阅读理解

　　Many teenagers(青少年)feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends．They believe that their family members don't know them as well as their friends do．In large families, it is quite often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for some ideas．

　　It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or a group of friends．Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone．This communication is very important in children's growing up, because friends can discuss something．These things are difficult to tell their family members．

　　However, parents often try to choose their children's friends for them．Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends．Have you ever thought of the following questions?

　　Who chooses your friends?

　　Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?

　　Have you got a good friend your parents don't like?

　　Your answers are welcome．

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　　Babies are born yogis．Once we were all able to pull our toes up by our ears and laugh about it．Then we aged, got injured, and began carrying stress in our shoulders and back．In short, we lost our balance．

　　Yoga(瑜伽)is an ancient practice that helps create a sense of union in body, mind, and spirit．It brings us balance．I was seriously out of balance when I started practicing yoga in 1999．I had plantar fascitis(足底筋膜炎)in both feet, and my doctor had warned me against all the things I loved to do：walking, hiking, and playing tennis．I was desperate for exercise．Yoga became my salvation(拯救)and even enhanced my other fitness activities．I practice yoga at least twice a week, but I consider yoga to be part of my daily life because after a while you no longer just practice yoga－you love it．

　　Yoga becomes part of your physical life．Your body grows stronger, more toned, and more flexible as you move from one pose to the other．I spent a week in Mexico at a yoga retreat(静修), and it was the first vacation on which I lost weight．“Rather than building muscle, yoga builds muscle tone,”says Shakta Kaur Khalsa, author of the K．I．S．S．Guide to Yoga．“Because yoga helps maintain a balanced metabolism(新陈代谢), it also helps to regulate weight．Additionally, yoga stretches muscles lengthwise, causing fat to be removed around the cells．”I do yoga poses throughout the day．After hours at my computer, I stretch my stiff shoulders and arms．When I need a boost of energy, I do energizing poses．When I am feeling exhausted at the end of the day, I do restorative poses．

　　Yoga becomes part of your mental life．Yoga teaches you to focus on breathing while you hold the poses．This attention to breath is calming; it dissolves stress and anxiety．I use yogic breathing on the tennis courts, in the dentist's chair, and in traffic jams．You should always leave a yoga practice feeling energized, not tired．If you feel tired after yoga, it means you spent the time“fighting”yourself, trying to force yourself into poses．In yoga, you“surrender”to the pose by letting go of the tension．

　　Yoga becomes part of your spiritual life．Yoga is practiced by people from all religions; it is not restricted to any religious group．Yoga teaches“right”living in how we deal with ourselves and others．As I work on a difficult pose, I learn patience, forgiveness, and the value of gentleness．Yoga advocates proper eating, but you don't have to be a vegetarian to practice yoga．

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　　In the UK, students' residence halls are run as profit-making business, but this can occasionally be to students' disadvantage．

　　As many universities choose to contract out their hall's management to private companies, room rents are rising and student rights are suffering．

　　In 2006, 55 percent of student rooms were managed by private companies－only 27 percent by universities and colleges, the National Union of Students(NUS)has reported．

　　These private companies are improving the hall's facilities in return for higher room rents．The most noticeable example of this trend is the growth in luxury halls．These are halls for students willing to pay more for larger rooms with better services．

　　Chancellors Court, at Edinburgh University in Scotland, is one such luxury hall．Rooms are divided between standard and large, with larger rooms costing 173 pounds each week, 40 pounds more than smaller rooms．They come with a scenic view, color TV, fast Internet connection and a modern bathroom．

　　Other luxury halls have private gyms for their residents．Private companies capitalize(用…以牟利)on their investment by renting out the students rooms to travelers over the summer vacation period．

　　But the NUS is concerned that luxury halls are affecting room rents at standard un-privatized halls．Most students in the UK pay on average 126 pounds a week for a private room in catered(提供餐饮的)halls of residence, the International Students Advice and Welfare organization has reported．According to the NUS, rent in UK halls of residence has risen by almost a quarter from 2005 to 2007．

　　Veronica King, NUS vice-president of welfare, wants the privatization of university accommodation to stop．

　　“For the students for whom luxury is not affordable, there is a significant risk that accommodation costs, coupled with the burden of complete fees, may reduce the choice of where to go to university,”she said．

　　Legal quarrels with privatized(私有化了的)halls may also account for some of the 10 percent per year rise in student complaints to the office of the Independent Adjudicator(裁定者)for Higher Education(OIA)．The OIA is an independent student complaints scheme that has authority over all higher education institutions in England and Wales．

