阅读理解

　　Have you ever wished you could solve complex math problems without thinking? What about learning to play the piano in just three days? Or mastering several foreign languages within a month?

　　Eddie Morra, the main character in the movie Limitless can do all these things．But he isn't Superman or Harry Potter．Eddie has taken pills called NZT．

　　Thriller Limitless came out in China on October 13．In the movie, Eddie is faced with “writer's block”．He hasn't written a single word of a novel, and his deadline has passed．And there's more bad news：his girlfriend breaks up with him．By chance, Eddie runs into a relative who is a drug dealer．He gives Eddie some pills called NZT that allow people to make use of 100 percent of their brains．With the magic pills, Eddie's life changes completely．He can recall everything he has ever read, seen or heard．He gains a sixth sense that allows him to predict future events．He even becomes a kungfu master by simply memorizing actions in Bruce Lee's movie．

　　Before long he has finished his novel, won back his girlfriend and stepped into the financial world．He becomes rich incredibly quickly and is soon employed by a powerful Wall Street company．However, bad side effects are just around the corner．The effects of the pill last for only one or two days, and Eddie has to find more supplies of the pills．Meanwhile, the pills start to have other effects on him．Eddies' mind loses the ability to control the actions of his body．What does destiny hold for him? Will he be able to go back to his normal life?

　　“Eddie's fate turns out to be a barbed joke… a sharp-eyed comic fable for an age of greed and speed．” writesA．O．Scott, a movie critic with the New York Times．

　　The drug isn't real-yet, some researchers say such memory-enhancing drugs might not be far off．Would you take such a pill despite its side effects? Is the ability to remember everything a blessing or a curse?

阅读理解

　　From now on, never spend your precious time thinking of reasons for your failures and shortcomings．Instead, realize that the seeds of success were planted within you when you were born．Only you have the power to make those seeds grow．

　　The seeds, and the power to grow them, are contained in the most awesome machine ever created：the human mind．Success is a choice and not a chance．You were born a winner．You were born rich．You can be a success if you make the right choice．

　　You cannot be successful without first developing your self-confidence．Your level of self-confidence is always based on the degree of control that you are able to exercise over yourself, and thus over your life．People with low self-confidence are people who do not believe that they have any power, or responsibility for their lives．They are mere victims．They are leaves tossed(摇摆)by the winds of chance blown about with any sudden change in the weather．

　　You can exercise control over your life only to the degree that you believe that you are responsible for everything that happens in your life．Failures think that everything happens by accident and chance．Successful people realize that they are responsible．

　　Everything happens as a result of something．If we can identify the cause, we can control the effect．We are responsible for what we choose to think and believe．One generally rises to the level that one expects．We are responsible for setting our expectations．Our success is dependent upon our level of confidence．

　　If you associate with positive-thinking people, you are definitely going to achieve success．On the contrary, the opposite happens．We are responsible for finding, planting, and nurturing the seeds that contain future victory, born from setbacks．

　　In short, in all areas of your life, whether they are financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual, you are responsible．Once you recognize this, accept it, and firmly believe it, you are on the road to success．

阅读理解

　　“Life is speeding up．Everyone is getting unwell．”

　　This may sound like something someone would say today．But in fact, an unknown citizen who lived in Rome in AD 52 wrote it．

　　We all love new inventions．They are exciting, amazing and can even change our lives．

　　But have all these developments really improved the quality of our lives?

　　Picture this：You're rushing to finish your homework on the computer．Your mobile phone rings, a QQ message from your friend appears on the screen, and the noise from the television is getting louder and louder．Suddenly the computer goes blank and you lose all your work．Now you have to stay up all night to get it done．How can you feel calm and happy?

