2013高考英语阅读素材及翻译(98篇)-2013高三英语阅读素材 The Two Roads 两条路

The Real Meaning of Peace宁静的真谛There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them. One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perf ect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.The othe r picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged an d bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down th e side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest —in perfect peace.Which picture do you think won t he prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?“Because,” explained the king, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, troubl e, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is th e real meaning of peace.”.新课标第一网系列资料。

Top Ten Ways to Be Happy at WorkIt doesn’t ma tter if you have the most mundane, stressful, or tedious job … there is always a way to find happiness in the workplace. Much of it is on your own shoulders. But, to be productive and create a lasting niche for yourself with a company, you must have some sort of happiness. Here are ten ways to be happy at work.#1) HEALTHY BODYWake up one hour early, and prepare your body for work. Hours are spent with hygiene and wardrobe, but the actually physical body is often forgotten in the morning routine. Just 30 minutes of aerobic exercise will get blood flowing, create energy, boost metabolism, and loosen up the body. This is especially important if you have a desk job, or job where you spend a lot of time cooped up in a car.#2) HEALTHY MINDTake the other 30 minutes (from the early wake up above) to get the mind healthy. Yoga, meditation, prayer, reflection, etc.. what ever works best to clear your mind of personal stressors.#3) EAT A BALANCED DIETEat energy rich-low fat foods. Fat makes you tired and sluggish; which makes you ill and unhappy. Do not skip breakfast and lunch. It doesn’t matter how busy the day gets, take time to get away from wor k and eat. This pr ovides you with just enough time to replenish energy levels and refocus.#4) ADD A PERSONAL E LEMENTMost employees will have some place that they can put a personal picture, pot plant, knickknack, etc.. Not only will this make you f eel more at ease in the work environment, but it will help you to remember the good things in life. If you do not have an area to call your own, dedicate a special piece of jewelry, that can serve as a happy reminder.#5) DON’T SWEAT THE UNIMPORTANT STU FFOf course, the know it all… tail wagging… suck u p… gal next to you is aggravating. However, unless you have the authority to fire her, you are stuck with her. Why let anyone else effect your sanity. Just nod ,and block her diarrhea of the mouth out. Likewise, if a customer is throwing a fit because of a policy that you donot have control over, do not take their insults personally. You will be a much happier person if you realize that you can not sweat the stuff that you can’t change.#6) DO NOT EXPECT PERSONAL RECOGNITIONMost bosses and customers are not going to specifically recognize you for your accomplishments. However, they are going to jump on the sl ightest err. My husband still can not comprehend this. He is always complaining about how unappreciated he is at work. Well, your appreciation, recognition, pat on the back, etc.. is your pay check. If you are getting a pay check, then you can assume you are doing something right. When you expect to be to told “thank you for putting in those extra 20 hours of work this week,” you are setting yours elf up for disappointment. Continue to work hard, and your payoff will be promotions, raises, and personal advancement; which is of much greater value than a pat on the back.#7) BE POSITIVEOkay, I know that it is trite and is often a hard feat. Howe ver, the “can do attitude” leads to suc cess. In addition to a positive attitude, you should surround yourself with positiv e people. Also, avoid gossip and complaining.#8) BE KNOWLEDGEABLEWhat ever your job is, you should make it a priority to know as much as you can about the job, field, company, industry, etc.. This should include the legalities related to the ethics of your profession or license. Knowing what you should and shouldn’t do will give you a greater peace of mind in performing job dutie s. A person constantly on edge is never happy.#9) ORGANIZATIONKeep your area clean and organized. This will cut a tremendous amount of stress out of your life. Thereby, making you a happier person.#10) TAKE YOUR BREAKSEvery employee is entitled (by law) to two- 15 min breaks in an 8 hr shift. It is easy to grow weary and aggravated, if you do not take the time to “reset.”.新课标第一网系列资料。

