Residents in the poorest counties in the U.S. face a life expectancy up to decade shorter than their counterparts in the wealthiest areas, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

    Researchers from East Tennessee State University wanted to better understand how socioeconomic status was associated with heath outcomes. To find out they divided the country's 3,141 counties into 50 new 'states' (with 2 percent of the counties in each) based on household income as opposed to geographic proximity (接近).

    The researchers broke down the data by county since they found state-level data may hide some 'impact of socioeconomic differences on both the best-off and worst-off counties.' They then examined health data from the wealthiest and poorest 'states' (top and bottom 2 percent) to see how residents differed on factors like smoking, clinical care and excessive drinking. Researchers found that there was nearly a 10-year gap in the life expectancy of men with an average of 79.3 years in the wealthy counties compared to 69.8 years in the poorest. For women, the difference was slightly less - 83 years in the wealthiest counties and 76 years in the poorest.

    The study authors caution that while they found a connection between socioeconomic status and health outcomes, they did not analyze cause and effect. But they suggest that the data shows how policy makers should not just focus on state-wide initiatives (主动性) but more targeted efforts to help those most at risk. “With limited resources, methods of pinpointing the poorest counties can assist in the allocation of resources and programs to those communities that are in the greatest need,'' the study authors wrote.

    Ben, at the age of 23 ,was the youngest man to ski solo to the North Pole. He dragged a 180-kilogramme sledge (雪橇) over 1,420 miles through the worst Arctic conditions. This year, Ben plans to ski solo from the Antarctic coast to the South Pole and back in the autumn, carrying all his supplies on his sledge.

    Ben Saunders was fired after persuading the firm to support his disorganized first adventure. “Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. We didn't get to the Pole, so we had no media interest. No one heard about it.”

    “People said it was impossible for me to get to the Pole. I said, “No, I can get there,” and I did. Self-belief, I see it as being a bit like a muscle — it's my belief that the more you stretch yourself the stronger it gets. If you never do anything that's uncomfortable or risky then your self-belief gets weaker. So that's one of the lessons I've figured out along the way.

    “My Antarctic adventure is just practicable and that's what is exciting to me. If I knew I could do it without too much bother, I wouldn't be interested." Why? “Personally I'm attracted by the human performance element to it. Not that long ago, running a marathon was seen as the top point of human attempt, and now I wouldn^'t be that surprised if my mum said she was going to run one."

    People^'s horizons are changing. “I'm not particularly gifted. I've just chosen this one goal to achieve and I've been working hard to realize it. And that^'s the thing that attracts me: with enough training and enough determination, enough focus and preparation, how far can we go? And I don ^， t think I've found out yet.”

    The New Caledonia Barrier Reef (新喀里多尼亚堡礁)is located in New Caledonia in the South Pacific, and is the second-longest coral reef in the world, after Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The New Caledonia Barrier reef surrounds Grand Terre, New Caledonia's largest island, as well as the Ile des Pins and several smaller islands, reaching a length of 1, 500 km. The reef encloses(围住) in a lake of 24, 000 square kilometers, which has an average depth of 25 meters. The reefs lie up to 30 kilometers from the shore, but extend almost 200 km to the Entrecasteaux reefs in the northwest. This northwestern extension encloses the Belep Islands. Several natural passages open out to the ocean. The Boulari passage(通道), which leads to Noumea, the capital and chief port of New Caledonia, is noted for the Amedee lighthouse.

    The reef has great species diversity with a high level of endemism(动植物的特有分布), and is home to endangered dugongs, a kind of sea animal, and is an important nesting site for Green Sea Turtle.

    Most of the reefs are generally thought to be in good health. Some of the eastern reefs have been damaged by wastewater from nickel mining(镍开采)on Grand Terre. The waste from mining, agriculture, and grazing(放牧) has affected reefs near river mouths, which has been worsened by the destruction of mangrove forests, which help to keep wastes. Some reefs have been buried under several meters of wastes.

    In January 2002, the French government proposed(提议) listing New Caledonia's reefs as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO listed New Caledonia Barrier Reef on the World Heritage List on 7 July 2008.

Museums for career-minded kids

    Sometimes kids don't just want to be kids. They want to be grown-ups. Here are some places where kids can try on a few different hats.

    The Nassau County Firefighters Museum

    This museum shows kids what to do in fires, such as how to crawl (爬行) low in smoke. It also exhibits (展览) out-of-date and modern fire equipment.

    10 a. m. to 5 p. m. Tuesdays through Sundays, and Mondays on holidays and school breaks. Open seven days in July and August. $4 for children up to 12 and adults over 62; $5 for all others. 516-572-4177.

    The Heckscher Museum of Art

    Kids can create artwork based on exhibits in the Central Gallery, using virtual (虛拟的) paint on a 55-inch touch screen.

