Hillary Rodham Clintons，a Strongwoman

    There are many Hillary Rodham Clintons— the experienced lawyer, the best-selling author, and the first US First Lady to be elected to the United States Senate (参议院).

    Born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 26, 1947, Hillary's childhood was happy and she was well educated. Her parents encouraged her to take up anything that interested her and to be strong.

    When young Hillary returned home from school with straight A's, her father remarked that it must be an easy school. The girl once ran back home crying after someone had hit her at school, but her mother wouldn't let her in. "There is no room in this house for cowards (懦夫)," said her mother.

    A little older, young Hillary put all of her energy into politics. As a student leader, she discussed political issues with friends and researched social problems.

    She entered Wellesley College in 1965. Graduating with high honors, then in 1969, Hillary entered Yale Law School, where she met Bill Clinton, a fellow law student. They got married in 1975. The former president often recalls the day when Hillary went to him and said, "If you're going to keep staring at me, I might as well introduce myself." The two soon became partners in moot court (模拟法庭), political campaigns, and the journey of love.

    When Bill was elected president in 1992, Hillary wasn't content with just being First Lady. From working to reform national healthcare to fighting for the rights of the poor, she refused to stop fighting for what she believed in.

    She was often criticized by her husband's opponents for actively involving herself in politics. But in keeping with her personality, Hillary always kept her head held high.

    "When she takes on a project, she works tirelessly until it is completed," said Betty Lowe, an old friend of the Clintons.

    Women's International Center proudly gave the Living Legacy Award to Hillary Rodham Clinton for her great contributions in so many fields, especially honouring her work for women and children.

    On December 1, 2008, US President-elect Barack Obama nominated(提名)Hillary as Secretary of State.

    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.

    There are good reasons to value our friendships.Some years ago a public-opinion research firm,Roper Starch Worldwide,asked 2007 people to name one or two things that said the most about themselves.Friends far outranked homes jobs, clothes and cars.

    “Ironically,” says Brant R.Burleson, professor of communication at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., “the better friends you are, the more likely you'll face conflicts.” And the outcome can be what you don't want—an end to the relationship.

    The good news is that most troubled friendships can be mended.

    Swallow your pride. It wasn't easy, but that's what Denise Moreland of Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii did when a friendship turned sour.For nearly four months,Moreland,45,had watched over Nora Huizenga's two young daughters, who were living with their father on the base,while Huizenga,40,completed training as a dental hygienist in Nevada.“I felt honored to be asked to step in,” Moreland says.

    “When Huizenga returned at Christmas,” Moreland recalls,“I had so much to tell her, but she never called.”

    One daughter had a birthday party, but Moreland wasn't invited. “I felt like I'd been used,” she says.At first, Moreland swore to avoid Huizenga.Then she decided to swallow her pride and let her friend know how she felt. Huizenga admitted that she'd been so worried about being separated from her family that she'd been blind to what her friend had done to help her. Today she says, “I would never have figured out what happened if Denise hadn't called me on it.”

    When a friend hurts you, your instinct is to protect yourself.But that makes it harder to solve problems,explains William Wilmot,author of Relational Communication.“Most of us are relieved when differences are brought out in the open.”

    Apologize when you're wrong—even if you've also been wronged.But over the course of a friendship, even the best people make mistakes. “We don't think clearly when we're arguing,” says Michael Lang,a professional mediator (调解人) in Pittsburgh. Instead, says Lang, ask: “What's going on? This doesn't make sense.”

    See things from your friend's point of view. Sociologists Rebecca Adams Rosemary and Blieszner interviewed 53 adults who each had many friendships lasting decades. “We were curious how these people managed to sustain strong friendships for so long,” says Blieszner. Tolerance is key, the researchers learned.” It's surprising how often a dispute results from a simple misunderstanding,” adds psychotherapist Anne Frenkel.

    Accept that friendships change. “Friendships change as our needs and lifestyles change,” Wilmot observes.

    Making friends can sometimes seem easy,says Yager.The hard part is keeping the connections strong during the natural ups and downs that affect all relationships.Her suggestion: Consider friendship an honor and a gift,and worth the effort to treasure and nurture.

    Caffeine myth or caffeine fact? It's not always easy to know. Chances are you have some misunderstanding about caffeine. Read on. Here are some of the most common myths about caffeine and some facts have been gathered to shed light on them.

Myth one: Caffeine is addictive

    Caffeine is a stimulant(起刺激作用的食物) to the central nervous system, and regular use of caffeine does cause mild physical dependence. But caffeine doesn't threaten your physical, social, or economic health the way addictive drugs do. If you stop taking caffeine abruptly, you may have symptoms for a day or more, especially when you have been used to consuming two or more cups of coffee a day. However, caffeine does no cause the severity of withdrawal or harmful drug-seeking behaviors as drugs or alcohol. For this reason, most experts don't consider caffeine dependence a serious addiction.

