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　　Alzheimer’s disease(早老性痴呆病)is a major national health problem．Nearly 2 million Americans over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s disease．It is a leading cause of death among the elderly．But Alzheimer’s disease is not confined(限于)to the aged．There may be a million or more people under the age of 65 suffering from the disease．

　　At one time．people suffering from the disease were said to be“getting old”．The disease was thought to be a natural part of growing old, but it is now known that Alzheimer’s disease strikes young and old alike．It is an organic disease that destroys brain cells．

　　Alzheimer’s disease affects the patient’s memory, speech and movement．In the beginning stages of the disease, the patient may seem slightly confused．He may have trouble in speaking．

　　Then the patient’s memory begins to fail．He may forget dates, telephone numbers, names and plans．

　　As the disease progresses．the patient may not recognize his family and friends．These symptoms(症状)often cause terrible anxiety in the patient．He may feel lost and frightened．Sometimes the patient reacts with wild and bad behavior．

　　In the last stages of the disease．the patient may not be able to take care of himself．He may have lost the ability to speak and walk．

　　Scientists don’t know exactly what causes Alzheimer’s disease．It may be caused by a virus or a poisonous substance in the environment．At present, there is no cure for the disease．But there are ways to slow its progress．Exercise and physical treatment can help the patients of this disease．

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　　Jack lay, quiet and unmoving, for thirty minutes while a stranger repeatedly stabbed(刺)him with sharp needles, causing blood to pour steadily out of his leg．Jack was getting a tattoo(纹身)．His friend Tony had recently got a tattoo, and Jack was so impressed by Tony’s bravery and his tattoo that he decided to get one, too．Peer pressure, media influence and personal expression are some of the common reasons for wearing tattoos today．

　　The desire to be accepted by one’s friends or peers can have a great influence on what a person does．Sometimes, wearing a tattoo can be a sign that you belong to a certain group．Gangs often use special clothes and tattoos to identify their particular group．Some of these groups wear only brand-name clothes．Others wear tattoos．When a person’s friends are all doing something, that person is more likely to do the same．

　　The media is another big influence behind the popularity of tattoos in North America．A wide variety of media images show tattoos－people appearing in commercials selling expensive cars, famous sports heroes with tattoos in magazines, fashion models wearing designer clothes that show their bodies tattooed with detailed and colourful patterns．These media images link tattoos to ideas of wealth．success and status．As a result, many people decide to get a tattoo for its fashion and status value．

　　Many people decide to wear tattoos in order to express their artistic nature, their beliefs or their feelings－in other words, to show their individuality(个性)．A musician in a rock band may get a tattoo of a guitar on the arm．Some environmentalists may tattoo pictures of endangered animals on their shoulders．A tattoo can be a public sign to show what is important in a person's life．

　　As you can see．there are many reasons why young North Americans get tattoos．A tattoo can be part of a group’s uniform, a sign of fashion or an expression of individuality．The decision to get a tattoo is most often a result of the influence of friends or media or the desire to express oneself．For Jack．it was a mixture of all three．

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　　Your cellphone holds secrets about you．Besides the names and numbers that you’ve programmed into it, traces of your DNA remain on it, according to a new study．

　　DNA is genetic material that appears in every cell．Like your fingerprint, your DNA is unique to you－unless you have an identical twin．Scientists today usually analyze DNA in blood, saliva(唾液)or hair left behind at the scene of a crime．The results often help detectives identify criminals and victims．

　　Meghan J．McFadden, a biologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, heard about a crime in which the suspect bled onto a cellphone and later dropped it．This made her wonder whether traces of DNA remained on cellphones－even when no blood was involved．To find out, she and a colleague collected flip-style(翻盖式)phones from 10 volunteers．They collected invisible traces of the users from two parts of the phone：the outside, where the user holds it, and the speaker, which is placed at the user’s ear．

　　The scientists cleaned the phones using a liquid mixture made mostly of alcohol．The aim of washing was to remove all detectable traces of DNA．The owners got their phones back for another week．Then they returned the phones and the researchers collected traces on each phone once more．They discovered DNA that belonged to the phone’s owner on each of the phones．

　　Surprisingly, DNA was even picked up immediately after the phones were cleaned．That suggests that washing won’t remove all traces of evidence from a criminal’s cellphone．So cellphones can be added to the list of clues that can settle a crime-scene investigation．

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　　The summer holidays are upon us again．Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!

