The poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living. People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. Economists study the causes of poverty in order to find solutions to the problem.

    As the general standard of living in the country rises, the poverty line does, too. Therefore, even with today's relatively high standard of living, about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line. However, if these people had stable jobs, they could have an acceptable standard of living. Economists suggest several reasons why poor people do not have jobs.

    For one thing, more than half of the poor people in the United States are not qualified to work. Over 40 percent of the poor people are children. By law, children less than 16 years old cannot work in many industries. A large number of poor people are old. Many companies do not hire people over 65 years old, the normal retirement age.

    Some poor adults do not look for jobs for a variety of personal reasons: they are sick, they do not have any motivation, they have family problems, or they do not believe that they can find a job.

    Other poor people look for a job, but cannot find one. Many poor adults never went to high school. Therefore, when they look for jobs, they have few skills that they can offer.

    At the present time, the government thinks it can reduce poverty in the country in the following ways:

    First, if the national economy grows, businesses and industries hire more workers. Some of the poor who are qualified to look for jobs may find employment. Then they will no longer below the poverty line.

    Second, if society invests in the poor，the poor will become more productive.

    If the government spends money on social programs, education and training for poor people, the poor will have the skills to offer. Then it is more probable that they can find jobs.

    Finally, if the government distributes society's income differently, it raises some poor people above the poverty line. The government collects taxes from the non-poor and gives money to the poor. These payments to the poor are called welfare.

    Some economists are looking for better solutions to the poverty problem. However, at the present time, many people depend on welfare for a minimally acceptable standard of living.

    Choose your food wisely and you can add years to your life. Our list of anti-aging food goes way beyond green tea! {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, it doesn't matter how you eat your green and yellow beans, as long as you eat them. Eating whole, cooked peas and other beans may actually slow aging and make skin look younger.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, it may be one of the best thing you can do for your health. People who eat these anti-aging foods, especially walnut (核桃), three times a week or more enjoy two to three more years of life.

    Don't panic — no one is saying you have to give up your steak — but doing a few meatless meals a week can increase the number of weeks in your life. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Anti-aging foods like rice, beans, tofu, and buckwheat nearly as much protein per serving as meat does, and you get the added benefit of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

    Carrots are the typical healthy food. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. But did you know that carrots can not only lengthen your life span but also help you look younger?

    Not only are blueberries delicious, but they're also full of tons of nutrients, namely Vitamins A and C, as well as anti-aging antioxidants (抗氧化物质)like anthocyanin (花青素). A higher intake of anthocyanin may be associated with reductions in age-related decline to help preserve your health as you get older. The antioxidants found in blueberries can also protect against oxidative damage to your cells.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Since they are delicious

B. When it comes to anti-aging foods

C. If you eat nuts in your diet regularly

D. Sometimes your health depends on your mouth

E. And they decrease the risk of heart disease, and other diseases

F. Adding plant sources of protein can help extend your life span

G. Therefore, it's probably no surprise to hear they're really good for you.

    I began cycling in 2004 when I was a poor student. It was dangerous, sure, but cycling is the fastest, cheapest point-to-point form of transport in Melbourne. I own a car now, but that's just for transporting the baby or groceries.

    I hate driving. So it's been quite encouraging watching the growth in cyclist numbers over the past decade. It is said that over 10,000 cyclists enter the CBD (Central Business District) each day, taking pressure off public transport. But as more people take to cycling as a way of transport, the number of cyclists seriously injured or killed keeps increasing. And that is a sign that our infrastructure (基础设施) is still not good enough.

    Melbourne was once a dream for cyclists—flat, long, wide roads, with plenty of paths along rivers. Now, cycling can be deadly, with roads taken up by cars. I have a friend who broke her back and was lucky to escape death and others with broken bones. In my time riding, I've been forced off the road by a truck, cut off by four-wheel drives, and told to get off the road. Drivers are a particularly rude to cyclists. And that's a sign of exactly one thing: inadequate infrastructure.

    We shouldn't need to be taught how to coexist in the same narrow space. Drivers and cyclists should be kept apart. Designing bike paths so riders are channelled between moving cars and parked cars is deadly. All it takes is one daydreaming driver to fling open the door and you are gone. That's what happened to the young university student James.

