I hear many parents complaining that their teenage children are rebelling. I wish it were so. At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents. You should be learning to stand on your own two feet. But take a good look at the present rebellion. It seems that teenagers are all taking the same way of showing that they disagree with their parents. Instead of striking out boldly on their own, most of them are clutching at one another"s hands for courage. They claim they want to dress as they please. But they all wear the same clothes. They set off in new directions in music. But somehow they all end up just by listening to the same record. Their reason for thinking or acting in this way is that the crowd is doing it. It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and to go his or her own way. Industry has firmly carved out a teenage market. These days every teenager can learn from the advertisements what a teenager should have and be. And many of today"s parents have come to award high marks for the popularity of their children. All this adds up to a greater barrier for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path. But the barrier is worth climbing over. The path is worth following. Find yourself. Be yourself. Popularity will come--with the people who respect you for whom you are. That"s the only kind of popularity that really counts.

Long after the 1998 World Cup was won, disappointed fans were still cursing the disputed refereeing(裁判) decisions that denied victory to their team. A researcher was appointed to study the performance of some top referees. The researcher organized an experimental tournament(锦标赛) involving four youth teams. Each match lasted an hour, divided into three periods of 20 minutes during which different referees were in charge. Observers noted down the referees" errors, of which there were 61 over the tournament. Converted to a standard match of 90 minutes, each referee made almost 23 mistakes, a remarkably high number. The researcher then studied the videotapes to analyse the matches in detail. Surprisingly, he found that errors were more likely when the referees were close to the incident. When the officials got it right, they were, on average, 17 meters away from the action. The average distance in the case of errors was 12 meters. The research shows the optimum(最佳的) distance is about 20 meters. There also seemed to be an optimum speed. Correct decisions came when the referees were moving at a speed of about 2 meters per second. The average speed for errors was 4 meters per second. If FIFA, football"s international ruling body, wants to improve the standard of refereeing at the next World Cup, it should encourage referees to keep their eyes on the action from a distance, rather than rushing to keep up with the ball, the researcher argues. He also says that FIFA"s insistence that referees should retire at age 35 may be misguided. If keeping up with the action is not so important, their physical condition is less critical.

Why does cream go bad faster than butter? Some researchers think they find the answer, and it comes down to the structure of the food, not its chemical composition—a finding that could help rid some processed foods of chemical preservatives. Cream and butter contain pretty much the same substances, so why cream should sour much faster has been a mystery. Both are emulsions—tiny globules(小球) of one liquid evenly distributed throughout another. "The difference lies in what"s in the globules and what"s in the surrounding liquid", says Brocklehurst, who led the investigation. In cream, fatty globules drift about in a sea of water. In butter, globules of a watery solution are locked away in a sea of fat. The bacteria which make the food go bad prefer to live in the watery regions of the mixture. "This means that in cream, the bacteria are free to grow throughout the mixture", he says. When the situation is reversed, the bacteria are locked away in compartments(密封仓) buried deep in the sea of fat. Trapped in this way, individual colonies cannot spread and rapidly run out of nutrients. They also slowly poison themselves with their waste products. "In butter, you get a self-limiting system which stops the bacteria growing", says Brocklehurst. The researchers are already working with food companies keen to see if their products can be made resistant to bacterial attack through alterations to the food"s structure. Brocklehurst believes it will be possible to make the emulsions used in salad cream, for instance, more like that in butter. The key will be to do this while keeping the salad cream liquid and not turning it into a solid lump.

A: Oh…um…do you mind if I smoke? B: _____. A: Oh, I didn"t notice. B: Mmm. There"s a sign on the door.