　　Rob Behrens, chief executive of the OIA, said he was unsurprised by the rise in complaints．“The bottom line is that students today are more self-confident in thinking about what their rights are and what are the things they can get form the commitments they make．”

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　　When we think about giving help to developing countries, we often think about giving money so that these countries can build schools and hospitals, buy food and medicine, or find clean water supplies．These seem to be the most important basic needs of the people we are trying to help．However, it's far from enough．Ladies and gentlemen, we've got to come up with some better ideas to help them．

　　I was very surprised, then, when I read about a plan to make cheap laptop computers for children in developing countries．A man called Nicholas Negroponte invented a cheap laptop computer, which can run without electricity．He decided to invent this computer after he visited a school in Cambodia．

　　The laptop which Mr．Negroponte has designed is a little different from the normal laptop computers you can buy in the shops．One difference is that it is covered in rubber so that it is very strong and won't be damaged easily．As an electricity supply can be a problem in developing countries, the computer also has a special handle so that children can wind the computer up to give it extra power when needed．

　　These special laptop computers will cost less than 100 US dollars and Mr．Negroponte wants to build as many as 15 million machines in the first year of production．The idea is that these computers will help the children's education as they will be able to access the Internet．These computers might not help the people in developing countries immediately, but by improving children's education they should help people to find their own solutions to their problems in the long term．

　　Another idea to help children in developing countries is to recycle old mobile phones so that they can be used again．In the UK, and, probably in many other countries too, millions of mobile phones are thrown away every year．The waste created by throwing away these old phones is very bad for the environment, so it seems to be an excellent idea to recycle them．In this way we will be able to achieve two important goals at the same time．We will reduce the waste we produce and help others．In other words, we will be able to 'kill two birds with one stone', and that is always a good thing．

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　　I made a promise to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage．For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father．Totally loving．No ifs, ands or buts．

　　The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio．The speaker was quoting a Biblical passage about husbands and their wives．Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will．A person can choose to love．”To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband．Well, for two weeks that would change．

　　And it did．On arriving at the beach cottage, I kissed Evelyn meeting me at the door and said,“That new yellow sweater looks great on you．”“Oh, Tom, you noticed”, she said, surprised and pleased．Maybe a little puzzled．After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read．Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach．I started to refuse, but then I thought,“Evelyn's been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me．”We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites．

　　So it went．Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums．Relaxed and happy, that's how the whole vacation passed．I made a new promise to keep on remembering to choose love．

　　There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however．Evelyn and I still laugh about it today．On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression．

　　“What's the matter?”I asked her．

　　“Tom,”she said in a voice filled with distress,“I don't?”

　　“What do you mean?”

　　“Well…that checkup I had several weeks ago…our doctor…did he tell you something about me?Tom, you've been so good to me…am I dying?”

　　It took a moment for it all to be understood．Then I burst out laughing．

　　“No, honey,”I said, wrapping her in my arms．“You're not dying; I'm just starting to live．”

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　　One woman in nine will develop breast cancer(乳腺癌)over her lifetime．However, a healthy diet can reduce your risk of developing the disease by 40 to 60 percent．

　　Generally speaking, eating more vegetables can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer by 60 percent．Vegetables like cabbage are rich in fiber(纤维), can lower your risk of developing breast cancer．To get the most from their goodness, it's recommended that you eat at least three to four cups of these vegetables per week．

　　It's the oleic acid(油酸)contained in olive oil．American scientists conducting laboratory research have observed that oleic acid has a beneficial effect on breast cancer cells．Olive oil is the richest source of this acid, so whenever possible, use it in place of butter．

　　Eating fruit is another excellent way to help prevent the development of breast cancer．In fact, women who do eat fruit are six percent less likely to develop the disease．The American Institute for Cancer Research considers berries(浆果类)(blueberries, strawberries, etc．)to be powerful for breast cancer fighters．

　　It's the lycopene(番茄红素), found in great quantities in tomatoes, that can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer．The lycopene found in canned tomatoes is more readily absorbed by the body than that contained in fresh ones, so add tomato juice, paste, and sauce to your diet．

　　As a result of various studies, the American Institute for Cancer Research has concluded that components(成分)found in green tea can help halt the development of cancerous tumours(瘤)and even prevent them from appearing in the first place．Three cups a day will help you get the benefits of green tea．

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　　President Obama's plan to improve former president George W．Bush's No Child Left Behind program is an improvement on a good thing．But it doesn't go far enough．

　　Obama outlined a goal that by 2020, all grade school and high school students are on a path toward college．

