阅读理解

　　“I Went Skydiving at 84!”

　　As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that．I got a taste of that dream in 2001,when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday．But the experience turned out to be very dull．Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive．So when our retirement community(社区)announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream．

　　In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr．did it at age 80．Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health．A year went by and I heard nothing．But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners．I just couldn’t believe it．Inspired by this, I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it．

　　On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane．My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience．The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened－I was really just looking forward to the experience．When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane．When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe．For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer．We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute(降落伞), then we just floated downward for about five minutes．Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt－much better than the hot air ballon．I was just enjoying it．

　　Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life．I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old．If there’s something you want to experience, look into it．If it’s something that is possible, make it happen．

阅读理解

　　Yellowstone National Park covers nearly 9,000 km; 96％ of the park lies in Wyoming, 3％ in Montana and 1％ in Idaho．Yellowstone contains half of all the world’s known geothermal feature, with more than 10,000 examples．It also has the world’s largest group of geysers(间歇泉)(more than 300 geysers, or two thirds of all those on the planet)．Extablished in 1872．Yellowstone is equally known for its wildlife, such as grizzly bears wolves, bison and wapitis．

　　The extraordinary scenic treasures of Yellowstone include the world’s largest collection of geysers, the grand Cand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, numerous waterfalls, and great hands of wildlife．

　　Yellowstone is one of the world’s best sites for the study and appreciation of the evolutionary history of the earth．Nearly 150 species of fossil(化石)plants, ranging from small fears and rushes up to large Sequoia and many other tree species, have been identified in the pad’s abundant fossil deposits．

　　The park is one of the few remaining undamaged large ecosystems in the northern temperate zone(北温带)of the earth．All plants in the park are allowed to progress through natural process with no direct human management．Forest fires, if started from lightning, are often allowed to burn where possible to permit the natural effects of fire．The park’s bison are the only wild continuously free – ranging bison that once covered the Great Plains and, along with other part wildlife, are one of the greatest attractions．

　　Yellowstone Nationl Park has become one of North America’s best refuges for rare plant and animal species and also functions as a model for ecosystem processes．The grizzly bear is one of the world’s most deeply studies and best – understood bear populations．This research has led to a greater understanding of the interdependence of ecosystem relationships．Protection of the park’s plants and animals allows biological evolution to develop with little influence by man．

阅读理解

　　HALF off all Germans want to axe the euro and bring back their mark, according to a vote．

　　Although the government has been telling the public a year that the grouped European currency(货币)is good for them, 49 per cent of Germans still wish they had the powerful mark in their pockets．

　　This is one of the highest rates of Germans wanting its return since votes in the 1990s showed close to 70％ of them wanted to keep the mark, the currency of their “economic miracle”．

　　The recent difficulties in Greece and Ireland have contributed to further disappointment．

　　In the survey for the daily Bild newspaper, only 41 per cent of people were satisfied with the euro．Most of the rest said they did not know what to think．

　　The survey found that the majority of Germans are worried about the stability of the currency and the possibility of inflation(通货膨胀)．

　　Three－quarters of the people questioned by YouGoy said they personally had not benefited from the adoption of the euro．

　　And if Germany was not part of the eurozone, only 30 per cent of those asked would today vote to adopt the euro and 60 per cent would vote against it．

　　Although there are the concerns, the majority believe the euro is here to stay．

　　Asked whether the euro would still be country’s currency in 20 years, 55 per cent of the people replied yes．Germany adopted the euro in 1999 along with 10 other countries．

　　Read more：http：//www．express．co．uk/posts/view/219745/

阅读理解

Is education compulsory after age 16？

　　Under the present law, the school leaving age is 16．after 2013 the education leaving age will rise to 17．And from 2015 it will rise again, to 18．

　　The government is raising the leaving age because research shows that young people who carry on learning or training until the age of 18 earn more money, are likely to be healthier and less likely to be in trouble with the police．

　　So although at the moment your child can leave education once they’re 16, it’s worth thinking carefully about the benefits of carrying on．

　　What options are available after 16?

　　Education after16 doesn’t just mean staying at school full-time：your child can stay at school, go to college, or take up an apprenticeship or a part-time training course．They can earn money and learn new skills at the same time if they want to．

　　The main qualifications available are：

　　Diplomas：providing the background for a range of careers

　　Vocational qualifications：

　　for young people who already know what career they want to follow and need training for specific jobs

　　A levels：

　　offered as specific mainly academic subjects

　　International Baccalaureate：offering a wider range of subjects than A levels

What financial help is available？

　　If your child continues in education after 16 and your household income is less than ￡30,810 a year, your child should be eligible for up to ￡30 a week to help with their costs．It won’t affect any benefits you get as an individual or as a family, and the money will be paid directly into your child’s bank account．This money is known as Education Maintenance Allowance(EMA)．