　　Inventions have speeded up our lives so much that they often leave us feeling stressed and tired．Why do you think people who live far away from noisy cities, who have no telephones, no cars, not even any electricity often seem to be happier? Perhaps because they lead simpler lives．

　　One family in the UK went “back in time” to see what life was like without all the inventions we have today．The grandparents, with their daughter, and grandsons Benjamin, 10, and Tomas, 7, spent nine weeks in a 1940's house．They had no washing machine, microwave, computer or mobile phones．

　　The grandmother, Lyn, said, “It was hard physically, but not mentally．”She believed life was less materialistic．“The more things you have, the more difficult life becomes,” she said, The boys said they had less to fight over, such as their computer．Benjamin also noticed that his grandmother had changed from being a “trendy(时髦),beer-drinking granny, to one who cooked things．”

　　Here are some simple ways to beat the stress often caused by our inventions!

　　Don't be available all the time．Turn off your mobile phone at certain times of the day．Don't check your e-mail every day．

　　Don't reply to somebody as soon as they leave a text message just because you can．It may be fun at first, but it soon gets annoying．

阅读理解

　　Imagine you're at a party fully of strangers．You're nervous．Who are these people? How do you start a conversation? Fortunately, you've got a thing that sends out energy at tiny chips in everyone's name tag(标签)．The chips send back name, job, hobbies, and the time available for meeting－whatever．Making new friends becomes simple．

　　This hasn't quite happened in real life．But the world is already experiencing a revolution using RFID technology．An RFID tag with a tiny chip can be fixed in a product, under your pet's skin, even under your own skin．Passive RFID tags have no energy source－batteries because they don't need it．The energy comes from the reader, a scanning device, which sends out energy that starts up the tag immediately．

　　Such a tag carries information specific to that object, and the data can be updated．Already, RFID technology is used for recognizing each car or truck on the road and it might appear in your passport．Doctors can put a tiny chip under the skin that will help locate and obtain a patient's medical records．At a nightclub in Paris or in New York the same chip gets you into the VIP section and pays for the bill with the wave of an arm．

　　Take a step back：10 or 12 years ago, you would have heard about the coming age of computing．One example always seemed to surface：Your refrigerator would know when you needed to buy more milk．The concept was that computer chips could be put everywhere and send information in a smart network that would make ordinary life simpler．

　　RFID tags are a small part of this phenomenon．“The world is going to be a loosely coupled set of individual small devices, connected wirelessly,” predicts Dr．J．Reich．Human right supporters are nervous about the possibilities of such technology．It goes too far tracking school kids through RFID tags, they say．We imagine a world in which a beer company could find out not only when you bought a beer but also when you drank it．And how many beers．Accompanied by how many biscuits．

　　When Marconi invented radio, he thought it would be used for ship-to-shore communication, not for pop music．Who knows how RFID and related technologies will be used in the future．Here's a wild guess：Not for buying milk．

阅读理解

　　Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers．But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son：suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents．“The door to his room is always shut．” Joanna noted．

　　Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter．“She used to cuddle up(蜷伏)with me on the sofa and talk ,” said Mark．“Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something．Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady．The problem is figuring out which time is which．”

　　Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what's on their minds．“In fact, parents are first on the list．” said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers．“This completely changes during the teen years．” Riera explained．“They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last．”

　　Parents who know what's going on in their teenagers' lives are in the best position to help them．To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them．They must give their children a mental break, for children also need freedom, though young．Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them．

阅读理解

　　Psychology(心理学)has a new application in the field of medicine．Many doctors, together with their patients, are looking for alternative methods of treatment of physical problems．In large hospitals, modern therapy(疗法)seems to focus on the physical disease．Patients may feel they are treated like broken machines．Some doctors have recognized this as a problem．They are now using psychological therapy, in which the patient is working with the doctors against the disease with the help of medicine．The patient does not wait for the medicine and treatment to cure him or her, but instead the patient joins in the fight．

　　The doctor knows that a disease affects a patient's body physically．The body of the patient changes because of the disease．He is not only physically affected, but also has an emotional response to the disease．Because his mind is affected, his attitude and behavior change．The medical treatment might cure the patient's physical problems, but the patient's mind must fight the emotional ones．For example, the studies of one doctor, Carl Simonton, M．D．, have shown that a typical cancer patient has predictable attitudes．She typically feels depressed, upset, and angry．Her constant depression makes her acts unfriendly toward her family, friends, doctors, and nurses．Such attitudes and behaviors prevent recovery．Therefore, a doctor's treatment must help the patient change that．Simonton's method emphasizes treatment of the “whole” patient．

