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　　Everybody hates rats．But in the earthquake capitals of the world－Japan, Los Angeles, Turkey－rats will soon be man's new best friends．

　　What happens after an earthquake?We send in rescue dogs．Why?Because they can smell people．Dogs save lives．They help rescuers to find living people．But dogs are big and they can't get into small spaces．So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives： the rat．

　　How does it work?First , the rat is trained to smell people．When this happens, the rat's brain gives a signal．This is sent to a small radio on its back, and then the rescuers follow the radio signals．When rat's brain activity jumps, the rescuers know that someone is alive．The rat has smelled that person．

　　Although there are already robots which can do this job, rats are better．Christian Linster at Cornell University, New York, says, “Robots' noses don't work well when there are other smells around．Rats are good at that．” Rats can also see in the dark．They are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs, and unlike robots, they don't need electricity!

　　The “rat project” is not finished, but Julie Ryan of International Rescue Corps in Scotland says, “It would be fantastic．A rat could get into spaces we couldn't get to, and a rat would get out if it wasn't safe．” Perhaps for the first time in history, people will he happy to see a rat in a building(but only after an earthquake, of course．)

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　　There once was a very honest shopkeeper whose business was to provide goods to the local people．He would open his shop at 8∶00 a.m.after having his breakfast and at 1∶00 p.m.he would go for lunch．In the evening at 8∶30 p.m.he closed his shop to complete his daily routine．

　　However, to get time for lunch was really difficult because he didn't have anybody to help him at that time．Therefore, it was his daily practice that whichever customer was shopping at 1∶00 p.m.would be asked to oversee(看管)the shop until the shopkeeper returned from lunch．

　　One day, a group of four thieves planned to steal from his shop while he was gone for lunch．One of the thieves went at 1∶00 p.m.to be the customer that would be asked tooversee the shop．

　　The thief, pretending to be a customer, went in at 1∶00 p.m.and started buying several items．As planned, the shopkeeper asked the thief to sit on his chair for thirty minutes until he returned from lunch．

　　Then, the other three thieves quickly came and told the pretended customer to help, but something had changed within him and he knew deeply in his heart that if he was given responsibility for the shop, he should not perform any dishonest acts during that time．His friends did not agree．As the now honest man tried to stop them, they resisted(抵抗)and a fight started．And at the same time the shopkeeper returned and asked why there was a fight．The now honest man explained the entire plan．

　　The shopkeeper had been searching for an honest man who could take ownership of the shop and run it．The shopkeeper felt that he had found the right man．

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　　Kai-Fu Lee is one of the most successful of Chinese professional managers．He worked for big companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Google．Now he works for himself and he also writes some books．Behind each of his choices is his belief that you should “lead your life” rather than “live your life”．

　　He made his first big life decision in 1990．He was then the youngest associate(副的)professor of Carnegie Mellon University．If he had stayed a little longer, he would have become a tenured(终身职位的)professor．But he decided to join Apple．There, he led his team to many hi-tech miracles(奇迹的), such as the iPod and the iPhone which changed the world using hi-tech．In 1998, he left Apple for Microsoft and started up Microsoft Research China which is now called Microsoft Research Asia．Because of his effort, it becomes one of the best labs in the world．In 2005, he moved on again, to Google．In his four years there, Google's market share in China jumped from 16％ to 30％．

　　Now, he has started his own company “Innovation Works”．He aims to help new Chinese companies in mobile computing and e-commerce(电子商务)and also help China's young people start up their own business．Young people can send their business ideas to the company．If Lee likes an idea he receives, his company will help to turn the idea into a business．

　　Lee has written several books．His “Be Your Personal Best” is a bestseller．His autobiography “Making a World of Difference; the Kai-Fu Lee Story” tells the story of Lee's many successes but also setbacks on the way to becoming a technology and business giant．

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　　When I was 14, I was hitchhiking(搭便车)from Houston, through EI Paso on my way to California, following my dream．I was a high school drop-out with learning disabilities and was set on surfing the biggest waves in the world, first in California and then in Hawaii．

　　Upon reaching downtown EI Paso, I met an old man, a bum, on the street corner．He stopped me and questioned me as I passed by．He asked if I was running away from home．I suppose because I looked so young．I told him, “Not exactly, sir．” since my father had given me a ride to the freeway in Houston and given me his blessings．

