THIRSTY FOR THIRTY

刘功勋

1
关于作者
刘功勋，美国卡耐基梅隆大学计算机工程硕士，曾任北京新东方北美部托福口
语教师，北美精英计划规划师，托福口语满分，著《机经小册子》《Thirsty
for Thirty -托福口语素材大全》，现致力于利用一切现有手段改善学习体验。

本书介绍：
<<Thirsty for Thirty>> 是我在长期的托福口语教学中总结积累的口语独立题
目素材，常见的口语题目可以大概分成14类话题，对每个话题，我精选了语言
优美，思路清楚，思想深刻的1-5篇文章。所有文章都有一个共同的特点，就是
分条逐列的分析作者喜欢某事物的原因，与托福口语题目正好契合，且字字干
货。
建议每天选择一个话题，自己想好答案后，说一遍并给自己录音，然后查看本
书中的材料，选取口语素材充实和优化自己的答案，再说一遍，并给自己录
音。如果你想拿口语高分的愿望足够强烈，请怒扫的微信群，我和我的美国好
朋友们一直在这里等你…

留学分享微信公众平台：推送满分口语段子，发布口语批改微信群，打破留学
信息不对称！

留美学霸联盟微信公共平台：难题没处问？SAT/GRE高分野生学霸联手答疑

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1.Ability
1.1 16 Reasons You Should Learn to Cook for
Yourself
1.2 7 Reasons to Learn a Foreign Language

2.Book
2.1 10 Reasons Why Harry Potter Is Awesome
2.2 What is it that we love about Sherlock Holmes?

3.Celebrity
3.1 The Top Ten Lessons Steve Jobs Can Teach Us
3.2 10 reasons why we love Taylor Swift
3.3 Why we love Adele
3.4 Jeremy Lin: Why we love his 'Lin-derella' story
3.5 Why young people like OBAMA

4.Characteristic
4.1 The Impact of Honesty on me
4.2 How Important Is Self-Confidence?
4.3 7 benefits of being open-minded

5. Family
5.1 365 reasons why I love my mom

6. Festival
6.1 Lantern Festival
6.2 Top 5 reasons to celebreate thanksgiving

7.Food
7.1 Story of Jiaozi

8. Painting
8.1 Mona Lisa’s Secret Revealed
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9. Restaurant
9.1 The Broke People’s Guide to Eating Places in
Beijing

10. Room
10.1 My Favorite Bedroom

11.Sports
11.1 The 15 hardest sports to play
11.2 Soccer Benifits
11.3 8 Reasons why people love to play Basketball
11.4 Top ten reasons to ski

12.Transportation
12.1 Benefits of Subway Transportation
12.2 10 things to love about train travel

13.Travel
13.1 7 Reasons Why we love Boracay
13.2 7 Reasons Why a Hawaii Vacation is Great for
Your Health

14.Vocation
14.1 5 Reasons to be a Singer
14.2 Top ten reasons to be an engineer
14.3 why are the reasons to become a Journalist?
14.4 8 Good Reasons to Be a Lousy Musician

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1.1 16 Reasons You Should Learn to Cook for Yourself
KitchenCourses.com

You’ve gone through the drive-thru four times this week. You’ve packed on a
周与茵 12-5-19 10:17 PM
couple pounds over the last month and have no idea where they’ve come
批注 [1]: 汽车餐厅
from. You’re becoming known in your circle of friends as the guy or gal who
周与茵 12-5-19 10:18 PM
would rather phone in for takeout instead of drive three blocks to the grocery
批注 [2]: 姑娘
store. You know that this isn’t your shining moment in health. That your
mother would beam from ear to ear if she heard you mastered her famous
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recipe. You owe it to yourself to treat your body better and that means
批注 [3]: 眉开眼笑
shoving off the excuses and getting real. These are the 16 reasons why you
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should get in your kitchen right now and learn how to cook.
批注 [4]: （使）离开
1. Your mom won’t always be there
I don’t care how old or young you are, if you’re still eating through the drive-
thru every night, because you’re not convinced that mommy will just make
you something next time you see her, you need to get real with yourself. Your
mom won’t always cook for you. Cooking will allow you to become
independent from what others are cooking for you and to gain some life skills
along the way.

