Hardy pensioner (老烟枪) Dorothy Howe has reached her 100^th birthday--- despite smoking nearly half a million cigarettes during her life.

The retired secretary took her first smoking aged 16 and has help puffed her way through 15 cigarettes every day since then.

She has smoked around 460,000 cigarettes over the last 84 years--- costing $ 193,000 at today’s prices.

But despite the obvious health risks, Dorothy now believes smoking is the secret to her old age--- and a regular drop of whisky.

Relaxing with her favorites tipple(烈酒)of Bell’s, she said，“I put my health down to whisky and cigarettes. I only drink when I’m out but my doctor said I wouldn’t be alive without them. ”

“I’m still alive and I can lift my elbows---it’s great. I’ve had a great life and God has treated me very well. I’ve been very lucky.”

“I keep telling myself that I’m going to quit smoking when they put the prices up, but that’s just not going to happen now. Whisky tastes just as good as it used to though. My pins aren’t as fast as they used to be, but my mind is still sharp,” she said.

On her milestone birthday, friends took Dort to her local pub where she had a couple of drinks before returning home to open her card from the Queen. Friend Lynn Sass said,” She has the respect and friendship of a lot of people around here. She’s wonderful and a great character,” “ She’s thought very highly of and we hope she’s had a great time. It’s a real achievement for a great woman.”

A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin(顽童) was walking around the shining car. “Is this your car, sir?” he asked.

Paul answered, “Yes, my brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was surprised. “You mean your brother gave it to you and it did cost you nothing? Sir, I wish…” He hesitated(犹豫). Paul thought of course he knew what the boy wanted, but what the boy said surprised him greatly. “I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that.” Paul looked at the boy in surprise, and then he said again, “Would you like to take a ride in my car?” “Oh yes, I’d love to,” the boy answered.

After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, “Sir, would you mind driving in front of my house?”

Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the boy wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Paul was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.

He ran up to the steps. Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled(残疾的) brother. He sat down on the step and pointed to the car.

“There he is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m going to give you one just like it…then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas windows that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”

Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed elder brother climbed in beside him and the three began an unforgettable holiday ride.

More students than ever before are taking a gap year(间隔年)before going to university. It used to be called the“year off”between school and university .The gap-year phenomenon originated(起源)with the months left over to Oxbridge applicants between entrance exams in November and the start of the next academic year.

This year,25310 students who have accepted places in higher education institutions have put off their entry until next year, according to statistics on university entrance provided by the University and College Admissions Service(UCAS).

That is a record 14.7% increase in the number of students taking a gap year. Tony Higgins from UCAS said that the statistics are good news for everyone in higher education. “Students who take a well-planned year out are more likely to be satisfied with, and complete, their chosen course. Students who take a gap year are often more mature and responsible,”he said.

But not everyone is happy. Owain James, the president of the National Union of Students(NUS),argued that the increase is evidence of student hardship—young people are being forced into earning money before finishing their education.“New students are now aware that they are likely to leave university up to ￡15,000 in debt .It is not surprising that more and more students are taking a gap year to earn money to support their study for the degree. NUS statistics show that over 40% of students are forced to work during term time and the figure increases to 90% during vacation periods,”he said.

A

    Teens don't want to be seen with their parents，much less talk to them or do anything with them．That's what we hear all the time．I don't believe it．Oh，sure，when my daughter and my son were in their teens，they wanted to spend most of their free time with their friends．But there were always those special times planned when we enjoyed being alone with each other，when we connected deeply，and when we were reminded again how much we loved one another．

    I recall how delighted my 14-year-old daughter，Alisa，felt when I asked her for a date to see a movie．It was a bitter sweet Italian movie，Cinema Paradiso，and I wanted this story to give her a sense of how I grew up as an Italian boy in a small town，where life was simple and where every-one knew one another．I wanted her to know how her father had been brought up and shaped．

    We both laughed and cried during the same scenes in the movie．She was attached to the movie．I decided we should complete our evening with some lively conversation at a nearby bakery．I told her the movie was now so much more special for me because I had shared it with her．She smiled．She understood．We made a memory that night．

