Starting the day on an egg could keep your blood pressure (血压) under control, research suggests. Scientists have shown that eggs produce proteins with a function similar to that of powerful blood pressure-lowering drugs.

    The research, from the University of Alberta in Canada, showed that when eggs come in contact with stomach enzymes (酶) they produce a protein that acts in the same way as Ace inhibitors, but more work is needed to show the effects outside a lab and in the human body.

    Earlier this month, British researchers declared that, contrary to popular beliefs, it is healthy to go to work on an egg. They concluded that the type of cholesterol (胆固醇) found in eggs has little effect on increasing heart disease risks.

    Researcher Professor Bruce Griffin, from the University of Surrey, said: “The wrong beliefs linking egg eating to high blood cholesterol and heart disease must be corrected. The amount of fat in our diet has an effect on blood cholesterol that is several times greater than the relatively small amounts of cholesterol found in eggs. The UK public do not need to be limiting the number of eggs they eat. They can be encouraged to include them in a healthy diet as they are one of nature's most nutritious foods.”

    The British Heart Foundation dropped its three-egg-a-week limit in 2005. However, almost half of Britons believe the limit still applies.

    After two years of careful consideration, Robert McCrum has reached a conclusion on his selection of the 100 greatest novels written in English. Take a look at a few in his list.

    The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (1678)

    A story of a man in search of truth told with the simple clarity and beauty of Bunyan's prose makes this an English classic.

    Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (1719)

    By the end of the 19th century, no book in English literary history had enjoyed more editions and translations. This world-famous novel is a complex literature that one cannot resist.

    Gulliver s Travels by Jonathan Swift (1726)

    A great work that s been repeatedly printed, Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels comes third in our list of the best novels written in English.

    Clarissa by Samuel Richardson (1748)

    Clarissa is a tragic heroine, pressured by her dishonorable family to marry a wealthy man she dislikes, in the book that Samuel Johnson described as “the first book in the world that shows the knowledge about the human heart”.

Tom Jones by Henry Fielding (1749)

    Tom Jones is a classic English novel that gets the spirit of its age and whose characters are well-known since they have come to represent the society at that time.

    Emma by Jane Austen (1816)

    Jane Austen's Emma is her most outstanding work, mixing the best parts of her early books with a deep sense of feelings.

    The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe (1838)

    Edgar Allan Poe's only novel－a classic adventure story with supernatural elements－has fascinated and influenced generations of writers.

    Want to find a job? Now read the following advertisement.

    The associates I hired in my bicycle and lawn mower shop like myself were never perfect; however, they were excellent. Working with them as they improved taught me new ways to show forgiveness, understanding, and patience.

    One day the placement officer asked me to interview a young man who was having trouble finding a job. He told me that David was a little shy, did not talk much and was afraid to go on with interviews. He requested that I give David an interview just for practice. He plainly told David that I had no positions open at the time and the interview was just for practice.

    When David came in for the interview, he hardly said a word. I told him what we did at the bicycle shop and showed him around. I told David to keep showing up because the number one thing an employer wanted in an associate was dependability. David was very quiet (he was evaluated as a slow learner in school).Every ten days or so, for weeks after the interview, David walked into the bicycle shop and stood by the front door. He never said a word, just stood by the door.

    One day, shortly before Christmas, a large truck came to the shop, packed with 250 new bicycles. It had to be unloaded right away or the driver would leave. It was raining. Some of my workers (without physical limitations) chose not to brave the weather to get into work, so I was short-handed. It seemed everything was going wrong and on top of it, David came in the front door and just stood there. I looked at him and shouted,“Well, all right! Fill out a time card and help me unload this truck!”

    David worked for my bicycle shop for eighteen years. He came to work every day thirty minutes early. He could talk; however, he rarely chose to. He drove my truck and made deliveries. The customers would praise David, saying,“He doesn't talk, but he really shows you how to operate a lawn mower!”

Inventor, physicist, surveyor, astronomer, biologist, artist... Robert Hooke was all these and more. Some say he was the greatest experimental scientist of the 17th century. In the course of his work, he cooperated with famous men of science like Isaac Newton, and the great architect, Christopher Wren.

Hooke's early education began at home, under the guidance of his father. He entered Westminster School at the age of 13, and from there went to Oxford, where he came in contact with some of the best scientists in England. Hooke impressed them with his skills at designing experiments and inventing instruments. In 1662, at the age of 28, he was named Curator of Experiments at the newly formed Royal Society of London — meaning that he was responsible for demonstrating new experiments at the society's weekly meeting. Hooke accepted the job, even though he knew that the society had no money to pay him!

Watching living things through a microscope was one of his favourite pastimes. He invented a compound microscope for this purpose. One day while observing a cork under a microscope, he saw honeycomb­like structures. There were cells — the smallest units of life. In fact, it was Hooke who invented the term "cell" as the box­like cells of the cork reminded him of the cells of a monastery．

Another achievement of Hooke's was his book Micrographia, which introduced the enormous potential of the microscope. It contains fascinating drawings of the thing he saw under the microscope. The book also includes, among other things, ideas on gravity, light and burning that may have helped scientists like Newton when they were developing their own theories on these phenomena.

Hooke made a valuable contribution to astronomy too. A crater on the moon is named after him in honour of his services to this branch of science.

Tricks to become a patient person

Here's a riddle: What do traffic jams, long lines and waiting for a vacation to start all have in common?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. They're all situations where we could use a little extra patience.

In the digital age, we're used to having what we need immediately and right at our fingertips. However, research suggests that if we practiced patience, we'd be a whole lot better off. Here are several tricks.

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Thankfulness has a lot of benefits. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. It can also help us practice more patience. "Showing thankfulness can foster self-control," said Ye Li, researcher at the University of California.

Make yourself wait

Instant gratification (满足) may seem like the most "feel-good" option at the time, but psychology research suggests waiting for things actually makes us happier in the long run. And the only way for us to get into the habit of waiting is to practice. Start with small tasks. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} or wait 10 extra minutes before going for that cake. You'll soon find that the more patience you practice, the more you start to apply it to other, more annoying situations.

Accept the uncomfortable

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. When we experience something outside of our comfort zone, we get impatient about the circumstances. You should learn to say to yourself, "This is merely uncomfortable, not intolerable (无法忍受的)." You'll then gradually become more patient.

A. There is one answer

B. Keep a balanced state of mind

C. Practice showing or expressing gratitude

D. Attach importance to process and method

E. Put off watching your favorite show until the weekend

F So many of us believe being comfortable is the only state we will enjoy

G. Research shows it makes us happier, less stressed and even more optimistic