Passage 1Midlife CrisisUnhappiness in middle age, also known as midlife crisis, is a universal experience. People around the world seem to share an emotional design in life. That design is shaped like the letter U. Levels of happiness are the highest when people are young and when they are old. In the middle, however, most people’s happiness and life satisfaction levels drop. Some people suffer from midlife depression more than others. But it happens to men and women, to single and married people, to the rich and poor and to those with and without children. Generally speaking, people reach their lowest levels between the ages of about forty and fifty-five. But then, as they continue into old age, their happiness starts to climb back up. Why does all this happen? One possibility is that people recognize their limitations in middle age and give up some of their long-held dreams. Passage 2Good CompanionA good companion is better than a fortune, for a fortune cannot purchase those elements of character, which make companionship a blessing. The best companion is one who is wiser and better than ourselves. Greater wisdom and goodness than we possess lifts us higher mentally and morally. It’s true that we cannot always choose all of our companions. Some are thrust upon us. But the experience is not altogether without compensation. Companion is education, good or bad; it develops manhood or womanhood, high or low; it lifts the soul upward or drags it downward; it ministers to virtue or vice. There is no half way work about its influence. It saves or destroys lustily. Nothing in the world is surer than this. Sow virtue, and harvest will be virtue. Sow vice, and the harvest will be vice. Good companions help us to sow virtue; evil companions help us to sow vice.Passage 3Global Text ProjectBooks are a high cost of higher education. But the Global Text Project hopes to create a free library of one thousand electronic textbooks for students in developing countries. The aim is to offer subjects that students may take in their first few years at a university. The books could be printed or read on a computer or copied onto a CD or DVD. The Global Text Project is a new technology, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit on the Internet. But only one or two people will be able to make the final edits in texts. The project includes a committee of scholars, mostly from developing countries, to advice on required textbooks and their content. The group’s first book on information systems is being tested in Indonesia. Project organizers also want to offer textbooks in Arabic, Chinese and Spanish. They are working with a translation company in the United States.Passage 4HemingwayAmerican writer, Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois. He started his career as a writer in a newspaper office at the age of seventeen. During the 1920s, Hemingway became a member of the group Americans living in Paris, which he described in his first important work, The Sun Also Rises. Equally successful was A Farewell to Arms, the study of an American ambulance officer’sdisillusionment in the war and his role as a deserter. Hemingway used his experience as a reporter during the Civil War in Spain as the background for his most ambitious novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls. Among his later works, the most outstanding is the short novel The Old Man and The Sea, the story of an old fisherman’s journey, his long and lonely struggle with a fish and the sea, and his victory in defeat. Now Hemingway is the classic symbol of bravery, or strong man. Passage 5Self-ConceptThe self-concept is a complex structure. This complexity is illustrated by the idea of multiple selves. We seem to be a different person in each of many different situations. An example may clarify this concept. First, picture yourself at an athletic event. Now, contrast this image with one of yourselves taking a final exam. Finally, imagine yourself at work on a very busy day. You should probably describe yourself differently in each setting. Which image is really you? Of course, all are. We have multiple selves, each dependent on a context. Together they form our self-concept. It is the context that makes certain aspects of our self-concept more important at a particular moment. Self-concept is composed of our beliefs, values, and attitudes. Our beliefs give our self-concepts their substance, our values give them aspirations and standards, and our attitudes give them motivation. These three elements provide a structure in which we develop and build ourselves.Passage 6Family Life in IndiaFamily life is equally varied in Indian states. India is a country with many states in which people are from different cultures, and so on. The languages, clothing, customs, and traditions of people are influenced by the respective regions they live in. Most of the families in India are extended ones, in which every member has his or her own role, often influenced by age and gender. Children are cherished and considered as gifts from God. Children can look forward to continual family support throughout their lives. However, they are expected to respect their elders and parents, their wishes and family relationships. The family structure in India is typical, in which there are many wedding customs, which have to be strongly followed by people. Religion, social status, traditional practices, and regional differences influence family structures. Indians are more emotionally attached to the members of their family. Husbands and wives are not allowed to openly display their affection for one another.Passage 7Causes of Forest FiresForest fires are one of the greatest natural destroyers of our forests. It has been found that about 90% of forest fires are due to human factors. The most common cause for the forest fires is the carelessness of people. Smokers may start a forest fire by carelessly dropping lighted matches and cigarettes in a forest. Tourists sometimes throw the lighted items in the bushes around or on the ground which cause fire. There are also some natural causes of forest fires. Forest fires canoccur due to