The most exciting storms are the ones with flashes of lightning.Unfortunately,those are scarce,unless you are near the Catatumbo River in Northwestern Venezuela.Here,nature's grandest sound and light show is often seen, because it happens about 160 nights a year.And it lasts for as long as 10 hours at a time.And unlike other lightning storms that cause just one or two flashes,this one is with as many as 280 per hour.It is the highest in the world. Besides,each one of them is so powerful that each can power every light bulb in South America.Not surprisingly,they can be seen for almost 250 miles.Fishermen and sailors often use them to guide them across the waters during dark nights.

    What's even more surprising is that the lightning has been happening above the same spot where the Catatumbo River meets Lake Maracaibo for thousands of years.The best part is that the show is different every night.That's because the color of the lightning changes,depending on the amount of water in the atmosphere.On dry nights,the lightning appears white.When the air is not dry,it helps split up the bright light into red,orange and even purple.

    Strangely enough,though this has been going on for centuries,scientists have still not been able to figure out the cause of this phenomenon.Some say that the storms are the result of the interaction of the area's unusual topography（地貌）,wind and heat.Others,however,believe that the storms are caused by a kind of gas in the area.The locals simply think that it is the "spirit of Catatumbo" that lights up the night sky.

    A Californian man who was feeling sick almost died recently from a shocking cause.

    26-year-old Luis Ortiz went to a hospital because of a headache and nausea(恶心). When doctors examined him, they were shocked to find a tapeworm lava(绦虫幼虫)in his brain. The story got stranger. The larva was still alive.

    The creature had caused a cyst(囊肿)inside his head. The cyst was restricting the flow of liquids to different areas of his brain. The situation was so serious that doctors said they had to perform an emergency operation to remove the larva.

    A doctor who operated on Ortiz told him he had only 30 minutes to live. When the doctor pulled the worm out of his head, it was still moving.

    Luis Ortiz was a student at California State University in Sacramento. He began experiencing headaches in late August. But Ortiz said he did not think the headaches were serious.

    In September, he visited a friend and his parents in another city. That is when the pain got worse. His mother saw Ortiz throwing up and took him to a hospital emergency room

    The doctors saved Ortu's life. However, the surgery also affected him. Ortir had to drop out of school and move  back home. For now, he is not permitted to work or drive a vehicle.

    The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the U. S. has about 1,000 reported cases of tapeworms each year. The CDC adds that tapeworms are more common in developing countries with poor public health systems.

    The best way to avoid a tapeworm infection(感染)is to wash fruits and vegetables. Also, make sure meat is cooked thoroughly. The CDC suggests cooking all meat to an internal temperature of at least 63 degrees Celsius.

    How to Adjust to a New School

    School is a base for students, where they learn to succeed{#blank#}1{#/blank#}When you go to a new school, you might worry that you don't know anyone. You worry that you might get lost, or if the teachers are strict. Here are some ways to help you adjust to a new school.

    Get to Know the School

    Before you start the school, go with your parents to visit the school{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Prepare for the First Day

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Being well rested will help you remove(去除) any nervousness you may be feeling. Try to get at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep if you're between 7 and 17 years old.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Make sure you leave lots of time in the morning to get to school. You don't want to be rushing into your classroom after the bell rings. Arriving early may also give you a chance to chat with a few other students and hopefully make a few new friends.

    Make friends

    Take part in activities. Sign up for activities like drama, sports or chess club. This will put you into smaller groups with people who have the same interests as yours.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} You might even be able to teach some other kids about how to do something.

A. Go to school on time

B. Leave early for school

C. Find out where your classroom will be, as well as other important places.

D. Start off your first day of school with a good night's sleep.

E. Learning the rules of the school will help you adjust and will keep you out of trouble.

F. But adjusting to a new school can be difficult.

G. This will also give you a chance to show your skills at sport or other activities.

    According to German researchers, forcing people to be happy and polite all the time is likely to make them sick. They believe most at risk are air hostesses, call center operators, waiters and other workers in close contact with the public.

