1、What We Know About Language (2000)Many things about language are a mystery and will remain so. /However, we now do know something about it./ First, we know that all human beings have a language of some sort./ No human race anywhere on earth is so backward/ that it has no language of its own at all.
2、/Second, there is no such thing as a primitive language./ There are many peoples whose cultures are undeveloped/ but the languages they speak are by no means primitive./ In all the languages existing in the world today, /there are complexities that must have been developed for years. /Third, we know
3、 that all languages are perfectly adequate. / Each is a perfect means of expressing its culture. / And finally, we know that language changes over time, / which is natural and normal if a language is to survive. /The language which remains unchanged is nothing but dead./Characteristics of a Good Rea
4、der (2001)To improve your reading habits, /you must understand the characteristics of a good reader. /First, the good reader usually reads rapidly. / Of course, he does not read every piece of material at the same rate. / But whether he is reading a newspaper/ or a chapter in a physics text, / his r
5、eading rate is relatively fast. /He has learned to read for ideas/ rather than words one at a time. /Next, the good reader can recognize/ and understand general ideas and specific details./ Thus he is able to comprehend the material /with a minimum of effort and a maximum of interest./ Finally, the
6、good reader has in his command /several special skills, /which he can apply to reading problems/ as they occur./ For the college student,/ the most helpful of these skills/ include making use of the various aids to understanding /that most text books provide/ and skim-reading for a general survey./D
7、isappearing Forests (2002)The worlds forests are disappearing. / As much as 1/3 of the total tree cover/ has been lost since agriculture began some 10,000 years ago. / The remaining forests are home to half/ of the worlds species,/ thus becoming the chief resource for their survival. /Tropical rain
8、forests once covered 12% of the land of the planet,/ as well as supporting at least half of the worlds species of plants and animals./These rain forests are home to millions of people. /But there are other demands on them./ For example, much has been cut for timber./An increasing amount of forest la
9、nd /has been used for industrial purposes /or for agricultural development /such as crop-growing. /By the 1990s less than half of the earths original rain forests remained,/ and they continued to disappear at an alarming rate every year./ As a result the worlds forests are now facing gradual extinct
10、ion.Salmon (2003)Every year, millions of salmon swim from the ocean into the mouths of rivers and then steadily up the rivers./ Passing through waters, around rocks and waterfalls,/ the fish finally reach their original streams or lakes./ They dig out nests in the riverbed and lay their eggs./ Then,
11、 exhausted by their journey,/ the parent salmon die./ They have finished the task that nature has given them. /Months, or years later, /the young fish start their trip to the ocean. /They live in the salt water from 2-7 years,/ until they, too are ready to swim back to reproduce. /Their life cycle h
12、elps man provide himself with a basic food-fish./ When the adult salmon gather at the river mouths for the annual trip up the rivers,/ they are in the best possible condition,/ and nearly every harbor has its salmon fishing fleet ready to catch thousands for markets.Money (2004)Money is accepted acr
13、oss the world as payment for goods or services. / People use money to buy food, clothes and hundreds of other things. / In the past, many different things were used as money. / People on Pacific islands once exchanged shells for goods. / The Chinese used cloth and knives. / In Africa, elephant tusks
14、 or salt were used. / Even today, some people in Africa are still paid in salt. /Coins were first invented by the Chinese. /originally, they were round pieces of metal with a hole in the center, / so that a piece of string could keep them together. / This made doing business much easier, / but peopl
15、e still found coins inconvenient to carry/ when they wanted to buy something expensive. /To solve this problem, the Chinese again came up with the solution. /They began to use paper money for coins. / Now paper notes are used throughout the world.The Wrist Watch （ 2005）It is generally believed that
16、wrist watches are an exception / to the normal sequence in the evolution of mans jewelry. / Reversing the usual order, they were first worn by women, / and then adopted by men. / In the old days, queens included wrist watches among their crown jewelry. / Later, they were worn by Swiss workers and fa
17、rmers. / Until World War I, Americans associated the watch with fortune hunters. / Then army officers discovered that the wrist watch was most practical for active combat. / Race car drivers also loved to wear wrist watches, / and pilots found them most useful while flying. / Soon men dared to wear
18、wrist watches without feeling self-conscious. / By 1924, some 30 percent of mans watches were worn on the wrist. / Today, the figure is 90 percent. / And they are now worn by both men and women / for practical purposes rather than for decoration.The Internet (2006)The Internet is the most significan
