People around the world are superstitious about numbers; even those ancient Greeks believed that all numbers and their multiples had some mystical significance.

    Those numbers between 1 and 13 were in particular to have a powerful influence over the affairs of men.

    For example, it is commonly said that luck, good or bad, comes in threes; if an accident happens, two more of the same kind may be expected soon afterwards. The arrival of a letter will be followed by two others within a certain period.

    Another belief involving the number three has it that it is unlucky to light three cigarettes from the one match. If this happens, the bad luck that goes with the deed falls upon the person whose cigarette was the last to be lit. The ill-men linked to the lighting of three things from one match or candle goes back to at least the 17th century and probably earlier. It was believed that three candles alight at the same time would be sure to bring bad luck; one, two, or four, were permissible, but never just three.

    Seven was another significant number, usually regarded as a bringer of good luck. The ancient astrologers believed that the universe was governed by seven planets; students of Shakespeare will recall that the life of man was divided into seven ages. Seven horseshoes nailed to a house will protect it from all evil.

    Nine is usually thought of as a lucky number because it is the product of three times three. It was much used by the Anglo Saxons in their charms for healing.

    Another belief was that great changes occurred every 7th and 9th of a man's life. Consequently, the age of 63 (the product of nine and seven) was thought to be a very perilous time for him. If he survived his 63rd year he might hope to live to a ripe old age.

    Thirteen, as we well know, is regarded with great awe and fear. The common belief is that this derives from the fact that there were 13 people at Christ's Last Supper. This being the eve of his betrayal, it is not difficult to understand the significance given to the number by the early Christians.

    In more modern times 13 is an especially unlucky number of a dinner party, for example. Hotels will avoid numbering a floor the 13th; the progression is from 12 to 14, and no room is given the number 13. Many home owners will use 12 1/2 instead of 13 as their house number.

    Yet oddly enough, to be born on the 13th of the month is not regarded with any fear at all, which just shows how irrational we are in our superstitious beliefs.

    Have you ever noticed that the more you have the more you want? Let's face it. Thinking our life is good enough doesn't come naturally to many people. When we have high expectations of everything in life we will run into disappointment. Only when we are aware that needs are different from desires can we live with satisfaction. Here are a few ideas to help you be happier with what you have and who you are.

    Focus on what you are thankful for. Most people want things to be better than they are, or when things are going well, we forget to appreciate what we have. Learn to reflect（反映）on how much better things are than they could be. Focus on what you are thankful for. Write down 5 things you are grateful for right now.

    When we hold onto regrets from decisions we have made, it can realty poison our well-being. Many people regret something they can no longer change, which ends up holding them back from moving forward in a more positive manner. What happened in the past is done and gone, so work to stay present and be mindful of the current （目前的）moment to find more joy and fulfillment（满足）.

    When we use other people as the measuring stick for our personal success and quality of life we are likely to be less satisfied. Social comparisons can provide useful information when we try to learn from others, but they also hold our perspective（观点）in a discontented position. Compare yourself less with others so you can be satisfied more.

    When you are focused on your big ambitions（抱负）and future goals you might elide the daily pleasures that surround you. Learn to slow down and absorb the wonder and beauty around you. Stay present and focus on the task you're doing at the moment. Don't let the life pass you by because you're always on the go and distracted（分心）by ambition.

    Practice looking at life through the lens of contentment（满意）and it will become more natural.

    We arrived at the hospital to find Dad was very weak, but his smile was as sure as ever. It was another attack of pneumonia(肺炎). My husband and I stayed with him for the weekend but had to return to our jobs on Monday. Local relatives would help Dad get home from the hospital and look after him. But I longed to be able to let him know that we cared too, even when we weren't with him.

    Then I remember a family tradition when our children were small. When leaving their grandparents' home after a visit, each child would write a note to their grandparents. They hid notes in the cereal(麦片), under a hairbrush, next to the phone or even in the microwave oven. For days, their parents would smile as they discovered these signs of our love.

