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pavement：人行道

swerve：突然转向

insurance：保险

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China crackdown on‘dirty’mobile messages

　　China has ordered telecom operators to clean up the content of spam short messages spread on their mobile phone networks as part of an ongoing fight against“unhealthy” influences．

　　“Recently, there has been a lot of dirt hidden in the telecommunication networks．The situation is serious, ”the ministry of information industry said in a notice on its website Friday．

　　Messages containing text or pictures with pornographic(色情)or superstitious content such as fortune telling and sex chat are frequently sent to mobile phone users in masses, the ministry said．

　　This is in breach of national regulations that ban the production and spreading of such content, which has“polluted the society and spread very bad influence, ”it said．

　　Throughout October, the ministry will check telecom companies for compliance(依从)and will prosecute(起诉)those that breach the rules, Beijing News reported．

　　China has more than 100 million Internet users and some 358 million mobile phone users, with both areas growing rapidly as the country’s economy booms．

　　The government’s latest move signifies a step-up in its campaign to rein in the spread of information outside official media, such as via mobile phones and the Internet, which it fears could cause unrest．

　　A set of revised Internet rules was issued last month that requires Internet operators to re-register their news sites and police them for content that could“endanger state security”and“social order”．

　　They target sites that publish fabricated(捏造)information or pornography and forbid content that“harms national security, reveals state secrets, subverts(暗中破坏)political power, (and)undermines national unity, ”state media said．

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　　Farmer Joe was in his cart when he was hit by a truck．He decided his injuries from the accident were serious enough to take the trucking company(which caused the accident)to court．In court the trucking company’s lawyer was questioning Farmer Joe．“Didn’t you say, at the scene of the accident, ’I’m fine’?” said the lawyer．

　　Farmer Joe responded, “Well, I’ll tell you what happened．I had just loaded my favorite mule(骡子)Bessie into the…” “I didn’t ask for any details, ” the lawyer interrupted, “Just answer the question．Did you not say, at the scene of the accident ‘I’m fine’?”

　　Farmer Joe said, “Well, I had just got Bessie into the cart and I was driving down the road…” The lawyer interrupted again and said, “Judge, I am trying to make clear the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman(管理员)on the scene that he was just fine．Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to cover the fact．I believe he is telling lies．Please tell him to simply answer the question．”

　　By this time the Judge was fairly interested in farmer Joe’s answer and said to the lawyer, “I’d like to hear what he has to say about his favorite mule Bessie．”

　　Joe thanked the judge and went on, “Well, as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into the cart and was driving her down the highway when this huge truck ran into the stop sign and pushed my cart right in the side．I was thrown into one side and Bessie was thrown into the other．”

　　“I was hurt so badly that I didn’t want to move．However, I could hear old Bessie breathing loudly and groaning(呻吟)．I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans．Shortly after the accident a Highway Patrolman came on here to the scene．He could hear Bessie groaning so he went over to her．After he looked at her, he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes．Then the Patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me．He said, ’Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her．How are you feeling?’”

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　　A hobby can be almost anything a person likes to do in his spare time．Hobbyists raise pets, build mode ships, weave baskets, watch birds, hunt animals, climb mountains, raise flowers, fish, ski, skate, and swim．Hobbyists also paint pictures, attend concerts and plays, and perform on musical instruments．They collect everything from books to butterflies, and from shells to stamps．

　　People take up hobbies because these activities offer enjoyment, friendship, knowledge and relaxation．Sometimes they even yield financial profit．Hobbies help people relax after periods of hard work, and provide a balance between work and play．Hobbies also offer interesting activities for persons who have retired．Anyone, rich or poor, old or young, sick or well, can follow a satisfying hobby, regardless of his age, position, or income．

　　Hobbies can help a person’s mental and physical health．Doctors have found that hobbies are valuable in helping patients recover from physical or mental illness．Hobbies give bedridden or wheel-chair patients something to do, and provide interests that keep them from thinking about themselves．Many hospitals treat patients by having them take up interesting hobbies or pastimes．

　　In early times, most people were too busy making a living to have many hobbies．But some persons who had leisure did enjoy hobbies．The ancient Egyptians played games with balls made of wood or pottery．

　　People today have more time than ever before for hobbies．Machines have reduced the amount of time they must spend on their jobs．Hobbies provide variety for workers who do the same monotonous(单调的)tasks all day long．More people are retiring than ever before, and at an earlier age．Those who have developed hobbies never need to worry about what to do with their newly-found leisure hours．

　　Sir William Osler, a famous Canadian doctor, expressed the value of hobbies by saying “No man is really happy or safe without a hobby．”

　　本文是一篇说明文。介绍了业余爱好的种类及其必要性。

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　　It is natural that children are curious about the world around them．For example, they want to know how their hearts beat．They want to know why the ocean water tastes salty．