19、t progress in the field of communications. / Imagine a book that never ends, a library with a million floors, / or imagine a research project with thousands of scientists / working around the clock forever. / This is the magic of the Internet. / Yet the Internet has the potential for good and bad. /
20、 One can find well-organized, information-rich websites. / At the same time, one can also find wasteful websites. / Most websites are known as different Internet applications. / These include online games, chat rooms (chatrooms) and so on. / These applications have great power, too. / Sometimes the
21、power can be so great / that young people may easily become victims to their attraction. / So we need to recognize the seriousness of the problem. / We must work together to use its power for better ends.2007 AdvertisingAdvertising has already become a very specialized activity in modern times. / In
22、 todays business world, supply is usually greater than demand./ There is great competition between manufacturers of the same kind of product,/ because they want to persuade customers to buy their particular brand./ They always have to remind their customers/ of the name and the qualities of their pr
23、oducts by advertising./ The manufacturer advertises in newspapers and on the radio;/ he sometimes employs sales girls to distribute samples of his products; /he sometimes advertises on the internet as well./ In addition, he always has advertisements put into television programs that will accept them
24、./ Manufacturers often spend huge sums of money on advertisements./ We buy a particular product because we think thats the best./ We usually think so because the advertisements say so,/ people often dont ask themselves if the advertisements are telling the truth, /when they buy advertised products f
25、rom the shops.2008 Choosing a CareerWhen students graduate from college,/ many of them do not know how they want to spend their working lives /and they sometimes move from job to job,/ until they find something that suits them/ and of equally importance to which they are suited./ Others never find a
26、 job in which they are really happy. /They remain all their lives square pegs in round holes. /When we choose our careers,we need to ask ourselves two questions./ First, what do we think we would like to be? /Second, what kind of people are we? /The idea, for example of being a painter or a musician
27、 may seem very attractive,/ but unless we have great talent, and are willing to work very hard. /We are certain to fail in these occupations /and failure will lead to unhappiness in life. /So it is important to assess our suitability for a certain career in job search./2009 New Years EveFor many peo
28、ple in the west, New Years Eve is the biggest party of the year./ Its time to get together with friends or family /and welcome in the coming year./ New Years parties can take place in different places. /Some people hold a house party; others attend street parties, /while some just go for a few drink
29、s with their friends. /Big cities have large and spectacular fireworks displays. /There is one thing that all New Years Eve parties have in common,/ the countdown to midnight./ When the clock strikes 12, people give a loud cheer and sing songs./ Its also popular to make a promise in the New Year./ T
30、his is called a New Years resolution./ Typical resolutions include giving up smoking and keeping fit./ However the promise is often broken quite quickly /and people are back into their bad habits within weeks or days./2010Freshmens WeekBritain has a well-respected higher education system/ and some o
31、f the top universities and research institutions in the world. / But to those who are new to this system, it can sometimes be confusing. /October is usually the busiest month in the academic calendar./ Universities have something called Freshmens Week for their newcomers./ Its a great opportunity to
32、 make new friends, /join lots of clubs and settle into university life./However, having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, /the prospect of meeting strangers in classrooms and dormitories can be worrying./ Where do you start? And who should you make friends with? / Which club
33、s and society should you join?/Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you./ They worry about starting their university social life on the right foot./ So just take it all in slowly./ Dont rush into anything that youll regret for the next three years/2011 British Holidaying Ha
34、bits In the late 1970s, air travel became affordable for the average family in the UK, and more people started travelling abroad for their summer holidays. After all, the British weather wasnt very good, even in summer, so a lot of people left the country for a vacation.In the 1980s and 1990s, young
35、 people in the UK became wealthier on average. As a result, they started to go abroad in groups, to places such as Spain and Greece. Once they arrived at their destination, they met with other groups of young people and had one long party.British holidaying habits have begun to change, however. Climate change means that the UK now has a hotter climate, so people do not need to go overseas to find good weather. Also, going abroad is more expensive. As a result, more British people are choosing to spend their summer holidays in the UK.