    10 a. m. to 5 p. m. Wednesdays through Fridays, 11 a. m. to 5 p. m. Saturdays and Sundays. Closed for exhibition change from Nov. 12 to 16. $5 for students 10 and over: free for kids under 10; $8 for adults. 631-351-3250 .

    The Cradle of Aviation Museum

    An exhibit on space exploration includes an early Space Age rocket copy, a moon lander, and a moon simulator (模拟装置) that trained the Apollo astronauts.

    9: 30 a. m. to-p. m. Tuesdays through Sundays, and open Mondays that fall on holidays and school breaks. $13 for kids up to 12 and adults over 62; $15 for all others. 516-572-4111 .

    The Mighty Midgets Mini Cars Museum

    This museum exhibits a wide collection of small gas and electric cars and trucks. The sizes are perfect for your kids, some of which they can sit in, including a Corvette and a Formula 1 race car.

    By appointment (预约) Mondays through Thursdays and noon to 4 p.m. Fridays through Sundays Free for kids 5 and under; $5 for all others. 631-803-8588 .

    I'd done it before, and so I had no reason to believe that this time would be any different. I was sure that when I returned home from my mission trip. As always, I'd bring back nothing more some mud on my boots. A hole or two in my jeans and, of course, a lot of great memories.

    The summer before my high school graduation, I went to West Virginia with others as volunteers to repair the homes of those in need. Arriving at our destination, my group was assigned the task of rebuilding sections of a home that had been damaged by fire. No sooner had we parked on the home's dirt driveway than we saw an excited little girl, no more than six years old, standing in the doorway of the family's temporary home. Shoeless and wearing dirty clothes and the biggest smile I'd ever seen, she yelled, "Ma, Ma, they really came!" I didn't know it then, but her name was Dakota, and four more days would pass before she'd say another word near me.

    Behind Dakota was a woman in a wheelchair — her grandmother, we'd soon learn. I also discovered that my job that week would be to help change a fire-damaged dining room into a bedroom for this little girl. Grabbing our tools, we went to work. Over the following days, I noticed Dakota peeking at us every now and then as we worked. A few times, I tried talking with her, but she remained shy and distant, always flying around us like a tiny butterfly but keeping to herself.

    By our fifth and final day, however, this was about to change.

    Before I went to work on her home on that last morning, I spoke for a moment or two with the grandmother. I was especially pleased when she told me how much Dakota loved her new room — so much, in fact, that she'd begged to sleep in it the previous night, even though it wasn't quite ready. As we talked, I noticed something I hadn't seen before — Dakota was hiding behind her grandmother.

    Cautiously, she stepped into view, and I could see that just like her clothes, her face was still dirty. But no amount of soil could hide those bright blue eyes and big smile. She was simply adorable. I wanted so much to hug her, but respecting her shyness, I kept my distance.

    Slowly, she began walking toward me. It wasn't until she was just inches away that I noticed the folded piece of paper in her tiny hand. Silently, she reached up and handed it to me. Once unfolded, I looked at the drawing she'd made with her broken crayons on the back of an old coloring book cover. It was of two girls — one much taller than the other — and they were holding hands. She told me it was supposed to be me and her, and on the bottom of the paper were three little words that instantly broke my heart. Now almost in tears, I couldn't control myself anymore — I bent down and hugged her. She hugged me, too. And for the longest time, neither of us could let go.

    By early afternoon, we finished Dakota's bedroom, and so I gladly used the rare free time to get to know my newest friend. Sitting under a tree away from the others, we shared a few apples while she told me about her life. As I listened to her stories about the struggles she and her family went through daily, I began to realize how boring various aspects of my own life were.

    I left for home early the next morning. I was returning with muddy boots and holes in my Jeans. But because of Dakota, I brought back something else, too-a greater appreciation for all or the blessings of my life. I'll never forget that barefoot little butterfly with the big smile and dirty face. I pray that she'll never forget me either.

I suffered my brain injury from a car accident. I was rear-ended(追尾) twice 1 , which caused my head to hit the headrest each time I was hit. I had received news over time from my doctor, which was mentally and emotionally 2 for any 18-year-old to accept. I was 3 , and did not know what this meant for me and my future. Throughout the journey, I tried to 4 why I didn't feel like myself two years after the accident and recognized things I never had 5 with before, such as being unable to remember pretty much anything. My 6 had increased and I did go through days of depression. I wanted to be a 7 but I felt as though that dream would never be reached.

       Sitting in bed feeling 8 , I tried to focus on why I wanted to be a lawyer. I 9 myself that I was the only one holding myself back from making that 10 a reality. Thinking of this, I pulled myself together and have been fighting for my dream ever since. And I am 11 with my bachelor's degree in criminal justice and two pre-law certificates in 3 years at Florida International University.

12 I have to work ten times harder than I would have if I hadn't had this 13 , I wouldn't take it back. I am 14 now due to the things that have happened to me. Nothing is impossible, but it is how you take on a(an) 15 that will get you to where you want to be.