New technology rules the whole world now. But I still remember when I was a child, I did not have a cell phone or a computer because it was not necessary at all in those days. The Internet was not popular and the touch screen technology was unknown.

At this time here in the US smartphones are really a need, especially for young and business people. There are many applications (应用软件) really useful like maps, dictionaries, e-mails and games.

For me, I use my smartphone to check the weather and to look for something on the Internet and of course to keep communicating through calls and texts. Besides, I like music applications, GPS and Facebook.

Many tests have discovered that cell phones cause damage to us because they send out radioactive (具有放射性的) waves to our bodies and this could cause cancer.

Psychologists say that these devices can affect behavior and I believe everyone knows it is harmful to the eyes if we are sitting for a long time in front of the computer. However, it seems to be difficult for us to give up, even if we know how bad it is for our health. The use of technology becomes more and more important in our lives.

I think the use of technology has brought us unimaginable things. If we use technology correctly, I am sure it would be possible to decrease the damage to our bodies.

Keep in mind that it is important not to focus only on technology, but to spend time with our families and people close to us.

   Around the world more and more people are taking part in dangerous sports and activities. Of course there have ___________ been people who have looked for adventures —those who have climbed the _______ mountains，explored unknown parts of the world or _______ in small boats across the greatest oceans. Now，however，there are people who look for the immediate _______ from a dangerous activity which may only last a few minutes or even _________.

I would consider bungee jumping to be a good example of such an activity. You jump from a high place about 200 meters above the ground with an elastic（有弹性的）rope ___________ to your ankles. You _________ at up to 150 kilometers an hour until the rope stops you from _________ the ground. It is said that 2 million people around the world have now _______ bungee jumping. Other activities，which most people would say are as __________ as bungee jumping，____________ jumping from tall buildings and ____________ into the sea from the top of high rocks.

Why do people take part in such activities？Some psychologists（心理学家）say that it is __________ life in modern society has become safe but __________ .In the past，people's lives were constantly under __________. They had to go out and hunt for __________，and life was a continuous battle for survival.

Nowadays, ______________ many people, life offers little excitement. They live and work in relatively safe conditions; they ____________ food in shops; and there are doctors and hospitals to take ____________ of them if they become ill. The answer for some of these people is to ____________ danger in activities such as bungee jumping.

   Residents in the poorest counties in the U. S. face a life expectancy（预期寿命）up to a decade shorter than their counterparts in the wealthiest areas, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

Researchers from East Tennessee State University wanted to better understand how socioeconomic status was associated with health outcomes. To find it out they divided the country's 3,141 counties into 50 new states based on household income.

The researchers broke down the data by county since they found state-level data may hide some impact of socioeconomic differences on both the wealthiest and poorest counties. They then examined health data from the wealthiest and poorest states to see how residents differed on factors like smoking, clinical care and excessive drinking. Researchers found that there was nearly a 10-year gap in the life expectancy of men with an average of 79. 3 years in the wealthy counties compared to 69. 8 years in the poorest. For women,the difference was slightly less - 83 years in the wealthiest counties and 76 years in the poorest.

The researchers caution that while they found a connection between socioeconomic status and health outcomes, they did not analyze cause and effect. But they suggest that the data shows policymakers should not just focus on state-wide initiatives（计划）but more targeted efforts to help those most at risk. “With limited resources, methods of finding the poorest counties can assist in the allocation of resources and programs to those communities that are in the greatest need,”the researchers wrote.

Yours,

Li Hua

    With around 100 students scheduled to be in that 9:00 am Monday morning lecture, it is no surprise that almost 20 people actually make it to the class and only 10 of them are still awake after the first 15 minutes; it is not even a surprise that most of them are still in their pajama’s(睡衣). Obviously, students are terrible at adjusting their sleep cycles to their daily schedule.

All human beings possess a body clock. Along with other alerting systems, this governs the sleep/wake cycle and is therefore one of the main processes which govern sleep behaviour. Typically, the preferred sleep/wake cycle is delayed in adolescents, which leads to many students not feeling sleepy until much later in the evenings. This typical sleep pattern is usually referred to as the “night owl” schedule of sleep.

This is opposed to the “early bird” schedule, and is a kind of disorder where the individual tends to stay up much past midnight. Such a person has great difficulty in waking up in the mornings. Research suggests that night owls feel most alert and function best in the evenings and at night. Research findings have shown that about 20 percent of people can be classified as “night owls” and only 10 percent can be classified as “early birds” ------ the other 70 percent are in the middle. Although this is clearly not true for all students, for the ones who are true night owls, this gives them an excellent excuse for missing their lectures which unfortunately fall before midday.