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　　Having one of those days－or weeks－when everything seems to annoy you? Even if you do nothing about it, your bad mood(心情)will probably go away after some time．But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster－often within a day or two．

　　Exercise is the most popular bad mood buster．A person who's in a bad mood has low energy and high tension．Taking a fast ten-minute walk, or doing some quick exercises can do wonders towards changing the bad mood．

　　Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tension go away quickly, because music starts connection with past positive experiences we've had．

　　Stop and listen to what's on your mind．Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts．Write them all down on paper, the pessimistic(悲观的)messages you've been giving yourself, and then give optimistic answers．(“I still don't have a job．” vs “I have two interviews next week．”)

　　Relaxation techniques are wonderful mood-lifters．These include deep breathing, stretching and visualizing(想像), all of which sound complicated(复杂的)but aren't．One easy way to visualize：close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach．Another simple way to distress is to make a to do list．One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no options．By taking control over certain areas, you realize you're not helpless．You can make changes in your mood and life．

　　TV may not help much：you need to increase your energy level and stimulate(刺激)your mind－something that the TV show “Neighbors” won't do．And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked．Sugar and caffeine contribute to depressed moods．The better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta(面食), produce calming effects in people who have a desire for them．

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　　As you grow rapidly through your teenage years, you will experience a lot of changes．The changes may seem difficult and they may seem to happen quickly．Don't panic! You will deal successfully with them! You are a young adult now!

　　With more responsibility, you will find more freedom to make your own choices．This is a time to be well informed about your choices so that you can make healthy balanced decisions that will help shape your future．You may already know your career path or you may have no idea at all what you want to do．Both situations are fine！Work hard and the right opportunity will present itself to you．

　　Young adulthood means greater freedom and more choices．You will probably want to be independent．But try not to shut your family out of your life．You should learn to think of others even though you are old enough to look after yourself．Your family have been with you since you came into this world．

　　It is also perfectly natural in this time for you to spend more time with your friends than your family．Choose your friends wisely．A true friend will stand by you no matter what happens．

　　This period is part of the life cycle．There are some people who will be with you throughout life's journey and there will be some people with whom you part and go separate ways．Leaving school can be hard．The reality is that you may not ever see all of your classmates again．

　　You are a young adult．It is your life．No one can live it for you．The choices that you make from now on will be your choices．So making the right choices will be important to you．Life is for living．Enjoy your life wisely!

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Six Secrets of High-Energy People

　　There’s an energy crisis in America, and it has nothing to do with fossil fuels．Millions of us get up each morning already weary over the day holds．“I just can’t get started．” People say．But it’s not physical energy that most of us lack．Sure, we could all use extra sleep and a better diet．But in truth, people are healthier today than at any time in history．I can almost guarantee that if you long for more energy, the problem is not with your body．

　　What you’re seeking is not physical energy．It’s emotional energy．Yet, sad to say life sometimes seems designed to exhaust our supply．We work too hard．We have family obligations(义务)．We encounter(遭遇)emergencies and personal crises．No wonder so many of us suffer from emotional fatigue(疲劳), a kind of utter exhaustion of the spirit．

　　And yet we all know people who are filled with joy, despite the unpleasant circumstances of their lives．Even as a child I observed people who were poor or disabled or ill, but who nonetheless faced life with optimism and vigor(活力)．Consider Laura Hillenbrand, who despite an extremely weak body wrote the best-seller Seabiscuit．Hillenbrand barely had enough physical energy to drag herself out of bed to write．But she was fueled by having a story she wanted to share．It was emotional energy that helped her succeed．

　　Unlike physical energy, which is finite(有限的)and diminishes(减少)with age, emotional energy is unlimited and has nothing to do with genes or upbringing．So how do you get it? You can’t simply tell yourself to be positive．You must take action．Here are six practical strategies that work．

　　Very little that’s new occurs in our lives．The impact of this sameness on our emotional energy is gradual, but huge：It’s like a tire with a slow leak．You don’t notice it at first, but eventually you’ll get a flat．It’s up to you to plug the leak－even though there are always a dozen reasons to stay stuck in your dull routines of life．That’s where Maura, 36, a waitress, found herself a year ago．

