阅读理解

　　AAAGH! The Generation 90s is coming!

　　Wearing earphones, using complex Net language and constantly text messaging friends, the Gen-90s following the Gen-80s begin to make their world debut(初次登台)．

　　Each generation or age group has its own symbols and lifestyle．Read on and judge for yourselves if you fit the Gen-90s profile(简介)．

　　Earphones

　　These little devices seem to grow on the heads of the Gen-90s．They might lead to MP3, MP4 or MP101 players, giving these young people a plugged-in，cool and perhaps self-addicted look, of course, life is not always music to the ears．

　　Martian language

　　They have created their own code-like online language．It’s a mixture of English, Japanese and Chinese that perhaps only Martians can understand．This is an imaginative generation, though they need to be careful to keep it out of their term papers．

　　Self-Portrait

　　Saying “cheese” to their own digital cameras is routine for this generation．A little bit of narcissism(自恋)never hurts anyone．It helps them reflect a little on their own lives．But be aware of the risks of posting private photos online．

　　Text-messaging

　　They can type their mobile phones as fast as they can speak．This is a generation that respects efficiency．However, oral communication is important and will never go out of style．

阅读理解

　　Two dogs, Tank and Muck, joined the extraordinary(非凡的)animals in the history of the RSPCA, along with a donkey who saved an old man in a fire．

　　On a quiet afternoon, Tank, Muck and three-year-old Max were thought to be playing in the yard．But later, Max’s mum, Annie, found they had disappeared．

　　“I searched everywhere for him, ” she said．“And when I couldn’t find him I jumped into the car．I finally found the dogs．They were running madly around the dam．I called Paul．”

　　Michael Beattie from the RSPCA said Annie’s neighbor, Lucy Brown, who lived near the dam, 300 meters away from the Smiths’ house, was the first to hear the dogs’ barking．She came out and found Max and the two dogs．All of them were wet．So she took him inside and gave him a hot shower．

　　Paul Smith said, “When I received my wife’s call, I panicked．I couldn’t believe it．I didn’t know what I should do! Then I called the police．”

　　Meanwhile Annie was worried to death．“I was running around trying to find Max,” she said．“The lady who found him heard me calling and she brought him out to me．”

　　When the police arrived they saw quite clear drag marks(拖的痕迹)－Max was rescued by the two dogs．

　　“We felt so lucky, especially when so many kids in Australia drowned(溺死)every year．” Said Paul．

　　The RSPCA awarded each dog a medallion, a certificate(证书)and a very large bone．

　　Tank and Muck, both were homeless before they were taken home by the Smiths．It was a great leap(跳跃), from rescued dogs to heroes．Maybe it was just their way of saying thanks to the Smiths．

阅读理解

　　Lohri is an agricultural festival, filled with merrymaking．It is celebrated in the state of Punjab on the 13th of January, which falls one day before Makar Sankranti．While Lohri is essentially a Punjabi festival, it is celebrated in some other states of North India as well．In cities like Delhi, which has a large population, Lohri is celebrated to show the end of the coldest days of winter．The last week of December and the first two weeks of January are usually the coldest period in Punjab and other areas of North India．However, after Lohri, the temperature starts to rise．

　　During the day, children go from door to door singing songs in praise of(称赞)Dulha Bhatti, the Punjabi translation of Robin Hood, a thief who helped the poor and fought for their rights．These children are given sweets and food, and sometimes they are also given money．These munchies(小吃)that the children collect are known as Lohri, and they are distributed at night during the festival．

　　The festival of Lohri is celebrated outdoors．As it is usually very cold on the 13th of January, a bonfire(篝火)is lit, and friends and relatives gather around．If there has been a happy occasion in the family, like the birth of a child or a marriage, Lohri is celebrated with much greater happiness．The happy family usually hosts a party to celebrate the first Lohri of the new child or couple．

　　Singing and dancing form an important part of the celebrations．People wear their brightest clothes and come to dance the bhangra and gidda to the best of the dhol(朵尔鼓)．Punjabi songs are sung, and everybody is happy．

