A businessman had two sons. While he gave the younger son a lot of love and gifts, he neglected(忽视) the elder son. It was completely puzzling (令人费解) and no one knew why.
When the boys 1, they were asked to manage the father's business. The elder son was 2 about the business. From morning till late in the evening, he was busy working. Within a few years, he ran the business very well and 3 expanded (扩大) it. What about the younger son? He didn't have much to do 4 having a good time every day. But the father5 that his favorite son would be a success. If the elder son could be a 6 businessman, surely the younger one, with a higher education, would do much better.
A few years later, the 7 of his decision became clear. Uninterested in business, the younger son continued spending his time enjoying 8. And he went out of business. But the elder son's far smaller share (份额) of business had expanded and he had shown everyone that he was a good decision maker. Being ashamed (羞愧的) at the end of the event, the father met the elder son and was angry with the younger one. The elder son, who was 9 to all this quietly, suddenly said he wanted to set up an independent business and live on his own. "Why?" asked the father. "I blame (责备) one person for my brother's failure, 10 it's not him. You can't blame children for the faults (过失) of their parent, can you?" asked the elder son.
A farmer had a friend who was famous for growing wonderful apple trees.
One day, the farmer's friend gave him a young apple tree and told him to take it home and plant it.
The farmer loved the gift. But when he got home, he did not know where to plant it. He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the apples. If he planted the tree in one of his fields, his neighbors would come at night and steal the apples. Finally, he planted the tree in his wood. Nobody could see it, but there was no sunlight in his wood. The tree soon died.
Later, the friend asked the farmer why he planted the tree in such a poor place. "What's the difference?" the farmer said angrily. "If I plant the tree near the road, strangers may steal the apples. If I plant the tree in one of my fields, my neighbors may come at night and steal the apples."
"Yes," said the friend, "but at least someone could enjoy the apples. Now no one could eat the apples, and the apple tree died! "
There is an old saying that all of us are born with two bags hung on our necks A small bag in front of our chest is filled with other people's faults(缺点), while the big one at the back is full of our own faults.
This makes it easy to find other people's faults, but hard to see our own faults behind us.
There was a boy named Tommy. He had four friends: Simon, Jack, Johnny and Harry. Tommy always opened the front bag to check what was in it. He saw other people's faults very quickly.
When Simon was impatient with him, he said to Simon, "It's so easy for you to get angry. It's hard to be friends with you."
Later that day, Tommy told his mother about Jack's dishonesty. "Jack takes my things without asking. He also forgets to return them." Tommy himself did not like sharing things with anyone.
When Johnny was too tired to play with him, he said, "You are such a rude person."
He thought Harry was too proud of his rich family. But Tommy was just as proud of himself because he could not see any of his faults. He could not understand why he did not get on well with others.
If only Tommy would turn the bags around, he would discover his own impatience, dishonesty, bad manners and vanity(虚荣). They were no better than that of Simon, Jack, Johnny and Harry.
Today what I want to do is to share the story of my own.
I used to be the shyest person in the world. I hid behind my elder sister whenever I had to speak to a stranger. When I was asked to speak in class, I could hardly breathe, much less speak.
Then, in seventh grade, my sister suggested I take voice lessons. After thinking carefully, I did and tried to keep it a secret. I began a series of exercises, making it so strange that I couldn't help laughing. I learned how to howl(长嚎) like a cowboy and snort like an old lady.
By playing around with sound in the class, I gained confidence in the part of me that had been a point of embarrassment before my voice.
A few months later, I was asked to sing for some old people. I thought I would do better than before because of the voice lessons. I opened my mouth and —nothing. I couldn't remember the lyrics! My face turned red. Then the thought came into my mind: I've embarrassed myself enough in front of this crowd. There's really nothing else to lose. So, for my second song. I just relaxed and felt the energy of the song lift me. And I did much better. After that, I started singing to myself as loudly as I could in my room. That's something I had never done before. I am not a shy person anymore. What I really want to say is singing has made me more outgoing.
Have you kept the secrets in your heart? Have you tried to hide anything from others? Is it all right if you don't tell the truth? You'll find the answer after reading the following passage.
Marie was Joey's mother. There was something wrong with her son's feet. The doctor told her that Joey would be able to walk like others, but would never run very fast. At the age of eight, Joey ran around with the children in his neighborhood. His mother never told him that he wouldn't be able to run as fast as the other children. So he didn't know.
In the seventh grade, he decided to try out for a runner on his school team. He ran more than any of the others in order to be chosen. Joey practiced running four to five miles a day--even one day when he had a high fever. Although Marie was worried about him, she never told him he couldn't run with such a high fever. So he didn't know.
Two weeks later Joey made the team. Marie never told him he couldn't do it. So he didn't know. He just did it.
