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　　Federal regulators Wednesday approved a plan to create a nationwide emergnecy alert(警报)System using text messages delivered to cell phones．

　　Text messages have exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly among young people, The wireless industry's trade association, CTIA, estimates(估计)more than 48 billion text messages are sent each month, The plan comes from the Warning Alert and Response Network Act, a 2006 federal law that requires improvement to the nation's emergency alert system．The act tasked the Fedral Communications Conmmissino(FCC)with coming up with new ways to alert the public about emergencies．

　　“The ability to deliver accurate and timely warnings and alerts through cell phones and other mobile services is an improtant next step in our offorts to help ensure that the American public has the information they need to take action to protect themselves and their families before, and during, disasters and other emergencies．” FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said following approval of the plan, Participation in the alert system by carriers-telecommunications companies-is voluntary, but it has received solid support from the wireless industry, The program would be optional for cell phone users, They also may not be charged for receiving alerts．

　　There would be three different types of messages, according to the rules．

　　The first would be a national alert from the president, likely involving a terrorist attack or natural disaster, The second would involve “approaching threats．” Which could include natural disasters like hurricanes or storms or even university shootings, The third would be reserved for child abduction(绑架)emergencies, or so-called Amber Alerts, The service could be in place by 2010．

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　　How can you create a great science fair project?You can start by asking yourself some questions．

　　What is interesting to me?

　　You can connect ainroot any topic to science, Your topic could be plants, worms, dogs, the sky or something else．If you can not think of a topic, search books or the Internet for ideas．Seek help from your teacher or a librarian．Your parents may have some good thoughts too．

　　What question do I have about this topic?

　　A great science project always includes an experiment．Make sure that your question can be answered through an experiment．Here are some examples of questions：Does the amount of light have an effect on how fast plants grow?How much salt is in different kinds of cookies sold at the store?Why does the sky change color at different times of the day?

　　How much time do I have before the scienc fair?

　　A great science project always includes an experiment．Make sure that your question can be answered throuth an experiment, Here some examples of questions, Does the amount of light have an effect on how fast plants grow?How much salt is in different kinds of cookies sold at the store?Why does the sky change color at different times of the day?

　　How much time do I have before the science fair?

　　A science fair to be held in two weeks will not give you time for some experiments, such as growing plants, carefully plan your project so that you allow enough time to perform your experiment accrately．

　　What do I think is the answer to my question?

　　Why do I think this?The answer you choose is your hypothesis, You will prove it right or wrong by perfoming an experiment,．If you were to think about the sky question, your hypothesis might be that the color of the sky is related to the position of the sun, How can I prove my hypothesis?

　　This is where the experiment comes in．You have to test your hypothesis．If you wanted to find out how light affects plant growth, you could plant seeds in a number of containers．Then you could expose the plants to different amotmts of light and compare the growth rates．

　　How can I present my results?

　　You might display your question and hypothesis on poster boards．You might then add pictures and graphs．A great science project also states a conclusion．A conclusion of the plant experiment might be The plants that got the most light grew the fastest．

　　When you have finished your project, you may have more questions．A great science project makes you want to learn even more．

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　　Bring the Family?

　　Port Regisis well situated for exploring the beautiful South and West of England and Wales．

　　The school has excellent hotels and guest houses nearby for parents who are dropping off or collecting their children from the school．

　　Please note：

　　All students attending English Country Schools must live in the appointed place．

　　We do not recommend that parents live locally while their child is at school．Experience suggests that this often upsets the child and disturbs progress．

　　Howard's．House Country Hotel ＆ Restaurant

　　About l5 minutes from Port Regis School, Howard's House is set in large gardens hidden in the quietness of the lovely Nadder Valley．

　　Plumber Manor

　　Plumer Manor is a comfortable manor house built of local stones, situated about 20 minutes from Port Regis School．The 17th century house is mounded by lawns and is set in quiet Dorset countryside．The stream tuns through the grounds．

　　Woodville Farm Bed ＆ Serf-catering Woodville Farm is a family-runfarm set in the Dorset countryside about 5 minutes from Port Regis School．Bed and breakfast accommodation：one double bedroom ＆ one twin bedroom both with bathrooms, tea ＆ coffee making facilities, color television ＆ hairdrye．There is also a self-catering 2-bedroom bungalow(平房)nearby．

