Peggy Whitson's job demands a daily twohour workout in a gym where weight has no meaning and the view changes at 17, 000 miles an hour.
Whitson makes it look easy. At 57, she is the oldest woman to fly in space, breaking the record last November when she began her third longterm stay at the International Space Station. After returning home in September, 2017, the NASA astronaut felt matteroffact about the age milestone(里程碑).
"It wasn't a record I was seeking for, "Whitson said. "I was 42 and 48 for my first two space flights. I feel lucky that I was able to get to do another one in my 50s. I don't think people should let age discourage them, even on those jobs that require some amount of physical fitness. The oldest man is John Glenn (at 77), and we've had male astronauts in their 60s before, so it's just a matter of time before women start flying in space at this age".
On the earth, she stays fit by weightlifting, biking, playing basketball and water skiing. She shared what it's like to live in microgravity："It's like you're in a swimming pool, but you don't have to worry about breathing. If I push off from one side, I'm going to float to the other side. Every direction feels exactly the same, which is really hard for your brain to grasp, but it's amazing how fast you adapt.
It's a big shock for the body to come back to Earth—everything is so heavy. We spend a lot of time getting used to being back in gravity again. Back pain was really the most dramatic for me this time. For me, coming home is harder than going up into space. "
Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, the aged, and children who have lost their parents, but also friends, workmates, relatives and neighbours whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.
Over 60 years ago, when a Cleveland man noticed that some people, such as children who lost their parents and patients who lay in bed, too often felt forgotten and neglected, _he developed in his mind the idea of showing them that they were remembered. He did this by giving them small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbours, he gave those people small gifts on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed, other Clevelanders began to take part in the celebration, which came to be called "Sweetest Day". Over time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the poor, the sick and children who had lost their parents was broadened to include everyone, and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small gift. Soon the idea spread to other cities all over the USA.
Sweetest Day is not based on any single group's religious beliefs or on a family relationship. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning. Because for many people remembering takes the form of gift giving, Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care, in a positive way.
My husband and I recently went to Disney World with our children and grandchildren. Our grandchildren were excited about the attraction where they can drive the cars. Since our party was uneven in numbers and two people fit in each car, I sat out that one and headed down to take pictures of them.
As I waited for them to drive by, I noticed a car with a father and his son who looked to be about 7. They rolled down the hill, and then as they neared where I sat, the car shook a few times and then stopped.
The young driver looked frightened, "I can't do it. "
His father quietly said, "Yes, you can. "
"No, I can't！"
"Yes, you can. "
The little boy was almost in tears, "I CAN'T！"
With deep patience, the father said, "Son, you can do this. I'm going to help you. "
Then he talked him through starting the car. And moments later with the father helping his son, the two went smoothly on their way down the track.
The scene brought tears to my eyes because I couldn't imagine how many times my father had to do that with me. Every time things got hard or when I had failures along the way, I'd say, "I can't do it. " He'd reply, "You can. " Time and time again he patiently encouraged me on the journey. And just like that little boy's dad, my sweet father would say, "Michelle, you can do this. I'm going to help you. "
That's where the true strength comes in. I can't do things under my own power, but when my father comes beside me and provides wisdom (智慧) and strength, there's no way I can fail.
Eating spicy foods frequently may be tied to a slightly lower risk of an earlier death, according to a new study. However, more research is needed to confirm the link, experts say.
The researchers found that the people in the study who ate spicy foods one or two days a week were 10 percent less likely to die during the study, compared with those who ate spicy foods less than once a week, according to the study published in the journal The BMJ. Moreover, the people in the study who ate spicy foods three or more days a week were 14 percent less likely to die during the study, compared with those who ate spicy foods less than once a week.
However, the study was observational, and so it is too early to tell whether there is a certain relationship between eating spicy foods and lower mortality, _said study author Lu Qi, an associate professor at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. "We definitely need more data from other populations, " Qi told Live Science. "The researchers don't know why exactly the consumption of spicy foods may be linked to the drop of early death, but previous research on cells and animals has suggested several possible connections, " Qi said.
"It is unclear whether the observed associations are the direct result of spicy foods intake, or whether spicy foods are simply a marker for other beneficial but unmeasured dietary components(成分), " said Nita Forouhi, a nutritional expert. At this point, researchers don't know for sure whether eating spicy foods can have a beneficial effect on human health and mortality, Forouhi wrote. "Future research is needed to make sure whether spicy food consumption has the potential to improve health and reduce mortality directly, or if it is merely a marker of other dietary and lifestyle factors, " she said.
Choosing the Right Path to Be a "Better" Person
Life is a constant exercise in selfimprovement. In the rush to achieve, the idea of being "better" can become lost sometimes. You may always wonder how to improve yourself and fulfill your dreams in an easier way.