Aspects of English Life:QueuingAspects of English Life:QueuingThe English expect each other to observe the rules of queuing,feel highly offended when these rules are violaed,but lack the confidence or social skills to express their annoyance in a strightforward manner.In other countries,this is not a problem:in America,where a queue-jumper has committed a misdemeanour rather than a cardinal sin,the response is loud and prescriptive:the offender is simply told'Hey,you,get back in line!' or words to that effect.On the continent,the reaction tends to be loud and argumentative; in some other parts of the world,queue-jumpers may simply be unceremonioul y pushed and shoved back into line--but the end result is much the same.Parodoxically,it is only in England,where queue-jumping is regarded as deeply immoral,that the queue-jumper is likely to get away with the offence.The English huff and puff and scowl and mutter and seethe with rightous indignation, but only rarely do they actually speak up and tell the jumper to go to the back of the queue.Queuing is almost a national pastime for the English,who automatically arrange themselves into orderly lines at bus stops,shop counters,ice-creamvans,entrances,exits,and lifes.In 1946,the Hungarian humorist George Mikes desccribed queuing as English'national passion.''On the continent,'he said,'if people waiting at a bus stop they loiter around in a seemingly vague fashion.When the bus arrives they make a dash for it...An English man,even if he is alone,forms orderly queue of one.'In a update over thirty years later in 1977 he comfirmed that this was still the case.After nearly another thirty years nothing mu ch seems to have changed.The authoress of the book said,'I do it myself.When waiting alone for a bus or at a taxi stop,I do not just lounge about anywhere roughly within striking distance of the stop,as people do in other countries--I stand directly under the sign facing in the correct direction,exactly as though I were at the head of the queue.I form an orderly queue of one.'In many cases,queue-jumping is effectively 'nipped in the bud' by non-verbal signals alone.When someone is considering jumping a queue,the queuers will start glancing at him sideways,through narrowed,suspicious eyes.Then they shuffle a bit closer to the person in front of them,just in case the jumper might try to insert himself in the gap.They adopt a more belligerent,territorial posture--putting a hand on a lip,'squaring up' to the potential threat,or ostentatiously turning a shoulder away from him.Frowns,glares,raised eyebrows and contemptuouslooks--accompanied by heavy sighs,pointed coughs,scornful snorts,turring andmuttering ('Will,really!''Bloody hell!''Huh,typical.''What the...')--are usually the worst that the person will be subjected to if he jumps a queue.Facing with all this the jumper w ill think better of it and retreat meekly to the back of the queue.The English have an acute sense of fairness,and what in other cultures would seen as entirely legitimate opportunistic behaviour--such as heading directly for the 'free' cashier when there are two people already waiting to be served in front of the cashier alongside,who have simply no been quick enough to move across--is here regarded as queue-jumping or tantamount to queue-jumping.Such behaviour is severely frowned upon.翻译：英人习俗：排队英国人指望大家都遵守排队的规则，如有人不遵守就觉得不好受，但却既不敢又无办法直接表露自己很恼火。

Manatee meeting 邂逅海牛我想我大概永远也搞不清在那个早晨到底发生了什么。

我情愿相信是那些海牛和我一起参加了一个新生命的庆祝仪式，而我则是它们邀请的客人。

随着时间的流逝，这也成了我珍藏的记忆。

在那次意外的邂逅中，我感受到在这个巨大的星球上，生命之间的一种极致的和谐。

这份记忆慢慢变成了忧伤时唱给自己的一首歌，快乐时跳起的一段舞蹈。

Walking alone on a remote beach in southwes t Florida, I was startled to hear splashes and a deep sigh coming from the water just offshore.As I squinted in the direction of the sounds, the rounded gray back of a sea creature rose amid a red froth, rolled turbulently at the surface, then sank back into the Gulf. Moments later a broad nose emerged and exhaled in a great snuffling breath. It was a manatee, and by the looks of the reddish-colored water and the way it was thrashing, it was in trouble.I had often watched manatees in these warm coastal waters, but I'd never seen one act like this before. Usually just their big no strils appeared for a gulp of air as they foraged on sea grasses or swam slowly to greener underwater pastures. But I also knew how common it was for these lumbering giants to be gashed by boat pro pellers or entangled in crab traps.I wanted to help, but what coul d I do? There was no one else on t he beach, and the nearest phone to call the Marine Patrol was miles away.Tossing my beach bag onto the sand, I began wading toward the animal, who continued to writhe as if in distress. I was still only waist deep when I came close enough to make out the bristly whiskers on the manatee's muzzle as it thrust up out of the sea. Then, to my surp rise, a second muzzle, mu ch smaller, poked up beside it.I pushed on through the shoal water, but now the manatees were also moving toward me. Before I knew what was happening, I was in chest-deep water encircled by not one or two, but at least three blimplike bodies. I felt elated and slightly dizzy like the kid who is 'it' in a schoolyard game.A bulbous snout emerged next to me. In the translucent water, I could clearly see the rest of the huge mammal, and there, nestled close behind her, a smaller version of her massive body.Then, with incredible gentleness for such an enormous creature, the larger manateenudged the little one with her paddle-shaped flipper and pushed it to the surface beside me. I wanted to reach out and touch the pudgy sea baby, but I hesitated, not knowing the rules of this inter-species encounter.As the two slipped back underwater, two other manatees moved in from behind and slid by, one on either side, rubbing gently against my body as they swam past. They circled and repeated the action, this time followed by the mother and her calf. Emboldened by their overtures, I let my hand graze the side of the small manatee, now clinging to the mother's back, as they made their pass. Its skin felt rubbery and firm like an old fashioned hot water bottle.The group completed several more circuits. Since they obviously enjoyed touching me, I began stroking each of t hem as they sidled by. When one of them rolled over for a scratch, I knew I had made the right move.Eventually my new friends made their way off towards deeper water. I stood anchored to the spot, not wishing to break the spell, until finally the rising tide forced me back to shore.I suppose I will never know exactly what took place that morning. I like to think that the manatees included me in their celebration of a birth; that I was welcomed to meet the newest member of their tribe. But over time I have come to cherish the experience without questions.During that unexpected rendezvous, I felt more in tune with the rhythms of life on this vast planet than I ever have. The memory has become a song I sing to myself when I have the blues, a d ance I do to celebrate joy.And each year, during the last week of May, I pack a lunch and head for that isolated stretch of beach for a quiet little birthday picnic on the shore. After all, you never know who might show up for the party..新课标第一网系列资料。

