No one can deny that buttons are an important device. Whenever we see a button, we are eager to press it because we know something will happen. This is true in most cases, for example on a doorbell and on the “on/off” button on the TV. But some buttons are actually fake, like the “close” button on a lift.

    Many people are in the habit of pressing the “close” button because they don't have the patience to wait for the lift doors to shut. But lifts' “close” buttons are a complete scam (骗局), at least in the US － the doors will not close any faster no matter how hard you press.

    It started in the 1990s when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in the US, making sure that all lifts stayed open long enough so that people with disabilities could enter. Only US firefighters and repairmen can use the buttons to speed up the door-closing process if they have a code or special keys.

    But to normal lift riders, the buttons aren't completely useless. According to psychologists, fake buttons can actually make you feel better by offering you a sense of control.

     “Perceived (能够感知的) control is very important. It reduces stress and increases well-being,” Ellen J. Langer, a psychology professor, said, “ having a lack of control is associated with depression.”

    Experts have revealed that a lot of buttons that don't do anything exist in our lives for this same purpose. For example, many offices in the US have fake thermostats (温度调节器) because people tend to feel better when they think they can control the temperature in their workspace.

    But psychologists found it interesting that even when people are aware of these little “white lies”, they still continue to push fake buttons because as long as the doors eventually close, it is considered to be worth the effort.

     “That habit is here to stay,” John Kounios, a psychology professor, said. “Even though I have real doubts about the traffic light buttons, I always press them. After all, I've got nothing else to do while waiting. So why not press the button in the hope that this one will work?”

    As the world around them is changing, teenagers continue to need guidance and support from both parents. Studies show that teens who have an active relationship with their fathers are less likely(可能的)to involve themselves in dangerous behaviors and more likely to succeed in school and develop higher self-worth, because their fathers go beyond social expectations to devote attention to them.

    Peer(同龄人)pressure has always been a big part of the teens' experience. Even the best father can't completely protect their kids from the growing influence of their peer group. However, studies show that teenagers whose fathers focus on their lives are more likely to resist (抵抗)the more bad effects of peer pressure, taking drugs, for example.

    Teens may not like to admit it, but they are watching their parents closely and often follow their example. An interesting finding explains just how important parents are, especially Dad. Swiss researchers discovered that if Dad attends church, even though Mom doesn't, 44 percent of the kids are still more likely to keep going to church as adults. But if Mom goes regularly and Dad never shows up, only 2 percent of the kids continue to attend.

    Teenagers face a lot of difficult choices, especially in their later teens. Fathers don't get to make those choices for them, but they can be influenced. For example, teenagers can learn a lot from their parents' concern on what to do when they finish high school. Should they go directly to college and, if so, where? Should they consider going to trade schools, joining the army or looking for a job? A father's guidance brings a long-term perspective that teens often lack to these important decisions.

    Binge-watching is when a person watches more than one episode of a show in quick succession（一连串,连续）". With developments in the speed and connectivity of the internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now have their favorite shows streamed directly to their television at their convenience.

    This behavior is nothing new. In fact, " binge-watching" has been officially listed in dictionaries since 2015. The entertainment companies recognize this behavior and many take steps to encourage it. Often, instead of releasing each episode on a week-by-week basis, an entire series will become available concurrently. Once the episode finishes many platforms will display pop-ups with "you might like suggestions, or will automatically play the next episode".

    However, recent research suggests that out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show back-to-back, almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and one quarter have neglected their household chores. Next we'll be missing work!

    Bingeing has other connections-binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking. All of them are often associated with a lack of control and a possible route to addiction. Lindsey Fussell, consumer group director, said： "The days of waiting a week for the next episode are largely gone, with people finding it hard to resist watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move." If people find binge-watching hard to resist, coupled with the fact that it has shown to lead to negligence in many, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction？

    The countless of information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. However, when the activity begins to bleed into other areas, causing us to stop functioning then it becomes a problem. So, what's the answer？ Moderation! Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, "A little of what you fancy does you good."

Perhaps you know them as "taters," "spuds," or "Kennebees," or as "chips," "Idahoes," or even "shoestrings. " No matter, a potato by any other name is still a potato - the world's most widely grown vegetable. As a matter of fact, if you are an average potato eater, you will put away at least 100 pounds of them each year. 

That's only a tiny amount grown every year, however. Worldwide, the annual potato harvest is over 6 billion bags. Each bag contains 100 pounds of potatoes, some of them as large as four pounds each. Here in the United States, farmers fill about 400 million bags a year. That may seem like a lot of "taters, " but it leaves the United States a distant third among world potato growers. Polish farmers dig up just over 800 million bags a year, while the Russians lead the world with nearly 

1. 5 billion bags. 

