Books don’t grow on trees

　　A local community college professor decided to fight back．

　　“The price of books for our students is just getting higher and higher and, combined with the rising cost of tuition, it’s killing these kids,” said Peter Jason, Ph．D．“Remember, students are one of the poorest groups of people in America．Almost half of them have at least one part-time job．In fact, one of my students has three jobs．She is a part-time sales clerk at a clothing store three days a week, then works three evenings a week as a pizza cook, and on weekends she does manicures(修指甲)at a beauty salon．And she still manages to have a high GPA(grade point average)and go to school full-time．”

　　Textbook prices are traditionally high．Adding to that problem, many college instructors change textbooks year after year; they either upgrade to a new edition or switch to an entirely different textbook．This further hurts students because if an instructor no longer uses a particular textbook, that book has no resale value．

　　Dr．Jason decided to make life a little easier and a lot cheaper for his students by writing his own book on public speaking．“Many books have an increased price because of bells and whistles：CD-ROMs, lots of color photographs, and lots of graphics．I talked to my students, and many of them, like me, prefer to keep things simple．So, during a sabbatical a few years ago, I wrote my own textbook．I made sure that it wasn’t long-winded．I called it Successful Public Speaking：How To Be Brief, Concise, and to the Point．

　　“Compared to most other public speaking books, mine is half the number of pages, and one-third the price．That is, ＄30 instead of ＄90．Plus, it is published in a three-ring binder format．So, when I wrote a second edition last year, students only had to buy the 35 new pages and delete 35 of the original pages．For only ＄7.00, they had upgraded to the new edition．I’ve had great feedback from my students about this loose-leaf concept．Maybe the word will get out, and more writers and publishers will try it．”

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

　　If you have young children in your life, especially kids in those teen years between ages 8 and 12, you most likely know all about the Disney movie High School Musical．The popularity of this made-for-the Disney-Channel movie has led to a concert tour, touring stage musical production, plans for follow-up movies, and a large number of products．With the momentum(动力)still building for this uplifting story, a HighSchool Musical theme party is sure to be a winner for the teens in your life．

　　Setting the Stage

　　Because of the popularity of the musical, there are now many High School Musical party goods available for purchase including table covers, plates, banners, invitations, and even themed party favors．

　　Decorate your party room with High School Musical posters．

　　If you have boys attending the party, you can add to the theme with basketball items since one of the male leads of the movie is captain of the high school team．Items might include large or small basketballs and hoops, and sweat bands for the kids to wear．

　　Activities

　　High School Musical karaoke should be one of the activities at this party．Take digital movies of them singing and email it to them as a remembrance after the party．

　　Divide the kids into three groups like the movie．

　　Then have the teams compete against one another playing word games．

　　Play musical games to the soundtrack of the movie such as freeze dance, musical chairs, or hot potato．

　　Watching the movie and singing along can be another activity．If this is to be a sleepover party, have the kids settle down for the night and play the movie as their final activity．

　　Party Favors

　　Party favors might include nail polish, sweatbands, pretend microphones and toy basketballs．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

　　“First we make our habits, then our habits make us．”——Charles C．Noble

　　It’s such a simple concept, yet it’s something we don’t always do．It’s not extremely difficult to do, and yet I think it’s something that would make a world of difference in anyone's life．Break your goals into habits, and focus on putting those habits into autopilot．My belief is that having one goal to focus on is much more powerful than having many goals．

　　I try to turn my goals into habits, and in doing so, I put my goals on autopilot．Turning a goal into a habit means really focusing on it, seriously, for at least a month, to the exclusion of all else．The more you can focus on it, the more it'll be put on autopilot．Let's look at my marathon goal as an example．I was just starting out in running, and I had the brilliant idea to run a marathon within a year．But in order to achieve that goal, I broke it down into two habits：

　　1．I had to make running a daily habit．

　　2．I had to report to people in order to have accountability(责任)——I did this through family, friends and coworkers, through a blog, and through a column in my local newspaper every two weeks．With this accountability, there's no way I would stop running．

