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　　Fat and shy, Ben Saunders was the last kid in his class picked for any sports team．“Football, tennis, cricket - anything with a round ball, I was useless,” he says now with a laugh．But back then he was the one always made fun of in school gym classes in Devonshire, England．

　　It was a mountain bike he received for his 15^th birthday that changed him．At first he went biking alone in a nearby forest．Then he began to ride the bike along with a runner friend．Gradually, Saunders set up his mind on building up his body, increasing his speed and strength．At the age of 18, he ran his first marathon．

　　The following year he met John Ridgway and started to work as an instructor at Ridgway’s school of adventure(冒险)in Scotland, where he learnt about Ridgway’s cold-water exploits．Greatly interested, Saunders read all he could about North Pole explorers and adventures, he decided that this would be his future．

　　In 2001, after becoming a skillful skier, Saunders started his first long-distance expedition(探险)towards the North Pole．It took unbelievable energy．He suffered frostbite(冻伤), ran into a polar bear and pushed his body to the limit, pulling his sled up and over the rocky mountains．

　　Saunders has since become the youngest person to ski alone to the North Pole, and he’s skied more of the North Pole by himself than any other British man．His old playmates would not believe the change．

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　　Play is the basic business of childhood, and in recent years research has shown the great importance of play in the development of a human being．From earliest infancy(婴儿), every child needs opportunity and right materials for play, and the main tools of play are toys．The main function of toys is to suggest, encourage and play．To succeed in this, they must be good toys, which children will play with often, and will come back again and again．Therefore, it is important to choose suitable toys for different stages of a child’s development．

　　In recent years, research on baby development has shown that the standard a child is likely to reach, within the range of his inherited(遗传的)abilities, is largely determined in the first three years of his life．So a baby’s ability to benefit from the right play materials should not be underestimated．A baby who is encouraged, talked to and shown things and played with, has the best chance of growing up successfully．

　　In the next stage, from three to five years old, curiosity knows no bounds．Every type of suitable toys should be made available to the child, for trying out, experimenting and learning, for discovering his own particular ability：Bricks and jigsaws(七巧板)and construction toys; painting, scribbling(涂鸦)and making things; sand and water play; toys for imaginative and pretending play－the first social games for learning to play and get on with others．

　　But at the third stage of play development－from five to seven or eight years old－the child is at school．But for a few more years play is still the best way of learning, at home or at school．It is easier to see which type of toys the child most enjoys．

　　Until the age of seven or eight, play and work mean much the same to a child．But once reading has been mastered, then books become the main source of learning．Toys are still interesting and valuable, which lead up to new hobbies, but their significance has changed to a child of nine or ten years old, toys and games mean, as to adults, relaxation and fun．

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　　Each spring brings a new blossom of wildflowers in the ditches along the highway I travel daily to work．

　　There are some particular blue flowers that have always caught my eye．I’ve noticed that they bloom only in the morning hours and the afternoon sun is too warm for them．Every day for about two weeks, I see those beautiful flowers．

　　This spring, I started a wildflower garden in our yard．I can look out of the kitchen window while doing the dishes and see the flowers．I’ve often thought that those lovely blue flowers from the ditch would look great in that bed alongside other wildflowers．Every day I drove past the flowers thinking, “I’ll stop on my way home and dig them．” “Gee, I don’t want to get my good clothes dirty…” Whatever the reason, I never stopped to dig them．My husband even gave me a folding shovel(铲子)one year in my car to be used for that expressed purpose．

　　One day on my way home from work, I was shocked to see that the highway department had destroyed the ditches and the pretty blue flowers were gone．I thought to myself, “Way to go, you waited too long．You should have done it when you first saw them blooming this spring．” A week ago we were shocked and saddened to learn that my oldest sister has a terminal brain tumor(肿瘤)．She is 20 years older than me and unfortunately, because of age and distance, we haven’t been as close as we all would have liked．I couldn’t help but see the connection between the pretty blue flowers and the relationship between my sister and us．I do believe that God has given us some time left to plant some wonderful memories that will bloom every year for us．

　　And yes, if I see the blue flowers again, you can bet I’ll stop and transplant them to my wildflower garden．

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　　“Teenager” means a person from 13 to 19 years old．Although they’re young, they have to make many important choices by themselves．Often teachers and parents cannot handle them because they don’t understand and know teenagers, especially their wishes, problems or different moods in a short time．They need to think about questions like these：Should we go to college? What kind of job do I want? However, other people also influence their choices．Who influences teenagers?

