阅读理解

　　Maybe it is true that we do not know what we have got until we lose it, but it is also true that we do not know what we have been missing until it arrives．

　　It takes an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone．Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back．Do not expect love in return; but if it does not, be content it has grown in yours．Do not rely on one’s appearance; it can trick you．Do not rely on wealth; even that fades away．Rely on someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright．

　　There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them．Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do．

　　The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past．You cannot go on well in life until you let your past failures and heartaches go off．May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trails to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy．The happiest of people do not necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way．Happiness waits for those who cry, those appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives．Always put yourself in others’ shoes．If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too．

　　When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling．Live your life so that when you die, you are the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying．

阅读理解

　　People in Mutsuhito, Japan, lived through one hundreds, and sometimes thousands, a day．But they couldn’t get used to it．

　　What was it? It was a string of earthquakes that made the small town shake all the time．This went on for more than a year．Sometimes the quakes were very small．Only certain instruments could pick them up．At other times, the quakes damaged houses and land．The people were always afraid．They wished they knew how to stop the ground from shaking．

　　People all over the world would like to know when an earthquake is coming．But an earthquake is almost always a surprise．Under the surface of the Earth, huge blocks of rock drift apart or slide against each other．The ground above splits apart or rumbles and shakes．

　　Some scientists hope to predict quakes by keeping a close watch on animals．It seems that some animals can sense an earthquake coming．In 1969, animals in a Chinese zoo began to act funny one day．Swans flew out of their pond．A panda sat down, covered its eyes with its paws, and groaned．The animals seemed to know that something was about to happen．And it did．An earthquake struck．What was it that the animals sensed? Scientists are trying to find out．

　　Keeping close track of the Earth’s magnetic force in earthquake areas may also help．A few years ago, in Hollister, CA, scientists kept a record of the area’s magnetic pull．For one week, the force grew stronger．Then it weakened suddenly．A day later, an earthquake struck．

　　It may become possible to know when and where an earthquake will happen．But it will be much harder to stop one from happening．

　　Many scientists think that the Earth’s covering is not smooth．They say the earth’s “skin” is made up of huge puzzle pieces called plates．Land and ocean floors make up these huge plates．Under the Earth’s crust(外壳), or plates, is hot rock．The plates float on top of this rock．Sometimes the rock forces its way through the crust．What happens then? A volcano is born! More often, the rock moves and forces the plates to pull away from each other, causing earthquakes to happen．(Volcanoes and earthquakes often go together．)

　　Sometimes, the plates end up on top of each other．When this happens, the land above may look strange．Seen from the air, there seems to be a long scar in the Earth．This is called a fault(断层)．The areas along faults have more earthquakes than other parts of the Earth．

　　For now, we’ll just have to shake along with the Earth．It goes through millions of small earthquakes every year．With luck, you won’t feel a thing!

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　　The teacher who did the most to encourage me was, as it happened, my aunt．She was Myrtle C．Manigault, the wife of my mother’s brother Bill．She taught in second grade at all-black Summer School in Camden, New Jersey．

　　During my childhood and youth, Aunt Myrtle encouraged me to develop every aspect of my potential, without regard for what was considered practical or possible for black females．I liked to sing; she listened to my voice and pronounced it good．I couldn’t dance; she taught me the basic dancing steps．She took me to the theatre－not just children’s theatre but adult comedies and dramas－and her faith that I could appreciate adult plays was not disappointed．

　　My aunt also took down books from her extensive library and shared them with me．I had books at home, but they were all serious classics．Even as a child I had a strong liking for humor, and I’ll never forget the joy of discovering Don Marquis’s Archy & Mehitabel through her．

　　Most important, perhaps, Aunt Myrtle provided my first opportunity to write for publication．A writer herself for one of the black newspapers, she suggested my name to the editor as a “youth columnist”．My column, begun when I was fourteen, was supposed to cover teenage social activities－and it did－but it also gave me the freedom to write on many other subjects as well as the habit of gathering material, the discipline of meeting deadlines, and, after graduation from college six years later, a solid collection of published material that carried my name and was my passport to a series of writing jobs．