Be Still With God 与上帝同在All day long I had been very busy; picking up trash, cleaning bathrooms and scrubbing floors. My grown children were coming home for the weekend. I went grocery shopping and prepared for a barbecue supper, complete with ribs and chicken.I wanted everything to be perfect.Suddenly, it dawned on me that I was dog-tired. I simply couldn't work as long as I could when I was younger. "I've got to rest for a minute," I told my husband, Roy, as I collapsed into my favorite rocking chair. Music was playing, my dog and cat were chasing each other and the telephone rang.A scripture from Psalm 46 popped into my mind. "Be still, and know that I am God."I realized that I hadn't spent much time in prayer that day. Was I too busy to even utter a simple word of thanks to God? Suddenly, the thought of my beautiful patio came to mind. I can be quiet out there, I thought. I longed for a few minutes alone with God.Roy and I had invested a great deal of time and work in the patio that spring. The flowers and hanging baskets were breathtaking. It was definitely a heav enly place of rest and tranquility. If I can't be still with God in that environment, I can't be still with Him anywhere, I thought. While Roy was talking on the telephone, I slipped out the backdoor and sat down on my favorite patio chair.I closed my eyes and began to pra y, counting my many blessings.A bird flew by me, chirping and singing. It interrupted my thoughts. It landed on the bird feeder and began eating dinner as I watched. After a few minutes it flew away, singing another song.I closed my eyes again. A gust of wind blew, which caused my wind chimes to dance. They made a joyful sound, but again I lost my concentration on God. I squirmed and wiggled in my chair. I looked up toward the blue sky and saw the clouds moving slowly toward the horizon. The wind died down. M y wind chimes finally became quiet.Again, I bowed in pray er. "Honk, honk," I heard. I almost jumped out of my skin.A neighbor was driving down the street. He waved at me and smiled. I wave d back, happy that he cared. I quickly tried once again to settle down, repeating the familiar verse in my mind. Be still and know that I am God."I'm trying God. I really am," I whispered. "But you've got to help me here."The backdoor opened. My husband walked outside. "I love you," he said. "I was wondering where you were." I c huckled, as he came over and kissed me, then turned around and went back inside."Where's the quiet time?" I asked God. My heart fluttered. There was no pain, only a beat that interrup ted me yet again. This is impo ssible, I thought. There's no time to be still and to know that God is with m e. There's too much going on in the world and entirely too much activity all around me.Then it suddenly dawned on me. God was speaking to me the entire time I was attempting to be still. I remembered the music playing as I'd begun my quiet time. He sent a sparrow to lighten my life with song. He sent a gentle breeze. He sent a neighbor to let me know that I had a friend. He sent my sweetheart to offer sincere sentiments of love. He caused my heart to flutter to remind me of life. While I was trying to count my blessings, God was busy multiplying them.I laughed to realize that the "interruptions" of my quiet time with God were special blessings He'd sent to show me He was with me the entire time..。

A Full-time School Called LifeYou are enrolled in a full-time school called “life”. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or hate them, but you have designed them as part of your curriculum.Why are you here? What is your purpose? Humans have sought to discover the meaning of life for a very long time. What we and our ancestors have to overlook, however, is that there is no one answer. The meaning of life is different for every individual.Each person has his or her own purpose and distin ct path, unique and separate from anyone else’s. As you are travel your life path, you will be presented with numerous lessons that you will need to learn in order to fulfill that purpose. The lessons you are presented with are specific to you; learning these lessons is the key to discovering and fulfilling th e meaning and relevance of your own life.As your are travel through your lifetime, you may encounter chal lenging lessons that others don’t have to face, while others spend years struggling with challenges t hat you don’t need to deal with. You may never know why you are blessed with a wonderful marriage, while your friends suffer through bitter arguments and painful divorces, just as you cannot be sure why you struggle financially while your peers enjoy abundance. The only thing you can count on for certain is that you will be presented with all the lessons that you specifically need to learn; whether you choose to learn them or not is entirely up to you.The challenge here, therefore, is to align yourself with your own unique path by learning individual lessons. This is one of the most difficult challenges you will be faced with in your lifetime, as sometimes your path will be radically different from oth ers. But, remember, don’t compare your path to the people around you and focus on the disparity between their lessons and yours. You need to remember that yo u will only be faced with lessons that you are capable of learning and are specific to your own growth.Our sense of fairness is the expectation of equity, the assumption that all things are equal and that justice will always prevail. Life is not, in fact, fair, and you may indeed have a more difficult lift path than others around you, deserved or no t. Everyone’s circumstances are unique, and everyone needs to handle his or her own circumstances differently. If you want to toward serenity, you will be required to move out of the comparing yourself with others rather than appreciating your own special uniqueness. You miss out on learning your individual lessons by distracting yourself with feelings of bitterness and resentment.生活是一所全日制学校你是”生活”这所全日制学校的学生,每天都有机会学习各种课程。

