阅读理解

　　As society advances and basic needs are most often being met, things that were not considered important in the past have taken priority(优先)．In the past, people could easily get a job and progress pretty well, as long as they were hard-working; education was important but not as crucial(关系重大)as it is today．

　　Nowadays, just as clothes are important to first impressions, degree is important to a person's first job interview or even a job with a good salary．Although experience is important to survive in any trade or profession, the first thing that companies look for is that piece of paper before looking at one's experience．

　　A passport into the world of any profession is what having a degree means today, especially for professions that have need of certification and pay well, such as architects, doctors, lawyers, and teachers．

　　That piece of paper, the degree, is also a passport to jobs in top or middle management in any company, especially so for multi-national corporations(跨国公司)．Having a degree opens up opportunities that one would not have had if one did not have any kind of degree．A degree simply proves that one has gone through the necessary training and understanding of how to carry out a job．

　　Although there are many that may say having a degree may not necessarily equal to success, it would most definitely help any person achieve success in shorter and easier steps．Success cannot simply be a result of hard work and/or depending on one's experience or degree alone; it is the art and knowledge of how to work that determines one's success．Therefore, it should not be for the sake to get a degree, but the quality of the degree and experiences that one can learn from that matter as well．

阅读理解

　　It was getting dark and snow was coming down．Joe was driving home．He'd been unemployed since the factory closed．Most of his friends had left, but he stayed on．After all, he was born here．

　　Suddenly he saw a lady standing on the side of the road and pulled up．She was worried．No one had stopped to help her．Was he going to hurt her?He looked poor and hungry．Joe knew how she felt and said, “My name is Joe and I'm here to help you．”All she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough．Joe changed the tire, but he got dirty and his hands were hurt．She wanted to pay Joe and said any amount would have been all right．Joe never thought twice about the money and there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past．He had lived his whole life that way．He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed．

　　Later the lady went in a dingy-looking restaurant to grab a bite to eat．The cash register was like the telephone of an out-of-work actor－it didn't ring much．The waitress, who was nearly eight months pregnant, brought a clean towel to her with a sweet smile．The old lady remembered Joe．After the waitress brought the change from a 100-dollar bill, she found the lady gone and something written on a piece of paper, “Someone once helped me out－the way I'm helping you．If you really want to pay me back, don't let the chain of love end with you．”

　　That night the waitress gave her sleeping husband a soft kiss and whispered, “Everything's going to be all right．I love you, Joe．”

阅读理解

Language is a way to communicate with each other．We started to learn language when we were born．However, people are used to speaking their native language, so immigrants are having many problems between the first generation and the second generation because they don't have the same native language．Also, the second generation is losing their identity．Especially in America, there are many immigrants that came from different countries to succeed in the States．Because they suffer in lots of areas such as getting a job and trying to speak English, they want their children to speak English, not only at school, but also at home in order to be more successful．Because of this situation, their children are losing their identity and, even more, they are ignoring their parents whose English is not very good．I think most immigrants are trying to preserve their native language in their new country, but this doesn't help very much in getting a good job．My aunt taught Korean to her children not to help them succeed in the U．S．She did so, hopefully, to help them establish a Korean identity．Though the second generation was born in the new country, they often get confused about their identity because they look different from others, and also, if they visit their parents' country, they will probably feel different from other people there too．My cousins told me that when they visited Korea a few years ago, they felt different from other Koreans．They could even feel it just strolling around the street because they wore different clothes and walked differently．We must realize that language is important and valuable for many reasons．Immigrants should make an effort not to be ignored by their children and let them understand their background by teaching them the parents' language．This is very important, not only for the harmony of the family, but also in helping the second generation establish their identity．

阅读理解

　　I didn't realize how short I was until I started school．There, a few kids picked on(欺负)me, calling me names．Then I knew．After that, I began to hate the first day of school each year．I didn't know who was new and would stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs．Some of the kids would point and say, “Look at that kid．Look at her．”

　　As time went on, I just tried to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life．I was determined to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage．My friends became increasingly protective．They'd help me up the bus steps．If people were cruel, they would take them aside and correct them．

　　What I lacked in height, I made up for in personality－my ability to laugh, even at myself．For example, one time I was reaching into the washing machine at my parents' house to grab the wet clothes．I fell all the way in and yell for Mother, who was sitting nearby reading the paper．Watching feet flying everywhere, she laughed quietly and said, “I should leave you in there．”I laughed with her．

　　I'm 47 now, and the stares have not decreased as I've grown older．People ask my friends if I live in a dollhouse．They look in disbelief when they see me get out of my car on the driver's side．During those times, I try to keep a good attitude．When people are rude, I remind myself, “Look what else I have－a great family, nice friends…”

阅读理解

　　Our spiritual intelligence quotient(精神智商), or SQ, helps us understand ourselves, and live fuller, happier lives．

