阅读理解

　　I’ve been writing for most of my life．The book Writing Without Teachers introduced me to one distinction(区别)and one practice that has helped my writing processes tremendously．The distinction is between the creative mind and the critical mind．While you need to employ both to get to a finished result, they cannot work in parallel no matter how much we might like to think so．

　　Trying to criticize writing on the fly is possibly the single greatest barrier to writing that most of us encounter．If you are listening to that 5th grade English teacher correct your grammar while you are trying to capture a fleeting(稍纵即逝的)thought, the thought will die．If you capture the fleeting thought and simply share it with the world in raw form, no one is likely to understand．You must learn to create first and then criticize if you want to make writing the tool for thinking that it is．

　　The practice that can help you past your learned bad habits of trying to edit as you write is what Elbow calls “free writing．” In free writing, the objective is to get words down on paper non-stop, usually for 15-20 minutes．No stopping, no going back, no criticizing．The goal is to get the words flowing．As the words begin to flow, the ideas will come from the shadows and let themselves be captured on your notepad or your screen．

　　Now you have raw materials that you can begin to work with using the critical mind that you’ve persuaded to sit on the side and watch quietly．Most likely, you will believe that this will take more time than you actually have and you will end up staring blankly at the pages as the deadline draws near．

　　Instead of staring at a blank start filling it with words no matter how bad．Halfway through your available time, stop and rework your raw writing into something closer to finished product．Move back and forth until you run out of time and the final result will most likely be far better than your current practices．

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　　He has vowed that he will not stop building his business until it is worth ￡100 million．But hard-working Owens can stop for at least a moment's celebration after making his first ￡1 million at the age of 16．Owens, who has used a computer since the age of seven, began teaching himself basic web design at the age of ten when he was given his first Mac computer．He used his pocket money to fund his first business project, website Mac Box Bundle at just 14 which has made ￡700,000 since its establishment in 2008．Mac Box Bundle sells a combination of popular Mac applications which are worth up to ＄400 together for under just ＄100 and donates 10 percent of the money to charities．

　　He then established an advertising company Branchr a year later and worked on the business after school and at weekends．Branchr made a surprising ￡500,000 in its first year．Branchr works as a platform for website owners to sell advertising．

　　Owens, from Northampton, currently employs eight staff---all adults---around the UK and America as sales and technical assistants．The young man lives with his parents．His mother who is a company secretary said he was inspired to go into business after observing the huge success achieved by Apple's chief executive officers(首席执行官)Steve Jobs．

　　Owens said, "I think everyone has business sense in them, and they just need to gain experience and be determined to make it．There is no magical formula(法则)for business, It takes hard work, determination and the drive to do something great．My aim is to become a leading name in the world of Internet and mobile advertising and push myself right to the top of the game．

　　The teenager insists his professional success has not affected his personal life, and says his interests include photography and playing the guitar．"My friends and I don't really talk about my success．To them I'm just a normal teenager and it doesn't change anything between us．"

阅读理解

　　How to improve my life? Many people think that they have to accept whatever life throws at them．They'll say, "This is my fate, my destiny．I cannot change it．"

　　Of course not! You don't have to suffer needlessly．Your destiny depends on you, not on any other external factors．

　　I know someone who says she just accepts what life gives her because she has done everything she can to improve it．Guess what her lifestyle is? She wakes up in the morning, goes to work, comes back home, relaxes, chats with people, watches TV, then goes to sleep．Next day, the same routine cycle follows．

　　Huh! Is this what she calls "doing her best"? She believes she has tried her best and just accepts it in her heart that this is the life that God has intended for her to live; that her luck can only change if God wills it．Of course God wants us to be happy and live our life to the fullest, but we have to do our share of exerting(运用)the effort to live the life of our dreams．

　　Remember that you reap what you sow．You just don't sit around and wait for a million dollars to fall from the sky．You have to get off the couch, get your eyes off the TV screen, get your hands off the phone．Don’t expect your luck to change unless you do something about it．If something goes wrong, don't just regard it as a temporary setback; but use it as feedback．Learn your lesson, make the most of the situation, and do something to solve the problem．It's not enough to think positively; you also have to act positively．