　　The attitude of a cancer patient receiving radiation therapy, an X-ray treatment, can become more positive．The physician who is following Simonton's psychological treatment plan suggests that the patient imagine that he or she can see the tumor(肿瘤)in the body．In the mental picture, the patient "sees" a powerful beam of radiation like a million bullets of energy．The patient imagines the beam hitting the tumor cells and causing them to shrink．For another cancer patient, Dr．Simonton asks him to imagine the medicine going from the stomach into the bloodstream and to the cancer cells．The patient imagines that the medicine is like an army fighting the diseased cells and sees the cancer cells gradually dying and his blood carry away the dead cells．Both the medical therapy and the patient's positive attitude fight the disease．

　　Doctors are not certain why this mental therapy works．However, this use of psychology does help some patients because their attitudes about themselves change．They become more confident because they use the power within their own minds to help stop the disease．

　　Another application of using the mind to help cure disease is the use of suggestion therapy．At first, the doctor helps the patient to concentrate deeply．The patient thinks only about one thing．He becomes so unaware of other things around him that he is asleep, or rather in a trance(催眠状态)．Then the physician makes “a suggestion” to the patient about the medical problem．The patient's mind responds to the suggestion even after the patient is no longer in the trance．In this way, the patient uses his mind to help his body respond to treatment．

　　Doctors have learned that this use of psychology is helpful for both adults and children．For example, physicians have used suggestion to help adults deal with the strong pain of some disease．Furthermore, sometimes the adult patient worries about her illness so much that the anxiety keeps her from getting well．The right suggestions may help the patient to stop being anxious．Such treatment may help the patient with a chronic(慢性的)diseases．Asthma(哮喘)is an example of a chronic disorder．Asthma is a disease that causes the patient to have difficulty in breathing．The patient starts to cough and sometimes has to fight to get the air that he or she needs．Psychology can help relieve the symptoms of this disorder．After suggestion therapy, the asthma patient breathes more easily．

　　Physicians have learned that the psychological method is very useful in treating children．Children respond quickly to the treatment because they are fascinated by it．For example, Dr．Basil R．Collison has worked with 121 asthmatic children in Sydney, Australia, and had good results．Twenty-five of the children had Excellent results．They were able to breathe more easily, and they did not need medication．Another forty-three were also helped．The symptoms of the asthma occurred less frequently, and when they did, they were not as strong．Most of the children also felt better about themselves．Doctors have also used suggestion to change habits like nail-biting, thumb-sucking, and sleep-related problems．

　　Many professional medical groups have accepted the medical use of psychology and that psychology has important applications in medicine．

阅读理解

　　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(相容的)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

阅读理解

　　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(大腿)．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(熟练操作)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(提交)unprocessed．When the photo editor finally phoned me he said, “It’s the most incredible picture I’ve ever seen．”

阅读理解

　　This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths．It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend(超越)it．Once we truly know that life is difficult－once we truly understand and accept it－then life is no longer difficult．Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters．

　　Most do not fully see this truth．Instead they complain about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy．It seems to them that difficulties represent a special kind of suffering especially forced upon them or else upon their families, their class, or even their nation．

　　What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is a painful one．Problems, depending on their nature, cause us sadness, or loneliness or regret or anger or fear．These are uncomfortable feelings, often as painful as any kind of physical pain．And since life causes an endless series of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy．

　　Yet, it is in this whole process of solving problems that life has its meaning．Problems are the serious test that tells us success from failure．When we desire to encourage the growth of human spirit, we encourage the human ability to solve problems, just as in school we set problems for our children to solve．It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn．As Benjamin Franklin said, those things that hurt, instruct．It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems．