Outside her shabby cottage, old Mrs．Tailor was hanging out laundry on a wine line, unaware that some children lay hidden in the leaves of a nearby tree watching her every move．They were determined to find out if she really was a witch．

　　They watched us she tool a broomstish to clean the dirt from her stone steps, But touch to their disappoinment, she did not mount the broomstick and take flight．Suddenly, the old lady’s work was interupted by the cackling of her hen－aghal that an egg had been laid in the warm nest on too of the havested．

　　The old bromastick was put aside as she hobbled off towards the haystack followed by sooty, a black cat she had rescued from a fox trap some time back．With only three legs, it was hard for Sooty to keep up with the old lady, The cat provided proof－the children were sure that only a witch own a black cat with three legs．

　　There, standing on a wooden box, was Mrs, Tailor, strething out to gather her precious egg．Taking the egg in one of her hands, she began to climb down when．when, without warning, the box broke and the lady fell．

　　“We have to go and help her,”whispered Amy．

　　“What if it is a trick?”reolied Ben

　　“Don’t be silly, Ben．If she were a witch, she would have turned us into frogs already,”reasoned Meg．“Come on Amy, let’s go．”The girls climbed down the tree and ran all the Approaching careally they could see a wand watnd on the old lady’s face She had knocked her hesd on a stone and her ankle was definish brken．“Go on get Ded,”Amy yelled to her brother,“Tell him room the

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　　A few years ago I had an“aha!”moment regarding handwriting．

　　I had in my hand a sheet of paper with handwritten instructions on it for some sort of editorial task．It occurred at first that I did not recognize the handwriting, and then I realized whose it must be．I finally became aware of the fact that I had been working with this colleague for at least a year, maybe two, and yet I did not recognize her handwriting at that point．

　　It was a very important event in the computerization of life－a sign that the informal．friendly communication of people working together in an office had changed from notes in pen to instant messages and emails．There was a time when our workdays were filled with little letters, and we recognized one another's handwriting the way we knew voices or faces．

　　As a child visiting my father’S office, 1 was pleased to recognize, in little notes on the desks of his staff, the same handwriting 1 would see at home in the notes he would leave on the mdge－except that those notes were signed“dad”instead of“RFW”．

　　All this has been on my mind because of the talk about The Rise and Fall of Handwriting, a book by Florey．Sire shows in her book a deep coflceru about the fall of handwriting and the failure of schools to teach children to write well, but many others argue that people in a digital age can’t be expected to learn to hold a pen．

　　I don’t buy it．

　　I don’t want to see anyone cut off from the expressive, personal associations that a pen still promotes better than a digital keyboard does．For many a biographer, part of really getting to know their subjects is learning to read their handwriting．

　　What some people advocate is teaching one of the many attractive handwritings based on the handwriting of 16th－century Italy．That may sound impossibly grand－as if they want kids to learn to draw by copying classical paintings．However, they have worked in many school systems．

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　　We once had a poster competition in our fifth grade art class．

　　“You could win prizes,”’our teacher told US as she wrote the poster information on the blackboard．She passed out sheets of construction paper while continuing,“The first prize is ten dollars．You just have to make sure that the words on the blackboard appear somewhere on your poster．”

　　We studied the board critically．Some of US looked with one eye and held up certain colors against the blackboard, rocking the sheets to the fight or left while we conjured up our designs．Others twisted their hair around their fingers or chewed their erasers while deep in thought．We had plans for that ten－dollar grand prize, each and every one of US．I'm going to spend mine On candies, one hopeful would announce, while another practiced looking serious, wise and rich．

　　Everyone in the class made a poster．Some of us used parts of those fancy paper napkins, while others used nothing but colored construction paper．Some of US used big designs, and some of us preferred to gather our art tidily down in one comer of our poster and let the space draw the viewer's attention to it．Some of US would wander past the good students’desks and then retum to our own projects with a growing sense of hopelessness．It was yet another grown。up trick of the soil they seemed especially fond of。making all of US believe we had a fair chance, and then always－always-rewarding the same old winners．

　　I believe I drew a sailboat, but I can’t say that with any certainty．I made it．I admired it．I determined it to be the very best of all of the posters I had seen, and then I turned it in．

　　Minutes passed．

　　No one came along to give me the grand prize, and then someone distracted me, and I probably never would have thought about that poster again．