　　As children grow up, they become curious about different kinds of things．When they are babies, they are interested in the parts of their bodies and in the smiles of their mothers．They become interested in the physical world around them：the plants, the animals, the sky．Later, they become interested in the things that people have made：wheels, bicycles, cars．And when they are adults, their curiosity continues．Sometimes this curiosity leads to a career in science．

　　Scientists spend their lives trying to find out about the world．Those who work with the earth sciences study the earth, the oceans, and the skies．Other scientists who study living things work with the biological sciences．A third group of scientists study the physical sciences, e．g．physics, chemistry．

　　These scientists have already discovered a lot about our world．For example, they tell us why your heart beats fast when you run．They say that when you are quiet, your heart normally beats sixty-five or seventy-five times a minute．Your heart is a pump(泵)that pumps blood to all parts of the body．The blood carries oxygen and nutrition．When you run, your muscles work very hard and use the nutrition that the blood carries to them．The muscles need oxygen, too．So your brain sends a signal to the heart．The signal means that the muscles need more nutrition and oxygen．Then the heart beats fast and sends blood quickly to the muscles．It may beat 90 to 140 times a minute．

　　Of course, scientists cannot answer all of our questions．If we ask, “Why does the ocean water taste salty” scientists will say that the salt comes from rocks．When a rock gets very hot or very cold, it cracks．Rain falls into cracks．The rain then carries the salt into the earth and into the rivers．The rivers carry the salt into the ocean．But then we ask, “What happens to the salt in the ocean?The ocean does not get saltier every year．” Scientists are not sure about the answer to this question．

　　We know a lot about our world, but there are still many answers that we do not have, and we are curious．

　　人人都有好奇心，无论是小孩还是成人，这是这篇议论文的论点。文章还通过具体事例说明了就是因为“好奇心”，人类科学才得以发展。

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　　Boss Mum(China Daily)

　　Chan Laiwa, head of Fu Wah

　　International Group(Hong

　　Kong), gestures at a press

　　conference in Beijing in this

　　November, 2006 file photo．

　　A boss or a parent? It’s difficult to tell when Chan Laiwa sits with farmers on her new high-tech farm or migrant workers at building sites, eating, talking and laughing together．

　　Inside her company Fu Wah International Group(Hong Kong)the grandmotherly chairwoman with a smile for everyone is called “Boss Mum” for her kindness and affability．

　　As a leading business figure, she has made the Forbes List of China Rich for the last three years and served on various boards of Chinese philanthropies(慈善事业)．

　　Fu Wah is a private Hong Kong-registered multinational company established in 1988 involved in real estate development, the hotel business, tourism and electronics．The company’s key business is in Beijing, where fixed assets exceed 5 billion yuan(US＄625 million)．

　　The company is not only like a big family but has been praised by the government for its contributions to society．

　　“I should be responsible for everybody around me,” says Chan, 65, who believes the basic responsibility for an entrepreneur(企业家)and is taking care of staff as well as corporate social responsibility．

　　As for her own family, Chan is married, with one son, two daughters and grandchildren．After living in Hong Kong, she moved to Beijing and now lives in her Chinese Red Sandalwood Museum．

　　“Boss Mum” is low key about her contributions, saying, “It is a natural thing to give money to those most in need．”

　　The successful private businesswoman indicates that she does not keep track of how much she spends on philanthropies．

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　　Herds of zebra, impala and giraffe from South Africa’s Kruger Park found a new home as part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park(GLTP)wildlife relocation project．

　　About 1000 animals, from the large blue wildebeest to the stocky warthog, have been relocated to the park straddling South African, Mozambican and Zimbabwean territory．

　　The game from South Africa arrived in the Massingir area of Mozambique’s southern Maputo province after a one-and-a-half-hour trip by truck．

　　South African National Parks chief executive Mavuso Msimang and the Peace Parks Foundation officially handed over the animals to Mozambican representatives．

　　“This project is not only about the management of an ecosystem, but also about community empowerment and tourism, ”Msimang said．

　　Border fences are coming down with the establishment of the park, which will be the world’s biggest game reserve, to allow elephants and other herds to follow ancient migration routes．

　　The park, due to be officially opened next year, will be bigger than the Netherlands, covering some 38 600 square kilometers(15 440 square miles)．

　　Under a three-year plan, about 6000 animals are to be moved into the area, where wildlife was decimated(大批杀害)during Mozambique’s 25-year civil war．

　　African Wildlife Foundation community development officer Jeremiah Machavi said 62 communities living in the area would be affected by the establishment of Transfrontier Park．Tourists will be able to travel across international boundaries in the park without having to show their passports．

　　The relocation process started in October last year when about 30 elephants were released into the park．

