Aristotle once wrote that “happiness is a state of activity”. In other words, whether you're seeking life-long satisfaction or a few moments of good cheer, you've got to move forward. We've interviewed the experts and found five steps to take toward a sunny mood（心情）：

    Over a 30-year period, University of Illinois researchers asked nearly 120, 000 people how income, education, political participation volunteer activities and close relationships affected their happiness. Reported Newsweek, s Sharon Begley on the findings, “The highest levels of happiness are found with the most stable and satisfying relationships. ”

    Singing aloud, talking to a stranger, raising your hand: all may increase a feeling of happiness, according to a study from Wake Forest University. Participants（参与者）followed the development of their moods for two weeks and reported feeling happier when they were more outgoing and less happy when reserved or withdrawn.

    The editors of forbes. Com gave $5 or $20 to 46 strangers by chance. Half the group was told to spend the money on themselves, while the other half was told to spend it on others. Those who'd shared the wealth felt much happier at the end of the day than those who'd spent it on themselves. There was no difference in happiness between those who spent $5 or $20, suggesting that it's not how much money you spend, but how you spend it, that inspires the spirit.

    Studies from the Positive Psychology Center showed that discouraged people who wrote down three good things that happened to them each day for six months reported an improved attitude.

    Drinking water really can help keep you cheerful. A small 2012 study from the University of Connecticut suggested that even slight dehydration（脱水） affected the moods of its female participants.

    Do you want to learn a new language?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Do you need it for a practical reason,such as your job or your studies?Or perhaps you're interested in the literature,films or music of a different country.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Most people learn a language best by using a variety of methods.However,traditional classes are an ideal start for many people.They provide an environment where you can practice under the guidance of someone who's good at the language.We all lead busy lives and learning a language takes time.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}As a result,you should try to develop a routine.It doesn't matter if you haven't got a long time.Becoming fluent in a language will take years,but learning to get by takes a lot less.

    Many people start learning a language and soon give up.“I'm too old,” they say.Yes,children do learn languages more quickly than adults.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}And learning is good for the health of your brain,too.I've also heard people worry about the mistakes they make when learning.Well,relax and laugh about your mistakes.I'm sure you're much less likely to make them again.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}But with some work and devotion,you'll make progress.And you'll be amazed by the positive reaction of some people when you say just a few words in their own language.Good luck!

A.Learning a new language is never easy.

B.The very first thing to think about is why.

C.You must inspire your kids to learn it well.

D.You will have more success if you study regularly.

E.Maybe you know the language will help your work a lot.

F.Sometimes you have to quit it because of too much work.

G.But research has shown that you can learn a language at any age.

    Our series The Genius Behind will take you inside the minds of people who are making the impossible possible. Whether it is designing the fastest ever land vehicle, helping the blind to see or creating space history, success relies levels of knowledge to new heights . What can we learn about genius from minds? Based on the people and the projects outlined in the series, we've come up with five lessons.

    Lesson one: New challenges require new ways of thinking

    Bloodhound SSC aims to be the first vehicle to break the 1,000 mph barrier. One of the key challenge has been to design the wheels. Thinking twice, Mark Chapman, chief engineer decided to change the way they were trying to solve problems and came up with a wheel design, part car, part jet fighter and part spaceship, which would hold together and was strong enough.

    Lesson two: Let evidence share your opinion

    Geophysicists widely believed that water on Earth originated from comets. But by studying rocks, Steven Jacobsen discovered water hidden inside, suggesting that the oceans gradually made its way out of the planet's interior many centuries ago. “Unfortunately, I had a pretty hard time convincing others,” he admits. Only time can tell whether the new theories are true.

Lesson three: It really is 99% efforts

    Sheila Nirenberg at Cornell University is trying to develop a new prosthetic device(假肢器官)for treating blindness. “Sometimes I'm exhausted and I get burnt out,” she adds. “But then I get an email from somebody saying that they can't see their own children's faces, and it is like, 'How can I possibly complain? Once I thought of this, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep—all I wanted to do was work'. It gives me the energy to just go back and keep doing it.”

    Lesson four: The answer isn't always what you expect

    Sylvia Earle has spent decades trying to see the ocean with new eyes. Her “dream machine” is a submarine that could take scientists all the way to the bottom of the deepest ocean floor what sort of material could best withstand the types of pressure y would encounter thousands of miles below the ocean surface?” It could be steel, it could be titanium, it could be some sort of ceramic, or some kind of aluminium system,” says Earle. “But glass is the best choice.”