　　Fortunately, Maura had a lifeline－a group of women friends who meet regularly to discuss their lives．Their lively discussions spurred Maura to make small but nevertheless life altering changes．She joined a gym in the next town．She changed her look with a short haircut and new black T-shirts．Eventually, Maura gathered the courage to quit her job and start her own business．

　　Here’s a challenge：If it’s something you wouldn’t ordinarily do, do it．Try a dish you’ve never eaten．Listen to music you’d ordinarily tune out．You’ll discover these small things add to your emotional energy．

　　So many of my patients tell me that their lives used to have meaning, but that somewhere along the line things went stale(厌倦的)．

　　The first step in solving this meaning shortage is to figure out what you really care about, and then do something about it．A case in point is Ivy, 57, a pioneer in investment banking．“I mistakenly believed that all the money I made would mean something．” she says．“But I feel lost, like a 22-year-old wondering what to do with her life．” Ivy’s solution? She started a program that shows Wall Streeters how to donate time and money to poor children．In the process, Ivy filled her life with meaning．

　　Most of us grown-ups are seriously fun-deprived．High-energy people have the same day-to-day work as the rest of us, but they manage to find something enjoyable in every situation．A real estate broker I know keeps herself amused on the job by mentally redecorating the houses she shows to clients．“I love imagining what even the most run-down house could look like with a little tender loving care,” she says．“It’s a challenge－and the least desirable properties are usually the most fun．”

　　We all define fun differently, of course, but I can guarantee this：If you put just a bit of it into your day, you energy will increase quickly．

　　Everyone’s past is filled with regrets that still cause pain．But from an emotional energy point of view, they are dead weights that keep us from moving forward．While they can’t merely be willed away, I do recommend you remind yourself that whatever happened in the past, nothing can change that．Holding on to the memory only allows the damage to continue into the present．

　　Say you’ve been thinking about cutting your hair short．Will it look stylish－or too extreme? You endlessly think it over．Having the decision hanging over your head is a huge energy drain．Every time you can’t decide, you burden yourself with alternatives．Quit thinking that you have to make the right decision; instead, make a choice and don’t look back．

　　Emotional energy has a kind of magical quality：the more you give, the more you get back．This is the difference between emotional and physical energy．With the latter．You have to get it to be able to give it．With the former, however, you get it by giving it．

　　Start by asking everyone you meet, “How are you?” as if you really want to know, and then listen to the reply．Be the one who hears．Most of us also need to smile more often．If you don’t smile at the person you love first thing in the morning, you’re sucking energy out of your relationship．Finally, help another person－and make the help real, concrete．Give a massage to someone you love, or cook her dinner, Then, expand the circle to work．Try asking yourself what you’d do if your goal were to be helpful rather than efficient．

　　After all, if it’s true that what goes around comes around, why not make sure that what’s circulating around you is the good stuff?

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　　BEIJING－Apple Inc is one step closer to beginning sales of iPad2 tablet computers with cellular(手机)network compatibility(兼容)for the first time in the Chinese mainland, where the consumer-electronics giant is in the midst of an aggressive expansion．

　　According to China’s Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, a device by Apple with third-generation high-speed wireless data capabilities was issued the network access license needed for the company to begin official sales in China．The device, listed under model number “A1396”, is compatible with the 3G standard WCDMA, and would work with the cellular network operated by Apple’s local iPhone partner, China Unicom(Hong Kong)Ltd．

　　China Unicom declined(谢绝)to comment．

　　Apple already offers the 3G iPad2 in Hong Kong through its partners, but currently only offers Wi-Fi versions of the device in the Chinese mainland．Still, consumers in China, which according to research firm IDC surpassed(超过)the US as the world’s largest PC market in the second quarter, have been purchasing 3G tablets through unofficial channels．

　　Separately, Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu said Sept 6 that the company’s first Hong Kong store, set to open this quarter, will be located in the city’s central shopping and business district in the International Finance Center’s upscale(高档的)IFC mall, a commercial center and sightseeing spot along the city’s waterfront．Wu also said that Apple is planning a new store in Shanghai later this quarter, which will be its biggest store in China．She declined to give more details or to comment on the 3G iPad2．

　　Apple currently has four full-service Apple stores in the mainland, which receive the most traffic of any Apple stores in the world．The company otherwise relies on resellers to get its products into the market．

