阅读理解

　　People bury treasure to stop other people from taking it．They choose a quiet place, dig a deep hole and bury the treasure in it．Then they make a map of where the treasure is or write down other clues(线索)that will help them or someone else to find it again．

　　In Britain a few years ago, a writer wrote about some treasure that he had buried．He put clues in the story to help readers find it．Thousands of people hunted for the treasure．They dug holes all over Britain, hoping to find it．

　　One of the most popular adventure stories ever written is Robert Louis Stephenson's “Treasured Island”, an exciting story about a young boy, Jim Hawkins, who is captured by pirates(海盗)and later finds some buried treasure．

　　Then there is the true story about a man who had to travel overseas for a year．He did not trust banks, so he buried his life savings in a park．Then he went away．On his return, he went straight to the park．But the park was no longer there．In its place there was a huge building．

　　And then there was the man who buried his savings, all in bank notes, in a waterproof(防水的)bag．When he dug it up years later, there was nothing left．Worms and insects had eaten the bag and everything in it．

　　And of course, these are stories about people who bury things and either forget where they have buried them or lose the map．

　　Although it is true that people sometimes lose their money because a bank fails, banks are still the safest place to keep our savings and treasures．

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　　In one way of thinking, failure is a part of life．In another way, failure may be a way towards success．The “spider story” is often told．Robert Bruce, leader of the Scots in the 13th century, was hiding in a cave from the English．He watched a spider spinning a web(蜘蛛织网)．The spider tried to reach across a rough place in the rock．He tried six times without success．On the seventh time he made ________ it and went on to spin his web．Bruce is said to have taken heart and to have gone on to defeat the English… Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, made hundreds of models that failed before he found the right way to make one．

　　So what?First, always think about your failure．What caused it?Were conditions right?Were you in top from yourself?What can you change so things will go right next time?

　　Second, is the goal(目标)you're trying to reach the right one?Try to do some thinking about what your real goals may be．Think about his question, “If I do succeed in this, where will it get me?” This may help you prevent failure in things you shouldn't be doing anyway．

　　The third thing to bear in mind about failure is that it's a part of life．Learn to “live with yourself” even though you may have failed．Remember, “You can't win them all．”

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　　The greatest recent changes have been in the lives of women, during the twentieth century there was an unusual shortening of the time of a woman's life spent in caring for children．A woman marrying at the end of the 19th century would probably have been in her middle twenties, and would be likely to have seven or eight children, of whom four or five lived till they were five years old．By the time the youngest was fifteen, the mother would have been in her early fifties and would expect to live a further twenty years, during which custom, chance and health made it unusual for her to get paid work．Today women marry younger and have fewer children．Usually a woman's youngest child will be fifteen when she is forty five and is likely to take paid work until retirement at sixty．Even while she has the care of children, her work is lightened by household appliances(家用电器)and convenience foods．

　　This important change in women's way of life has only recently begun to have its full effect on women's economic position．Even a few years ago most girls left school at the first opportunity and most of them took a full time job．However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it．Today the school leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though women tend to marry younger, more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born．Very many more afterwards, return to full or part-time work．Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with both husband and wife accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfaction of family life, and with both husband and wife sharing more equally in providing the money and running the home, according to the abilities and interest of each them．

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　　In the West, advertisements are the fuel that makes mass media work．Many TV stations, newspapers, magazines, radio stations are privately owned．The government does not give them money．So where does the money come from?From advertisements．Without advertisements, there would not be these private businesses．

　　Have you ever asked yourself what advertising is?Through the years, people have given different answers to the question．For some time it was felt that advertising was a means of “Keeping your name before the public”．And some people thought that advertising was “truth well told”．Now more and more people consider it in this way：Advertising is the paid, non-personal, and usually persuasive presentation of goods, services and ideas by some certain sponsors(发起人)through various media．

　　First, advertising is usually paid for．Various sponsors pay for the advertisements we see, read, and hear over the various media．Second, advertising is non-personal．It is not face-to-face communication．Although you may feel that a message in a certain advertisement is aimed directly at you, in reality, it is directed at large groups of people．Third, advertising is usually persuasive．Directly or indirectly it asks people to do something．All advertisements try to make people believe that the product, idea, or service advertised can benefit them．Fourth, the sponsors of the advertisement must show their names．From the advertisement, we can see if the sponsor is a company, or a single person．Fifth, advertising reaches us through old and modern mass media．Included in the old media are newspapers．magazines, radio, television, and films．Modern media include emails, matchbox covers, and boards on top of buildings．

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　　Are you looking for something different this summer?We've lined up a list of some unusual camps．

　　Learn to fly a jet(喷气式飞机)

　　This is the real training that all fighter and test pilots have．Learn the cockpit(驾驶室)and how to put your plane through its paces．Finally, you fight a mock battle with your teammates．

