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　　According to the US government, wind farms off the Pacific coast could produce 900 gig watts of electricity every year．Unfortunately, the water there is far too deep for even the tallest windmills(see picture)to touch bottom．An experiment under way off the coast of Norway, however, could help put them anywhere．

　　The project, called Hywind, is the world’s first large-scale deepwater wind turbine(涡轮发电机)．Although it uses a fairly standard 152-ton, 2.3-megawatt turbine, Hywind represents totally new technology．The turbine will be fixed 213 feet above the water on a floating spar(see picture), a technology Hywind’s creator, the Norwegian company StatoilHydro, has developed recently．The steel spar, which is filled with stones and goes 328 feet below the sea surface, will be tied to the ocean floor by three cable(缆索)；these will keep the spar stable and prevent the turbine from moving up and down in the waves．Hywind’s stability(稳定性)in the cold and rough sea would prove that even the deepest corners of the ocean are suitable for wind power．If all goes according to plan, the turbine will start producing electricity six miles off the coast of southwestern Norway as early as September．

　　To produce electricity on a large scale, a commercial wind farm will have to use bigger turbines than Hywind does, but it’s difficult enough to balance such a large turbine so high on a floating spar in the middle of the ocean．To make that turbine heavier, the whole spar’s to design a new kind of wind turbine, one whose gearbox(变速箱)sits at sea level rather than behind the blades(see picture)

　　Hywind is a test run, but the benefits for perfecting floating wind-farm technology could be extremely large．Out at sea, the wind is often stronger and steadier than close to shore, where all existing offshore windmills are planted．Deep-sea farms are invisible from land, which helps overcome the windmill-as-eyesore objection．If the technology catches on, it will open up vast areas of the planet’s surface to one of the best low-carbon power sources available．

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　　We know the famous ones－the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells－but what about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper(雨刮器)？Shouldn’t we know who they are?

　　Joan Mclean think so．In fact, Mclean, a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range, feels so strongly about this matter that she’s developed a course on the topic．In addition to learning “who” invented” what”, however, Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the” why” and ”how” questions．According to Mclean, ”When students learn the answers to these questions, they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try．”

　　So, just what is the story behind the windshield wiper? Well, Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to Mew York City．The day was cold and stormy, but Anderson still wanted to see the sights, so she jumped aboard a streetcar．Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the winshield, she found hersefe wondering why there couldn’t be a buolt-in devic for cleaing the window．Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham, Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions．One of her ideas, a lever(操作杆)on the inside of a vehicle that would contral an arm on the outside, became the first windshield wiper．

　　Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations，It’s hard to imagine driving without Garrett A．Morgan’s traffic light．It’s equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J．Blodgett’s innovation that makes glass invisible, Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses?

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　　In business, there is a speed difference：It’s the difference between how important a firm’s leaders say speed is to their competitive(竞争的)strategy(策略)and how fast the company actually moves．59The difference is omportant regardless of industry and conpany size．57Companies fearful of losing their competitive advantage spend much time and money looking for ways to pick up the speed．

　　In our study of 343 businesses, 57the companies that chose to go, go, go to gain an edge ended with lower sales and operating incomes than those that paused at key moments to make sure they were on the right track．What’s more, the firms that “slowed down to speed up “improved their top and bottom lines, averaging 40％ higher sales and 52％ higher operating income over a three-year period．

　　58How did they disobey the laws of business physics, taking more time than competitors yet performing better? They thought differently about what “slower” and “faster” mean．Firms sometimes fail to understand the difference between operation speed(moving quickly)and strategic speed(reducing the time it takes to deliver value)．Simply increasing the speed of production, for example, may be one way to try to reduce the speed difference．But that often leads to reduced value over time, in the form of lower-quality products and services．

　　In our study, 59higher performing companies with strategic speed always made chages when necessary．They became and discussion．They encouraged new ways of thinking．And they allowed time to look and learn．By contrast(相比而言)，performance suffered at firms that moved fast all the time， paid too much attention to improving efficiency, stuck to tested methods, didn’t develop team spirit among their employees, and had little time thinking about changes．