　　The friendly bum then invited me to have a cup of soda with him．After talking for a while, he told me he had something great to show me and share with me．I followed him into the EI Paso Public Library．I was asked to sit down and wait while he looked for something special among the shelves．A few moments later, he returned with some old books in his hand．He said, “There are two things that I want to teach you, young man．” “Number one is：never judge a book by its cover, for a cover can fool you．” He followed with, “I'll bet you think I'm a bum, don't you?” I admitted．“Well, young man, I've got a little surprise for you．I am one of the wealthiest men in the world．I have probably everything any man could ever want．But a year ago, my wife passed away, and since then I have been deeply doubted about life．I realized there were certain things I had not yet experienced in life, one of which was what it would be like to live like a bum asking people for money on the streets．For the past year, I have been going from city to city doing just that．So, you see, don't ever judge a book by its cover．” “Number two is to learn how to read．” For, there is only one thing that people can't take away from you, and that is your wisdom．” At that moment, he put my right hand upon the old books－the writings of Plato Aristotle．

　　His parting request was for me to never forget what he taught me．I haven't．

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　　Dear Ariel,

　　I got a job offer from a high-tech company with a fairly satisfactory payment and benefits．Even the work environment is cool．But I heard that the job requires a lot of overtime and even weekends．I know it's important for newcomers to get their feet planted firmly on the ground to reach their goals, but I'm scared of the idea of having nearly no free time．I still need to find a girlfriend and look after my parents．So, shall I accept the job or give it up for another one with much less pay and more freedom?

Amoretto

　　Dear Amoretto,

　　I have two things to say：First, you're lucky to have such an excellent offer, especially at a time when so many talented people are struggling to find any work at all; and second, you can't figure out your work-life balance until you're actually working☆

　　Take the job．You'll be learning, doing interesting things, working in a cool environment, and making money．If you're given contract, make sure you understand the terms before you sign．Ask your boss how many hours a week you're expected to work．If he tells you a number that's much lower than what you find once you're working, you'll be in a better position to talk to him about it．

　　Give your work 100 percent．Work energetically and efficiently．If you're devoted and focused, you might achieve more than your co-workers in less time．Showing yourself to be a productive and talented worker from the beginning will give you more bargaining power．Finally, remember that taking a job doesn't have to be a life commitment．Try to give it at least a year(two is better)．If you're really miserable after that time, look for another job that will give you more freedom．By then, you'll have workplace experience, bosses and colleagues who can speak positively about your work and some savings as well．

　　Good luck!

Ariel

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　　Both art and architecture have a history of ages．All forms and ways of expressing beauty have been explored．In the case of architecture, many buildings that were designed in the past have proven to be beautiful and served their purposes．We could save millions of dollars by copying designs of architecture of buildings from the past．Besides, some people find modern architecture ugly．So why should we pay a lot for designing new buildings？The same goes for modern art, both paintings and statues．Many art objects created in the past are now covered by dust in storerooms．They are enough to decorate all public places．There is no need to create more art, and as with modern architecture, many people find new art difficult to understand or appreciate．

　　Considering these facts, why are architects and artists asked to create new art works?And why are we interested in creating new ones, instead of using or copying what was made in the past?The answers to these questions have to do with the function of art in society today．

　　First of all, the function of art is to decorate．By placing art works in parks and hanging paintings or drawings on the walls, we make our living environment more beautiful．When our eyes move across an empty wall, they will for a few moments rest on a painting or drawing hung there．it makes us feel good．Sometimes, paintings are not beautiful at first glance．But watching and thinking about them for a while or repeated viewing will help us learn to appreciate them．

　　Another function of art is enriching real life, as art is part of everyday life．Art helps us learn to think creatively．In art, things are not always what they seem to be．Art objects in park are sometimes funny．Very often we can hardly tell what they are．We need such creative moments．It helps us to balance our minds．With art like that all around us, our life is more interesting．

　　Finally, art is often seen as a way to instruct the audience．Statues of heroes from the past remind us of our history．Paintings and other art objects can also help us to realize which goals we should set for ourselves and inspire us in our everyday work．

　　Because ideas about society change and very period of time has its own taste, there is always a need for new art．We can still appreciate art works made in the past for their beauty, but they are often too valuable to be placed in public places．Besides, they also often need special protection．

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　　Through watching the National Day parade roll down Tian'anmen Square last Thursday, foreign observers were impressed by China's fast development and growing strength

　　China's military parade, the birthday celebration was a showcase of fighter jets, tanks and ballistic missiles(弹道导弹)．The display included 100,000 marchers, 80,000 children, 8,000 soldiers and 151 planes．President Hu Jintao, whose Mao suit(中山装)interested foreign media, told the watching nation that the Chinese people were “full of confidence,” USA Today reported．“Today, a socialist China, facing modernization, the world and the future, has stood rock-firm in the east of the world,” he said．

　　The celebration marked the day in 1949 when Chairman Mao Zedong announced the founding of the People's Republic of China．In the years since, the nation has grown into the world's third largest economy．

