Does Fame Drive You Crazy?

    Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today's star, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world's attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature!

    According to psychologist Christina Villareal, celebrities — famous people — worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villareal says, “they feel separated and alone.”

    The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain (抱怨) about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.

    Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.

    If fame is so troublesome, why aren't all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.

    Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.

    One of Scotland's most active centenarians ( 百岁的人), Lady Morton, drove for nearly 80 years. She loved driving and spent the war years as an ambulance driver for Bangour Hospital. Aged 100 she was still driving around Edinburgh, up to Perthshire and elsewhere — the oldest among all the drivers in Scotland. But she had her first ever accident several days after her 100th birthday — she hit a traffic island (a raised area in the middle of a road where people can wait until it is safe to cross) when she took her new car for a drive in Edinburgh.

    Lady Morton, who celebrated her 100^th birthday in July, was given a car as a present. She talked about the accident happened that night. “I wasn't going fast, but I hit a traffic island. I couldn't see it, because it had no light, which I think was unbelievable and unreasonable. But I am all right and luckily my car wasn't badly damaged.

    Although Lady Morton had the accident, she didn't plan to stop driving.“Some people are just born to drive, and I think I am one of them. I've been a good driver since the first time I got in a car, she said. “I am musical, so I listen to sound of the car to know when to change gear (档位).

    Lady Morton bought her first car in 1927. The main change she had noticed since then is the traffic. “It's appalling. However, I don't mind it, because I am experienced, but I feel very sorry for beginners,” she said.

    It may appear strange to hear that crops are making headlines.But this is no ordinary produce—these fruits and vegetables have been grown in simulated（模拟的）Martian and lunar soils!

    Though the possibility of growing crops in outer space only gained widespread interest after Matt Damon grew potatoes in the movie "The Martian",scientists have been testing the idea for many years.Fresh produce will after all be the key to setting up space colonies（殖民地）.

    Among the pioneers in this effort is a team led by Wieger Wamelink,a scientist at Netherland's Wageningen University.In 2013,they planted fourteen varieties of plants in simulated Martian and lunar soils.Though the "Mars" plants did not bear any produce,they grew better than the "lunar" plants,most of which died shortly after being planted.Lack of vapor in the soil,according to the scientists,might have accounted for the failure.

    The second experiment began in late 2015.The researchers selected the same crops,while this time they used larger containers and added grass to them.In March 2016,their efforts were rewarded with a variety of produce including the vegetable that kept "The Martian" alive: potatoes.

    However,the researchers were still not sure if the produce was safe to eat.That's because the Martian and lunar soils contain heavy metals like lead and arsenic,which do not affect plants but are poisonous to humans.

    After months of testing,earlier this week,the team finally confirmed that the produce was safe for human consumption.Some of the crops even contained lower levels of heavy metals than plants grown in the "ordinary" earth soil.

    To celebrate the success,the scientists held a dinner party that centered ground the crops.While there is no word on how the food tasted,it sure looks delicious.

    Music icon Bob Dylan will not attend the Nobel ceremony in December because he has other commitments(承诺), the Swedish Academy said on Wednesday.

    “The Swedish Academy received a personal letter from Bob Dylan yesterday where he explained that he could not make himself available in December …,” it said in a statement.

    “He wishes that he could accept the award personally, but other commitments make it unfortunately impossible. He said that he felt very honored by the Nobel Prize,” it added. The Swedish Academy said it respected Dylan's decision, but that it was “unusual” for a Nobel laureate(获得者) not to come to Stockholm to accept the award in person. Nobel laureates are honored every year on December 10 ─ the death anniversary of the prize's founder Alfred Nobel, a Swedish industrialist，inventor and philanthropist.

Several other literature prize winners have skipped the Nobel ceremony in the past for various reasons —- British writer Doris Lessing because of ill health, British playwright Harold Pinter because he was under treatment in the hospital and Austrian p laywright and novelist Elfriede Jelinek due to social phobia(社交恐惧症).

“We look forward to Bob Dylan's Nobel lecture, which he must carry out — it is the only requirement — within six months starting from December 10,2016,” the academy said.

    Amsterdam is a special city. There are many places you should not miss during your visit. Here is our list of the best.

    Amsterdam canal ring

    The city old centre is formed from canal rings, which give you the feeling of space, freedom and peace. Walk through these canal streets or better—take a trip by renting a boat yourself. Another way to explore the Venice of the North is to take a ride on a bicycle. Any way you decide for - enjoy this city.

    The National Maritime Museum

    The Maritime Museum is an attractive place to visit, especially with children. With many attractions in it, this colourful and enjoyable museum will help you understand the history of the Netherlands—a small nation which was one of the world's greatest sea powers.

Amsterdam Brown Cafe

    When you enter Amsterdam old cafes called Brown, at first it will seem too much from the past and too crowded, but the atmosphere is unique. Relax and watch - most of people around will be locals. Feel like one of them—the real Amsterdammers.

    Civic Guards Gallery

    This gallery is filled with old paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. The exhibited canvas may be not always the masterpieces of art, but these group portraits of Amsterdam citizens and their wives are an exquisite (精致的) document of the Dutch civilization and culture centuries ago.

    To avoid waiting lines we advise you to buy your tickets in advance online through our Amsterdam attractions and museums tickets webpage.

If you use "123456", "password'' or "qwerty" as a password, you're probably aware that you're at the risk of being attacked by hackers(黑客). But you're not alone. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Recently, password management service NordPass has carried out a study to determine the 200 most commonly used passwords around the world. They analyzed the data across 50 countries.

The findings show password choices are often attached to cultural references. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. In the UK, "liverpool" was the third most popular password, with 224,160 hits, while the name of Chilean football club "colocolo" was used by 15,748 people in Chile, making it the fifth most common choice.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Women tend to use more positive and affectionate(深情的) words and phrases such as "sunshine" or "I love you", while men often use sports-related passwords. In some countries, men use more swear words than women.

Choosing long and complex passwords remains the main authentication mechanism (身份验证机制) for computers and network-based products and services. But we know people continue to choose weak passwords and often don't manage them securely. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

To overcome the security issues linked with password-based authentication systems, researchers and developers are now concentrating on creating authentication systems which don't depend on passwords at all. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For example, two-factor authentication (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods are good ways to secure your accounts. These methods combine a password with biometric information (for example, a face scan or fingerprint) or something distinguishable, like a captcha(验证码). All in all, a secure password is the first line of defense against Internet attacks. Don't give up security for convenience.

A. As a result, they put themselves under potential online security threats.

B. The findings show that passwords tell our emotions and our identity.
C. Besides, there are other ways to protect your personal information.  

D. These are among the most popular passwords around the world. 
E. The report also reflected different preferences between genders. 

F. People in some countries take inspiration from a football team.  
G. They need the support of computer experts.