1 “So you want to be a rock and roll star?” asked the musician, Bob Dylan. You have decided to seek fame’s spotlight. And you will not be persuaded otherwise. What is it that lures you? Is it the worshipping fans? Or is it simply to be recognized for being truly fantastic at something? This is all quite understandable. I should warn you, though. It is difficult to sustain the public’s favor. These people will grow bored so easily. Even if you should succeed, you might not be happy. Once you win in your conquest of fame, complaints will follow. For example, people will say that your work fails to show a lack of continuity in its appeal. You see, their enthusiasm will soon dissolve. I should also tell you that there will be plenty of people who will want to exploit you during your brief stay at the top. Friends? Sure, as long as you have money you’ll have friends who will suck everything you have out of you. And don’t forget to watch your agent closely You might need a good lawyer and an accountant, but they too will want their piece of the pie-making money out if you.I see, you understand the cruelty of the situation. However, your chase for fame can’t be discouraged by my pessimistic outlook. Go ahead then. Don’t let me stop you. But when you fail or fall right back where you started and you’re miserable, don’t accuse me of not having warned you. I’ve done all that I can for you.3 The challenges faced by all child protection caseworkers are obvious. What is often not so obvious are the many rewards a caseworker career offers. People often ask why anybody in their right mind would want to be a child protection caseworker, habitually dealing with the most disadvantaged and troubled families in their community. Caseworkers routinely come across disturbing cases of child abuse and neglect, and clients who are not cooperative. Being a caseworker means being an agent of positive change, especially when the welfare sector is not just a job to you, but a professional vocation.Child protection is a difficult and challenging career path to follow, but the rewards do exist. Many of our caseworkers choose this career path out of a desire to contribute to the community. To be part of a process can ultimately change a family's life, and caseworkers may witness their intervention equip a young person so that his or her future prospects are improved. Of course, this does not occur with every intervention. But when it happens, it is a(n) rewarding experience. And if you are wondering whether this experience makes the job worthwhile, then the answer is YES!A good indicator of how outside people look at the caseworker career has been the feedback from university students. In 2006 there were 118 students on placements (实习) of caseworker career. Those students who completed their placements in child protection in 2006 told us about the great opportunity they have had to apply theory to practice; the many chances of learning new skills and trying new tasks; the sound knowledge available through training; the willingness of caseworkers to talk about their experiences; and how valuable becoming familiar with different welfare services was to their future career.4 We are living in the age of a telecommunications revolution. In order to keep from getting left behind, many developing countries are making an intensive effort to strengthen their telecommunications infrastructure. This will help them catch up with the developed countries. It was, after all, advanced telecommunications that gave some countries an economic advantage over others during the 20th century. There is one place that developing nations are looking to improve upon. That is enabling their citizens and businesses to get access to the Web. They are installing advanced optical fibers. These fibers, a millimeter in diameter, can bring the information superhighway to their door. The initial investments that countries like Vietnam are making may seem too great because they still lack basic utilities, like electricity and water. However, government officials say that these moves are strategic. They are also confident that their countries will reap the benefits. They will benefit from having more reliable and up-to-date telecommunications equipment and gaining more revenues. One Vietnamese leader said, "It is understandable that people want to tackle their immediate problems first. Still, our entire future is at stake. People don't always understand the breadth of the problem, though." He continued, "There are problems with using the antique communications equipment. And if we continue to use such old equipment, the gap between us and the developed world will continue to widen. sacrifices have to be made now so that our children will have a country with opportunities equal to t hose they see in the developed world." It will not be far when t hey can cruise alongside Americans and Western Europeans on the information superhighway.5 Have you ever experienced living alone by yourself?Sunlight disappears, awakening me to the fact that I am alone. I am a solitary observer on this isolated pond in the forest. Here I sit alone as the last light of day fades away. A lone wolf in the distance cries out. Then darkness creeps in around me. I return to my small hut to put the kettle on the stove and sit in solitude with a hot cup of tea until I want to sleep. The fire inside the stove is low, so I use the axe to split some wood and throw them in. It gets the fire going. I had made preparations in supplies. I didn’t expect I would be tired of this experience so soon. In the cupboards there is nothing but noodles, and half a pint of wine. I have become so sick of noodles. Still, I have to force myself to choke them down. As I bring the teacup to my lips, I consider whether should return to civilization to gather supplies or simply abandon my adventure. My observation is that self-reliance is a bit boring. I long to share a steak dinner with my friends, to watch my niece play in the summer’s heat. Still my ego will not let me return to my family and friends just y et. I had boasted to them about how being alone would bring about inspiration to writing poetry. The fact is that I have written nothing.6 Bribery may lead to murder. A month ago reporters rushed to the 01.scene of a crime. At the spot the detective seemed even hardly aware of their 02.presence as he did his work. He carefully searched for 03.clues over every inch of the house. After a while, he bent over to pick up a small torn 04.piece of fabric. Nothing could 05.escape from his search. The detective 06.suspected that this piece of fabric was 07.torn from the murderer's clothing during a struggle.The 08.victim had been the finance director of a very large computer hardware manufacturer. His wife, a timid woman, 09.shared everything she knew with the detective, including a hot 10.quarrel her husband had with some of the company's top executives at a banquet. There had been a scandal 11.involving bribery at his company. He was 12.investigating the business of many of the top executives. He had 13.concluded that some people were giving special favors to government officials to get 14.contracts. He often questioned their moral 15.conscience and told them that he would accuse them if they were doing something they shouldn't, 16.which caused problems for him. His questioning and accusing often left him at 17.odds with many of the executives. This time it had led to a 18.fatal blow on his head. The detective caught 19.sight of a crucial clue, a brass button in the corner. It was from a jacket of one of the top executives. Later this executive and the company's president was 20.attested. Of course this is not the end of the story.10 The concept of Emotional Intelligence (EQ or EI) was first defined by Peter Salovey and John Mayer, but it became 01.widely popular after Daniel Goleman published his best-seller Emotional Intelligence in 1995. A 02.definition of emotional intelligence is “knowing how you and others feel and what to do about it”.The control center of our emotions is a small part of our brain called the amygdala. It scans incoming signals from our sensory organs (eyes, ears, etc.) and 03.act as the emotional alarm center of our body. When it 04.detects a condition that we hate, that we fear, or that could hurt us, it 05.triggers an immediate response from the other parts of our brain that control our actions. The amygadala’s 06.extensive web of neural connections allows it, 07.in case of an emotional emergency, to take control of much of the rest of the brain, including the rational mind .This 08.accounts for why we sometimes do things “without thinking”,09.like closing our eyes just before a flying bug hits our face or losing our control during the course of a quarrel.In fact, the importance of EQ for individual success has 10.emerged as a hot topic over the past decade. Many organizations are beginning to realize the Importance of EQ and have stated to 11.identify the aspects of EQ that are most essential to success. 12.Once this is done, they are able to use formal assessment tools to 13.pick out strong candidates.It is easy to see how EQ can 14.impact on performance as an individual contributor. 15.Considering the increasing importance of teams in today’s working world, it is obvious that any role that requires teamwork relies heavily 16.on interpersonal insight and proficiency. Even the smartest, most experienced workers can have a 17.negative impact on team sales, individuals still need to 18.demonstrate high EQ to recognize how a potential customer id feeling. Success often depends on the abili ty to identify the customer’s needs. Those better equipped to 19.deal with frustration and pressure may be 20.less likely to make mistakes or become injured through poor decision-making.1：Have you ever known anyone famous? If so, you may have found that they are remarkably similar to the rest of us. You may have even heard them object to people saying there is anything different about them. “I’m really just a normal guy,”protests an actor who has recently rocketed into the spotlight. There is, of course, usually a brief period when they actually start to believe they are as great as their worshipping fans suggest. They start to wear fancy clothes and talk as if everyone should hear what they have to say. This period, however, does not often last long. They fall back to reality as fast as they had originally risen above it all. What will it feel like to soar to such altitude and look down like an eagle from up high on everyone else? And what will it feel like to have flown so high only to wake from your dream and realize you; are only human? Some only see the cruelty in losing something they had gained. They often make desperate attempts to regain what they lost. Often these efforts result in even greater pain. Some become bankrupt financially and emotionally. The only real winners are those who are happy to be back on the ground with the rest of us.3What happens in America when someone becomes disabled and cannot do the kind of work they did in the past? If someone has been injured on the job ,they are supposed to notify the medical worker ,who would certify that there was a problem. Then, they may receive compensation from the company. If the company provides a pension, the person may receive money monthly to make up for lost wages. The person who has been disabled may also take the company to court if safety was neglected at the workplace. This usually results in receipt of a payment to settle the dispute. In addition, all workplaces are required to pay money to the government for a program to take care of people disabled on the job. One provision in this program requires workplaces where more injuries occur to pay more money. For this reason companies that require heavy physical labor take safety very seriously. Most people misunderstand disability insurance. They think it is ridiculous that a person should get paid without working. In fact, this benefit is usually not enough to cover the rent and other bills of those who receive it. Most of the disabled still want to work, but recovery from the injury and training for other types of employment takes time.4Mr. Li runs a small trade company in Sichuan province. He used to be worried about the sales of his goods, but now he simply logs on the Internet and transmits the information about his company to almost anywhere. He now has so many resources at his disposal than before. He has even started to invest in foreign and make money almost anywhere.The telecommunications revolution has certainly changed the way we look at the world. And ,most importantly, it allows people to get equal access to the information. People in less developed areas of the world are taking advantage of the benefits as well. One person says, I used to have a small farm, but now I am doing international business. This is just one of the many benefits of the information superhighway. There are ,however, some potential challenges we will have to face. For example, there is a great deal of concern over privacy in the information age. Mr. Li highlights this point. Hopefully, we can solve this problem in the near future.5 ，How do you spend your time when you're alone? Do you turn up your music as loud as you can and listen to your own entertainment? Do you buy yourself the biggest steak you could find and sit down to a good meal? It has been my observation that these activities can be the best type of therapy for a troubled mind. It is crucial for humans to find some solitude in life. They must find some time to let the universe go spinning on without other's interruption.The portion of this world that belongs to one person is increasingly becoming smaller. And whatever we have we must share with others. Therefore, our ability to maintain a healthy balance between social interaction and personal pursuits is being challenged. Inspiration in solitude is a major commodity not only for poets and philosophers but for ordinary people as well. A healthy adult needs "alone-time"--time to reflect on what is truly important to them. When you are alone, you can stretch out your soul until it fills up the whole room, and use your freedom, moving at your own pace. However, it's important to stay rational. Don't forget that in order to be a healthy part of other' lives, you must yourself be healthy.6 In the past several years, many new stories about corporate greed have come to surface. The illegal practices of some executives have negatively impacted our economy. What makes this worse is that these executives seem to have the consent of some political leaders. Some of the executives even bribe lawmakers. Recently a member of congress from California was caught demanding gifts from interest group in exchange for supporting new laws. A few top leaders in the government are under investigation for illegal activities. This doesn’t even scratch the surface of the problem. A few years back a company made many purposeful accounting errors to fool investors. Many believe that one reason the problem became so big was that our nation’s top leaders shielded the company. By the time the truth was unveiled ,many innocent people had lost their entire savings. There seems to be more and more companies that exploited the public’s trust for their own interests. This calls for laws and strict regulations to put the illegal practice to an end.,10 As a boss, I have dealt with all types of employees. The ones that are the least productive are those who are not adaptive. They may have high IQ points, but they just don't understand how to apply their theories to reality. I recently read a book by Daniel Goleman, which suggested that the true measure of intelligence was not IQ, but rather EQ or Emotional Intelligence. This made a lot of sense to me. I have never been at the top of my class, but I have always been efficient and worked well with other people. I have always taken good communication skills my number one priority. I think only testing how well a person solves complicated academic problems fails to take into account OFother abilities, which can be just as crucial and even more so to a person's accomplishments. In fact, many of the "idea people" have a real hard time getting their point across. They simply don't have the skills to demonstrate how valuable their idea might be. Sure, the world would be lost without these "idea people", but I'd rather hire someone with superior EQ. The higher a person's EQ is, the better they will be able to implement the great ideas they have. The real trick is finding someone who combines both.。
