It's true to say that technology makes our lives easier. However, increasingly scientists are saying that we need to give ourselves a break—--otherwise we put ourselves at risk(风险) of developing hundreds of health problems. Over the summer the days are longer and sunnier. Why not put this free time to good use and do something away from technology?

    You could learn a new skill. There are hundreds of possibilities: cooking, a musical instrument or a new sport. Haven't you always wanted to learn how to knit(编织)? You could use your free time to practice these new things, which might lead to an exciting opportunity in the future.

    If you just want to relax, why not head to a beach? Take along your favorite book and relax on the sand, or go for a walk along the coastline. If you don't live near a beach, you could go to your local park. Why not have a picnic, or try to explore some of the local wildlife? You could even get involved in the latest craze(狂热): adult coloring books! Coloring is a surprising thing to help you relax, and it can be a nice way to escape from the stress of modern life!

    Whatever you choose to do, try something new! You might surprise yourself and find a hidden gift within you; you might make new friends along the way. Next time you find yourself changing TV channels(频道) from one to another without a clear purpose, think about what else you could spend your time doing.

    While money can't technically buy happiness, it can buy you a mood-lifting, outlook-improving vacation. Haven't made plan yet to skip town this winter? These money-saving travel tips can help you book the destination of your choice and enjoy you time there—without breaking the bank.

    1).FLY THE COOP FAST

    If you're planning to set off for an adventure right away, try the GTFO(Get The Flight Out) app. It lists the cheapest round-trip flights departing from your local airport that day or by the next morning. At press time, airfare was down 12 percent from last August and round-trip tickets for domestic flights averaged $218.

    2).SNAG A DISCOUNTED HOTEL ROOM

    If Airbnb, an online service that provide apartment exchange, isn't your style, reserve marked-down accommodations on Tingo, which lists almost all the rooms in more than 155,000 locations worldwide. After you book a price drop room, the site monitors rates until, typically, 24 to 48 hours before check-in. If the price drops, Tingo refunds you the difference.

    3).LIVE IT UP LOCALLY

    If you're planning a staycation(宅度假) this winter, try an affordable escape close to home. The free app HotelTonight offers lodging(租住) deals in more than 100 U.S. and Canadian cities and regions, and has a location-based feature that gives extea saving on already discounted prices on spots closest to you. Same-day prices fall even lower after 6 P.M.

The Secret of a Long Life

    I am Peter Brown. I am a writer with an important magazine. The other day I saw a white-haired man sitting on the chair in front of his house. I could see the wrinkles (皱纹) in his face and neck, and his wrinkled hands. Articles on the secrets of living to an old age are always popular with our readers, so I decided to write a story and discover the secret of this man's long life. As I went near him, I said:

    “Sir, would it be okay if I talked with you for just a moment?”

    “Not at all. Actually, it would make me very happy. I get very bored sitting here, even for a short time. Until a little while ago, I lived a full and active life without a moment's rest.”

    “Well, they say that a lot of activities help one to live a long time.”

    “That's true, very true. I still feel very well, although my step has slowed down a little.”

    The conversation continued in that way for a while. Although I tried to be very thoughtful about getting information from older people, it seemed to me that it would now be all right to begin to ask some polite questions.

    “Would it be okay if I smoked?”

    “Not at all.”

    “I'd offer you one, but I suppose you probably don't smoke, or drink, or…”

    “You're wrong! I've always smoked a great deal. And until a little while ago, I went dancing every night. And as for alcoholic drinks ...”

    “Do you mean to say that you've done these things all your life?”

    “Of course. Why does that surprise you so much?”

    “I've always been told that doing those things is bad for the health.”

    “Nonsense!”

    “I suppose that you have another secret ... a lot of fruit... vegetables ... a lot of exercise in the fresh air…”

    “Don't be silly! I hate exercise in the fresh air, and I don't like any kind of vegetable.”

    “This is unbelievable!”

    “What do you mean, unbelievable? What are you talking about?”

    “It's just that I can't understand how you've been able to live like that and to have lasted so long. Tell me, how old are you?”

    “Me? I'm twenty-eight. Why?”

    Teenagers who spend hours in front of the television may have a poorer diet as young adults.

    A study, which included nearly 1,400 high school students, found those who watched TV for five hours or more per day had less healthy diets than peers(同龄人）five years later. Why does this happen? Should the parents take any measures?

    On the one hand, people who spend a lot of time in front of the TV, especially teenagers, may snack more, and that may affect their long-term diet quality.

    On the other hand, TV ads for fast food, sweets and snacks tempt teenagers to eat more of those foods. And TV time might also replace exercise time for some kids.

Lead researcher Dr. Daheia J. Barr-Anderson, of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, told Reuters Health a clear correlation between TV time during high school and diet quality in young adulthood. While the heaviest TV viewers were eating the most junk food , those who'd watched less than two hours per day had the highest intake(吸收)of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and high-calcium food. In her opinion, parents should limit and monitor TV viewing.

    As far as I am concerned, children should watch no more than two hours of television per day. And parents should set a good example by eating right, being physically active and curbing their own TV time.

    The first newspapers were written by hand and put up on walls in public places. The earliest daily newspaper was started in Rome in 59 BC. In the 700's the world's first printed newspaper was published. Europe didn't have a regularly published newspaper until 1609, when one was started in Germany.

    The first regularly published newspaper in the English language was printed in Amsterdam in 1620. In 1621, an English newspaper was started in London and was published once a week. The first daily English newspaper was The Daily Courant (《每日新闻》). It came out in March, 1702.

    In 1690, Benjamin Harris printed the first American newspaper in Boston. But not long after it was first published, the government stopped the paper. In 1704, John Campbell started The Boston Newsletter (《波士顿新闻通讯》), the first newspaper published in the American colonies. By 1760, the colonies had more than thirty daily newspapers. There are now about 1,800 daily papers in the United States.

    Today, as a group, English language newspapers have the largest circulation (发行量) in the world. But the largest circulation for a newspaper is that of the Japanese newspaper Asahi Dhimbun (《朝日新闻》). It sells more than 11 million copies every day.

    (The New York Times, Oct.7) The 2019 Nobel Prize in physiology(生理学) or medicine was jointly awarded to three scientists — William G. Kaelin Jr., Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza — for their work on how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability. The Nobel Assembly announced the prize at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm on Monday.

    Their work established the genetic mechanisms(机制) that allow cells to respond to changes in oxygen levels. The findings have implications(启示) for treating a variety of diseases.

    Why did they win?

    "Oxygen is the lifeblood of living organisms(生物体)," said Dr. George Daley, dean of Harvard Medical School. "Without oxygen, cells can't survive." But too much or too little oxygen can be deadly. The three researchers tried to answer this question: How do cells regulate their responses?

    The investigators uncovered detailed genetic responses to changing oxygen levels that allow cells in the bodies of humans and other animals to sense and respond to fluctuations(波动), increasing and decreasing how much oxygen they receive.

    Why is the work important?

    The discoveries reveal the cellular mechanisms that control such things as adaptation to high altitudes and how cancer cells manage to hijack(攫取) oxygen. Randall Johnson, a member of the Nobel Assembly, described the work as a "textbook discovery" and said it would be something students would start learning at the most basic levels of biology education.

    "This is a basic aspect of how a cell works, and I think from that standpoint alone it's a very exciting thing." Johnson said.

    The research also has implications for treating various diseases in which oxygen is in short supply — including anemia, heart attacks and strokes — as well as for treatment of cancers that are fed by and seek out oxygen.