2. Your spouse/partner/whoever you’re dating/roommate isn’t always going

to want to cook for you
So mom won’t always be there… neither will other people. There will come a
time in your life when you’ll be alone, and cooking for yourself becomes one
of those necessary things that you’ll have to take up. Learning to do it now
will only make getting through those times a bit easier.

3. Cooking is not as difficult as many people think

Many people tend to think that cooking is some sort of art form that they’ll
never be able to master. It certainly can be an art form if you want it to be, but
for most of us, it’s about practicality and getting delicious and healthy foods
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on our table so that we can eat a few good meals each day. Art aside, we all
批注 [5]: （practical）实用性
just want to feel good about what we put in our bodies and have it taste good
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going down. All you need to learn about cooking is a few of the basics and it
批注 [6]: 将（艺术）放在一旁不谈
will drastically change your lifestyle.
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批注 [7]: 彻底地
4. Cooking is and can be really fun
This might come as a shock… but once you learn how to cook a few things,
it’s almost like a drug: you’ll want to learn how to cook more and more! Once
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you gain the knowledge of knowing a few of the basics in the kitchen,
批注 [8]: 毒品
everything else will start opening itself up to you and will seem even easier to
pick up. You just have to get the ball rolling.
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批注 [9]: 让某件事开始
5. You’ll save money
Everyone is looking to save a few bucks here and there, but not many of us 周与茵 12-5-19 11:14 PM
realize that a huge chunk of change goes to our food choices every week or 批注 [10]: 省点钱
month. If you really think about it, the amount you spend on food is one of 周与茵 12-5-19 11:15 PM
the very few monthly costs that you have complete control over. Wouldn’t 批注 [11]: 一大块

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you like to start saving a little each month to go on that trip you’ve been
dreaming about? Or buy a new gadget that you’ve been eyeing? The more
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meals you prepare at home, the faster your wallet will grow.
批注 [12]: 小玩意

6. You’ll lose weight

Sounds a little crazy, right? Even if you eat the same amount of food at home
as you eat when you go to restaurants or through takeout, you’ll easily lose
weight because the amount of fat and calories consumed at home through
homemade meals is always significantly less than anything you could grab on
your way home from work.

7. You’ll attract the opposite sex

Men love a woman that can cook. Women love a man that can cook. Whoever
you’re trying to get will be over the moon if you create a homemade meal for
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them. I can think of no greater aphrodisiac than seeing my husband in the
批注 [13]: 兴高采烈，欣喜若狂
kitchen making me dinner – ask any other woman and I bet they’d say the
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same!
批注 [14]: 春药

8. It’s just as fast as going to the drive-thru

In my weak and tireless moments where I’m daydreaming of a burger and
fries, I think about the amount of time it will take me to get there and back
and it’s usually no more than about 15 or 20 minutes round trip. If you have
your pantry and fridge stocked well, there will likely be at least a few options
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sitting in your cupboards available for you to craft something up in just as
批注 [15]: 备餐间
much time, and for about the same amount of effort as it would be to get to
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your car, get to the restaurant, and get home.
批注 [16]: 精巧地制作

9. You’ll feel empowered and confident

Once you learn some basic cooking skills, many recipes will open up to you
and seem so simple. It only takes a few tries to get down some skills and
recipes, and you’ll be whipping out meals in no time. Quick preparation plus
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quick and satisfying results equals massive boosts in confidence and feeling
批注 [17]: 快速做好
good about yourself and your abilities.

10. You’ll encourage others to develop similar habits (and you could start
cooking together)
When your friends or family start seeing you developing your cooking skills
and habits, you’ll rub off on them in a good way! They’ll be impressed with
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the meals you’re creating and want to start joining in on the fun. What better
批注 [18]: 使耳濡目染
way to spend an evening or a weekend than with friends hanging out,
teaching each other a thing or two around the kitchen, and eating amazing
homemade food. It beats spending a ton of money at a restaurant for a few
bites and a glass of wine.

11. You can control the ingredients that are in your food
As I mentioned, you can lose weight while cooking at home, and the main
reason for this is because you know what ingredients are going in. You can
hand select each tomato that goes into your sauce and know how much fat

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was added to each bite that you’ll consume. We have no idea what the
ingredients look like when we’re eating out at a restaurant, we see it and
consume it, never stopping to wonder about quality or freshness.

