阅读理解

Respect your teachers．

　　First of all, students should respect the teachers．They should pay attention in the classes．That means to salute him, to stand from his chair when the teacher enters the classroom etc．Attend any lesson attentively．In class of a certain subject or teacher you don't like very much, if it's total anarchy, how can we talk about respect?

Play by the rules．

　　If your teacher wants you to use wide-lined paper－do it!If she tells you to sharpen your pencils only before class starts, listen to her．If she doesn't accept late homework, do yours on time．Sometimes classroom rules seem strict or even silly, but most teachers know what's necessary to make things run smoothly, what it takes to let the learning begin．And the better the learning environment, the smarter you'll be!

Expect her/him to like you．

　　Teachers are teachers because they like kids．Given the chance, most teachers want to be your friends too．Respect your teacher, but don't be afraid of her/him．She/He wants you to have a great school year just as much as you want to have!

Put first things first．

　　Friends are a fun part of school．But they're not the most important part．When your teacher is teaching, give her/him your full attention．Even when it's hard to do．－recess will come soon enough, and that's the time for playing with your friends．

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　　Footracing(竞走)is a popular activity in the United States．It is not only seen as a competitive sport, but also as a way to exercise, and to donate(捐赠)money to a good cause．Though serious runners may spend months training to compete, other runners and walkers might not train at all．Those not competing to win might run in an effort to beat their own time, or simply to enjoy the fun and exercise．People of all ages, from those less than one year old to those in their 80s, enter into this sport．The races are held on city streets, on college campuses, through parks, and in suburban areas, and commonly 5 to 1 0 kilometers in length．

　　The largest footrace in the world is the 12-kilometer Bay to Breakers race that is held in San Francisco every spring．This race begins on the east side of the city near San Francisco Bay and ends on the west side at the Pacific Ocean．In 1993 there were 80, 000 people running in this race through the streets and hills of San Francisco．In the front are the serious runners who compete to win, and who might finish in as little as 34 minutes．Behind them are the thousands who take several hours to finish．In the back of the race are those who wear costumes just for fun．In 1993 there was a group of men all of whom dressed up like Elvis Priestly．There was a group of firefighters who were all tied in a long line and were carrying a fire－hose(水龙带)．One year there was a wedding party in which the bride dressed in a long white gown(长袍)and the groom wore a tuxedo(晚礼服)．They threw flowers to by-standers, and were actually married at some point along the route．

阅读理解

　　Crosstalk(相声), a traditional form of comic storytelling, is making a comeback in China's tea houses and theaters．

　　Audiences can laugh the night away every Saturday at the Qianxiangyi Teahouse in Tianjin, entertained by the apprentices(学徒)of Hou Baolin, Ma Sanli or Yin Shoushan－all leading crosstalk artists of years past－for only 20 yuan(＄2.40)．

　　The success in Tianjin has also caused the rejuvenation(复活)of crosstalk in Beijing and other places．

　　Although the art form originated in Beijing in the Qing Dynasty(1644－1911), Tianjin became a place where rising stars formed their styles and new pieces were tried out．The city was well－known nationwide for the quality of its crosstalk performances．

　　Known in Chinese as xiangsheng(literally,“face and voice”), crosstalk was the predominant(支配的)form of comedy throughout most of the 20th century．In the old days in Tianjin and elsewhere, temple fairs and markets were the main places for crosstalkers to perform, although they occasionally also appeared in teahouses or theaters．

　　Crosstalk pieces draw on every aspect of Chinese culture, from history and folk tales to social issues of the time．Although there're hundreds of traditional pieces, they're constantly rewritten to suit the times and the audience, while new works are written as well．It's one of the features that have made crosstalk a public art form throughout its history．

　　“Crosstalk was in the doldrums(萎靡不振)with competition from other art forms, especially TV,”said Wang Xiaochun, headmaster of the Northern Storytelling Arts School of China(NSAS)．“But it has regained its status with crosstalk fans, especially young people, growing aware of its rare qualities．”

　　“More and more students are coming to NSAS to study crosstalk, including some girl students,”said Wang,“They're sure that crosstalk will have a strong market．”

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Guitar Lessons for Guitar Players

　　Playing the same things over and over again when you pick up the guitar?Teaching yourself for years but you hit a wall?Don't know what to do next?Whether you're a total beginner, or an old guitar player, we'll get you working on something you can benefit from．I'm a professional teacher, over 30 students at my studio in downtown Berkeley and several music schools in San Francisco, Alameda, and Mountain View．

　　No matter what style you're into, I guarantee there are songs by your favourite bands that you could learn．

　　Call at 510-333-9091 or e-mail at blueschool147@gmail.com

Dance Classes for Students 2.5 Through Adults

　　Motion Dance Center in Martinez is now accepting registration(注册)for all dance classes．There are classes offered in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip-hop, Contemporary and Cheerleading．Classes run like the school year Sep．through June．Prices are very reasonable at only ＄45 a month．That's for a one-hour class once a week for a month．This studio is known for their younger child program．We are always looking for talented instructors too．If you want more information call Deena at 925-229-5678．

Qi Gong with Angie

　　Qi Gong is the perfect activity for anyone at any age．It combines gentle movement and meditation(冥想),breathing regulation and relaxation．The exercises are designed to reduce stress and anxiety and improve blood and energy circulation(循环)throughout the body, therefore increasing immune(免疫的)function, improving energy levels and sleep．

　　Thousands of Qi Gong lovers around the world have experienced the extraordinary benefits of this gentle, ancient Chinese exercise form and are healthier and happier for it．Join us to experience the benefits for yourself!

　　WHEN：Tuesdays from noon－1pm

　　WHERE：Halanda Studio 1062 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125

　　COST：＄12 per class drop－in(即到即学的)or ＄45 for a pre-paid set of 4 classes

　　CONTACT：Angie at angie@lokahiacupuncture.com, 408-887-6000

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　　One day a mime(哑剧演员)is visiting the zoo and attempts to earn some money as a street performer．As soon as he starts to draw a crowd, a zookeeper drags him into his office．The zookeeper explains that the zoo's most popular attraction, a gorilla(大猩猩), has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance(出席人数)at the zoo will fall off．He offers the mime a job to dress up as the gorilla．The mime accepts．

　　The next morning the mime puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before the crowd comes．He soon discovers he can sleep all he wants, play and make fun of people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mime－the job he likes but loses．

　　However, with days going by, he begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his．Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience, he climbs to the top of his cage, crawls across a partition(隔墙), and dangles(悬挂)from the top to the lion's cage．The lion gets angry at this．The scene is a fuel to the crowd．

　　At the end of the day he is given a raise for being such a good attraction－Well, this continues for some time．The crowds grow larger, and the mime's pay keeps going up．

　　Then one day when he is dangling over the lion he slips and falls．The mime is terrified．He starts screaming,“Help me!”,but the lion is quick．The mime soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says,“Shut up you fool!Do you want to get us both fired?”

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　　Is it time to kick Russia out of the BRICs(金砖四国)?If so, it may end up sounding like a famous ball-point pen maker-BIC．An argument is being made that Goldman Sach's famous marketing device(策略),the BRICs, should really be the BICs．

　　“Is Russia really worth the name BRICs?”asks Anders Aslund, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, in an article for Foreigh Policy．Aslund, who is also co-author with Andrew Kuchins of“The Russian Balance Sheet”, thinks the Russia of Putin and Medvedev is just not worthy of inclusion alongside Brazil, India and China in the list of future economic powerhouses．He writes：

　　“The country's economic performance has fallen to such a weak level that one must ask whether it has any say at all on the global economy, compared with the other members of its group．I have just returned from Moscow, which is always dull around this season．For the last seven years, Russia has taken very few measures to improve its economy．Instead, the state has been living on oil and gas．”

　　Economically, Aslund has the numbers on his side．The International Monetary Fund figures that the Russian economy will fall by 6.7 percent in 2009, while China will grow 8.5 percent and India 5.4 percent．There is less of a case for Brazil, with a fall of 0.7 percent, but it is still doing far better than Russia．

　　But the BRICs are not just about economy．As is mentioned above, it is a marketing device to encourage investors to focus on the big promising players．From an investment standpoint, it could be argued that Russia is leading the BRICs．Its stock(股票)market is up 128 percent this year while around 80 percent is for the other three．

　　At very least, however, Russia's economic underperformance and stock market outperfoumance does suggest it is indeed one of the group．

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　　Providing small classes for at least several grades starting in early primary school gives students the best chance to succeed in late grades, according to groundbreaking new research from a Michigan State University scholar．

　　The research by Spyros Konstantopoulos, a professor of education, is the first to examine the effects of class size over a period and for all levels of students．The study appears in the American Journal of Education．

　　He is also a member of a group for the Department of Education's Instiute of Education Sciences that will give official advice on class size to the states．He said the advice will mirror his research：the best plan is to provide continuous small classes(13 to 17 students)for at least several years starting in kindergarten or first grade．

　　“For a long time states thought they could just do it in kindergarten or first grade for one year and get the benefits,”He said．“I don't believe that．I think you need at least a few years in a row where all students, and especially low-achievers, receive the treatment, and then you see the benefits later．”

　　His research used data from the Project Star study in Tennessee that analyzed the effects of class size on more than 11,000 students in primary and middle school．He found that students who had been in small classes from kindergarten through third grade had actually higher test scores in grades four through eight than students who been in larger classes early on．

