阅读理解

　　Misery and setbacks(挫折)are not always as terrible as one imagines．Hard times can offer new ways of looking at life that would otherwise never be known．And, if you are a writer, this can be the source of much of your success．

　　Popular British author, Charles Dickens'(1812－1870)family could hardly make ends meet．They could only afford to send one of their six children to school．Dickens was not that child．His parents chose to send a daughter, who had a talent for music, to an academy．Then at the age of 12, Dickens' life took another turn for the worse．

　　His father, a clerk, was placed in prison for unpaid debts．And, being the oldest male left at home, Dickens took up work at a factory．His horrible experience there became the fuel for his future writing．His father was freed three months later and inherited a small amount of money．Dickens was then sent to school．

　　From 1836 to 1837, he wrote a monthly series of stories．Thus the Pickwick Papers, came into being, which brought fame to the 23-year-old man．

　　Throughout his career, Dickens covers various situations in his novels．He wrote about the miserable lives of the poor in Oliver Twist, the French Revolution in Tale of Two Cities, and social reform in Hard Times．He also wrote David Copperfield, a book thought to be modeled on his own life．

　　“I do not write bitterly or angrily：for I know all these things have worked together to make me what I am,”he once said．His difficult childhood did indeed shape the person he became, as well as his writing career．There are shades of young Dickens in many of his most beloved characters, including David Copperfield and Oliver Twist．

　　Like the author, all these characters come from poor beginnings and are able to rise above their setbacks and achieve success．“Minds, like bodies, will often fall into an ill-conditioned state from too much comfort,”he once wrote．On June 9th, 1870, aged 58, Dickens died, leaving one unfinished work．The words on his tombstone read：“He was a sympathizer to the poor, the suffering and the oppressed, and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world．”

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　　Just as the stock(股票)market rises and falls in response to what people are willing to put their money behind, we have inside ourselves an inner economy that rises and falls in response to our beliefs about what is possible．Sometimes the degree to which we are willing to challenge our belief systems determines the success of our inner economy．For example, imagine that your family of origin had a belief that musical talent was not something they possessed．As a member of that group, you would likely hold that the same belief about yourself．As a result, even if you had a great desire to create music, you might be hesitant to really get behind yourself, fearing that your investment(投资)would not pay off．Even if you had the courage to follow your passion, your inner belief that you are not born talented would probably be a major obstacle to investing your energy in your dream．

　　On the other hand, if you found a way to release that negative belief, a great flood of energy would pour forth, greatly increasing the likelihood of your success．How much energy we are willing to invest in the various ideas, dreams, and visions we carry within is like the money people are, or are not, willing to invest in the various products available for trade on the stock market．And in both cases, belief plays a key role in determining how willing we are to get behind something．One way to open up the possibility for greater success in our inner economies is to understand that belief is not the reliable guide we sometimes think．There are other more reliable things of success that we can put our faith in, such as passion, feeling, and sense．Some of the most successful investors in the stock market are the ones that go against the grain, trusting their sense over the common opinion held by common people about what will work．

　　In the same way, we can learn to trust our heart's desires and our sense to guide us, questioning any beliefs that stand in the way of our ability to fully invest in ourselves．As we take our energy from limiting ideas about what is possible, we free up the resources that have the power to make our inner economy prosper．

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　　A machine which makes water out of air could become the greatest household invention since the microwave．

　　Using the same technology as a dehumidifier(除湿器), the Water Mill is able to create a ready supply of drinking water by getting it from a limitless source－the air．

　　The company behind the machine says not only does it offer all alterative to bottled water in developed countries, but it is a solution for the millions who face a daily water shortage．

　　The machine works by drawing in damp air through a filter(过滤器)and over a cooling element which changes it into water droplets．It can produce up to 12 liters a day．The Water Mill will also produce more water when storms pass over, as the humidity(湿度)in the air increases．In keeping with its ecodevelopment, the machine uses the same amount of electricity as three light bulbs．

　　Inventor Jonathan Ritchey said：“The demand for water is off the chart．People are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and unreliable”．

　　The machine, which is about 3 feet wide, is likely to cost￡800 when it goes on sale here in the spring．Its maker, Canadian firm Element Four, estimates(估计)that a liter of water will cost around 20 pence to produce．

　　Environmentalists claim half the world's population will face water shortage because of climate change by 2080．One in five humans is said to lack access to safe drinking water．

　　The Water Mill is not effective in areas with below about 30 percent relative humidity, but with average relative humidity in England of more than 70 percent that won't be much of an issue here．

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　　Your safety and the security of your personal property are of the primary concern to those of us who welcome you as our guest．We urge you to take advantage of the following suggestions．

　　YOUR VEHICLE

　　Lock your vehicle and do not leave money or valuable items inside．We are not responsible for their loss．

　　TRAVELING

　　Be observant(机警)when sightseeing or traveling．Stay in well-lit and heavily traveled areas．Don't display large amounts of cash．

