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　　Take a look at the following list of numbers：4, 8, 5, 3, 7, 9, 6．Read them loud．Now look away and spend 20 seconds memorizing them in order before saying them out loud again．If you speak English, you have about a 50％ chance of remembering those perfectly．If you are Chinese, though, you're almost certain to get it right every time．Why is that?Because we most easily memorize whatever we can say or read within a two-second period．And unlike English, the Chinese language allows them to fit all those seven numbers into two seconds．

　　That example comes from Stanislas Dahaene's book The Number Sense．As Dahaene explains：Chinese number words are remarkably brief．Most of them can be spoken out in less than one-quarter of a second(for instance, 4 is“si”and 7“qi”)．Their English pronunciations are longer．The memory gap between English and Chinese apparently is entirely due to this difference in length．

　　It turns out that there is also a big difference in how number-naming systems in Western and Asian languages are constructed．In English, we say fourteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen and nineteen, so one might expect that we would also say oneteen, twoteen, threeteen, and fiveteen．But we don't．We use a different form：eleven, twelve, thirteen and fifteen．For numbers above 20, we put the“decade”first and the unit number second(twenty-one, twenty-two), while for the teens, we do it the other way around(fourteen, seventeen, eighteen)．The number system in English is highly irregular．Not so in China, Japan, and Korea．They have a logical counting system．Eleven is ten-one．Twelve is ten-two．Twenty-four is two-tens-four and so on．

　　That difference means that Asian children learn to count much faster than American children．Four-year-old Chinese children can count, on average, to 40．American children at that age can count only to 15．By the age of five, in other words, American children are already a year behind their Asian friends in the most fundamental of math skills．

　　The regularity of their number system also means that Asian children can perform basic functions, such as addition, far more easily．Ask an English-speaking seven-year-old to add thirty-seven plus twenty-two in her head, and she has to change the words to numbers(37＋22)．Only then can she do the math：2 plus 7 is 9 and 30 and 20 is 50, which makes 59．Ask an Asian child to add three-tens-seven and two-tens-two, and then the necessary equation(等式)is right there, in the sentence．No number translation is necessary：it's five-tens-nine．

　　When it comes to math, in other words, Asians have a built-in advantage．For years, students from China, South Korea, and Japan－outperformed their Western classmates at mathematics, and the typical assumption is that it has something to do with a kind of Asian talent for math．The differences between the number systems in the East and the West suggest something very different－that being good at math may also be rooted in a group's culture．

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　　After the U．S．House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at retaliatory(报复的)action against China for its“significantly undervalued”currency, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urged the IMF to pressure China to adopt“more flexible, more market-directed exchange-rate management”．This is a coded message to China：You're keeping on purpose your currency cheap, and the U．S．economy is paying the price．So cut it out－or else．The normally dull IMF meeting became the latest battleground for the U．S．to be against a fast developing China．

　　Our new conventional wisdom is that China's policy leads to make trade deficits(逆差)greater and the loss of American jobs．Dozens of candidates have run ads attacking a competitor for allowing China to take advantage of us．In the election-year view, China grew 10％ annually for the past decade while maintaining low inflation(通涨)only by taking advantage of its artificially low currency．The idea that the U．S．is not responsible for its own economy is a black-is-white view．It argues that China and its currency are causing the lion's share of harm．

　　This is an argument born of fear．It covers a fact that the economies of China and the U．S．have become beneficial to each other．Those trillions in reserves that China accumulates：Where do they go?Back to the U．S．in the form of lending money to the federal government．Those made-in-China goods that account for the trade deficit：Whom do they benefit?China, yes, but also American consumers and companies．Without China, American companies could not have maintained their profitability in recent years．Take two brand names, Caterpillar and Nike．Both have their products made in China, but both also view China as a fast-growing market for their products．

　　George Soros warned recently that a currency war could put the world into disorder more damaging than anything caused by the financial crisis of the 1930s．He's right．Whether we like it or not, we live in a global system．The zero-sum attitude toward China and its currency is a relic, the remaining of an earlier time when nations defined economic life．