阅读理解

　　A hobby can be almost anything a person likes to do in his spare time．Hobbyists raise pets, build mode ships, weave baskets, watch birds, hunt animals, climb mountains, raise flowers, fish, ski, skate, and swim．Hobbyists also paint pictures, attend concerts and plays, and perform on musical instruments．They collect everything from books to butterflies, and from shells to stamps．

　　People take up hobbies because these activities offer enjoyment, friendship, knowledge and relaxation．Sometimes they even yield financial profit．Hobbies help people relax after periods of hard work, and provide a balance between work and play．Hobbies also offer interesting activities for persons who have retired．Anyone, rich or poor, old or young, sick or well, can follow a satisfying hobby, regardless of his age, position, or income．

　　Hobbies can help a person’s mental and physical health．Doctors have found that hobbies are valuable in helping patients recover from physical or mental illness．Hobbies give bedridden or wheel-chair patients something to do, and provide interests that keep them from thinking about themselves．Many hospitals treat patients by having them take up interesting hobbies or pastimes．

　　In early times, most people were too busy making a living to have many hobbies．But some persons who had leisure did enjoy hobbies．The ancient Egyptians played games with balls made of wood or pottery．

　　People today have more time than ever before for hobbies．Machines have reduced the amount of time they must spend on their jobs．Hobbies provide variety for workers who do the same monotonous(单调的)tasks all day long．More people are retiring than ever before, and at an earlier age．Those who have developed hobbies never need to worry about what to do with their newly-found leisure hours．

　　Sir William Osler, a famous Canadian doctor, expressed the value hobbies of hobbies by saying：“No man is really happy or safe without a hobby．”

阅读理解

　　You’re out to dinner．The food is delicious and the service is fine．You decide to leave a big fat tip．Why?The answer may not be as simple as you think．

　　Tipping, psychologists(心理学家)have found, is not just about service．Instead, studies have shown that tipping can be affected by psychological reactions to a series of different factors(因素)from the waiter’s choice of words to how they carry themselves while taking orders to the bill’s total．Even how much waiters remind customers of themselves can determine how much change they pocket by the end of the night．

　　“Studies before have shown that mimicry(模仿)brings into positive feelings for the mimicker, ”wrote Rick van Baaren, a social psychology professor．“These studies show that people who are being mimicked become more generous(大方的)toward the person who mimics them．”

　　So Rick van Baaren divided 59 waiters into two groups．He requested that half serve with a phrase such as, “Coming up!” Those in the other half were instructed to repeat the orders and preferences back to the customers．Rick van Baaren then compared their take-home．The results were clear－it pays to mimic your customer．The copycat waiters earned almost double the amount of tips to the other group．

　　Leonard Green and Joel Myerson, psychologists at Washington University in St．Louis, found the generosity of a tipper may be limited by his bill．After research on the 1000 tips left for waiters, cab drivers, hair stylists, they found tip percentages in three areas dropped as customers’ bills went up．In fact, tip percentages appear to plateau(达到稳定水平)when bills topped ＄100 and a bill for ＄200 made the worker gain no bigger percentage tip than a bill for ＄100．

　　“That’s also a point of tipping, ”Green says．“You have to give a little extra to the cab driver for being there to pick you up and something to the waiter for being there to serve you．If they weren’t there you’d never get any service．So part of the idea of a tip is for just being there．”

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　　How would you like an easy way to earn ＄2500?All you have to do is to sit around and wait for your meals．There’s a catch however．You have to stay in a chicken cage with a stranger for a whole week．There are no books or television or radio for amusement．You can’t leave until the week is up．And a camera will be recording your every move．

　　Two people actually took the job．The idea came from Rob Thompson, a video artist．He wanted to make a film about the way animals are treated．His goal was to raise people’s awareness(意识)of the living conditions of animals that are raised for food．He decided to pay ＄5000 out of his own savings to two people who were willing to live like chickens for a week．

　　To Rob’s surprise, quite a few people answered his advertisement．He had interviewed and selected Eric, a 24-year-old restaurant worker, and Para, a 24-year-old chemist．The plan was for them to spend seven days together in a chicken cage that was six feet long and three feet wide．A camera would record their experiences, which would take place in an art museum．

　　The week was long and difficult．They slept on a hard wooden floor．They couldn’t stand up without hanging their heads．They ate vegetables and drank water from a garden hosepipe．Their only privacy was a toilet surrounded by a curtain．There were no sinks, mirrors, or toothbrushes in the cage．Their only inspiration was the two framed checks that hung on the wall outside the cage．Visitors who came here were warned, “Do not feed the humans．”

　　Finally it was over, and Para and Eric appeared from their cage．They had survived the week, and they each had a ＄2500 check in their hands．When Rob Thompson opened the cage, Eric came out, changed into clean clothes, and ate a chocolate bar right away．“It’s great to be able to stand up,” he said．Para just changed her clothes and left．After a week of visitors and reporters watching her, she didn’t want to talk to anyone．