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　　Joanne was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5∶30.and at 6∶30 she was expected to be chairing a meeting of the tennis club．At last, the traffic was moving．She swung quickly racing to her house As she opened the door, she nearly tripped over Sheba．

　　“Hey, Sheba,”she said,“I've got no time for you now, but I'll take you out as soon as I get back from tennis club．”Then she noticed Sheba seemed to be coughing or choking Obviously, she could hardly breathe．Immediately．Joanne realized she would have to take her to the vet(兽医)

　　When she got there, the vet was just about to close for the day Seeing the state of Sheba, Dr．Sterne brought her quickly into his office．

　　“Listen, doctor, I'm really in a rush to get to a meeting can I leave her with you, and go and get changed?I'll be back in ten minutes to pick her up, and then I'll take her on to the meeting with me Is that OK?”

　　“Sure．”said the doctor

　　Joanne made the quick trip back to her house in a couple of minutes'．As she was once more entering the hallway, the phone by the door began to ring．

　　“This is Dr．Sterne,”said an anxious voice．“I want you to get out of that house immediately,”said the doctor's voice．“I'm coming round fight away, and the police will be there any time now．Wait outside!”

　　At that moment, a police car screeched to a stop outside the house．Two policemen got out and ran into the house．Joanne was by now completely confused and very frightened．Then the doctor arrived．

　　“Where's Sheba?Is she OK?”shouted Joanne．

　　“She's fine, Joanne．I took out the thing which was choking her, and she's OK now．”

　　Just then, the two policemen reappeared from the house, half-carrying a white－faced man, who could hardly walk．There was blood all over him．

　　“My God,”said Joanne,“how did he get in there?And how did you know he was there?”

　　“I think he must be a burglar．”said the doctor．“I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba's throat：it turned out to be three human fingers”

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　　One of the Summer's Best Blockbusters, 10 July, 2009

　　Author：Vince27 from Canada

　　Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth movie in the Harry Potter series, and it is the greatest one yet．The movie mixes comedy, romance, drama, and adventures into one, and makes it so marvelous and fun to watch．The acting in this film is more mature and better in quality than in the earlier ones．The trio, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Daniel Radcliffe are amazing in their roles and pull them off well．David Yates gives his best directing in his career to date, and does an amazing job of telling the storyline of J．K．Rowling's fantastic book．The visual effects are so well done and look so real．Although the movie has cut out many things in the book, it is still a great film that most people will enjoy!

　　Key Points Missing!12 July, 2009

　　Author：zvette929 from the United States

　　If you love the series like I do you will know that in every movie they have to cut parts of the book out．For those that have not read the book this movie will impress．I understand the need to cut the movie in order to fit it into a realistic time frame．In doing so, it seems as if they cut key parts in order to allow for more comedy．They also cut out a large action scene at the end of the movie．Another problem is, although there is not as much violence as previous movies the overall film includes adult content that in my opinion warrants the PG-13 rating．Do not misunderstand me．I recommend seeing the movie as it is enjoyable．

　　________, 15 July, 2009

　　Author：cernan from the United States

　　Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a big challenging novel to adapt to the big screen．Initially I had low expectations for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but after seeing the movie, I think it the best in the series and the adaptation is a great success．When you're adapting a 600-page book into a two-and-a-half-hour film, it's inevitable that certain things will get cut．

　　The Best Book…The Worst Movie!19 July, 2009

　　Author：infernodx from the United Kingdom

　　This film is so awful compared to the book that I can't believe people love it．The book is a million times better and I'm hugely disappointed．They have added poor scenes and taken away integral parts of the book．Huge parts of the story have been missed．Pointless scenes have been added to make it appeal to a wider audience．I feel it totally unnecessary as Harry Potter appeals to probably the widest audience of any book．If I were J．K．Rowling I would have asked the producers some serious questions．

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Self Guided/Independent Cycle Tours

　　We supply the bike, panniers, all the support gear, easy to follow maps, cycle routes and either the accommodation or several accommodation suggestions depending on the tour．

　　All you need to do is bring your cycle gear, and book your accommodation off the detailed list, if required, and you are all set for a cheap, environmentally friendly holiday in New Zealand．

　　We do all the hard work of sorting routes and where to stay－you just relax and enjoy the riding!Too easy．

　　There are more tours to come, so if you don't see a tour that suits your needs, let us know!