　　I was still sitting at my desk, thinking, What poster?when the teacher gave me an envelope with a ten－dollar bill in it and everyone in the class applauded for me．

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　　Lisa was running late．Lisa, 25, had a lot to do at work, plus visitors on the way：her parents were coming in for Thanksgiving from her hometown．But as she hurried down the subway stairs, she started to feel uncomfortably warln．By the time she got to the platform, Lisa felt weak and tired--maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to give blood the night before, she thought．She rested herself against a post close to the tracks．

　　Several yards away, Frank, 43, and his girlfriend, Jennifer, found a spot close to where the front of the train would stop．They were deep in discussion about a house they were thinking of buying．

　　But when he heard the scream, followed by someone yelling, “Oh, my God, she fell in!”Frank didn’t hesitate．He jumped down to the tracks and ran some 40 feet toward the body lying on the rails．“No!Not you!”his girlfriend screamed after him．

　　She was right to be alarmed．By the time Frank reached Lisa, he could feel the tracks shaking and see the light coming．The train was about 20 seconds from the station．

　　It was hard to lift her．She was just out．But he managed to raise her the four feet to the platform so that bystanders could hold her by the grins and drag her away from the edge．That was where Lisa briefly regained consciousness, felt herself being pulled along the ground, and saw someone else holding her purse．

　　Lisa thought she’d been robbed．A woman held her hand and a man gave his shirt to help stop the blood pouring from her head．And she tried to talk but she couldn’t, and that was when she realized how much pain she was in．

　　Police and fire officials soon arrived, and Frank told the story to an officer．Jennifer said her boyfriend was calm on their 40－minute train ride downtown-just as he had been seconds after the rescue, which made her think about her reaction at the time．“I saw the train coming and 1 was thinking he was going to die,”she explained．

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　　A recent study, while showing a generally positive attitude toward science, also suggests a widespread worry that it may be“running out of control”, This idea is dangerous．

　　Science can be a force for evil as well as for good．Its applications can be channeled either way, depending on our decisions．The decisions we make, personally or collectively, will determine the outcomes of science．But here is a real danger．Science is advancing so fast and is so strongly influenced by businesses that we are likely to believe whatever decisions we come to will make little difference．And, rather than fighting for the best possible policies, we may step back and do nothing．

　　Some people go even further．They say that despite the moral and legal objections(反对), whatever is scientifically possible will be done-somewhere, sometime．They believe that science will get out of control in the end．This belief is dangerous too, because it fuels a sense of hopelessness and discourages then from making efforts to build a safer world．

　　In our interconnected world, the lack of agreement in and out of the world of science can lead to the failure to control the use of science．Without a common understanding, the challenges of“controlling”science in this century will be really tough．Take human cloning for example．Despite the general agreement among scientists on its possible huge impact(影响)on traditional moral values, some countries still go ahead with the research and development of its related techniques．The outcomes are hard to predict．

　　Therefore, discussions on how science is applied should be extended far beyond scientific societies．Only through the unties efforts of people with hope, can we be fully safe against the misuse of science and can science best serve mankind in the future．

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　　Liverpool, my hometown, is a unique city．It is so unique that in 2004 it became a World Heritage(遗产)Site．

　　I recently returned to my home city and my first stop was at a museum on the River Mersey．Blanketed in mist(薄雾), Victorian architecture rose from the banks of the river, responded to the sounds of sea-birds, and appeared unbelievably charming．When I headed toward the centre, I found myself surrounded by buildings that mirror the best palaces of Europe．It is not hard to imagine why, on first seeing the city, most visitors would be overpowered by the beauty of the noble buildings, which are solid signs of Liverpool’s history．

　　As if to stress its cultural role, Liverpool has more museums and galleries(美术馆)than most cities in Britain．At Walker Art Gallery, I was told that it has the best collections of Victorian paintings in the world, and is the home of modern art in the north of England．However, culture is more than galleries．Liverpool offers many music events．As Britain’s No．1 music city, it has the biggest city music festival in Europe, and its musicians are famous all over the world．Liverpool is also well-known for its football and other sports events．Every year, the Mersey River Festival attracts thousands of visitors, making the city a place of wonder．

　　As you would expect from such a city, there are restaurants serving food from around the world．When my trip was about to complete, I chose to rest my legs in Liverpool’s famous Philharmonic pub(酒馆)．It is a monument to perfection, and a heritage attraction itself．

　　Being a World Heritage Site, my home city is certainly a place of“outstanding universal value．It is a treasure nouse with plenty of secrets for the world to explore．

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　　Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature．However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment．

　　Some sports are resource-hungry．Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water．Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses(球场)in good condition．This causes major environmental effects．For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas．

　　There are many environment-friendly sport．Power walking is one of them that you could take up today．You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse．Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit．If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones．Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control．

　　Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials．But the final goal should be“green gyms”．They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers．Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces．There is no special requirement for you to start your membership．And best of all, it’s free．

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　　Sir Steven Redgrave

　　Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals

　　“In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes(糖尿病)．Believing my career(职业生涯)was over, I felt extremely low．Then one of the specialists said there was to no reason why I should stop training and competing．That was it-the encouragement I needed．I could still be a winner if I believed in myself．I am not saying that it isn't difficult sometimes．But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't finished yet．Nothing is to stand in my way．”

　　Karen Pickering

　　Swimming World Champion

　　“I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week．I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of my diary．This is the key to success-you can’t follow a career in any field without being well-organized．List what you believe you can achieve．Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them．”

　　Kirsten Best

　　Poet & Writer

　　“When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can't achieve something．Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies．The key is to concentrate．When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as‘calm’,‘peace’or‘focus’, either out loud or silently in my mind．It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence．This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological(心理的)tool．”

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　　I was waiting for a phone call from my agent．He had left a message the night before, telling me that my show was to be cancelled．I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later．So I waited and waited, but there was still no call．Three hours passing by, I became more and more impatient．I was certain that my agent didn’t care about my work, and he didn’t care about me, I was overcome with that thought．I started to shout at the phone,“Let me wait, will you?Who do you think you are?”

　　At that time I didn’t realize my wife was looking on．Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the phone,“Yeah!Who do you think you are?Bad telephone!Bad telephone!”And she swept it into the wastebasket．

　　I stood watching her, speechless．What on earth?

　　She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the rest of the house,“Now hear this!All objects in this room-if you do anything to upset my husband, out you go!”

　　Then she turned to me, kissed me, and said calmly,“Honey, you just have to learn how to take control．”With that, she left the room．

　　After watching a crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight, I noticed that something in my mood(情绪)had changed．I was laughing．How could I have trouble with that phone?Her antics helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things．Twenty minutes later my agent did call．I was able to listen to him and talk to him calmly．

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　　Four people in England,back in 1953,stared at photo 51．it was’t much –a picture showing a black XBut three of these people won the nobel prize for figuring out what the photo really showes－the shape of DNA．The discovery brought fame and fortune to scientists James Watson,Francis crick, and Maurice Willkins．The fourth, the one who actually made the picture, was left out．

　　Her name was Rosalind Franklin．“she should have been up there,”says historian mary bowden．”if her photo hadn’t been there, the others couldn’t have come up with the structure．”one reason franklin was missing was that she had died of cancer four years before the nobel decision．But now school doubt that franklin was not only robbed of her life by disease but robbed of credit by her competions．

　　At cambridge university in the 1950s, watson and back fried to make models by cutting up shapes of DNA’s parts and then putting them together．In the meantime, at king’s college in lodon frannklin and Willkins shone X-rays at the molecule(分子)．The rays produced patterns reflecting the shape．

　　But willkins and frangklin’s was a lot rockier than the celebrated teamwork of waston and crick．Willkins though frangklin was hired to be his assistant．But the college actually emplyed her to take over the DNA project．

　　What she did was produce X-ray．And she was not shy about saying so．That angered waston, who attacked her in return,”mere inspection suggerted that she would not easily bend．Clearly she had to go or put in her place．

　　As frankins competitors, wilkins, watston and crick had much to gain by cutting her out of the little group of researchers,saya historian pnina Abir-Am．In 1962 at the nobel prize awarding ceremony, wilkins thanked 13 colleagues by name before he mentioned frangkin．Watson wrote his book laughing at her．Crick wrote in 1974 that “franklins was only two steps away from the solution．”

　　No, Franklin was the solution．”She contributed more than any other player to solving the structure of DNA．She must be considered a co-discoverer,”Abir-Am says．This was backed up by Aaron Klug, who worked with Franklin and later won a Nobel Prize himself．Once described as the “Dark Lady of DNA”,Franklin is finally coming into the light．

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