阅读理解

　　“Can I see my baby?” asked the happy new mother．The bundle(婴儿包)was placed in her arms and when she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped － the baby had been born without ears．Time, however, proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect except his appearance．

　　One day when he rushed home from school and threw himself into his mother’s arms，he cried out bitterly, “A boy, a big boy…called me－a f－…freak．” She sighed, knowing that his life was to be endless of heartbreaks．

　　He grew up，handsome for his misfortune．A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that．He developed a gift for literature and music．

　　The boy’s father had a talk with the family doctor．Could nothing be done? “I believe we could graft(移植)on a pair of outer ears，if they could be donated,” the doctor decided．So the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man．Two years went by．Then, “You’re going to the hospital，son．Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need．But it’s a secret．” said the father．

　　The operation was a brilliant success．His talents blossomed into genius．School and college became a series of successes．Later he married and entered the diplomatic(外交)service．“But I must know!” he urged his father．“Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him．” “I do not believe you could,” said the father， “but the agreement was that you are not to know…not yet．” The years kept the secret, but the day did come …one of the darkest days that ever passed through a son．He stood with his father over his mother’s casket(棺材)．Slowly and tenderly，the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick，reddish-brown hair to let out the secret．

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阅读理解

　　It is common to consider learning as something that takes place in school, but much of human learning occurs outside the classroom, even from birth and people continue to learn throughout their lives．

　　Even before they enter school, young children learn to walk, to talk, and to use their hands to use toys, food, and other objects．They use all of their senses to learn about the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells in their environments．They learn how to communicate with their parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and other people important to their world．When they enter school, children learn basic academic subjects such as reading, writing, and mathematics．They also continue to learn a great deal outside the classroom．They learn which behaviors are likely to be rewarded and which are likely to be punished．They learn social skills for communicating with other children．After they finish school, people must learn to deal with many major changes that affect their lives, such as getting married, raising children, and finding and keeping a job．

　　Because learning continues throughout our lives and affects almost everything we do, the study of learning is important in many different fields．Teachers need to understand the best ways to educate children．Psychologists, social workers, criminologists, and other human service workers need to understand how certain experiences change people’s behaviors．Employers, politicians, and advertisers make use of the principles of learning to affect the behaviors of workers, voters, and consumers．

　　Learning is closely related to memory, which is the storage of information in the brain．Psychologists who study memory are interested in how the brain stores knowledge, where this storage takes place, and how the brain later outputs knowledge when we need it．In contrast, psychologists who study learning are more interested in behavior and how behavior changes as a result of a person’s experiences．?

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阅读理解

　　Bored? Lonely? Out of condition?

　　Why not try the SPORT CENTER?

　　TENNIS

　　Indoor and outdoor courts．Coaching from beginners to advanced, everyday not evenings．

　　Children only-Sat．mornings．

　　SKIING

　　Dry slopes－3 levels instructors at weekends and Fridays．Daytime practice．8 years upwards．

　　SWIMMING

　　2 pools I heated Olympic length．Tuition available．Women：Tuesday and Thursday．

　　Men：Monday, Wednesday and Friday．Children：Saturday　Family day：Sunday

GOLF

　　9 hole practice course．Professional Coaching．Lessons must be booked in advance in daytime．Evening practice．Minimum age－9 years．

　　GYMNASTICS

　　Maximum age－18 years．Children aged 5－10．Monday and Wednesdays．4∶00－6∶00 p. m. 10－18 year-old．Friday evenings．Bar work on Sunday mornings．

　　AND MUCH MORE

　　Table Tennis, Snooker, Darts(标枪), Chess(every day and evening), Café(all day)，Bar(lunch time and evenings), Nursery(weekdays and weekends, not evenings)．Centre open 10∶00 a. m.－10∶00 p. m．Daily．Interested? More details inside．Quote Card Number：99．

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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 fascists 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 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, 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 eyes of dog lovers, the dog is man’s best friend．But for much wildlife, loose dogs may be a dangerous enemy, according to a study by a biologist from Utah State University in the US．

　　Based on much existing research and their own case studies, Julie Young of Utah State University and four other scientists conclude that loose dogs may represent a huge danger to wildlife, especially endangered species, by hunting down or worrying them and by spreading diseases．They also found that dogs, their worldwide numbers around 500 million, can cause more damage to wildlife and livestock(牲畜)than wolves and other enemies of these animals．

