I was ten when I first sat with my grandmother behind the cashier（收银台）in her general store. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} I quickly learned the importance of treating customers politely and saying “thank you.”

    At first I was paid in candy{#blank#}2{#/blank#} I worked every day after school, and during the summer and on weekends and holidays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. My father helped me set up a bank account. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    By the time I was 12, My grandmother thought I had done such a good job that she promoted me to selling cosmetics（化妆品）. I developed the ability to look customers directly in the eye. Even though I was just a kid, women would ask me such things as “What color do you think I should wear?” I took a real interest in their questions and was able to translate what they wanted into makeup（化妆）ideas. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

The job taught me a valuable lesson: to be a successful salesperson, you didn't need to be a Rocket scientist—you needed to be a great listener. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Except they are no longer women purchasing cosmetics from me; instead, they are kids who tell me which toys they would like to see designed and developed.

Pleasure and Enjoyment

    When considering the kind of experience that makes life better, most people first think that happiness consists in experiencing pleasure: good food, all the comforts that money can buy. We imagine the satisfaction of traveling to exciting places or being surrounded by expensive devices. If we cannot afford those goals, then we are happy to settle for a quiet evening in front of the television set with a drink close by.

    Pleasure is a feeling of contentment that one achieves whenever expectations set by biological programs or by social conditioning have been met. The taste of food when we are hungry is pleasant because it reduces a physiological (生理的) imbalance. Resting in the evening while passively absorbing information from TV, with alcohol or drugs to dull the mind overexcited by the demands of work, is pleasantly relaxing. Traveling to Acapulco is pleasant because the exciting novelty (新奇) restores our sensations (感觉) exhausted by the repetitive routines of everyday life.

    When people think further about what makes their lives rewarding, they tend to move beyond pleasant memories and begin to remember other events, other experiences that overlap(重叠) with pleasurable ones but fall into a category that deserves a separate name: enjoyment. Enjoyable events occur when a person has not only met some expectation or satisfied a need or a desire but also gone beyond what he or she has been programmed to do and achieved something unexpected, perhaps something even unimagined before.

    Enjoyment is characterized by this forward movement: by a sense of novelty, of accomplishment. Playing a close game of tennis that stretches one's ability is enjoyable, as is reading a book that reveals things in a new light, as is having a conversation that leads us to express ideas we didn't know we had. Closing a contested business deal, or any piece of work well done, is enjoyable. None of these experiences may be particularly pleasurable at the time they are taking place, but afterward we think back on them and say, “That really was fun” and wish they would happen again. After an enjoyable event we know that we have changed, that our self has grown: in some respect, we have become more complex as a result of it.

    Experiences that give pleasure can also give enjoyment, but the two sensations are quite different. For instance, everybody takes pleasure in eating. To enjoy food, however, is more difficult. A gourmet (美食家) enjoys eating, as does anyone who pays enough attention to a meal so as to discriminate the various sensations provided by it. As this example suggests, we can experience pleasure without any investment of psychic energy, whereas enjoyment happens only as a result of unusual investments of attention. A person can feel pleasure without any effort, but it is impossible to enjoy a tennis game, a book, or a conversation unless attention is fully concentrated on the activity.

Pleasure and Enjoyment

    The steady increase in women having babies later in life is undeniable. First-time mothers are more likely to be 35 or older than their counterparts (对应者) from two decades ago, according to the Pew Research Center. While the number of first-time moms between ages 20 and 24 falls, the number of births to women in their 30s and 40s keeps growing. In addition, recent wide-ranging studies have found significant long-term benefits in waiting to have babies. These benefits counterbalance (抵消) some worries about being an older mother and the effects it may have on children.

    Longevity for women who wait

    A study in the journal Menopause examined older mothers' life expectancy (寿命) and found that women who had their last child after the age of 33 are more likely to live to 95. In fact, researchers reported that these women had twice the chance of living to 95 or older than those who had their last child before their 30th birthday. The news for women having babies after 40 is equally promising.

    Boosted brainpower for older mothers

    It's also possible that later pregnancies (怀孕) protect against cognitive decline. Researchers at the University of Southern California found that women have better brainpower if they have their last baby after age 35. The researchers looked at the pregnancy history of a group of 830 women ages 41 to 92. Their research provides strong evidence of a positive association between later age at last pregnancy and late-life cognition.

    Increased income over time

    There's a measurable link between the age you have your first child and income gains and losses. Women who start their families when they are older are likely to increase their earning potential.

    Educational and emotional support for children

    Older parents who are less stressed about income or job security tend to be more patient and can spend more time with their children. Parents who have more secondary education can also offer more specific stimulation to their children, which can be helpful for development. An investigation of 8- to 12-year-olds explored how specific parenting beliefs and behaviors—such as reading, constructive play and emotional support—affected child development. The research published in the Journal of Family Psychology found that parent education and income positively affect child achievement.

    Having babies later in life

    Many college students don't know what they're missing by not taking part in the student clubs and organizations that are offered at most colleges and universities. Taking part in one can be a rich and rewarding experience.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Check them out and see what's available. Here are a few reasons why you should take part in student clubs and organizations.

    Meet new people.

    It can be hard to meet new people in college, especially in your first year.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}However, in a club, you'll find yourself in a smaller group of people who likely share your interest.

    Help your major.

    There are many student clubs and organizations for different majors and departments. Such clubs can be a lot of fun as well as a great academic resource for you. By joining an academic club you will probably have an easier time to know professors in your departments.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Learn important leadership skills.

    Student clubs and organizations can be a good way to learn important leadership skills that would look great on job applications{#blank#}4{#/blank#}These skills could be event planning, finance management, and so on. Find a club that you love being a part of and if you work hard you might be able to gain such a position.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Lastly, student clubs and organizations can simply be a lot of fun. Make sure to take advantage of student clubs and organizations to make the most of your time in college!

A．Have fun.

B．Class sizes can be big.

C．Never waste energy.

D．Take advantage of your major.

E．In a club, you will be able to gain other important skills.

F．So don't just walk past those tables during clubs week.

G．And you might even get access to study skills and other academic advice.

    Porridge doesn't have a very tasty name, does it? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. I'm here to try and convince you that porridge can be a delicious, convenient and very healthy way to start the day.

    Porridge is a type of food served for breakfast, usually a type of grain with either milk or water. It is thicker than liquid, but not solid. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, so it's a very good option for people who are ill, and it provides long-lasting energy for the day.

    Porridge preparation, such as the amount of materials and cooking time depends on what you choose to use as your porridge base. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, I put a very big handful of oats (麦片) in a pot, add a little bit of water and about 200ml of milk, and let the mixture boil. It takes about five minutes to cook.

    Once it's cooked, the fun part is adding the flavors (味道). Porridge alone doesn't have a very strong flavour. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, I think this is what makes porridge exciting! It is like a blank piece of paper-you can add almost anything you want to the porridge base. Seeds, nuts and dried fruits are very healthy options to add and can give you energy for the day. But if you don't like these, or you're allergic, then sugar and chocolate are also very tasty options.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Either oats or corn or both are "staple foods" for most people on the earth. You can usually buy big bags of either, then add local materials to make your porridge interesting-whatever is cheap and convenient to find, wherever you are.

Hopefully porridge sounds a lot tastier now!

A．If you've never eaten it

B．If I'm cooking for myself

C．The porridge base is very easy to digest

D．It doesn't have a very tasty reputation, either

E．It is often heated up but lacks all kinds of nutrition

F．You can make porridge almost anywhere in the world

G．Although some people think this makes porridge boring