阅读理解

　　People tend to be more impressed by the evidence that seems to confirm some relationship．Thus many that are convinced their dreams are prophetic(预言的)because a few have come true; they neglect or fail to notice the many that have not．

　　Consider also the belief that“the phone always rings when I’m in the shower”．If it does ring while you are in the shower, the event will stand out and be remembered．If it doesn’t ring, that nonevent probably won’t even register．

　　People want to see order, pattern and meaning in the world．Consider, for example, the common belief that things like personal misfortunes, plane crashes, and deaths “happen in threes”．Such beliefs stem from the tendency of people to allow the third event to define the time period．If three plane crashes occur in a month, then the period of time that counts as their “happening together” is one month; if three crashes occur in a year, the period of time is stretched．Flexible end points reinforce such beliefs．

　　We also tend to believe what we want to believe．A majority of people think they are more intelligent, more fair-minded and more skilled behind the wheel of an automobile than the average persons．Part of the reason we view ourselves so favorably is that we use criteria that work to our advantage．As economist Thomas Schelling explains, “Everybody ranks himself high in qualities he values：careful drivers give weight to care, skilled drivers give weight to skill, and those who are polite give weight to courtesy．” This wayeveryone ranks high on his own scale．

　　Perhaps the most important mental habit we can learn is to be cautious in drawing conclusions．The “evidence” of everyday life is sometimes misleading．

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　　Don’t go to Kauai．Go to any of the other Hawaiian Islands－Maui, Lanai, the Big Island－but leave Kauai for us．The weather on Kauai is so unpredictable(不可预测的)that sometimes it rains all day－in fact, it’s the second-wettest spot on the earth．Yes, there are giant double rainbows all the time, and the sunlight through the clouds is magical．But if you are not interested in these, go somewhere else．You just can’t control the nature on Kauai, and who wants to surrender(屈服)to the nature when you could be in a fine hotel, lying in a comfortable chair next to a swimming pool, with food served upon request?

　　So what if Kauai produces surf champions the way Texas produces cowboys? Most of its 300 white-sand beaches are unmarked．Unless you connect with the local people, the hidden spots are hard to find．While Hanalei is the most beautiful town you’ve ever dreamed of, you can forget about discs and clubs．Worse, it doesn’t have one single four-star restaurant．What it does have is the original drive－through places where you pass by a rambutan tree(红毛丹树), and pick a piece of fruit．

　　Shopping in Kauai? Forget it－unless you are interested in shell necklaces and beautifully carved wood bowls．Kauai is not about pampering．It’s about going natural and finding the nature within you．It’s a do-it-yourself place that offers walking along the coast, diving and swimming in the Pacific Ocean, and lying on the beach．

　　Don’t go to Kauai unless you have a lot of time, because there’s only one road, which can be slightly dull．It winds through the beautiful scenery of waterfalls, rivers flowing into the ocean, and taro(芋头)fields．You have no choice but to look at everything, because the speed limit is 35 miles per hour．

　　If you’re not interested in color, don’t bother with Kauai, because That’s what you get－red roads, blue oceans, and a hundred different shades of green．It’s like diving on land．Many people on Kauai believe that this is Lemuria－a lost island in the Atlantic．Can you imagine? Those Hawaiians, surfers, New Agers, and people who love nature and beauty want a different quality of life－what do they know, anyway? Forget about it－you’re not going to like it．Go somewhere else．Leave Kauai for us．

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　　On the New York set of the film Hide and Seek, ten-year-old Dakota Fanning spends her time playing a deeply disturbed girl who deals with her mother’s suicide(自杀)by creating an imaginary friend, who may not frighten her family．

　　Today, though, she has the day off．“This week I only worked two days,” says Fanning, sitting in a sofa in her hotel’s library, “but I get bored when I’m not working．Especially because it’s cold here and I can’t do anything, you know? So, I’ve been knitting(编织)－all day, every day．” The actress, who’s held her own opposite Oscar winners such as Sean Penn and Denzel Washington, recently mastered the fine art of scarves(围巾)．Though she’s about ready to move on to hats, she first plans to make a souvenir(纪念品)scarf for Robert De Niro, who plays her father in the film．“He’s the nicest guy you’d ever meet in your entire life, ” she says, her voice dropping to a whisper．“I would make him a brown one．”

　　Like any other fifth-grader, Fanning spends several hours a day going to school．In addition to her personal trailer(活动住房)－which is kept well-supplied with hot chocolate packets, lemon Gatorade, and a TV that doesn’t always work－she has another trailer where her teacher, Jan, conducts classes in history, spelling, reading, math, science and health．“We have this big board where we have a calendar(日历),” Fanning says．“When we were here in January, I wrote the calendar in all blue．February was red, and March was green．”

　　On this particular morning, she had a spelling test．“There was a topic for each of the word lists, ” she says, sitting on her knees．“This one was flowers－they were all names like oxygen, carbon dioxide, chrysanthemum(菊花)…” Chrysanthemum? “Well, they didn’t make me spell that one．They just had me fill in the ‘e’．But I can spell it：c-h-r-y-s-a-n-t-h-e-m-u-m．”

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　　Since 1989 University of Phoenix Online has offered online degree programs to working adults around the country．You attend class whenever and wherever you want via the Internet for complete flexibility(灵活性)and convenience．

　　Earn your degree via the Internet for more career opportunities and higher income potential(可能的)with University of Phoenix Online．

　　We offer Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Accounting, Administration, Marketing, Information Technology, E-Business plus many others．

　　Many of our students complete their degree in approximately 2 to 3 years．With over 99 000 online students, University of Phoenix Online has one of the most successful online degree programs in the country．

　　There is NO NEED for residency(居住)in the United States, since 100％ of the coursework is done online．

