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　　At 7∶49 a. m. local time on Wednesday, April 14th, a huge earthquake struck Yushu County in Qinghai, China, described as “end of the earth” in a famous poem of the Tang Dynasty．

　　The earthquake destroyed many houses, cut off power and caused over 2,000 deaths and injuries．On the night when the earthquake happened, many survivors had to sit or lie on the ground in terrible darkness．Some brought their own tents and others turned on the lights of motorcycles．It seemed that the earth was at an end．But their natural character made them get together to fight the early spring’s cold nights．Facing the disaster, they chose to be stronger and standing still and firmly like Yushu, the name of their hometown meaning “Standing like Trees”．

　　The disaster drew much attention both at home and abroad．Our country leaders ordered rescuers(营救人员)to value every life and never to give up．Thousands of rescuers and medical teams rushed to Yushu from many areas of China, bringing machines, medicines and something necessary to the quake-hit town．They entered every village to search for survivors．Governments, organizations and volunteers are offering money and materials to the areas．

　　We believe that under the leadership of the Central Government, people in the disaster areas are sure to restore production and rebuild homeland as soon as possible．And the overall victory can be achieved in the earthquake rescue work．

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　　Lacrosse(长曲棍球)is a popular sport in Canada．It is one of the oldest organized sports in America．The Indians in northern New York State and southern Ontario, Canada, invented it．They used it to train for war．They invented this game before Columbus arrived in the New World．

　　People play lacrosse outdoors．The lacrosse field is seven metres long．At each end of the field there is a net．There are ten players on each team．Each player has a stick called “crosse”．The players hit a ball that is 21 centimetres around and weighs 140 grams．They try to hit the ball into the net as many times as possible．Lacrosse is a very fast game because the players can catch and pass the ball at a high speed with their sticks．

　　At one time lacrosse was the national summer sport in Canada．It is also popular in Britain and Australia．

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　　In a world with limited land, water and other natural resources(资源), the harm from the traditional business model is on the rise．Actually, the past decades has seen more and more forests disappearing and globe becoming increasingly warm．People now realize that this unhealthy situation must be changed, and that we must be able to develop in sustainable(可持续的)ways．That means growth with low carbon or development of sustainable products．In other words, we should keep the earth healthy while using its supply of natural resources．

　　Today, sustainable development is a proper trend in many countries．Accordin(http：//www．unjs．com)g to a recent study, the global market for low-carbon energy will become three times bigger over the next decades．China, for example, has set its mind on leading that market, hoping to seize chances in the new round of the global energy revolution．It is now tryuing hard to make full use of wind and solar energy, and is spending a huge amount of money making electric cars and high-speed trains．In addition, we are also seeing great growth in the global markets for sustainable products such as palm oil(棕榈油), which is produced without cutting down valuable rainforest．In recent years the markets for sustainable products have grown by more than 50％．

　　Governments can fully develop the potential of these new markets．First, they can set high targets for reducing carbon emissions(排放)and targets for saving and reusing energy．Besides, stronger arrangement of public resources like forests can also help to speed up the development．Finally, governments can avoid the huge expenses that are taking us in the wrong direction, and redirecting some of those expenses can accelerate the change from traditional model to a sustainable one．

　　The major challenge of this century is to find ways to meet the needs of growing population within the limits if this single planet．That is no small task, but it offers abundant new chances for sustainable product industries．

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　　A year after graduation, I was offered a position teaching a writing class．Teaching was a profession I had never seriously considered, though several of my stories had been published．I accepted the job without hesitation, as it would allow me to wear a tie and go by the name of Mr．Davis．My father went by the same name, and I liked to imagine people getting the two of us confused．“Wait a minute” someone might say, “are you talking about Mr．Davis the retired man, or Mr．Davis the respectable scholar?”

　　The position was offered at the last minute, and I was given two weeks to prepare, a period I spent searching for briefcase(公文包)and standing before my full-length mirror, repeating the words, “Hello, class．I’m Mr．Davis．” Sometimes I would give myself an aggressive voice．Sometimes I would sound experienced．But when the day eventually came, my nerves kicked in and the true Mr．Davis was there．I sounded not like a thoughtful professor, but rather a 12-year-old boy．

　　I arrived in the classroom with paper cards designed in the shape of maple leaves．I had cut them myself out of orange construction paper．I saw nine students along a long table．I handed out the cards, and the students wrote down their names and fastened them to their breast pockets as I required．

　　“All right then,” I said．“Okey, here we go．” Then I opened my briefcase and realized that I had never thought beyond this moment．I had been thinking that the students would be the first to talk, offering their thoughts and opinions on the events of the day．I had imagined that I would sit at the edge of the desk, overlooking a forests of hands．Every student would yell．“Calm down, you’ll all get your turn．One at a time, one at a time!”

　　A terrible silence ruled the room, and seeing no other opinions, I inspected the students to pull out their notebooks and write a brief essay related to the theme of deep disappointment．

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　　Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight．A recent research has found a new recipe of success．According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young(less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly．Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog．

　　However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light．There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25％ of the homes, while argression and fighting were observed in 10％ of the homes．One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite．For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same　signals submission．

　　In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behaviour．They are learning how to talk each other’s language．It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘dog’, and dogs can learn how to talk ‘Cat’．

　　What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence．They can learn how to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected．Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa．They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom(梳理)each other．

　　The significance of the research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets－to people who don’t get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers．If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance．

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　　In the animal kingdom, weakness can bring about aggression in other animal．This sometimes happens with humans also．But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people．I see it every day when people hold doors for me, pour cream into my coffee, or help me to put on my coat．And I have discovered that it makes them happy．

　　From my wheelchair experience, I see the best in people, bur sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily．They don’t get to see this soft side of others often, we try bevery way possible to avoid showing our weakness, which includes a lot of pretending．But only when we stop pretending we’re brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that’s in them．

　　Last month, when I was driving home on a busy highway, I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual．People behind me began to get impatient and angry, with some speeding up alongside me, horning(按喇叭)or even shouting at me．At the moment I decided to do something I had never done in twenty fore years of driving．I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed．

　　No more angry shouts and no more horns!

