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YOU CAN'T DO IT EVEN IF IT HURTS NOBODY

　　Who do you think breaks the law in our society? If you believe that only tough guys commit crimes, you may have to think again．Unlike in the movies, we can't divide the world into bad guys and model citizens．Real life is much more complex．In the same way that diseases range from the common cold to fatal forms of cancer, crimes vary in degree．For example, smoking in an elevator will inconvenience people, but much less than threatening them with a gun．

　　In addition to breaking the law themselves, people tolerate various levels of crime．Why can we tolerate some crimes? It may be that, by seeing others do something, we accept it more easily．For instance, most people will find it easier to speed on a highway when everybody else is driving over the speed limit．When people celebrate a sports championship, if they see someone breaking store windows, they might start breaking windows themselves or even steal from the store．So the people around us influence how much law-breaking we can tolerate．

　　We must also wonder whether seeing violence on television or reading about it in the newspapers every day makes us tolerate crime more than we should．We become used to seeing blood on the news on television, or in full color in newspapers and magazines．Because we see thousands of dead people on TV, maybe we just try to ignore the situation behind the violence．If so many citizens tolerate violence and crime, or even commit crimes themselves, it may simply be because of the human mind．Our minds may not care about specific laws．Instead, our minds may have a system of values that usually prevents us from hurting other people to improve our own lives．Yet, when it comes to respecting the rights of a mass of anonymous(不知名的)individuals, we might not be so responsible．While most people would not steal a wallet containing ＄50，they may not mind cheating on taxes, because cheating on taxes does not hurt anyone person．It hurts society, but "society" remains an abstract(抽象的)idea that is not as real asa neighbor or a friend's friend．

　　When we realize that many people have misunderstandings of law-breaking, we could think it is surprising that so many people have a criminal record．How could we improve the level of honesty in our society? Would strict laws help make our society better? Probably not．Honesty will have to come from social pressure：in the family, at school, on the job, each and every one of us can encourage honesty by showing which behavior is unacceptable．And teaching respect should become everyone's responsibility．

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　　It is pretty much a one-way street．While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction．Pay has always been the biggest deterrent as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job．For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of　academia(学术界)outweigh any financial considerations．

　　Helen Lee took a 70％ cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge．Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions．Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee's is one of them．

　　The influence of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career．Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher．He took a 30％ salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities．

　　Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition(转换)to academia more attractive, according to Lee．Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate(谈判)contracts．They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experiencein manufacturing practice or product development．"Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career．So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project．"

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　　"Opinion" is a word that is used carelessly today．It is used to refer to matters of taste, belief , and judgment．This casual use would probably cause little confusion if people didn't attach too much importance to opinion．Unfortunately, most attach great importance to it．"I have as much right to my opinion as you to yours, " and "Everyone has the right to express his opinion, " are common expressions．In fact, anyone who would challenge another's opinion is likely to be branded intolerant(不容异己的，偏执的)．

　　Is that label accurate? Is it intolerant to challenge another's opinion? It depends on what definition of opinion you have in mind．For example, you may ask a friend "What do you think of the new Ford cars?" And he may reply, "In my opinion, they're ugly．" In this case ，it would not only be intolerant to challenge his statement, but foolish．For it's obvious that by opinion he means his personal preference, a matter of taste．And as the old saying goes, "It's pointless to argue about matters of taste．"

　　But consider this very different use of the term．A newspaper reports that the Supreme Court has delivered its opinion in a controversial(有争议的)case．Obviously the justices did not share their personal preferences, their mere likes and dislikes．They stated their considered judgment , carefully arrived at after thorough investigation and consideration．

　　Most of what is referred to as opinion falls somewhere between these two extremes．It is not an expression of taste．Nor is it careful judgment．Yet it may contain elements of both．It is a view or belief more or less casually arrived at, with or without examining the evidence．

　　Is everyone free to express his opinion? Of course, this is not only permitted, but guaranteed．We are free to act on our opinions only so long as, in doing so, we do not harm others．

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　　After years of research and testing, the hybrid car was developed and put on the market．It’ san interesting and exciting new improvement in today's world as we look for better ways to protect the quality of the air we breathe and conserve(保持)our natural resources．