    Professor Dicter Zapf, a researcher into human emotions at Frankfurt University, said false friendliness led to depression, stress and a lowering of the immune(免疫) system. This can lead to more serious illness such as high blood pressure and so on.“Every time a person is forced to repress his true feelings, there are negative consequences for his health,”said Professor Dieter Zapf.

    In order to reach these conclusions, for over two years, 4,000 volunteers including shop workers and air hostess, were put in an imaginary call center and abused by customers. Some of the participants were allowed to answer back, while others had to be polite and friendly all the time.

    Those who stood up to clients(顾客) had a rapid heartbeat for a brief period, but for those who had to remain friendly, their heart was still racing long after the client had hung up.

    The conclusion reached by the researchers was that“being friendly against one's will causes nothing but stress”.

    Professor Zapf said, “We are all able to control our emotions, but it becomes difficult to do this over a long period as air hostesses are forced to on long flights.”

    “These people need space away from the passengers where they can be on their own and let their feelings run free. We have to get away from the 'customer is king' attitude and show more respect to those working in the service industries.”

    “How can we live longer?” many people wonder. Being sociable looks like a good way to add years to your life. Relationships with family, friends, neighbors, even pets, will all do the trick, but the biggest longevity (长寿) boost seems to come from marriage or an equal relationship. The effect was first noted in 1858 by William Farr, who wrote in 1858 by William Farr, who wrote that widows and widowers (鳏夫) were at a much higher risk of dying than their married peers. Studies since then suggest that marriage could add as much as seven years to a man's life and two to a woman's, The effect holds for all causes of death, whether illness, accident or self-harm.

    Even though the odds are stacked against you (the conditions are not favourable to you), marriage can more than compensate. Linda Waite of the University of Chicago has found that a married older man with heart disease can expect to live nearly four years longer than an unmarried man with a healthy heart. Likewise, a married man who smokes more than a pack a day is likely to live as long as a divorced man who doesn't smoke. There's a less pleasant side, however, as partners are more likely to become ill or die in the couple of years following their spouses; death, and caring for a spouse with mental disorder can leave you with some of the same severe problems. Even so, the odds favour marriage. In a 30-year study of more than 10,000 people, Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School describes how all kinds of social networks have similar effects.

    So how does it work? The effects are complex, affected by socioeconomic factor, health-service provision, emotional support and other more physiological mechanisms (机制). For example, social contact can boost development of the brain and immune system, leading to better health and less chance of depression later in life. People in supportive relationships may handle stress better. Then there are the psychological benefits of a supportive partner.

    A life partner, children and good friends are all recommended if you aim to live to 100. The best social network is still being mapped out, but Christakis says: “People are interconnected so their health is interconnected.”

    Talking to strangers along your travels can change your trip into an adventure. Here are rules of thumb to serve as your guide.

    Don't ignore your fellow tourists. When you go to some place off the beaten path, you're likely to meet other tourists there. Find them, and ask where you would go.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Abandon your phone. Phones often get between you and the surroundings, ruining your chances to make contact with the people you see.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, take a deep breath and put it in a different pocket or cover it with tape.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. The easiest way to do this is to talk to people who are in "open roles", such as anyone in a public service job, or a taxi driver. Or ask someone seated near you; ask where the person's favorite street is; ask if there's a residential area where it would be nice to take a walk.

    Use a map-or none at all. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. However, the truth is, sometimes those small streets are nowhere to be found with a map. So ask for directions a lot. Asking for any kind of help is the key to many doors.

    Most Important: Ask good questions. Finding good questions means observing and noticing. A well-turned question shows that you are really paying attentions you are curious and ready to listen.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Let strangers make your plans

B. Maps can be of great assistance

C. When the unwillingness gets in the way

D. A good question will get you everywhere

E. They are going to offer advice made of gold

F. Those fellow tourists can make sense of your journey

G. If abandoning your phone isn't practical or feels insecure to you