阅读理解

　　BEIJING-When Fran-cesca Schiavone of Italy kissed the women’s singles trophy at Roland Garros last year, becoming the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slan tille, Li Na, who was beaten by Schiavone in the fourth-round, said："If she can do that, maybe I can do that too．" So when Li took on Schiavone once again in the final at the French Open on Saturday, she simply would not let her golden opportunity slip away．

　　And she did it in the best possible way．Li hammered the defending champion 6-4, 7-6(0), bringing China and also Asia its first Grand Slam title．

　　After Schiavone sent a backhand long, Li screamed with delight and fell to the ground．Then she picked herself up, skipped towards the net, gave her opponent a big hug and then basked in the passionate applause of the spectators at Court Philippe Chatrier．

　　"I was so happy when she hit the last ball out that I almost cried．I tried to control myself not to cry," Li said．"I have played professional tennis for 12 years and I am so happy that my efforts have paid off．"

　　Sharpened by her pervious Grand Slam final experience - at the Australian Open where she lost to Belgian Kim Clijsters - Li displayed a kind of all-conquering maturity that helped her to catch up with Schiavone at 6-6 in the second set and force a tiebreak, which she went on to win 7-0．[来源：Z,xx,k．Com]

　　"I was nervous but I didn't want to show my opponent．So I was cheating(faking)a little bit," Li said．

　　The 29-year-old Wuhan native paid special gratitude to her husband, Jiang Shan, who served as her coach before Denmark's Michael Mortensen joined her team in May．

　　"Although he(Jiang)is not my coach any more, I want to give many thanks to him．He always understands me and tolerates me…Thanks for accompanying me all the time．"

　　With the victory, Li will reach No 4 in the world, equaling the previous Asian record set by Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm in the early 1990s．

　　Her triumph is expected to provide a major push to a sport already rising fast in China．She said, “I hope after the young people in China looked at my successful match today they will want to do even better than me in the future．”

阅读理解

　　Between their crazy schedules and upside-down circadian(昼夜节律的)rhythms, teens have always been somewhat sleep-deprived(剥夺)．Now technology is making it worse．

　　Teens are not just texting, instant-messaging and surfing Facebook all day; they’re sleeping with their cell phones or laptops, too．Or rather, not sleeping．And doctors and parents, many of whom raised in an era when phones were attached to walls, are concerned．

　　“So many teens are having sleep issues, and parents aren’t necessarily regulating the use of the electronic devices enough,” says Margie Ryerson, a therapist．“It’s impossible to wind down and relax the body, the mind, the senses and be ready to fall asleep．”

　　“We all know teens don’t get enough sleep in general,” says San Francisco．“As long as parents allow teens to have these devices in their bedrooms at night, teens will be tempted(诱惑)to use them．”…Teens would socialize 24/7 if they could．

Ryerson calls it the CNN syndrome of teenhood－round-the-clock reports on breaking news about everything, from homework to wardrobe choices to ice-cream cravings．

　　Sleep deprivation is linked to memory and concentration problems, anxiety and depression, and moodiness．“Many people assume these problems arise directly from adolescence, which is not really true,” he says．“The real issue is sleep deprivation．Late-night texting can certainly make the situation worse．”

　　“The psychology behind this constant contact is certainly understandable,” Ryerson says．“It comes from wanting to avoid being left out．They won’t be considered important and significant in their peer group, if they don’t know what’s going on．If they’re on top of everything, they belong,” she says．

　　“What helps, at least for younger kids,” says Ryerson, “is parental involvement．If all of their friends are all able to text into the early hours of the night, it is hard for a middle or high schooler to set the limit themselves．Often they appreciate parents stepping in．”

　　“As parents, we want our kids to be happy, healthy and responsible,” she says, “and the most necessary requirement for achieving balance is to first take care of ourselves physically－eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep．”

阅读理解

　　Can we turn negative thoughts like “I never do anything right” into positive ones like “I can succeed”? Is there power in positive thinking?

　　Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect：it can simply emphasize how unhappy they are．

　　The study’s authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by referring to older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not better．If you tell your friend that he may be an Einstein, you’re just underlining his faults．In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write passages opposing funding for the disabled．When they were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written．

　　In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students’ self-esteem(自尊)．The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes．Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell．When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, “I am lovable．”

　　Those with low self-esteem didn’t feel better after the experiment．In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren’t urged to think positive thoughts．

　　The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy(心理治疗)that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them．In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse．Meditation(静思)techniques, on the contrary, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a large, more realistic perspective(视野)．Call it the power of negative thinking．

阅读理解

　　Scores of farms across he country are opening up to overnight guests．The best have all the appeal of a first-rate inn(小旅馆)－plus here a moo, there a moo．

