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Here is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone can't make us tired. It sounds absurd. But years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage of fatigue (tiredness). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we took a drop of blood from a day laborer, we would find it full of fatigue toxins (毒素) and fatigue products. But if we took blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no fatigue toxins at the end of the day.

So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired?   

Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional attitudes. One of England's most outstanding scientists, J.A. Hadfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which we suffer is of mental origin. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare.” Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He declares, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems.”

    What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction? No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety, tenseness, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated—those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.

    One of the greatest gifts one generation can give to other generations is the wisdom it has gained from experience. This idea has inspired the award-winning photographer Andrew Zuckerman. He interviewed and took photos of fifty oversixty-fiveyearsold all over the world. His project explores various aspects of their lives. The photos and interviews are now available on our website. Click on the introductions to read the complete interviews.

    Let us now have a culture of peace.——Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Spain Federico Mayor Zaragoza obtained a doctorate in pharmacy (药学) from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1958. After many years spent in politics, he became Director General of UNESCO in 1987. In 1999, he created the Foundation for a Culture of Peace, of which he is now the president. In addition to many scientific publications, he has published four collections of poems and several books of essays.

    Writing is a discovery.——Nadine Gordimer, South AfricaDue to a weak heart, Nadine Gordimer attended school and university briefly. She read widely and began writing at an early age. She published her first short story at the age of fifteen, and has completed a large number of works, which have been translated into forty languages. In 1991, Gordimer won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

    Jazz is about the only form of art today.——Dave Brubeck, USADave Brubeck studied music at the University of the Pacific and graduated in 1942. After World War Ⅱ he was encouraged to play jazz. In 1951, he recorded his first album(专辑). Brubeck's 1959 album has become a jazz standard. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.For more figures CLICK HERE.

The Value of Tears

    Tears can ruin make-up, bring conversation to a stop, and give you a runny nose. Tears leave you embarrassed and without energy. Still, crying is a fact of life, and your tears are very useful. Even when you're not crying, they make a film over the eye's surface. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    When tears fall, they reduce stress. But we tend to fight them for all sorts of reasons. “People worry about showing their emotions（情绪）, afraid that once they lose control they'll never get it back.” {#blank#}2{#/blank#} After we cry, the feelings that caused the tears often disappear.

    Sometimes people become much stressed and can't cry. Whatever emotion they are feeling – shock, anger, fear, or sadness—is being held back.

    But everyone has the need to cry. Psychologist Vera Diamond explains that her treatment often consist of giving people permission to cry. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Patients practice crying just to become used to expressing emotions. She suggests safe, private places to cry, like under the bedcovers or in the car. Crying is a way of ease tension, but people don't like it when others cry because it makes them tense. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}And they'll do just about anything to make you stop.

    In certain situations, such as at work, tears are not appropriate. It's good not to cry during a tense business discussion.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} You should also act out the whole situation again and be as noisy and angry as you like. It will help you feel better. “And,” she adds, “Once your tears have taken away the stress, you can begin to think calmly of ways to deal with the problem.”

    Tears are a sign of our ability to feel. If you find yourself near someone crying, deal with it. And never be afraid to cry yourself.

A. They too may be holding back a need to cry.

B. They cry for different reasons.

C. She gives crying exercises.

D. It contains a chemical against infection.

E. The fact is no emotion lasts forever.

F. It forms in response to the stress on the surface of the eye.

G. But once you're safely behind closed doors, don't just cry.

Boosting(促进) your Brain Power

    Who hasn't wished that they were just a little smarter? Maybe you're in school and just want to get a better grade on a test. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some ways you can go about boosting your brainpower.

    Sleep is one of the easiest things to do, yet one of the ones that most of us don't do. We live in a busy age and often it seems that we don't have enough time to get everything done. So many of us sacrifice our hours of sleep to accomplish our daily tasks. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Read a book. Being smarter is not only about thinking but knowledge plays a big part in it, too. Reading helps your brain stay active.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Think of it as exercise for the brain.

