阅读理解

　　As we grow up, we gradually develop a set of our own values or beliefs．These are influenced by society, our family, the education we receive and so on．Once this value system is set up, it’s not easy to change later in life．Financial experts say that every one also has their own belief of how to manage their money．According to our different values, experts put us in three categories．They are：the ant, the cricket and the snail．

　　◆The ant－works first

　　Just like ants who work heart and soul in summer in order to store food for winter, these people don’t care about enjoying the moment．They work very hard and save money they earn so that they can enjoy life when they get old and retire．The ant loves to save but they could make more out of their money if they were willing to invest in some funds and stocks(股票)with low risk．

　　◆The cricket－fun first?

　　The cricket wants to enjoy everything now and doesn’t think too much about the future．They even borrow money when they really want something．Many young people now belong to this group．These people have little savings．When they get old, they might have problems．They should learn to save and buy insurance(保险)．

　　◆The snail－lives under pressure?

　　The snail refers to people who make life difficult for themselves．They take big long-term loans(贷款)from the bank in order to buy things such as luxury houses．They are happy to take big loans even though they are not sure they can afford it．This can cause problems in the future．They should plan more carefully．

阅读理解

　　Lisa, a middle-aged woman, went to prepare lunch, leaving her 3-year-old son, Barney, playing by himself in the backyard．

　　All of a sudden, a sharp cry of Barney came into the mother’s ears, and Lisa rushed into the backyard and found a big snake entwining(纠缠)the little child with its body and trying to swallow the boy．Lisa was terrified and quite angry．She made up her mind to save her son from the snake’s mouth．

　　It was a fearless mother’s love that made Lisa forget what she faced．She took up an old hatchet(斧头)from the ground and struck the snake with all her strength．

　　With the hatchet, Lisa hit the snake again and again, but she felt as if she were striking a mass of solid rubber．The little boy’s voice and breath were getting weaker and weaker．Lisa’s heart was broken and she nearly went mad．

　　Suddenly Lisa put aside the hatchet and threw herself on to the snake, opened her mouth and bit into its back, as if tearing a tough steak(牛排)．Lisa was really mad．

　　A small piece of flesh was bitten off．Lisa picked up the hatchet again and hit at the wound in the snake’s back madly and savagely．

　　Stinking blood was spraying out of the snake’s body．The snake was so badly wounded that it let Barney　go and moved back into the forest．It had never imagined that human beings had such terrible, sharp teeth．Halfway home, the snake died．

阅读理解

　　Most of us lead unhealthy lives; we spend far too much sitting down．If in addition we are careless about our diets, our bodies soon become loose and fatty and our systems　slow moving．There are some aspects(方面)of our unhealthy lives that we cannot avoid．I am thinking of such features of modern city life as pollution, noise, rushed meals and stress．But keeping fit is a way to reduce the effects of these evils．The usual suggestion to a person who is looking for a way to keep fit is to take up some sport or other．While it is true that every weekend you will find people playing football and hockey in the local park, they are outnumbered a hundred to one by the people who are simply watching them．

　　For those who do not particularly enjoy competitive sports－and it is especially difficult to do so if you are not good at them－there are such separate activities as cycling, walking, jogging and swimming．What often happens though is that you do them in such a leisurely way, so slowly, that it is doubtful if you are doing yourself much good, except for the fact that you have at least managed to get up out of your armchair．

　　Even after you have found a way for keeping in shape, through sport or gymnastics, you are still only half way to good health, because, according to the experts, you must also master the art of complete mental and physical relaxation(放松)．It has to do with deep breathing, emptying　your mind of all thoughts, meditation, and so on．Yoga, as practiced in the West, is the most widely known and popular of the systems for achieving the necessary state of relaxation．It seems ironical(讽刺性的), though, that as our lives have improved in a material sense we have found it increasingly necessary to go back to forms of activity－physical effort on the one hand and relaxation on the other－which were the natural way of life of our forefathers．

阅读理解

　　The repairman told me, “No charge, Professor Pan! We’re friends．”

　　“I’d rather pay, ” I replied．“If it’s free, I can’t afford it!”

　　Chinese often refuse payment for professional services, insisting, “We’re friends now!” But then they show up later to ask me to tutor them in English, or get them into an American university, and I wish I’d have just paid the 30 yuan I owed them in the first place!

　　According to the Americans, “There is no free lunch．”, means that there’s a price for everything．And I’m always looking around to figure out what this means．

　　Many of our neighbours have given us fruit or flowers or costly teas, never asking anything in return．For years, a bicycle repairman has repeatedly refused to let me pay him．“Wait until you have something major to fix!” he insists．

　　I mentioned to a peasant friend that I wished I had a stone mill to grind(磨)flour for bread．A month later he showed up with a beautiful mill that he’d had his uncle in the countryside carve from a solid block of granite(花岗石)．

　　Chinese generosity(慷慨)is a real education for Americans　like me, who would rather avoid social entanglements(纠纷)and just hand over the money．But cash can’t compensate(补偿)for the greatest gift－friendship．

　　When an American saw some of my friends sitting on bamboo stools under the trees, sipping(呷)tea, he said, “They must have nothing better to do．” “Actually,” I said, “they are professors, with plenty to do．But probably you are right in saying that, at this moment, they have nothing better to do．And neither do I!”?

　　And I joined the group．When chatted about tea and Chinese cooking and how much my boys have grown since we arrived．One man said, “They were pocket-sized when you came here．Now they’re taller than you．How time flies!”