　　The accountability habit took a couple months, mainly because I didn't focus on it too much while I was building the running habit．But it stuck, and for that first year of running, I would report to people I knew and blog about my running every day and I would write a column every two weeks for my local paper．

　　Once those two habits were firmly fixed, my marathon goal was pretty much on autopilot．I still had to do the work, of course, but it didn't require constant focus．And eventually, I ran the marathon．I was able to achieve this because, all year long, I had the daily running habit and daily accountability habit．I put my marathon goal into autopilot, and that made it much easier——instead of struggling with it daily for an entire year, I focused on it for one month and was able to accomplish it while focusing on new habits and goals．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　When I was a child, I was shocked at the idea that my sisters could be my best friends．Now, I wouldn’t have it any other way．At the time, the idea of my two sisters being my closest friends seemed strange to me．We fought all the time over toys, food, attention, what to watch on television——you name it, we quarreled about it at some point．How could my sisters be my best friends?They weren’t the same age as I．We all had our own friends in school．

　　My mother never let the three of us forget that sisters are lifelong friends．Her wish like most parents’ was to give us something that she never had．Growing up as an only child, she longed for siblings．When she gave birth to three daughters, the fulfillment of her dream had only just begun．She had given each of us a gift and she wanted to make sure we did not take that gift for granted．She would frequently tell us how lucky we were．But there were other, more subtle ways that she encouraged us to grow closer．She never showed favoritism to one daughter over the other, as not to cause jealousy or bitterness between sisters．She never showed favoritism to one daughter, skating, shopping and swimming, so that we developed common interests．And when we were teenagers, Mom always punished us equally, giving us yet another bonding experience．

　　We didn't always get along beautifully and fought just like any other siblings．But somewhere in between Mom's lectures, the family vacations and the shared memories, we realized that our mother was right．Today I share things with my sisters that I do with no one else．My sister Cindy and I ran the New York City Marathon together, side by side, even holding hands when we crossed the finish line．When my sister Karen got married, I was her maid of honor．Cindy and I traveled through Europe together and even shared an apartment for two years．The three of us trust each other with our greatest secrets．

　　It was twenty-three years ago that my mother first asked me who my two best friends were．Today she doesn't have to．She already knows．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

　　As China has successfully launched its Shenzhou Ⅵ and Ⅱ Taikonauts, space exploration is a hot discussion, as this historic movement boasts(夸耀)technical, and most importantly, economic benefits．

　　The launch and return of Shenzhou Ⅵ has cost China 1 billion yuan, but the turnover, according to experts, should be 5 to 6 times that figure．The development of space industry’s development has historically been a strong impetus(推动、促进) for a nation’s growth and China is continuing this trend．China’s space mission has boosted(提高)related industries and created domestic value of approximately 100 billion yuan．

　　There are thousands of manufacturers getting involved in developing and producing spare parts for the craft．They are strongly urged to innovate(改进)and advance technology for both the space mission and for future civil use．

　　After China’s first astronaut Yang Liwei stepped out of his Shenzhou Ⅴ craft, Chinese people began to see their daily necessities’ brands becoming special or sole providers for the astronauts．From milk to watch, from clothes to candies, a variation of companies have tried to market products to relate, or ideally, to travel to space．

　　Stock markets also reacted positively．All companies involved in space exploration have seen their stock prices hike over 7～10％ in the past few days．

　　Another big winner is the entertainment and advertising sector．It is estimated that 500 million audiences around China would watch live programs of the launch and return of the spacecraft．And what does his figure mean to companies involved?