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　　Hiking and fast-paced walking are great ways to lose weight and improve cardiovascular(心血管的)fitness．Get out in the sunshine and pick up the pace．

　　Walking Musts

　　Start from 10 minutes and gradually increase your time．Make your daily goal 30 minutes of fast-paced walking．

　　Cross-trainers, walking shoes or other well-cushioned supportive shoes will do．Consider wearing cushioned socks to help protect your feet．

　　Step It Up

　　Picture yourself walking fast because you don't want to be late for the bus．This will be a faster pace than average walking．

　　If you can't maintain a conversation with your friend without getting out of breath, then you're walking too fast．

　　From Start to Finish

　　Walk at your normal walking pace for five minutes before picking up the pace．This gets your breathing and heart rate up before starting an aerobic walking workout．

　　After your workout, take five minutes to gradually return to your normal walking pace．This will allow your heart rate and blood pressure to stabilize．

　　Pioneering Adventure

　　Hikes are usually longer than 30 minutes; bring water and trail mix for continued energy．Don't drink water from a stream or river unless you have a purification system．

　　Hiking requires watching each step you take．Don't plan on race-walking, but gradually pick up speed as you familiarize yourself with the trail．

　　The challenge of inclines and declines will cause your heart rate to increase．They also require special attention because of loose gravel or dirt．A hiking stick may help with stability．Take your time．If the uphill gets difficult and you're breathing hard, stop and enjoy the views．

　　When crossing water, go where the stream is wide and shallow．Watch your footing and don't slip on wet rocks．

　　Hiking alone is never a good idea．Take a friend, a trusted adult and your cell phone．

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　　Did you ever want to see Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey in 15 minutes?Then BA London Eye, is the one for you．

　　British Airways London Eye, formerly called as the Millennium Wheel, is situated on the south bank of the River Thames on the Jubilee Gardens．It is situated between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Footbridge in Lambeth and adjacent to(比邻)Old County Building．It stands opposite to Houses of Parliament．

　　It started with a vision of Architect couple David Marks and Julia Barfields, who had competed for millennium ideas contest conducted by Sunday Times, a British newspaper in 1993 to welcome year 2000 splendidly．Regrettably, the contest was scrapped, but the couple persisted with their dream project by forming a company for this undertaking, eventually grabbing the attention of Evening Standard, another British newspaper．British Airways, after noticing this widely publicized article, agreed to fund, foreseeing the vital contribution of this project to London's skyline and its tourism, giving a spectacular view of this fascinating city that was otherwise not visible to the Londoners．

　　The entire construction resembles a giant cycle wheel, with a diameter of 135m(443 ft)and weighing 1,700 tons of steel and 2,000 tons at the foundation reaching almost 30m deep!It is the largest observation wheel built so far, making even Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, St．Paul's Cathedral, look up to it．It is the 4th highest structure in London．Canary Wharf Towers, BT Tower and Tower 42 are the higher three．

　　The whole structure was designed in parts in various countries, later fully assembled on Thames bank．With the dedication of 1,700 workers, this structure was realized in 16 months, just in time to welcome the millennium．Tony Blair inaugurated(为……举行开幕式)it on December 31st, 1999 and a minor safety concern regarding clutching delayed its opening to public, which finally happened 3 months behind the schedule in March 2000．

