Once Dr. Mellinkoff invited me to join him at the hospital to discuss interesting cases with his students . The case at hand was a Guatemalan man, aged 34, who had a fever and many other medical problems. His condition was not improving, and there was not much hope he would live.

    Dr. Mellinkoff asked to see the patient. He introduced himself in Spanish and, in a very gentle voice, asked how he felt. The patient smiled and said everything was all right. Then the doctor asked if he was able to eat. The patient said that he had no desire to eat.

    “ Are you getting food you like? ”

    The patient said nothing.

    “ Do you get the kind of food you have at home? ”

    The answer was no.

    The doctor put his hand on the man's shoulder and his voice was very soft.

    “If , you had food that you liked , would you eat it? ”

    “Yes , yes. ” the patient said.

    The change in the patient's appearance couldn't have been more obvious. Nothing was said, but it was easy to tell that a message had been sent and had also been received.

    Later, the doctor asked why the Guatemalan man wasn't getting food he could eat. One of the students said, “ We all know how difficult it is to get the kitchen to make special meals. ”

    “ Suppose, ” the doctor replied, “ you felt a certain medicine was absolutely necessary but that our hospital didn't carry it, would you accept defeat or would you insist the hospital meet your request? ”

    “ I would probably insist, ” the student said.

    “ Very well, ” the doctor said. “ You might want to try the same method in the kitchen. It won't be easy, but I can help you. Meanwhile, let's get some food inside this man as fast as possible, and stay with it. Or he'll be killed by hunger. By the way, there must be someone among you who can speak Spanish. If we want to make real progress, we need to be able to talk with him. ”

    Three weeks later, Dr. Mellinkoff told me that the Guatemalan man had left the hospital under his own power. It takes more than medicine to help sick people; you also have to talk to them and make them comfortable.

    Looking back on the first twenty years of my life, I feel grateful to have been so healthy and happy. For my happiness, I am grateful to so many people and lucky events, but what have guided me and supported me in my life are my physical health, healthy finances, and my family's happiness.

    Health comes first for me, because without health everything else is meaningless. Imagine starting a career without good health. Imagine starting a family without good health. Imagine achieving anything without good health. Clearly, good health is the first necessary for other part of one's life.

    Good health is not enough to be happy. We still need to have money in today's society. Money obviously pays for basic needs of life — food, housing, clothing — but it is also necessary for other reason like the quality of our education and medical care.

    Next comes the most important thing in having a happy life — our family. It provides the love, joy and support that everybody needs. I love my family with all my heart. I get pleasure from their pleasure. I suffer when they suffer. My family helped me get through the hard times of entrance exams. They comforted and advised me when I had misunderstanding with my friends. More importantly, they have been there to share in my successes in the past twenty years. In summary, all these are what I need and want in this world. As long as I stay healthy, earn enough money, and share both good times and bad times with my family, I will always be the happiest girl in the world.

    This may be music to your ears.

    Researchers P Jason Rentfrow and Samuel Gosling gave 3, 500 people a personality quiz. Then they asked them to name their favourite kind of music. "We found that the musical styles people like are closely linked to their personalities," Gosling says.

    RAP/HIP－HOP

    Known for their quick speech, some rappers can say more than 700 syllables (音节)a minute! If you like rap/hip－hop, you are energetic(精力充沛的)and have a way with words. You put a fresh spin on things, whether it's new moves on the dance floor or your hip style.

    CLASSICAL

    In the 18th century, classical musicians were like rock stars. Beethoven and Mozart, for example, played to packed concert halls.  If you like classical, you are open to new ideas and like debating with friends. Creative and imaginative, you can easily spend many hours scrapbooking, writing or painting.

    COUNTRY

    Country music came from the folk songs of English, Scottish, and Irish settlers of the southeastern United States. If you like country, you express your opinions well, which makes you the ideal class president or team captain. Traditional and loyal, you enjoy spending time with your family.

    POP

    Pop music is designed to appeal to(吸引)almost everyone, and it does. Each year, the industry brings in about 30 billion dollars! If you like pop, you are attractive to your friends. You can make big things happen, like planning for a huge party or inspiring your team to victory.

    ROCK/ALTERNATIVE

    In the 1950s, rock music created a brand－new culture. Teenagers, for the first time, had an identity(身份)separate from adults and children.

    If you like rock/alternative, you are a risk－taker who never accepts no for an answer. You rise to any challenge, like doing very well in a big exam or in the school play.

    If these personality profiles don't match you, that's OK. These are just for fun.

Queen Rider

    Bonnie Wyndham got out of her mother's car and looked at Almonside School. "I'll make you sorry I've come here," she told her, pleasantly. Her mother was getting out of the other door at the time so she didn't hear, but Bonnie wouldn't have cared if she had. Her mother knew her feelings. Mrs. Wyndham looked about her. Almonside was a funny school, all bits and pieces, buildings hidden away amongst the trees on a wooded hillside; very confusing at first sight. Then she saw the signs on a post: science block, gymnasium, riding centre ...