Long after the 1998 World Cup was won, disappointed fans were still cursing the disputed refereeing(裁判) decisions that denied victory to their team. A researcher was appointed to study the performance of some top referees. The researcher organized an experimental tournament(锦标赛) involving four youth teams. Each match lasted an hour, divided into three periods of 20 minutes during which different referees were in charge. Observers noted down the referees" errors, of which there were 61 over the tournament. Converted to a standard match of 90 minutes, each referee made almost 23 mistakes, a remarkably high number. The researcher then studied the videotapes to analyse the matches in detail. Surprisingly, he found that errors were more likely when the referees were close to the incident. When the officials got it right, they were, on average, 17 meters away from the action. The average distance in the case of errors was 12 meters. The research shows the optimum(最佳的)distance is about 20 meters. There also seemed to be an optimum speed. Correct decisions came when the referees were moving at a speed of about 2 meters per second. The average speed for errors was 4 meters per second. If FIFA, football"s international ruling body, wants to improve the standard of refereeing at the next World Cup, it should encourage referees to keep their eyes on the action from a distance, rather than rushing to keep up with the ball, the researcher argues. He also says that FIFA"s insistence that referees should retire at age 35 may be misguided. If keeping up with the action is not so important, their physical condition is less critical.

Global energy demand is expected to triple by mid-century. The earth is unlikely to run out of fossil fuels by then, given its vast reserves of coal, but it seems unthinkable that we will continue to use them as we do now. It"s not just a question of supply and price, or even of the disease caused by filthy air. The terrorist assault on the World Trade Center raises other scary scenarios: how much easier would it be to crack open the Trans-Alaska pipeline and how much deadlier would it be to bomb a nuclear plant than to attack a wind arm? Skeptics may recall the burst of enthusiasm for conservation and renewable power when oil prices quadrupled in the 1970s. State-funded energy research and development surged, while tax incentives boosted solar, wind and other alternatives to petroleum and the atom. But when oil supplies loosened and prices dropped in the early 1990s, governments lost interest. In the state of California, subsidies evaporated, pushing wind companies into bankruptcy. Clean energy has long way to go. Only 2.2% of the world"s energy comes from "new" renewables such as small hydroelectric dams, wind, solar and geothermal. How to boost that share--and at what pace--is debated in industrialized nations--from Japan, which imports 99.7 % of its oil, to Germany, where the nearby Chernobyl accident turned the public against nuclear plants, to the U.S., where the Bush Administration has strong ties to the oil industry. But the momentum toward clean renewables is undeniable. How soon we reach an era of clean, inexhaustible energy depends on technology. Solar and wind energies are intermittent: When the sky is cloudy or the breeze dies down, fossil fuel or nuclear plants must kick into compensate. But scientists are working on better ways to store electricity from renewable sources. While developed nations debate how to fuel their power plants, however, some 1.6 billion people--a quarter of the globe"s population--have no access to electricity or gasoline. Many spend their days collecting firewood and cow dung, burning it in primitive stoves that belch smoke into their lungs. To emerge from poverty, they need modern energy. And renewables can help. From village-scale hydropower to household photovoltaic systems to bio-gas stoves that convert dung into fuel. Ultimately, the earth can meet its energy needs without fouling the environment. "But it won"t happen," asserts Thomas Johansson, an energy adviser to the United Nations Development Program, "without political will." To begin with, widespread government subsidies for fossil fuels and nuclear energy must be dismantled to level the playing field for renewables. Moreover, government should pressure utility to meet targets for renewable sources of energy.

After a 300 million yuan renovation project, Lidai Diwang Miao, or the Imperial Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties, was reopened to the public last weekend. Originally constructed about 470 years ago, during the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty, the temple was used by emperors of both the Ming and Qing to offer sacrifices to their ancestors. It underwent two periods of renovation in the Qing Dynasty, during the reigns of emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong. From 1929 until early 2000, it was part of Beijing No. 159 Middle School. The temple"s Jingdechongsheng Hall contains stone tablets memorializing 188 Chinese emperors. The jinzhuan bricks used to pave the floor, the same as those used in the Forbidden City, are finely textured and golden-yellow in color. According to Xi Wei, an official from the Xicheng District government present at the re-opening of the temple, jinzhuan bricks were made in Yuyao, Suzhou, specially for imperial use. The renovation was done strictly according to that carried out at the orders of Emperor Qianlong, and only those sections of the temple too damaged to repair have been replaced.