　　When I put on my flashlights, I was saying to other drivers, “I have a problem here．I am weak and doing the best I can．” And everyone understoof．Several times, I saw drivers who wanted to pass．They couldn’t get around me because of the stream of passing traffic．But instead of getting impatient and angry, they waited, knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak．

　　Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don’t feel that way．But those are and far between．More often, it would be better if we don’t pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared．

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　　Each Indian(印第安人)was supposed to keep his birth name until he was old enough to earn one for himself．But his playmates(游戏伙伴)would always give him a name of their own．No matter what his parents called him, his childhood friends would use the name they had chosen．Often it was not pleasing, such as Bow Legs or Bad Boy．But sometimes a name fit so well that the youngster found it difficult to shake it off．If he could not earn a better one from a war later, he could be stuck with a name like Bow Legs for the rest of his life．

　　The Indian earned his real name when he was old enough for his first fight against the enemy．His life name depended on how he acted during this first battle．When he returned from the war, the whole tribe would gather and observe the ceremony in which he would be given his name by the chief．If he had done well, he would get a good name．Otherwise he might be called Crazy Wolf or Man-Afraid-Of-a-Horse．So an Indian’s name told his record or described the kind of man he was．

　　A man was given many chances to improve his name, however．If in a later battle he was brave in fighting against the enemy, he was given a better name．Some of our great fighters had as many as twelve names－all good and each better than the last．

　　An Indian’s names belonged to him for the rest of his life．No one else could use them．Even he himself could not give them away because names were assigned by the tribe, not the family．So no man could pass on his name unless the chief and the tribe asked him to do so．

　　Sometimes an Indian would be asked to give his name to a son who had performed a noticeable deed．I know of only three of four times when this happened．It is the rarest honor for a person－the honor of assuming(承担)his father’s name．

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　　The gray-haired lady can’t wait to leave the building to search for her dad．Unless watched ,she will walk in the streets in an effort to find her father ,who died 30 years ago．

　　Not all cases of Alzheimer’s disease look like this ,but Alzheimer’s is a serious disease that is said to be the fourth or fifth leading cause of death for people over age 75．

　　It is said that about three percent of the U．S．population over age 65 have Alzheimer’s．In the early stages ,people may exhibit short term memory loss．Some may experience changes in personality, easy to be angry．As the disease progresses ,patients might lose the ability to move and may be unable to speak or move at all．This progressive disease generally lasts 8 to 10 years before death occurs．

　　While no one is certain what causes these changes in the brain’s nerve fibers(神经纤维),their effect is certain．Alzheimer’s destroys not only the patients ,but also spouses(配偶),friends and families．

　　What should you do if you notice progressive memory loss in yourself or a loved one? Have the person examined by a doctor who is a specialist in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease．

　　Though many reasons other than Alzheimer’s disease may cause memory loss, its early diagnosis(诊断)and treatment may delay some of the most serious effects．

　　What feeling will you likely experience should a loved one suffer from Alzheimer’ s disease? A person will often go through the various stages of sadness, shock ,anger ,and so on．If the spouse develops the disease ,you may experience hurt and disappointment when he or she doesn’t remember you are married．

　　Life for the Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones will never be the same as the disease progresses ,bringing a deep sorrow ,loss and even anger towards God．No matter what feelings are present ,facing them honestly will serve one better than burying them．

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　　As we all know, it was Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of Independence(独立宣言)．He wrote it in two weeks, and after a few changes, it was accepted by the Congress．As a result, he became famous in America's history．

　　Born in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson, a brilliant student at school and almost talented lawyer later, was much interested in politics．

　　Jefferson was elected Governor of Virginia in 1779, and he was sent to France as the Representative of the American Government in 1784．Sixteen years later, at the age of 57, he was elected president after Washington and Adams．

　　Far from a handsome man, he was is tall with long arms and big hands．Jefferson, who was an amusing talker in conversation, but a poor speaker, was generally good-natured．

　　Jefferson was regarded as a defender(捍卫者)of freedom Of America．As a president, he protected the right of speech．Interestingly enough, in his eight years as president, ：Jefferson never said “No” to a bill(议案)which the Congress had passed．He did a lot in organizing the new University of Virginia．

　　Thomas Jefferson died on July the fourth, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of America’s independence．

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　　With only about 1, 000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone the animal and save the endangered species(物种)．That’s a move similar to what a Texas A & M University researchers have been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”．

　　Noah’s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos(胚胎), semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen．If certain species should become extinct, Dr．Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A & M’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future．

　　It is estimated that as many as 2, 000 species of mammals, birds reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years．The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years．

　　This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit．They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal．

　　The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete．

　　“The nuclear transfer(核子移植)of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available(capable of being used)panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer believes．“They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy(having a baby)．It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works．They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort,” adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A& M, the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog．

　　“They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark．We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction．I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do．It’s a research that is very much needed．”

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