　　Though we're all born with SQ, most of us don't even realize that we have it．Fortunately, you don't have to sign up for classes to learn how to improve your SQ．Here are some simple steps that can lead you to this new level of understanding．

　　Sit Quietly．The process of developing spiritual intelligence begins with solitude(独处)and silence．To tune in to your spirit, you have to turn down the volume(强度)in your busy, noisy, complicated life and force yourself to do nothing at all．Start small by creating islands for silence in your day．In the car, instead of listening to the music, use the time to think．At work, shut the door to your office between meetings, take a few breaths and let them out very, very slowly．Enjoy the stillness in your home after the kids are finally in bed．

　　Step Outside．For many people, nature sets their spirit free．Go outside to watch a beautiful sunset．If you are walking with the dog, take the time to admire flower in bloom; follow the light of a bird and watch clouds float overhead．

　　Ask Questions of Yourself．Ask open-ended questions, such as“What am I feeling?What are my choices?Where am I heading?”

　　But don't expect an answer to arrive through some supernatural form of e-mail．“Rarely do I get an immediate answer to my question,”says Reverend Joan Carter, a Presbyterian minister in Sausalito, California．“But later that day I suddenly find myself thinking about a problem in a perspective(角度)I never considered before．”

　　Trust Your Spirit．While most of us rely on gut(本能的)feeling to realize danger, spiritual intelligence pushes us, not away from, but towards some action that will lead to a greater good．

阅读理解

　　Dieters are often advised to stop drinking alcohol to avoid the extra calories lurking in a glass of wine or a favorite cocktail．But new research suggests that women who regularly consume moderate(适度的)amounts of alcohol are less likely to gain weight than nondrinkers and are at lower risk for obesity(fatness)．

　　The findings, reported this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, are based on a study of 19,220 United States women aged 30 to 40 who fall into the“normal weight”based on their body mass index．Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston tracked the women's drinking habits over 13 years．About 60 percent of the women were light or regular drinkers, while about 40 percent reported drinking no alcohol．

　　Over the course of the study, 41 percent of the women became overweight．Although alcohol is packed with calories, the nondrinkers in the study actually gained more weight over time：nine pounds, on average, compared with an average gain of about three pounds among regular moderate drinkers．The risk of becoming overweight was almost 30 percent lower for women who consumed one or two alcohol drinks a day, compared with nondrinkers．

　　The findings are certain to be confusing for women who continue to receive conflicting messages about the health benefits and risks of alcohol．Although moderate drinking is associated with better heart health, regular drinking also increases breast cancer risk．

　　The trend toward less weight gain among drinkers doesn't appear to hold true for men．A 2003 study of British men showed that regular drinkers gained more weight than nondrinkers．Studies suggest that drinking alcohol has different effects on eating habits among men and women．Men typically add alcohol to their daily caloric intake, whereas women are more likely to substitute(替代)alcohol for food．In addition, there may be differences in how men and women metabolize(代谢)alcohol．Metabolic studies show that after men drink alcohol, they experience little if any metabolic change．But alcohol appears to slightly speed up a woman's metabolism．

　　The findings don't mean women should rush to drink alcohol to lose weight．Other research shows that once a person is already overweight, her alcohol metabolism is more efficient, and so an overweight woman may gain more weight from alcohol than a lean(瘦的)woman．The data do, however, suggest that for many women facing weight problems, the extra calories are probably not coming from alcoholic drinks．

阅读理解

The Writers' Strike：Making the Best of the Worst

　　By now you are probably feeling the effects of the TV writers' strike－the decision of television writers to stop working．With few new TV shows, I present to you a list of shows available on DVD worth your viewing time to keep you going during this painful period．

　　Arrested Development is one of the funniest and most clever shows ever to have appeared on network TV．With a most perfect cast(全体演员), the show sets out to cover the daily happenings of the Bluth family, a group of selfish staff who manage to still put family first．

　　For more comedy goodness, I recommend one of the sharpest comedies to have ever broadcast, 30 Rock．Starring Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, two stars with impressive comic timing, the show gives you a glimpse into the making of a sketch show(幽默短剧),similar to Saturday Nigth Live, from the funny writers to the self-centered cast all the way up to the boss．

　　If you are looking for something more serious, or perhaps Friday Night lights might be more to your liking．If you are a fan of football, this show is probably for you．If you are a fan of great drama, both soapy and serious, this show is probably for you, If you are a fan of good-looking people, this show is definitely for you．

　　If those shows were not enough for you, might I recommend a show with a more heart-pounding excitement?The Amazing Race, after twelve seasons, still remains one of the most exciting shows on TV．Teams of two travel the globe with little to no money and experience far-out adventures in an attempt to remain the last team standing．