　　China is far from perfect and seeks its own advantage, but holding it accountable for our domestic problems is beyond outdated．It reflects a dangerous refusal to deal with the world as it is．Retaliating against China over currency will not regain high-end jobs in the U．S．, which needs more our own demand．It will not renew construction or retool the American labor force．It will not rebuild rotting bridges or create a next-generation energy network．

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　　It is official：Jim Parsons is the new poster child for geekdom．

　　The actor, who recently won his first Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for his portrayal of Sheldon Cooper on the hit television show The Big Bang Theory, is the hotness right now．

　　Parsons is a big hit on the Web as a trending topic on Twitter and has a devoted fan base who spread their adoration via Facebook and fan sites．

　　Parsons is considered by many to be a central part of the sleeper success that has been The Big Bang Theory．The sitcom about two brilliant physicists and their group of friends started out slowly building buzz when it first appeared on CBS in 2007．

　　Since then, the show has grown into a big success for the network, even raking in fans abroad with its international distribution．In May, The New York Times reported that Warner Bros．, which produces and distributes the show, had entered into“what is believed to be one of the most profitable TV deals ever”with TBS and local Fox stations．

　　Audiences just can't seem to get enough of the character of Sheldon Cooper, who is as socially dysfunctional as he is bright．Admirers take to Facebook fan pages to post their favorite Sheldon quotes, including：“I'm not insane(crazy), my mother had me tested!”and“They were threatened by my intelligence and too stupid to know that's why they hated me．”

　　Fans can visit Jim Parsons Online, and there is even a site, SheldonShirts.com, dedicated to the many shirts worn by the character, complete with links to where to buy them．Mary Waring created the site because of her husband's interest in Sheldon Cooper's shirts．And with his character's nerdy character and addiction to all things“Star Trek,”Parsons is also a hit with fan boys and fan girls．

阅读理解

　　How fit are you?Do you look after yourself?Do you eat healthily or do you eat anything you like?Premier League football club Aston Villa are encouraging their players and local children to eat healthy food．They know that what you eat is the key to success．

　　How fit is a footballer?

　　Could you run ten kilometers in 90 minutes?A professional footballer can．Footballers have to be strong, quick, skillful and creative in their moves．Every Premier League club makes sure it has a good coaching scheme and a well-planned fitness program．They also ensure that players have the practice and training that will prepare them for matches．What else do you think clubs pay special attention to?A good stadium?Anything else?What about the food they eat?

　　Eating the right thing

　　A good diet is a fundamental part of sport these days．Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill's sport and health experts have chosen a secret weapon－organic food(food grown without chemicals)．Fitness manager Jim Henry eats with his players and said：“I chose to switch to organic food for Aston Villa because I've read studies showing that organic food has higher levels of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants．”He believes that the best way to get these is to eat the very best fresh food．

　　What to eat after the match

　　Head chef at Aston Villa, lan Edge, feeds players with the best food as soon as they finish an away match．He says：“Food is very important to sports stars and particularly after a game．There is an hour of opportunity when they need to eat to get the best muscle strength, so I hand out meals on the coach on the way home．If we can make one per cent difference to the players by using organic food, then it is worth it．”

　　Teaching healthy eating

　　Everyone at Aston Villa enjoys organic food at their training ground．But the club is also worried about the unhealthy diet among local children who prefer sweets and unhealthy fast food．As part of their work in the community, Aston Villa has opened up their kitchen and invited children from local schools to come and learn how to cook with the help of the Villa head chef．Villa midfielder, Nigel ReoCoker, visited the children on the opening day．“The kitchen promotes healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle．”he said．

　　A final word from the kitchen

　　Head chef Ian says：“Footballers know how important food is to their profession and nine times out of ten, they go for the healthiest option．”Do you watch your diet?If you do and you keep yourself fit, you can be a winner!

