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　　When we found him，he was a sorry sight．His clothes were torn，his hands bleeding．Before we reached him，we saw him fall．He lay a moment Then he pulled himself to his feet，walked unsteadily a few yards through the woods and fell again．

　　After we got him out，we went back to find the gun that he had thrown down His tracks showed that for two days he had circled in the forest，within 200 yards of the road His senses were so dulled by fear and tiredness that he did not hear the cars going by or see the lights at night．

　　We found him just in time．

　　This man，like others before him，had simply been frightened when he knew he was lost What had been a near disaster might have turned out as only a pleasant walk，if he had made a few preparations before he stepped from the highway or off a known path．

　　Whatever sense of direction that a man may have，it's still largely a question of observation．A skilled woodsman always keeps an eye on his surroundings．He notes the shape of a mountain，the direction water flows through a swamp，and the way a tree leans across a path．With these in mind，he is still likely to turn around many times．but he is seldom lost．

　　There are exceptions．of course，and once in a while a man does come across some strange problem that puts him into the“lost”situation．A rainstorm or sudden blizzard may catch him without a compass(指南针)in his Darkness．Darkness may find him in a rough area，where travel is dangerous without a light．

　　When this happens，the normal first reaction(反应)is the fear of being laughed at as a result of his poor knowledge in the woods．He may also be concerned about the inconvenience that he will cause his friends when he doesn't show up．This false pride may lead him to keep on the move in a false effort to find his way against all difficulties．

　　The person who thinks ahead is seldom in great danger．He'll be safe if he observes carefully, thinks ahead，and remains calm．

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　　The document, entitled The Analysis of and Forecasts for Social Development(or the Blue Book on Chinese Society), said 38.4 percent of the 7,000 families interviewed had been affected by the unstable employment situation．

　　In urban areas, the unemployment rate is now 9.4 percent, twice the registered rate of 4.5 percent released by the Human Resources and Society Security Ministry．Central and western parts of the country, which have less-developed economies, are facing a more severe unemployment situation than wealthy coastal areas, while big cities have a higher unemployment rate than small towns．

　　Natural disasters and rising costs due to the global economic slowdown have caused thousands of small and medium-sized firms to close down this year, leaving millions of migrant workers(农民工)jobless, the report said．

　　“The global financial crisis has had a profound(深远的)effect on the Chinese economy and society,” said Li Peilin, director of the CASS Institute of Sociology．

　　The report also said that the number of people graduating from college rose to a new high of 5.6 million this year．But as of August, just 70 percent of them had found work．By the end of the year, more than 1.5 million fresh graduates will be without a job, while 6.1 million others will enter the job market next year．

　　“The widening income gap between rich and poor will restrict the consumption power of middle and low-income families, especially during the economic recession(衰退)．”Li Peilin warned．The average income of 20 percent of the richest families is 17 times higher than that of 20 percent of the poorest ones．The rich also own far more home appliances, such as refrigerators, mobile phones and computers．Just 4 percent of poor families have a computer, compared with 66 of rich families．

　　“It is very important to improve the income situation in China in order to promote domestic demand,” said Li Wei, a CASS researcher and one of the writers of the report．

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　　What is the hottest word of 2008 in China?Google, the world's top search engine, gave its list at the end of this year．“Shanzhai”, a Chinese term, which literally refers to the mountain strongholds of bandits(强盗)but has changed to mean “copycatting(复制)”, came at the top．

　　It's true that “Shanzhai” is everywhere．There are “Shanzhai” phones called “Nakia” and “Anycoll”．There are “Shanzhai” stars who dress and act like celebrities such as Jay Zhou．There are “Shanzhai” versions of movies, songs and TV programs．And recently a crowd of youths has drawn eyes from around the country preparing for the amateur Spring Festival gala(联欢会), in which ordinary people are invited to show their work．“I want to watch the amateur gala on Spring Festival eve,” said 19-year-old Fan Xiaojie in Wuhan．“The performers will express themselves in a bolder and funnier way than those on CCTV．”