Life TogetherLife TogetherOne fine day,an old couple around the age of 70,walked into the lawyer's office.Appearntly,they were there to file a divorce.The lawyer was very puzzled.After having a chat with them,he got their story--the couple had been quarreling all their 40 years of marriage and nothing ever seemed to go right.They had hung on so long because of their children,afraid that it might affect their up-bringing.Now,all their children had grown up,and had their own families,so the old couple had nothing to worry about.All they wanted was to live their own lives,free from years of unhappiness.So both agreed on a divorce.The lawyer was having a hard time trying to get the papers done,because he couldn't understand why,after 40 years of marriage and age 70,the old couple wanted a divorce.While they were signing the papers.the wife told the husband,"I really love you,but I really can't carry on anymore,I'm sorry.""It's Okay,I understand,"said the husband.Looking at this,the lawyer suggested a dinner together,just the three of them.The wife agreed,why not,since they will still going to be friends anyway.At the dining table,there was an awkward silence.The first dish was roasted chicken.Immediately,the old man took a drumstick for the old lady."Take this,it's your favorite."Looking at this,the lawyer thought maybe there's still a chance.But the wife was frowning when she answered,"This is always the problem.You always think highly of yourself,and never think how I feel.Don't you know that I hate drumsticks?"Little did she know th at,over the years,the husband had tried many ways to please her.Little did she know that drumsticks were the husband's favorite food.Little did he know that she thought he never understo od her at all.Little did he know that she hates drumsticks,even though all he waned was the best for her.That night,both of them tossed and turned and couldn't sleep.After a few hours,the old man couldn't take it anymore.He knew that he still loved her,and he couldn't carry on life without her.He wanted her back,he wanted to tell her,he was sorry,he wanted to tell her"I love you".He picked up the phone,and dialed her number.Although the calls went unanswered,he nev er stopped dialing...On the other side of the town,she was sad.She couldn't understood how after all these years,he still didn't understand her at all.She loved him a lot,but she just couldn't take it anymore.As the phone rang,she refused to answer it,knowing thatit was him."What's the point of talking no w that it's over?I asked for it and now I want to keep it this way,."she thought..As the phone continued ringing,she decided to pull out the cord...She gave little thought to his problems...The next day,she recieved news that he had passed away.She rushed down to his apartment and saw his body lying on the couch still holding on to the phone.He had a heart attack while trying to call her.Though she was sad,she had to take care of his belongings.When she was looking through the drawers,she saw his insurance policy,dated from the day they got married,and noticed she was the beneficiary.And together in those files,there was the note:"To my dearest wife,if you are reading this,I'm sure I'm no longer around.I bought this policy for yo u.Though the amount is only $100,000, I hope it will enough to help me carry out the promise that I made when we got marr ied.I want this money to continue taking care of you,just like I would h ave if I could have lived longer.I want you to know I will always be around you,by your side.I love you!"Tears flowed like a river...翻译:再说一次"我爱你"这是晴朗的一天,一对七十岁左右的老夫妇走进了律师事务所.很明显,他们是来办离婚的,这令律师困惑不已.在与他们谈过话后,他知道了事情的原委:这对夫妇在结婚后的四十多年里一直没完没了的争吵,似乎在所有事情上两个人都无法取得一致意见.因为担心影响孩子的成长,他们一直都勉强维持着婚姻.如今,所有孩子都长大成人,成家立业了,这对夫妇再也不需要顾及什么了.他们一心想摆脱多年来不幸婚姻的束缚,各自过自己的日子,所有双方都同意离婚.律师很不情愿的准备着各种离婚文件,因为他实在想不通,这对夫妇一直走了四十个春秋,竟然在古稀之年还想离婚.当这对夫妇在文件上签字的时候,老太太对老头说:"我真是爱你的,但我实在无法控制下去了.很抱歉!""没关系,我能理解."老头说道.看到这一情景,律师提议就他们三人一起共进晚餐.老太太想:既然以后双方还继续做朋友,吃个饭又何妨.在吃饭的时候,气氛一直尴尬而沉寂.第一道菜是烤鸡.菜一上卓,老头就把鸡腿给了太太:"给你,这是你最喜欢吃的."他这一举动让律师觉得他们的婚姻也许还有挽回的希望.可老太太却皱着眉头说:"事情总是这样,你一直都自以为是,从来不顾忌我的感受,难道你不知道我讨厌吃鸡腿吗?"可她不知道的是,多年来她丈夫一直想方设法讨她欢心,她也不知道鸡腿原来是丈夫的最爱;而他不知道的是,她一直认为他一点儿都不了解她,他也不知道,尽管自己总想把最好的留给她,可她最恨吃鸡腿.那天晚上,两人都辗转反侧,夜不能寐.过了很长时间,老头子再也忍受不住.他明白自己还爱着她,也离不开她.他想要他回到她自己的身边,他想要告诉她,他很抱歉.他还想对她说:"我爱你."他拿起电话,开始拨她的号码.虽然对方一直没接电话,他却一直不停地拨号.....而在另一处,她伤心透了.她想不通的是,怎么经过了这么多年,他依然一点也不了解她.她非常爱他,可她再也忍受不下去了.电话在响,她都知道这是他打来的,可她不想听."现在什么都结束了,再通话有什么意义?我这是自找的,现在就让它这样吧,不然我可丢人了."她就这么想着.....电话还在响,她决定把电话线拔掉...这时候,她完全忘了,他有心脏病....第二天,她获悉他去世了.她赶到他住的公寓,看到他躺在沙发上,手里还握着电话.他在不断的给她打电话时心脏病发作了.尽管悲痛不已,她还是得处理他的遗物.当清理抽屉时,她找到一份保单.保单的办理日期是他们结婚那天,而保单的受益人正是她.与这些文件放在一起的,还有一张字条:"我最亲爱的妻子,当你看到这张字条的时候,我肯定已经不在了.这份保险是给你买的.虽然保额只有十万美元,但我希望它可以帮我继续履行结婚时我许下的诺言.我已经不在你身边了,但我希望能用这笔钱继续照顾你,就像我---如果我能再多活些日子的话---那样照顾你.我希望你知道,我会一直伴随着你,在你身边.我爱你!"她泪如泉涌...........新课标第一网系列资料。