　　Today Aunt Myrtle is still an enthusiastic supporter of her “favorite niece”．Like a diamond, she has reflected a bright, multifaceted(多面的)image of possibilities to every pupil who has crossed her path．

阅读理解

　　An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond．The concept is simple：help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time．

　　In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools．The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched(发起)the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998．Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong．

　　In Chicago, the mayor appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program．As a result, reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city．Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character．

　　The only problem arose in New York, where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population．This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity can be achieved．Or it may show that New Yorkers missed the point, putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself．

　　Nancy points out that the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book, but by how many people are enriched by the process．or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word．

阅读理解

　　One thing that British and Chinese cultures share is a love for fine tea．Today, when we think of Western tea culture, we often think of the English and beautiful china tea cups．

　　People believe that an English lady, Anna, first introduced the idea of afternoon tea．In the 18th and 19th centuries．the English ate only two main meals each day ,breakfast and a heavy supper that would last for several hours in the evening．As a result, people often got very hungry during the long wait between these two meals．To solve this problem, Anna came up with the clever idea of inviting some friends to join her for an afternoon meal between four and five o’clock．This meal included cakes and sandwiches．And tea was served to wash down the food．In order to make this afternoon meal important, fine china cups and plates, and silver teapots．knives, forks and spoons were used．Soon, afternoon tea parties became popular social occasions．Today, afternoon tea parties continue to play an important part in the social life in modern Britain．

　　Coffee also has an important role in British culture．People often use the words “Will you come for coffee?” to mean “Would you like to come to my home for a chat?” Normally, several different drinks such as tea, hot chocolate or a soft drink like orange Juice will be served as well as coffee．and you will be asked what you would like．However, you will not normally be offered wine at a “coffee” party．

　　In the 17th century London, coffeehouses were busy and noisy places．Businessmen and bankers went to coffeehouses to do their business, as well as to drink coffee．In fact, the London Stock Exchange(股票交易所)is believed to have started from these coffeehouses

阅读理解

　　One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by sending newspapers door to door, was so hungry that he decided to beg for a meal at the next house．

　　However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door．Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water．She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk．He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?”

　　“You don’t owe me anything,” she replied．“Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart．” With these words, Howard Kelly left that house．

　　Years later the woman became badly ill and was finally sent to the hospital in a big city．Dr．Howard Kelly, now famous, was called in．When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes．Dressed in his doctor’s clothes, Dr．Kelly went into her room and recognized her at once．From that day on, he gave special attention to her, and decided to do his best to save her life．

　　At last the woman was saved．Dr．Kelly asked the business office to pass the final bill to him．He looked at it and then wrote something on the side．The bill was sent to the woman’s room．She was afraid to open it because she was sure that it would take the rest of her life to pay for it off．Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill caught her attention．She read these words：

　　“Paid in full with a glass of milk, Dr．Howard Kelly．”

　　Tear of joy flooded her eyes．

阅读理解

　　I love my blackberry(黑莓手机)－it’s my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me．I also love my laptop computer, as it holds all of my writing and thoughts．Despite this love of technology, I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices(设备)and truly communicate with others．

　　On one occasion, I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers．My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas．Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom, I have a rule －no laptops, IPads, phones, etc．When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy．

　　Most students think that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology．There’s a bit of truth to that．Some students think that I am anti-technology．There’s no truth in that at all．I love technology and try to keep up with it so I can relate to my students．

　　The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversations and engage complex(复杂的)ideas．Interruptions by technology often break concentration(专心)and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas．I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas．I want them to push each other to think differently and make connections between the course material and the class discussion．

　　I’ve been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create．Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge, they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom．

　　I’m not saying that I won’t ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a really good reason for the change, I’m sticking to my plan．A few hours of technology-free dialogue is just too sweet to give up．

阅读理解

　　Grasslands need time to rest when cattle and other animals feed on them．Moving animals from one area of pasture(牧场)to another can provide the time needed for new growth．This is called rotational grazing．(循环放牧)

　　Rotational grazing is good for the land and the animals, and it can save money．This form of grazing can reduce the need for pesticide(农药)treatments by reducing the growth of weeds．And it can limit the need for chemical fertilizers by letting animal wastes do the job of natural fertilizer．Rotational grazing can even help prevent wildfires by keeping grasslands in good condition．

