Imagine loving someone so much that you'd swim more than 5, 000 miles to see him or her. Dindim manages to swim that far every year to 1 his friend Joao. This is 2 not only because of the love between the two friends, but because Dindim is3a penguin. Joao found Dindim covered in oil, barely 4on a beach near his home. He picked him up, cleaned him off and brought him to his house where he 5 him and got him healthy again. Joao named him Dindim.
After a week, he 6 the penguin back to the beach and tried to release him,7 Dindim refused to leave Joao. They 8 together for the next eleven months. Then, Dindim disappeared.9 Joao thought he'd never see his friend again. But just a few months 10 Dindim was back. He found Joao on the beach, and followed him home. Each year he 11four months to live with other penguins. For the other eight months, he lives with Joao. Joao says that each time they meet again, Dindim seems 12 to see him. He says he loves the penguin as if he were his own 13 He feels certain that Dindim loves him in the14way. Ecologist Carl Safina says that animals can and do love humans. He writes and speaks a lot about animals and their 15. According to Carl, it's obvious that animals feel love for humans. What's less obvious is whether or not humans love animals enough to 16 them. Hundreds of thousands of animals are 17 by the same oil that covered Dindim when Joao found him.
Fifty percent of 18 has disappeared in the last 40 years because of humans'19 their habitats. Scientists say we're in a new mass extinction period. In the next two 20 they predict that we'll lose 75 percent of the remaining species on earth.
Golden Gate Bridge
Located in San Francisco,the Golden Gate Bridge started in the year 1933 to connect the San Francisco Peninsula with Marin County.It was finally thrown open to public traffic in 1937.It cost $25.7 million in the construction.Till the year 1957,the Golden Gate Bridge,at a length of 2,737 meters,was the longest suspension bridge in the world.
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is located in Brooklyn.It is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States, having been opened in the year 1883.The length of the bridge is 1,843 meters.The bridge has been featured in several Hollywood movies.
George Washington Bridge
Also known as the Hudson River Bridge and the Columbus Bridge,the George Washington Bridge which connects Fort Lee to Manhattan came into use in 1931 after a construction period of almost 4 years.It is a two level suspension bridge that cost about $52 million to build.
Mackinac Bridge
This is the third biggest suspension bridge in the world at a length of 8,038 meters.The architect of this bridge was Dr.David B. Steinman who directed the construction of the bridge which started in the year 1054 and opened to the public in 1958.People using this bridge are charged a certain amount of money.
Navajo Bridge
Located in Arizona,this bridge crosses the Colorado River and is almost 250 meters long.The construction of this bridge started in the year 1927,ending two years later,costing $390,000.In the 1990s a second bridge was built which was opened to the public in 1994.The first bridge is now used only by pedestrians.
In our everyday lives we meet situations in which we take many things for granted（不去重视）.We only treasure things when they are gone.This is a sad truth of human nature.One day,I found myself as a witness to a similar situation.
One evening,I left work and boarded the train.After entering,I noticed something unusual.The center of the car had a few empty seats while both ends were crowded with people standing.I didn't pay much attention and sat down on one of the empty seats.I sensed a funny smell.It wasn't long before I noticed a homeless person sleeping on three seats in front of me.He was bleeding from his nose.Why wasn't anyone helping him?
His clothes were torn and he was giving off a strange smell.Along with the smell,his eyes were dull,watery and red.Occasionally he scratched himself and people looked at him as if he had committed a crime.As the train stopped at stations and more people came in they covered their noses and faced away from him.All the seats around him were empty.
Suddenly,he began to swear at the people around him.A plain clothes policeman who looked like a construction worker took out his certificate and showed it to the homeless man.The officer,not wanting to touch the homeless man, told him his rights and directed him to exit the train.As the officer walked the man out of the train,the homeless man turned around and said "MY HOME!" and started crying.
A man doesn't value things until they are gone.If he didn't have a home,at least he had freedom.Now he has neither.No one wants to help someone who won't help himself.
Cultures are based on social and linguistic(语言的) communities.
In South Africa, we exist amongst diverse groups which are culturally different. This makes us multicultural. Toit, one sociologist in the U.S., explains that multiculturalism is more than the expression of cultural variety, and it also concerns communication. He adds that for multiculturalism to “succeed”, meaningful communication is a requisite.
In multicultural countries, it is necessary that the education system encourages learners to become interculturally competent (胜任的). The process of becoming intercultural is a “personal transformation” from being cultural to being intercultural. This does not mean that a highly intercultural person's identity is culture-free. Rather, it is not rigidly bound by membership to anyone particular culture. Furthermore for learners to become interculturally competent, it is necessary that all involvers in the education system become aware of their own cultural background.