　　If someone's life is in the trouble, do you just hope and pray that things will turn out fine? Of course not! You get to do anything you can to save the person．So it is with your own life．It is not enough to hope for the best, but you have to do your best．In other words, don't just stand(or sit)there, do something to improve your life．

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　　There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece．The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama evolved(演化)from ceremony．The argument for this view goes as follows．

　　In the beginning, human beings viewed the natural forces of the world－even the seasonal changes－as unpredictable, and they sought through various means to control these unknown and feared powers．Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then kept and repeated until they hardened into fixed ceremonies．Eventually stories arose which explained the mysteries of the ceremonies．As time passed some ceremonies were abandoned, but the stories, later called myths, remained and provided material for art and drama．

　　Those who believe that drama evolved out of ceremony also argue that those ceremonies contained the seed of theater because music, dance, masks, and costumes were almost always used．Furthermore, a suitable site had to be provided for performances and when the entire community did not participate, a clear division was usually made between the "acting area" and the "auditorium "．In addition, there were performers, and, since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in the performing of ceremonies, religious leaders usually took that task．Wearing masks and costumes, they often acted other people, animals, or supernatural beings, and imitated the desired effect --- success in hunt or battle, the coming rain, etc．as an actor might．Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities．

　　Another theory traces(追溯)the theater's origin from the human interest in storytelling．According to this view, tales(about the hunt, war, etc)are gradually developed, at first through the use of action and dialogue, and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person．A closely related theory traces theater to those dances that are primarily rhythmical and gymnastic or that are imitations of animal movements and sounds．

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　　When six of the very best students from different cities in Guangdong Province all together chose universities in Hong Kong; when the very best students of Beijing picked up HK University while giving up the nearby Peking or Tsinghua University; when the highest enrollment(录取)rate of Hong Kong Science and Industry University reached 48：1, it’s the high time to ask where the real education heaven for students in China is．

　　Years ago, the answer certainly would be “Peking or Tsinghua University”．But now no one could give the exact reaction without hesitation．The only sure thing is that HK universities have gradually showed an unusual attraction to a great many mainland students．

　　It’s no doubt to call this HK craze(狂热), which is even out of the expectation of those HK universities themselves．How can HK universities shake the steady foundations of Peking and Tsinghua and attract so many mainland students?

　　First, Hong Kong universities offer large-amount scholarships, especially for the top students who can receive the sum scholarship as much as 400,000 HK dollars．Since higher education has become a kind of heavy burden of many families, it’s easy to understand why the reaction to the generous offering of HK universities is great．

　　Second, most HK universities receive professors and students from all over the world and carry out bilingual(双语的)education．This kind of excellent language atmosphere is another attraction for mainland students．

　　Furthermore, university students in Hong Kong have a better chance to study abroad as exchange students．

　　Can mainland top universities like Peking or Tsinghua University calm as before when facing the unexpected competition from HK？Will they take relevant measures to win back the top students who once help them set the worldwide reputation? Time will explain it．

　　The fierce competition brought by HK universities can be a good thing for an entire improvement of education in China．After the awakening and action taking of mainland universities, they can perform better together with HK universities．

　　At least, it reminded the mainland universities the tuition fees are among students’ top concern when they are choosing universities．It’s time to move．

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　　Sometimes when we are lost in the day-to-day activities of life and work, we forget there is a part of us that wants to serve and make a difference in the world．It is also a good time to look for ways to express yourself through service to others．

　　Most people want to live a life full of meaning．If you recognize you have a true desire to serve, voluntary work in the community and a spirit of giving can lead you to an understanding of what you care about, what your natural talents are, and what your life purpose is．It can start you on the path to a new life．

　　To live(身体力行)your purpose as fully as possible, use your natural gifts when you serve others．If you are a naturally-born teacher, you could teach students who are struggling with basic reading skills．If you are good at encouraging people, you could visit people who are sick or in nursing home．

　　Many of us forget how luck we are and how much support we have．When we reach out to others, we sometimes realize how our lives have been blessed．When you are aware of all the blessing(祝福)that you have received, you can understand your true ability to make a difference．