    Try turning off that television set and going for a walk. A walk will stimulate your body and relax your mind. Just as watching too much TV can hurt your body, it also causes your brain to slow down as well.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There is a big difference between knowing something and being able to teach it to someone else. There is nothing like trying to break something down into simpler terms for others to help you understand it better than you did before.

    Work on a puzzle. It can be anything from the newspaper crossword or the new Sudoku puzzle. Puzzles help you use your brain to figure out the answers.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Your brain needs exercise just like your body does to be able to function in top form.

    So go out there and boost your brainpower, your mind will thank you.

A. The more you read, the more you know, and the smarter you will be.

B. By writing about things you know, it helps you to understand them better.

C. Crossword puzzles also have the added benefit of increasing your vocabulary and knowledge.

D. Maybe you want to show your boss that you are good enough to get a promotion.

E. Giving your body the rest it needs every night can boost your ability to function at your best the next day.

F. Skipping meals can make it harder for you to think and perform at your best.

G. Learn something new and then teach someone else how to do it.

Rich and Famous

    Twenty years ago the most common ambition of American children was to be a teacher, followed by working in banking and finance, and then medicine. But today's situation is quite different. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Instead they most commonly say they want to be a sports star, a pop star, or an actor—in other words, they hope to become a celebrity.

    According to experts, young people desire these jobs largely because of the wealth and the fame. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Let's take athletes and singers as an example. Their careers are short-lived. Many athletes' best time only lasts a few years and singers can have a very limited career. The field that was once the focus of their lives becomes something they have little or no involvement in. As a result, they'll have a feeling of worthlessness and a lack of control. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}The truth is quite simple: they have been so far removed from it for so long.

    In spite of these disadvantages, there is greater ambition than ever among young people to achieve that status. They are not satisfied just making a living—they want to be rich and famous. Globally, more and more TV shows provide talent competitions where winners can achieve their goals in just a few weeks or months. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}They unrealistically believe that this lifestyle is easily obtained and leads to great satisfaction.

    While many people argue that there is nothing wrong with having such ambitions, others feel that this trend will finally lead to dissatisfaction as more and more people are unable to reach their goals. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That means they ignore the simple fact that great effort is needed before success. As a result, many people won't realize their childhood dreams, which could have a negative effect on their happiness.

A. In many ways this has been brought about by the celebrity culture.

B. People no longer have a sense of satisfaction once their goals have been achieved.

C. Besides, it can be difficult for them to adapt back to a normal everyday life.

D. The younger generation don't favor these professions any more.

E. Unfortunately, they do not always have a positive effect on people's life.

F. The reason is that they don't realize it takes talent and hard work to be rich and famous.

G. This quick way of gaining wealth and fame creates a celebrity culture among people.

    Traditionally, robots have been hard, made of metal and other rigid material. But a team of scientists at Harvard University in the US has managed to build an entirely soft robot-one that draws inspiration from an octopus (章鱼).

    Described in science journal Nature, the "Octobot" could pave the way for more effective autonomous robots that could be used in search，rescue and exploration. "The Octobot is minimal system which may serve as a foundation for a new generation of completely soft, autonomous robots" the study's authors wrote.

Robots built for precise, repetitive movements in a controlled environment don't do so well on rough terrains (地形) or in unpredictable conditions. And they aren't especially safe around humans, because they're made out of hard and heavy parts that could be potentially dangerous to their users.

    So researchers have been working on building soft robots for decades. They're taken inspiration from nature, looking to animals from jellyfish to cockroaches, which are often made up of more flexible matter.

    But creating a completely soft robot remains a challenge. Even if engineers build a silicone (硅酮) body, it's still a grand challenge to construct flexible versions of essential parts, such as a source of power.

    "Although soft robotics is still in its early stage, it holds great promise for several applications, such as search-rescue operations and exploration," Barbara Mazzolai and Virgilio Mattoli of the Italian Institute of Technology' Center for Micro-BioRobotics, wrote in a comment. "Soft robots might also open up new approaches to improving wellness and quality of life."