阅读理解

　　High school dropouts(辍学者)earn an average of ＄9,000 less per year than graduates．Now a new study dispels a common belief why they quit．It's much more basic than flunking out(不及格)．

　　Society tends to think of high school dropouts as kids who just can't cut it．They are lazy，and perhaps not two bright．So researchers were surprised when they asked more than 450 kids who quit school about why they left．

　　“The vast majority actually had passing grades and they were confident that they could have graduated from high school．”John Bridgeland, the executive researcher said．About 1 million teens leave school each year．Only about half of African-American and Hispanic(美籍西班牙的)students will receive a diploma(证书)，and actually all dropouts come to regret their decision．So, if failing grades don't explain why these kids quit, what does?Again，John Bridgeland：“The most dependable finding was that they were bored．”“They found classes uninteresting; they weren't inspired or motivated．They didn't see any direct connection between what they were learning in the classroom to their own lives, or to their career aspirations．”

　　The study found that most teens who do drop out wait until they turn sixteen, which happens to be the age at which most states allow students to quit．In the US，only one state，New Mexico，has a law requiring teenagers to stay in high school until they graduate．Only four states：California, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, plus the District of Columbia, require school attendance until age 18, no exceptions, another researcher，says raising the compulsory attendance age may be one way to keep more kids in school．

　　“As these dropouts look back，they realize they've made a mistake．And anything that sort of gives these people an extra push to stick it out and it through to the end, is probably helpful measure．”

　　New Hampshire may be the next state to raise its school attendance age to 18．But critics say that forcing the students unwilling to continue their studies to stay in school misses the point－the need for reform．It's been called for to reinvent high school education to make it more challenging and relevant, and to ensure that kids who do stick it out receive a diploma that actually means something．

阅读理解

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

　　Your break begins with comfortable bus transfer(运送)from local pick-up points and travel to Paris is via cross-channel ferry, arriving at your hotel in the evening．The Ibis is an excellent quality hotel with private equipments 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 bus takes you on a comprehensive sightseeing tour of the city, during which you will see the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, L'Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, in fact 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 remainder 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 Montmarter, perhaps the most attractive 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 beautiful gardens or look among the antique shops(古董店)．In the evening you will have the opportunity to visit the best nightclub in the city, the splendid Paradis Latain．On the final day it's back to the UK via channel ferry．

　　Included in the price of ￡129 per person：

　　●Return comfortable bus travel to Paris

　　●Return ferry crossings

　　●3 nights housing 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 experienced bi-lingual tour guide at all times

阅读理解

　　It's not a new phenomenon, but have you noticed how many nouns are being used as verbs?We all use them, often without noticing what we're doing．

　　I was arranging to meet someone for dinner last week, and I said“I'll pencil it in my diary”, and my friend said“You can ink it in”, meaning that it was a firm arrangement not a tentative one!

　　Many of these new verbs are linked to new technology．An obvious example is the word fax, which is a shortening of facsimile originally, an exact copy of a book or document．We all got used to sending and receiving faxes, and then soon started talking about faxing something and promising we'd fax it immediately．So, nouns turn into verbs in two easy stages．Then along came email, and we were soon all emailing each other madly．How did we do without it?I can hardly imagine life without my daily emails．

　　Email reminds me, of course, of my computer and its software, which has produced another couple of new verbs．On my computer I can bookmark those pages from the World Wide Web that I think I'll want to look at again, thus saving all the effort of remembering their addresses and calling them up from scratch．I can do the same thing on my PC, but there I don't bookmark; I favorite－coming from“favorite pages”, so the verb is derived from an adjective not a noun．I wasn't really sure whether people said this, but someone told me recently that they had favorited a site I was looking for and so they could easily give me its address．

　　In the late 1980s I noticed that lots of my friends had acquired pagers, and kept saying things like“I'll page you as soon as I know what time we're meeting”．They couldn't say it to me, though; I refused to have one．So my children bought me a mobile phone, now known simply as a mobile and I had to learn yet more new verbs．I can message someone, that is, I can leave a message (either spoken or written)for them on their phone．Or I can text them, write a few words suggesting when and where to meet, for example．How long will it be before I can mobile them, that is, phone them using my mobile?I haven't heard that verb yet, but I'm sure I will soon．Perhaps I'll start using it myself!

阅读理解

　　If you're training for a marathon, a proper plan for water intake(摄入)is important．Of course, there's the risk of dehydration(脱水)．But athletes now know they can also get into trouble by drinking too much．Too much water intake can lower levels of sodium(钠)in the blood．The death of a 28-year-old woman following the Boston Marathon caught the attention of many runners and led to new research．

　　Experts advise long distance runners to replace the liquids they sweat out．Their goal is to try to keep someone from not getting dehydrated by more than 2 percent of their body weight．

　　One technique for deciding how much water you need is to get the exact numbers．Runners have to weight themselves before and after a run to determine how much water they've lost．If their weight drops by more than 2 percent, they have not drunk enough water．

　　Hyponatremia occurs when runners drink so much water that blood salt levels drop off．A study published last year tested 488 runners who completed the Boston Marathon and found 13 percent of them had dangerously low blood salt levels．The first sign that runners may notice is slightly swelling in the hands．They can't get their rings off, and then they might feel sick．They may not remember where they are．In fact, most runners get enough salt to get back to normal levels by eating just one meal after a run．Contrary to the old advice that runners should drink as much as they can to prevent dehydration, the new research has shown that the body is a remarkable machine that actually tells you via thirst when you need water．

阅读理解

　　Rich or poor, we all have problems：that unfaithful mate, that irritating(恼人的)colleague, that persistent disease, the investment that is turning into a huge loss．

　　How do we remain calm, positive and even elegant in the face of all these difficulties of life?