阅读理解

　　If you see someone drowning, speed is very important．Once you get him out of the water, if he isn't breathing, you have four minutes before his brain is completely destroyed．Support his neck, move his head back and press his chin upwards．This stops the tongue blocking the airway in the throat and is sometimes enough to get him breathing again．If that doesn't work, start mouth-to-mouth breathing．Press his nostrils(the two holes at the end of your nose, through which you breathe and smell things)together with your fingers．Open your mouth and take a deep breath．Blow into his lungs until his chest rises, then remove your mouth and watch his chest fall．Repeat twelve times a minute．Keep doing until professional help arrives．

　　To bring a child back to life, keep your lips around his mouth and gently blow into his mouth．Give the first four breaths as quickly as possible to fill the blood with oxygen．If, in spite of your efforts, he starts turning a blue-grey colour, and you can feel no pulse, then pressing is the last chance of saving his life．

　　With arms straight, rock forwards, pressing down on the lower half of the breastbone．Don't be too hard or you may break a rib．Check how effective you are by seeing if his colour improves or his pulse becomes independent to your chest pressing．If this happens, stop the pressing．Otherwise continue until rescue arrives．

阅读理解

　　A well-dressed man entered a famous jewelry shop．He explained that he wished to buy a pearl for his wife’s birthday．The price didn’t matter, since business had been very good for him that year．After examining a nice black one that costs ＄5, 000, he paid for the pearl in cash, shook hands with the jeweler, and left．

　　A few days later the man returned and said that his wife liked the pearl so much that she wanted another one just like it．It had to be exactly the same size and quality as she wanted a pair of earrings made．"Can you give me any advice on how to get such a pearl?" said the man．The jeweler regretfully replied, "I would say it’s exactly impossible to find one exactly like that pearl．"

　　The rich man insisted that the jeweler advertise in the newspapers, offering ＄25,000 for the matching pearl．Many people answered the advertisement but nobody had a pearl that was just right．

　　Just when the jeweler had given up hope, a little old lady came into his store．To his great surprise, she pulled the perfect pearl from her purse．" “I don’t like to part with it．" she said sadly, I got it from my mother, and, my mother got it from her’s．But I really need the money．

　　The jeweler was quickly to pay her before she changed her mind．Then he called the rich man’s hotel to tell him the good news．The man, however, was nowhere to be found．The jeweler immediately realized the whole thing．

阅读理解

　　You either have it, or you don’t－a sense of direction, that is．But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara(撒哈拉沙漠)without a map, while others can lose themselves in the next street?

　　Scientists say we’re all born with a sense of direction, but it is not properly understood how it works．One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it．Research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don’t use it, we’ll lose it．

　　“Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around,” says Jim Martland, Research director of the project．“However, if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car, they never develop the skills．”

　　Jim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction．He makes the following suggestions：

　　If you are using a map, turn it so it relates to the way you are facing．

　　If you leave your bike in a strange place, put it near something like a big stone or a tree－something easy to recognize．Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike．When you return, go back along the same route．

　　Simplify the way for finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town, streams, or walls in the countryside to guide you．Count your steps so that you know how far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to find out where you are．

　　Now you will never get lost again!

阅读理解

　　Just be happy．Sounds too simplistic, doesn’t it? But, in reality, we can have much more happiness if we choose to consider things from a positive point of view．Everyone experiences the ups and downs of life, however, we can make a decision to take advantage of the negative or practice what the old saying says to do：“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!”

　　It really boils down to your attitude and you have the ability to work your attitude into any shape you like．Here are some tips：

　　●Ignore those who tell you life is too difficult to be happy．what do they know?

　　●When you awaken each morning, be thankful for another day, even if it’s raining．

　　●Smile at those you meet, even if they don’t return the favor．

　　●Don’t borrow trouble．Each day has enough of its own．

　　●Don’t allow trouble to bury you in its gray depth of sorrow．

　　●Don’t give in to negative thinking．

　　●Be positive even when others are not．

　　●Refuse to give up on anything worth having or doing．

　　●Do something you enjoy each day, even if it’s just a walk in your neighborhood．

　　●Whistle(吹口哨)as you go though the day．

　　●Work at being happy because it’s worth it．

　　You’re human, like everyone else, and from time to time you need a little pick-me-up in your decision to be happy．When you reach that stage, find someone else who has decided to be happy．Join forces with him and march forward in your decision to be a happy person．Simply speaking, a happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances(环境)but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes．

　　Choose today to just be happy－as much as it depends on you!