People eat potatoes in many ways-baked, mashed, and roasted, to name just three. However, in the United States most potatoes are devoured in the form of French fries. One fast-food chain alone sells more than $1 billion worth of fries each year. No wonder, then, that the company pays particular attention to the way its fries are prepared. 

Before any fry makes it to the people who eat at these popular restaurants, it must pass many separate tests. Fail any one of these tests and the potato is rejected. For example, only Russet Burbank potatoes are used. These Idaho potatoes have less water content than other kinds, which can have as much as 80 percent water. Once cut into "shoestrings" shapes, the potatoes are partly fried in a secret blend of oils, sprayed with liquid sugar to brown them, steam dried at high heat, then flash frozen for shipment to individual restaurants. 

So, now that you realize the enormous size and value of the potato crop, you can understand why most people agree that this part of the food industry is no "small potatoes. " 

A significant proportion of the American populace within the working-age demographic are encountering challenges in meeting the financial demands associated with health care, as per a recent comprehensive evaluation. This study, which is the inaugural edition of the Health Care Affordability Survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund, reveals that a substantial 51 percent of adults falling within the age bracket of 19 to 64 years have expressed that affording health care for themselves and their family is either exceedingly challenging or moderately difficult. This observation encompasses 43 percent of individuals who are beneficiaries of health insurance provided by their employers and an even higher 57 percent who have secured health insurance through a marketplace or have opted for an individual plan.

Additionally, it is noteworthy that nearly one-half of the working-age adults who are under the Medicare program and 45 percent of those who are recipients of Medicaid also admit to facing hardships in covering their health care expenses. It is particularly striking that a majority, specifically 65 percent, of working-age adults have indicated that the escalation in the cost of various goods and services over the past year has had a detrimental impact on their capacity or that of their family to manage health care expenses.

The aforementioned survey, which is based on a sample that is representative of the nation and comprises nearly 7,900 individuals who are 19 years of age or older, was carried out from the mid-point of April through the month of July in the current year. This survey follows on the heels of another analysis conducted by the research entity known as KFF, which demonstrated an upward trend in the costs associated with health insurance for employer-sponsored plans as well as an increase in the contributions made by workers towards these plans in the year 2023.

The newly disseminated analysis has further unearthed that 38 percent of the individuals who participated in the survey identified cost as the primary factor that led them or a family member to either forgo or postpone the receipt of necessary health care services or the procurement of prescribed medication within the last 12 months. This includes 29 percent of those who are under the protection of employer-based coverage, 37 percent who are insured through individual and marketplace health plans, 42 percent who are covered by Medicare, and 39 percent who are recipients of Medicaid.

Furthermore, it is observed that more than six-tenths of the individuals who are devoid of any form of health insurance have reported that they or a family member have had to delay or forgo medical care due to financial constraints. Among all those who have reported such instances of skipping or delaying care, a considerable 57 percent have stated that a health issue has consequently deteriorated.

The idea of climbing Mt.Qomolangma disgusted me. The mountain came to represent the opposite of everything that I loved and respected about climbing. What had once been the final mountain climbing goal became the focus of a commercial guiding industry. Over the years, the crowds at Base Camp grew, leaving behind tons of trash. Whenever I was asked whether I'd climb Mt. Qomolangma, my answer was always the same： not interested. 

That was probably where my personal Mt. Qomolangma story would have ended, were it not for an old friend Thom Pollard and his obsession （迷恋） with one of the greatest mysteries. In 1999, he began to explore and found the remains of George Mallory, the celebrated British climber who disappeared while he was attempting to be the first to climb Mt. Qomolangma. But Mallory's partner, Sandy Irvine, and the camera he had likely carried, were not found. The mountain climbing world has been wondering whether they might have reached the top in 1924. 

Pollard's story moved me. I began to pack for the climb and expected that our advanced equipment would make it manageable, perhaps easy. I was wrong. On the highest point on the planet, I was more tired than I'd ever been in any climbing. Along the way, I continuously tipped my hat, not just to Mallory and Irvine but to anyone who has the drive to push himself or herself up this route. My search was in vain, but I began to reconsider Mt. Qomolangma.

I witnessed many climbers, who were much more than just self-centered tourists. We shared route information, weather forecasts, and family photos — all united around a common goal. 

I went to Mt. Qomolangma to seek Irvine. But in the end, I found something more difficult to get： the spirit that Irvine and Mallory shared. It was hiding in plain sight, right where it has always been： inside the brave souls who risk so much to follow in storied adventurers' footsteps up Mt. Qomolangma.