　　How life flies．And Chinese are smart enough to share what they know they cannot keep．They freely give off their time, never too busy to help a friend．And they are teaching me, slowly, to both give and receive．So the next time someone says, “No charge．We’re friends!” I will thank them heartily．But if they show up later asking me to tutor them in English, I’ll make sure they tutor my son in Chinese as well, because there’s still no free lunch．

阅读理解

　　Imagine what you will be doing in seven years．Are you getting your first job or just studying in another country?

　　When the Taiwan band Relax One(轻松玩)was formed in 1998, they wanted to release their own albums．And now they have．

　　When the four group members came to the mainland to promote their first album “I Want Relax One”, they told Teens how they made their dream come true．

　　Guitarist Xiaomao set up his own music studio when he was only 17 after he graduated from Danjiang High School．This is the same high school from which other stars graduated, including Jay Chou and Monster from Mayday．

　　“It doesn’t mean you are a loser simply because you don’t like school,” Xiaomao believed．He had a good time hanging around with music lovers．Then he met drummer A-kui, who was rather rebellious at that time．

　　Both A-kui’s parents are high school teachers．Born in such a family meant few choices for him－going to a good university and finding a decent(体面的)job seemed to be his future．A-kui was already on that road, being a top student in one of the top high schools in Taiwan．

　　“But I didn’t want to be planned,” said A-kui．He took up drumming．The reason that he didn’t choose guitar or bass was simply that they were too costly．

　　“To learn to play drums, all you need is a pair of drumsticks,” A-kui said with a smile．“My family didn’t want me to do music so I didn’t have the money to buy a guitar．”?

　　Xiaorenguo was A-kui’s fellow student in Alethia University, majoring in information management．Being infected by A-kui’s enthusiasm for music, he began playing bass(贝司)．

　　They formed a band．Parents’ objections, financial pressure and changing of band members－nothing stopped their dream．

　　And then lead vocalist(主唱)Summer, who now writes all the songs, joined in 1998．

　　Summer loved singing when she was a kid．After graduating from Fu Jen University, she began her exploration of music．

　　Her voice and talent for writing songs were acknowledged(得到承认)before she joined the band．She had written songs for other singers, such as China Dolls(中国娃娃)．Some producers even tried to persuade her to develop　a career on her own．

　　But Summer insisted on staying with the band．“We are like a family,” Summer explained．

阅读理解

　　Who Is Kimberly Kirberger?

　　Kimberly Kirberger is the president and founder of Inspiration and Motivation for Teens, Inc．(I．A．M．for Teens, Inc．)a corporation formed exclusively(专有地)to work for teens．It is her goal to see teens represented in a more positive light and it is her strong belief that teens deserve(应受)better and more positive treatment．

　　She spends her time reading the thousands of letters and stories sent to her by teen readers and traveling around the country speaking to high school students and parents of teens．She has appeared as a teen expert on many television and radio shows．

　　Kimberly says that the College Soul book has been an amazing journey．In getting close to and hearing from so many teenagers she kept hearing about this very emotionally packed time that begins with application(申请)to college and extends through the four-year experience．It became clear to her that this was a time of life that was filled with many challenges(挑战)and that college students could really benefit from a book like this．For her, it was simply a continuation of a commitment(义务)that she has made to teenagers to do what she can to inspire and motivate(激发)them while letting them know there are people who believe in them．

　　Kimberly is the coauthor of the bestseller, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul and the New York Times bestseller, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul Ⅱ, as well as Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul Journal(期刊)．She is also the co-author of the forthcoming ?Chicken Soup for the Parent’s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul Ⅲ, and the author of Teen Love：On Relationships, a Book for Teenagers．

　　Kimberly started the Teen Letter Project with Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Health Communications, Inc．The Project is responsible for answering the letters received from teenagers and also reaching out to teens in trouble and encouraging them to seek professional help．

　　To book Kimberly for a speaking engagement or for further information on any of her projects, please contact：

　　I．A．M．for Teens, Inc．

　　P．O．Box 936, Palisades, CA 90272 phone：310-573-3655

　　Fax：310-573-3657

　　E-mail for stories：stories @ teenagechickensoul, com

　　E-mail for letters：letters @ teenagechick

　　Website：www．Teenagechickensoul．com

阅读理解

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 of hobbies by saying．“No man is really happy or safe without a hobby．”

阅读理解

　　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．Then 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．

阅读理解

　　I have a rule for travel：Never carry a map．I prefer to ask for directions．

　　Foreign visitors are often puzzled in Japan because most streets there don’t have names．In Japan, people use landmarks in their directions instead of street names．For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner．Turn left at the big hotel and go pass a fruit market．The post office is across from the bus stop．”

　　In the countryside of the American Midwest, usually there are not many landmarks．There are no mountains, so the land is very flat(平坦的)．In many places there are no towns or buildings within miles．Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distance．In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “Go north two miles．Turn east, and then go another mile．”

　　People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map：They measure distance by means of time, not miles．“How far away is the post office?” you ask．“Oh, ” they answer, “It’s about five minutes from here．” you say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it?” They don’t know．

　　People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because visitors seldom understand the Greek language．Instead of giving you the direction, a Greek will often say, “Follow me．” Then he’ll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office．

　　Sometimes a person doesn’t know the answer to your question．What happens in this situation?A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea．”But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers, “I don’t know．”People in Yucatan think that “I don’t know” is impolite．They usually give an answer, often a wrong one．A visitor can get very, very lost in Yucatan!

　　One thing will help you everywhere－in Japan, in the United States, in Greece, in Mexico, or in any other place．You might not understand a person’s words, but maybe you can understand his body language．He or she will usually turn and then point in the correct direction．Go in that direction, and you may find the post office!