How many times do you check your Moments or Facebook page in a day to see whether your latest post has got another “like” or “thumbs up”?

    Although you might be embarrassed to admit how many times you do this, don't worry. Psychological findings have shown it's completely normal.

    In fact, the pleasure we derive from (取自) getting a “like” is equal to that of eating chocolate or winning money, and we can't help wanting more.

    According to the findings of the UCLA Brain Mapping Center, which observed 32 teens aged between 13 and 18, the feedback circuit (反馈电路) in the teens' brains are particularly sensitive, and the “social” and “visual” parts of their brains were activated when they received “likes” on a social network. The research also showed that though the thumbs up might come from complete strangers, the good they derive from it worked equally.

    So does it mean we should try our best to win as many thumbs up as possible?

    Not necessarily so if we know the reasons behind our desire for attention.

    In “Why do people crave (渴望) attention” by M. Farouk Radwan, he explained several cases in which people naturally longed for attention. Radwan said people who were an only child, who were used to being the center of attention in their house, may try to reproduce these conditions. Feeling “overlooked and unappreciated” might also lead you to be eager for attention. Other times, the state of being jealous or wanting to cover your mistakes may also contribute to such longings.

    In fact, too much desire for attention can create anxiety, and in turn ruin your happiness even when you get it. So what can we do about it? The answer is quite simple.

    “If people could adopt goals not focused on their own self-esteem (自尊) but on something larger than their self, such as what they can create or contribute to others, they would be less sensitive to some of the negative effects of pursuing self-esteem,” wrote psychology professor Jennifer Crocker in the Journal of Social Issues.

    Today's post is almost about signs in English. You will see signs on the road while driving or when walking down a street. Now let's take a closer look at the signs in the picture below, so you can fully understand what they mean in case you come across one of them.

    Starting with the top row, we have a:

    Yield sign—This sign indicates (标示) that you need to slow down ,but you may not have to come to a full stop.

    Crosswalk—This is a sign that indicates people have the right of way to cross the street, so cars have to stop when they see a person waiting next to one of these signs.

    Second row:

    Do not enter—This sign indicates you are not allowed to enter a road at that point.

    Buckle up(系好安全带)!— There are often signs on roads in the United States reminding people that wearing seat belts(安全带) is mandatory (强制的) (seat belt laws differ depending on what state you are in ,but all US states have seat belt laws).

    Third row:

    Be alert (警惕的) for bears—This is another sign that is used to indicate to drivers and pedestrians (行人) that they should be alert for wildlife in the area.

Playground—This is the sign used to alert drivers that there is a playground nearby, so it is a good idea to slow down and watch for children.

    Throughout history scientists have risked their health and their lives in their search for the truth.

    Sir Isaac Newton, the seventeenth century scientist, was very smart, but that didn't stop him from doing some pretty stupid things. In his laboratory in Cambridge he often did the strangest experiments. Once, while testing how light passes through lenses (晶状体), he put a long needle into his eye, pushed it to the back, and then moved it around just to see what would happen. Luckily, nothing long-lasting did. On another occasion he stared at the sun for as long as he could bear, to discover what effect this would have on his sight. Again he escaped suffering permanent damage, though he had to spend some days in a darkened room before his eyes recovered.

    In the 1750s the Swedish chemist Karl Scheele was the first person to find a way to produce phosphorus (磷). He in fact discovered eight more chemical elements including chlorine (氯), though he didn't get any praise for them. He was a very clever scientist, but his one failing was a curious habit of tasting a little of every substance he worked with. This risky practice finally caught up with him, and in 1786 he was found dead in his laboratory surrounded by a large number of dangerous chemicals, any of which might have been responsible for his death.

    Eugene Shoemaker was a respected geologist. He spent a large part of his life studying craters (火山口) on the moon, and how they were formed, and later did research into the comets of the planet Jupiter. In 1997 he and his wife were in the Australian desert where they went every year to search for places where comets might have hit the earth. While driving in the Tanami desert, normally one of the emptiest places in the world, another vehicle crashed into them and Shoemaker was killed on the spot. Some of his ashes (骨灰) were sent to the moon aboard the Lunar Prospector spacecraft and left there — he is the only person who has had this honor.

    Most young people enjoy some forms of physical activity. It may be walking, cycling, or swimming, or in winter, skating or skiing. It may be a game of some forms—football, basketball, hockey, golf or tennis. It may be mountaineering.