　　Strategic speed serves as a kind of leadership．Teams that regularly take time to get things right, rather than plough ahead full bore, are more successful in meeting their business goals．That kind of strategy must come from the top．

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　　“Experience may possibly be the best teacher, but it is not a particularly good teacher．” You might think that Winston Churchill or perhaps Mark Twain spoke those words, but they actually come from James March, a predecessor at Stanford University and a pioneer in the field of organization decision making．53For years March(possibly be wisest philosopher of management)has studied how humans think and act, and he continues to do so in his new book The Ambiguities of Experience．

　　He begins by reminding us of just how firmly we have been sticking to the idea of experiential learning：“Experience is respected；experience is sought；experience is explained．” The problem is that learning from experience involves(涉及)serious complications(复杂化)，ones that are part of the nature of experience itself and which March discusses in the body of this book．

　　In one interesting part of book，for example，he turns a double eye toward the use of stories as the most effective way of experiential learning．55In our efforts to make stories interesting, he argues, we lose part of the complicated truth of things．He says “The more accurately(精确的)reality is presented，the less understandable the story，and the more understandable the story, the less realistic it is．”

　　Besides being a broadly knowledgeable researcher，March is also a poet, and his gift shines though in the depth of views he offers and the simple language he uses．Though the book is short, it is demanding：54Don't pick it up looking for quick, easy lessons．Rather, be ready to think deeply about learning from experience in work and life．

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　　The pound new Library of Birmingham(LoB)will be the most visible sign of the way the city is accepting the digitalization(数字化)of everyday life．

　　Set to open in 2013, the ￡188 m LoB is already beginning to take shape next to the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, with which it will share some equipment．

As digital media(媒介)is important to its idea, 49the project is already providing chances for some of the many small new local companies working at new technologies．

　　Brian Gambles, the LoB project director, says 51．a it is about giving people the right tools for learning：“The aim is to mix the physical with the digital．51．b Providing 24-hour services which can be used through many different ways．It is important to enable us to reach more people, more effectively．”

　　The digital library will, he says, be as important as the physical one, allowing the distant use of the services, making sure that it is never closed to the public．

　　Even before the LoB is complete, the public has been able to go online to visit the Virtual(虚拟的)LoB, designed by Baden, the Birmingham virtual worlds specialists．50Not only have the public been able to learn about LoB, but the virtual one has also enabled those working on the LoN to understand the building and how it will work before ot even opens．

　　Two other small Birmingham-based digital companies are working on the LoB projects．Substrat, a digital design company, is developing what it calls an “enlarged reality” project．It is about the use of an exciting smart phone, an important part of LoB the which is the early stages of development．And The People’s Archive is an online library of figures of the city being built content company in Cahoots, 51．d in which users will be encouraged to add to and comment on the material．

　　Gambles says：“Technology will enable us to make the library’s and services open to citizens as sever before．”

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　　An unused parking space or garage can make money．If you live near a city center or an airport, you could make anything up to ￡200 or ￡300 a week．Put an advertisement(广告)for free on Letpark or Atmyhousepark．

　　Spare room?Not only will a lodger(房客)earn you an income, but also, thanks to the government-backed “rent a room” program, 45you won't have to pay any tax on the firsy ＆4500 you make per year．Try advertising your room on Roomspare or Roommateeasy．

　　Don’t want a full-time lodger? Then rent on a short-term basis．If you live in the capital, renting a room out during the Olympics or other big events could bring in money．46Grashpadder can advertise your space．

　　Renting your home out as a “film set” could earn you hundreds of pounds a day, depending on the film production company and how long your home is needed．A quick search on the Internet will bring up dozens of online companies that allow you to register your home for free－but you will be charged if your home gets picked．

　　You need the right kind of roof, but some energy companies pay the cost of fixing solar equipment(around ￡14, 000), and let you use the energy produced for nothing．In return, they get paid for unused energy fed back into the National Grid．47However, you have to sign a 25-year agreement with the supplier, which could prevent you from changing the roof．