　　GUEST ROOM SECURITY

　　For additional security use the deadbolt(插锁)provided on your door and make sure the windows are locked．As an additional precaution(预防措施), please secure the secondary locks provided．Do not admit anyone to your room without first making identification．A one-way viewer is provided in your door to assist with identification．If there is any doubt about the person's identity, please contact the Front Desk．

　　SAFETY BOXES

　　Do not leave money or valuables in your room or vehicle．We provide free safety boxes for your use．Hotel is not responsible for items left in room valued over ＄200．

　　KEYS

　　Safeguard your key．Please do not leave it in the door．Do not give your key to others or leave it unattended．Please leave your key at the Front Desk when you check out．

　　REPORTING

　　Please report any suspicious activity, or safety concerns to management．

　　FIRE

　　Please familiarize yourself with the nearest fire exits．Report fire or smoke to the hotel operator．In the unlikely event of a fire, please move quickly and calmly to the nearest safe exit and leave the building．Avoid the use of elevator．

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　　Winter's short days are more than cold．For many people, winter depression, the most common type of Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD), is as much a part of the season as hats and scarves．

　　Winter serious SAD sufferers may need medical treatment．Those feeling a little depressed can help themselves by sticking to a healthy lifestyle．Here are some tips：

　　Pace yourself．Don't expect to do everything you normally can．Set a realistic schedule．Don't listen to negative thinking, like blaming yourself or expecting to fail．

　　Get involved in activities that make you feel good or feel like you've achieved something．For example, play table tennis or badminton．

　　If you are feeling depressed, you may feel like staying away from friends．Yet this is a time when friends' support can be helpful．Call them regularly．Remember, the more we put off calling or visiting a friend, the harder it is to rebuild a friendship．

　　Think clearly about what's wrong or right．Instead of giving in to vague(含糊的)feelings of sadness, look at your problems objectively．Break down problems into specific issues that you can work on．

　　Regular exercise helps to prevent and ease depression．

　　Eat well．Studies show that a healthy diet can help to maintain a healthy body and mind．The vitamins, minerals and micro-nutrients found in a balanced diet may help our bodies to produce feel-good hormones．Foods containing chemicals to help produce feel-good hormones include bananas, turkey, nuts and seeds．Eat at least five pieces of fruit and vegetables every day．

　　P．S．Symptoms of SAD：

　　No interests or pleasure in things you used to enjoy

　　Increased need for sleep

　　A change in eating habits, especially an appetite for sweet or starchy(含淀粉的)foods

　　Weight gain

　　A heavy feeling in the arms or legs

　　A drop in energy level

　　Difficulty in concentrating

　　Overly emotional

　　Avoidance of friends and social situations

　　Frequent feelings of guilt

　　Long-term feelings of hopelessness, and physical problems, such as headaches

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　　The HOPE IS A GAME-CHANGER PROJECT will deliver unbreakable soccer balls to kids who, all too often, see things horrible, broken and not survive the simplest of circumstances．The project started taking form well before anyone knew where it would lead-which is to test the power of like-minded people working together to turn inspiration into action．

　　Four years ago Bobby was in Rwanda offering help to the people there and taking photos of a child soldier named Moise with his“soccer ball”, which was a pile of rubbish tied together with a string．This“ball”was the only thing Moise could call his own－no family, no home, no place to go．Forced to fight in the Congo and having killed three people at the unbearably young age of seven, the boy's spirit was broken．And Bobby knew, as he took one photo after the next, that he'd never forget him．In fact, he returned the following year to tell Moise he had stayed deep within his heart－but he was gone．

　　I recently helped Bobby launch his new book The Power of the Invisible Sun which features a photo of Moise, his ball, and kids from war-torn areas around the world．All of his earnings go towards the HOPE IS A GAME-CHANGER PROJECT for the kids he visited over the past decade．They caught the emotional landscape from heartbreak to joy, but share the undeniable longing for recovery and hope．

　　Bobby and I share the unchangeable belief that delivering hope is really a game-changer, especially to a child．We believe that each indestructible ball will come to represent a lasting symbol of hope．A light no matter how small－The Power of the Invisible Sun．

　　This holiday season, I ask you to think about whether you are doing enough to help someone else in the world．Or as Bobby likes to put it, consider“taking a concrete baby step”, which added together, can create transformational change．It's my great hope that the HOPE IS A GAME-CHANGER PROJECT will change the lives of children the world over－one book, one ball at a time．

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　　Can you believe your eyes?A recent experiment suggests that the answer to that question may depend on your age．

　　Martin Doherty, a psychologist at the University of Stirling in Scotland, led the team of scientists．In this experiment, Doherty and his team tested the perception(观察力)of some people, using pictures of some orange circles．The researchers showed the same pictures to two groups of people．The first group included 151 children aged 4 to 10, and the second group included 24 adults aged 18 to 25．