　　Stock Hill Country House Hotel ＆ Restaurant

　　Stock Hill Country House Hotel ＆ Restaurant is a late Victorian building set in eleven acres of mature, beautifully planned grounds on the borders of Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire．

　　About 10 minutes from Port Regis School．

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　　The Times(January 8,2008)－A climber was left hanging over a 500 ft cliff for more than seven hours in temperatures below zero as his companions looked on helplessly．

　　After setting out at dawn to make what they thought was straight forward ascent(垂直攀爬)in the Caimgorrns．one of the three friends suddenly slipped and then was 150 ft backwards into a gully(沟壑)．The only thing that stopped the climberfalling to his death wast he safety line fixed to his friends．

　　They stayed on an icy rock face at 2,500 ft．All they could see wash is head torch shining in the darkness and they had to shout down in turns to make sure that he was still alive．By the time．they were airlifted off the mountain just after midnight, the temperature had fallen to－20℃ and heavy snowstorms were setting in．Surprisingly, none of the three was seriously hurt．

　　The group had left their car at 8∶30 am for the expedition which was expected to end with an 800 ft climb called Kiwi Gully in an area known as Hell's Lure to the west of Lock Avon．Generally, there will be few problems for experienced climbers but it had become very harder after heavy snowfalls．Just before 4 pm the climbers reached a narrow part beneath a steep section of rock．Two of the party made it to the ice．Having got through the steepest section, he slipped when the ice suddenly gave way．He was left hanging and couldn't climb back up because he had damaged his ankle and was in shock．

　　At 8 pm a team of ten rescue workers was dropped on a snowy place 300 ft above the climbers．One of the team was lowered to where the climbers were trapped．During a four-hour operation, they were saved．Thirty minutes later snowstorms enveloped the mountain．

　　How men first learned to invent words is unknown, in other words, the origin of language is a mystery．All we really know is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be combined to represent those sounds and which could be written down．Those sounds, whether spoken, or written in letters, we call words．

　　The power of words, then, lies in their association－the thing they bring up before our minds．Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words recall to us the glad and the sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increase．

　　Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to our minds and emotions．This charming and telling use of words is what we call literary style．Above all, the real poet is a master of words．He can convey(表达，传递)his meaning in words which sing like music, and which by their position and association can move men to tears．We should, therefore, learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately, or they make our speech silly and vulgar．(粗俗的)

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Rules for the University Entrance Examination

　　●You must be at the examination center ten minutes before the examination starts．If you are more than ten minutes late, you may not enter the examination center．The examination takes place at the same time in different states．

　　●You must have proof of your name and grade as well as official examination number．Show these when you come to the examination center．

　　●Depending on which examination you are taking, you may bring certain items into the examination center．Mathematics examinations may allow you to use electronic calculators(计算器)．Other sub jects may allow you to use dictionaries and other reference material．Please read the notes sent with your timetable carefully．

　　●You must bring your own pencils．None will be provided for you．The following items are not allowed in the examination center：walkmans and radios, head sets, any food or drink, schoolbags, electronic equipment(unless specifically permitted for various subjects), and mobile phones．

　　●Once in the center, you must sit at the desk with your examination number on it．When you sit down, place your examination number at the top corner of your desk．

　　●You must remain silent during the examination．You must not disturb other people who are taking the test．

　　●If you need a drink or toilet break, you should raise your hand and wait for the supervisor(监督者)to speak to you．You will be given water or the supervisor will take you to the bathroom．You are not allowed to talk with anyone during the break．

　　●You must write your answers in the official answer sheet．Your supervisor will provide extra paper if you wish to make notes．

　　●You may leave the examination room at any time if you do not plan to return．If you finish early and want to leave, please move well away from the examination center．

　　●The supervisor will warn you fifteen minutes, five minutes and one minute before the end of the examination．When the supervisor says that the time is up, you must put down your pencil and wait at your desk until your paper is collected．

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　　WILD WEATHERMAN

　　Name：Sam Champion

　　Hot job：TV Weatherman

　　Where：ABC－TV, New York City

　　When you were a child, did you plan to forecast wind, rain, and snow on TV?

　　I wanted to be a foreign journalist．I took courses in weather science at Eastern Kentucky University, but I majored in broadcasting news．

　　How did you finally become a weatherman?

　　My first job in the early 1980s was at the local TV station in Paducah, Kentucky．I did everything from turning on the lights in the morning to writing and delivering morning news．I put together weather forecasts, and became interested in them．

　　Back then, how did you forecast weather?