　　“‘Shanzhai'is a way for young people to have their voices heard in a world ruled by authorities,” said Gu Haibin, a sociologist from Remin University．Made cheaply and easily, “Shanzhai” versions gave ordinary people an opportunity to express themselves．Gu said the copycat trend also promotes a DIY(do it yourself)attitude．“With the spread of the Internet, it has become easier to publish works and get an access to technology．This has made DIY more possible．”

　　Li Xinlian, a psychologist in Beijing, thought about why “Shanzhai” is getting popular at this particular time．“It meets people's need to release, especially after this year's many gloomy events, such as the snowstorm, earthquake and financial crisis,” said Li．“The ‘Shanzhai'spirit makes fun of authorities and of ourselves．It provides a release．”

　　However, experts remind that copycat works can break copyright laws．The law allows copying the format of a copy-righted work, but not the content．Lyrics or melody(词曲)of a song are also protected from commercial uses．

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　　In many societies，there is often greater acceptance of light skin than dark skin．Light skin may be seen as a mark of beauty, intelligence and success．These beliefs can lead to social pressure even within the same racial or ethnic group，if some members are darker skinned than others．

　　The result is that skin lightening has become a common activity across Africa，Asia and other areas of the world．More and more people with dark skin are using skin-lightening products，even if they may face health risks．

　　They believe that having whiter skin will improve their lives．Many people think they will have a better chance of getting a job or marrying into a better family．Or they want to look like what their society generally considers beautiful．

　　Some beauty care products and soaps contain chemicals that make skin lighter．This process is also called bleaching．But some the chemicals are extremely dangerous．One of the most dangerous is hydroquinone．

　　Hydroquinone has been banned in several countries．This chemical has been linked to kidney damage and some kinds of cancer．It also causes low birth weight in babies when mothers use it during pregnancy．

　　At first，bleaching products make the skin color lighter．But after long-term use they can cause problems．They can even make some skin darker．The chemicals in the products block and break down the natural process that gives color to skin．The skin loses its natural barrier to protect against sunlight．Then the skin can become thick and discolored．Usually the person will use more of the product in an effort to correct the problem，but this only makes it worse．

　　Fatimata Ly treats skin conditions in the Senegalese capital．Dakar．Doctor Ly says skin bleaching has become a problem throughout Senegal．She says the chemicals are now more dangerous because they are stronger．Some cases have resulted in blackened fingernails，infections and permanent skin damage．

　　And these are not the only risks．Expels say some people who change their skin color suffer emotional damage．They feel regret and sadness．They feel that instead of risking their health，they should have learned to love and accept their skin color as it was．

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　　Much to the excitement of fans, South Korean boy band Dong Bang Shin Ki released their new album Mirotic on September, 2008．

　　The title of the leading song Mirotic comes from the Korean word “miro” which means “maze”(迷宫)and the English suffix “tic”．“It is meant to describe the kind of feeling one has when he falls in love with someone at first sight,” said member U-Know．“It's like being trapped in a maze．”

　　It is reported that the album has sold 90,000 copies two days after its release．It has risen to No．1 on the weekly chart in South Korea．

　　While you enjoy the catchy song, don't miss the band's trademark dancing moves．This time Dong Bang Shin Ki worked with famous dance choreographer(舞蹈编排)Kenny Wormald, who once cooperated with American pop stars including Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera．

　　The band began working on the new record in early 2007 and didn't finish until June this year．“We have devoted ourselves to the producing work．We see the album as an opportunity to show our fans that we have made progress on a daily basis,” said member Xiah．“We won't let them down．”

　　It is this determined attitude that keeps the band going in the highly competitive entertainment world．The band never sets limits to their music styles．Since their first appearance on the stage in 2003, they have tried pop, R&B and ballads(民歌)．After winning the hearts of thousands of teenagers across Asia, they haven't slowed down．This year, Dong Bang Shin Ki has starred in two TV dramas Dating on Earth and Heaven's Postal Delivery Man．The boys are sure to ride the wave of South Korean pop culture．

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　　So often our needs are defined by things that don’t get us much：the comfort of having lots of stuff, the image we want to portray, the social pressure to appear to be rich, the fantastic idea of having something new for its own sake, like a new car or new TV or the latest fashion．For years, we have spoken to our customers about the difference between fashion and style．We’ve tried our best to encourage style and reinforce the concept that style isn’t fashion．It comes from your imagination and is developed slowly．It’s reflection of your values．