kids bring you a complete lifeki ds (who bring you a complete life)When you have a kidwho you car e so muchthat anything he wantscomes before your own desiresWhen you have a kidw ho is so much in need for your affection and understanding thatno matter what is bothering himyou're willing to do anything to make him smileWhen you have a kidwho is so dependent on you thatno matter what obstacles you faceyou have to be forever confident in front of himgiving him the sense of securityWhen you have a kidwhatever your goals are fo r your lifeyou're so willing to put him ahead before all your goalssometimes even give up your dreams for his needsbut you'd consider y ours elf lucky indeedbeing in love with someone in this wide world so deepyou try to make everything easy for him to grow up int o a loving,strong adultThank god for giving me this chancelet me experience what love, giving, and voluntary sacrifice are all about After all of the things I've done for himwho changed my whole world dramaticlyI come to under stand what a complete life is like.magical kids..新课标第一网系列资料。

supportThere are two ways to spreading light :to be the candle or the mirror that reflect it !传播光明的方法有两种：要么做一根蜡烛，要么做一面镜子去反射它的光芒！you support someone when you willingly step forward to help him through a challengning time ,yet the great irony is that when you support others ,you are also ,in fact ,supporting yourself .when you withhold support from others ,it is usually an indicator that you are also withholding support from yourself .当他人身处困境的时候，你主动帮助他渡过难关，你就是在支持他，或者你不会想到，你在支持他人的时候，你也在帮助你自己，拒绝对他人施以援手，其实也是拒绝帮助自己。

we are most often to called upon to support others in f riendship .one of my acquaintances,Donna ,told me a story recently that clearly illustrates the magic of support and its potential as an emotional mirror.朋友之间是需要相互支持的，前几天，我的一位熟人唐纳给我讲述了一个故事，故事清晰的阐明了支持的魔力以及作为情感之境的潜在效应。

several years ago，Donna had been feeling very depressed,she had just broken up with her boyfriend of two years and she was having a very difficult time to accept the loss. she had been laid up with a knee injury for severy days,and the time alone at home certainly was not helping, her misery was only compounded by her frustration at herself for not being able to pull it together and stop crying all the time.几年前，唐娜一直委靡不振，那时和她相恋两年的男朋友刚刚分手，这让她难以承受，接着她又因膝盖受伤卧床数日，当然孤独在家的日子对她的身心毫无益处，她无法控制这种局面，因而，痛苦不尴，整天懊恼，伤心，泪流满面．Early one morning ,Donna received a phone call with some terrible news: her best friend's brother was killed in a car accident,Donna had known her friend and her brother for nearly her e ntire life ,and the news was devastating. however ,Donna quickly pulled herself together,got in the car ,and drove to her friend's house to be there with her一天清晨，唐娜接到她最好的朋友的电话，她的弟弟在一场车祸中死去了，这一噩耗让唐娜悲恸万分，要知道，唐娜与他们有着多年的交情，可以算得上是一生的朋友，唐娜很快振作起来，立刻开车前往朋友家陪他。

Two extremes in life 生活中的两极It has been so bitterly cold here in Pennsylvania.I can’t remember a winter being as cold as this, but I’m sure there were colder days.Even though the daylight hours are growing longer minute by mi nute, it’s easy to find an excuse not to go out unless you absolutely must, but then again I often have to push myself to accomplish things.People I speak to have been in all kinds of nasty moods. They say they’re “under the weather,” not feeling good about this time of year.As I s tood outside with my two dogs yesterday, it was so cold that my nose and face felt crisp and my cars were stinging.Of course, that does n’t matter to Ricky and Lucy. They have a routine they must go through to find just the fight spot no matter how cold or hot it is.So I wait.But this time it was different. As cold as it was, I suddenly was invigorated thinking about how wonderful this extreme cold really was.Then the sun broke through the clouds and memories of summer’s scorching hot days flashed through my mind. I could remember standing in the heat of the afternoon, swe at pouring down my brow and the hot, burning sun against my face. I reminded myself then and there that in the cold of the winter I would wish I had this heat.I was right.Two extremes in my life that most of the time I find uncomfortab le, I normally dread them and gripe about it all the way through.But today I was grateful for them. Without the extremes in my life, I would never appreciate the days when things were just right. Without the extre mes life would be boring.It’s being pushed to one of the extremes that makes us appreciate the middle more. Health challenges rem inds us that we need to pay more attention to how we live. Financial extremes rem inds us that when things are in excess it’s time to tuck away for when the times are lean.So bring on the cold so I appreciate the heat more.Make me sweat on a hot summer’s day so I wish I had a handful of snow to rub my face in.I’ve come to the conclusion that all too often I find a reason not to be happy with where I am at that moment.Whether it’s hot or cold, good health or bad, in the money or out of it, I always wanted it to be different.But no more. I want to start finding a reason to be happy right where I am. Even if it’s simply the fact that I’m alive.I’m tired of being “Under the Weather!”.。