    Lesson five: A little luck goes a long way

    It was considered as one of the biggest success stories in the history of space exploration—20 years of planning ended earlier this year with the Philae lander landing safely Comet 67P over 300 million miles(480 million kilometers)away from Earth, though Philae's anchoring harpoons(锚定鱼叉)didn't fire as planned.

    As a matter of fact, genius is difficult to define. “Genius is a funny word,” says Nirenberg. “I just sort of ignore it and just go on with life. You just do what you do regardless of whatever label's attached to you. I don't know really how else to explain it.

Help Migrant Workers

    There is nothing like going home. More so if it is for the Spring Festival family reunion. For a migrant worker it perhaps means even more. To be able to set out on a homeward journey with money from a year's toil in his pocket is the best thing he can think of. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They had to press hard for their defaulted payments, the salaries that were failed to pay up.

    About 200 million migrant workers nationwide are something left behind by economic reforms and opening up due to their contributions in the past three decades. It is almost impossible to imagine life in these places without them. However, they still form a disadvantaged group. Their rights are violated in different forms. Among other things, unpaid salaries are the most painful of such violations that are likely to drive a migrant worker to desperate actions. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}They have taken measures to prevent employers from holding back payments to them. Yet, as the financial crisis bites deep, some small enterprises that are struck the most try to reduce their economic losses by laying off migrant workers or refusing to pay them. So it is particularly important for governments at all levels to do an even better job in helping villager-turned-workers recover their unpaid salaries before the Spring Festival.

    It is good news that quite a number of local governments have organized special taskforces to conduct inspections in those labor-intensive enterprises to make sure they have paid their migrant workers in a timely and fair manner. Construction commissions in almost all provinces have published hotlines for farmer-turned-construction workers to lodge complaints against their employers for withholding their salaries.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#} But we need to look for solutions that will work at all times. We need to put in place a mechanism that will effectively prevent employers from holding back salaries to workers.

A. Some have reportedly climbed up chimneys to jump to their death unless they get their defaulted salaries.

B. It is something every Chinese look forward to as the traditional gala draws near.

C. Unfortunately, weeks preceding the Spring Festival have turned out to be hard times for migrant workers.

D. Hopefully, these efforts will send more workers on a happy journey home for the Spring Festival with their salaries in their pockets.

E. However difficult the situations they are in, it is too cruel and unfair for employers to hold back salaries they should pay their migrant workers.

F. Objectively speaking, governments at various levels have done a great deal in helping these workers recover their defaulted salaries.

Spacewalk!

    Most people don't know that the anniversary of an important event in space exploration occurred last month. On March 18, 1965, spaceman Aleksi Leonov became the first human to complete an Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) or spacewalk. It marked the first time that a human was able to leave a spacecraft and operate in the emptiness of space. It is a dangerous procedure, but one that is vital for the success of manned space missions.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In space, a spacesuit must protect people from extreme cold and heat, provide air to breathe, and remove extra carbon dioxide. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Too much of it, and the spacesuit becomes firm and difficult to move in. Too little of it, and astronauts can become dangerously sick after returning to their spacecraft.

    Astronauts now perform complex jobs in the emptiness of space in modern spacesuits. They have logged many hours repairing and upgrading equipment on satellites during EVAs. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} On July 20^th, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon for the first time. There is no atmosphere on the moon, but there is gravity—about 17 percent of Earth's, which means Neil needed a special suit for walking on the moon's surface. Suits for the moon are equipped for exploration far from any vehicles, including tough boots that can resist cuts from the rough surface while walking. But sharp rocks weren't the only danger to astronauts.

    The moon surface is covered with a fine and flour-like dust which consists of small particles (颗粒) left over from the numerous meteorite (陨石) strikes on the moon. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When astronauts would leave the moon's gravity, the dust on their suits began floating all over. It got into delicate equipment inside the spacecraft and the astronaut's eyes and lungs. As different space agencies plan for returning people to the moon, new EVA suit designs will have to take something else into account. Keeping astronauts safe also means keeping their suits clean.

A. However, EVAs don't just happen in empty space.

B. It sticks to everything, eventually causing joints and seals to fail.

C. Spacesuits also have to maintain ideal air pressure during a spacewalk.

D. Unfortunately, most people have no idea about space exploration or spacesuits.

E. Without the ability to work in space, we are unable to keep our space programs functional.

F. There are a few things that must be taken into account to make an EVA both safe and effective