Drinking coffee has become a crucial part of the daily routine of 110 million Americans. Over the past 20 years, over 19,000 studies have been conducted to examine the impact of coffee on one’s health. There appears to be both benefits and potential hazards associated with this drink. Some studies have shown that coffee may reduce the risk of diabetes. After analyzing data on 120,000 people over an 18-year period, researchers at Harvard have concluded that drinking 1 to 3 cups of coffee each day can reduce diabetes risk by several percentage points, compared with not drinking coffee at all. Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffees provide similar results, which suggests that a coffee component other than caffeine may have beneficial effects on blood sugar levels. Researchers also find that coffee can lower the risks of Parkinson’s disease, colon cancer, and gallstones. On the other hand, some researchers have found that coffee is not for everyone. In excessive amounts－meaning more than whatever one’s body can tolerate－coffee can decrease the flow of blood to the heart, increase blood pressure, and cause rapid heartbeat. In addition, pregnant women should limit their caffeine intake because fetuses are sensitive to caffeine.

       Do you know how to behave in a hospital? Appear to be submissive, humble, grateful, and undemanding. Show unbridled pleasure if a doctor comesinto your room, even if the visit is brief and useless. Be courteous to all nurses and others on the staff. Give thanksoften. Do not challenge anyone with authority unless you are famous, very rich, a member of at least a minorroyal family or related to a head of state. 

       Stay alert. For example, when medicine is handed out, the names of patients are usually written on thebottoms of the paper cups holding the pills. If your name is Walters, do not accept medicine designated forAlvarez. Tactfully point out the mistake, pretending that your eyesight is poor and that you may be muddled. 

      These are a few strategies—offered after 12 days in a hospital in Princeton, N.J., and another 12 days in ahuge teaching hospital in New York City—for dealing with today’s American medical establishment.

   Nancy has been to many countries such as England, France, Germany and Australia, but she has never gone to America. Therefore, when she was told that she could attend a business meeting in America, she decided that she wanted to go there and to 26 the country. As the meeting was to be held in Chicago, she first took a flight from Taipei to Los Angeles and then waited for a transit flight there. Unfortunately, by the time she arrived in Los Angeles, all the flights to Chicago had been cancelled because of a heavy storm. As Nancy was very 27 about not being able to attend the meeting on time, she asked the people at the check-in counter to help her solve the problem. But nobody could help her as they were all too busy 28 other customers' complaints. As a consequence, she had no choice but to stay in Los Angeles for the night. 

   Yet, the same thing happened to her the next day. She still had difficulty boarding a flight to Chicago. While she was worried about the possibility of missing the meeting in Chicago, an American sitting beside her suggested that she could, in fact, plan another 29 to get to Chicago. She followed the advice and boarded another airline for Chicago. She flew to Denver first, waiting for a transfer flight to Chicago. But she missed the plane because she wasn't 30 the time difference. She was put on a waiting list and had to wait for the next flight to Chicago. When she finally boarded the plane, she felt greatly relieved. Although it was already late in the evening when she arrived in Chicago, she was happy that she made it to Chicago after all!

        Today, there isn’t much you can do with the tiny pocket. Some people suggest using them to keep coins orkeys, but they tend to dig into your hip. Others recommend them for matches, condoms, and tickets, but those aredifficult to extract if your fingers aren’t similarly tiny. The pockets are somewhat helpful for carrying small piecesof hand jewelry for a few moments — like if you plan to propose to your significant other, or if someone else iswashing his hands and wants you to hold on to his rings — but that’s pretty much it. For the most part, it’s best toignore them and think about the pockets as a piece of history that’s still with us.