　　The quality of our air is affected by many different things．But one of the largest sources of air pollution is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline which is used to power a car's engine．The EPA has set national standards to help control the level of harmful pollutants sent off into the air ，and the automobile industry has acted by producing a hybrid car that uses less gas and therefore causes less pollution．

　　A hybrid car is a combination of a regular car that runs on gasoline and an electric car that is battery powered．Some people tend to think that since the hybrid car is partially electric, you have to plug(接通电源)it in to charge it．But that's not how it works．The 144-volt battery pack is actually recharged through the energy that is produced when the car's brakes are used．This is referred to as "regenerative braking", because it generates electricity．

　　Although the hybrid car still runs on gasoline most of the time, this helps it use less gas than a regular car．When the driver stops at a traffic light, the engine automatically shuts off to save fuel．Then, as soon as the driver puts the car in gear and touches the gas pedal, the engine starts backup．

　　Have you ever ridden in a car with someone who ran out of gas? That probably wouldn't happen if you were riding in a hybrid car．It flashes a warning on its computer screen that says, "I am low on gas"．When it completely runs out, the warning reads，"YOU ARE NOW OUT OFGAS!” Then the electric power supply kicks in to let the driver travel a few more miles to a gas station．

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　　Dior was born in Normandy in 1905, and his family's original plans for him included a career in the diplomatic service, but by the time he was twenty-three, with his parents' money, he opened a small art gallery in Paris．By 1931, the money had been used up．Dior's friends in the art gallery , asked him to draw and he took his first step at designing and drawing．His first job was with Lucien Lelong from whom Dior learned his craft(手艺)．

　　In February, 1947, Dior started the New Look in his first major Paris collection．He was backed by a famous textile producer, Boussac , who looked after the dollars, while Dior looked after the fashions．Dior knew nothing about cutting and sewing, but he was good at fashion design．

　　The New Look started an entirely different look to costume, with a tiny waist, a rounded shoulder and a shapely bust(胸围), usually with a low-cut neckline and a long full skirt．To women who had lived through the war years, the femaleness of the New Look was a great success , for people were tired of extremely plain, wartime restrictive fashions．

　　It is said that dresses by Dior were "constructed like buildings", but young people were attracted to his design, and all over the western world, manufacturers plunged(投入)into the production of his new style．Dior's revolutionary designs lighted up a whole cycle of fashion , rounded, gentle, feminine, a delight in elegance．A New Look House of Dior opened in 1948，followed by one in London．Considered as King of Couture(women's clothing)for years, the Diorempire grew until it covered every country in the western world, and included furs, hosiery , jewelry, perfumes, men's wear and on and on．More than 1, 000 people worked at the Paris headquarters then．

　　His sudden death in 1957 when he was 53 years old did not stop the growth of the House of Dior．Even now, so many years after his death, his name is closely connected with fashion throughout the world, and indeed is one of the most recognized names in the world．His first, great New Look, with its long skirts was an expression of freedom in the late 1940s．

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　　The story of “Who Moved My Cheese?” was created by Dr．Spencer Johnson to help him deal with a difficult change in his life．It showed him how to take his changing situation seriously but not take himself so seriously．

　　When his friends noticed how much better life had become for him, and asked why, Dr．Johnson shared his “Cheese” story．Many later said how greatly the story had helped them to keep their sense of humor, to change, and to gain something better, too．

　　Twenty years after the story was created, “Who Moved My Cheese?” was finally published．It soon became a No．1 international best seller, with one million hardcover copies in print within the first sixteen months and over ten million copies within the next two years．

　　Some critics(批评家)do not understand why so many people find the book so valuable．They say the story is simple enough for a child to understand, and it insults(侮辱)their intelligence．Some even fear it suggests that people should mindlessly accept unnecessary changes forced upon them by others, although that is not in the story．

　　The author said that both the fans and the critics are “right” in their own way．It is not what is in the story of “Who Moved My Cheese?” but how you understand it and apply(应用)it to your own situation that gives it value．

　　Hopefully the way you understand the story of “Who Moved My Cheese?” and the way you put it into action in your life will help you find and enjoy the “New Cheese” you deserve(应得)．(278words)

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　　Close your eyes and imagine you are living in the next two centuries or more．You’ll be living in a world filled with smart robots, which will be helping you to take care of your children, or your elderly parents in your home．You’ll live much longer thanks to the medicine made by genetic(基因的)science．And mankind may be going farther in space than ever before－you will be living on the moon or Mars．

