attempts to fight the trend, but consumers, who already worked a habit of eating too salty, too fatting and too sweet products, didn't react to the changes. So the companies returned to the old policy. Surprisingly, such behavior was strongly backed up by the government.

    I would definitely recommend reading this book not only to those who struggle in the battle with his addiction to fast food but also people living healthily. It casts light on many things, including how vulnerable we can be in front of corporations and their powerful and accurate marketing strategies.

    From ancient stories to modern researches, the label（标签）attached to being left-handed is undeniable. Left-handed people, or "lefties" as they are often called, are generally believed to be good at art — Leonardo da Vinci, Picasso and Michelangelo are all left-handed.

    Our brain is divided into two parts: the left hemisphere(大脑半球)and the right hemisphere. The left hemisphere, linked to logic and analysis, is responsible for the right side of the body. The right hemisphere, linked to creativity and imagination, controls the left side of the body. So, people tend to believe lefties are controlled by the right side of the brain, and are more creative than right-handers. Some also think that lefties may not be as good as right-handers in mathematics and problem-solving skills.

    However; a recent study carried out by scientists from the University of Liverpool in the UK and the University of Milan in Italy proved this theory wrong. The study involved(涉及)more than 2,300 students in Italy aged between 6 and 17 years old. They were asked to complete several mathematical tasks of different levels. It turned out the left-handers outperformed the others when the tasks involved difficult problem-solving. This pattern was particularly clear in male adolescents. However; when it came to simple arithmetic, there was no difference between left-handers and right-handers.

    It was also discovered that those who are "severely" right-handed performed less well in all the experiments compared to "medium" right-handers and left-handers.

    "Taken together, these findings show that handedness does influence abilities to some degree," the study's authors wrote. However, "handedness is just an indirect expression of brain function," wrote psychology professor Giovanni Sala from the University of Liverpool in the UK, the lead author of the study. Sala also noted that only one third of people with a highly-developed right side of the brain are left-handed. It means that there are lots of right-handed people with a similar brain function as left-handers.

Where to eat in Malaysia

    Malaysia offers a wide range of food choices, ranging from fine dining to street food. Elsewhere, restaurants and food stalls are readily available. 

Old China Café

    Eating here is a little like dining in a museum as the walls are lined with photos and memorabilia of the local Chinese laundryman's association. Chinese and Asian dishes keep regulars and travellers coming back for more. The menu changes monthly. 

San Pedro

    This restaurant serves Portuguese cuisine. Try the baked fish (seabass or red snapper) , curry chicken (can be quite spicy) , fried brinjauls and the black pepper crabs. Call ahead to reserve a table (and your fish) , because once their fish runs out, they will close for the day. 

The Bungalow

    Facing the hotel pool and the beach, this restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating. At night, the atmosphere is very romantic. The Chinese menu concentrates on traditional Hainanese dishes, but includes dishes such as fish curry, chicken rice and file t mignon. 

No. 7 Sup Corner

    Even if you miss this buffet-style restaurant at the road bend, you will not miss the number of cars parked at the road shoulder or the locals heading to it during lunchtime. It serves Malay dishes. First get your plate of rice, and then take whatever you would like to eat. Present your food plate to the lady at the counter and pay for it. Closed on Fridays and during Ramadan. Come early as there's always a crowd outside.