lightning which burns the trees. Earthquake is also responsible for the forest fires, while other reason for fire is volcanoes and drought. High temperature and low humidity provides favorable conditions to the fire and hence it can start in forests. Since forest fires destroy valuable trees and even kill people, we need to learn the causes and to know how to prevent them. Passage 8Choosing the Perfect Hair ColorColoring your hair is one way to express your individuality. Choosing the right hair color can be confusing whether you want to cover gray hair or give yourself a new fresh look. If you are clear about what you want exactly, it can help while choosing the hair color that is right for you. You can achieve the most flattering look, if you consider your skin makeup and eye color. Hair color that balances your complexion gives the best results. For covering gray hair, you can select a shade close to your natural hair color. Hair highlights are another way to improve your overall look. Highlights can look fascinating and make an attractive impression. They add depth and dimension to the base color or natural hair. Different hair colors suit different complexions. In order to choose a suitable hair color, you need to identify the right combination.Passage 9E-educationE-education, which stands for electronic education, has at least four advantages. First, with access to the Internet, students can overcome barriers of space and time. For example, we can make educational resources in Washington available to students in Tokyo. The second is the easy access. For example, we can put multimedia resources libraries on the Internet and students can have access to these libraries just by clicking the mouse. The third is the optimization of resources. For example, we can tape the lectures given by very prominent professors and broadcast them live through the Internet. Because of these three advantages, there is another big advantage, that is, the Internet technology makes mass education possible. As you know, it is simply impossible for the whole population to receive education on campuses. And this is where the greatest advantage of E-education lies. It offers mass education and education for lifetime.Passage 10CosmeticsCosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. A subset of cosmetics is called makeup, which refers primarily to colored products intended to alter the user’s appearance. Cosmetic use was frowned upon at many points in Western history, especially during the 19th century when social etiquette was rigid. During the 20th century, however, the popularity of cosmetics increased rapidly. Cosmetics are now in widespread use by women in nearly all industrial societies around the world. In the United States, cosmetics are used by girls at an increasingly young age. The social consequences of younger and younger beautification have had much attention in the media over the last few years. The cosmetic industry is a profitable business for most manufacturers of cosmetic products. Given the technological development and the improvement of the manufacturing process, and not least due to the constantly increasing demand of such products, this industry reported an important growth in terms of profit.Passage 11Spy Cell PhonesA spy phone is a mobile phone or a spy device that allows a user to monitor and hear or record conversations and other activities taking place over the phone. Spy phones can function in different ways. They can be used as listening devices whereby secretive conversations can be tracked. They are popularly used by secret agencies to track criminal activities that are carried out over networks. They can be used for tracking periodic calls and recording the frequency of calls from certain suspicious numbers. Also, they can be used for monitoring business and household activities while the cell phone user is away. Although spy cell phones have many positive sides, they give rise to legal as well as moral concerns, because spy cell phone software is easily available. Cell phones are easily transferable to spy phones. Their ready availability makes them subject to illegal use.Passage 12A Popular Pastime of the English PeopleOne of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what they do with their non-working time. Most English men, women and children love growing things, especially flowers. Visitors to England in spring, summer or autumn are likely to see gardens all the way along the railway lines. There are flowers at the airports and flowers in factory grounds, as well as in gardens along the roads. Each English town has at least one park with beautifully kept flower beds. Public buildings of every kind have brilliant window boxes and sometimes baskets of flowers are hanging on them. But what the English enjoy most is growing things themselves. If it is impossible to have a garden, then a window box or something growing in a pot will do. Looking at each other's gardens is a popular pastime with the English.Passage 13Health Benefits of Red wineWe all know drinks containing alcohol are not good for health, but when it comes to drinking red wine, it is the other way around. Recent studies have concluded that there are no negative effects on the body, if red wine is not consumed excessively. Certain compounds in red wine can play a very important role in protecting the heart. It is a heart-healthy drink that can be enjoyed during evening meals. If you think that red wine is only good for the heart, then you are wrong. Studies have revealed that the substance found in the skin of red grapes can restrict cancer’s development. However, the ideal consumption is not 7 to 8 glasses of red wine. Scientific studies on the potential benefits of red wine recommend that women should not have more than one drink per day; whereas men can have two drinks per day. The word “moderate” is the key to maximize health benefits of red wine.Passage 14SleepWhy is it so difficult to fall asleep when you are overtired? There is no one answer that applies to every individual. It is possible to feel “tired” physically and still be unable to fall asleep, because while