Computer addiction can be described as the overuse of the computer which continues despite serious negative consequences for personal, social or occupational functions. However, not all people who spend hours each day on the computer are considered addicted. There are many uses for computers and the Internet and in many cases, an individual may spend ６ or more hours in a day on the computer but still not be considered an addict. Therefore, there is no set number of hours that is considered a potential for computer addiction.

But those who are suffering from anxiety and depression caused by stress at work, relationships or financial problems tend to become computer addicts. Some people become addicted mainly because they feel bored with everything and feel like there is nothing else to do.

If one feels an intense desire to go online, play a computer game, or socialize as soon as he wakes up and before he goes to bed, he may have become an addict. Other symptoms include using the computer as the only source of entertainment, lying to his family and friends about the activities that he performs while on the computer. Some addicts possess anxious feelings when wanting to use the computer or knowing that time on the computer is limited. Others may lose track of time while on the computer and spend more time on it than intended. The computer can also be used as a form of escapism from reality.

Excessive computer use may result in the lack of face-to-face social interaction and an increasing amount of time and money on hardware, software and computer-related activities. Computer addiction makes one neglect his work, school, or family obligations. He often fails at repeated efforts to control computer use. So it’s time to seek help for the sake of health.

Counseling (心理辅导) or therapy can focus on treating underlying mental health conditions that caused the addiction such as anxiety, depression, social trauma or other conditions. Many different options for group or community support are available to assist those addicts. Just getting out and interacting with others can be very rewarding to the computer addict. Another method is to focus on new interests. For instance, a computer user might take part in a new gym membership, spend time at the movies with friends or go out for a walk. If a computer user does feel that he must go onto the computer, consider talking himself out of the computer use unless it is absolutely necessary. If he does go on the computer, he must make a plan for what he will do when on the computer, how long it will take and what time you will be off of the computer.

Following one million middle­aged women in Britain for 10 years, a study finds that the widely held view that happiness enhances health and longevity is unfounded.

 The results come from the so­called Million Women Study, which took on women aged 50 to 69 from 1996 to 2001, and tracked them with questionnaires and official records of deaths and hospital admissions. The questionnaires asked how often the women felt happy, in control, relaxed and stressed, and also instructed them to rate their health and list ailments like high blood pressure, diabetes, depression or anxiety.

 When the answers were analyzed statistically, unhappiness and stress were not associated with an increased risk of death. It is not clear whether the conclusion applies to men. 

Professor Peto said particularly important data came from 500，000 women who reported that they were in good health, with no history of heart disease, cancer or stroke. A minority of these healthy women said they were stressed or unhappy, he said, but over the next decade they were no more likely to die than the women who were generally happy.

 “This finding refutes (驳斥) the large effects of unhappiness and stress on deathrate that others have claimed，”Dr. Peto said. Unhappiness itself may not affect health directly, but it can do harm in other ways, by driving people to suicide, alcoholism or other dangerous behaviors, he warned.

 This type of study, in which people involved depend on their self­assessment, is not considered as reliable as a designed experiment where people involved are picked at random and assigned to a treatment or control group. But the huge number of people in this study gives it power. Still, some observers noted that measuring emotions is more nuanced (细微的) and complex than simply declaring happiness or unhappiness.

 “I would have liked to see more discussion of how people translate these complicated feelings into a self­report of happiness.”said Baruch Fischhoff, a psychologist at Carnegie Mellon University.

 The results of earlier studies have been mixed, with some finding that unhappiness causes illness and others showing no link, Dr. Fischhoff said.“It looks to me like people have collected a lot of data without finding a clear signal，”he said. However, an editorial accompanying the study in The Lancet noted that it had the largest population so far in happiness studies and praised its statistical methods.

 Professor Peto said he doubted whether the new study would change many minds because beliefs about the risks of unhappiness are so rooted.“People are still going to believe that stress causes heart attacks，”he said.

Gavin:What are the basic rules for 61. ________ (apply) to a US graduate school?

Agent:The process is complicated, so make up your mind soon. In most cases, the 62. ________ (early), the better.

Gavin:What should be done first?

Agent:Reading information about international study 63. ________ (consider) essential. You can discuss this with your family, teacher and friends. If possible, turn to those who have the experience of studying abroad, 64. ________ should help you learn some rules, including some basic 65. ________ (require).

Gavin:Should this work be done before 66. ________ after the GRE and TOFEL exams?

Agent:Before the exams.

Gavin:How long does 67. ________ take a student to make preparations for the two exams?

Agent:At least six months, but that also depends 68. ________ his or her level of English.

Gavin:OK. Whatˈs the next step?

Agent:Write to the chosen schools 69. ________ (ask) for admission and scholarship application forms.

Gavin:What are the necessary application materials?

Agent:They 70. ________ (usual) include a personal statement, letters of recommendation, resume, study plan, scholarships and copies of your GRE and TOFEL scores.

Gavin:Got it. Thank you.

When you read a story in English, do you read it for the story 61       for the English? This is a question that is not so62       (fool) as it may seem, for I find that many students of English pay far more attention to the story 63       to the English. For instance, they care for how the mystery in the story64       (solve), but do not remember a single sentence in the story and cannot tell what preposition(介词) is used before a certain word in the speech of a certain character.  

Of course, if you want to know the 65      only, you need not bother about the language. But a student of English is different 66        a student of stories or what is called the general reader. As you may also have learned from the above, you ought to read not only very67__  (careful) but also aloud68      you learn the passage by heart and can recite it as if it were your own. On 69       hand, this will teach you many useful words and phrases; on the other hand, it70       (help) you to avoid many mistakes and faults in expression.