　　Independent companies collected computer information that showed, for example, how a single weather system might split into snow or snow mixed with rain．The information was often opposite and the job of a weatherman was to study the information and make the best educated guess about the storm．

　　Has weather forecasting changed much with new technology?

　　Advanced computers, satellites, and Doppler radar(sound waves used to track storms)have made forecasting more exact．But we still know very little about how weather is shaped．So far, we just have theories．

　　Any advice for children who'd like to become weather scientists?

　　To me, weather is the most exciting field in the world．There are still so many more questions about weather than answers．After all, if we can't foresee floods or hurricanes, how safe a society are we?Weather forecasting is wide open for scientists who love to solve puzzling problems．The next generation of meteorologists(weather scientists)will unlock many of Earth's weather secrets．So get a general knowledge of Earth science, and study meteorology in college．

　　Thanks, Sam．

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　　My mother through her fine example instilled(慢慢灌输)within me the desire to help others．She taught me to notice those whom others ignore．

　　The railroad tracks were within a mile of our house．Beggars frequently would knock at the doors in our neighborhood in summer asking for food．They were often turned away．Others simply ignored the knocks．

　　My mum always went to the door smiling．She would invite them to stay and have something to eat．She would have me open up the card table and carry a chair out onto the covered side porch(走廊)．There was a nice view into the flower gardens, and it was cool even on the hottest days．

　　She would bring a red and white tablecloth and set the table as carefully as she did for any company．She would pour their coffee and pile their plates with food and dessert．Usually she sent a packed lunch with them when they were ready to go, too．Sometimes she would take the newspapers to those who asked about work．

　　She listened to those who wanted to talk．She never asked what would lead them to be in this difficult situation．It did not matter．She saw only the need．Some thought she did too much for them．She would say, “In the depression(萧条时期)when my father was searching around for any work to feed us, thoughtful people fed him．I am just repaying their kindness．I cannot offer them money, but I can see they do not leave hungry and discouraged,” My mum was quite a lady．

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　　The father's role in the family is important．One researcher says babies cared for by their fathers have greater cognitive(认知的)development at one year of age than babies not cared for by their fathers．Another expert reports that by spending time with their pre-school children, fathers can help to develop children's language ability．Researchers also point out that for school-age children, fathers are one link with the outside world．

　　Fathers who value education have children who do better in school than those children whose fathers don't value education．What's more, fathers who spend quality time with their children may give their children happy memories which may last a lifetime．

　　While each father is a unique person who educates children in his own style, good fathers have something in common．

　　Good fathers attend their children's school activities．They also involve(牵涉)the children in their lives and the adult world by taking them to see the workplace, or by taking them when the car needs to be repaired, etc．

　　Good fathers expect a great deal from their children, but also accept and support the unique individuals that their children are becoming．

　　Good fathers rely on explanations and reasoning rather than force．

　　Good fathers know their time with children is really an investment(投资)in them．

　　Being an involved father is good for children and good for fathers．Both children and fathers have the opportunity for growth and development．Today's lifestyles are changing．More and more fathers are balancing their personal life, work, and family time．

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　　“How are you?” is a nice question．It's a friendly way that people in the United States greet each other．But “How are you?” is also a very unusual questin．It's a question that often doesn't have an answer．The person who asks “How are you?” hopes to hear the answer “Fine．”, even if the person's friend isn't fine．The reason is that “How are you?” isn't really a question and “Fine．” isn't really an answer．They are simply other ways of saying “Hello!” or “Hi!”．

　　Sometimes, people also don't say exactly what they mean．For example, when someone asks, “Do you agree?”, the other person might be thinking, “No, I disagree．I think you're wrong…” But it isn't very polite to disagree strongly, so the other person might say “I'm not sure…”．It's a nice way to say that you don't agree with someone．

　　People also don't say exactly what they are thinking when they finish talking with other people．For example, many talks over the phone finish when one person says “I've to go now．” Often, the person who wants to hang up gives an excuse, “Someone is at the door．” “Something is burning on the stove．” The excuses might be real, or it might not．Perhaps the person who wants to hang up simply doesn't want to talk any more, but it isn't polite to say that．The excuse is more polite, and it doesn't hurt the other person．

　　When they are greeting each other, talking about an idea, or finishing a talk, people often don't say exactly what they are thinking．It's an important way that people try to be nice to each other, and it's also a part of the game of language．