　　Prices of advertising of China Central Television, the sole TV station for live programming, ranged from 2.6 million to 8.6 million yuan for a 5 to 30 second ad．Though surprisingly high, companies have shown great interest．

　　Many have sought to become sponsors or partners of the event, as a Chinese milk maker in 2003 has given a successful example by paying Shenzhou Ⅴ to put the company’s name in the craft．Soon after Yang’s success, the company received enormous and satisfying feedback．

　　But, insiders worry that many companies will use the names of astronauts, missions, and space crafts without proper authorization from the China National Space Administration．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

　　Computer scientists in United States are working on a low cost computer for young people in developing countries．The dream is for every kid to own one．

　　The project is led by Nicholas Negroponte, chief of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)Mr．Negroponte first announced the idea of a one-hundred-dollar laptop computer in January, 2005．He just gave an early version of the computer at the World Summit on the Information Society．The three-day meeting took place in Tunisia．The United Nations organized the conference to discuss Internet growth in developing nations．

　　To save money, the computers are expected to use the free operating system Linux instead of something like Microsoft Windows．Users without electric power will be able to turn a wind-up handle to recharge the battery．A special full-color display will have the ability to change to a black-and-white image．That way, users could see it even in bright sunlight．The computers could also be able to connect wirelessly to each other and to the Internet．

　　The machines will not be able to hold a lot of information, but they will be made to work in rough conditions．Also, the lime-green color should make them more attractive to children-and less attractive to robbers．

　　MIT has set up a non-profit organization called One Laptop per Child to develop the computer．Five companies, including Google and News Corporation, have each given two million dollars to help pay for the work．The plan is to sell the computers to education ministries that order at least one million of them．

　　The laptop is still not finished, and there are other problems like how to get the Internet to poor villages, but officials say that the computers will be ready by the end of 2006 or early 2007．

　　Countries that have expressed an interest include Brazil, China, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Thailand．

　　The computers may cost more than one hundred dollars to make in the beginning, but Nicholas Negroponte says that he wants to cut the price even more．

　　A two-hundred-dollar version may be sold to the public．

　　In Massachusetts, Governor Mitt Romney has proposed to buy a low cost computer for every middle and high school student in his state．

(1)

(2)

(3)

　　The official Olympic cheerleaders(拉拉队队长)are a lot different than what you would see on the sidelines at basketball or American-style football games．Cheerleader director Paola Bosio says about 500 girls tried out to become Olympic cheerleaders．

　　“At the end we chose 100 girls．We have six groups, three working in ice hockey, two at speed skating and one in the mountains．So this is the first time that there is cheerleading in the Olympic Games．”

　　Fans disagree on whether the cheerleaders are entertaining or just a kind of distraction．After all, they do not actually cheer and they do not wear skimpy uniforms．The all-girl squad(班，队)，which ranges in age from 15 to 26, is dressed in bright orange and gold uniforms that cover them almost from shoulder to toe．

　　Besides not cheering for any particular team at an event, the focus of the routines is different．It is not the loud and spirited gymnastic performance one might see at college and high school events in the United States, but is more dance-oriented．

　　Cheerleader Camilla of Turin is 20 years old and has studied dance since she was 10．Her background includes classical dance and ballet as well as modern dance and pop．This is her first time as a cheerleader and she says she is enjoying the new experience．

　　Some fans expressed the opinion that the pom-pom waving and dancing was distracting because it took the focus off the athletic event they had come to see．But Kathy Moine of Los Angeles, California, had a different understanding, as well as an interesting theory about the cheerleader’s costumes．

　　“I think they’re just supposed to be neutral and they’re supposed to be the Olympic torches,”she said．“Not for any country but just supporting everybody, happy to be in the Olympics．”

　　If by definition, cheerleaders should cheer for one side and make a lot of noise, then the Olympic squad still has a lot to learn．But if they are just here to look good and liven up the atmosphere during time-outs, many would agree they have been a complete success．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

　　“I had a great time this summer!”That’s what Beijing girl Yang Yingfan said when she got back from a week of summer camp last year．Yang, a Junior 2 from Beida Resource Middle School, learned how to swim and tried making pottery for the first time．

　　“I learned a lot, and I met many new friends of my age．Some of them I miss even today,”she said．

　　Do you want to have a summer like Yang’s!It’s easy．Just go to summer camp!You can learn lots of things and have fun．

