D

A warm drink of milkbefore bed has long been the best choice for those wanting a good night'ssleep. But now a study has found it really does help people nod off—if it ismilked from a cow at night.

  Researchers have discovered that“night milk” contains more melatonin(褪黑激素), which has been proven tohelp people feel sleepy and reduce anxiety.

  The study, by researchersfrom Seoul, South Korea, involved mice being fed with dried milk powder madefrom cows milked both during the day and at night.

  Those given night milk, whichcontained 10 times the amount of melatonin, were less active and less anxiousthan those fed with the milk collected during daytime, according to the studypublished in The Journal of MedicinalFood.

   Night milk quickened the startof sleep and caused the mice to sleep longer.

   While the effect of cowsmilk harvested at different time has not been tested on humans up to now,taking melatonin drugs has been suggested to those who are struggling to fallasleep at night.

   Previous studies have alsoindicated that milk can be excellent for helping sleep because of the calciumcontent, which helps people to relax.

  Milk is also sugar-free andadditive-free with nutritionists recommending skimmed milk as the best choicebefore bed as it is the least fattening. The more fat you take in beforebedtime, the greater burden you will put on your body at night.

B

    Steven Stein likes to follow garbage trucks. His strange habit makes sense when you consider that he's an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including things that fall off garbage trucks as they drive down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein's jobs is defending an industry behind the plastic shopping bags.

    Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them at checkouts(收银台). The bags are prohibited in some 90 cities in California, including Los Angeles. Eyeing these headwinds, plastic-bag makers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume.

    Among the bag makers' arguments: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today.

    The industry has also taken aim at the product that has appeared as its replacement: reusable shopping bags. The stronger a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. However, longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make. One study found that a cotton bag must be used at least 131 times to be better for the planet than plastic.

    Environmentalists don't dispute（质疑） these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years.

    Are you an optimist? Do you look at your glass and see it as half full? Do you believe that every cloud has a silver lining and that generally things turn out for the best? Do you believe that if something is meant to be, it will be? If you reply "yes" to all of these questions, then you are an optimist. You probably are enthusiastic, cheerful and outgoing. You may well be successful at work and in love.

    But you may be misguided because things don't turn out for the best. You may believe that when one door closes another one opens (For example, you may fail to land a new job, but another chance will come around soon). Wrong. When one door closes, another door slams in your face. That's bitter reality.

    Now a book has been published which confirms what we pessimists(悲观者) have suspected all along. It's called The Positive Power of Defensive Pessimism. Its author argues that defensive pessimism can lead to positive results. Defensive pessimism is a strategy used to manage fear, anxiety and worry. Defensive pessimists prepare for things by setting low outcomes for themselves. They carefully consider everything that may go wrong and plan for ways to handle these problems. And this gives them a sense of control. Lawrence Sanno, a psychology professor, says, "What's interesting about defensive pessimists is that they tend to be very successful people, so their low opinion of the situation's outcomes is not realistic. They use it to motivate themselves to perform better."

    So far, so good. This is not rocket science. Defensive pessimists prepare carefully and consider what might go wrong, whether at work, on a date or even in a sports game. It makes sense to have a backup plan. There are many sayings in English urging caution. For example, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket", and "Don't count your chickens until they hatch." To have a confident and optimistic approach to life's problems is good. But listen to what Woody Alien, the American comedian says, "Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem."

    There are pros and cons to being an optimist and a pessimist. Don't feel bad if you see the glass half empty. You are a realist. But lighten up and hook up with someone who sees the same glass half full.

    Owning a smartphone may not be as smart as you think. They may let you surf the Internet, listen to music and snap photos wherever you are…but they also turn you into a workaholic, it seems. A study suggests that, by giving you access to emails at all times. The all-singing, all-dancing mobile phone adds as much as two hours to your working day.

    Researchers found that Britons work an additional 460 hours a year on average as they are able to respond to emails on their mobiles. The study by technology retailer Pixmania, reveals the average UK working day is between nine and ten hours, but a further two hours is spent responding to or sending work emails, or making work calls.

    Almost one in ten admits spending up to three hours outside their normal working day checking work emails. Some workers confess they are on call almost 24 hours a day, with nine out of ten saying they take work emails and calls outside their normal working hours. Nearly two-thirds say they often check work emails just before they go to bed and as soon as they wake up, while over a third have replied to one in the middle of the night.

    Ghadi Hobeika, marketing director of Pixmania, said:" The ability to access literally millions of apps, keep in contact via social networks and take photos and video as well as text and call has made smartphones valuable for many people. However, there are drawbacks. Many companies expect their employees to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and smartphones mean that people literally cannot get away from work. The more constantly in contact we become. The more is expected of us in a work capacity."

    18-year-old Kayla Perkins explains what is in her bedroom, "I throw something on the floor and I know right where it is." However, her parents, Steve and Deborah Perkins, of McKinney, Texas, haven't caught on. Even Kayla admits that, at the worst, her room is a mess.

    Most families at some point have at least one child whose room looks like a landfill(垃圾堆). The mess can disturb the whole household. Dirty clothes pile up; dirty dishes get lost in the mess and smell bad; homework is lost; and valuable things are ruined.

    Some parents let it go, believing that a bedroom is private space for children to manage as they wish. Others lecture their children, offer rewards for cleaning, or punish them when they don't. What doesn't work, parenting experts say, is constant lectures, verbal(口头的,言语的) threats or getting very angry. Mrs. Perkins says they picked up all the clothes on Kayla's floor and hid them. They cleaned everything up. When Kayla came back to a bare bedroom, there was screaming and shouting, "How can I live without my clothes?" Mrs. Perkins asked Kayla to earn her clothes back by doing housework. These days, she keeps her room clean.

    Humour can help, too. For example, since Jessica, the 14-year-old daughter wasn't bothered by the dirty clothes all over her floor, the whole family started using her room as a place to store dirty clothes. Her attitude changed after her family did that. By the time she gave in and cleaned up her room a few days later, even she was laughing.

Parenting expert, Jim Fay, also recommends that parents first ask children in a nice way to clean up and agree on a reasonable time limit. Children often behave better if you treat them in the way you would want to be treated by your boss at work—with respect and high expectations.

    Most of the time, people wear hats to protect themselves from harsh weather conditions. Hats are also worn to show politeness and as signs of social position. But nowadays, hats, especially women's hats, are much more than that. More exactly, hats have changed into fashion and style symbols by many movie stars. What's more, people now consider many different features when choosing even a simple hat. Many designers point out that, when choosing the right hat, it's important to consider the color of your skin as well as your hair, your height, and the shape of your face.

    First of all, the color of the hat should match the color of your skin and hair. For instance, black hats should be avoided if you are dark skinned. If a purple hat is placed on top of red hair, one will look as attractive as a summer flower. Second, the height of the hat is also an important point. Tall women should not go for hats with tall crowns, just as short women should choose hats with upturned brims to give the look of height. Third, and most importantly, the shape of the face decides the kind of hat one should pick. A small, gentle hat that fits the head looks good on a small face. However, women with big, round faces should choose a different style.

As the saying goes, "Fine feathers make fine birds." A good hat can not only help your dress but also support your features, so why not choose the best possible one next time you want to be in public?