　　Service is a spirit for living as well as a set of actions．You live your life purpose every day．It’s not just when you are volunteering at church or the local food bank．It’s every time you interact with anyone．Through your actions, your words and your smiles, you have the capability to either uplift someone or put them down．Meaningful, purposeful lives are built every moment, not just in isolated times spent volunteering．Whether it’s at work, in traffic, in the line at the grocery store, or at a concert, you have an opportunity to serve or change the world．Your efforts don’t have to be extraordinary, but your life certainly will be．

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　　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．

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　　Just as the world’s most respected scientific bodies have confirmed that the world is getting hotter, they have also stated that there is strong evidence that humans are driving the warming．Countless recent reports from the world’s leading scientific bodies have said the same thing．For example, a 2010 summary of climate science by the Royal Society stated that：“There is strong evidence that the warming of the Earth over the last half-century has been caused largely by human activity．”

　　The idea that humans could change the planet’s climate may be counter-intuitive(与直觉不符的), but the basic science is well understood．Each year, human activity causes billions of tons of greenhouse gases to be released(释放)into the atmosphere．As scientists have known for years, these gases hold heat that would otherwise escape to space, wrapping the planet in an invisible blanket．

　　Of course, the planet’s climate has always been changing thanks to “natural” factors(因素)such as changes in solar or volcanic(火山的)activity, or cycles relating the Earth’s going around the sun．According to the scientific literature, however, the warming recorded to date matches the pattern of warming we would expect from a build-up of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere – not the warming we would expect from other possible causes．

　　Even if scientists did discover another reasonable explanation for the warming observed so far, that would beg a difficult question．As Robert Henson puts it in The Rough Guide to Climate Change：“If some newly discovered factor can account for the climate change, then why aren’t carbon dioxide(二氧化碳)and the other greenhouse gases producing the warming that basic physics tells us they should be?”

　　The only way to prove with 100％ certainty that humans are responsible for global warming would be to run an experiment with two identical Earths –　one with human influence and one without．That obviously isn’t possible, and so most scientists are careful not to state human influence as an absolute certainty．

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　　Let’s do some sleep math．You lost two hours of sleep every night last week because of a big project due on Friday．On Saturday and Sunday，you slept in，getting four extra hours．On Monday morning，you were feeling so bright-eyed that you only had one cup of coffee，instead of your usual two．But don’t be cheated by your energy．You’re still carrying around a heavy load of sleepiness，or what experts call “sleep debt”－in this case something like six hours，almost a full night’s sleep．

　　Sleep debt is the difference between the amount of sleep you should be getting and the amount you actually get．It’s a shortage that grows every time we skim some extra minutes off our nightly sleep．“People get more sleep debt gradually without being noticed，”says William C．Dement，founder of the Stanford University Sleep Clinic．Studies show that such short-term sleep lack leads to a foggy brain，worsened vision，and trouble remembering．Long-term effects include obesity(肥胖)，insulin(胰岛素)resistance，and heart disease．A survey by the National Sleep Foundation reports that we’re losing one hour of sleep each night－more than two full weeks of sleep every year．

　　The good news is that，like all debt，with some work，sleep debt can be repaid．Adding an extra hour or two of sleep a night is the way to catch up．For the long-term lack of sleep，relax for a few months to get back into a natural sleep pattern．Go to bed when you are tired，and allow your body to wake you in the morning(no alarm clock allowed)．You may find yourself catatonic(有紧张症的)in the beginning of the recovery cycle：Expect to have ten hours’ shut-eye per night；As the days pass，however，the amount of sleeping time will gradually decrease．

　　So earn back that lost sleep and follow the rules of your innate(固有的)sleep needs．You’ll feel better．“When you put away sleep debt,you become a superman,”says Stanford's Dement，talking about the improved mental and physical capabilities that come with being well rested．

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　　China news, Beijing, July29 – Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese．To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries．However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States．This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫)in Chinese real estate market, the International Finance News reported．

　　Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted to(换算)RMB, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses．If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter．In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US．

　　The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles．Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities．Furthermore, it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people．How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?

　　At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public．Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate(控制)the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers．At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units．By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered．