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　　America may still think of itself as the land of opportunity, but the chances of living a rags-to-riches life are a lot lower than elsewhere in the world, according to a new study．

　　The possibility that a child born into a poor family will make it into the top 5 percent is just 1 percent, according to a study by economist Tom Hertz from American University．

　　“By contrast, a child born rich has a 22 percent chance of being rich as an adult,”he said．

　　“In other words, the chances of getting rich are about 20 times higher if you are born rich, than if you are born in a low-income family,”Hertz said．

　　Compared to several European countries, it' s more possible in the United States for the poor to stay poor and the rich to stay rich．Consider a rich family and a poor one in the United States and a similar pair of families in Denmark, Hertz found that 22 percent of the American families would transmit the same income level from the parents generation to the children generation; in Denmark it would be 2 percent．

　　Another survey by the New York Times last year told a different story．It found that 80 percent of those polled(投票)believed that it was possible to start out poor, work hard and become rich, compared with less than 60 percent back in 1983．That is to say, most Americans are optimistic about making economic improvements in their own lifetime．

　　The contradiction implies that while people think they are going to make it, the reality is very different．

　　Hertz's research was based on data provided by over 4,000 children．Their parents' income was observed in 1968, and when they became adults their own income was reviewed again in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999．

　　This study may disprove the myth of America as the land of' opportunity, but it doesn't tell us what to do to fix it．

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　　Paris in the springtime was, is and will always be, something rather special．Why not experience it for yourself with this excellent break for four days?This attractive city has something to offer everyone and with prices at just ￡129; it's great value too．

　　Your break begins with executive coach transfer(中转)from regional(各地的)pick-up points and travel to Paris is via cross-channel ferry(渡船), arriving at your hotel in the evening．The Ibis is an excellent quality hotel with private facilities in all rooms：satellite TV, radio, telephone and alarm clock．It has a bar and restaurant and is situated about two miles south of Notre Dame enabling you to explore Paris with ease．

　　The following day, after continental breakfast(included), the coach takes you on a comprehensive sightseeing tour of the city, during which you will see the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysee, L' Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, in face almost every famous landmark you have ever heard of．You then leave Paris and take a short drive to the magnificent Palace of Versailles, the home of Louis XIV．The tour ends mid-afternoon back in Paris where you will have the rest of the day at your leisure．In the evening there is a“Paris By Night”tour showing you the beautiful buildings with bright lights．

　　Day three takes you to Montmatre, perhaps the most picturesque quarter of Paris and home of the Sacre Coeur and the Moulin Rouge．In the afternoon you are free to explore this beautiful city as you wish, perhaps a pleasure voyage on the River Seine, wander around the picturesque gardens or look among the antique shops(古玩店)．In the evening you will have the opportunity to visit the best nightclub in the city, the splendid Paradise Latin．On the final day it's back to the UK via channel ferry．

　　Included in the price of ￡129 per person：

　　●Return executive coach travel to Paris

　　●Return ferry crossings

　　●3 nights' accommodation in a twin bedded room in a Central Paris hotel with private facilities

　　●Continental breakfast during your stay

　　●Guided sightseeing tour of“Paris By Day”and“Paris By Night”

　　●Visit to the Chateau of Versailles(admission not included)

　　●Tour around Montmartre

　　●Services of an experienced bilingual tour guide at all times

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　　She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last forever．But, at nearly 1,500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa．

　　The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo Da Vinci(莱昂纳多·达·芬奇)in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louvre Museum(卢浮宫博物馆)where it is housed．“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,”the museum said．Visitors have noticed the changes but repairing the world' s most famous painting is not easy．Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current(现在的)chemical state．

　　Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many are attracted by the mystery of her smile．“It is very interesting that when you' re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,”said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University．“It's because direct vision(视觉)is excellent at picking up details, but less suited to look at shadows．Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows．”

　　However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile．Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually said to France's King Francis I in 1169．

　　In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, who took it out of the museum hidden under his coat．He said he planned to return it to Italy．The painting was sent back to France two years later．

　　During World War Ⅱ, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces．

　　Like many old ladies, the Mona Lisa has some interesting stories to tell．

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　　Police today stepped up a murder probe(探究)after a father was killed by a gang．They attacked him with an axe．

　　John Purcell, 40, suffered fatal injuries in the incident in Easterhouse, Glasgow on Saturday evening…moments after he had said goodbye to his children．His youngest son John, 11, was being comforted by his mum Elizabeth Malcolm after witnessing the street horror．The father-of-three was attacked around 10∶30 pm in Easterhouse Road．

　　Young John said,“My father was struck from behind with something that looked like a chopper．”John, his sister Danielle, 15, and brother William, 19, have been left devastated and placed a floral tribute(葬礼献花)at the attack scene in memory of their dad．Elizabeth Malcolm said, “We are all in shock about what had happened．When he left here he usually turned left down the road, but for some reason on Saturday he went in the opposite direction which is where the gang members always hang out．”

　　“We have been apart for a number of years, but John always remained close to his children and this has hit them hard,”she said．

　　Police officers initially sealed off the area for forensic(法医)examination but later allowed his relatives to lay flowers．Following a post-mortem(尸检报告), Mr．Purcell's death is being treated as murder．He had been taken by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary(医院)but died from his severe injuries．Detective Chief Inspector John Riggans, who is leading the investigation, appealed for witnesses to come forward and said,“Inquiries are at an early stage and we are trying to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack scene for the moment．”

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　　Muhammad Yunus and the bank he founded are honored for their work to help the word’s poor．Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank he founded were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday．They won the award for their efforts to help bring millions of people, especially women, out of poverty．

　　“Every single individual on earth has both the potential and the right to live a decent life．Across cultures and civilizations, Yunus and Grameen Bank have shown that even the poorest of the poor can work to bring about their own development,”the Nobel Committee said in its citation．

　　The Peace Prize is one of the biggest honors in the world．Yunus is the first Nobel Prize winner from Bangladesh, a nation of about 141 million people．In 1983, Yunus and the Grameen Bank started a now worldwide system that lets people borrow small amounts of money to start business．Through these loans, called“micro-credit”, the world’s poor have been able to buy much needed to run an egg business, or a cell phone in places where there is on other access to a phone．

　　Yunus said he would use part of the ＄1.4 million award money to create a company that will make low-cost, high-nutrition food for the poor．The rest of his share will go toward setting up an eye hospital for the poor in Bangladesh．“I’m so, so happy, it’s really great news for the whole nation,”Yunus said after hearing of his win．

　　Since the bank began, it has lent ＄5.72 billion to more than 6 million Bangladeshis．About 97％ of the borrowers are women．

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　　Cell phones with cameras are really a popular way to capture a moment in time, but some “clever”students found another use－capturing tests as a way to cheat．

　　The Magnolia Independent School District in Montgomery County has added camera phones to a list of electronic devices students are banned from having at school．

　　School officials said the move was made as a preventative measure to stop potential test cheaters, since students could use the phones to snap pictures of test questions．Another concern was that students might take inappropriate pictures of classmates to later share or post on a Website．Cell phones without cameras are allowed on campus, but must be turned off．Camera cell phones will be confiscated if found on campus, and disciplinary action will be taken, officials said．

　　Some students were disheartened to hear about the ban．“I’d be lost without my phone,”said Kendall Paul, a Magnolia High School student．“All my numbers are in it．I’ve never used it to cheat and I don’t know anyone who has at our school, so I think it’s kind of stupid．”But other students said they saw it all the time at their school．

　　“You would take a picture of the test and then send it to the next person taking the test,”said Melissa Sparks, a student．

　　“They would send the question and the answer, or just the number of the question and the answer．It’s quicker that way,”another student said．