　　The Associated Press(美联社)quoted Geremie Barme, a China expert at Australian National University as saying that the displays “meant” to educate, excite, unite and entertain”．The New York Times said that while China's military is still behind those of many developed nations, its progress since the last parade in 1999 was clear．

　　The rapidly improving ability of China's army has worried some overseas analysts．Reuters said that Dongfeng 21C, the anti-ship missile, could force US aircraft carriers(航空母舰)to stay farther away from China's waters, if models were developed into more powerful ballistic missiles．

　　Russell Moses, a political analyst, said China's leaders are “right to congratulate themselves, but real test is not how they deal with success but how they deal with present challenges．” Among these are the imbalance in development between the town and the country, unemployment and the environment．

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　　When I was seven my father gave me a Timex, my first watch．I loved it, wore it for years, and haven't had another one since it stopped ticking a decade ago．Why?Because I don't need one．I have a mobile phone and I'm always near someone with an iPod or something like that．All these devices (装置) tell the time－which is why, if you look around, you'll see lots off empty wrists; sales of watches to young adults have been going down since 2007．

　　But while the wise have realized that they don't need them, others ―apparently including some distinguished men of our time－are spending total fortunes on them．Brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Breitling command shocking prices, up to ￡250,000 for a piece．

　　This is ridiculous．Expensive cars go faster than cheap cars．Expensive clothes hang better than cheap clothes．But these days all watches tell the time as well as all other watches．Expensive watches come with extra functions－but who needs them?How often do you dive to 300 metres into the sea or need to find your direction in the area around the South Pole?So why pay that much of five years' school fees for watches that allow you to do these things?

　　If justice were done, the Swiss watch industry should have closed down when the Japanese discovered how to make accurate watches for a five–pound note．Instead the Swiss reinvented the watch, with the aid of millions of pounds' worth of advertising, as a message about the man wearing it．Rolexes are for those who spend their weekends climbing icy mountains; a Patek Philippe is for one from a rich or noble family; a Breitling suggests you like to pilot planes across the world．

　　Watches are now classified as “investments” (投资)．A1994 Patek Philipe recently sold for nearly￡350,000 while 1960s Rolexes have gone from￡15,000 to ￡30,000 plus in a year．But a watch is not an investment．It's a toy for self-satisfaction, a matter of fashion．Prices may keep going up－they've been rising for 15 years．But when fashion moves on, the owner of that ￡350,000 beauty will suddenly find his pride and joy is no more a good investment than my childhood Timex．

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　　It was the first snow of winter- an exciting day for every child but not for most teacher．UP until now, I had been able to dress myself for recess (课间休息), but today I would need some help．Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher at Princess Elizabeth School near Hamilton, Ontario, had been through first snow days many times in her long career, but I think she may still remember this one．

　　I managed go get into my wool snow pants．But I struggled with my jacket because it didn't fit well．It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes．At least my hat and matching scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty．Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots．In her calm, motherly voice she said, “By the end of winter, you will be able to put on your own boots．” I didn't realize at the time that this was more a statement of hope than of confidence．

　　I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot．Like most children, I expected the adult to do all the work．After much wiggling and pushing, she managed to get first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too．

　　I announced, “They're on the wrong feet．” With the grace that only experience can bring, she struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again．Then I said, “These aren't my boots, you know．” As she pulled the offending boots from my feet, she still managed to look both helpful and interested．Once they were off, I said, “They are my brother's boots．My mother makes me wear them, and I hate them!” Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I wasn't an annoying little girl．She pushed and shoved, less gently this time, and the boots were returned to their proper place on my feet．With a great sigh if relief, seeing the end of her struggle with me, she asked, “Now, where are your gloves?”

　　I looked into her eyes and said, “I didn't want to lose them, so I put them into the toes of my boots．”

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　　The World Trade Organization (WTO), founded on January 1, 1995, aims to encourage international trade to flow as possible, making sure that trade agreements are respected and that any disputes can be settled．

　　In the five years since its founding, the WTO has become well known as one of the world's most powerful economic organizations, taking its place alongside the World Bank and International Money Fund．

　　The system of global rules for international trade, however, dates back half a century to 1948 when the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was formed after World War Ⅱ．

　　As time went by, it became clear that the GATT had two major drawbacks-the limited areas of trade it covered, and the lack of an effective system to settle disputes．

　　After seven years of trade talks ending in 1994, the so-called Uruguay Round finally give birth to the WTO, complete with an effective system to settle disputes and new rules covering trade in services and intellectual property．

　　Even after seven years of talks and 22, 500 pages of agreements, there were still problems, especially the difficulty to deal with areas of agriculture and services, which the member nations agreed to revise in 2000．The WTO, with its head office in Geneva, has 135 members with 30 more waiting to join．