　　Lots of kids all over the world are enjoying summer camps these days．They are especially popular in America．Each summer, more than 10 million American children go to different kinds of summer camps．

　　Some camps help you to learn other languages in foreign countries．Teachers introduce you to a family in another country．You go and live with them for a while．Every day, you get to talk with them, eat with them and maybe even go to parties．

　　While you’re in another country, you can also film a documentary to tell your friends and family about your life there．And when you get back home, you’ll have lots of pen pals．

　　If you’re interested in history, you can go to an archaeology camp．There, archaeologists will teach you how to carefully dig old things out of the ground．Then, in a laboratory, you’ll find out how old they are．

　　If you like outdoor sports, then go to an adventure camp!Kids do many different things at adventure camps．Canoeing is just one of them．This kind of camp is a good way to enjoy the outdoors．And doing so many things with others is a great way to make friends．If you need a rest, you can go fishing．

　　Of course, summer camps aren’t all about adventure or study．At some camps, kids do community service．Campers clean up their cities or spend time with old or sick people．

　　Summer campers get to meet people from different places and learn how to work with others．They also help kids to get stronger．So if you want to have fun this summer, why not try going to camp?

(1)

(2)

(3)

阅读理解

　　I am a good mother to three children．I have tried never to let my profession stand in the way of being a good parent．

　　I no longer consider myself the center of the universe．I show up．I listen．I try to laugh．I am a good friend to my husband．I have tried to make marriage vows(誓约)mean what they say．I am a good friend to my friends．And they to me．Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today．

　　So here’s what I wanted to tell you today：Get a life．A real life, not a desire of the nest promotion, the bigger paycheck, the larger house．

　　Get a life in which you are not alone．Find people you love, and who love you．And remember that love is not leisure, it is work．Pick up the phone．Send an email．Write a letter．And realize that life is the best thing and that you have no business taking it for granted．

　　It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours and our minutes．It is so easy to exist instead of to live．I learned to live many years ago．Something really, really bad happened to me, something that changed my life in ways that, if I had my choice, it would never have been changed at all．And what I learned from it is what, today, seems to be the hardest lesson of all．

　　I learned to love the journey, not the destination, I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and totally．And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned．

　　By telling them this：Read in the backyard with the sun on your face, Learn to be happy, And think of life as a deadly illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　There are so many different plastic cards that adults have to carry around－library cards, savings cards for different banks, credit cards, just to name a few．So why not have one to replace them all?

　　Scott Barnhill, an 1l-year-old fifth-grade student in the US, has come up with an idea for a"Security One Card"．

　　Sound smart?The US Patent(专利)Office thought so, and it approved a patent for his idea in April．

　　Here's an example of how Barnhill's idea would work．

　　Let's say you have the three cards mentioned above．Instead of carrying them all, you could have just one by having additional magnetic strips(磁条)added to it．

　　The magnetic strips can be added to any plastic card, even a blank one．

　　Companies could add their information to one of the strips．For example, you could ask a library to add a strip to your bankcard．

　　Barnhill has a lot of hobbies, including designing websites．He got the idea at the age of 9 when he saw his father using a keycard to enter their hotel room．He thought, "The hotels are wasting money with the key cards."So, instead of using a hotel-issued key card, guests could use their credit cards－if the hotel added a special magnetic strip．At check-out, the strip would simply be removed．

　　Now that he has his patent, his next step is a letter-writing campaign to get support from major credit card companies．

　　"I'm going to be writing letters to credit card companies to ask if they can co-operate．I hope they'll give me money every time someone puts a strip on the back of another card, or every time the idea is used,"Barnhill said．"I'll write the letters and see what they say．If they say no, I'll ask someone else, another credit card company．"

　　He is hoping to make money from his patent and has decided it would be better to collect royalties(专利使用费)if the idea takes off rather than sell his patent．

　　"The ATM person who invented that sold it totally, and if he'd chosen royalties he'd get like 2 cents for every transaction(交易)and he'd be a billionaire now,"Scott said．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)