Although sometimes we don't tell others the truth, it can make them optimistic and meet the challenge of their lives bravely. Why not go for it?
(①=Para.1②=Para.2③=Para.3④=Para.4⑤=Para.5)
What would the world be like if cars could drive themselves? Imagine seeing an empty car passing by on its way to pick up its owner, or a car full of passengers who are reading, listening to music or even sleeping, but none of them is worried about the road ahead.
Well, all of this could be the future of driving. There are several companies, including Google, working on driver-less cars. So far, no Google self-driven car has gotten a traffic ticket, but some of them have been in accidents when other cars hit them.
These cars are now still in the testing stages. But, if the tests are successful, these electric self-driven cars could be put into use very soon.
The cars already have many features allowing them to take the place of drivers during certain situations. Some features include cars being able to park themselves, or slow down when they notice objects close by. They can also control the speed if there are dangerous conditions. Scientists and engineers believe, with the help of wireless signals, cameras and GPS, we are now at a stage where creating a safe self-driven car might be possible.
The cause of deadly road accidents is usually careless drivers or dangerous conditions. The self-driven car may be able to prevent these. However, some people don't like the idea. American lawyer White Drake, for example, does not believe these cars are safe. He thinks technologies can also make mistakes.
a. e-reading b. wireless signals c. cameras d. GPS
Eric: Hi! Maria! There's a football match downtown tonight.
Maria: Oh, I'd love to, but I can't.
Eric: That's too bad. Then what are you busy with?
Maria: Nothing much. I have to stay at home.
Eric: Why? What happened?
Maria: Well, do you remember my family rule? But last night I came back after half past ten.
Eric: Your parents must have been very angry!
Maria: Yes, that's why I'm not allowed to go out for the next week. This morning my alarm clock didn't go off, so I went to school late.
Eric: Oh, no.
Maria: Yes, I did. I explained there was something wrong with my alarm clock, but the teacher said it wasn't a good reason to miss a test, and she wouldn't allow me to do it later.
Eric: You did have a bad morning.
A. I wasn't allowed to go out after ten.
B. Would you like to watch it with me?
C. There's something worse.
D. But I can't go out anywhere for a week.
E. Didn't you have a big math test this morning?
F. My parents should allow me to go out more often.
G. I have to get home by ten o'clock.
Old John has worked as a school keeper in Hill Ford School. After walking into the school building every day, he cleans rubbish bins and bathrooms.
Last Friday, after he arrived at the school, instead of finding rubbish to clean up, he found almost 500 students lining in the hallway(大厅) with handmade cards and singing a happy birthday song to him. It was his 80th birthday. As he walked the long hallway, someone rushed to him and gave him a hug. They handed him so many cards as well and the cards filled several large boxes. Old John was touched by their expression of affection (关爱). He thanked them all. "It's the sixteenth year in this school. They're like my children," Old John said.
On a regular day, students sometimes come up to find him and say they're not feeling well or other times to tell him about something that happened at break time. He knows most of he students at the school, but can't name each one. Some of them make him know them, like Faith, who often leaves her schoolbag in the canteen, and Lucy, who just wants a hug.
Carrie, a reading teacher said," He won't brag(夸耀) on himself, but it doesn't matter what he's doing or where he is, he will stop what he's doing at any time to give all his attention and take care of a child if that child is having a bad day. "
He works circles around all the students, cleaning up the mess others don't want to touch. He doesn't expect a lot. Old John said he hadn't planned to do much for his birthday, so he was touched as the students had prepared the surprise celebration.
Over the weekend, he worked through the handmade cards at his house. One card from a student stood out to him. It read "Old John, you are the most loved one in our school…"
In February, the Ministry of Education suggested that mobile phones should be banned(禁止) in primary and secondary schools. Almost all parents clap their hands it's good both for students' eyesight and for their schoolwork. But how would students feel schools banned phones in class?
Xu Xiaohe, a 13-year-old girl from Zhejiang supports the policy. "In fact, my school has allowed us to bring our mobile phones," Xu said, "My teachers always believe that playing with phones is a of time, compared with reading and doing sports. Adults can't control themselves, let alone kids."
Li Zihan from Beijing, however, thinks that the ban is too simplistic for a generation that has grown up with mobile phones. "Students should be self-management skills, as well as learn how to use their phones effectively to help with their school life."
For Ge Ziqi, the problem with banning phones has more to do with life school. The 13-year-old Beijinger uses a bike-sharing app every day to travel between her home and school. "Today, no ways are more convenient than paying by phone, from taking a bus to buying food," she said, "If I can't take my phone with me, I'll have to buy a bicycle of my ."
To solve the problem like Ge's, some ideas teachers have come up with really well. At Shanghai Shatian School, for example, students are asked to put their phones in special lockers(储物柜). The students call these lockers the "phone farm" ("养机场") or phone Tarmac" ("停机坪").
