For many people,being on the job might just sound like a picnic compared to a day at home filled with housework,meals and childcare.Even for those with a happy family life,home can sometimes feel more taxing than work.

    In a new study,researchers at Penn State University found significantly and consistently lower levels of cortisol（皮质醇）released in response to stress,in a majority of subjects when they were at work compared to when they were at home.This was true for both men and women,and parents and people without children.

    Both men and women showed less stress at work.But women were more likely to report feeling happier there. Men were more likely to feel happier at home.Experts say there are other reasons why work is less stressful than home for many."Paid work is more valued in society,"says Sarah Damaske,the lead researcher on the study. "Household work is boring and not particularly rewarding."

    We get better at our job with time and the increased competence means less stress and more rewards.Yet none of us,no matter how long we've been doing it,ever truly feels like an expert at parenting or even at marriage.

    The support and friendship of co-workers also offer stress relief.At home,meanwhile,stress spreads and accumulates（积累）quickly."That's the reason why most housewives wish they were the bread earners,"Dr.Damaske says.

    Much of the advice to families and couples include the warning to "leave work stress at the office" and even to change our mind-set from work to home,for example,a walk around the block.The recent findings,though,suggest  our home life,not our attitude,might be due for some change.

    Salt plays an important role in our daily diet. Even a small reduction(减少) in salt in the diet can be a big help to the heart. A new study used a computer model to predict -how just three grams less a day would affect heart disease in the United States.

    The result: Thirteen percent fewer heart attacks. Eight percent fewer strokes（中风）. Four percent fewer deaths. Eleven percent fewer new cases of heart disease. And two hundred forty billion dollars in health care savings. Researchers found it could prevent one hundred thousand heart attacks and ninety-two thousand deaths every year．

    The study is in the New England Journal of Medicine. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo at the University of California San Francisco was the lead author. She says people would not even notice a difference in taste with three grams, or one-half teaspoon, less salt per day. The team also included researchers at Stanford and Columbia University.

    Each gram of salt contains four hundred milligrams of sodiu(钠), which is how foods may list their salt content．

    The government says the average American man eats ten grams of salt a day. The American Heart Association advises no more than three grams for healthy people. It says salt in the American diet has increased fifty percent since the nineteen seventies, while blood pressures have also risen. Less salt can mean a lower blood pressure.

    New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is leading an effort called the National Salt Reduction Initiative. The idea is to put pressure on food companies and restaurants. Critics call it government interference(干预).

    Mayor Bloomberg has already succeeded in other areas, like requiring fast food places in the city to list calorie information. Now a study by the Seattle Children's Research Institute shows that the calorie information on the menu can influence what parents order for their children. Ninety-nine parents of three to six year olds took part. Half had calories between the two groups for foods that the parents would have chosen for themselves. McDonald's menus clearly showing how many calories were in each food. Parents given the counts chose an average of one hundred two fewer calories when asked what they would order for their children. Yet there was no difference in calories between the two groups for foods that the parents would have chosen for themselves.

    Study leader Pooja Tandon says even small calorie reductions on a regular basis can prevent weight gain over time. The study was published in the journal Pediatrics.

    Most damagingly, anger weakens a person's ability to think clearly and keep control over his behaviour. The angry person loses objectivity in evaluating the emotional significance of the person or situation that arouses his anger.

    Not everyone experiences anger in the same way; what angers one person may amuse another. The specific expression of anger also differs from person to person based on biological and cultural forces. In contemporary culture, physical expressions of anger are generally considered too socially harmful to be tolerated. We no longer regard duels(决斗) as an appropriate expression of anger resulting from one person's awareness of insulting behaviour on the part of another.

    Anger can be identified in the brain, where the electrical activity changes. Under most conditions EEG(脑电图) measures of electrical activity show balanced activity between the right and left prefrontal(额叶前部) areas. Behaviourally this corresponds to the general even­handed disposition(意向) that most of us possess most of the time. But when we are angry the EEG of the right and left prefrontal areas aren't balanced and, as a result of this, we're likely to react. And our behavioural response to anger is different from our response to other emotions, whether positive or negative.