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　　In spite of the uncertainty of the economy, the movie industry has been stricken by a box-office outburst．Suddenly it seems as if everyone is going to the movies, with ticket sales this year up 17.5 percent, to ＄1.7 billion．

　　And it is not just because ticket prices are higher．Attendance has also jumped, by nearly 16 percent．If that pace continues through the year, it would amount to the biggest box-office increase in at least two decades．

　　Americans, for the moment, just want to hide in a very dark place．People want to forget their troubles, and they want to be with other people．Helping feed the outburst is the mix of movies, which have been more audience-friendly in recent months as the studios have tried to adjust after the discouraging sales of more serious films．

　　As she stood in line at the 18-screen Bridge theater complex here on Thursday to buy weekend tickets for “Jonas Brothers：The 3D Concert Experience,” Angel Hernandez was not thinking much about escaping reality．Instead, Ms．Hernandez, a Los Angeles parking lot attendant and mother of four young girls, was focused on one very specific reality：her wallet．

　　“Spending hundreds of dollars to take them to Disneyland is ridiculous right now,” she said．“For ＄60 and some candy money I can still be a good mom and give them a little fun．”

　　A lot of parents may have been thinking the same thing Friday, as “Jonas Brothers” sold out more than 800 theaters, and was expected to sell a powerful ＄25 million or more in tickets．

　　The film industry appears to have had a hand in its recent good luck．Over the last year or two, studios have released movies that are happier, scarier or just less depressing than what came before．After poor results for a rush of serious dramas built around the Middle East, Hollywood got back to comedies．

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　　The Andrew Romay Immigrant Support Program(ISP)at the International Center provides a welcoming place for immigrants where they can build the skills they need to fully participate in the professional and social life of their new country．

　　The Andrew Romay Immigrant Support Program(ISP)at the International Center provides an integrated(综合的)set of educational, cultural, and professional activities at ICNY to help immigrants：

　　●improve their English

　　●develop the networks they need to achieve their goals and fully participate in American life

　　●find a welcoming "home away from home"

　　Participants have access to a wide-range of programming, including：

　　●more than 40 weekly classes in English language and American culture

　　●practical and career-skills workshops

　　●opportunities to explore New York City and the nearby area through trips and tours ISP is particularly focused on helping newly arrived immigrants at a critical point in their lives．Recent arrivals in financial need receive one-year scholarships and low-cost meals．ISP is funded by Andrew Romay and a sum of money from the Open Society Institute．

　　If you are interested in applying for ISP, please fill out our online application or contact ISP Program Manager, Elaine Roberts at(212)255-9555 or at eroberts@intlcenter．org．

　　●Intermediate level：Introduction to Writing & Interviewing Skills on Wednesday, from 11 am-12∶10pm．

　　●High Intermediate/Advanced：Tips for Success at Work and Beyond on Tuesday, from 2-3∶25pm．

　　●Advanced：Career Skills Workshop on Wednesday, from 6-8pm．Sign-up required．

　　●For all levels：Interviewing Skills Workshop on Saturday, from 11 am．－2 pm．Sign-up required．

　　To see a list of upcoming events, visit our News ＆Events page．

　　If you would like helpful resources on topics such as ESOL, healthcare, housing, or finding a job, please visit our Member Resources page．

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　　Most people want to be successful, but never stop to think what it will really take to get there in their chosen field．If it means going back to college for 2 years of night school, could you do it?If it means reading a book a week for about 6 months in order to really master a new skill?If you aren’t prepared to do any of those things because they are outside of your comfort zone, then you can forget being succesful．I guarantee you will never reach your goals in life, unless your goals are to be ordinary．

　　The biggest killer by far is the dreaded “ comfort zone ” where most people live in their entire life．And the funny thing is that people just can’t wrap their heads around the fact that people who have reached some success get tons of time to just relax, but only because they’ve earned it ! If you haven’t built a successful business, or in some way built a career that allow you so much freee time, then you are stuck in the grinding world of nine-to-five jobs everyone else．So how comfortable is that?

　　So what can you do about it?Well, find a way to make something happen in your life--- build a business around your favourite hobby, write a book and publish it, or take a course in stock trading and become an expert at that, working on making enough money to retire．If you don’t take massive action that puts your way of your comfort zone, you will never be successful at much of anything．I promise--- and I don’t make many promises !

