I have had just about enough of being treated like a second-class citizen, simply because I happen to be that put-upon(被欺骗的) member of society — a customer. The more I go into shops and hotels, banks and post offices, railway stations, airports and the like, the more I am convinced that things are being run merely to suit the firm, the system, or the union. There seems to be an deceptive(欺骗的) new motto for so-called “service” organizations — Staff Before Service.

    How often, for example, have you queued for what seems like hours at the Post Office or the supermarket because there were not enough staff on duty to equip all the service grilles(窗口) or checkout counters? Surely in these days of high unemployment it must be possible to hire cashiers and counter staff. Yet supermarkets claim that bringing all their cash registers into operation at any time would increase expenses. And the Post Office says we cannot expect all their service counters to be occupied “at times when demand is low”.

    It is the same with hotels. Because waiters and kitchen staff must finish when it suits them, dining rooms close earlier or menu choice is cut short. As for us guests, we just have to put up with it. There is also the nonsense of so many friendly hotel night porters having been thrown out of their jobs in the interests of “efficiency” and replaced by coin-eating machines which offer everything from beer to medicine. Not to mention the creeping threat of the tea-making set in your room: a kettle with a mixed collection of tea bags, plastic milk cartons and lump sugar. Who wants to wake up to a raw teabag? I do not, especially when I am paying for “service”.

    Can it be stopped, this worsening service, this growing attitude that the customer is always a nuisance(令人讨厌的事物)? I angrily hope so because it is happening, sadly, in all walks of life.

Our only hope is to hammer home(尽力让人理解) our anger whenever and wherever we can and, if all else fails, bring back into practice the other, older slogan — Take Our Custom(买卖) Elsewhere.

    Earthquakes are something that people fear. There are some places that have few or no earthquakes. Most places in the world, however, have them regularly. Countries that have a lot of earthquakes are usually quite mountainous.

    The most talked about earthquake in the United States was in San Francisco in 1906. Over 700 people died in it. The strongest one in North America was in 1964. It happened in Alaska.

    Strong earthquakes are not always the ones that kill the most people. In 1755, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded was felt in Portugal. Around 2,000 people died.

    In 1923, a very strong earthquake hit Tokyo, Yokohama area of Japan. A hundred and forty thousand people died. Most of them died in fires which followed the earthquake.

    One of the worst earthquakes ever was in China in 2008. It killed a large number of people. The worst earthquake ever reported was also in China, in which 400,000 people were killed or injured. This earthquake happened in 1556.

    Earthquakes worry people a lot. The reason is that we often do not know when they are coming. People cannot prepare for earthquakes.

    The editor of the new Cool Camping Britain guide chooses some of his favorite new finds in England, Wales and Scotland.

    Cleadale, Isle of Eigg, Inner Hebrides

    Is this Britain's most beautiful campsite? From the grassy point looking seaward to the mountains, it's not hard for campers to see how the island inspired The Lord of the Rings author's fantasy landscapes. The campsite itself is as wild and wonderful as its setting.

    Open April - September, from ￡5 per tent per night.

    Swattesfield, Thornham Magna, Suffolk

    Deep in the wilds of north Suffolk, this seven-acre campsite has only been open for a few years, with two fields separated by a lake and surrounded by woodland. The position is perfect. It's a great place to do nothing but get into nature. You can put up your tent in the bottom field or the woodland beyond.

    Open Easter - October, from ￡10 per tent per night.

    Pleasant Streams Farm, near St Austell, Cornwall

    This site, by a lake, is all about simple pleasures. Located in the former mining village, it has a summerhouse(凉亭) with books and games for a rainy day. There are many animals including pigs, hens, goats and ducks on the farm and a pub just a 10- minute stroll away. There's very little to do here, no bells and no whistles. Campfires are encouraged.

    Open Easter - September, from ￡10 per tent per night.

    Troy town Campsite, St Agnes, Isles of Sciily

    Its only campsite, Troy town, couldn't be in a more remote position. Isolation is its greatest advantage — so bring plenty of books to read and don't expect a phone signal. But at least one of life's necessities is available. Lying on the hillside overlooking the bay and near the island of the Gugh, it might just win the prize for best beer garden view in England.

    Open March - October, from ￡7. 50 per tent per night,

    According to Gallup's annual Global Emotions report, people all over the world are more stressed than ever before. Nearly 40 percent of adults from 146 countries reported having experienced worry or stress. And it isn't just adults experiencing these high stress levels; experts have also observed a rise in the number of children and youth. According to another study published in EurekAlert, one in five students are so stressed that they've considered self-harm or suicide. The immense stress they face has been proven to be harmful to their health.

    It's no news that stress can trigger anxiety, depression and self-harming behaviors, and cause sleep problems, social withdrawal, angry outbursts and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. We are moving towards a society where an increasing number of us face mental health problems that stem from high stress levels. If stress increases rapidly, how can we fight it?

    It might sound easier said than done but studies have shown that the best way to deal with stress is to change your perception(认识) of it.

    The University of Wisconsin conducted a study of 30,000 Americans. Researchers asked them how much stress they'd experienced in the past year and whether they believed stress was harming their health. The researchers concluded that people in the study who were exposed to large amounts of stress and viewed stress as harmful had 43 percent higher risk of dying than people who viewed stress as a helpful response.

    More interestingly, those with more positive perceptions of stress had the lowest risk of death out of all involved in the study, even lower than those experiencing very little stress.

    A separate study conducted by researchers from King's College London and the University of Marburg showed students with more negative beliefs about stress experienced more physical symptoms, such as headaches, tension and tiredness during a stressful end-of-semester exam period, compared with students who had more positive beliefs about stress.

    These two studies have proven that stress itself is not actually bad. It is the belief that stress is bad that is bad.

    Life's greatest joys and its greatest sorrows often come from the relationships we have developed with others. In fact, our existence is quite dependent upon this interaction with other individuals (个人) and groups of individuals.

    In our world today, it seems that most people struggle for happiness through pleasant physical surroundings and economic security. These are great, but if there is conflict in human relations, these things do not bring happiness. Think about the last time you were having an argument or a disagreement with one of your co­workers, your boss, your friend, or a family member. Even though you might have been having some success in many areas of your life, did you find yourself still feeling some discomfort due to the stress in that particular relationship? On the contrary, you may know people who are happy in great poverty and with physical stress if they have meaningful, pleasant relations with people around them.

    Consider the best relationship that you have ever had with any individual. To some degree it probably is or was marked by absolute honesty, deep levels of trust, respect for that person's skills, knowledge, or capabilities, open communication, acceptance of different views, and little concern for images.

    In effort to make the relationships we currently have the best that they can be, remember that persuasion usually cannot take place unless there is some sort of close, meaningful connection between the two people involved. The result will be a relationship of respect and progression.

    Many of us have difficulty in accepting the faults and weaknesses of others: co­workers, work leaders, family members, or members of our social or religious groups. Our tendency to demand perfection of others can cause us to lose sight that we, ourselves, are less than perfect.       
    Undoubtedly, there are differences among us. Some of us are even cruel and unpleasant. Others may have cultural differences that are blocks that affect us. But learning to look for the similarities instead of those things that set us apart, bearing differences, and seeing the best in others rather than the worst will lead to relationships of deep respect and lasting value.