    Those who have a passion of climbing high and difficult mountains are often looked upon with astonishment. Why are men and women willing to suffer cold and hardship, and to take risks in high mountains? This astonishment is caused, probably, by the difference between mountaineering and other forms of activity to which men give their leisure.

    Mountaineering is a sport and not a game. There are no man-made rules, as there are for such games as golf and football. There are, of course, rules of different kinds which would be dangerous to ignore, but it is this freedom from man-made rules that makes mountaineering attractive to many people. Those who climb mountains are free to use their own methods.

    If we compare mountaineering with other more familiar sports we might think that one big difference is that mountaineering is not a “team game”. We should be mistaken in this. There are, it is true, no “matches” between “teams” of climbers, but when climbers are on a rock face linked by a rope on which their lives may depend, there is obviously teamwork.

    The mountain climber knows that he may have to fight forces that are stronger and more powerful than man. He has to fight the forces of nature. His sport requires high mental and physical qualities.

    A mountain climber continues to improve his skills year by year. A skier is probably past his best by the age of thirty. But it is not unusual for men of fifty or sixty to climb the highest mountains in the Alps. They may take more time than younger men, but they perhaps climb with more skills and less waste of effort, and they certainly experience equal enjoyment.

    Are you afraid of sharks? What about snakes or spiders? Put those fears aside: because in the U.S. you're far more likely to be killed or injured by a deer skipping across the road.

    Deer cause more than 200 humans deaths each year, plus some 29, 000 injuries, all because of 1.2 million collisions between vehicles and deer. Most incidents occur in the eastern U.S., where deer prosper without natural predators like wolves and mountain lions.

    "That's the region in the U.S. where deer-vehicle collisions are such a problem, and where it seems like an effective large carnivore reintroduction could make a really big difference." says wildlife biologist Laura Prugh from University of Washington. She thinks it would help to reintroduce predators like mountain lions, also known as cougars, pumas or panthers, to parts of their historic range from which they've been driven out.

    The researchers say that bringing the predators back to the eastern U.S. would mean 22 percent fewer collisions between cars and deer over three decades. Each year would see five fewer human deaths, 680 fewer injuries and a savings of some 550 million. Sophie L. Gilbert thinks there are great socioeconomic benefits of large predator restoration through reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions and she says, says, "Cougars have shown that they can coexist in short distance with people, with very few conflicts, in a lot of areas out west."

    Still, some folks might be understandably nervous about this kind of plan. After all, reintroducing predators doesn't come without risks to pets and to livestock, and very occasionally to people.

    "Our fear of large predators is so natural and intense that I don't think it's possible to just completely clear it with statistics… What I hope is that knowing that there actually can be some measurable benefits might make people a little more supportive and maybe balance that fear a little bit." says Laura.

    Indeed, the statistics show that cougars would prevent five times as many human deaths from deer-related accidents as they would cause by attacks. But it'll be a tough sell: the press will cover cougar attacks, but a statistically prevented death does not make the news. Nevertheless, "If people in the west can put up with having mountain lions around, I would hope that New Yorkers would be up for the challenge as well."

I love hiking. In the mountains, the birds sing for me; the various trees and flowers overwhelm (征服) my eyes and the deep blue of the sky inspires me and makes me feel calm. Furthermore, I can breathe the fresh air, keeping away from the dust and pollution of the city. It seems that all my senses are awakened when I am in the mountains. More importantly, hiking teaches me a lot.

I have been a traveler since childhood and was drawn towards mountains and their beauty. Later my reading several travel books made me think if I could also go on such journeys. Finally, I decided to give it a try. After I was well-prepared to face all difficulties of the hike, I joined a group of hikers. On the way, we encouraged each other, took beautiful pictures, and sat down now and then to feel the breath of the land. All my worries disappeared and we talked and laughed just like kids. This journey excited me for a long time.

I never actually realized the need for water until I started hiking. I remember once I was on a hike where our water was not enough. It was a night hike and the next day we had to return back to our base camp following the same route. So we have to save it for emergencies (紧急事件).That day I exactly learned water is of great value and that we have a duty to save it.

Besides enjoying the beautiful natural views, you have to go out of your comfort zone and push yourself hard to challenge your normal limits when hiking. On a hike, you may sometimes get injured but you can't stop until you reach the destination. Every next try will surely make you stronger and happier if you embrace (拥抱) your injuries, pains and discomforts.

Sometimes we may have a conversation with those locals living in wooden houses. You know, mountain life is hard and difficult. But they never complain about their life. They are happy with what they have. Many times they are facing extreme weather and they just fight with them. They are so brave. What can we complain about?