If this kind of fish becomes ______, future generations may never taste it at all.

Sea horses have unusual parents. The female sea horses lay the eggs, but unlike other creatures. It"s the males that give birth to the young. Male sea horses have a fold of skin on their bellies that forms a pocket, called a brood pouch. During the breeding season, the sea horse"s pouch swells to receive eggs. A female sea horse lays up to 200 eggs at a time in the pouch. Then she swims off, leaving her male partner to care for the developing eggs and give birth to young sea horses. The female will return every day to check on her mate and the eggs, but she doesn"t stay long, nor does she take part in the birth. It takes from five to six weeks for the eggs in the male"s pouch to develop. During this time the male avoids open water and hides in sea grass. His big pouch makes it difficult from him to swim, so the male often uses his tall to grasp a piece of sea grass. Firmly, gripping the grass, he will stay perfectly still for hours or even days. The male sea horse will change Iris color to blend with his surroundings and avoid being seen by predators who will try to eat him or poke holes in his pouch to get the eggs. The eggs hatch inside the male"s pouch. When the babies begin moving around, the mate sea horse knows it"s time for them to be born. He grabs a sea grass stem with his tail and begins rocking, bending his body back and forth, this causes the opening to enlarge until wide enough for the first baby sea horse to shoot out. the father sea horse continues rocking, bending, and stretching his body so that the rest of the babies can be born. Sometimes he has to press his pouch against a rock or some stiff seaweed to force the young out. Sea horse babies are born in groups of five or more. Sometimes it takes two days for the father sea horse to give birth to all his young. He is very tiered when it"s over. Soon after giving birth to one brood, the male will approach his mat and show her his empty pouch. This tells her he is ready to receive eggs again.

Man: ______ Woman: No. But it"s a non-smoking section, I"m afraid.

Ireland is the best place in the world to live for 2005,【B1】a life quality ranking that appeared in Britain"s Economist magazine last week. The ambitious【B2】to compare happiness levels around the world is based on the principle that wealth is not the only【B3】of human satisfaction and well-being. The index of 111 countries uses【B4】on incomes, health, unemployment, climate, political stability, job security equality between men and women as well as what the magazine calls "freedom, family and community life". Despite the bad weather troubled health service, traffic problems, and the high cost of living, Ireland scored an impressive 8.33 points【B5】10. That put it well ahead of second-place Switzerland, which managed 8.07. Zimbabwe (津巴布韦), troubled by political insecurity and hunger, is rated the lowest,【B6】only 3.89 points. "Although rising incomes and increased individual choices in developed countries are【B7】valued", the report said, "some of the factors associated with【B8】such as the breakdown in traditional institutions and family values in part take away from a positive impact. "Ireland wins because it successfully combines the most desirable elements of the new—the fourth highest gross domestic product per head in the world in 2005, low unemployment, political【B9】—with the preservation of certain warm elements of the old, such as【B10】family and community life".

Host: Would you like to have more chicken? Guest:______. I have had enough.

The suspect ______ that he had assaulted a woman.

A large number of cars ______ parked in front of my house.