Myth two: Caffeine probably causes insomnia(失眠症)

    Processed mainly through the liver, caffeine has a relatively short half-life. This means you can get rid of half of it within about five to seven hours on average. After eight to ten hours, 75% of the caffeine is gone. For most people, a cup of coffee or two in the morning won't prevent them from sleeping at night. Consuming caffeine later in the day, however, can interfere with sleep. Your sleep won't be affected if you don't consume caffeine at least six hours before going to bed.

Myth three: Caffeine harms children

    As of 2004, children aged 6 to 9 consumed about milligrams of caffeine per day. This is well within the recommended limit. However, energy drinks that contain a lot of caffeine are becoming increasingly popular, so this number may go up. Some kids are sensitive to caffeine, developing temporary anxiety or irritability, with a “crash” afterwards. Also, most caffeine that kids drink is in sodas, energy drinks, or sweetened teas, all of which have high sugar content. These empty calories put kids at higher risk for obesity. Even if the caffeine itself isn't harmful, caffeinated drinks are generally not good for kids.

Myth four: Caffeine has no health benefits

    Caffeine has few proven health benefits. But the list of caffeine's potential benefits is interesting. Any regular coffee drinkers may tell you that caffeine improves alertness, concentration, energy and clear-headedness. Scientific studies support these subjective finding. One French study even showed a slower decline in cognitive ability among women who consumed caffeine. Other possible benefits include helping certain types of headaches. These research findings are interesting, but still need to be proven.

    Population ageing refers to the situation in which the average age of the citizens of a country increases as a result of longer life expectancy（预期寿命）of its citizens or a reduction in the number of births every year.Today, both developed and developing countries around the world are experiencing an increase in the average age of its citizens with a growing proportion（比例）of elders in the population.

    An increase in the proportion of elderly persons in the population leads to a growing pool of volunteers.This has been considered as a global advantage where the elderly contribute free labor to community and government projects after retirement.These elders are more comfortable financially（财政上）and find pleasure in giving back to their communities and countries.Besides,older people are more experienced than younger people,and they can make use of their experience to help uphold morals（维护道德）and values in a country.

    What's more,an ageing population has something to do with fewer children.This can save much cost because less money has to be used to meet the needs of fewer children and young people in the economy.This would result in lower public education cost,lower health-care cost and other social programs that are provided for children by the government.

    However,there are also a lot of disadvantages.For example,an increase in the proportion of the elderly in the population raises questions as to how best to support them after retirement.Also older people are more likely to suffer from illnesses,so an increasing number of sick persons will put pressure on health care,which might not be able to meet the demand.

    Furthermore,an ageing population also increases competition for jobs,especially if the retirement age is extended（延长）.As older members of the population have a longer time to retire,young people will find it more difficult to find jobs.In this case,fewer innovations（创新）and changes take place in organizations because companies are limited to old ways of doing things.

    So,in order to solve these problems brought by an aging population,careful long-term strategic planning is required.The elderly are important and they have much to offer in helping the young people to understand their purpose in life.An increase in social enterprises（规划）should be the trend to help get the elderly involved in young people's lives.

    Many people think only professionals—engineers, accountants, teachers, etc.—have careers.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Even if you've never had a paid job, you still have a career. Your career is the sum of your life and work. It includes all your activities and experiences. Your schooling, your volunteer work, and even your relationships with your family are all big parts of your career.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    During your career, you will have a variety of jobs, occupations and roles. People used to think of a job as full-time, permanent, paid work done for an employer at a work site. But in our changing world, a job is a set of duties or tasks. It can be paid or unpaid{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Even someone who is self-employed has a job.

    An occupation is a group of jobs with similar responsibilities that require a common set of skills.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Programmers may have permanent or temporary jobs working for specific employers, be self-employed, work full-time or part-time, be paid for their work or volunteer their services. They may change jobs or hold several jobs at one time but, until they change the type of duties or tasks they perform, they are still computer programmers.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} We all play a number of roles in our lives and our roles often change over time. For example, Kris works four days a week as a receptionist in a clinic and takes evening courses in social work. She also sews gymnastic wear for her neighbor who sells it at summer markets. Now Kris has at least three roles.

A. A role is a part you play.

B. Actually everyone has a career.

C. In other words, your career is your life story.

D. For example, computer programmer is an occupation.

E. As a matter of fact, a job is different from a role in some way.

F. It can be completed at a work site, at home, or somewhere else.

G. The following is about your work, your family, and your life story.