    So as I tidied Dad's kitchen and made up a bed for him downstairs in the living room, I wrote some notes. Some were practical, "Dad, I put the food in the fridge so it wouldn't spoil." Some expressed my love, "Dad I hope you will sleep well in your new bed." Most notes were downstairs where he would stay for several weeks until he recovered strength, but one note I hid upstairs under his pillow, "Dad, if you have found this one, you must be feeling better. We are so glad. "

    Just like his medicine strengthened him physically, these "emotional vitamins" would improve his spiritual health. Several weeks later, in one of our regular phone calls, I asked Dad how he was doing. He said, "Pretty good. I just found your note under my pillow upstairs!"

    Imagine yourself on the other side of the college admissions desk. It's not so glorious, apparently. At the very least, you need to be good-natured. Joseph Connolly, a guidance counselor at New Oxford High School in the United States, wanted to know the things that annoy admissions officers the most. He sent out a request to members of the National Association for College Admissions Counselors and received hundreds of responses. Apparently, college admissions officers were waiting for an opportunity to unload their frustrations. The responses fall into several areas:

    Communication

    Silly or stupid email addresses; sending emails that use texting shorthand, such as "im w8ing 4 some1 2 call me."

    Leaving a message with just a first name and no telephone number. For example, "Hi, this is Suzie. Please call me back."

    Acting distracted during a one-on-one interview; nervous habits like foot-tapping or "um", "like" and "you know", which make a bad situation worse.

    Not responding to emails from the admissions office.

    Over-involved parents

    The very common comment from parents, "We are in the process of completing applications."

    Parents attending interviews, and worse yet, speaking for their children.

    Essays

    Not identifying which question they are responding to.

    Writing about something they were great at in the seventh grade but haven't pursued since then.

    The printing press has a long history. It was invented in Germany by Joannes Gutenberg around 1440, and brought to England by William Caxton in the 1470s.Yet the basic technology of printing remained the same up to the end of the 18th century, requiring two men to operate a wooden screw press by hand, producing about 200 impressions an hour. The 19th century was the period in which this process was mechanised, automated, and made many times faster.

    A key moment in the development of mass newspapers was the development of the steam-powered printing press, adopted by the times in 1814. The new presses were able to print per hour around five times the number produced by the machines. The editor, John Walter, had the machines fixed secretly at night, so that when his printers reported for duty the next morning the majority of them found that they were out of work. The Times went from a circulation of 5,000 a day in 1815 to around 50,000 in the middle of the century. This was not caused by the steam press, but neither could it have happened without it.

    Later developments improved this effect: the Applegath machine achieved 5,000 impressions per hour, and the Hoe press, an import from the United States, reached to 20,000 impressions per hour. Increase in the speed of papermaking in this period brought down the cost of printed materials both for the producer and the customer. In 1896, the Daily Mail was sold at the cost of only half a penny, and by 1900 it was selling nearly 1,000,000 copies a day.

    If print production was completely changed in those years, then so was its distribution. The appearance of the steam railway meant that for the first time newspapers could be distributed across the country on a daily basis.

    Walking routes that are quicker and cheaper than the Tube in London

    Love to shop? You can walk between Knightsbridge and fashionable Sloane Square in around 10 minutes—much simpler than swapping lines at South Kensington.

    Don't fall into the trap of taking the Piccadilly line between Covent Garden and Leicester Square. It takes just four minutes to walk and you'll avoid the queues for the lifts at Covent Garden.

    *Use a Santander Cycle for just £2

    It costs £2 to access Santander Cycles for 24 hours. The first half hour is free each time you hop on a new bike, which means you can make multiple trips in one day and still pay only £2.

    *Hop on a bus

    Buses don't just offer a scenic way of getting around London—they're easy on the wallet too! A single fare costs just £1.50, while unlimited bus travel on a contactless card costs £4.50.

    Make the most of the hopper fare, which allows you to make a second bus journey for free within an hour of travel.

    *Go contactless for the cheapest fare

    If you have to take the Tube, use the same contactless card all day long to make the most savings when making multiple journeys. Contactless card users benefit from a daily cap (上限).