Light in the WindowBy Eileen GoltzIt was the first night of Chanukah and the night before Ellie's last final. As a freshman she was more than ready to go home for the first time since August. She'd packed every thing she needed to take home except the books she was cramming with and her menorah, the 8 branch candelabra that's lit every night of Chanukah. Ellie had been so tempted to pack the menorah earlier that night. However, just as she was getting ready to justify to herself why it was OK to "skip" the first night's lighting - (A) she'd have to wait for the candles to burn out before she cou ld leave for the library and (B) she had no clue as to where her candles were hiding - her conscience (and common sense) kicked in. The voice coming from that special place in her body where "mother guilt" resides said, "You have the menorah out, so light it already." Never one to ignore her mother's advice, Ellie dug up the candles, lit them, said the blessings, placed the menorah on her window sill and spent the rest of the evening in her room studying.Ellie's first winter break was uneventful, and when she returned to her dorm on the day before classes started she was surprised to find a small note taped to her door."Thank you," th e note said. It was signed "Susan." It was dated the day that Ellie had left after finals. Ellie was totally perplexed. She didn't know a Susan. Convinced that the letter had been delivered to her by mistake, Ellie put the note on her desk and forgot about it.About a half an hour before she was getting ready to head out for dinner, there was a knock at Ellie's door. There, standing in the hall was a woman Ellie didn't recognize. "I'm Susan," she said. "I wanted to thank you in person but you'd already left before I finished my finals.""Are you sure it's me you're looking for?" asked Ellie. Susan asked if she could come in and explain.It seemed that Susan had been facing the same dilemma that Ellie had been that first night of Chanukah. She really didn't want to light her menorah either. Not because she was packing, or was heading home, couldn't find the candles or because she busy studying but because her older sister Hannah had been killed by a drunk driver ten months earlier, and this was the first year that she'd have to light the menorah candles alone. The sisters had always taken turns lighting the first candle and this wasn't Susan's y ear. She just couldn't bring herself to take her sister's place. Susan said that whenever it was Hannah's turn to light the firstcandle, she'd always tease Susan that the candles she lit would burn longer and brighter than when Susan lit them. One year she even went so far as to get a timer out. It had always annoyed Susan that Hannah would say something so stupid but still, it was part of the family tradition. Susan said that it was just too painful to even think about Chanukah without Hannah and she had decided on skipping the entire holiday.Susan said that she had ju st finished studying and was closing her drapes when she happened to glance across the courtyard of the quad and saw the candles shi ning in Ellie's window. "I saw that menorah in y our window and I started to cry. It was if Hannah had taken her turn and put the menorah in your window for me to see." Susan said that when she stopped crying she said the blessings, turned off the lights in her room and watched the candles across the quad until they burned out.Susan told Ellie that it was as she was lying in bed that night thinking about how close she felt to Hannah when she saw the menorah, that it dawned on her thatHannah had been right. Hannah's last turn always would have candle s that would burn longer and brighter than any of Susan's because for Susan, Hannah's lights would never go out. They would always be there, in her heart for Susan to see when she needed to reconnect with Hannah.All Susan had to do was close her eyes and remember the candles in the window, the one's that Hannah had lit the last time it was her turn..新课标第一网系列资料。

25种杀手锏帮助你提升个人自信(2)11. Speak slowly. 说话慢些。

Such a simple thing, but it can have a big difference in how others perceive you.A person in authority, with authority, speaks slowly. It shows confidence. A person who feels that he isn't worth listening to will speak quickly, because he doesn't want to keep others waiting on something not worthy of listening to. Even if you don't feel the confidence of someone who speaks slowly, try doing it a few times. It will make you feel more confident. Of course, don't take it to an extreme, but just don't sound rushed either.很简单的事情，但对于别人如何理解你时，就有很大的区别了。

领导和有权威的人说话比较慢，这显示出一种自信。

那些觉得自己的话不值得听的人说话会很快，因为他们不想让别人等着听些没有价值的东西。

即使你没有觉得那些说话慢的人自信，你也试几次，它会让人更加自信。

当然也不要说得过慢，只要不像是在急冲冲的毫无考虑地说话就可以了。

12. Stand tall. 昂首站着。

I have horrible posture, so it will sound hypocritical for me to give this advice, but I know it works because I try it often. When I remind myself to stand tall and straight, I feel better about myself. I imagine that a rope is pulling the top of my head toward the sky, and the rest of my body straightens accordingly. As an aside, peo ple who stand tall and confident are more attractive. That's a good thing any day, in my book.我的站姿很难看，所以我给这种建设显得有些假惺惺日，但我知道它对增强自信有作用，我常常尝试。

10条途径迅速提高你的生活Many of our problems come from within our own minds. They aren't caused by events, bad luck, or other people. We cause them through our own po or mental habits. Here are 10 habits you should set aside right away to free yourself from the many problems each one will be causing you.许多问题的造成其实并不是因为我们自己运气差或者别人有意为之。

事实上，这些问题往往是由我们自己的坏习惯产生的。

这里列出了十个习惯希望能够帮助你摆脱这些自己造成的麻烦又没必要的烦恼：Stop jumping to conclusions. There are two common ways this habit increases people’s difficulties. First, they assume tha t they know what is going to happen, so they stop paying attention and act on their assumption instead. Human beings are lousy fortune-tellers. Most of what they assume is wro ng. That makes the action wrong too. The second aspect of this habit is playing the mind-reader and assuming you know why people do what they do or what they're thinking. Wrong again, big time. More relationships are destroyed by this particular kind of stupidity than by any other.不要过早下结论。