Explore your talents.
Everybody has some outstanding skills or interests. So it's often necessary to be patient and try many things before you find one that suits you.
For example, people loving adventure may not be interested in the quiet chess club, but someone who enjoys other quiet activities might be. Determining who you enjoy being around may help you know what you'll enjoy.
No matter how much money you make, you will not be happy if you spend your entire life doing something you hate. It's important to at least devote some of your time to what makes you happy.
If you're particularly unhappy at your job, consider why. If you feel your job isn't meaningful, or isn't in line with your values, consider finding another job.
Experience something new.
Research has shown that when we're in our comfort zone, we aren't as productive as we are when we step just beyond it. Because of that, we may react slowly to our own positive experiences. It's important to have new experiences and interactions with others, even when those are a little scary. Doing so can help you achieve more.
A. Do what you love.
B. Here are some tips for you.
C. Register in a class you're interested in.
D. Humans adapt very quickly to positive events.
E. It's possible that some changes may change your feeling.
F. Similar types of people may be attracted to the same activities.
G. Try not to allow yourself to focus so much on a certain aspect of your life.
Even though my grandfather was a farmer, my grandmother would iron(熨烫) his work clothes every day. She would sprinkle (喷洒) grandpa's 1with something, hang them over a chair so they could dry a bit, and then iron them. I 2 her do this through my childhood. I thought every old woman in the world did it. But as the years passed, I began to 3 this practice. Why did grandfather need his work clothes 4？ Most days, he never met anyone but me and a few other farmers.
One day I asked grandma about it. She told me that grandpa was the most 5 man in the world, and he was the 6 of her life.
Later that day, I looked closely at grandpa. He sure didn't look all that handsome to me. He was a short and skinny man. His hair was 7 on top, and his false teeth didn't line up very well when he smiled. So I8 grandma about it again. I informed her I had observed grandpa. She 9 and said, "You just aren't viewing things from the right perspective (角度). Those eye wrinkles haven't always been there. He has beautiful blue eyes. " She 10, "I want him to feel beautiful. I iron his clothes every day 11 he has made me feel beautiful for all these years. He is a man worthy of 12. " I heard what she said and was still puzzled. How could this old woman think that an old man with false 13 was beautiful?
The years went on, and I watched grandma and grandpa grow old together. I 14 knew what beauty really was—it was grandma ironing grandpa's pants. I was ashamed and decided to 15 the question I had asked.
When I decided to major in English, I thought it would be fun. However, it turned out to be much (hard) than I thought it would be. The differences in the language over thousands of hundreds of years made many passages hard (understand). Trying to understand Shakespeare and Chaucer gave me a headache reading Byron and Shelley also took lots of effort. However, there were times I read passages that gave me wisdom(智慧).
One of these was by William Wordsworth. It went, "The best portion(部分) of a good man's life：his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. "The first time I read it, I was deeply impressed by the wisdom (convey) in it. Over the years I began to fill my days acts of kindness and love.
What would happen if everyone followed Wordsworth's wisdom and lived the best part of (they) life？What would happen if all of us (practice) acts of kindness and love all our lives？Would we stop (hate)？Would we put an end to war? Would this world (transform) into a beautiful, loving place？Let's all live our lives with acts of kindness and love.
"Are you crazy? You finally retired! Why would you want to work in the hospital again?" My friends couldn't understand why, after forty years of nursing and four of retirement, I would return to nursing. Actually, I didn't understand either. Tired of the pressure of the job, I had eagerly and joyfully retired with no plans to practice nursing again.
Then one day a friend who was also a retired nurse told me how much she loved being a part of the Volunteer Registered Nurse program. "You help nurses care for patients at the bedside, "she said, "and the best part is that you do so at your own speed."
She directed me to the program at our local hospital, and after completing lots of paperwork and a few classes, I was excited about getting back to the bedside. On my first day, after basic training, I stepped onto the surgical(外科的) floor to be welcomed with smiles and hellos from the staff. I checked with the charge nurse to see who needed my help the most or if there was a particular patient requiring some extra care.
She smiled, "I am so glad to see you. I can't believe you are here to help me. "Taking a deep breath, she added, "Mr. Jones needs a bath and some extra attention. He is so disappointed he's not going home today."
I proceeded(前往) to the patient's room to see a sad man staring out of the window.
I gave him my biggest smile. "Hi, I'm Mary, a volunteer RN and I'm here to take special care of you this morning."
I asked if he would like to take a shower and he shook his head.
"Taking a shower and putting on clean pajamas(睡衣) may make you feel better, "I encouraged.
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He agreed and walked to the shower.
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I felt I had made a small difference.