    From our living room window， I saw my 13-year-old son，Jason，tearfully searching our vegetable garden for a place to bury his pet．Because my son had suffered from asthma(哮喘)and allergies，he could never have a dog，a faithful friend that he wanted so much．Every pet he owned—lizards，fish，or snakes—had died．

    I was at his side as we searched for the best place for the burying．We dug the grave，said our goodbyes and then he cried．He cried hard and he asked me why every pet he had owned died so soon．I could feel his heart break against my chest．I just held him close．He let me hold his aching soul．He needed me while he was confused．Share your heart with your teens．Show the mrepeatedly that you know and love who they really are．There are tender memories waiting to be made．

B

     The morning had been a disaster. My tooth was aching, and I'd been in an argument with a friend. Her words still hurt: "The trouble with you is that you won't put yourself in my place. Can't you see things from my point of view?" I shook my head stubbornly - and felt the ache in my tooth. I'd thought I could hold out till my dentist came back from holiday, but the pain was really unbearable. I started calling the dentists in the phone book, but no one could see me immediately. Finally, at about lunchtime, I got lucky.

      "If you come by right now," the receptionist said, "the dentist will fit you in."

     I took my purse and keys and rushed to my car. But suddenly I began to doubt about the dentist. What kind of dentist would be so eager to treat someone at such short notice? Why wasn't he as busy as the others?

     In the dentist's office, I sat down and looked around. I saw nothing but the bare (赤裸的) walls and I became even more worried. The assistant noticed my nervousness and placed her warm hand over my ice-cold one.

     When I told her my fears, she laughed and said, "Don't worry.  The dentist is very good. "

     "How long do I have to wait for him?" I asked impatiently.

     "Come on, he is coming. Just lie down and relax. And enjoy the artwork," the assistant said.

     "The artwork?" I was puzzled.

     The chair went back. Suddenly I smiled.  There was a beautiful picture, right where I could enjoy it: on the ceiling.  How considerate the dentist was! At that moment, I began to understand what my friend meant by her words.

     What a relief!

D

     For starters, I was surprised when during our first conversational Hindi (印度语) lesson we learned the word for "thank you" doesn't really exist in Hindi. Okay, so there technically is a word, but it's really only recognized and used in the cities, where there is more of a Western influence.  In the mountains, it is seldom used, and what's more, people often seemed annoyed when we would try to thank them.  They would either turn their heads, or shake their hands at us as if to say, "Don't, it's not necessary."

     When we asked our Indian instructors why this is, they explained that giving and generosity are such complete aspects of their culture. In fact, it is part of the culture to view possession as a very unsteady thing. Giving is more of a matter of "changing hands" than an act of generosity. In their eyes, the cucumbers and other food they would give us were never really "theirs". They see them as having passed along to them and now they are simply passing them along to us.

     I believe there is a great sense of generosity in Western culture, but it seems to be more of a secondary thought. In other words, the viewpoint seems to be, "If I have enough, I will happily donate my surplus (盈余)."Whereas in the Himalayas, the villagers were eager to give away their best cucumbers to a passing stranger, and they would have happily given more even when it means less for them. In contrast, people in the U. S. tend to donate old, used, or unwanted items rather than their prized ones.

     Interestingly, during a coffee chat a couple of months ago, one of my friends, Josh Millburn, was telling me about how he donated his favorite clothes and shoes - just for the experience of giving up the possessions he likes most as well as to practice detaching (分派) for material things. So, this is something we as Westerners can certainly do, but it doesn't come wholly into our culture. It's something we have to make ourselves consciously aware of and push ourselves outside of our comfort zones to achieve.

How to Fight Winter Blue

Winter’s short days are more than cold. For many people, winter depression, the most common type of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is as much a part of the season as hats and scarves.

Winter serious SAD sufferers may need medical treatment. Those feeling a little blue can help themselves by sticking to a healthy lifestyle.

Here are some tips:

Pace yourself. Don’t expect to do everything you normally can. Set a realistic schedule. Don’t listen to negative thinking, like blaming yourself or expecting to fail.

Get involved in activities that make you feel good or feel like you’ve achieved something. For example, play table tennis or badminton.