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　　A Charlotte, N．C．, man was charged with first-degree murder of a 79-year-old woman whom police said he scared to death．In an attempt to evade policemen after a bank robbery, the Associated Press reports that 20-year-old Larry Whitfield broke into the home of Mary Parnell．Police say he didn't touch Parnell but that she died after suffering a heart attack that was caused by terror．Can the guy be held responsible for the woman's death?Prosecutors(公诉人)said that he can under the state's murder rule, which allows someone to be charged with murder if he or she causes another person's death while committing or fleeing from a severe crime like robbery－even if he or she doesn't kill someone on purpose．

　　But, medically speaking, can someone actually be frightened to death?We asked Martin Samuels, chairman of the neurology department at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston．

　　Absolutely, no question about it．

　　The body has a natural protective method called the fight-or-flight response(战或逃反应), which was originally described by Walter Cannon, the chairman of Harvard University's physiology department from 1906 to 1942．If, in the wild, an animal is faced with a life-threatening situation, the autonomic nervous system responds by increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow to the muscles, and slowing digestion, among other things．All of this increases the chances of succeeding in a fight or running away from an aggressive beast．This process certainly would be of help to primitive humans．However, in the modern world there is obvious decline of the fight-or-flight response．

　　The autonomic nervous system uses the chemical messenger to send signals to various parts of the body to activate the fight-or-flight response．This chemical is toxic in large amounts; it damages the organs such as the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys．It is believed that almost all sudden deaths are caused by damage to the heart．There is almost no other organ that would fail so fast as to cause sudden death．Kidney failure, liver failure, those things don't kill you suddenly．

　　By the way, any strong positive or negative emotions such as happiness or sadness can cause the same result．There are people who have died in intercourse or in religious passion．There was a case of a golfer who hit a hole in one, turned to his partner and said,“I can die now”, and then he dropped dead．For about seven days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon there was an increase of sudden cardiac death among New Yorkers．

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　　The strong fear of high school math is lost here among the blue light of computer screens and the sounds of typing keyboard．

　　A fanfare(喇叭声)plays from a speaker as a student passes a chapter test．Nearby another student is watching a video lecture．Another works out a math problem in her notebook before clicking on a multiple-choice answer on her screen．

　　Their teacher at Agoura High School, US, Russell Stephans, sits at the back of the room, watching as scores pop up in real time on his computer grade sheet．One student has passed a level, the data shows; another is retaking a quiz．

　　“Whoever thought this up makes life so much easier,”Stephans says．

　　This textbook-free classroom is by no means the norm(常态), but it may be someday．Slowly, but in increasing numbers, schools across the US are replacing the heavy and expensive textbook with its lighter and cheaper cousin：the digital textbook．

　　A digital textbook can be downloaded, projected and printed, and can range from simple text to a course filled with multimedia and links to Internet content．Some versions(版本)must be purchased; others are“open source”－free and available online to anyone．

　　Some praise the technology as a way to save schools' money, replace outdated books and better engage students．Others say most schools don't have the resources to join in, or they question the quality of open-source content．

　　Paper books still hold the highest percentage of the US textbook market, with digital textbooks making up less than 5 percent, according to analyst Kathy Mickey of Simba Information, a market research group．

　　But that is changing, as grade schools follow the lead of US universities and schools in other countries, including South Korea and Turkey．

　　California made the largest embrace(拥抱)of digital textbooks this summer when it approved 10 free high school math and science titles developed by college professors．The state left the choice to use them up to individual schools．

　　“The textbooks are outdated, as far as I'm concerned, and there's no reason why our schools should have our students pull around these old-fashioned and heavy and expensive books,”Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said this summer．

　　But some disagree with the idea that digital textbooks will improve education quality．

　　“Keep in mind that with open-source materials, you have to ask：‘Where are they coming from?’”said Jay Diskey, executive director of the Association of American Publishers' school division．“Is it a trusted source?Is it based on real research?”

