My name is Clara. I still remember that chilly December day,sitting in science class. I'd finished a worksheet early and picked up a TIME for Kids magazine. A piece of news caught my eye: NASA was holding an essay contest to name its Mars rover(火星探测器). Before I even knew anything else about it,a single word flooded my 11-year-old mind, Curiosity.

    I couldn't want for the bell to ring so I could get started on my essay.That afternoon, I raced home, sat down at the computer, and typed until my fingers ached. “Curiosity is an everlasting flame that burns in everyone's mind...”

    Five months later, my mon received a phone call, and immediately, a wide smile spread across her face.

    On August 5,2012, at 10:31 p.m, the rover named Curiosity touched down safely on the surface of Mars,and I was honored to have a front-row seat in NASA.

    Curiosity is such an important part of who I am.I have always been fascinated by the stars,the planets,the sky and the universe. I remember as a little girl,my grandmother and I would sit together in the backyard for hours.She'd tell me stories and point out the stars,Grandma lived in China,thousands of miles away from my home in Kansas,but the stars kept us together even when we were apart.They were always there, yet there was so much I didn't know about them.That's what I love so much about space.

    People often ask me why we go to faraway places like Mares.My answer is simple because we're curious.We human beings do not just hole up in one place.We are constantly wondering and trying to find out what's over the hill and beyond the horizon.

    Moving into a new home in a new neighborhood is an exciting experience. Of course, you want to make sure that you become an accepted and valuable part of your new neighborhood. The easiest way to accomplish this is to make sure you conduct yourself as a good neighbor should.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Perhaps one of the most important things you can do as a good neighbor is to keep your property(房产) neat, clean, and in good repair. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}By choosing to keep the outside of the home in great shape, you will help to improve the look and feel of the area.

    Second, take the overall appearance of the neighborhood seriously. When going for a walk. Take along a small garbage bag. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}This small act will let your neighbors know that you care about the area.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If a neighbor is going to be out of town, offer to collect mail and newspapers. If a neighbor suffers an illness, offer to do the grocery shopping. Let them know you are there to help in any way this acceptable, while still respecting the privacy of your neighbor.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}By following the basic rules of respecting others, taking care of what belongs to you, and taking pride in the appearance of the neighborhood in general, you will quickly become a good neighbor that everyone appreciates.

    The word “pub” is short for public house. There are around 60,000 pubs in the U.K. One of the oldest pubs, Fighting Cocks in St. Albans, Herts, is located in a building that dates back to the eleventh century.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} People talk, eat, drink, meet their friends and relax there. Pubs often have tow bars, one usually quieter than the other, and many have a garden where people can sit in summer.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Groups of friends normally buy “rounds” of drinks.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}It is sometimes difficult to get served when pubs are busy: the bar staff will usually try and serve those who have been waiting the longest at the bar first.

    Most pubs offer a complete range of beers, local and imported, with German, Belgian and French beers being in demand.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}As a matter of fact, pubs sell soft drinks, too.

    The legal age to purchase alcohol is 18 in the U.K.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}But they must be with an adult and the adult orders it.

    It is illegal to sell alcohol to someone who already appears drunk. Fourteen-year-olds may enter a pub unaccompanied by adults if they order a meal. Children may enter a pub with their parents until 9 p.m., which lets families enjoy reasonably priced pub meals together. And it also allows pubs to play their traditional roles as community centers. Customs in British pubs differ from those in American bars. In most pubs in the U.K., you must go to the bar to order drinks and food and pay for your purchases immediately.

A. Most people might think pubs are places where people simply drink alcohol.

B. The person whose turn it is will buy drinks for all the members of the group.

C. People aged 16 and 17, with the license's permission, may have only one glass of wine during a meal.

D. In the salon bar the atmosphere is quieter and there are fewer people.

E. Children can go into pub gardens with their parents.

F. Pubs are an important part of British life.

G. British people like drinking beers in pubs.

Jealous Ken

    Dick and Ken lived in the same street. Both children had a good home and lots of nice things. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In other words, Ken was a jealous(嫉妒的) boy.

    Dick and Ken grew up and got jobs. At first, they both cycled to work every morning. Then Dick bought a motorcycle. Every morning, Dick on his motorcycle rode past Ken on his bicycle, and Ken felt jealous. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} He was happy until Dick bought a car.

    Ken worked hard until he had enough money for a car. He bought a car, and it was as good as Dick's car. There were a lot of other cars on the road, so the journey to work was slower, but Ken was happy.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} So Ken worked very hard, and yesterday he bought an expensive new car. This morning Ken left home in his new car. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} But Ken was happy because his car was bigger, better and faster than Dick's car.

    Then he saw Dick behind him, but Dick was not in a car. Dick was riding a bicycle. It was a new bicycle. The cars moved very slowly, so Dick cycled past them easily. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} He watched from his big, expensive car and felt jealous.

A.     Dick was very proud of his new car.

B.     But after a year, Dick bought a bigger car.

C.     Both Ken and Dick walked to work every day.

D.    So Ken bought a motorcycle and he was happy.

E.     Ken watched as Dick cycled away in front of him.

F.     But Ken was unhappy because some of Dick's things were better than his.

G.    There were cars in front as far as he could see, and none of them could move.

注意：每个空格只填一个单词。

    Every January for the past 20 years, I have taken a few moments to consider the answer to the big question, “What is the meaning of life?” The reason I ask this question year after year is that my answer changes over time, which I find interesting and insightful. There is no objectively correct answer, I believe—only answers that are right for you at any given time. This question is so important—philosophically and practically in terms of how we live our lives— yet we are unable to really think about the answer.

    Doing this simple exercise might even help you live longer. According to two separate studies —one with 9,000 participants around age 65 and another with 6,000 people between 20 and 75—those who could explain the meaning and purpose of their lives died later than those who saw their lives as aimless. It didn't seem to matter what meaning participants ascribed to their lives, whether it was personal (such as happiness), or creative (such as making art). It was having an answer to the question that mattered. The connection to longevity（长寿）could be causal—having purpose may help one manage daily stress, as other research has shown. But it could also be that those who think about life's meaning are more likely to do other activities that promote good health.

    Great thinkers have given the question thought. Leo Tolstoy wrote, “The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.” Albert Einstein said: “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” My favorite answer, though, is “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.”

    Some have concluded that life's meaning is subjective. “There is not one standard meaning for all,” author Anaïs Nin once said. “There is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person.” I agree, which is why I recommend formulating（构想）your own answer. Taking a few moments to record your response to the question “What is the meaning of life?” is the kind of simple exercise that effectively adds meaning to your life.

    And then I suggest answering it every year. Looking back at how your thinking has evolved and been influenced by experience tells you something more about yourself. Then, it gets you closer to a deeper self-understanding.

    If you do the annual “meaning” exercise, I suggest not looking at past answers before answering anew. I write them down on the same now-yellowing piece of paper and keep it someplace safe.

    The last suggestion is to turn your answer into action. If you conclude, as Tolstoy and Einstein did, that the meaning of life is helping others, that should help motivate you to do more of it.

    This is not a theoretical exercise. Whatever small step you take toward finding the meaning of life is a step toward a more meaningful, and longer life. Why not do this simple annual “meaning” exercise from now on?