5位成功人士传授提高工作效率秘诀People occasionally tell you，"Do that in your free time，"but in fact there's no such thing as"free"time. Even when you're lying by the swimming pool，that's leisure time --but it isn't free time.The most successful peo ple are those who've mastered the time-saving tactics described here.Stay FocusedAll top performers establish priorities. Helen Gurley Brown，editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan，always keeps an issue of the magazine on her desk. Whenever she's tempted to fritter away time，doing something that doesn't contribute to the magazine's success，she glances at that issue，and it gets her ba ck on track.One way to order your priorities is to create a"to do"list. Every evening，jot down the top20 tasks to be done the next day，and review the list several times throughout the day. The best way to accomplish what's on the list is to give each task a specific time slot.Pattern of SuccessMost people who want to get ahead spend useful time writing personal notes of gratitude，sympathy and congratulations. But when it comes to routine memos，letters，fact sheets and forms，they save a lot of time by relying on previously written material.Susan Taylor，editor-in-chief of Essence，has created some ４０form letters for everything from article rejections to replies to requests for donations. Stored on her computer，the letters can be called up，copied and customized by changing a few key words. Taylor then often adds a handwritten greeting at the bottom as a personal touch.Telephone TipsFinancier J. B. Fuqua has made a fortune putting deals together over the telephone. His most important strategy is to make notes before he places a call.To avoid playing telephone tag，return phone calls right away，because you're likely to catch the caller and your messages won't pile up. If the person is busy，many time-tacticians make an appointment to call back. Leaving a detailed message on someone's voice mail prevents you from getting ti ed up in long conversationsand will get you an answer more quickly.新-课-标-第-一-网Do It NowAs a renowned color consultant，the late Suzanne Caygill designed the home s and wardrobes of celebrities. To deal with all the demands of her schedule，she followed a rule learned from her seam-stress grandmother：If she had a job to do，she did it immediately. Too many people waste time "commencing to proceed to get started，"Caygill would say.If you just dive in，though，you'll be surprised at how fast you get things done. Remember，the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.Freeze the DesignPerfectionists can waste just as much time as procrastinators . Thomas R. Williams，former chairman of Wachovia Corporation，discovered that many young people in banking don't know when to stop researching a project and start wrapping it up. Those trainees could have learned something from engineers，who are taught to produce the best possible solution by a certain date. Even if a design is not perfect，they've done the best they could under deadline.Whenever you streamline a task or eliminate a hassle，you don't just save time. You make your life more pleasant. "Dost thou love life？"Benjamin Franklin once said. "Then do not squander time，for that's the stuff life is made of. "人们有时候会对你说：“在你空闲的时候做那件事吧，”但是，实际上这种“空闲”时间是没有的。

Christmas morning 圣诞的早晨A light drizzle was falling as my sister Jill and I ran out of the Methodist Church, eager to get home and play with the presents that Santa had left for us and our baby sister, Sharon. Across the street from the church was a Pan American gas station where the Greyhound bus stopped. It was closed for Christmas, but I noticed a family standing outside the locked door, huddled under the narrow overhang in an attempt to kee p dry. I wondered briefly why they were there but then forgot about them as I raced to keep up with Jill.Once we got home, there was barely time to enjoy our presents. We had to go off to our grandparents’ house for our annual Christmas dinner. As we drove down the highway through town, I noticed that the family was still there, standing outside the closed gas station.My father was driving very slowly down the highway. The closer we got to the turnoff for my grandparents’ house, the slower the car went. Suddenly, my fat her U-turned in the middle of the road and s aid, “I can’t stand it!”“What?” asked my mother.“It's those people back there at the Pan Am, standing in t he rain. They've got children. It's Christmas. I can’t stand it.”When my father pulled into the service station, I saw that there were five of them: the parents and three children — two girls and a small boy.My father rolled down his window. “Merry Christmas,” he said.“Howdy,” the man replied. He was very tall and had to stoop slightly to peer into the car.Jill, Sharon, and I stared at the children, and they stared back at us.“You waiting on the bus?” my father asked.The man said that they were. They were going to Birmingham, where he had a brother and prospects of a job.“Well, that bus isn’t going to come along for several hours, and you’re getting wet standing here. Winborn’s just a couple miles up the road. They’ve got a shed with a cover there, and some benches,” my father said. “Why don't y’all get in the car and I’ll run you up there.”The man thought about it for a moment, and then he beckoned to his family. They climbed into the car. They had no luggage, only the clothes they were wearin g.Once they settled in, my father looked back over his shoulder and asked the children if Santa had found them yet. Three glum faces mutely gave him his answer.“Well, I didn’t think so,” my father said, winking at my mother, “b ecause when I saw Santa this morning, he told me that he was having trouble finding all, and he asked me if he could leave your toys at my house. We'll just go get them before I take you to the bus stop.”All at once, the three children's faces lit up, and they began to bounce around in the back seat, laughing and chattering.When we got out of the car at our house, the three children ran through the front door and straight to the toys that were spread out under our Christmas tree. One of the girls spied Jill’s doll and immediately hugged it to her breast. I remember that the little boy grabbed Sharon’s ball. And the other girl picked up something of mine. All this happened a long time ago, but the memory of it remains clear. That was the Christmas when my sisters and I learned the joy of making others happy.My mother noticed that the middle child was wearing a short-sleeved dress, so she gave the girl Jill’s o nly sweater to wear.My father invited them to join us at our grandparents’ for Christmas dinner, but the parents refused. Even when we all tried to talk them into coming, they were firm in their decision.Back in the car, on the way to Winborn, my father asked the man if he had money for bus fare.His brother had sent tickets, the man said.My father reached into his pocket and pulled out two dollars, which was all he had left until his next payday. He pressed the money into the man’s hand. The man tr ied to give it back, but my father insisted. “It’ll be late when you get to Birmingham, and these children will be hungry before then. Take it. I’ve been broke before, and I know what it’s like when you can’t feed your family.”We left them there at the bus stop in Winborn. As we drove away, I watched out the window as long as I could, looking back at the little gihugging her new doll..新课标第一网系列资料。