　　Diskey said traditional textbooks offer a comprehensive course, while some open-source texts provide only bits and pieces．“There can be quite a difference of content and accuracy,”he said．“In many cases, you get what you pay for．”

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　　Would you like to be a king or queen?To have people waiting on you hand and foot?Many Americans experience this royal treatment every day．How?By being customers．The American idea of customer service is to make each customer the center of attention．Need proof?Just listen to the commercials．Most of them sound like the McDonald's ad：“We do it all for you．”Actually, not all stores in America roll out the red carpet for their customers．But wherever you go, good customer service means making customers feel special．

　　People going shopping in America can expect to be treated with respect from the very beginning．Most places don't have a“furniture street”or a“computer road”which allow you to compare prices easily．Instead, people often“let their fingers do the walking”through the store hot lines．From the first“hello”, customers receive a satisfying response to their questions．This initial contact can help them decide where to shop．

　　When customers get to the store, they are treated as honored guests．Customers don't usually find store clerks sitting around watching TV or playing cards．Instead, the clerks greet them warmly and offer to help them find what they want．In most stores, the clear signs that label each department make shopping a breeze．Customers usually don't have to ask how much items cost, since prices are clearly marked．And unless they're at a flea market or a yard sale, they don't bother trying to bargain．

　　When customers are ready to check out, they find the nearest and shortest checkout lane．But as Murphy's Law would have it, whichever lane they get in, all the other lanes will move faster．Good stores open new checkout lanes when the lanes get too long．Some even offer express lanes for customers with 10 items or less．After they pay for their purchases, customers receive a smile and a warm“thank you”from the clerk．Many stores even allow customers to take their shopping carts out to the parking lot．That way, they don't have to carry heavy bags out to the car．

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　　Walking around the corner and into the hall at three in the morning, lost in thought and dragging a mop bucket, I raised my eyes to the front counter in indifference．A man, looking to be in his mid 40's, stood in a pink dress．A wide-edged hat stuck out over his massive frame resembling an umbrella that was a little too shabby and worn-out, making him look like a woman．The shock at seeing such a strong proud man in a cheap disgusting dress broke my heart, as well as frightened me．

　　Dropping my mop on the floor in surprise and picking up my face that had temporarily fallen off, I confidently walked over to the desk．

　　“I'm sorry,”I began to say but was confused on whether sir or madam was appropriate．“Can I help you?”

　　“I need a room,”he said in a gruff(粗哑的)powerful voice．

　　“Sure thing,”I said bringing up the registry．“Can I get your last name?”

　　“Hurgan,”he said briefly．

　　“And your first name?”

　　“Amanda．”

　　Suddenly I had to direct all of my concentration on holding back a smile．A ten second pause of silence passed while I tried to stay calm．

　　“Okay,”I said getting back to the job,“can I get your phone number, Amanda?”

　　All of the information was acquired and stored and Amanda received her room key for the night．All was well as I returned to the neglected mop bucket．Suddenly a low throaty cough drew me out of my temporary mental disorder．Looking over at the desk where Amanda stood touching her thick biceps(二头肌)I once again dropped the mop in shock．

　　“I'm sorry about that,”I said coming around to the desk．Amanda stared with unease twisting her sleeve with her right index finger．

　　“I have a cat,”she said in a low voice．

　　“I'm sorry you what?”I asked leaning in closer．She drew back a bit as if I was some kind of threat．

　　“I have a cat．”

　　Looking up into her tall frame, I replied,“That's fine．We just need to add an extra ＄10 fee．”She handed me her credit card once again．I swiped it, returned it, and grabbed the printing receipt．

　　“You just need to sign here,”I said handing over the pen．She hesitantly grabbed it from my hand and signed．As she began to return it, my hand came a bit too close to connecting with hers．Scared and possibly a little disgusted she dropped the pen, causing it to bounce off the counter and onto the floor．

　　“Sorry,”she said, looking down．“I have to go get my cat．”

　　While Amanda was getting her cat, an unpleasant thought was circling around my head．Here I was just doing my job and this, this WO-MAN was acting as if I was the monster!He was wearing a pink dress!And I was the monster?Was he even still a man?The sliding doors opened and in came Amanda passing the front desk without even giving me a polite nod．