　　Today, more than ever, the direction of an environmentally conscious style is not to have luxury or conspicuous(炫耀的)consumption written all over your clothes．This is still our message．We believe this could be best achieved by simply asking yourself before you buy something(from us or any other company)whether this is something you really need．It could be you’ll buy more or less from us, but only what you need．We’ll be happy to adjust our business up or down accordingly, because we’ll feel we are then contributing to a healthier attitude about consumption．We know this is an opinion against the growth of economy, but frankly, if this kind of thinking doesn’t catch on quickly, we, like a plague of locusts, will swallow all that’s left of the planet．We could make the decision to reduce our consumption, or the decision will soon be made for us．

　　We are optimistic that we can change course and avoid the disastrous destination toward which we’re heading．We also believe that there are many events occurring throughout the world right now which support this outlook．We’ve experienced big changes in people’s attitudes about some extremely important philosophical issues and values．

　　Our purchasing habits have enormous influence．By changing the things that make us happy and buying less stuff, we can reduce the terrible impact we have been placing on the environment．We can buy for vital needs, not silly self-satisfying needs．We do need clothes, yes, but so many?

　　While we’re advocating responsible consumption, we want to suggest one more idea．What you save, if you do, through changing your purchasing habits, contributes to one of the thousands of social and environmental organizations that are working to correct, repair, preserve or halt the damage to which our consumptive ways and economic system have led us．

　　We all have to work together to preserve the continuity of natural cycles and processes．If we don’t we’ll have no inheritance to give to our grandchildren．All will be gone．Our place in history will be that of the greatest mismanagers of the Earth, not such a loving way to be remembered!

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　　Taking care of unsolved issues of the past will free you to move ahead with confidence．The final step toward putting your past behind so that you can reach for what’s possible is tying up your loose ends．Loose ends are the unsolved relationships that keep you from sleeping worry free at night．You have a loose end if there’s someone you don’t want to run into on a first date or at work．You have a loose end if there’s someone you don’t want to sit next to at a holiday dinner．Loose ends are distracting and have an amazing way of biting you in the bottom at the worst times．

　　1．Identify the five people with whom you have the most unsolved issues．These could be past relationships, employers, business partners, friends, family, or co–workers．

　　2．Contact each of these five loose ends．Invite each separately to a coffee shop or some other nonthreatening, nonalcohol environment．Tell each one that you want to apologize for allowing things to get crossways between you．Some may doubt your intentions, but tell them that you sincerely feel it’s time to clear the air．Ask those who agree to meet to write down any ways they think you wronged them, and you do the same．Tell them to bring this list to your get – together．

　　3．Show up on time and thank each for being forgiving enough to meet with you．Be an adult here – finger pointing only tears people apart．Remember, your experience may be – and most likely is – totally different from his．Listen to each issue each of them raises and try to see it from their perspectives(视角)．Don’t interrupt them when they are sharing．Seek to understand why they have bad feelings toward you．Apologize for each thing they think you did to wrong them(even if you don’t completely agree with his view of the situation)．

　　After you tie up your first loose end．You’ll want to solve them all．This is hard to explain until you have done it; but once you do, you’ll know what I mean．I learned so much about myself by tying up my loose ends．Most of all, I think this process helped me become a more understanding and patient friend．

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　　NEW YORK：Staying positive through the cold season could be your best defence against getting ill, new study findings suggest．

　　In an experiment that exposed healthy volunteers to a cold or flu virus, researchers found that people with a generally sunny disposition were less likely to fall ill．The findings, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, build on evidence that a “positive emotional style” can help protect us from the common cold and other illnesses．

　　Researchers believe the reasons may be both objective – as in happiness improving immune function – and subjective – as in happy people being less troubled by a sore throat or runny nose．“People with a positive emotional style may have different immune responses to the virus,” explained lead study author Dr Sheldon Cohen of Camegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh．“And when they do get a cold, they may interpret their illness as being less severe．”

　　Cohen and his colleagues had found in a previous study that happier people seemed less likely to catch a cold, but some questions remained as to whether the emotional trait itself had the effect．