　　Young gave examples from the US state of Idaho, where research showed the presence of dogs reducing some deer populations．On the Navajo American Indians’ reservation in northeastern Arizona, packs of loose dogs are chasing livestock．They have killed populations of small animals such as rabbits and act as a disease carrier for rabies(狂犬病)among people and other animals, she said．Loose dogs also were to blame for distemper outbreak leading to a die-off of endangered black-footed ferrets in northwestern Wyoming in the 1980s．

　　The phenomenon is not just limited to US; it’s a global problen．Julie Young once studied three endangered species in central Asia：wild sheep, gazelles and antelope．The rate of injury and death to these animals by loose dogs was very high．In another case, Young found that dogs, not wolves, as originally suspected, were responsible for a large number of livestock killings in the mountainous Basque country between Spain and France．

　　Authors of the new study said the problem is likely to worsen as communities expand．Then how to deal with it?

　　Indeed, in many countries, leash(拴狗的皮带)laws permit punishment of dog owners whose pets chase wildlife．But lawbreakers are rarely punished because the police lack both people and money．

　　Young has low-cost solutions to the problem for dog lovers, though．They include public dog-training programs and vaccinating(预防接种)dogs against rabies and other illnesses．

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　　I was working with a client who was completely burned out on her career and life and then ready for a career change．As we were talking, she said, “I just wish I had meaningful work．I don’t feel like I am making a difference．I am just wasting my life．” This is the theme I hear most often from clients who have been in the workforce a while．All of us want to feel like we are making a difference．We want to believe our work means something．The problem comes in defining “meaningful work”．What is it? That answer is different for everyone．For some meaningful work might be helping others organize their office．For others it may mean making a million dollars．

　　What really matters is how you see it．What is meaningful work to you? Take out a piece of paper and answer these questions．How do you define meaningful work? When do you feel like you are really making a difference? What work have you done so far that feels the most meaningful? Write down whatever comes to mind．

　　What you want to do is meaningful．It is very easy to start judging yourself as being selfish．Stop! Allow yourself to be honest．The fact is when Picasso painted; he was doing it because he liked to paint．He was not thinking, “Oh, I hope this brings joy to others’ lives．” He painted because he wanted to．When Beethoven composed, he did it because he loved music．Even scientists searching for a cure for cancer are immersed in their work because it fascinates them．

　　Don’t look down on your work．It is easy to downplay the importance of work that feels meaningful．I remember Tony Robbins told a story of talking with the owner of a major company．The man said to Tony, “I wish I could do what you do because it makes such a difference in people’s lives”．Tony said, “You have got to be kidding! Look at what a difference you make．You provide work, health insurance and security for thousands of people!” Don’t underestimate the value you provide．

　　Take a look at what you have written about meaningful work．Do you see any themes? How do you wish to contribute to this world? Whatever you choose, remember that the greatest gift you can give is to find work that makes you feel fulfilled and delighted．Respect your preference because giving your gifts to the world, whatever they look like, is the most meaningful action you can ever take．

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　　There seems never to have been a civilization without toys, but when and how they developed is unknown．They probably came about just to give children something to do．

　　In the ancient world, as is today, most boys played with some kinds of toys and most girls with another．In societies where social roles are strictly determined, boys pattern their play after the activities of their fathers and girls after the tasks of their mothers．This is true because boys and girls are being prepared, even in play, to step into the roles and responsibilities of the adult world．

　　What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they changed over the centuries but how much they have remained the same．The changes have been mostly in terms of skill, mechanics, and technology．It is the universality of toys with regard to their development in all parts of the world and their insistence to the present that is amazing．In Egypt, the US, China,Japan and among the Arctic peoples, generally the same kinds of toys appeared．Variations depended on local customs and ways of life because toys reflect their surroundings．Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles．

　　Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been affected by technological quick development that characterize inventions for adult use．The progress from the wheel to the ox-cart to the automobile is a direct line of ahievement．The progress from a rattle(拨浪鼓)used by a baby in 3000 BC to one used by a baby today, however, is not characterized by inventiveness．Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of times and subject to the limtations of available materials．