　　It's held at the US Space &Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alaska．There are both weekend and summer camps for anyone 9 and up．Kids 7 to 12 also can pair with a parent．The cost is ＄749 for kids-only camps and ＄349 each for parent/child camp．

　　Be Steven Spielberg

　　At Film Camp, you will get to write, direct, shoot and edit your own movie．

　　Run by the New York Film Academy, you can choose from a variety of camp locations：New York, Disney-MGM Studios in Florida, Universal Studios in Los Angeles, Harvard University, Paris or Florence, Italy．

　　Everyone helps one another by working behind the camera．Tuition for a one-week camp is ＄1,500, while a four or six week training run ＄5,900 to ＄6,900．

　　Join the circus

　　At Circus Smirkus you can learn how to ride a unicycle, and throw a pie in someone's face．Kids 8 to 16 can choose between one－or two-week sessions, with the two-week camp ending in a circus show for the families．

　　The camp is located in Craftsbury Common, Vermont．The cost is ＄825 for one week(＄300 extra with a parent)and ＄1,500 for two weeks(＄ 500 extra with a parent)．

　　Live the ultimate(终极的)summer fantasy

　　Learn to ride the waves this summer and tour one of the world's only sea turtle hospitals at Surf Camp．The week long camp also includes trips to local islands．

　　Surf Camp is located at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina．The cost is ＄475 per week for kids 8 to 12, ＄595 per week for teens 12 to 18．Check it out at wbsurfcamp．Com．

　　Strike a chord(弦)

　　At Power Chord Academy, teens 12 to 18 will be placed in a band that best meets their age, experience and style．You will lead the life of a band member：recording in a studio, playing a concert and making a video．

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　　As we know, on Saturday, millions of people around the world will celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, which honors Patron Saint(or main religious figure)of Ireland．Communities across the United States will host parades, parties, and other festivities to mark the occasion．

　　This year, cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago have organized massive events celebrating Saint Patrick's Day．In New York City, hundreds of thousands of people will gather to watch the Saint Patrick's Day parade－the nation's largest．It is one of the most watched parades in the world．Last year, almost 2 million spectators and more than 150,000 participants filled the streets．The parade, first held in 1776, is also one of the oldest．

　　Chicago also throws a big celebration．Every year, the Chicago River, which crosses the city, glows green as event organizers dump about 40 pounds of fluorescence, a powerful dye, into the water．

　　Boston keeps its parade rolling for three hours or more．It is the nation's second-largest parade．The city will also salute one of its most famous former residents, President John F．Kennedy, by opening the exhibit "A Journey Home：John F．Kennedy and Ireland," at his official library．

　　Patron Saint lived in Britain in the early fifth century, when it was still part of the Roman Empire．He was captured and sold into slavery in Ireland when he was only 16．He eventually escaped slavery and turned to a life of religious devotion．He trained to become a minister and set out to spread Christianity throughout Ireland．After 30 years as a religious leader, Patrick died on March 17, 1461．Saint Patrick's Day is always celebrated on March 17．In Ireland, it is an official holiday．

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　　A new study shows one of the largest glaciers in Greenland is becoming smaller and speeding to the sea faster than scientists expected．If it continues, Greenland itself could become much smaller during this century and global seas could rise as much as 3 feet．

　　The ratesof change that we’re noticing are much higher than expected．If these rates continue, it is not unlikely that Greenland could shrinkby several tens of percent this century．However, it’s not known how quickly this coastal response of the Greenland ice sheet melting will have an effect on the vast inland ice．

　　Greenland is the world’s largest island, covering an area more than three times the size of Texas．Some 81 percent of it is covered by ice, and there are many glaciers．Glaciers are like slow-moving rivers of ice．Where a glacier meets the sea, its weight keeps it firmly resting on the bottom．A glacier’s front is the point where the water is deep enough that the glacier floats．

　　Since the 1970s, the front of Helheim stayed in the same place．Then it began melting rapidly, moving back 4．5 miles from 2001 through this past summer．It has also grown thinner, from top to bottom, by more than 130 feet since 2001．And over these past four years, its trip to the sea has sped up from about 70 feet per day to nearly 110．

　　The melting is driven by a warmer climate．Temperatures in Greenland have risen more than five degrees Fahrenheit in the last decade．Since most of Greenland’s ice is on land, seas will rise as the ice melts．If all Greenland’s ice sheet melted, oceans would be 15-20 feet higher．Nobody expects that to happen anytime soon．