12. It encourages creativity

Once you develop a few skills and try out a few recipes, you’ll start
embracing the creativity that cooking has to offer. You’ll start seeing recipes
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as guidelines instead of as rule books and start mixing up the flavors that
批注 [19]: 拥抱
you’re creating. You’ll begin to think of an ingredient as an option instead of a
necessity. As an example, you can see a recipe for black bean burgers and
learn to translate it into any kind of a bean burger, as well as alter the flavors
in the recipe to compliment the different kinds of beans that you add. You
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may even find yourself daydreaming of flavor combinations or your next
批注 [20]: 褒奖
dinner party menu… you’d be surprised what a little cooking and eating can
do for your creative juices!

13. It can help you unwind

Cooking can help to ease stress and unwind for the day. Chopping vegetables
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(carefully) is a good way to release some tension, while stirring a pot of soup
批注 [21]: 放松心情
or sauce mindlessly allows you to drift away your worries of the day. It
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sounds silly, but it’s true. Go make some soup and stare off into space – it’s a
批注 [22]: 搅拌
nice release of the day.
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批注 [23]: 漂浮
14. It’s easier than counting calories
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If you’re cooking meals for yourself and controlling the ingredients, dieting
批注 [24]: 发愣
and counting calories becomes that much easier, if not completely
unnecessary. If you’re using fresh ingredients that don’t contain a lot of extra
fat, calories, or salt, you’re already doing yourself a favor and won’t have to
spend that extra hour at the gym working them off. Sounds like a win-win to
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me.
批注 [25]: 健身房

15. You can prepare for your future

It’s an absolute guarantee that in your future, you’ll need to know how to
cook at least a few things, even it’s one breakfast dish or one dinner dish.
Whoever you marry, date, or live with will expect you to help out with the
cooking once in a while, so why not start now? If you have kids in your future
(or have them now), you know that you’ll be in the kitchen spending time
getting meals together, so picking up a few basic cooking skills will definitely
help prepare you for that.

16. Homemade meals just taste better

Eating homemade meals taste a million times better than anything that comes
in a wrapper, box, or bag. I promise. You will never have a flavor you can’t
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identify and can feel good about each and every bite you take, because you
批注 [26]: （wrap）包装纸
created it. Taking the time to create homemade meals will always result in
fruitful rewards.
http://kitchencourses.com/16-reasons-you-should-learn-to-cook-for-
yourself/

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 1.2 6 Reasons to Learn a Foreign Language

www.lifeorganizers.com

Foreign languages open doors to opportunities - whether you're in a distant

land, hoping to broaden your mind, or even looking for a date. Studies show
those who know a foreign language earn more and are happier than those
who don't.

Learning a foreign language is naturally a process that require effort and time,
much or less, depending on the capability of an individual. Current
technology makes learning a second language more flexible and easier. You
can learn at anywhere you like, in your car while trapped in traffic jam, while
waiting for commuter to arrive or fishing at Lake Garden, by means of many
types of medium such as cassette, CD and the Internet, such as at
www.malaylanguage.mypositivemoney.com where you will find a good
resource of foreign language. Below are just a few reasons why you should
learn another language:

1. Most significant yet simple reason - Eliminate the language barrier that
you may face, easier for you to deal with other people when you go
traveling or having work at other country. Majority of native people
probably do not know to speak English fluently or do not know how to speak
English at all, so knowing some key phrases will help you a lot. Moreover,
you will want to know what people around you are talking about while you
shopping, waiting for taxi, or having dinner at a restaurant.

2. Local people tend to be friendlier with you since you speak same
language with them. You also can get friend easily, which in return can help
you greatly in dealing with certain troubles that you may encounter, and you
might not know how to deal with, such as problem related with customary
law. Locals also will believe you more than people who cannot speak their
language, isn’t it very important when you are in travel?

3. Knowing a foreign language really help when you are lost in a remote
area where hardly you can find people who can speak English except local
language.

4. Giving you chances to understand the exotic local traditions and way of
apple 13-1-18 8:55 PM
living easier and deeper. This priceless experience is absolutely an
批注 [27]: 有异域风情的，国外的
opportunity not be missed for anyone who love to travel. You can share
beautiful moment having fun with locals in occasion and understand the
meaning behind it, which in the same time, give you knowledge.