　　The first group of pictures showed two circles alone on a white background．One of the circles was larger than the other, and these people were asked to identify the larger one．Four-year-olds identified the correct circle 79 percent of the time．Adults identified the correct circle 95 percent of the time．

　　Next, both groups were shown a picture where the orange circles, again of different sizes, were surrounded by gray circles．Here's where the trick lies in．In some of the pictures, the smaller orange circle was surrounded by even smaller gray circles－making the orange circle appear larger than the other orange circle, which was the real larger one．And the larger orange circle was surrounded by even bigger gray circles－so it appeared to be smaller than the real smaller orange circle．

　　When young children aged 4 to 6 looked at these tricky pictures, they weren't fooled－they were still able to find the bigger circle with roughly the same accuracy as before．Older children and adults, on the other hand, did not do as well．Older children often identified the smaller circle as the larger one, and adults got it wrong most of the time．

　　As children get older, Doherty said, their brains may develop the ability to identify visual context．In other words, they will begin to process the whole picture at once：the tricky gray circles, as well as the orange circle in the middle．As a result, they're more likely to fall for this kind of visual trick．

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　　I made a promise to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage．For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father．Totally loving．No ifs, ands or buts．

　　The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio．The speaker was quoting a Biblical passage about husbands and their wives．Then he went on to say,“Love is an act of will．A person can choose to love．”To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband．Well, for two weeks that would change．

　　And it did．On arriving at the beach cottage, I kissed Evelyn meeting me at the door and said,“That new yellow sweater looks great on you．”“Oh, Tom, you noticed”, she said, surprised and pleased．Maybe a little puzzled．After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read．Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach．I started to refuse, but then I thought,“Evelyn's been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me．”We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites．

　　So it went．Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums．Relaxed and happy, that's how the whole vacation passed．I made a new promise to keep on remembering to choose love．

　　There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however．Evelyn and I still laugh about it today．On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression．

　　“What's the matter?”I asked her．

　　“Tom,”she said in a voice filled with distress,“I don't?”

　　“What do you mean?”

　　“Well…that checkup I had several weeks ago…our doctor…did he tell you something about me?Tom, you've been so good to me…am I dying?”

　　It took a moment for it all to be understood．Then I burst out laughing．

　　“No, honey,”I said, wrapping her in my arms．“You're not dying; I'm just starting to live．”

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　　Alaskan black bears hibernate for up to seven months a year, during which time they do not eat or drink, before waking up in virtually the same physical state they fell asleep in．

　　Now experts hope to develop methods of putting humans into a similar state which could help astronauts survive long missions and lead to new ways of treating severely ill patients．

　　While many studies have examined hibernation in mice and hedgehogs, little research has been done into the same condition in larger mammals such as bears．

　　But new research conducted at the Institute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska monitored the animals' body temperature, heart rate and muscle movements while they slept．

　　The research results showed that during a five-month hibernation the bears' body temeratures varied between 30℃ and 36℃ in cycles that lasted between two and seven days－a pattern that was previously unknown in hibernating animals．

　　The research project leader said,“If our research could help by showing how to reduce metabolic(新陈代谢的)rates and oxygen demands in human tissues, one could possibly save severely ill patients．We simply need to know how to turn things on and off to take advantage of the different levels of hibernation．”

　　Craig Heller, of Stanford University, who contributed to the study, added：“There has always been a thought that, if there is ever long-distance space travel, it would be good to be able to put people into a state of lower metabolism or a state of hibernation．That's almost science fiction but you can see the logical basis．”

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　　What kind of life do you seek for?One that is frustrating and full of complaints every day?Or one that is filled with thankfulness, gratefulness and a positive mind?

　　The moment we open our eyes each day, we should be grateful that we are still alive．We are given a brand-new day．We are given another day to love．We are given another day of hope．We are given another chance to do whatever we have failed to accomplish．Those who have chosen to leave this place do not have any second chance．

　　We should be grateful every day．By being grateful, we will treasure the things around us．We will learn to appreciate life in a better way．Treat others better and find ourselves in a better mood every day．When we are thankful and grateful for the things we have, the universe tends to give us more．

　　By being thankful and grateful for our personal health, we will focus our attention on it and we would want to have a better well-being for our health．We will want to eat healthier food to nourish our body．After all, the body is the temple of our soul．We have to treat it well so that it can carry us a longer journey in life．

　　When we face problems in life, be thankful and grateful too．They are designed specifically for us so that we will be stronger and wiser．We are like a strong oak tree, facing the harsh weathers time to time．After each storm, we will grow stronger and strengthen our foundations for the next harsh weather．

　　The year 2010 has come to an end．Have you achieved what you aimed for in the past year?Be grateful for those you have achieved and especially for those you have not－both successes and failures．Failures and mistakes will give you valuable lessons．So, pick yourself up and try again this year．Good luck!

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