If you are feeling depressed, you may feel like staying away from friends. Yet this is a time when friends’ support can be helpful. Call them regularly. Remember, the more we put off calling or visiting a friend, the harder it is to rebuild a friendship.

Think clearly about what’s wrong or right. Instead of giving in to vague feelings of sadness, look at your problems objectively. Break down problems into specific issues that you can work on.

Regular exercise helps to prevent and ease depression.

Eat well. Studies show that a healthy diet can help to maintain (keep) a healthy body and mind. The vitamins, minerals and micro—nutrients found in balanced diet may help our bodies to produce feel-good hormones(荷尔蒙). Foods containing chemicals to help produce feel-good hormones include bananas, turkey, nuts and seeds. Eat at least five pieces of fruit and vegetables every day.

P.S.  Symptoms(症状) of SAD:

No interest or pleasure in things you used to enjoy.

Increased need for sleep.

A change in eating habits, especially an appetite for sweet or starchy(含淀粉的) foods.

Weight gain

A heavy feeling in the arms or legs

A drop in energy level

Difficulty in concentrating

Overly emotional

Avoidance of friends and social situations

Frequent feelings of guilt

Long-term feelings of hopelessness, and physical problems, such as headaches

A     

There lived a king who liked art. One day an artist offered to paint the most beautiful picture on the wall of his palace.

So the king said，“All right, you may work on one of the walls in the new hall.”

Just then, another artist said, “Please allow me to work on the opposite wall. I shall make exactly what that man will make on the opposite wall. Moreover, I shall do so without looking at his work. I would even request you to have a thick curtain put up between the two walls so that neither of us can see the other.”

Everyone in the king’s court, including the king and the first artist was intrigued. So the king decided to give the second artist a chance.

The following day, a thick curtain was put in place and both the artists got to work. The first artist brought a regular supply of paint, oil and water. But the second one would come with a piece of cloth and a bucket of water every day.

A month later, the first artist said that his work was completed and invited the king to come.

So the king sent a message to the second artist, saying he was coming to see their works that evening.

After seeing the first artist’s wall，the king was very impressed with the painting and gave him a huge sum of money as a reward. He then asked some people to remove the curtain.

The same painting was seen on the opposite wall too! It was exactly like the one on the first wall. But the second artist had not seen what was going on, on the other side of the curtain.

The king gave the second artist a double reward，and then asked，“I am indeed very happy with your work. But how did you do it？”

The man said simply, “It’s very easy！I just polished (擦亮) the wall every day！”

It was a wall made of white marble (大理石)! The fellow polished it till it shone like a mirror. The reflection of the painting across the room showed up in it!

D

  When your child is supposed to be doing homework，are they chatting with their friends on Facebook or playing games?If you want your child to do a good job with their homework and get good grades then you may want to start teaching them that this isn’t the best idea．Many studies have shown that multitasking(多任务化)doesn’t work，even though your child is probably proudly clainming they can do ten things at once!Many people believe that they can perform two or more tasks meanwhile，but Dr Edward Hallowell says this is a myth．The reality is that shifting tasks results in poor job performance．

  New devices such as smartphones，iPads，games and social networking sites make it very easy to multitask and“attention share”resulting in difficulty focusing on the task at hand，such as listening in the classroom or doing homework．“Unfortunately，the brain actually rewards kids for multitasking even though performance on every task gets worse and worse．Kids don’t know that they are doing worse because they feel better when they multitask，’’says Dr Edward Hallowell．

  Since the appearance of hand—held devices and social networking sites like Facebook， teachers have noticed a difference in acadenfic performance，critical thinking skills and how information is processed．“Multitasking prevents people from gaining a deep understanding of the information they are trying to learn，”says Dr Edward Hallowell．Kids have a difficult time sticking with a“difficult to understand’’topic and are more likely to allow themselves to be distracted(分散精力)，to tune out and switch over to Facebook or using their cell phones rather than working harder at understanding a difficult subject or problem．In the long run，the shifting of attention by multitasking affects grades．One study showed that kids that use the Internet while in class did poorly on tests resulting in lower grades．