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The common cold is the world's most widespread illness, which is plagues(病疫)that flesh receives．The most widespread fallacy(谬误)of all is that colds caused by cold．They are not．They are caused by viruses passing on from person to person．You catch a cold by coming into contact,directly or indirectly, with someone who already has one．If cold causes colds,it would be reasonable to expect the Eskimos to suffer from them forever．But they do not．And in isolated arctic regions explorers have reported being free from colds until coming into contact again with infected people from the outside world by way of packages and mail dropped from airplanes．During the First World War soldiers who spent long periods in the trenches(战壕), cold and wet,showed no increased tendency to catch colds．In the Second World War prisoners at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp(奥斯维辛集中营),naked and starving,were astonished to find that they seldom had colds．At the Common Cold Research Unit in England, volunteers took part in Experiments in which they gave themselves to the discomforts of being cold and wet for long stretches of time．After taking hot baths,they put on bathing suits, allowed themselves to be with cold water, and then stood about dripping wet in drafty(通风良好的)room．Some wore wet socks all day while others exercised in the rain until close to exhaustion．Not one of the volunteers came down with a cold unless a cold virus was actually dropped in his nose．If,then,cold and wet have nothing to do with catching colds, why are they more frequent in the winter?Despite the most pains-taking research, no one has yet found the answer．One explanation offered by scientists is that people tend to stay together indoors more in cold weather than at other times, and this makes it easier for cold viruses to be passed on．No one has yet found a cure for the cold．There are drugs and pain suppressors(止痛片)such as aspirin, but all they do is relieve the symptoms．

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Drug Problems

　　If you're worried about your own or someone else's drug taking or misuse, it's good to know the facts．

　　Drug users don't start using drugs with the intention of becoming addicted．But many drugs contain addictive substances and even people who use them occasionally can become dependent and need to use them regularly．

　　Reasons why people start using drugs can include：to escape problems they may be having in other parts of their life, peer pressure and fitting in with another group of people, being curious about the effects of drugs．

　　If you start to use drugs on a regular basis, or if you become dependent on them, it can affect your family and friends as well as having a serious impact on your own physical and mental well-being．

　　Drug overdoses can be fatal．You can die instantly from misusing substances and drugs that you can buy over the counters．

　　There is not a common list of symptoms that you can use to tell if you or someone you know is misusing drugs．That's because drug use affects different people in different ways, depending on the type of drugs they're using．

　　Although anxiety, tiredness and a change in sleeping habits can be signs of drug use, they can also be caused by changes in your body, stress or other problems．

　　Drugs are categorized into three classes based on their overall level of harm．Class A drugs are the most dangerous, however, all the drugs in all three classes are harmful and addictive．

　　Remember that all drugs are illegal, even Class C drugs like cannabis(大麻烟)．If you're caught selling them to other people, or carrying a small amount in your pocket, it's likely that the police will get involved．

　　If you're found guilty of any of these offences, you may face a fine or time in custody(拘留), with Class A drugs carrying the most severe sentences．

　　If you think that one of your friends or relatives is misusing drugs, you may want to approach them and talk about it．It's not your responsibility to make them stop, but you can tell them about how their behavior is affecting your relationship．

　　If they ask for help with their problem, then it's important to listen and help them find the right information and treatment．

　　If you're worried about drug abuse and addiction you can call the National Drugs Helpline on 0800 776 600 for confidential advice --- lines are open seven days a week．Calls are free and they won't show up on your phone bill, but you may be charged if you use a mobile．

　　Information about addictions from need2know

　　Information about drugs, the law and human rights

阅读理解

　　Eddie’s father used to say he’d spent so many years by the ocean, breathing seawater．Now, away from that ocean, in the hospital bed, his body began to look like a beached fish．His condition went from fair to stable and from stable to serious．Friends went from saying, “He’ll be home in a day,” to “He’ll be home in a week．” In his father’s absence, Eddie helped out at the pier(码头), working evenings after his taxi job．

　　When Eddie was a teenager, if he ever complained or seemed bored with the pier, his father would shout, “What? This isn’t good enough for you?” And later, when he’d suggested Eddie take a job there after high school, Eddie almost laughed, and his father again said, “What? This isn’t enough good for you?” And before Eddie went to the war, when he’d talked of marrying Marguerite and becoming an engineer, his father said, “What? This isn’t enough good for you?”

　　And now, regardless of all that, here he was, at the pier, doing his father’s labor．

　　Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them．They move on．They move away．It is not until much later, as the heart weakens, that children understand：their stories, and all their accomplishments sit on top of the stories of their mothers and fathers, stones and stones, beneath the waters of their lives．

　　Finally, one night, at his mother’s urging, Eddie visited the hospital．He entered the room slowly．His father, who for years had refused to speak to Eddie, now lacked the strength to even try．

　　“Don’t sweat it, kid,” the other workers told him．“Your old man will pull through．He is the toughest man we’ve seen．”

　　When the news came that his father had died, Eddie felt the emptiest kind of anger, the kind that circled in its cage．

　　In the weeks that followed, Eddie’s mother lived in a confused state．She spoke to her husband as if he were still there．She yelled at him to turn down the radio．She cooked enough food for two．One night, when Eddie offered to help with the dishes, she said, “Your father will put them away．” Eddie put a hand on her shoulder．“Mom,” he said, softly, “Dad’s gone．”

　　“Gone where?”