A ship was wrecked(遭遇沉船) during storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small island.
The two survivors, also good friends, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other choice but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they divided the land between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.
The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree beside him and he ate its fruit. The other man's land remained barren(贫瘠的).
After a week, the first man was lonely so he prayed for a wife. The next day, another ship was completely destroyed, and the only woman survivor soon became his wife. On the other side of the island, there was still nothing.
Soon the first man prayed for a house clothes and more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for ship. In the morning, he found ship at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island behind, because he considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"
"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."
"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."
"Tell me," the first man asked with great curiosity, "What did he pray for that should owe him anything?"
"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."
When temperatures rise, many people swim to beat the heat. But swimming does a lot more than that. It is a great workout for the whole body. Health experts at the University of California, Berkeley state that swimming is a great way to stay in shape.
Swimming is a very good high-intensity cardio exercise (高度有氧运动). Cardio involves the heart, lungs, and circulatory(血液循环的) system. The Berkeley experts say swimming can increase your heart rate and exercise your lungs. Some high-intensity cardio exercises, such as running, can improve your health but can also be likely to hurt your body. Swimming, on the other hand, is beneficial to the body and people often use it to recover from injuries.
Paul Waas, a coach and former competitive swimmer, says that swimming is more beneficial to the body than other sports because it is low-impact. A mother called Paloma with two daughters says that for her girls, swimming has been more beneficial to the body than some other sports. She said, “So far, I think it's been good for their bodies. It's a high-intensity cardio exercise, as you know. But it spares their knees, their joints, and so on. So it's rare to get injured in swimming.”
The coach adds that swimming is a great exercise for kids who grow a lot in a short amount of time. Coach Waas said, “Swimming is really good for kids who are growing fast. Their bones might be hurting and they're suffering from serious pain all the time. And then they get in the pool and, you know, they can float and stretch out a little bit and it reduces that as well.”
People who are overweight can also find relief through swimming. Their weightlessness in the water can help them to avoid injury as they exercise.
This is a common situation for beginner-level language learners—they want to read classic(经典的) books, but what their language skills allow are usually little more than children's books.
Oxford University Press tried to solve this problem back in 1988 by designing a series of graded English reading materials known as the Oxford Bookworms Library. It now has a collection of over 200 books—many of them simplified versions of classics—which fall into seven difficulty levels from "starter level" to level six.
However, there has always been a debate over whether shortened versions of classics have less value. Some worry that by reading them, students don't get to learn the essence of the original(原版的) text.
Rob Waring, a Japanese professor, mentions one of his students, Satoko, as an example in his booklet The "Whay" and "How" of Using Graded Readers. Satoko was a Japanese student majoring in English. But by the time she graduated, she had only managed to finish reading just one English book because it was far beyond her language level. "For Satoko, reading in English was a fight; a fight that she lost," wrote Waring, who suggested that reading easy texts is necessary because it helps language learners build up confidence and fluency in reading. By reading a lot—rather than getting stuck in one book—they can get used to kinds of English expressions and writing styles. Only by doing this can they reach what Waring calls the "reading-with-ideas" level of reading.
So it doesn't matter if the books are original classics or not-for beginner-level language learners, the simple act of reading is a form of learning in itself. "Stories offer a window to other cultures, other worlds, real or imagined, beyond the classroom," Jennifer Bassett, the first editor of the Oxford Bookworms Library, said in an interview with GetEnglishLessons.
Find Your Self-worth
Do you measure your personal self-worth based on what others think of you? Do you work really hard to make others like or support you? Do you lack confidence? Increasing self image will help build your confidence and your personal self-worth. So how?
Pay attention to your body language. How you hold your physical body has an effect on how others see you and on how you personally feel. Similarly, how you feel often determines your body language and your outward behavior.A simple way is to check your body language. Stand tall with your head held high, shoulders squared, back straight and legs solid; you will feel more in control.
Develop your own measuring stickDon't let others influence your view of success or happiness. Take time out to recognize your achievements no matter how big or small they are. Keep track of your achievements and proud moments in a journal. If you keep a personal journal or even a work journal, start writing in the journal from back to front keeping track of all the little and big things that happen every day.
Here's a simple exercise you can do to gain a richer way of thinking on how you are sensed by others. Start by taking a close look at yourself and create a list of your unique strengths. Who are you? Ask friends, families to share with you what they see as your key characteristics.
Now you know that you're more than you think you are. So, create a positive picture of your future and then confidently move forward.
A. Know your worth.
B. The two go hand in hand.
C. What sets you apart from others?
D. Are you beating yourself up with your own language?
E. If your answer is yes, perhaps you just don't consider yourself worthy.
F. Know what's important to you and take time to honor what you value most.
G. Then take a step towards something you really want by taking some action.
My family has moved a lot. So I've1walking into a new school and making new friends. It doesn't even trouble me that much—I2know I'll feel at home in the new place after a few months. But about a year ago we3again, and that time it was4. The reason why we were moving was5to us: My father had a terrible illness and lost his job. My mom gave up her job to be with my dad6he got the medical treatment(治疗) couldn't imagine how we would7—what if neither of my parents would find8again?
I knew my parents9me to be strong and I didn't want to let them down.10I gave in to all the feelings of sadness and fear. I cried a lot, and for the first time in my life, I started to11school. I kept to myself so much that most people decided I was12and selfish.13there were two girls at my school who reached out to me. When I finally started to talk, it comforted me to share all the14I'd been holding inside. And Melissa and Nicole really listened and15what was experiencing,16I believed no one would. Their caring17me up so much that soon I had a whole group of friends. I stopped hating school, and my problems became much18to stand.
It just goes to show you that you don't have to19the bad times alone,20is the best way to help yourself.
1）姚明被公认为一名著名的篮球运动员。(recognize)
2）他非常自信、乐观、愿意接受任何挑战。(optimistic)
3）他对篮球如此入迷以至于他把所有的精力都用在篮球上。(so… that)
4）他经常志愿帮助他人，这给青少年树立了一个好榜样。(volunteer to…)
5）姚明给我们留下了好印象，对我国的篮球一定会有很大的影响。(make difference to…)
1）表达安慰；
2）分析现状
3）提出建议。
注意：1）词数80左右；
2）可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Lynn,
……
Yours,
Li Hua