　　Letting animals feed continually and intensively(集中地)in the same grazing areas can require costly replanting．Animals eat the most desirable growth first．When that keeps happening, the roots do not have enough time to recover．As a result, less desirable plants may replace them．Intensively used grasslands are also harmed as the soil is continually crushed under the weight of heavy animals．

　　While rotational grazing can save money over time, it also requires planning．And that starts with a good map to mark fences, water supplies and grazing areas．

　　Changing methods of grazing also requires time．Farmers may want to put up electric fences to enclose(圈起)grazing areas, called paddocks．The paddocks will need water．Some farmers design a path for animals from different paddocks to drink from a common watering place．

　　Farmers can start rotational grazing by removing animals from a pasture when the grass is eaten to less that five centimeters．The pasture is then kept empty until the grass grows to more than fifteen centimeters high．

　　Sheep and goats may require special preparations．They may need stronger fences than other animals．And while they eat the grass, they may need guard animals to protect them from animals that would like to eat them．

阅读理解

　　Rahfeal Gordon has come a long way from the homeless shelters and streets of Newark, New Jersey．The 25-year-old was honored this year by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship for his work－giving motivational speeches to youth groups．

　　Rahfeal Gordon tells his audience, "If nobody ever says that you're brilliant, say it to yourself every day．Look yourself in the mirror：if you have survived something, I don't care how small, how big, you’ve survived it," he said．

　　Rahfeal Gordon 's speech is simple：He tells the story of his own life in three chapters．Each begins with a hip hop lyric(歌词)that he knows will be meaningful to a young audience．

　　Gordon says he uses positive hip hop lyrics to encourage youths, especially those who grew in poverty and abuse, as he did．His talk is called "Hip Hop Saved My Life"．

　　“ When I had my very dark moments in life, I would put on certain songs, whether it is from Jay-Z, Tupac, Kanye West," Gordon said．"They kept me going through the hard times．They fulfilled a certain void(空白)that I couldn't fulfill, like not having a father or mother there, so I felt they could relate because they would tell these stories．"

　　Gordon says his childhood was happy until his father became addicted to drugs and began to beat his three brothers and mother．They left to live on the streets and in homeless shelters．Gordon says he tries now to be a voice for others, including a brother who was murdered at the age of 19．

　　“When I lost my brother, that was, really, a moment when things really started to take off, in the sense of saying, ‘I really, really want to be that individual to help people, to help individuals,’ ”Gordon said．“I can't be Superman．I can't save the world, but I think that if I can help an individual, I am saving the world．”

阅读理解

　　Even before historian Joseph Ellis became a best-selling author, he was famous for his vivid lectures．In his popular courses at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, he would often make classroom discussion lively by describing his own fighting experience in Vietnam．But as Ellis's reputation grew--his books on the Founding Fathers won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize－the history professor began to entertain local and national reporters with his memories of war．Last year, after The Boston Globe reported Ellis's experience in the Vietnam war, someone who knew the truth about Ellis dropped a dime．Last week The Boston Globe revealed that Ellis, famous for explaining the nation's history, had some explaining to do about his own past．

　　“Even in the best of lives, mistakes are made," said Ellis．It turned out that while the historian had served in the Army, he'd spent his war years not in the jungles of Southeast Asia, but teaching history at West Point(西点军校)．He'd also overstated his role in the antiwar movement and even his high-school athletic records．His admission shocked colleagues, fellow historians and students who wondered why someone so successful would beautify his past．But it seems that success and truthfulness don’t always go hand in hand．Even among the successful achievers, security experts say, one in ten is deceiving．And, oddly, people often beautify their past once they're famous, says Ernest Brod of Kroll Associates, which has conducted thousands of background checks．

　　Then what makes them do it? Psychologists say some people succeed, at least in part, because they are uniquely adjusted to the expectations of others．And no matter how well-known, those people can be haunted(长期不断的缠绕)by a sense of their own shortcomings．"From outside, these people look anything but fragile," says Dennis Shulman, a psychoanalyst．"But inside, they feel hollow, empty,”