　　Students from all achievement levels benefited from small classes, the research found．“But low-achievers benefited the most, which narrowed the achievement gap with high－achievers in science, reading and math,”he said．

　　Although the study didn't consider classroom practices, he said the reason for the narrowing gap is likely due to low-achieving students receiving more attention from teachers．

　　“This is especially important in poorer schools because teacher effectiveness matters more in schools with more disadvantaged and low-performing students,”he said．

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　　As A/H1N1 continues to spread, experts from the Centers for Disease Control to the World Health Organization to neighborhood doctors are calling on the people to practice smart flu prevention techniques．Here are some tips to keep body improved and immune(免疫)system ready to fight infection．

Wash Your Hands

　　And wash them often, in hot soapy water, and for the amount of time it takes you to sing“Happy Birthday”twice．

Get Enough Sleep

　　This means slightly different things to different people, but try to get 8 hours of good rest each night to keep your immune system in top flu-fighting shape．

Keep Hydrated

　　Drink enough water each day to clear poisonous matter from your system and keep up good moisture(湿度)production in your body．

Eat Immune-Improving Foods

　　Keeping you body strong and ready to fight infection is important in flu prevention．Fatty foods can slow your metabolism(新陈代谢), make you feel inactive, and weaken your immune system．So stick with whole grains, colorful vegetables, and vitamin-rich fruits．

Avoid Alcohol

　　Alcohol is likely to decrease your resistance to infections and further damages the immune system．So avoid alcoholic drinks to keep your immune system strong．________?

　　Proper exercise-for example walking for 30-40 minutes 3-4 times a week-supports the immune system by increasing circulation, oxygenating the body, removing poisonous material through sweat, and reducing tension and stress．So get moving!

Avoid Contact with Sick People

　　If you're coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth(and then wash your hands),and if you have to be around someone who is sick, try to stay a few feet away from them and avoid physical contact．

Know When to Get Help

　　A/H1N1 can look like regular flu, so don't feel like you necessarily are infected if you're exhibiting flu-like symptoms(症状)．But do go to your doctor if you live in an area where there are recorded cases, or if your symptoms are very serious．

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　　Drinking a lot of water does not do any good to the body, according to two experts in the United States．In fact, they warn, drinking too much water could be, in certain cases, harmful．

　　In a study, Dr Stanly Goldfarb and Dr Dan Negoianu, both of the Renal, Electrolyte and Hypertension Division at the University of Pensylvania, the United States, have denied the popular belief that drinking a lot of water clears body toxins(毒素)better, improves skin, and helps reduce weight．

　　Dr Goldfarb and Dr Negoianu say that they found little proof to back the public opinion that drinking 8 glasses of water every day benefits health．At the same time, they fond little proof of harm in drinking 8 glasses of water every day．

　　It is widely believed that in some cases-such as athletes, people who live in hot, dry environments, and those with certain medical conditions-drinking a lot of water indeed helps, but no studies have been done to prove the benefits of this practice in average, healthy people, the website medheadlines.com reports．

　　The study at the University of Pennsylvania also examined reports that some people experienced increased headaches when their consumption(消耗)of water was low．In one small study, which the doctors reviewed, the group drinking the most water reported fewer headaches than the control group,“but the difference in the number of headaches was o small between the two groups as to be considered unimportant．”

　　The researchers concluded that there is no scientific proof to support that average, healthy people need to drink at least 8 glasses of water each each day．

　　The website medheadines.com says that, according to an Indian doctor, drinking too much water is harmful．If water enters the body more quickly than it can be removed, problems can occur．

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　　We thought we had it all－a beautiful house, three healthy children and one more on the way, two cars, a couple of four-wheelers for entertainment－and we loved it．Then, the market turned and my husband's job at a construction company was gone．The company was closing down for good．

　　We both started looking for jobs right away, but there weren't any to be found．With each passing day we were getting increasingly worried and we continued to work together in order to pull our family through．The more we pulled together, the closer we got．I felt feelings of admiration for my husband that I hadn't felt in years．

　　That's why it was so hard for me to watch him blame himself for our present situation．I continually asked him to stop, but he seemed to want to punish himself for not having a job．

　　Finally, one afternoon I pulled him aside and said,“We have four healthy children and each other．That's what's important．That makes you a rich man．”“But what if we lose the house?They'll hate me－you'll hate me,”he replied．

　　I smiled at him and put my hands on both sides of his face to make him look me in the eye．“No matter where we live I will be happy－as long as I have you．”I smiled again．In all the struggling together I had found that deep love for him that I had on the day we said“I do”．

　　I could see his shoulders and neck relaxed．He held me close and we were able to talk and plan and dream together in a way that we hadn't for quite some time．It was a turning point for us as a couple and a family．

　　We are still struggling for out better life, but I consider us well-off because we have something that money can't buy and no one can take away from us．