    "Riding centre," said Bonnie, showing a sudden interest. "Headmaster's study," said her mother. "This way."

    Bonnie followed her mother along a broad drive that curved between trees.

    "I wish you'd walk beside me instead of following me like a dog," said Mrs. Wyndham wearily, but she didn't seem to expect Bonnie to do so.

    A few minutes later, her mother was talking to Bonnie's new headmaster in his study, while Bonnie herself sat and waited outside the door. Suddenly, Bonnie jumped up. "Why should I just it here?" she said to herself. "I'll be thrown out before very long, anyway," she said mentally to the door, "so why not get it over and done with?" She left the building and headed for the riding centre in the direction indicated by the sign.

    There was a nice old building where the horses were kept, and a large structure for indoor riding. Bonnie looked about her, but there was no one in sight. There was a certain reverence about her manner as she approached the animals. Bonnie treated horses with respect. The horses were very well looked after, she could tell that at once.

    Almost every stall was occupied, and she wandered along looking carefully at each horse and judging it. "They know what they're doing here," she told a small pony as she ran a finger along its nose. It was the next horse that pulled her up short. "But aren't you the best of the lot!" she said. He was brown with a touch of white. Lively, probably, but Bonnie liked that. "You know, I have the feeling we've met before," said Bonnie, stroking his neck.

    "It was in my dreams and I was riding you to victory in some big competition." Over the stall was his name: Maverick.

Suddenly, she couldn't resist the temptation to ride the horse. "I wonder where I can find a bridle for your head, and a saddle for your back. Can't be far away." The room containing all the riding equipment was — Bonnie was delighted to discover — unlocked. Absorbed in the pleasurable task of putting a saddle on Maverick's back, she forgot all about her mother and the headmaster. When she sat up high on the big horse outside the building, she felt like a queen, mistress of all she could see. Her nickname at her previous school had been Queen Bee, and she laughed delightedly as she remembered it. You're the best horse I've ever sat on, Maverick, ' she said admiringly, "and when I say that I'm not kidding, I can assure you, because I know about horses, even if I don t know about anything else."

    She nudged him into a walk, then into a trot. "If I stay here, I think you and I could be great friends," she confided. She went round and round the paddock. The rhythm was exhilarating, a little breeze whipping smartly past her cheek and making it glow. She could tell Maverick trusted her, and she felt certain that he'd jump well.

    Your house may have an effect on your figure. Experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off. You can make your environment work for you instead of against you. Here are some ways to turn your home into part of your diet plan.

    Open the curtains and turn up the lights. Dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating, for people are often less self­conscious (难为情) when they're in poorly lit places—and so more likely to eat lots of food. If your home doesn't have enough window light, get more lamps and flood the place with brightness.

    Mind the colors. Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites. In one study, people who ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room. Warm colors like yellow make food appear more appetizing, while cold colors make us feel less hungry. So when it's time to repaint, go blue.

    Don't forget the clock—or the radio. People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories (卡路里) per meal than those who rush through their meals. Begin keeping track of the time, and try to make dinner last at least 30 minutes. And while you're at it, actually sit down to eat. If you need some help slowing down, turn on relaxing music. It makes you less likely to rush through a meal.

    Downsize the dishes. Big serving bowls and plates can easily make us fat. We eat about 22 percent more when using a 12­inch plate instead of a 10­inch plate. When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one, total intake (摄入) jumps by 14 percent. And we'll pour about 30 percent more liquid into a short, wide glass than a tall, skinny glass.

Plastic sludge (污泥) and garbage is a disaster for the world's oceans. A film crew traveled the globe to document the rubbish. And Julie Andersen of the Plastic Oceans Foundation says what we see is just the tip of the problem. "Half of the waste actually sinks to the bottom, and that remains on the surface actually breaks down. "

The filmmakers found rubbish in ocean gyres, the circulating currents that trap large concentrations of pollution in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, home of what some have plastic. "What we found was a plastic smog that spread throughout all the water. And in some parts of the oceans, scientists have found more plastic than plant. "

The pieces of the plastic garbage infect the food chain, sometimes visibly，and more so at the microscopic level, where the plastic particles interact with other pollutants. "There are heavy metals, medicines, industrial waste in the sea, while they acts like magnets (磁铁). These poisonous substances absorb on the plastic, and then when seafood absorbs the plastics, those poisonous substances enter the fatty tissues. " To be consumed by other sea life and by people at last.

China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam are the worst plastic polluters. The United States, although a leader in recycling, is one of the world's 20 since it produces and consumes so much plastic. There are efforts around the world to address the problem, including at this newly opened recycling center in Lebanon (黎巴嫩). But Andersen says there is more that people can do. "Cut back on single­use plastics, straws, plastic cups, plastic water bottles, plastic bags and find alternatives like reusable materials. " She says healthy oceans are essential to our survival.