    Most positive emotions are associated with approach behaviour: we move closer to people we like. Most negative emotions, in contrast, are associated with avoidance behaviour: we move away from people and things that we dislike or that make us anxious. But anger is an exception to this pattern. The angrier we are, the more likely we are to move towards the object of our anger. This corresponds to what psychologists refer to as offensiveanger: the angry person moves closer in order to influence and control the person or situation causing his anger. This approach­and­confront behaviour is accompanied by a leftward prefrontal asymmetry(不对称) of EEG activity. Interestingly, this asymmetry lessens if the angry person can experience empathy(同感) towards the individual who is bringing forth the angry response. In defensiveanger, in contrast, the EEG asymmetry is directed to the right and the angry person feels helpless in the face of the anger­inspiring situation.

    When asked about happiness, we usually think of something extraordinary, an absolute delight, which seems to get rarer the older we get.

    For kids, happiness has a magical quality. Their delight at winning a race or getting a new bike is unreserved (毫无掩饰的).

    In the teenage years the concept of happiness changes. Suddenly it's conditional on such things as excitement, love and popularity. I can still recall the excitement of being invited to dance with the most attractive boy at the school party.

    In adulthood the things that bring deep joy—love, marriage, birth—also bring responsibility and the risk of loss. For adults, happiness is complicated.

    My definition of happiness is “the capacity for enjoyment”. The more we can enjoy what we have, the happier we are. It's easy to overlook the pleasure we get from the company of friends, the freedom to live where we please, and even good health.

    I experienced my little moments of pleasure yesterday. First I was overjoyed when I shut the last lunch-box and had the house to myself. Then I spent an uninterrupted morning writing, which I love. When the kids and my husband came home, I enjoyed their noise after the quiet of the day.

    Psychologists tell us that to be happy we need a mix of enjoyable leisure time and satisfying work. I don't think that my grandmother, who raised 14 children, had much of either. She did have a network of close friends and family, and maybe this is what satisfied her.

    We, however, with so many choices and such pressure to succeed in every area, have turned happiness into one more thing we've got to have. We're so self-conscious about our “right” to it that it's making us miserable. So we chase it and equal it with wealth and success, without noticing that the people who have those things aren't necessarily happier.

    Happiness isn't about what happens to us—it's about how we see what happens to us. It's the skillful way of finding a positive for every negative. It's not wishing for what we don't have, but enjoying what we do possess.

    US President Barack Obama visited the Badaling section of the Great Wall in Beijing on Nov. 18th, 2009. The Great Wall was the second sightseeing program for Obama during his visit to China.

    Built originally as the biggest defense work in ancient China, the Great Wall today has become one of the must-see places for visiting foreign leaders to the country in the past sixty years.

    “ I'm inspired by the majesty(雄伟壮观) of the Great Wall and grateful for the warmth of the Chinese people,” Obama said after his half-hour tour.

    “It's magical,” Obama said when walking along the Great Wall, “it reminds you of the sweep of history and our time here on earth is not that long. We better make the best of it.”

    “I brought back the admiration(钦佩) for the Chinese civilization(文明), I bring here the greetings of American people.” Obama said when climbing a watchtower to enjoy a distant view at the Badaling section of the Great Wall.

    Obama is the fifth US president to visit the Great Wall. Richard Nixon visited the Great Wall in 1972, Ronald Reagan in 1984 and Bill Clinton in 1998, In 2002, former US President George W. Bush and his wife Laura toured the same sections Obama did.

    Living in a modern society has its advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage is that you often have to live closer to other people than you would like to. Sometimes, your neighbors make a noise that you are not comfortable with.

    The best way to solve this problem is to talk with your neighbor first. You should be very polite and ask your neighbor if he knows how thin the walls of your homes are. This way doesn't criticize (批评) his behavior; it simply points out that he may not realize how far his sound travels. Tell him that you know that sometimes you make noise as well, but that you do your best to keep it down. Often this will solve the problem right away, but sometimes the neighbor may become angry.

    If your neighbor becomes angry with you, there are some more steps you can take. You might write a letter to the neighborhood committee（居委会）. Make sure you write down the source of the noise and the time in the letter. They will review the situation and decide whether your neighbor is out of line. Some noise is considered to be reasonable, even if it bothers you. So you may prepare a good pair of earplugs (耳塞).

    Even if your neighbor makes too much noise, you don't have to live your life in discomfort. It's always a good idea to be friendly with your neighbors. You may clean the rubbish in front of his door. He's sure to appreciate behavior like this and be more open to your suggestions about noise level.