【推荐1】Over the centuries, people have created many rituals (仪式) to accompany the consumption of their favourite drinks, tea and coffee. Just think of the Japanese tea ceremony, British afternoon tea or the morning coffee ritual in countless societies. Why are these drinks so popular?     1     In the modern world, the new caffeine delivery systems are canned energy drinks. And the more modern our world gets, the more we seem to need caffeine.

Most people don’t think twice about their caffeine intake.     2     So the widespread use of caffeine is now a cause for concern among scientists and public health authorities. One result of this concern is that you are not allowed to sell energy drinks in France or Denmark. And in other European countries, manufacturers have to label cans with warnings. The United States has no such rule, but many canned energy drinks sold in the USA carry warnings anyway.     3     Studies have shown it helps relieve pain, reduces asthma (哮喘）symptoms and increases reaction speed. Despite this, a study in Ireland recommended that children and pregnant women, among other groups, shouldn’t drink energy drinks.

    4     “For most of human existence, the pattern of sleeping and waking has followed sunrise and sunset.” explains Charles Czeisler, a neuroscientist（神经学家） at Harvard Medical School. “Then, the way we work changed from a schedule built around the sun to an indoor job timed by a clock, and consequently humans had to adapt. Electric light, and caffeinated food and drink allowed people to follow a work schedule set by the clock, not by daylight or the natural sleep cycle.     5     Without enough sleep the human body will not function at its best, physically, mentally, or emotionally.”

【推荐2】One man’s white bread is another man’s green vegetables.

That’s the key from The Personalized Diet, a new book from Israeli authors Eran Segal and Eran Elinav. The authors say it’s time to admit to ourselves that one-size-fits-all diets don’t work, and when it comes to nutrition, it’s about doing what works best for your body, not catching the latest diet fashion.

“For years, we’ve been trying to search for that silver-bullet diet and we’ve been miserably failing,” Segal said. “And that’s because the best diet for each person really has to be tailored to that individual.”

They conducted a personalized nutrition project at Weizmann, where hundreds of volunteers agreed to have their blood sugar tested after meals. One participant in the study, a woman named Ruti, said she was surprised that it was tomatoes — not ice cream or candies — that were raising her blood sugar level. Ruti recalled, “I have now significantly reduced my intake of tomato and I’m feeling much more energetic, which still surprises me. I have already lost a couple of pounds, and I have high hopes that I have finally found the answer to my weight struggle, too.”

The Israeli scientists found that some people can consume traditionally unhealthy foods with little   or no rise in their blood sugar levels, while others have a stronger response, and therefore shouldn’t eat those foods. It’s those kinds of results that you can only find from a personalized diet.

“What we were surprised to find out was just like any other food, there is no such thing as good bread,” Elinav said. “The response to bread was completely individualized.”

【推荐1】Metro Pocket Guide

Metrorail(地铁)

Each passenger needs a farecard to enter and go out. Up to two children under age five may travel free with a paying customer.

Farecard machines are in every station. Bring small bills because there are no change machines in the stations and farecard machines only provide up to $5 in change.

Get one day of unlimited Metrorail rides with a One Day Pass. Buy it from a farecard machine in Metro stations. Use it after 9：30 am until closing on weekdays, and all day on weekends and holidays.

Hours_of_service

Open: 5 am Mon.—Fri. 　　 　7 am Sat.—Sun.

Close: midnight Sun.—Thur. 　 3 am Fri.—Sat. nights

Last train times vary. To avoid missing the last train, please check the last train times posted in stations.

Metrobus

When paying with exact change, the fare is $1.35. When paying with a SmarTrip^® card, the fare is $1.25.

Fares_for_senior/disabled_customers

Senior citizens 65 and older and disabled customers may ride for half the regular fare. On Metrorail and Metrobus, use a senior/disabled farecard or SmarTrip^®   card. For more information about buying senior/disabled farecards, SmarTrip^® cards and passes, please visit MetroOpensDoors.com or call 202­637­7000 and 202­637­8000.

Senior citizens and disabled customers can get free guide on how to use proper Metrobus and Metrorail services by calling 202­962­1100.

Travel_tips(提示)

•Avoid riding during weekday rush periods—before 9：30 am and between 4 and 6 pm.

•If you lose something on a bus or train or in a station, please call Lost & Found at 202­962­1195.

【推荐2】The Japanese have always been at the forefront at deploying robots to perform jobs that are traditionally done by humans. Over the past year, humanoid robots have been seen helping customers at the Mitsubishi Bank and even filling in for human science communicators at museums. Therefore, it is not surprising to hear that the country has the world's first hotel that is staffed almost entirely by the Androids!

The aptly(巧妙地)named Henn-na ("strange" in Japanese)Hotel which opened its doors on July 17 is located at Nagasaki's Huis Ten Bosch theme park. It is the idea of Hideo Sawada, a Japanese businessman who is fascinated by the possibility of replacing humans with robots. His aim is to have this futuristic hotel be run mainly by the intelligent humanoids .

Guests checking-in are welcomed by a family friendly English-speaking robot wearing a bow tie and bell-hop(侍者)hat. Though experienced at his job, he does request guests not to ask him "a difficult question" since he is after all, "just a robot! " Those seeking a more "regular" experience, can approach the human-like Japanese-speaking robot.

When ready, visitors can request the robot "porters" to help carry belongings to their room. Those that need to stow away valuables can hand them to a helpful robot who will place them inside an individual safe box in exchange for a small fee. A one-foot-high concierge is available to provide information about the hotel's amenities, nearby attractions, and even order a taxi if needed.

So how much does it cost to live in this crazy cool hotel? It depends on when you decide to go. During the low season, guests can get away with paying as little $ 60 a night for a basic room. However, during the peak season when rates are determined by an online auction, the price can get as high as $153.

【推荐3】Processed foods like chips, sodas and frozen pizzas are full of salt, sugar, and fat. Now, scientists are trying to understand if there is something else about such foods that may be bad for humans.

Scientists have already linked low-cost, packaged foods to rising obesity rates around the world. Obesity increases the risk of many health problems. Three recent studies offer more clues on how our increasingly industrialized food supply may be affecting our health.

The researchers created a system that places foods into four groups. The system says highly processed foods are made mostly of industrialized materials and additives(添加剂). Sodas, packaged cookies, instant noodles and chicken nuggets(鸡肉块) are some examples of highly processed foods. But also included are products that can seem healthy, such as morning cereals, energy bars and some kinds of yogurt.

Researchers conducted a four-week study involving 20 people. They found that people ate about 500 more calories a day when fed mostly processed foods. That is compared to when the same people were given less processed foods. The researchers permitted the 20 participants to eat as much or as little as they wanted. They were taken to a medical center so their health and behavior could be observed. In another study, researchers in France found people who ate more processed foods were more likely to have heart disease. A similar study in Spain linked eating more processed foods to a higher risk of death in general.

When fed less processed foods, people in the study produced more of a hormone that controls hunger, and less of a hormone that causes hunger. The reason for the reaction is not clear. The scientists also found that people ate processed foods more quickly. Kevin Hall is one of the researchers who led the study. He said that processed foods were usually softer and easier to chew and swallow”. Hall noted the source of nutrients might make a difference. For example, fiber from fruit and vegetables may be better for making people feel full than fiber added to packaged foods such as energy bars and yogurt.

Avoiding processed foods can be hard, especially for people with limited time and money. Processed foods can also take many forms. In addition, companies continually re-engineer products to make them seem healthier. The newest studies may provide more reasons to avoid processed foods. But, they also call attention to the difficulty of coming up with ways to do that.