Is there anything more important than health？I don't think so. You can't be good at your studies or work when you are ill. If you have a headache，or a bad cough，if you run a high temperature and have a bad cold，I think you should go to the doctor. The doctor will examine your throat，feel your pulse，take your temperature，sound your heart and lungs. After that he will advise some treatment，or some medicine. The only thing you have to do is to follow his advice.

    Speaking of doctor's advice, I can't help telling you a funny story. An old man came to see the doctor. The man was very ill. He told the doctor about his weakness，memory loss and serious problems with his heart and lungs. The doctor examined him and said there was no medicine for his disease. He told his patient to go to a quiet place for a month and have a good rest .He also advised him to eat a lot of meat，drink two glasses of red wine every day and take long walks. In other words，the doctor advised him to follow the rule：“Eat at pleasure，drink with measure and enjoy life as it is.”The doctor also said that if the man wanted to be well again，he shouldn't smoke more than one cigarette a day.

    A month later the gentleman came into the doctor's office. He looked cheerful and happy. He thanked the doctor and said that he had never felt a healthier man.“But you know，doctor，”he said，“it's not easy to begin smoking at my age.”

    It is widely known that any English conversation begins with The Weather. Such a fixation with the weather finds expression in Dr. Johnson's famous comment that “When two English meet, their first talk is of weather.” Though Johnson's observation is as accurate now as it was over two hundred years ago, most commentators fail to come up with a convincing explanation for this English weather-speak.

    Bill Bryson, for example, concludes that, as the English weather is not at all exciting, the obsession with it can hardly be understood. He argues that “To an outsider, the most striking thing about the English weather is that there is not very much of it.” Simply, the reason is that the unusual and unpredictable weather is almost unknown in the British Isles.

    Jeremy Paxman, however, disagrees with Bryson, arguing that the English weather is by nature attractive. Bryson is wrong, he says, because the English preference for the weather has nothing to do with the natural phenomena. “The interest is less in the phenomena themselves, but in uncertainty.” According to him, the weather in England is very changeable and uncertain and it attracts the English as well as the outsider.

    Bryson and Paxman stand for common misconceptions about the weather-speak among the English. Both commentators, somehow, are missing the point. The English weather conversation is not really about the weather at all. English weather-speak is a system of signs, which is developed to help the speakers overcome the natural reserve and actually talk to each other. Everyone knows conversations starting with weather-speak are not requests for weather data. Rather, they are routine greetings, conversation starters or the blank “fillers”. In other words, English weather-speak is a means of social bonding.

    These days having a best friend seems so important to girls. However I have learned that having one best friend is not the way to go. It's so much better to have many great friends.

    As I was coming into Middle School, I was really excited because my friend Jennifer was going to be in the same Middle School! At first things were great, she introduced me to her friend Amy and we had lots of fun together. Then things started to change. Jennifer was very controlling: I couldn't make new friends, and pretty soon being Jennifer's friend was a struggle.

    Jennifer wanted to be the "leader" of our little group. Amy and I were never partners with each other in class projects or gym; it was always, "Who gets the privilege（特权） of being Jennifer's partner." Amy and I both wanted to be Jennifer's number one.

    I always waited for Jennifer and Amy after classes. They chatted by Jennifer's desk as Jennifer packed her books up and I waited by the door. Sometimes when they left, they'd walk right past me. No "Thanks for waiting." No "Sorry we took so long." It was as if they couldn't even see me.

    After months of living through school this way, I had really changed. I was moody, depressed, lonely. I spent lots of days trying not to cry, I felt so left out.

    Finally, near the very end of the school year, I was so incredibly sick of having to battle for friendship. I stopped sitting with Jennifer at lunch and stopped waiting for her after class.

    It was tough at first, but now, I have tons of friends. We have fun and happy times together and I love them all to bits. It amazes me how easy our friendship is. There's no struggling to be on top. I wish Jennifer could understand. Maybe one day she'll look back at what happened and she'll change, but even though I lost a friend, I am a happier person.

    A recent study led by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found a clear link between the color of a taxi and its accident rate. An analysis of 36 months of detailed taxi, driver and accident data from two fleets of yellow and blue taxis in Singapore suggested that yellow taxis have fewer accidents than blue taxis. The higher visibility (能见度)of yellow makes it easier for drivers to avoid getting into accidents with yellow taxis, leading to a lower accident rate.

    The study was led by Prof Ho. To test whether there was a causal relationship between the color of a taxi and the number of accidents the taxi had, the research team analysed data collected by the largest taxi company in Singapore. The researchers found that yellow taxis have about 6.1 fewer accidents per 1,000 taxis per month.

    The researchers also studied the economic effect of changing the color of the entire fleet of taxis to yellow. The Singapore taxi company involved in the study owns about 16,700 taxis in a ratio(比例) of one yellow to three blue taxis. If a commercial decision is made to switch from blue to yellow taxis, 76.6 fewer accidents would occur per month or 917 fewer accidents per year. Assuming an average repair cost of $1,000 per car and a downtime of six days, switching the color of all taxis to yellow could produce an annual savings of $2 million.

    "We are eager to continue to validate(证实) the findings of our study by looking at the use of yellow in other types of public transport, such as school buses. For instance, we hope to compare the accident rates of yellow school buses against other colors to find out if yellow is indeed a safer color for school buses. Besides, we are also interested to look at private-hire vehicles and do a comparison of the accident rates of vehicles that are of different colors," explained Prof Ho.

Need a Job This Summer?

    The provincial government and its partners offer many programs to help students find summer jobs. The deadlines and what you need to apply depend on the program.

    Not a student? Go to the government website to learn about programs and online tools available to help people under 30 build skills, find a job or start businesses all year round.

    Jobs for Youth

    If you are a teenager living in certain parts of the province, you could be eligible(符合条件) for this program, which provides eight weeks of paid employment along with training.

    Who is eligible: Youth 15-18 years old in select communities(社区).

    Summer Company

    Summer Company provides students with hands-on business training and awards of up to $3,000 to start and run their own summer businesses.

    Who is eligible: Students aged 15-29, returning to school in the fall.

    Stewardship Youth Ranger Program

    You could apply to be a Stewardship Youth Ranger and work on local natural resource management projects for eight weeks this summer.

    Who is eligible: Students aged 16 or 17 at time of hire, but not turning 18 before December 31 this year.

    Summer Employment Opportunities(机会)

    Through the Summer Employment Opportunities program, students are hired each year in a variety of summer positions across the Provincial Public Service, its related agencies and community groups.

    Who is eligible: Students aged 15 or older. Some positions require students to be 15 to 24 or up to 29 for persons with a disability.

    Feel nervous on the first day of school? You are not alone! Here is some advice on how to make you feel comfortable.

    Get ready the night before. Plan out what you're going to wear and what you will need for class. Then get a nice, long sleep. There's nothing worse than looking terrible on the first day of school. If you don't want to oversleep, set an alarm on your phone, or alarm clock to wake you up on time.

    Eat a good breakfast. You'd be surprised at how much happier and more focused you'll be after eating a good breakfast. Have a healthy breakfast. A rich breakfast may make you feel lazy and sugar rich foods may affect your ability to stay focused.

    Decide whether to take the bus, walk, or have a ride from your parents. It's your call. If you want something familiar, take a bus ride and sit next to someone you already know. However, if you are really nervous, you can ask your mom or dad to drive you to school, but expect that there will be heavy traffic.

    Smile and be friendly! You want to seem easy to get along with and that you had the best summer. Smile and be friendly. Instead of coming up as a boring person, compliment people. Everyone needs a little confidence and is happy when praised on the first day of school.