　　The new stores reflect Apple’s confidence in rising demand for its products such as smart phones and tablet computers．Sales in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan helped boost(增长)the company’s third-quarter results, newly appointed Chief Executive Tim Cook said in July．China revenue(收益)surged(激增)six-fold to about ＄3.8 billion during the three months ended June 25．

　　“This has been a substantial(重大)opportunity for Apple and I firmly believe that we’re just scratching the surface right now,” Cook said at the time, referring to strong sales in China．“I see an incredible opportunity for Apple there．”

　　From China Daily 2011-09-08

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　　The evidence for harmony may not be obvious in some families．But it seems that four out of five young people now get on with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly-held image of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels．

　　An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is more harmonious than it has ever been in the past．“We were surprised by just how positive today’s young people seem to be about their families,” said one member of the research team．“They’re expected to be rebellious(叛逆的)and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds; they want a car and material goods, and they worry about whether school is serving them well．There’s more negotiation(商议)and discussion between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process．They don’t want to rock the boat．”

　　So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends．“My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me,” says 17-year-old Daniel Lazall, “I always tell them when I’m going out clubbing．As long as they know what I’m doing, they’re fine with it．” Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees．“Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiation．For example, as long as I’d done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night．But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that．”

　　Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected．It is possible that the idea of teenage rebellion is not rooted in real facts．A researcher comments, “Our surprise that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings．But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled．The normal situation throughout history has been a smooth change from helping out with the family business to taking it over．”

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　　As an experienced photojournalist in Nashville, Tennessee, I was hired by USA Today newspaper to photograph a spinal bifida(脊柱畸形)corrective surgical procedure．It was to be performed on a twenty-one week old fetus(胎儿)in uterus(子宫)at Vanderbilt University Medical Center．At that time, in 1999, twenty-one weeks in uterus was the earliest that the surgical team would consider for surgery．The worst possible outcome would be that the surgery would cause premature delivery, and no child born earlier than twenty-three weeks had survived．

　　The tension could be felt in the operating room as the surgery began．A typical C-section incision(切口)was made to access the uterus, which was then lifted out and laid at the junction of the mother’s thighs．The entire procedure would take place within the uterus, and no part of the child was to breach the surgical opening．During the procedure, the position of the fetus was adjusted by gently manipulating the outside of the uterus．The entire surgical procedure on the child was completed in one hour and thirteen minutes．When it was over, the surgical team breathed a sigh of relief, as did I．

　　As a doctor asked me what speed of film I was using, out of the corner of my eye I saw the uterus shake, but no one’s hands were near it．It was shaking from within．Suddenly, an entire arm thrust out of the opening, then pulled back until just a little hand was showing．The doctor reached over and lifted the hand, which reacted and squeezed the doctor’s finger．As if testing for strength, the doctor shook the tiny fist．Samuel held firm．I took the picture! Wow! It happened so fast that the nurse standing next to me asked, “What happened?” “The child reached out,” I said．“Oh．They do that all the time,” she responded．

　　The surgical opening to the uterus was closed and the uterus was then put back into the mother and the C-section opening was closed．

　　It was ten days before I knew if the picture was even in focus．To ensure no digital manipulation of images before they see them, USA Today requires that film be submitted unprocessed．When the photo editor finally phoned me he said, “It’s the most incredible picture I’ve ever seen．”

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　　We always convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, than another．Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are．After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with．we will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage．

　　We always tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse(配偶)gets his or her act together, when we get a nice car, and are able to go on a nice vocation and when we retire．The truth is, there's no better time than right now．If not now, when? our life will always be filled with challenges．It's best to admit this to ourselves and decide to be happy anyway．

　　One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred Souza．He said．" for a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin－real life．But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid．

　　Then life would begin．At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life．" This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness．Happiness is the way．So treasure every moment that you have．

　　And remember that time waits for no one．So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school; until you get married, until you get divorced; until you have kids; until you retire; until you get a new car or home; until spring; until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy．

　　Happiness is a journey, not a destination．So, work like you don't need money, love like you've never been hurt, And dance like no one's watching．

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　　Proverbs are quite common in spoken English．We don’t normally put them in a composition or a letter．Sometimes it is helpful if you know what common proverbs mean．Here are a few examples．

　　1)

　　“Once bitten, twice shy．” If a dog bites me, I shall be twice as careful in future when I see it．This proverb is also used to apply to many things and not only to dogs．If you have been cheated at a shop, you will not go the same shop again．

