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　　On the morning of November 18, 1755, an earthquake shook Boston, Massachusetts．John Winthrop, a professor at Harvard College, felt the quake and awoke．“I rose, ”Winthrop wrote, “and lighted a candle, looked at my watch, and found it to be 15 minutes after four．”John Winthrop hurried downstairs to the grandfather clock．It had stopped three minutes before, at 4∶12．Except for stopping the clock, the quake had only thrown a key from the mantel(壁炉台)to the floor．

　　The clock had stopped because Winthrop had put some long glass tubes he was using for an experiment into the case for safekeeping．The quake had knocked the tubes over and blocked the pendulum(钟摆)．Winthrop, therefore, had the exact time that the earthquake had hit Boston．He looked at the key on the floor．The quake had thrown it forward in the direction of the quake’s motion by a shock coming from the northwest, perhaps in Canada．

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　　Robert had just moved into the street and he felt strange that he was not wanted．He knew that perhaps the other boys were trying to get an idea of what kind of a boy he was．This did not help to make him less lonely．He was new and he had to be tested．Still, proving(证明)himself would not be all that easy．He did not want to run with bad boys or get into something against the law to prove that he was strong．No!He must show what he was made of in a more helpful way．That was when he got the idea．The next day was Saturday．He knew that most of the boys would be down on the playground and choose up sides for the Saturday game．Robert knew he could play well and what just might be enough to prove he was strong－and to make friends with them．

　　He arrived early and did his step exercises．He shot(投掷)the ball several times and did some other exercises－the most difficult and most wonderful in basketball．Then the boys came．Robert went through what he had done before the game and showed what he could do．

　　No one said a word．The boys just looked at each other, and thought about it．In the end, when it was all over, the biggest of the group just smiled and shook(摇)his head．Robert knew he had made it．

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　　My topic today is the Internet．It was prompted(引出)by the first letter, which I am unable to answer fully for the reasons given!

　　Dear David,

　　I am a middle school student．Now I am preparing for a writing competition．Could you please check the mistakes in my article about using the Internet and give me some advice? Thank you．

　　No name

　　David writes：I am very sorry to say that I think it would be very unfair for me to help you win a competition－unfair to the other competitors!

　　But I will say that your article is very interesting and I wish you good luck．Your article makes some good points that deserve talking about in this column!

　　________

　　Dear David,

　　I’m now learning English by myself．Can you introduce some useful websites where I can make friends with foreigners? Please help me．

　　Moonlight

　　David writes：Well, dear moonlight, I bet you made a good choice by using the Net in your self-studies．Two very good websites I would suggest to you are：

　　www.britishcouncil.org.cn and www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish．

　　By the way, for those readers interested in the teaching of English, there is an Internet discussion group called ELTCSChi-L(English Language Teaching Contacts Scheme China List)．

　　And also, a healthy warning to all my readers：If over-used, the Internet can be a WOMBAT－A Waste of Money, Brains and Time!

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　　This summer, join the International Conservation(环境保护)Scouts on a fun-filled holiday with a difference．Year after year, young people from all around the world get together at one of our sixteen conservation camp．Their shared aim?To help protect the countryside and its wildlife．

　　Many animals and plants are in danger of disappearing forever．The dormouse, a kind of mouse, for example, needs woodland plants for food and trees to stay in．Its habitat(栖息地)is being destroyed by man and it needs our help to survive．

　　On a conservation camp holiday you will learn all about nature and how to protect it．Our trained leaders will accompany you and tell you everything you need to know．Because of this you don’t need any experience, just energy and enthusiasm．You will explore the countryside and work to ensure the survival of hundreds of animals and plants and still have plenty of time to enjoy the camp’s excellent sports facilities and organized nature paths through beautiful scenery．

　　The International Conservation Scouts is a worldwide organization, so there must be a camp near you, You can spend a splendid holiday at any of the camps for as little as ￡60 including accommodation and food．

　　For more information send for a free conservation camps handbook today．

　　THE KEY TO SAVING WILDLIFE IS TO

　　PROTECT NATURAL HABITATS：YOUR WORK

　　WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

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　　Ellen Parker was worried about her health．She could not walk very quickly and it was difficult for her to climb stairs．She was soon out of breath．

　　“I suppose I had better go to the doctor, ”she thought．

　　She went to the doctor and told him her problem．

　　“I’m not at all surprised, ”he said, “I know what your problem is．”

　　He examined her and then gave her some advice．

　　“If you don’t do what I say, Mrs Parker, ”he said, “You will have a heart attack(心脏病发作)．It could kill you．”

　　Ellen was very worried as she left the doctor’s．She knew that she had to take his advice but that it would not be easy and it would take time．

　　The next day she went shopping．The first shop she went into was a butcher shop(肉铺)．

　　“I’d like ten pounds of steak(牛排), please, ”she said．

　　“Certainly, madam, ”the butcher replied and went into the cold room and found a large piece of steak．He brought the huge piece of meat back into the shop and placed it on the scale(称)．

　　“That’s just ten pounds, ”he said．

　　“That’s big enough, ”Mrs Parker said．

　　The butcher worked out the price．

　　“At ＄4.99 a pound that will be ＄49.90, please．Would you like me to cut it up into smaller pieces for you?”

　　“Oh, I don’t want to buy the meat, ”Mrs Parker said．

　　“If you don’t want to buy it, ”the butcher replied angrily, “Why did you ask me to get it for you?”

　　“My doctor told me that I am too heavy and have to lose ten pounds．I wanted to see what ten pounds of meat looked like．”

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　　Accidents happen almost every day．Some accidents are not serious and some are．We read about such accidents nearly every day in the newspapers．It is wrong for people to think that accidents take place only on the roads or highways, or even at work places．Home accidents are just as common．Because very few home accidents are reported, people come to think that there are few accidents which happen in homes．

　　There have been many cases where people fall to their deaths from high-rise flats．Children often fall over while coming down the stairs．Old people may slip(滑跤)on wet floors if they are not careful．

　　Nowadays there are a lot of modern electrical appliances(电器)such as rice-cookers which make life easy for the modern house-wives．These appliances can kill if they are not used in the proper way．Gas stoves(煤气灶)used for cooking are also dangerous if they are not properly used．They may cause burns or, in more serious cases, even fires．

　　But all such accidents can be stopped if we are careful and follow simple rules of safety．For example, it is unwise for people to try repairing their own electrical appliances if they do not know how to．It is safer to get them repaired by an electrician(电工)．

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　　Japanese doctors carried out the country’s first heart transplant in 30 years on Sunday．The operation was made possible after a law was passed allowing such operations by defining the term “brain-dead”．The heart, liver and kidneys(肾)of a 40-year-old woman who had been confirmed(确认)brain-dead were carried by air around the country to patients in four different cities．Her heart was transplanted to a 44-year-old man in an operation that hospital officials described as successful．The woman, who had suffered a brain bleeding, was the first person carrying an organ donor(捐献)card to be declared brain-dead since a new law introduced in 1997 allowed doctors to make the diagnosis(诊断)．Before the change, Japan had not allowed a person to be declared dead for the purposes of organ transplants until the heart had stopped．

　　That made transplants difficult, as organs become less useful quickly once the heart has stopped．Until now, Japanese people needing transplants have had to travel abroad．“There are 18 people are waiting heart transplant in Japan”Prime Minister, Keizo Obchi said．Sunday’s operation would help Japan catch up with the rest of the world in organ transplant died 83 days later and the doctor was charged with murder．A court dismissed the charge against Dr Toshiro Wada who carried out the transplant, but the Japanese public still remain divided on the issue, with only a third of people favour of transplants．

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　　Knowledge is power(力量)．But there is one other thing that we must remember．A strong mind needs a strong body in order to make it useful．

　　There are a great many good exercises．They are helpful and healthful．Many of them may be taken indoors during rainy weather．Indoor exercises, however, are never as helpful as those taken out of doors in pure(纯的), fresh air．It is because in fresh air more oxygen(氧气)is taken into our body systems(体系)and more wastes are given off．The air in the house does not remain fresh very long．But out of doors it is usually fresh and pure．

　　But what shall we play?There are a number of games such as football, basketball, races．Any game with plenty of movement is good．The best are those which are played out of doors．

　　Do not neglect(忽视)your body．It is of as much importance as your mind．Our country now needs men with strong minds, good judgment(判断力)and healthy bodies．

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　　The food we eat seems to have a great effect on our health．Although science has made big steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat．Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of human illness is related to food and forty percent of cancer is related to food as well．That food is related to illness is not a new discovery．In 1945, some researchers realized that things commonly used to keep colour in meats and other food additives(添加剂)caused cancer．

　　Yet, these additives remain in our food, and it is difficult to know which things on the wrappings(包装)of foods are helpful or harmful．The additives which we eat are not all so direct．Farmers often give penicillin to their animals, and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of cows．Sometimes similar things are supplied to animals not for their health, but just to make a profit．

　　The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to get a higher price on the market．Although some countries have tried to control such things, the practice continues．

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