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5. Improve your memory skill resulting from activity of reading, learning
and memorizing. Open up your mind to be more acceptable to other people’s
differences. Your thinking will be more maturely and sensibly.

6. This is reality, guys: According to Kwintessential, people who learn a

foreign language are wealthier, happier and are regarded sexier than
those who can speak only English. From a survey conducted in Britain
involving 270 dating agencies, the result shows that people who speak or
learn a foreign language are more attractive, intelligent and sexier to the
opposite sex.

Hopefully some of the reasons above will give you some ideas on how
important to learn additional language. Continuous learning for life leads to
success and wisdom.

http://www.lifeorganizers.com/cm_articles/107_7_reasons_to_learn_a_forei
gn_language_402.html

2.1 10 Reasons Why Harry Potter Is Awesome

By Sam Morgan , Hollywood.com Staff | Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Despite attaining nearly universal acclaim, some people just refuse to give
周与茵 12-5-20 12:04 AM
Harry Potter a chance. Those people are not your friends and direct eye
批注 [28]: 称赞
contact should be avoided, but if you insist on hanging with them and really
want to turn them on to the Wizarding World, here is some ammunition for
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that argument:
批注 [29]: 武器库 抨击别人的材料

It's A Good Story

Plain and simple, the books tell a great story. It's epic, especially for a
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children’s series, but it's not terribly long. The lasting popularity proves that
批注 [30]: 史诗般的作品
kids will stick around if the story is good enough and it obviously is. I mean,
if they can play video games for thirty hours a day then they can sit and read
through a 700 page novel.

Also the story is fantasy, but it's easily digestible fantasy. The made up stuff
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in J.K. Rowling’s world of magic isn’t all that complicated and it seems almost
批注 [31]: 容易消化的
plausible at times. She bases it on a practical notion of what magic would
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really be like, though it seems the Wizarding World somehow got stuck in the
批注 [32]: 似乎是真实的 可信的
late 1800s (of course you could argue that in the world of Harry Potter, the
Wizarding World advanced right along with the Muggle world until the early
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20th century when Muggles benefited from scientific advancement which the
批注 [33]: 麻瓜

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Wizarding World didn’t need, but holy crap that got way too nerdy, skip that
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part).
批注 [34]: 尼玛

Emma Watson

The movies are good, but they just can’t compete with the novels. They are
great visual spectacles and capture the essence of the story (you couldn’t
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capture the whole story unless each movie were ran twenty hours) But holy
批注 [35]: 奇景
damn, they gave us Emma Watson and for that, we should all be thankful.

Big Investment = Big Reward

The series is an investment. You have to set aside a good amount of

uninterrupted time to read these books. It's so easy to just pop in a movie and
watch it after school or work, or DVR your favorite show and watch it when
周与茵 12-5-20 12:19 AM
you want. But reading a book, especially seven fairly long ones, takes a
批注 [36]: 用硬盘录像机录下来
considerable period of time and believe me, Harry Potter is worth it.

Immersive, But Not Overwhelming

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is rich in detail and scope, but its not
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daunting like, say, The Lord of the Rings or Star Trek. These are kids books
批注 [37]: 眼界
after all and if a child can understand basic spells, so can you. The stories
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themselves go fairly deep into the mythology surrounding the series, but only
批注 [38]: 吓人的难
to enhance the overarching narrative. Rowling doesn’t go off into details
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about some famous wizard unless it is absolutely necessary and what she
批注 [39]: 包罗万象的
does tell us about this world is fun and entertaining.

However, if you’re really interested in this world you can go further in depth.
Rowling has revealed tons of information about the world she’s created and
she has hinted that she’ll write an all-encompassing “encyclopedia” of Harry
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Potter eventually. So if you do get caught up in the world or just want to
批注 [40]: 内容丰富，眼界宽广
know more about it, there is plenty of info available.