In the past, degrees were very unusual in my family. I remember the day my uncle graduated. We had a huge party, and for many years my mother called him "the genius" and listened to his opinion. Today in comparison, five of my brothers and sisters have degrees, and two are studying for their masters". However, some people think that this increased access to education is devaluing degrees. People have several arguments against the need for degrees. They say that having so many graduates devalues a degree. People lose respect for the degree holder. It is also claimed that education has become a rat race. Graduates have to compete for jobs even after years of studying. Another point is that studying for such a long time leads to learners becoming inflexible. They know a lot about one narrow subject, but are unable to apply their skills. Employers prefer more flexible and adaptable workers. However, I feel strongly that this move to having more qualifications is a positive development. In the past education was only for the rich; and powerful. Now it is available to everyone, and this will have many advantages for the country and the individual. First of all, it is impossible to be overeducated. The more people are educated, the better the world will be, because people will be able to discuss and exchange ideas. A further point is that people with degrees have many more opportunities. They can take a wider variety of jobs and do what they enjoy doing, instead of being forced to take a job they dislike. Finally, a highly educated workforce is good for the economy of the country. It attracts foreign investment. In conclusion, although there are undoubtedly some problems with increased levels of education, I feel strongly that the country can only progress if all its people are educated to the maximum of their ability.

It might be supposed that greater efficiency could be achieved if several people worked together to solve a problem than if only one individual works on it. Although groups often may increase the motivation of their members to deal with problems, there are conflicts arising among members of a group. Problem solving needs the presence of an effective leader who not only provides direction, but also permits the orderly, constructive expression of different opinions; much of the leader"s effort may be devoted to resolving differences. Success in problem solving also depends on the distribution of ability within a group. Although groups may reach a greater number of correct solutions, or may require less time to discover an answer, their efficiency is typically lower than that achieved by skilled individuals working alone. In brainstorming, a problem is presented to a group of people who then proceed to offer whatever they can think of. Theoretically these unrestricted suggestions increase the probability that at least some better solutions will appear. Nevertheless, studies show that when individuals work alone under similar conditions, performance tends to proceed more efficiently than it does in groups. Under special circumstances, however, a group may solve problems more effectively than a competent individual does. Group members may contribute different resources to a solutionthat no individual can achieve alone. Sometimes social demands may require group agreement on a single issue, as in making national economic or military policies under the governments. When only one among several solutions is correct, even if a group requires more time, it has a higher probability of identifying the right one than does an individual alone.

A group of 11 delegates from the Chinese university returned home last week. They came in second place with 13 other university teams. The conference is the world"s largest university-level U.N. simulation. It is held each April, for a week, in New York, to give students a chance to debate international affairs. It is meant to mirror the real-life business of the U.N. Teams from more than 23 countries gathered this year to discuss and debate serious issues such as the AIDS epidemic and water shortages. Some U.N. senior staff members, U.S. professors, and former student participants formed the judge panel. The Chinese team applied to take part in the event and was assigned to represent Japan this year, working on various committees and arguing Japan"s position on resolutions to problems like international migration. According to Li Xiaocong, the Chinese team leader, their efforts in finding approaches to resolutions made them stand out. Li attributes their success to "solid training".

Passenger: Taxi! (A cab stops and he goes in). Cab driver: ______? Passenger: King"s Hotel on North Street.

The appeal of advertising to buying motives can have both negative and positive effects. Consumers may be convinced to buy a product of poor quality or high price because of an advertisement. For example, some advertisers have appealed to people"s desire for better fuel economy for their cars by advertising automotive products that improve gasoline mileage. Some of the products work. Others are worthless and a waste of consumers" money. Sometimes advertising is intentionally misleading. A few years ago a brand of bread was offered to turned out that the bread was not dietetic(适合于节食的), but just regular bread. There were fewer calories because it was sliced very thin, but there were the same number of calories in every loaf. On the positive side, emotional appeals may respond to a consumer"s real concerns. Consider fire insurance. Fire insurance maybe sold by appealing to fear of loss. But fear of loss is the real reason for fire insurance. The security of knowing that property is protected by insurance makes the purchase of fire insurance a worthwhile investment for most people. If consumers consider the quality of the insurance plans as well as the message in the ads, they will benefit from the advertising. Each consumer must evaluate her or his own situation. Are the benefits of the product important enough to justify buying it? Advertising is intended to appeal to consumers, but it does not force them to buy the product. Consumers still control the final buying decision.

Well-trained college graduates, especially those who have a good command of one or two foreign languages, are in great ______ in the labor market.