　　However, what we need is a practical plan that not only requires all high school graduates to take at least two years of college but also makes it financially possible for them to do so．We've provided a free public education through the 12^th grade．If we're going to keep up－or catch up——with some other countries(like China)in preparing young people for careers, a 12-year education programme no longer is enough．

　　About 3 million students across the US will graduate from high school this spring．But only 2 million will go on to college, according to a survey by the National Centre for Education Statistics(NCFES)．For the more than 1 million who won't go on, money is a main reason．If tuition(学费)were free, about half of them could make up other costs from family or part-time jobs．

　　Critics(批评家)of free college tuition will say we can't afford it because of the federal deficit(联邦赤字)and other rising costs．Let's see some government spending in detail：

　　In the last nearly 10 years, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost us ＄1,000 billion．Federal money which was spent on public primary and secondary education in the last year for which figures are available was ＄47 billion．If we end costly and unnecessary wars and nation-building efforts abroad, the federal government could provide more money on public education, for which state and governments now carry most of the burden．

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Do's and Don'ts in Whale Watching

　　The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has developed guidelines for whale watching in Johnstone Strait, where killer whales are found on a daily basis each summer．It is strongly recommended that vessel(船只)operators follow these guidelines for all kinds of whales．

　　●Approach whales from the side, not from the front or the back．

　　●Approach no closer than 100 metres, then stop the boat but keep the engine on．

　　●Keep noise levels down-no horns, whistles or racing of engines．

　　●Start your boat only after the whales are more than 100 metres from your vessel．

　　●Leave the area slowly, gradually moving faster when you are more than 300 metres from the whales．

　　●Approach and leave slowly, avoiding sudden changes in speed or direction．

　　●Avoid disturbing groups of resting whales．Keep at low speeds and remain in the same direction if travelling side by side with whales．

　　●When whales are travelling close to shore, avoid crowding them near the shore or coming between the whales and the shore．

　　●Limit the time spent with any group of whales to less than 30 minutes at a time when within 100 to 200 metres of whales．

　　●If there is more than one vessel at the same observation spot, be sure to avoid any boat position that would result in surrounding the whales．

　　●Work together by communicating with other vessels, and make sure that all operators are aware of the whale watching guidelines．

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　　Growing up in Philadelphia, Lieberman started cooking with his stay-at-home dad when he was seven．His food-loving family had two kitchens, and he quickly learned what was the best way to bake his cakes．Lieberman improved his kitchen skills greatly during a year abroad before college, learning from a cook in Italy and studying local specialties(特色菜)in Germany, Spain, and France．

　　At Yale, he was known for throwing dinner parties, single-handedly frying and baking while mixing drinks for dozens of friends．Just for fun, he and some friends decided to tape a show named campus cuisine about his cooking．Lieberman was a real college student showing his classmates how to do things like making drinks out of dining-hall fruit．That helped the show become very popular among the students．They would stop Lieberman after classes to ask for his advice on cooking．Tapes of the show were passed around, with which his name went beyond the school and finally to the Food Network．

　　Food Network producer Flay hopes the young cook will find a place on the network television．He says Lieberman's charisma is key．“Food TV isn't about food anymore,”says Flay．“It's about your personality and finding a way to keep people's eyeballs on your show．”

　　But Lieberman isn't putting all his eggs in one basket．After taping the first season of the new show, Lieberman was back in his own small kitchen preparing sandwiches．An airline company was looking for someone to come up with a tasteful, inexpensive and easy- to-make menu to serve on its flights．Lieberman got the job．

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　　“Old wives tales”are beliefs lasting for many generations．For example, most of us remember our parents' telling us to eat more of certain foods or not to do certain things．Is there any truth in these teachings?Some of them agree with present medical thinking, but others have not passed the test of time．

　　Did your mother ever tell you to eat your carrots because they are good for your eyes?Scientists now report that eating carrots can help prevent a serious eye disease called macular degeneration．Eating just one carrot a day can reduce the possibility of getting this disease by 40％．Garlic is good for you, too．It can kill the type of virus that causes colds．

　　Unfortunately, not all of Mom' s advice passed the test of medical studies．For example, generations of children have been told not to go swimming within an hour after eating．But research suggests that there is no danger in doing so．Do sweets cause tooth problems?Well, yes．However, sticky sweets made with grains tend to cause more problems than sweets made with simple sugars．

　　Even though science can tell us that some of our traditional beliefs don't hold water, there is still a lot of truth in the old wives' tales．After all, much of this knowledge has been accumulated from thousands of years of experience in family health care．We should respect this body of knowledge even as we search for clear scientific support to prove it true or false．