　　It depends on the kind of choice．When teenagers buy things, friends are the most important influence．This is especially true for clothes and music．TV shows, advertisements and parents also influence teenagers．In more serious things, parents are probably the most important influence．Some teenagers say it’s best to regard both parents and friends as influences．James, a seventeen-year-old boy says he’s “just a crazy man”．He also says, “Parents are really important because they can tell you what’s right and wrong．”

　　But teenagers also feel they need to make choices－to make their own mistakes．As one teenager girl said, “If our parents don’t let us make our own choices, maybe in the future we don’t know how to do it．” And they feel friends can often be a big help, especially because friends sometimes know more about their situation than their parents．

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　　Reading is a good habit, but the problem is there’s too much to read these days and too little time to read every word of it．There are hundreds of skills to help you read more in less time．Here are two skills that I think are especially good．

　　Preview－if it’s long and hard．Previewing is especially useful for getting a general idea of heavy reading like long magazine articles and business reports．

　　Read the first two paragraphs and the last two paragraphs carefully．

　　Then read only the first sentence of the other paragraphs．

　　Previewing doesn’t give you all the details．It keeps you from spending time on things you don’t really want－or need－or read．

　　Skim－if it’s short and simple．Skimming is a good way to get a general idea of light reading like popular magazines or the sports and entertainment of your daily paper．

　　Get your eyes to move fast．Sweep them across each line．

　　Pick up only a few key words in each line．

　　Everybody skims differently．You and I may not pick up the same words when we skim the same piece, but we’ll get a similar idea of what it’s all about．

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　　Can you imagine the very first modern Olympics in 1896 with no landing mats(海绵垫), no stopwatches and no photo finishes?In fact, cameras and stopwatches were not used until the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA．Thanks for technology, Olympics have been developing at an unbelievable speed．

　　Today technology has completely changed sports．Take sports equipment for example．Electronic eyes hanging at the starting lines, together with digital cameras, could catch correct race time and also help to catch runners who “jump the gun”．As runners cross the finishing line, special digital cameras can also easily decide the winner．The days of “dead heats” are gone．

　　Technological developments are also good for athletes．New sports suits, which get less wind effects, can help cut up to one-tenth of a second from runners’ race time．Top athletes, like Liu Xiang, are even provided with hand-made sports shoes．These shoes are made to fit the athlete exactly－and there are some more changes in the shoes that meet each runner’s personal needs．

　　Technology has also changed the way of many sports．Take one example－the pole vault．The landing mat makes a big difference to the vaulting style as athletes no longer need to worry about hurting themselves as they fall．Without these worries, athletes could jump higher．New swimming pools have been used to help swimmers swim with easier effort and sports scientists have worked out a new swimming style to improve the speed．

　　The increasing technological developments have led many sportsmen to suggest that the “Olympic spirit” is being lost in a rush to break records and win medals．Many developing countries say that technology has become too important in sport and that athletes from developing countries are disadvantaged．There are no easy answers but one thing is sure－we cannot turn back times．Technology cannot go backwards．

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　　Do you want to watch a hot movie while chatting with your friend on the phone，or shop with your mobile phone while on a train?The ongoing technology development has made these things come to our daily life．

　　It is said that China has had the right to use the third generation telecommunication technology(3G)since 2009．

　　The so-called 3G technology allows mobile phone users enjoy high-speed Internet-based services．It helps increase mobility in many areas of our lives．

　　Nowadays, many mobile phones allow you to send e-mails or read the latest stories on the Internet，but the speed is not pleasing，which is only 10 kilobytes(KB)per second．But 3G goes on the Internet with a speed of up to 2 megabytes(MB)per second．If recent mobile technology is like riding bikes on a country road，then 3G will make you fly on the information highway．For example，a mobile phone with 3G technology can help download a three-minute MP3 song within two minutes while it will take you up to an hour to do this with your common mobile phone．

　　In the UK and many other European countries where 3G services have around since 2003，3G has already become a part of modem business life．Nowadays，office workers are able to spend some of their working hours at home．The new technology allows the first aid services to provide a video link with a hospital or doctor for patients who need special care．

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　　How hard we have all wished to grow up quickly, and looked forward to the happy days of being a grown-up and enjoying the many interests that a youth should have!

　　At last, you have grown up．At least you are no longer a child．They call you “young lady”．You then enjoy the pleasure of being a young lady．You are proud of being a grown-up teenager．People welcome you－this young lady－heartily．You are glad that your wish has been answered．?

　　But there is always something that troubles you a lot．You say, “Papa and Mama, give me some money please．My pocket money is all gone already．”?

　　“No”, they say, “Your age is a dangerous age．If you have too much money to spend, it won’t do you any good．” Then you have to stay at home because you dare not go out with an empty pocket．?

　　Another time you tell your grandma, “Grandma, see, I am a grown-up now．”?

　　“Good, now, you can sit here and knit(编织)this for me while I go and have a rest．” To show that you are no more a child, you have to sit there the whole afternoon doing the work, which only a grown-up can do．After an hour, you find it hard to do, and give the knitting basket back to your grandma．Your grandma criticizes(批评)your work．You hear what she says, “Such a big girl can’t do such easy work．” You wish then you were a child again．?

　　But the fact is, you are growing up, and you can’t help it．That’s the way it goes!

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