　　Sure, you and your kids have a plan for the theme parks．In the meanwhile, why not make a little hay(干草)? Farm stays are fast becoming the great American alternative to the pre-packaged vacation．

　　LIBERTY HALL FARM

　　Rochester, Vt．; 802/767-3926; www．libertyhillfarm．com．Adults ＄75, teens ＄50, kids 12 and under ＄35, including breakfast and dinner; shared baths．

　　Beth and Bob Kennett run a farm straight out of a storybook．You’ll find Beth in the kitchen, rolling out dough(生面团)for a pie．Bob’s busy with other work．Guests sleep in seven sunny bedrooms right in the farmhouse and can participate in any of the farm jobs．Maybe you and your kids won’t be up at 6 am to meet the milk truck, but you can help with the milking twice a day, collect eggs, and pick sweet corn and wild blackberries in season．

　　HULL-O FARM

　　It started in 1993 as a way to bring in some extra money at a time of falling milk prices．But soon after Frank and Sherry Hull opened their Catskill Mountains dairy farm to overnight visitors, they discovered they loved it．As you drive up, Sherry greets you on the porch(入口处)of the 1825 farmhouse with a cow-shaped cookie jar．Before long your kids are playing around with the cows, sheep, ducks, goats and getting ready for a hayride．

　　MERAMEC FARM CABINS

　　Bourbon, Mo．; 573/732-4765; http：//www．wine-mo．com Doubles with private bath ＄75, ＄10 per additional person．Trail and riding fees extra．

　　Climb on the back of the Ford pick up and catch up with the herd．One gentle cow named Cricket will even let the kids sit on her back．At the barn(牲口棚)Carol will introduce you to the horses－15 Missouri Fox Trotters－and lead you on a ride over the hills and down along the spring-fed Meramec River, where everyone swims．Grab a fishing pole and head back to the river．When you have your fill of the wild, try Carol and Dave’s favorite restaurants, within 20 miles of the farm．

阅读理解

　　Russia and the United States have completed the largest spy exchange since the Cold War．On Friday, at an airport in Vienna, Austria, an American plane and a Russian plane landed, parked side by side and exchanged occupants．

　　The United States freed ten admitted Russian agents．The men and women were arrested in late June and pleaded(承认)guilty on Thursday．

　　In exchange, Russia freed four Russians serving prison sentences on charges of spying for the West．The men include Igor Sutyagin, an armed researcher who always denied the charges．Some considered him a political prisoner．

　　The United States deported(驱逐)nine Russian and an American citizen born in Peru．Some raised children while living quiet lives as married couples．

　　Russia’s Foreign Ministry praised the exchange, saying, “The action improved Russian-U．S．relations．”

　　The group was accused of trying to gain information on American nuclear weapons, foreign policy and politics for the SVR－Russia’s foreign intelligence service．

　　The ten were only charged with plotting(阴谋)to act as undeclared foreign agents．They were not charged with the more serious crime of spying, so the extent(程度)of their success as spies is not clear．

　　One of the Russians, Anna Chapman, drew attention with her looks and stories of her New York party life．Hr lawyer, Robert Baum, said she had not passed secret information to Russia or received any payment．He also said, “She was accused of communicating with a Russian official through a laptop to laptop communication, without the government specifying the nature of the communication．”

阅读理解

　　They may make us scared, but somehow we just can’t get enough of our favorite monsters．From literature to movies, TV shows to Halloween(万圣节)costumes(服装), we want more of these blood-drinking, walking-dead, scary creatures!

　　Here’s a look at a few of them．

　　Mummy(木乃伊)：All you’ll need is a generous supply of toilet paper of make this instantly recognizable costume．The concept of mummies dates back thousands of years and across many cultures．Mummies are constantly seen in books, movies, and of course, on every Halloween night．

　　Werewolf(狼人)：The werewolf is known for its superhuman strength and shape-shifting powers．Examples of the werewolf date back to ancient Greek and Roman stories, which were about humans changing into animals and animals changing into humans．With television shows and movies, werewolves are once again having a strong influence on popular culture．

　　Frankenstein：Mary Shelley created the monster in her 1818 novel．Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who is curious about life and death, uses different body parts to create his works．Shocked by his new scientific creation, however, Victor ran away, leaving the creature to leave the laboratory and go out into the human world．Whether in books, movies, or onstage, this monster is still a costume favorite for people of all ages．

　　Zombie(僵尸)：Halloween activities would incomplete without zombies to really give people a fright．The zombie earned its title as one of Halloween’s most terrifying creatures after popular films．Zombies still frighten audiences as undead monsters that return to feast on the living．

　　Dracula(德拉库拉)：This classic vampire(吸血鬼)has terrified audiences for decades, but first appeared as a character in Irish writer Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel．In horror films, Dracula remains the most popular character．He is known for his pale skin, sharp teeth, red lips and son on．