    This year, there are to be new cycling lanes (车道) built on Glen Road, where James died in 2010. But these lanes are not safe. Cyclists must still pass between two rows of cars.

    Volunteering abroad is a great way to help others, improve your skills and become a more confident, independent person. If you are interested in volunteering abroad, here are some places to go.

    Australia

    If you seek a life on the beach, in a great climate with friendly people, Australia might be your best bet. With thousands of volunteers already signing up to leave for Australia during the holidays, it will be a very popular option.

    Brazil

    This vast country has some great opportunities on offer and is especially popular this year. A lot of volunteer work is available in Brazil centers on conservation and ecological projects. With the world's largest rainforest in Brazil, of which huge part is in danger, there are lots of different jobs you can do.

    Kenya

    Kenya is the destination for those seeking an African experience. Generally volunteers in Kenya work in orphanages (孤儿院) or with local children living in slums (贫民窟). There is a great demand for volunteers in Africa because many people live in poverty, so if you truly feel like making a difference to a community, Kenya should be at the top of your list.

    Costa Rica

    Golden sandy beaches, clear coastlines and beautiful cities are what Costa Rica is all about. Because of its small size, you can see a lot of the country in just a short time. You can really make the most of your time as a volunteer. A lot of work is needed with wildlife and ecological work, so if you want to look after turtles (海龟) on the beach, Costa Rica could be just the place for you.

    It's reported that half of around 7,000 languages on the earth are in danger of disappearing by 2100.There are many reasons for such disappearance. Sometimes younger generations stop learning a language because parents want children to fit in modern society. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For instance, native American children of the late-19th century were required to attend boarding schools where educators forbade them from speaking their native languages.

    Endangered languages are ranked according to their risk level by the United Nations. A "critically endangered" language is one that even grandparents don't speak often. New York's Onondaga language is an example with only 50 speakers left. An "extinct" language has no speakers, which means it is gone forever. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The last person who spoke it died in 2008. So this language doesn't exist any longer.

    Various animals and plants benefit our environment. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Saving these languages benefits our understanding of other cultures. Languages can show how a society looks at the world and what it values. The Endangered Language Alliance, a non-profit group, wants to save languages from disappearing. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} However, its efforts are limited. If an endangered language is going to make a real comeback, it'll probably get its start in schools. Now students in Hawaii can keep learning Hawaiian from elementary schools to college and beyond.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} At least one did. In 1881, a Jewish linguist named Eliezer Ben-Yehuda brought the 3,000-year-old language Hebrew back to life. Today it is one of the official languages of the country of Israel, with more than 4 million speakers.

A. Alaska's Eyak language is one example.

B. Why should we save endangered languages?

C. With just five speakers left, it is absolutely endangered.

D. Can a language with zero native speakers come back to life?

E. Similarly, different languages contribute to cultural diversity.

F. Sometimes societies force minorities to give up their language.

G. The organization finds native speakers and records their stories.

There are reasonable dependencies that are healthy for an individual's development. However, other dependencies bring unhappiness. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In this article, we're going to be talking about some of them.

Other people's opinions

Depending on other people's opinions means letting your behavior, likes and desires be determined by the approval of those that surround you, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} As a result of this, you guide your life projects, dreams, and behavior according to what others may think.

Fashion

Few are able to tell apart their own tastes and style from the current fashion trends. Now, we're not only talking about clothing or accessories here but about general preferences and even philosophies. That desire to hop on a train and be part of the majority sometimes leads to dependency. Some become truly concerned about not being "in style". {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Physical appearance

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} As a result, they end up believing that their worth as human beings is defined by the way they look. We can't lie; beauty opens doors to some individuals. Also, it makes it easier for some to climb to the top. However, it doesn't serve much beyond that initial chapter.

Money

When the individual begins associating their personal value with the amount of money they have, it becomes a problem. Relying on money sometimes means believing that happiness equals consumption. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} To those who think this way, not having money is equivalent to losing everything, including themselves.