阅读理解

　　An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old son．Suddenly a crow(乌鸦)landed on their window．

　　The father asked his son, “What is that?”

　　The son replied, “That is a crow．”

　　After a few minutes, the father asked his son for the second time, “What is this?”

　　The son said, “Father, I told you just now．It’s a crow．”

　　After a little while, the father asked his son the same question for the third time, “What is this?”

　　This time, the son said to his father in a low and cold tone, “It’s a crow, a crow．”

　　After a moment, the father yet again asked his son for the fourth time, “What is this?”

　　This time his son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? I have told you already, ‘IT IS A CROW’．Are you not able to understand this?”

　　A minute later the father went to his room and came back with a diary, which he had kept since his son was born．On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page．

　　Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, when a crow suddenly landed on the window edge．My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied him 23 times that it was a crow．I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question．I didn’t at all feel angry, but instead felt affection for my son．

　　If your parents reach old age, do not look at them as a burden, but speak to them gently, and be kind to them．From today say this aloud, “I want to see my parents happy forever．They have cared for me ever since I was a little child．They have always showered me with love．I will take care of my old parents in the best way no matter how they behave．”

阅读理解

　　People need to relax and enjoy themselves．One way they can have a good time is to watch a baseball game or another sports event．Even thousands of years ago, groups of people gathered to watch skilled athletes(运动员)．

　　Over 2000 years ago in Greece, certain days in the year were festival days．These were holidays when people stopped work and enjoyed themselves．They liked to watch athletes take part in races and other games of skill．

　　The most important festival was held every four years at the town of Olympia．It was held in honor of the Greek god Zeus(Zus)．For five days, athletes from all parts of the Greek world took part in the Olympic Games．At the Olympic Games, people could watch them box, run, jump and so on．There was a relay race between two teams of men in which a lighted torch(火矩)was passed from runner to runner．The Olympic Games were thought to be so important that cities which were at war with one another had to stop fighting．People were allowed to travel to the games safely．Thousands of people came to Olympia from cities in Greece and from her colonies(殖民地)in Africa, Asia and Italy．They met as friends to cheer their favorite athletes and to enjoy themselves．

阅读理解

　　I walked alongside my father, clutching his right hand．All my clothes were new：the black shoes, the green school uniform, and the red cap．They did not make me happy, however, as tins was the day I was to be thrown into school for the first time．I tried in vain lo convince him that I did nothing wrong all the way, but it didn't help．

　　When we．arrived at the sate we could see the courtyard, vast and full of boys and girls．I hesitated and clung to his hand, but he gently pushed me from him．"Be a man, "he said．"today you truly begin your life．You will find me waiting for you when it's time to leave．"

　　I took a few steps．Then the faces of the boys and girls came into view．I did not know a single one of them, and none of them knew me．I felt I was a stranger who had lost his way．But then some boys began to glance at me in curiosity, and one of them came over and asked, "Who brought you? "

　　"My father," I whispered．

　　''My father's dead, " he said simply．

　　I did not know what to say．The gate was now closed．Some of the children burst into tears．The bell rang．A lady came along, followed by a group of men．The men began soiling us into ranks．We were formed into an intricate pattern in the great courtyard surrounded by high buildings．

　　Well, it seemed that my misgivings had had no basis．From the first moments I made many friends and fell in love with many girls．I had never imagined school would have this rich variety of experiences．

　　We played all sorts, of games．In the music room we sang our first songs．We also had our first introduction to language．We saw a globe of Earth, which revolved and showed the various continents and countries．We started lean-line numbers, and we were told the story of the Creator of the universe．We ate delicious food, took a little nap, and woke up to go on with friendship and love, playing and learning．

　　Our path, however, was not totally sweet and unclouded．We had to be observant and patient．It was not all a matter of playing and fooling around．Rivalries could bring about pain and hatred or give rise to fighting．And while the lady would sometimes smile, she would often yell and scold．Even more frequently

　　she would resort to physical punishment．

　　The bell rang, announcing the passing of the day and the end of work．The children rushed toward the gate, which was opened again．I said goodbye to friends and sweethearts and passed through the gate．I looked around but found no trace of my father, who had promised lo be there．I stepped aside to wait．