　　Peterborough Museum

　　“The Age of the Dinosaurs”is the museum’s main attraction this summer．Get up close to pre-historic creatures via some great hands-on exhibits!Watch out for monsters lurking around every corner!The museum is open from 10∶00 am to 5∶00 pm Monday to Saturday, and from 12∶00 pm to 4∶00 pm on Sundays in August．

　　Call 01733 864663 for details．

　　Saxon Youth Club

　　School holiday fun：Young people aged 13－19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in sports activities, or try their hands at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road, Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3∶00 pm．

　　PLUS－a ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3∶30 pm and 6∶30 pm．

　　Call 01353 720274 for details．

　　Houghton Mill

　　Alice through the Looking Glass－a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th, August．Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play．Gates open at 5∶30 pm, performance 6∶30 pm－8∶30 pm．Tea room will be open until the end of the interval．

　　Prices：Adult ￡10, Child ￡7, and Family ￡20．

　　Booking advisable on 0845 4505157．

　　Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey

　　Farmland Games：From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches, come and join the Farmland Team．Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner!No need to book, just turn up between 12∶00 pm and 4∶00 pm on Thursday 19th August．Suitable for children aged four and above, each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price．Tickets cost ￡7 per child．

　　For further information, call 01223 810080．

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　　Joanne was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5∶30 pm, and at 6∶30 pm she was expected to be chairing a meeting of the tennis club．At last, the traffic was moving．She swung quickly racing to her house．As she opened the door, she nearly tripped over Sheba．

　　“Hey, Sheba,”she said,“I’ve got no time for you now, but I’ll take you out as soon as I get back from the tennis club．”Then she noticed Sheba seemed to be coughing or choking．Obviously, she could hardly breathe．Immediately, Joanne realized she would have to take her to the vet．When she got there, the vet was just about to close for the day．Seeing the state of Sheba, Dr．Sterne brought her quickly into his office．

　　“Listen, doctor, I’m really in a rush to get to a meeting－can I leave her with you, and go and get changed?I’ll be back in ten minutes to pick her up, and then I’ll take her on to the meeting with me．Is that OK?”

　　“Sure,”said the doctor．

　　Joanne made a quick trip back to her house in a couple of minutes．As she was once more entering the hallway, the phone by the door began to ring．

　　“This is Dr．Sterne,”said an anxious voice．“I want you to get out of that house immediately,”said the doctor’s voice．“I’m coming round fight away, and the police will be there any time now．Wait outside!”

　　At that moment, a police car screeched to a stop outside the house．Two policemen got out and ran into the house．Joanne was by now completely confused and very frightened．Then the doctor arrived．

　　“Where’s Sheba?Is she OK?”shouted Joanne．

　　“She’s fine, Joanne．I took out the thing which was choking her, and she’s OK now．”

　　Just then, the two policemen reappeared from the house, half-carrying a white-faced man, who could hardly walk．There was blood all over him．

　　“My God,”said Joanne,“how did he get in there?And how did you know he was there?”

　　“I think he must be a burglar,”said the doctor．“I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba’s throat．It turned out to be three human fingers．”

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　　Thirty years ago, when the movie version of my novel Jaw was published, few people including me knew very much about great white sharks．For hundreds of generations, we humans have been taught to fear and hate sharks, and the movie touched a nerve of horror．

　　Now something long thought impossible has happened．A great white shark was successfully held in capacity for several months．In August last year a very young female great white shark was caught accidentally in a fisherman’s net off Huntington Beach, California, and then kept in an ocean pen(栏栅)for 25 days．After being moved to the Monterey Bay Aquarium (水族馆), she grew well in the million-gallon Outer Bay Exhibit．She was so lovely that people all liked her very much．Perhaps she was too young to understand that the big tank was not her natural environment, because she didn’t hit her head against the walls in an attempt to swim away as others of her kind have done．And she began to feed almost immediately on small fish offered to her on a pole．In the months that followed, the shark suffered no serious injuries, caught no diseases, and grew noticeably larger, breaking all records for great white sharks in capacity．The longest that any other great white shark had been held was 16 days．

　　Until February 23, that is, when she hit and killed a soup fin shark(翅鲨), as she grew bigger and her behavior grew more aggressive, officials at the Aquarium knew the time had come．On March 31, after 198 days in the aquarium, the great white shark was released into the Pacific．

　　Scientists still have a lot to learn about sharks, especially great white sharks which are now considered to be in danger．Scientists do know that sharks are necessary to ocean health．Remove any significant animal from the sea food chain and you will risk destroying the balance of nature．

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　　The price of gas has been going up．We do not know when it will end．Many people want to know how they can save gas．The best way to save gas is to change driving habits．