　　Finding real happiness in life can be a mystery for many．That’s why I wrote The Road to Happiness for those who want real success and happiness in life, including spirituality and all the gifts life has to offer．

　　Don’t wander aimlessly through life．Get focused on your goals, start helping others in need, and live life to the fullest ! Life is too short to be anything but happy．Visit my website and find what you’ve been missing．Sign up for my newsletter and get seven free ebooks, too ! Read hundreds of articles while you’re there in the article section, which is updated daily．

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　　A twenty-nine-year-old kindergarten teacher from Maryland was named National Teacher of the Year in 2006．On June first she would begin a year as a national and international spokeswoman for education．

　　Kimberly Oliver was the first National Teacher of the Year from her state．She taught five-year-old children at a public school in Maryland, near Washington, D．C．President Bush honored her and other top teachers at the White House．

　　Kimberly Oliver said she wanted people to understand that the first several years of a child’s life were the most important for learning．She said investing in children at a very young age would result in great gains later in school and in life．She called on parents to read to children from an early age so they would not fall behind in school．One of the activities at her school was an event called “ Books and Supprer Night ”．Families read together at the school and received free books to take home．Parents, children and teachers also ate dinner together．

　　Broad Acres Elementary School was in a poor area．Many of the parents were immigrants with limited English．Kimberly Oliver helped improve learning environment at her school．She received money to buy electronic learning systems, tape players and books in English and Spanish and sent them home with students．Parents said she had shown them how to help their children at home．

　　She was born and raised in Delaware．She held one degree in English and another in Elementary Education．Kimberly Oliver would follow in the footsteps of another teacher Jason Kamras from the Washington area as National Teacher of the Year．Jason Kamras, as honored for his work, teaching math to middle school students in the nation’s capital．

　　The National Teacher of the Year program began in 1952．A fourteen-member committee choose from among teachers honored as the best in their states．

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　　A new weapon(武器)is on the way in the fight against smoking in Europe．Soon when smokers buy cigarettes they might see a shocking photo of a blackened lung or a cancer patient staring back at them from the packet．

　　Some boys may think of smoking as cool and sexy．Their friends won’t agree when they see their packets of cigarettes lying on the table．The European Union announced that it had chosen 42 photos that showed the damage cigarettes could do to the body, calling on member nations to put these pictures on packets to discourage smokers．To catch the attention of teenagers, the special packets warn of long-term medical dangers, like cancer．Short-term effects, like bad skin, are also on the list．

　　“The true face of smoking is disease, death and horror．That is the message we should send to the young,” said David Byrne, an EU health official．“Hopefully these pictures will shock students out of their love for cigarettes．”

　　The EU head office hoped the pictures would work better than current(当前)written warnings on packs of cigarettes．The warnings included “smoking kills” and “smoking can lead to a slow and painful death”．

　　So far, Ireland and Belgium have shown interest in the photos．Canada has used similar pictures and warnings on cigarette packs since 2000．The country has recently seen a fall in the number of smokers．According to studies, smoking is the single biggest cause of avoidable deaths in the EU．Every year more than 650,000 smokers die, more than one person a minute．

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　　F．Scott Fitzgerald, born on September 24, 1896, an American novelist, was once a student of St．Paul Academy, the Newman School and attended Princeton University for a short while．In 1917 he joined the army and was posted in Alabama, where he met his future wife Zelda Sayre．Then he had to make some money to impress her．

　　His life with her was full of great happiness, as he wrote in his diary, “My own happiness in the past often approached such joy that I could share it even with the person dearest to me but had to walk it away in quiet streets and take down parts of it in my diary．”

　　This Side of Paradise, his first novel, was published in 1920．Encouraged, he continued with the novel The Beautiful and Damned(1922), a collection of short stories Thales of the Jazz Age(1922), and a play The Vegetable(1923)．But his greatest success was the novel The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, which quick brought him praise from the literary world．Yet it failed to give him the needed financial security．Then, in 1926, he published another collection of short stories All the Sad Young Men．

　　However, Fitzgerald’s problems with his wife Zelda affected his writing．During the 1920s he tried to record his life, but failed．By 1930, his wife had her first breakdown and went to a Swiss clinic．During this period he completed novels Tender Is the Night(1934)and The Love of the Last Tycoon(1940)．While his wife was in hospital in the United States, he got totally addicted to alcohol．Sheila Graham, his dear friend, helped him fight his alcoholism．