　　For the new study, the researchers had 193 healthy adults complete standard measures of personality traits, self–perceived health, and emotional“style．”Those who tended to be happy, energetic and easygoing were judged as having a positive emotional style, while those who were often unhappy, tense, and hostile had a negative style．

　　The researchers gave them nasal(鼻的)drops containing either a cold virus or a particular flu virus．Over the next six days, the volunteers reported on any aches, pains, sneezing or congestion they had, while the researchers collected objective data．Cohen and his colleagues found that based on objective measures of nasal troubles, happy people were less likely to develop a cold．

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　　The wheelchair-bound young man, a patient of mine, was pushed to the lectern(演讲台)at the high school to deliver his commencement address．His face still partially paralyzed(瘫痪), he spoke in a soft voice．But Mark Orsini delivered a powerful speech and received a thunderous applause from his fellow students, who had wondered if he’d live to graduate．

　　The 18-year-old had developed Guillain-Barre syndrome(综合病症)，which can cause paralysis．Soon he was almost completely paralyzed．

　　His parents insisted that he was a fighter．He’d get through this and go on to attend Dartmouth．But meanwhile, immobile and on a ventilator(呼吸器), how was he going to ask questions or be involved in his care?

　　The solution was remarkable：The Orsinis would sit at Mark’s side and recite the alphabet．When they got to a letter Mark needed to spell a word, he’d nod “yes”．They’d write it down, then start over and wait for him to nod again．They never lost patience and Mark was involved wit every decision．Standard treatment hadn’t helped, so I proposed a risky procedure to filter(过滤)his blood．

　　After treatment he showed improvement and soon he could move his toes, his legs and then his arms．

　　Mark has graduated from Dartmouth．I saw him in my office some time ago, and he was feeling great．But there was a lot left unsaid．I wanted to say I was in awe of him, and that his parents were some of the most amazing people I’d ever met, sitting by his bed for hours, patiently listening to their child speak letter by letter．I wanted to tell him of my shame when my children tried to talk to me and I brushed them off because I didn’t have time to listen．I wanted to say I’d never forget him or his parents．But words failed me．

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　　Just 7 km east of Sydney’s city center lies Australia’s most famous beach－Bondi, with its glorious strip of golden sand and blue water．Other delightful surf beaches and small bays stretch south to Maroubra, while the harbour suburbs to the north offer sandy bays and the bushland of Sydney Harbour National Park．The life saving movement was founded in Australia in the early 1900s, and now Bondi and Bronte each claim to be the world’s first surf club．

　　1．Beaches

　　Surf and sand from Bondi to Maroubra, plus calm harbour beaches．

　　●With its rolling surf and long are of sand, Bondi is the region’s best-known beach and the liveliest of all the ocean suburbs．

　　●Four more surf beaches lie south of Bondi－Tamarama, Bronte, Coogee and Maroubra－as well as calmer Clovelly and Cordons Bay．

　　2．

　　Lively beachfront dining and shopping strips, and charming harbours．

　　●Bondi, Bronte, Coogee and Maroubra all offer a delightful seaside town atmosphere－complete with beachwear and surf shops, pubs and outdoor cafes．

　　●Take a boat from Circullar Quay to one of the harbour suburbs－there is Rose Bay with its parks and harbourside restaurants, Vaucluse, home of 1820s Vaucluse House, and Watsons Bay, with a famous seafood restaurant and wonderful views up the harbour．

　　3．Inland

　　Shops, cafes, restaurants, parks and several major attractions．

　　●Paddington and Woollahra are famous for their cafes, small shops, art galleries, markets and nearby Centennial Park, one of Sydney’s largest open spaces．

　　●Visit Bondi Junction for its largest shopping center and cinema complex．

　　4．Activities

　　From surfing and diving to walks, golf and seaplane rides．

　　●Learn to surf at Bondi, Bronte or Coogee, go diving at Gordons Bay(where there is an underwater trail), or watch a summer surf carnival．

　　●Play golf at Bondi Beach, Rose Bay or Moore Park, enjoy a game of tennis, and go horse riding at Centennial Park．

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