—____. I need to prepare for the coming exam.
—In a week. We ____about 80% of the work so far.
My 14-year-old son, John, and I spotted the coat which was hanging at a secondhand clothing store in Northampton Mass. All the other coats drooped(低垂)1 this one looked as if it were holding itself up. The coat had beautiful tailoring, a Fifth Avenue label and a (an) 2 price of$28, which was popular just then with 3 , but could cost several hundred dollars new. This coat was even better with that 4 of classic elegance(优雅). John tried it on and it was perfect.
John wore the coat to school the next day and came home 5 a broad smile."Did the kids like your coat?"I asked."They loved it,"he said, 6 folding it over the back of a chair and smoothing it flat. Over the next few weeks, a 7 came over John. Agreement replaced contrariness(作对) and reasoned discussion replaced fierce(激烈的) 8 . He became more mannerly and 9 , eager to please. He would generously lend his younger brother his bike,which he 10 wouldn't.
When I mentioned this incident to his teacher and 11 what caused the changes, she said laughing,"It 12 be his coat!"Another teacher told him she was giving him a good mark not only because he had earned 13 but because she liked his coat. At the library, we 14 a friend."Could this be John?"he asked surprisingly, 15 John's new height, assessing(评估)the cut of his coat and extending(伸出) his hand, one gentleman to another.
John and I both know we should never 16 a person's clothes for the real person within them. 17 there is something to be said for wearing a standard(标准) of excellence for the world to see and for 18 what is on the inside to what is on the outside.
For John it is a time when it is as easy to try on different ways to life as it is to try on a19 . The whole world, the whole future is right ahead, a vast landscape(风景) where all the doors are open. And he could 20 himself walking through those doors wearing his wonderful,magical coat.
Castel dell' Ovo is one of Naples' most famous monuments. It offers sweeping views over the city and Mount Vesuvius in the distance.
The Basics
The site on which Castel dell'Ovo now stands has a long history, beginning as a settlement for Greek colonists(殖民地定居者). The current castle was built in the 15th century, and today, the19th-century fishing village of Borgo Marinari, known for its excellent seafood restaurants and marina(游艇停靠区),sits at the base of the castle.
The Egg Castle
The origin of the castle's name comes from a story about the Roman poet Virgil, who is said to have placed a magical egg in the foundations beneath where the castle now stands. As long as the egg stays well, Castel dell' Ovo will remain standing.
Things to Know Before you Go
· Castel dell' Ovo is a must-see for history and architecture lovers.
· Admission to the castle and the museum is free.
· The inner halls of the castle are open to the public only during special events and exhibitions;the ramparts (城墙) and towers are always open.
· There is a lift from the ground floor to the ramparts, making the castle accessible to wheelchairs.
How to Get There
Castel dell' Ovo Is located in the Bay of Naples just off the coastal road. Bus 151 from the train station and 140 from the port stop at Castel dell' Ovo.
When to Get there
The castle is open Monday through Saturday from 8: 30 am to 7 pm, and Sundays and holidays from 8: 30 am to 1: 30 pm. The Prehistoric Museum is open only on weekends from 10 am to 1pm. As Naples is one of Italy's most visited cities, its sights can be very crowded in the high-season summer months. Visit in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds and to take advantage of the best light for taking photos from the castle's towers.
Book Online or Call +1 (702)648-5873
In the mid-1950s, I was a somewhat bored early-adolescent male student who believed that doing any more than necessary was wasted effort. One day, this approach t hrew me into embarrassment In Mrs. Totten's eighth-grade math class at Central Avenue School in Anderson, Indiana, we were learning to add and subtract decimals(小数).
Our teacher typically assigned daily homework, which would be recited in class the following day. On most days, our grades were based on our oral answer to homework questions.
Mrs. Totten usually walked up and down the rows of desks requesting answers from student after student in the order the questions had appeared on our homework sheets. She would start either at the front or the back of the classroom and work toward the other end.
Since I was seated near the middle of about 35 students, it was easy to figure out which questions I might have to answer. This particular time, I had completed my usual two or three problems according to my calculations(计算).
What I failed to expect was that several students were absent, which threw off my estimate(估计). As Mrs. Totten made her way from the beginning of the class, I desperately tried to determine which math problem I would get. I tried to work it out before she got to me, but I had brain freeze and couldn't function.
When Mrs. Totten reached my desk, she asked what answer I'd got for problem No. 14. "I... I didn't get anything,"I answered, and my face felt warm.
"Correct,"she said.
It turned out that the correct answer was zero:
What did I learn that day? First, always do all your homework. Second, in real life it isn't always what you say but how you say it that matters. Third, I would never make it as a mathematician.
If I could choose one school day that taught me the most, it would be that one.
When we think of leadership, we often think of strength and power. But what are these really,and how do they operate?
Leadership today is not about forcing others to do things. If this is even possible, it is short-term,and tends to backfire(适得其反) . If you order someone to do something against their will, they may do it because they feel they must, but the anger they feel will do more harm in the long-term. They will also experience fear.
Fear causes the thinking brain to shut down, making the person unable to function at his or her best. If they connect you with this emotion of fear, they will become less workable around you, and you will have succeeded in not only shooting yourself in the foot, but possibly making a very good employee or partner unable to perform well. Fear has no place in leadership.
The way we influence people in a lasting way is by our own character, and our understanding and use of emotion. We can order someone to do something, which may be part of the work day;or we can employ them at the emotional level, so they became fully focused on the projects and provide some of their own motivation(积极性). Today's work place is all about relationships. Anyone works harder in a positive environment in which they're recognized and valued as a human being as well as a worker. Everyone produces just a bit more for someone they like. Leaders understand the way things work. They know the pay check is not the single most motivating factor(因素) in the work life of most people.
The true strength of leadership is an inner strength that comes from the confidence of emotional intelligence—knowing your own emotions, and how to deal with them, and those of others.Developing your emotional intelligence is the single best thing you can do if you want to develop your relationships with people around you, which is the key to the leadership skills.
Marco Polo came from a wealthy family and received a good education. He was only six years old when his father and uncle left for a journey to China or Cathay, as it was called at that time. At the age of 17, Marco followed his father and uncle on their second journey to Asia.
The Polos traveled through many countries, over mountains and along the Silk Road, the main travel route for traders. Marco would keep detailed journals and record his findings. The Polos also stopped for a year in the Mongol region. There they learnt about the lives and culture of the people.This was useful as Marco was able to share what he had learnt with the Emperor of China, Kublai Khab. The Emperor was impressed with him. The Polos traveled 9,000 kilometres in more than three and a half years before reaching China. There Marco was most surprised to find the stones that burnt like logs. The Chinese had found a source of fuel that nobody in Europe could have imagined. It was called coal.
In 1298, Marco wrote a book called The Travels of Marco Polo which was a record of his travels in Asia. The book enabled the Europeans to understand and carry out trading activities more easily with Asians.
注意：开头，结尾已经给出，(1)词数不少于 100; （2） 可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯。
Dear Jim,
Yours,
Li Hua