your body is exhausted, you do not feel sleepy. It is not so easy to simply “turn off”. Lack of sleep complicates matters even more. Experts say adults need at least seven to eight hoursof sleep a night to function properly. When you get less sleep than that on consecutive three nights, you begin to owe four “sleep debt”. As sleep debt increases your body experiences a stress response. Now a vicious cycle has been created: You experience the feeling of being more and more tired, but your body is increasingly stimulated. “Power sleeping” for more hours on weekends is only a temporary solution. There is no substitute forgetting a good night's sleep on a regular basis.Passage 15Holidays in the USLike other nations, the United States sets aside a number of days each year to commemorate events, people or public occasions. These holidays typically are marked by a general suspension of work and business activity, and by public or religious ceremonies. Technically, the United States does not celebrate national holidays. However, Congress has designated 10 legal public holidays. During such public holidays, most federal institutions are closed and most federal employees are excused from work. Although the individual states and private businesses are not required to observe these, in practice all states and nearly all employers observe the majority of them. Since 1971, a number of these holidays have been fixed on Mondays rather than on a particular calendar date so as to afford workers a long holiday weekend. Meanwhile, there are some US state holidays particular to individual US states.Passage 16Celebrity WorshipersAre you a celebrity worshiper? If so, that might say something about the kind of person you are. Psychologists have found that people who believe in a just world are more likely to worship celebrities. Whereas people more critical of society are less likely to obsess over a celebrity. People who strongly believe in a just world believe that life is fair, that good things happen to good people and bad things to bad people. People who believe in a just world are expressing acceptance of society and its institutions. Since the celebrity system is one of these institutions, researchers suggest that it makes sense that those believing in a just world would be satisfied with how celebrities are made and thus more likely to admire and even obsess over them. Vice versa, people who do not believe in a fair world might resist worshipping celebrities, and in fact question or criticize the system that produces them and decides who gets to be a celebrity.Passage 17Organic CoffeeToday many agricultural products are grown using organic methods and coffee is no exception. Organic products have a very minimal effect on the environment because there is no use of pesticides and fertilizers. All organic produces are certified to ensure that their products are grown in such a way. Organic coffee is a multimillion dollar industry and each year the sales of this coffee are increasing. Exports of organic coffee are up in most of Europe and North America. Organic coffee is usually grown in many countries such as Africa, Asia and South America. All over the world people have become organic coffee drinkers, but Americans consume the majority of it. All organic coffee products in the USA are certified for quality. The organic coffee is produced in a very specific way and all operators are at random inspected to ensure that they meetUS Department of Agriculture standards.Passage 18Red WolvesRed wolves present a characteristic red colored fur which is more obvious behind the ears and in the neck and legs. Other than these parts, the fur color of red wolves is brown with black shading in the back and tail. Their big ears help them overcome hot and humid climatic conditions. The average size of red wolves is 4 feet in length, 20 inches tall and weight about 45 to 80 pounds. Generally, red wolves attain sexual maturity at the age of 22 months; however, there are some species that attain within 10 months. The breeding season of red wolves is during February and March and their pregnancy period is about 2 months. Females give birth to about 1 to 10 children one time around March to April. The newly borns usually stay with their parents about two years, after which, they spread around the wild. The lifespan of red wolves is around 7 or 8 years in the wild and about 15 years in captivity.Passage 19Vertical FarmsBy the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth's population will have resided in urban centers. An estimated 109 hectares of new land will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming practices continue as they are practiced today. So, an entirely new approach to farming must be invented, employing cutting edge technologies. The concept of indoor farming is not new. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this technology to accommodate a fast growing number of people. Vertical farming was thus invented. Rice on the seventh floor, wheat on the twelfth, and enough food within an eighteen-story tower to feed a small city of 50,000.Vertical farms must be cheap to construct and safe to operate. If successfully implemented, they will offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply, and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.Passage 20The NecktieThe necktie or tie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. The necktie is one of the few fashion accessories to have survived nearly 400 years of social change. Neck decorations have been worn since ancient times to signify title or wealth. Modern decorative neckwear dates from the 17th century in France. The Industrial Revolution helped spread the style to the masses, as millions of workers migrated from farmlands to factories and the business class was born. By the 1950s, it was said that a man wasn’t fully dressed until he had put on his tie. The tie had later come to symbolize individuality as much as conformity. Neckties are available in varied size. Men and boys wear neckties as part of regular office dress or formal wear. Neckties can also be worn as part of a uniform.。