　　Bachelor Degree Admission Requirements

　　A high school diploma(文凭)or equivalent

　　Student must be 21 years of age or older

　　A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based exam or 213 on the computer-based exam of the Test of English as a Foreign Language(TOEFL)for non-native speakers of English

　　Current employment or access to an organizational environment

　　Master’s Degree Admission Requirements

　　A regionally accredited U．S．bachelor’s degree or equivalent

　　A cumulative(累积的)undergraduate GPA of 2．5 or better

　　Three years significant work experience

　　A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based exam or 213 on the computer-based exam of the Test of English as a Foreign Language(TOEFL)for non-native speakers of English

　　Current employment or access to an organizational environment

　　For further information, please click www．uophx．edu．

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　　The discovery of a dwarfed(矮个的)“human being” who lived in Flores, Indonesia, up to 18 000 years ago is changing the way we think about the human family．This “Flores Human” was three feet tall and her brain was smaller than that of the average chimp(黑猩猩), yet she and her relatives apparently lived fully human lives．They seem to have made tools, worked together to find food and cook it, and perhaps even buried their dead with ceremony．

　　It was a major surprise to find tools associated with the new human family member．The tools are like those formerly seen only with European fossils(化石)from our own species, Homo sapiens(智人), and the oldest of them were made 94 000 years ago．Homo sapiens is thought to have arrived in the island about 40 000 years ago, much too late to be responsible for the tools．If this tiny human made the tools, then the inside structure(结构)of its brain must have been more like our own than a chimp’s, despite being just a third the size of ours．

　　This “new human” was suspected to be a dwarfed branch of Homo erectus(直立人)．When creatures are separated in regions with rare resources but few enemies, being big is a disadvantage, and evolution tends to shrink them, a process known as island dwarfing．Could natural selection make a human smaller while keeping－even improving－mental ability? Quite possibly, believes Christopher Wills of the University of California．Has the “Flores Human” even shown the ability of language? “I find it difficult to imagine that people could make tools, use fire, and kill large animals without fairly advanced communication,” Wills says．Did “Floras Human” possess the basic components of human culture－such as the burying of the dead with ceremony? Emiliano Bruner of the Italian Institute points out that Indonesia’s hot, wet environment is bad for fossilization．It is reasonable to assume, he says, that the 18 000-year-old bones of the most complete Flores woman were well-preserved because she was buried with special care．

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　　The coyote(丛林狼), that clever animal of wide-open spaces, has come to the nation’s capital．In fact, coyotes have spread to every corner of the United States, changing their behaviors to fit new environments and causing researchers to deal with a troublesome new kind of creature：the city coyote．

　　The coyote originally lived in the middle of the continent．One of its most obvious characters is its smartness, which has made the animal a notorious(臭名昭著的)pest．Hunters trapped, shot and poisoned more than a million coyotes in the 1900s．It’s still one of America’s most hunted animals．Yet the coyote has survived．How has the coyote shown this extraordinary ability? “I guess if you wanted to use one word, it’d be ‘plasticity’, ”says Eric Gese, an expert at Utah State University．Coyotes can live alone, in pairs, or in large packs like wolves, hunt at night or during the day, occupy a small region or an area up to 40 square miles, and live on all sorts of food, from lizards(蜥蜴)and shoes, to ants and melons．

　　Unbelievably people helped coyotes increase when they killed most of the wolves in the United States．The spreading of coyotes into city areas, though, is recent．They travel at night, crossing sidewalks and bridges, running along roads and ducking into culverts(钻入涵洞)and underpasses．No one knows why coyotes are moving into cities, but experts explain that cleverer, more human-tolerant(不怕人的)coyotes are teaching new generations urban survival skills．

　　Occasionally, coyotes might attack human beings．There have been about 160 attacks on people in recent years．Therefore, people have been consistently told not to feed coyotes or leave pet food unsecured．That, plus a large trapping program in the neighborhood, has cut down on the coyote population．

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　　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 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 co-author 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：

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　　BEIJING, Nov．25－If netizens, rather than a select group of experts, could choose the Nobel Peace Prizes, a Chinese scientist might be a winner．

　　An Internet post last Tuesday calling for Chinese agricultural scientist Yuan Longping to be awarded next year’s Nobel Peace Prize got 20 000 votes by this Friday．Yuan is known as the “father of hybrid rice” in China．

　　A post written by a netizen called “Tiannan Dibei” on bbs．rednet．cn called for Yuan’s nomination．It cited the Nobel Peace Laureate Mother Teresa in 1979 for her contribution to global charity, and Norman Borlaug in 1970 for his invention of a high-yield wheat useful for developing countries．

　　“The Nobel Peace Prize does not limit its winners to politicians and organizations devoted to the prevention of war, ” the post said．“It’s also open to people and organizations who try to eliminate problems and narrow the wealth gap．”

　　“Elimination of poverty and hunger is creating peace, ”it said．“With his extraordinary contribution to grain growth in the country and the world, Yuan is fully qualified for the prize．”

　　The Beijing News reported that a member of the Nobel Committee said in a meeting with students of Tsinghua University in March that China is likely to make breakthroughs in the Nobel Literature and Peace Prizes．

　　This year’s Nobel Peace Prize went to Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank for their continuous efforts to grant small sum loans to the poor．

　　This Friday, more than 94 percent of more than 8500 people surveyed were in favor of Yuan getting the prize．

　　Yuan, a household name in China, is regarded as the most famous farmer in the country．He is noted for inventing a form of rice with a much higher yield than average crops．

　　With more than half of China’s paddy fields growing Yuan’s rice, his invention has fed millions of people in the world’s most populous country．

　　His “super rice” has also been introduced to more than 20 other countries．

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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．”

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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 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．

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