　　How should we view the changes that wait for us in the future? Should we be optimistic about the years ahead, or worried about what the future holds? Some scientists and experts are having a discussion about how technology, science and society will develop in the future．

　　“I’m looking forward to the day when more technology will come to my life．” Says Hohn Searle, a professor at the University of California Berkeley Philosophy, “because I think further research in such areas as genetics, physics, chemitry and medicine will help us to overcome poverty(贫穷), improve health, and make life longer．”

　　Hugh Herr, at MIT’s Biomechatronecs Group, considers very powerful weapons(武器)as concern(担心)over the future．Another is the growing role of technology in our lives．“Machines taking over what humans do is not a good thing,” Herr says．

　　That is a similar concern shared by Danisla Cerqui, a social and cultural scientist．“I am afraid that the long-term future we are building will have no space left for human beings,”says Cerqui．“ The main values of our society are related to information that must progress as quickly as possible, and computers are much better than humans in these tasks．”(293words)

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　　Have you ever been afraid to talk back(顶嘴)when you were treated unfairly? Have you ever bought something just because the salesman talked you into it? Many people are afraid to express themselves．

　　Dr．Robert Albert, author of Stand Up, Speak Out, Talk Back, thinks it’s because their self-respect is low．“ There’s always a ‘superior’ around－a parent, a teacher or a boss who knows better．” But Albert and other scientists are doing something to help people help themselves．They offer training courses－A．T．for short．

　　In the A．T．courses, people learn that they have the right to be themselves．They learn to speak out and feel good about doing so．They learn to be aggressive(进攻性的)without hurting other people．In one way, learning to speak out is learning to get rid of fear．Taking an A．T．course will help the timid(懦弱的)person to lose his fear．A．T．uses an even stronger motive(动机)－the need to share．The timid person speaks out in the group because he wants to tell how he feels．Whether or not you speak out for yourself depends on your self-respect．If someone you face is more “important” than you, you may feel less of a person．You start to doubt your answers to problems．By taking the A．T．courses, you can get to feel good about yourself．And once you do, you can learn to speak out．(249words)

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　　Every five minutes my children ask me for the “latest thing”．They tell me that all their friends have it already and they can’t live without it．Our house is full of Games Boys, Play Station CDs and a million other “latest things”．

　　But, the one “latest thing” we have refused to buy is a mobile phone．Our twelve-year-old son wants one, and we’ve said “no”．He says he’ll only use it for texting and he really needs it for emergencies．

　　We don’t want him to have a mobile phone, because it may be bad for children’s health．Unfortunately, when I say, “ As your father, I don't want you to have a mobile phone, because you might get a brain tumour(肿瘤), ” he tells me that he doesn’t mind．

　　Why do twelve-year-old boys only want things that are bad for them? We’ve already told him that he can’t listen to rap music－the words are disgusting(使人反感的)．And I’ve said no to beer with his meals．Right now, I’m saying no to everything．

　　Then a few weeks ago he asked for something called a BB gun．He says everybody’s got one．Of course they have．He shows me a website full of them and tells me it only fires plastic pellets(小子弹)．Finally, I say yes．I can’t believe I’ve said no to phones and yes to guns．

　　In October, our son becomes a teenager, and I pray that research will find that mobile phones are safe…even better, that young people may become less moody－and more interested in personal hygiene(卫生)．

　　Until then, I’m saying no．(281words)

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　　The communication union

　　We are looking for a Head of research to manage the CWU Research Department and Information Centre．You would be required to exercise control of all research work of the department and manage a team of three researchers and four support staff．

　　The person appointed would be expected to carry out research work of a strategic nature across the rang of businesses in which the CWU has or seeks membership and to contribute to the strategic thinking and direction of the union as a whole．

　　You will need：prove line management skills, especially in managing and motivating a team; good research skills, holding a good degree in a related subject or other similar experience; a high level of mathematical and calculating skills; the ability to produce high quality work under pressure; a commitment to and knowledge of the trade union movement and social democratic politics; knowledge and/or experience of the postal and/or telecommunications industry．

　　To apply, please request an application pack by emailing hr@cwu．org or by telephoning HR(human Resources)on 020-8971 7482．When applying please state your source．