　　Parents often provide their children with cell phones for use in emergencies and to keep better track of them．“My Mon wants me to have my phone with me at all times for emergence purpose．So, it goes with me wherever I go,”Paul said．

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　　The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3－old－daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper．Money was tight and he became angry when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree．However, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said,“This is for you, Daddy．”

　　The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger burst again when he found out the box was empty．He yelled at her, stating,“Don’t you know when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside?”The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried,“Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all．I blew kisses into the box．They are all for you, Daddy．”

　　The father was crushed．He put his arms around his little girl and begged for her forgiveness．

　　Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child．It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there．

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　　Crime is a serious problem in Britain．One sort of crime which particularly worries people is juvenile crime－that is, crimes committed by young people．For some years, juvenile crime has been increasing．There are two main sorts of juvenile crime：stealing and violence．Most people do not understand why young people commit these crimes．There are, I think, a large number of different reasons．

　　These crimes are not usually committed by people who are poor or in need．Young people often dislike and hate the adult world．They will do things to show that they are rebels．Also in Britain today it is easier for young people to commit crimes because they have more freedom to go where they like and more money to do what they like．

　　There are two other possible causes which are worth mentioning．More and more people in Britain live in large towns．In a large town no one knows who anyone else is or where they live．But in the village I come from crimes are rare because everyone knows everybody else．

　　Although it is difficult to explain, I think the last cause is very important．Perhaps there is something wrong with our society which encourages violence and crime．It is a fact that all the crime children are exposed to films and reports about crime and violence．Many people don’t agree that this influences young people, but I think that young people are very much influenced by the society they grow up in．I feel that the fault may be as much with our whole society as with these young people．

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　　Everybody has to buy or sell things sometimes．Even students who are usually not very rich, have to learn something about making purchases intelligently．As a student, you may find, for example, that you need to a walkman or winter clothing．You may want to buy a television or a used car．Of course, you want to get good value for your money．If you are considering a major purchase, or any purchase you should remember several important things．

　　※Study first, and then decide what to buy．You can learn a lot just by reading books and advertisements．

　　Remember that a high quality product will probably last longer and work better．Of course, for a superior product you are expected to pay more．An inferior product may not give you the same quality, but the price could be low．A poor quality product could be expensive and a valuable one could be on sale at a greatly reduced price．

　　※Don’t worry．Take your time．After you decide what product you want to buy, go to many different stores．If you cannot find the product you want, you try to order it directly from the factory or ask the store to order it for you．

　　Look for a good deal．If you wait, you may probably find that your product will go on sale and you may be able to save 10,20, or even 50 percent of the original price．

　　Finally, before you buy, make sure that that product is guaranteed．If you find the lowest possible price, you will generally be happy with your purchase and also keep more money in the bank．

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　　It is now commonly known that AIDS is a deadly disease．It does great damage to human beings’ immune()system, weakening resistance to disease and leading to death due to complte weakness．To this day, there are no existing drugs that can kill the AIDS virus．It is a deadly battle science and AIDS．

　　This is only one side of the story．Although it cannot be cured, AIDS is preventable．For those who have not caught the disease, the knowledge of preventive measures seems to be the most powerful weapon at hadn．

　　Since the discovery of the first AIDS patient in 1985, the number of HIV carriers has been increasing rapidly in China, which shows that young people are the more likely victims of AIDS．Nationwide there are 214 million people between the ages of 13 and 22, most of whom are students．If no measures are taken to protect these young people, it is almost certain that the threat of AIDS will be very real to them．There has been a great deal of misinformation about the transmission of AIDS．

　　One of the most misleading myths is that AIDS can be transmitted by physical contact by chance such as kissing, shaking hands or sharing food container．Surveys and researches conducted in some universities and colleges show that half of those people questioned are not clear about how AIDS is transmitted, not to mention how it is prevented．

　　This is the driving force behind the State Education Department’s decision to spread AIDS awareness information among college students and later to high school students and primary school students．

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