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　　It’s 5∶00 in the morning when the alarm(闹钟)rings in my ears．I roll out of bed and walk blindly through the dark into the bathroom．I turn on the light and put on my glasses．The house is still as I walk downstairs while my husband and three kids sleep peacefully．Usually I go for a long run, but today I choose my favorite exercise DVD insanity．Sweat pours down my face and into my eyes．My heart races as I face my body to finish each movement．As I near the end of the exercise, I feel extremely tired, but a smile is of my face．41It's a smile because the DVD is over, but a smile of success from pushing my body to its extreme limit．

　　Some people enjoy shopping, smoking, food, work, or even chocolate．But I need exercise to get through each day．42Some shake heads when they see me run through the town，Others get hurt when I refuse to try just one bite of their grandmother’s chocolate cake．42They raise their eyebrows, surprised by my “no thank you,” or by my choice to have a salad．Over the years, I have learned it’s okay to just say “no．” I shouldn’t feel sorry for refusing food that I don’t want to eat．

　　43So what drives me to roll out of bed at 5∶00 a. m.? What give me the reason to just say to just say to ice cream? Commitment．A commitment to change my life with a way that reduces daily anxiety, increases self–confidence and energy, extends life and 44above all improve my body shape．This is the point where a smile appears on my face as I look at myself in the mirror or try on my favorite pair of jeans that now fit just right．It’s through commitment and sweat that I can make a difference within myself inside and out．

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　　Ever since they were first put on the market in the early 1990s, gentically mondified(GM, 转基因)foods have been increasingly developed and marketed in many countries in the word, mainly on the basis of their promise to end the worldwide food crisis．But can GM technology solve world hunger problems? Even if it would, is it the best solutiorr?

　　Despite what it promiises, GM technology actually has not increased the production potential of any corp．In fact

　　Studies show that the most　crown GM croo．

　　GM soybeans, has suffered reduced productivity．For instance, a report than analysed nearly two decades of research on mojor GM food crops shows that GM engineering has failed to significantly increase US crop production．

　　Something else, however, has been on the rise, While GM seeds are expensive, GM companics tell farmers that they will make good profits by saving money on pesticides(杀虫剂)．On the contrary, US government data show that GM crops in the US have produced an overall increase in pesticide use compared to traditional crops．“ The　promise was that you could use less chemicals and boost production．But nether is true, ” said Bill Christison, President of the US National Farm Coalition．

　　At the same time, the authors of the book World Hunger：Twelve Myths argue that there actually is more than enough food in the world and that the hunger crisis is not caused by production, but by problems in food distribution and politics．These indeed deserve our efforts and money．Meanwhile, the rise in food prices results from the increased use of crops for fuel rather than food, according to a 2008 World Bank report．

　　As a matter of fact, scientists see better ways to feed the world．Another World Bank report concluded that GM crops have little to offer to the challenges of worldwide poverty and hunger, because better ways out are available, among which “green” farming is supposed to be the first choice．

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　　In early autumn I applied for applied for admission to college．I wanted to go nowhere but to Cornell University, but my mother fought strongly againsnst it．When she saw me studying a photograph of my father on the sports ground of Cornell, she tore it up．

　　“You can’t say it’s not a great university, just because Papa went there．”

　　“That’s not it at all．And it is a top university．”She was still holding the pieces in her hand．“But we can’t afford to send you to college．”

　　“I wouldn’t dream of asking you for money．Do you want me to get a job to help suppont you and Papa? Things aren’t that bad, are they?”

　　“No, ”she said．“I don’t expect you to help support us．”

　　Father borrowed money form his rich cousins to start a small jewellery shop, His chief customers were his old college friends．To get new customers, my mother had to help．She picked up a long-forgotten membership in the local league of women, so that she cound get to know more people．Whether those people would turn into customers was another question．I knew that my Parents had to wait for quite a long time before their small investment(投资)could show returns．What’s more, they had not wanted enough to be roch and successful; otherwise they cound not possibly have managed their lives so badly．

　　I was torn between the desave to help them and change, their lives, and the determinstion not to repeat their mistakes．I had a strong belief in my power to go what I wanted．After months of hard study I won a full college scholarship(奖学金)．My father could hardly contain his pride in me, and my mother eventually gave in before my success．