　　The accelerator(加速器), or gas pedal, has a lot to do with how much gas you use．The faster you drive, the more gas you use．Drivers should slow down a bit to save gas．Driving at a steady speed helps to save much gas you use．Accelerating slowly to get to the speed you want to go helps save gas too．

　　The more you drive your ear, the more gas you use．Think about the places you need to go before leaving your home．You should run as many errands(差事)that you need to do in one trip．Always try to pick the shortest route when going somewhere．

　　Cars that are in good working condition use less gas．Take care of your car．Make sure the engine is running well and is tuned up often．Have a repairman check it if something seems wrong．

　　Tires are important too．Keep the tires inflated(饱满)properly on a car．It will help the car roll better and will get you better mileage(英里数)．If the tires of a car are worn then they should be replaced．

　　Finally, think about using your car less．Walk or ride a bike if you do not have far to go．Carpool(合伙用车)or take public transportation when you can．Leaving your car at home really saves gas．

　　There are many ways a person can save gas．These are just a few ideas that can help you save some money at the gas pump．Try changing the way you drive and see how much it saves you!

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　　I go to interview a great man．“What surprises you most in your life?”I ask．The great man answers,“People don’t like to be children; when they grow up, they wish to be children again．They lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health．They think anxiously about the future, but they forget the present, so they live neither for the present nor the future．”

　　I have never heard of these words． I am silent for a while, write these words down, and then I ask the second question prepared ahead of time,“As a parent, what lessons do you want your children to learn from life?”

　　The great man answers with a smile,“I want them to learn that they cannot make anyone love them．What they can do is to let themselves be loved．I want them to learn that the most valuable thing is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives．I want them to learn that it is not good to compare themselves with others．I want them to learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is the one who needs the least．I want them to learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness．I want them to learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but do not know how to express their feelings．I want them to learn that money can buy everything but happiness．I want them to learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it differently．I want them to learn that a true friend is someone who likes them anyway．I want them to learn that it is not always enough that they are forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves．”

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　　The mystery had reached its climax(高潮)：The man had undoubtedly been murdered．However, no one present knew who could have killed such a kind person． It was therefore time to call in the great detective, who gave one searching glance at the corpse(尸体), and then used a microscope．

　　“Aha!”he jumped as he picked a hair off the dead man’s coat．“The mystery is a mystery no longer．We have only to find the man who lost this hair, and the criminal will be in our hands．”The chain of logic was complete, and the detective started to do his search．

　　For four days and four nights he moved unobserved through the streets of New York, scanning closely every face, looking for a man who had lost a hair．On the fifth day he discovered a man pretending to be a tourist, and his head was enveloped in a cap reaching below his ears．The man was about to board the Gloritania, and the detective lost no time in following him on board．

　　“Arrest him!”shouted the detective, and then, drawing himself to his full height, he took out the hair．“This is his,”said the great detective,“and it proves his guilt．”

　　“Remove his hat,”ordered the ship’s captain firmly．

　　It was discovered that the man had no hair．

　　“Aha!”said the great detective without a moment’s hesitation．“He has committed not one murder, but about one million!”

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　　Prana, our beautiful golden retriever(金毛猎犬)whose name means“breath of life”, isn’t with us any more．She died of cancer several years ago．But, while sharing our home, she brought such joy and love into our lives that we still miss her．

　　There are so many wonderful stories about the love in this dog, but my favorite is the one that created an indelible image of how to graciously give what is needed without reserve(储备)．

　　It was an autumn day in Minnesota．But the weather didn’t seem to know the difference between fall and winter．Unexpectedly, we were hit with a big snow fall, for which no one was prepared．

　　We have two apple trees in our backyard．Prana loved apples．When she went outside, she’d grab an apple, stick it far back in her mouth, and sneak it into the house to save for enjoyment later．The apples had been on the ground and were often muddy so I wasn’t always happy that Prana had brought them into the house．Sensing my disapproval, she would turn her head so I wouldn’t see her hidden treasure．It was our little game．

　　On the day that it snowed too early in the season, Prana went outside and I watched her from the window．I noticed that she was crazily digging holes and bringing the apples to the surface so they could be seen above the snow．I wondered why she was doing this．She seemed to be entirely busy digging up as many apples as possible during her yard time．

　　When I called her back into the house, she had her usual one apple in her mouth．About five minutes later, I looked outside-the yard was completely covered with birds．Prana had dug up all those apples for her bird and squirrel friends to eat．She knew that they wouldn’t have stored enough food to survive such an early winter!

　　Tears sprung to my eyes as I witnessed this beautiful act of unconditional love from an animal who taught us how to serve life with such grace．