阅读理解

　　Dior was born in Normandy in 1905, and his family's original plans for him included a career in the diplomatic service, but by the time he was twenty-three, with his parents' money, he opened a small art gallery in Paris．By 1931, the money had been used up．Dior's friends in the art gallery, asked him to draw and he took his first step at designing and drawing．His first job was with Lucien Lelong from whom Dior learned his craft(手艺)．

　　In February,1947, Dior started the New Look in his first major Paris collection．He was backed by a famous textile producer, Boussac, who looked after the dollars, while Dior looked after the fashions．Dior knew nothing about cutting and sewing, but he was good at fashion design．

　　The New Look started an entirely different look to costume, with a tiny waist, a rounded shoulder and a shapely bust(胸围), usually with a low-cut neckline and a long full skirt．To women who had lived through the war years, the femaleness of the New look was a great success, for people were tired of tile extremely plain, wartime restrictive fashions．

　　It is said that dresses by Dior were“constructed like buildings”, but young people were attracted to his design, and all over the western world, manufacturers plunged(投入)into the production of his new style．Dior's revolutionary designs lighted up a whole cycle of fashion, rounded, gentle, feminine, a delight in elegance．A New Look House of Dior opened in 1948, followed by one in London．Considered as King of Couture(women's clothing)for years, the Dior empire grew until it covered every country in the western world, and included furs, hosiery, jewelry, perfumes, men's wear and on and on．More than 1,000 people worked at the Paris headquarters then．

　　His sudden death in 1957 when he was 53 years old did not stop the growth of the House of Dior．Even now, so many years after his death, his name is closely connected with fashion throughout the world, and indeed is one of the most recognized names in the world, His first, great New Look, with its long skirts was an expression of freedom in the late 1940s．

阅读理解

　　Scientists studying the impact of climate change on the Arctic need to consider ways to reduce their own carbon footprints(碳排放量), says Ryan Brook, a researcher who regularly flies north to study the health of caribous(驯鹿)．He calls on scientists to show leadership by examining and sharing ways to reduce the impact of working in polar regions．

　　“The importance of the research is not at question here．It is important to our understanding of and adapting to climate change．But we need to think about better approaches,”says Brook．

　　“This is an issue for all scientists, though polar researchers often travel particularly long distances using commercial air travel．We also rely extensively on small aircraft, icebreakers, and snowmobiles, all of which produce large amounts of carbon．”

　　Brook studies the health of caribou herds in Nunavut and Northwest Territories．He works with northern wildlife managers．This work typically takes him north five or six times per year and when he calculated his own carbon footprint, he was not happy with the result．

　　“My research footprints are about the same as the annual footprints of an average Toronto resident．Basically, I have two footprints－my own personal life, which is moderate, and my research footprint．”

　　Climate scientists can rightly argue that Arctic research is a specialized field and the community of scientists who travel north is relatively small．Even if all scientists working in the north reduced their carbon emissions, it would not make a big impact on the global scale．For Brook, it's the option that matters．

　　There are ways researchers can reduce the amount of carbon they use．Some helicopters use less fuel than others．Solar and wind power are alternatives to gas-fired generators．And while carbon offsets(抵消)don't reduce the amount of carbon emitted, they are an easy first step．

　　“There aren't necessarily any easy answers, but we need to start talking about it,”says Brook．“This is particularly important for the next generation of scientists being trained and I hope to see them become leaders in this issue．”

阅读理解

　　In all one's lifetime it is oneself that one spends the most time being with or dealing with．But it is exactly oneself that one has the least understanding of．

　　When you are going upwards in life you tend to overestimate yourself．It seems that everything you seek for is within your reach．When you are going downhill you tend to underestimate yourself, mistaking difficulties for your own incompetence．

　　To get a thorough understanding of oneself is to gain a correct view of oneself-aware of both one's strengths and shortages．You may look forward hopefully to the future but be sure not to expect too much, for ideals can never be fully realized．You may be courageous to meet challenges but it should be clear to you where to direct your efforts．That's to say so long as you have a perfect knowledge of yourself there won't be difficulties you can't overcome．

　　To get a thorough understanding of oneself needs self-appreciation．Whether you think you are a towering tree or a blade of grass, a high mountain or a small stone, you represent a state of nature that has its own value．If you earnestly admire yourself you'll have a real sense of self-appreciation, which will give you confidence．As soon as you gain full confidence in yourself, you'll be enabled to fight and overcome any adversity．

　　To get a thorough understanding of oneself also requires doing oneself a favor when it's needed．In time of sadness, do yourself a favor by sharing it with your friends so as to change a gloomy mood into a cheerful one; in time of tiredness, do yourself a favor by getting a good sleep．As you are aware, what a person physically has is but a human body that's vulnerable when exposed to the elements．So if you fall ill, it's up to you to take a good care of yourself．

　　In a word, to get a thorough understanding of oneself is to get a full control of one's life．Then one will find one's life full of color and flavor．