　　2)

　　“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush．” If I am a hunter, trying to catch birds, it is better to catch one than to see two birds in a bush but not able to catch them．Thus this means that what you have already got is better than the chance of being able to get something bigger in future．

　　3)

　　“Too many cooks spoil the broth(soup)”．When too many people do something, they get in each other’s way and do a bad job．

　　4)

　　“To pour oil on troubled waters” is to try to calm things down．Oil is lighter than water．If a ship is in trouble at sea, another ship may come to help it．The second ship can send small boats to rescue people．However, it may first pour oil on the sea to make the sea less rough．

　　5)

　　“Don’t be a dog in a manger(槽)”means“ Don’t be selfish．” In a stable( 马房), the manger is the place where the horse’s food is put．Sometimes a dog will sleep in the manger and bark when a horse comes to get its food．The dog does want to eat the lay in the manger but it will not let the horse eat it．

　　6)

　　“He is sitting on the fence” means that somebody will not say whether he is in favor of a plan or against it．He is sitting on a fence between two opposing sides, perhaps waiting to see which side will win．

　　“He who pays the piper calls the tune．” A piper is a musician．The man who employs or pays a musician can say what tunes the man will play．Thus this means that if a man provides the money for a plan, he can say how it will be carried out．

　　“You can’t get blood out of a stone” means that you cannot get something from a person who has not got any of the things you want．e．g．you cannot get a million dollars from a poor man．

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　　New rules and behavior standards for middle school students came out in March．Middle school is going to use a new way to decide who the top students are．The best students won't only have high marks．They will also be kids who don't dye(color)their hair, smoke or drink．The following are some of the new rules．

　　Tell the truth．Have you ever copied someone else's work on an exam? Don't do it again! That's not something an honest student should do．If you have played computer games for two hours in your room, don't tell your parents you have done homework．

　　Do more at school．Good students love animals and care for other people．April is Bird-Loving Month in China．Is your school doing anything to celebrate? You should join! That way, you can learn more about animals and how to protect them．When more people work together, it makes more fun for everyone．

　　Have you ever quarreled with your teammates when your basketball team lost? Only working together can make your team stronger．Be friendly to the people you are with．Try to think of others not only yourself．

　　Be open to new ideas．Have you ever thought that people could live on the moon? Maybe you'll discover Earth II someday．Don't look down on new ideas．Everyone's ideas are important．You should welcome them, because new ideas make life better for everyone．

　　Protect yourself．Has someone ever taken money from one of your classmates? Don't let it happen to you．If you have to go home late, you should let your parents know．

　　Use the Internet carefully．The Internet can be very useful for your studies．But some things on the Internet aren't for kids, so try to look at Web pages that are good for you．You can use the Web for fun or homework．Can't you find any good Web sites for children? Here are some：

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　　It is often said that politeness costs nothing．In fact, it seems that a little more courtesy could save businesses ￡5billion every year．

　　Frequently hearing the phrase "thank you" or "well done" means the same to staff as a modest pay rise, researchers say．Praise and encouragement also makes employees more likely to work hard and stay in their jobs, saving on the cost of finding replacements．

　　A third of 1,000 workers surveyed by consulting firm White Water Strategies said they did not get thanked at all when they did well, and a further third said they were not thanked enough．In both cases, staff said they felt undervalued, meaning they were less likely to exert themselves and were more likely to look for employment elsewhere．The net result is around ￡5.2billion in lost productivity from employees who would raise their game if they felt more appreciated, White Water claimed．According to the company, praising staff has the same motivational kick as a 1 per cent pay rise - and works out much cheaper for bosses．Three out of four employees said that regular acknowledgement by their bosses was important to them, but only a quarter said they were actually given as much praise as they felt they needed．The survey found that those in blue-collar and manual jobs were less likely to be given any recognition for doing well．

　　In regional terms, Scottish staff felt most undervalued．Four out of ten workers said they were never thanked and eight out of ten said they would like more praise．However, workers in the North-East are less impressed by being buttered up by the boss, as only 69 per cent said they felt the need to be told "well done" regularly．

　　Older employees and women need the most reassurance, according to psychologist Averil Leimon, a director of White Water Strategies．She said that words of praise did more than create a pleasant place to work - they could even boost profits．