Toit conducted a survey, the objective of which was to determine the problems experienced by learners in a multicultural learning environment. Two hundred questionnaires were administered. 55% believed that different values and beliefs were a major cause of the communication problems. Closer examination of the interactions showed that learners were in fact mostly associating with members of their own cultural groups. Toit points out that in an intercultural communication, people would be challenged by the sudden difference in culture, and this may force an evaluation or re-evaluation of their beliefs and values. 45% of the learners believed that there was lack of trust among their peers. The general lack of trust between two complete strangers leads to an uncomfortable situation. They said that when learners are asked to work in groups, they are unwilling to do so. They added that one of the many issues that contribute to such negative opinions was the language barrier.
The effects of coffee consumption on health have long been a subject of conflict and uncertainty.Since the 1980s,some have spoken out against coffee as harmful to health,while others have welcomed coffee for its supposed benefits to health.
According to a scientific report,mild coffee consumption,three to five cups per day,can he taken as a healthy dietary pattern,along with other healthful behaviors.The report also says that coffee consumption helps reduce the risk of heart disease and it protects against Parkinson's disease.
According to Dr.Donald Hensrud of Mayo Clinic,high consumption of coffee has health risks.Dr.Hensrud mentions the dangers of high coffee consumption for people with a certain illness that slows the breakdown of caffeine in the body.Some studies said that drinking two or more cups of coffee daily can actually increase the risk of heart disease in these people.
According to conclusions from a recent study led by Dr.Gregory Marcus,a doctor from the University of California San Francisco,daily moderate consumption of caffeine,less than 4 cups,is not associated with these issues.
Until the scientific community reaches a general agreement on the effects of coffee consumption on human health,it will be up to the individual to decide whether the benefits of drinking coffee are greater than the risks.
When informed of these possible health benefits and harms of drinking coffee,Harwood,a high school student stated,"Even though there might be some negative effects of drinking coffee,for the most part,coffee drinking sounds good for health.Not to mention I need coffee to stay awake."
How to Set Goals
Whether you have small dreams or high expectations,setting goals allows you to plan how you want to move through life.Some achievements can take a lifetime to attain,while others can be completed in a day.
Determine your life goals.Ask yourself some important questions about what you want for your life.What do you want to achieve: today,in a year,in your lifetime?The answers to this question can be as general as "I want to be happy,"or "I want to help people."
Set specific goals.Be specific and realistic about what it is that you want to achieve.Research shows that setting a specific goal makes you more likely to achieve it.For example,"Be healthier"is too big and vague to be a helpful goal."I want to eat more vegetables,and I want to run a marathon."is better.
Write out your goals.Be detailed,be clear,and include your steps.Keep your list in a place where you can get informed frequently.This will help keep you motivated.
You may find yourself set in your ways concerning broad life goals,but take the time to re-evaluate your smaller goals.Are you accomplishing them according to your timeline?Are they still necessary to keep you on track towards your larger life goals?Allow yourself the flexibility to make some small changes to your goal.
A.Adjust your goals.
B.Track and measure your progress.
C.Having deadlines will keep you motivated.
D.Consider what you hope to achieve in 10,15,or 20 years.
E.Here are some important ideas that you may find helpful.
F.Writing them down tends to make them feel a little more real.
G.Remember that you may need to break large goals into smaller goals.
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线,并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1).每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2).只允许修改5处，多者(从第6处起〕不计分
One day, I got up late. While I was busy gather my books, Father came in with a glass of milk in his hand for me to drink. I was in such a hurry that I paid no attention to whether the milk was hot or not. I drank a mouthful of them and cried. The milk was so hot that my tongue hurt. Father turned around and went back to the kitchen in a hurry without an apology. I was very angry with Father. When I went to a kitchen to get my breakfast, I was astonished at which I saw. Father was cooling the milk by pouring it from one glass to another again and again, with tears in my eyes, I feel very sorry.
An American skydiver has survived a 7, 600-meter jump from an airplane, although he did not use a parachute(降落伞). Luke Aikins dropped into a huge safety net on Saturday after falling for about two minutes over the desert in California. Aikins reached a speed of 193 kilometers per hour during the jump. He fell safe into a net. Cranes(起重机) (hold) the net about 65 meters over the desert floor. The 42-year-old husband and father has jumped out of planes thousands of times, but never once he left a plane without a parachute. Aikins said he was nervous before this jump. “We're talking about jumping without a parachute,” he told reporters. "I take that very (serious). It's not a joke.” Aikins prepared for two years (make) the jump. Three skydivers with parachutes made the jump with him. They recorded the event with a video and carried the (equip) that Aikins needed, like an oxygen mask. Aikins rolled in the air just moments before he hit the net so as to land on his back. The sky-diver did not move for several seconds as the net was lowered to the ground. Then, Aikins stood, waved his arms and hugged his wife.
赞成的理由(35%的学生)：
1). 世界已经成了一个地球村；
2). 有助于了解其他国家的风俗习惯。
反对的理由(60%的学生)：
浪费钱；
忘记自己国家的传统和风俗。
你的看法？
注意：1)、文章必须包括表中的全部内容，可适当自由发挥；
2)、词数：100左右。开头已经给出，不计入总词数。
3)、参考词汇：地球村global village
Recently, our class held a discussion about whether Chinese people should celebrate foreign festivals or not. Opinions are divided on this issue.