Reflection on lifeWhat’s life and what should we do in our whole lives? It has being a question down the ages. Just several days ago, a friend younger than me told me he was wondering what life was and did not know the goal of life.His question also re-taught me something about life. In the past few days, I am always trying my best to forget something, because I think it is an effective way to keep enthusiasm for life. Maybe there are some persons and some things that we think we can never forget but one day we finally find they are no longer in our memory.In my opinion, life is just akin to a train. Ther e are always some people coming and some people leaving. We have no idea when they will come and when th ey will go. Some persons promised they would stay with us to the end and we should know there is a chance that they may leave with n o auspice. Confronted with this fact what s hould we do? Perhaps we will be sad but that is not what we should do. No matter what we do he or she won’t come back. What we should do is to be happier and do what we should do.I once read an article about life and it says that life is just like dramatic.I also agree with it. In fact we are always playing a character of the dramatic. In the dramatic of life no one can experience it with himself. In our own life we should be the leading role of ourselves.The idea of it varies form one person to another. For different persons, it has different meanings. But what we know is that life is very short and we should hold fast to it, treasure what we have and forget what does not belong to us. Only by this way, can we live a wonderful life..新课标第一网系列资料。

"There" is no better than "Here"知足常乐Many people believe that they will be happy once they arrive at some specific goal they set for themselves. However, more often than not, once you arrive " there" you will still feel dissatisfied, and move your " there" vision to yet another point in the future. By always chasing after another "there," you are never really appreciating what you already have right "here." It is important for human beings to keep soberminded about the age-old drive to look beyond the place where you now stand. On one hand, your life is enhanced by your dreams and aspirations. On the other hand, these drives can pull you farther and farther from your enjoyment of your life right now. By learning the lessons of gratitude and abundance, you can bring yourself closer to fulfilling the challenge of living in the present.GratitudeTo be grateful means you are thankful for and appreciative o f what you have and where you are on your path right now. Gratitude fills your heart with the joyful feeling and allows you to fully appreciate everything that arises on your path. As you strive to keep your focus on the present moment, you can experience the full wonder of "here."There are many ways to cultivate gratitude. Here are just a few suggestions you may wish to try:1. Imagine what your life would be like if you lost all that you had. This will most surely remind you of how much you do appreciate it.2. Make a list each day of all that you are grateful for, so that you can stay conscious daily of your blessings. Do this especially when you are feeling as though you have nothing to feel grateful for. Or spend a few minutes before you go to sleep giving thanks for al l that you have.3. Spend time offering assistance to those who are less fortunate than you, so that you may gain perspective.Ho wever you choose to learn gratitude is irrelevant. What really matters is that you create a space in your consciousness for appreciation for all that you have right now, so that you may live more joyously in your present moment.AbundanceOne of the most common human fears is scarcity. Many people are afraid of not having enough of what they need or want, and so they are always striving to get to a pointwhen they would finally have enough.Alan and Linda always dreamed of living "the good life." Both from poor working-class families, they ma rried young and set out to fulfill their mutual goal of becoming wealthy. They both worked very hard for years, amassing a small fortune, so they could move from their two-bedroom home to a palatial seven-bedroom home in the most upscale neighborhood. They focused their energies on accumulating all the things they believed signified abundance: membership in the local exclusive country club, luxury cars, designer clothing, and high-class society friends. No matter how much they accumulated, however, it never seemed to be enough. They were unable to erase the deep fear of scarcity both had acquired in childhood. They needed to learn the lesson of abundance. Then the stock market crashed in 1987, and Alan and Linda lost a considerable amount of money. A bizarre but costly lawsuit depleted another huge portion of their savings. One thing led to another, and they found themselves in a financial disaster. Assets needed to be sold, and eventually they lost the country club membership, the cars, and the house. It took several years and much hard work for Alan and Linda to land on their feet, and though they now live a life far from extravagant, they have taken stock of their lives and feel quite blessed. Only now, as they as sess what they have left -- a solid, loving marriag e, their health, a dependable income, and good friends -- do they realize that true abundance comes not from amassing, but rather from appreciating.Scarcity consciousness arises as a result of the "hole-in-the-soul syndrome." This is when we attempt to fill the gaps in our inner lives with things from the outside world. But like puzzle pieces, you can't fit something in whe re it does not naturally belong. No amount of external objects, affection, love, or attention can ever fill an inner void. We already have enough, so we sho uld revel in our own interior abundance..新课标第一网系列资料。