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　　In only two decades Asian Americans have become the fastest-growing US minority．As their children began moving up through the nation’s schools, it became clear that a new class of academic achievers was forming．Their achievements are reflected in the nation’s best universities, where mathematics, science and engineering departments have taken on a decidedly Asian character．This special liking for mathematics and science is partly explained by the fact that Asian-American students who began their educations abroad arrived in the US with a solid grounding in mathematics but little or no knowledge of English．They are also influenced by the promises of a good job after college．Asians feel there will be less unfair treatment in areas like mathematics and science because they will be judged more objectively．And the return on the investment in education is more immediate in something like engineering than with an arts degree．

　　Most Asian-American students owe their success to the influence of parents who are determined that their children take full advantage of what the American educational system has to offer．An effective measure of parental attention is homework．Asian parents spend more time with their children than American parents do, and it helps．Many researchers also believe there is something in Asian culture that causes success, such as ideals that stress family values and emphasize education．

　　Both explanations for academic success worry Asian Americans because of fears that they feed a typical racial image．Many can remember when Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrants were the victims of social separation．Indeed, it was not until 1952 that laws were laid down giving all Asian immigrants the right to citizenship．

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　　The small coastal town of Broome, in northwest Australia, is a remote village in the vast countryside．

　　There are no traffic jams and hardly any roads．There is only the massive Australian wild land, where some houses are 500 miles apart and some driveways are 50 miles long．

　　There seem to be only two main sources of entertainment out here：the sunset at the beach and Sun Pictures．

　　Sun Pictures is a very different movie theater：The seats are park benches and deck chairs, but you’re also welcome to sit on the grass．

　　It is the world’s oldest outdoor movie garden．Sun Pictures was built in 1916 on the other side of the globe from Hollywood．All the big films were shipped here and the lonely country was amazed．

　　Broome resident Pearl Hamaguchi has never traveled far from home．But in the Sun Pictures chairs, under the deep blue night sky, she has been almost everywhere．

　　“And we came back excited about Gregory Peck,” she recalled．

　　This is one of the few places left in the world where you can see two sets of stars at the same time——one set in the sky, the other in the film．

　　Each night, dozens of people from around the world line up at the old wooden stand, with no computer in sight, and buy their tickets to the latest films．

　　Sun Pictures is also a museum, exhibiting projectors(放映机)that date back to the silent films, a portrait gallery of the famous people who never knew about this place－even though they came here all the time．

　　Every once in a while, I’m told, you might find a non-ticket holder in your seat．That’s why it’s always a good idea to shake out your chair to make sure there are no spiders or scorpions．

　　“We’ve only had a couple of scorpion incidents but no one’s been stung yet,” said Aaron Mestemaker, a tourist visiting from Michigan．

　　Sun Pictures is a holy hall of movie history and a reminder that air conditioning and carpet are no match for grass and fresh air---even when the lizards steal the scene．

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　　Job sharing refers to the situation in which two people divide the responsibility of one full-time job．The two people willingly act as part-time workers, enough hours between them to fulfill the duties of a full-time worker．If they each work half the job, for example, they each receive 50 per cent of the job's wages, its holidays and its other benefits．

　　Job sharing differs from conventional(常规的)part-time work in that it occurs mainly in the more highly skilled and professional areas, which require higher levels of responsibility and employee commitment(敬业精神)．

　　Job sharing should not be confused with the term work sharing, which refers to increasing the number of jobs by reducing the number of hours of each existing job, thus offering more positions to the growing number of unemployed people．Job sharing, by contrast, is not designed to address unemployment problems; its focus, rather, is to provide well-paid work for skilled workers and professionals who want more free time for other activities．

　　As would be expected, most job sharers are women．A survey conducted in 1988 by Britain's Equal Opportunities Commission showed that 78 per cent of sharers were female, the majority of whom were between 20 and 40 years of age．Subsequent(随后的)studies have come up with similar results．Many of these women were re-entering the job market after having had children, but they chose not to seek part-time work because it would have meant lower status(地位)．Job sharing also offered an acceptable shift back into full-time work after a long absence．

　　The necessity of close cooperation when sharing a job with another person makes the actual work quite different from conventional one-position jobs．However, to ensure a greater chance that the partnership will succeed, each person needs to know the strengths, weaknesses and preferences of his or her partner before applying for a position．Moreover, there must be a fair division of both routine tasks and interesting ones．In sum, for a position to be job-shared well, the two individuals must be well matched and must treat each other as equals．

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