　　The following suggestions may help．

　　It comes with the pay．I have a friend who used to complain about her dead-end job and unreasonable boss．Sound familiar?One day I told her．“Look at it this way．You are getting paid for the annoyance as well as the work．It comes with the pay．”

　　This has become my favorite saying for work-related frustrations．“Take every day as a bonus．”When we learn to treasure every moment of what we have, we begin to see life in a whole new perspective．

　　It's all in the mind．Sure, the psychologists tell us it is important we work at resolving problems．But they also say if you try to resolve a problem that would not go away, it would only compound(使更复杂)the frustration．

　　If you tell yourself there isn't a problem, there won't be one．It's all in the mind．

　　Stop thinking about your own problem－help others instead．A lady who is combating a life-threatening disease revealed she coped with her illness by making herself useful, by offering help to others in a similar situation．

　　She has spoken to at least five other women with breast cancer．She says that the sharing has helped her to find fresh meaning in her own life．

　　Never give up on your dream．Why do we give in and give up when we meet difficulties?Is it because we have no confidence in our cause and no commitment for what we pursue?

　　It was said that Albert Einstein's last request on his death bed was to be given his equations and his unfinished statement declining the presidency of Israel．

　　Einstein first picked up his equations and lamented to his son,“If only I had more mathematics!”What a great persistent spirit!

　　One strong-hearted lady was the late head of the tragic Kennedy family, Rose Kennedy．She said this on nationwide television one week after losing yet another son to an assassin's bullet－Boddy Kennedy：“And we go on our way with no regrets not looking backwards to the past, but we shall carry on with courage．”

　　Not the end of the world．Do you know something else?I've learned that care as you might, love as you might, some people just don't care back．

　　And it's not the end of the world．After all, it's not the event that makes a person, is it?It's what we do about that happens to us．

阅读理解

　　Zinc(锌)is one of about 20 elements necessary for good health．It is present in the body in a very small amount, but it makes it possible for important chemical actions to be carried out in cells．Scientists are just beginning to discover how zinc and other element work．

　　Researchers first studied zinc as a way to speed recovery．Dr．Waltor Powys, formerly with the United States Air Force, noted that the laboratory animals recovered faster when some substances were added to their food．One of these substances was zinc．Dr．Powys later tested the zinc treatment on an American airman recovering from medical operations．The airman who received zinc sulphate(硫酸盐)recovered in one half the usual time．Other doctors studied persons who had a number of strange disorders．The doctors learned that all of these problems were caused by a lack of zinc in the body．They treated these disorders successfully by giving the patients zinc sulphate．

　　The amount of zinc in the body can be found by examining the blood and hair．A lack of this important element is not uncommon among people in both industrial and developing countries．Zinc is found in most high protein foods, such as meat, milk, fish and eggs．It is also found in whole grains．But many people do not eat enough of these foods．Food makers should add the elements so that more people could get needed amounts of these essential substances．

阅读理解

　　Tattoos(纹身)and body piercings(穿洞)have moved up on the trend list in recent years．Around Western schools lots of teens are sporting new holes and flesh ink．Like all other subjects, we'll surely be faced with such situation．To get a better view of what has happened in the West, let's sit down and hear what they say．

　　Kerstin Otto from Washington：

　　The hotter it gets and the more layers of clothing disappear, the more tattoos and piercings appear on various places of the human body, I wouldn't be caught dead with a snake tattooed on my ankle or with a piece of metal stuck in my belly button．

　　Erin from Indiana：

　　I think body piercing is cool．In most situations, you don't really have to worry about it getting torn out．I go to Noblesville High School．I am a sophomore(that is the l0th grade)．Body piercing can be cool, only if it is not taken to too much of an extent．I would not want to get my nose pierced, just because I think I'll look bad．But that is my personal opinion．I guess that type of thing is a cultural difference．

　　Tiara from Indiana：

　　I personally think body piercing is sickening．If there were supposed to be holes in your body, you would have been born with them．I do, however, think that ear piercing, is not wrong．There is a difference between ear piercing and belly button piercing．Ear piercing is not nearly as dangerous．I would be sick if someone stuck a needle in my belly button．

　　Lee from Illinois：

　　Hi!I live in Illinois．I am 23．I have 12 tattoos and three piercings．I love my tattoos and consider myself an art collector．You would be surprised at who has given me the thumbs-up on my art work．People on the street stop me to look at that on my leg．Most of them don't know what it is．They just think the work itself is great．

　　Subotai from California：

　　I'm not prohibitive(禁止)of self-expression, but when I see high school students getting these piercings, I really wonder．In some cases, the drive is deeper and darker than mere fashion．A friend of mine tried piercing her own tongue with a safety pin．It got infected and she had a tongue the size of a cow's．

　　Nagib from Washington：

　　I wanted an earring．My friends had them and it looked like a cool thing．I wanted to get a nose ring, but my mum wouldn't let me．Now I'm glad I didn't get it．I just wanted a little stud, but I wouldn't have looked good with it．

　　Jackson from Ohio：

　　I don't think it's wrong, but when people do it all over the place like their face and everything －I think that's ridiculous．People who get the big dragons that cover your whole body－I don't think that's necessary．When I see naked chicks on guys, I think．“You have no respect for women．”

　　Brittney from New York：

　　You don't want to do stuff to your body．You don t need to do that because you were made perfect．You don't need to add piercings．If it will make you feel beautiful and you really feel like you need to do it for yourself, then okay．If it really makes a big difference impacting your self-esteem and how you are towards others, then do it．But otherwise, don't mess with what you got．Maybe you should try something more substantial(充实的)to find beauty in yourself．

阅读理解

　　Every year all sorts of different festivals are celebrated in Britain．Two of the most well- known British festivals are Bonfire Night and Halloween．

　　Bonfire Night has an interesting history．In 1605, a man called Guy Fawkes and some of his followers tried to blow up the British Houses of Parliament．They hoped that if they succeeded, they could take control of England and become its new rulers．Guy Fawkes and his men dug a tunnel under one of the Parliament buildings, and hid 36 barrels(桶)of gunpowder there．Fortunately, on November 5^th, Guy Fawkes was caught just before he was able to light the fuse(导火线)．He and all his followers were burned to death．

　　Today, people in Britain celebrate Guy Fawkes' capture by lighting fires and holding fireworks displays．

　　Halloween is celebrated in Britain on the night of October 31^st．There are many customs associated with Halloween．One of these is the game of‘trick or treat'．Children, dressed up as witches, ghosts or monsters, knock on their neighbors“doors, and shout‘trick or treat!'”If they are lucky, they receive a‘treat'－a bar of chocolate, or some sweets or some money．If, however, their neighbors' refuse to give them anything, they play a trick on them．They might spray their front door with shaving foam(剃须膏), or knock on their doors and then run away!

　　Another game played at Halloween is ‘bobbing for apples'．In this game, a bowl is filled with water, and apples are placed in it．Children then have to take a bite from one of the apples without using their hands．This game is difficult and messy(杂乱的), but great fun!

阅读理解

　　Shu Pulong has helped at least 1000 people bitten by snakes．“It was seeing people with snake bites that led me to this career,”he said．

　　In 1963, after his army service, Shu entered a medical school and later became a doctor of Chinese medicine．As part of his studies he had to work in the mountains．There he often heard of people who had their arms and legs cut off after a snake bite in order to save their lives．

　　“I was greatly upset by the story of an old farmer I met．It was a very hot afternoon．The old man was pulling grass in his fields when he felt pain in his left hand．He at once realized he had been bitten by a poisonous snake．In no time he wrapped a cloth tightly around his arm to stop the poison spreading to his heart．Rushing home he shouted‘Bring me the knife!'Minutes later the man lost his arm forever．”

　　“The sad story touched me so much that I decided to devote myself to helping people bitten by snakes,”Shu said．

阅读理解

　　Roger Federer and Serena Williams have been named as 2009's world champions by the International Tennis Federation(ITF)after topping the year-end rankings．

　　Federer, who wins the honour for the fifth time, completed a career Grand Slam(大满贯)at Roland Garros before winning his 15th Grand Slam ride at Wimbledon．

　　And Williams won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, her llth major success．

　　The pair will receive their awards at the annual 1TF world champions dinner in Paris in June．

　　Federer regained the world number one ranking from Rafael Nadal after his Paris victory and his Wimbledon win over Andy Roddick saw him surpass Pete Sampras' haul of Grand Slam titles．

　　He was also runner-up at the Australian Open and the US Open and helped his country retain its Davis Cup world group status．

　　“It is an honour for me to be named ITF world champion for a fifth time．It was an incredible(不可思议的)year for me both on and off the court,”said the 28-year-old Swiss star whose wife Mirka gave birth to twin girls in July．

　　“To win my first Roland, Garros title, break the all-time Grand Slam record and regain the number one ranking is amazing．It means a lot to me to finish the year again at the top．”

　　Williams takes the award for the first time since 2002．As well as her Grand Slam wins, she won the season-ending WTA Championships in Doha．sealing the top ranking in the last event of the year．

　　She also took the doubles year award with sister Venus after taking their career total to 10 Grand Slam titles．In doing so, she joins Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis as the only players to become singles and doubles world champions in the same year．

　　American twins Bob and Mike Bryan were named as the men' s doubles world champions for the sixth time in seven years．