Not Afraid Of The Dark

Lets be honest, how many children's books and movies will start off with the
main characters parents being murdered in the first chapter of the first book?
I mean, how many people survived at the end of the series? Practically
everyone croaked even though it was a happy ending. And just look at this
周与茵 12-5-20 12:24 AM
still from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. How morose is that?
批注 [41]: 被杀死
周与茵 12-5-20 12:25 AM
Children's books are supposed to be tools for teaching and yet too many of
批注 [42]: 阴沉的
them beat the kids over their heads with their message. Most kids wish they
had magic to take care of their problems. Harry Potter teaches kids that life is
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rough and won’t be all sugar plums and fairy tales, even if you do have magic 批注 [43]: 梅子
spells to clean your room. 周与茵 12-5-20 12:26 AM
批注 [44]: 咒语

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J.K. Rowling Is A Billionaire For A Reason

One of the greatest aspects of the arts in modern times is that if your work is
popular, you will get compensated for it. J.K. Rowling at one point became
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the richest female in the United Kingdom (richer than the Queen, even) and it
批注 [45]: 补偿
just shows how popular the books and films were. Again, let me remind you,
J.K. Rowling is a BILLIONAIRE. Because she wrote seven children’s novels.
周与茵 12-5-20 12:27 AM
批注 [46]: 亿万富翁
Usually I’m not the type of person who thinks that, just because a large group
of people all agree on something, that makes it right. But I do believe that
there are a few certain things a mob of people can determine and Harry Potter
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being good is one of them.
批注 [47]: 人群

The Books Are Great And The Movies Aren’t That Bad

No more sequels or exploitations or knock offs or ghost writers. J.K. Rowling

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has such a tight grip on all things Harry Potter’s that it ensures a certain level
批注 [48]: 代写者
of competency and quality. Hell, they even trademarked a long list of possible
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titles so no one could even write those books.
批注 [49]: 控制
周与茵 12-5-20 12:32 AM
Approachable From Any Age
批注 [50]: 能力
周与茵 12-5-20 12:32 AM
Do you want your 11 year old to start out reading Deathly Hallows? Of
批注 [51]: 注册商标
course not, that is some serious stuff in the final book. But can they handle
Sorcerer’s Stone? You better believe it. And as they start to discover each
novel as they get older the books become tailor made for them. The language
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never gets too complicated yet it is still very well written. It doesn’t treat the
批注 [52]: 量身打造
reader, no matter what age, as an idiot, but rather uses simple and tactful
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language.
批注 [53]: 机智的

But what if you’re older and want to get into the series? Does the first one still
work? Of course it does. Granted, Rowling was a first time writer when
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Sorcerer’s Stone was published, and it shows, but it is still a good and fun
批注 [54]: 诚然
story that is enjoyable. Harry Potter is one of the few things in life that is able
to speak to multiple generations at the same time and still seem cool to each
one.

It's So British

The books are chocked to death with little British-isms that are endearing. The
周与茵 12-5-20 12:37 AM
movies are practically a who's who of British actors and actresses. Even if you 批注 [55]: 惹人喜爱的
think all Brits are stuck up snobs with bad teeth, these books and movies are
周与茵 12-5-20 12:38 AM
little capsules of all that is great with the people of the UK. 批注 [56]: 势利小人
周与茵 12-5-20 12:39 AM
Love Is The Greatest Magic Of All 批注 [57]: 胶囊

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One of the main themes of Harry Potter is love. Not the lovey dovey type of
周与茵 12-5-20 12:40 AM
love found in horrible teen romances (cough, Twilight, cough) but the real
批注 [58]: 多情的
love people feel in the world. Friends, elders, parents, kids, enemies, everyone.
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Rowling doesn’t pull any punches with her readers, as a former single mother
批注 [59]: 咳咳
living on welfare, she has seen plenty of hardships. But she didn’t let that
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extinguish her optimism and her love for the world is evident in all of the
批注 [60]: 长辈
series.
周与茵 12-5-20 12:41 AM
批注 [61]: 福利
However, that isn’t the only lesson she imparts on us. The world of Harry
周与茵 12-5-20 12:42 AM
Potter and as such, the world through Rowling’s eyes, values bravery, 批注 [62]: 熄灭
intelligence, loyalty, and trust. The characters treat friends and families with
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respect and in the end the good triumph over the evil. Of course, there can be 批注 [63]: 教会
many losses along the way, but such is life. People can also change for the 周与茵 12-5-20 12:43 AM
better and/or worse, but in the end you have to forgive them. You can learn a 批注 [64]: 大胜利
lot from Harry Potter; it's not just wand waving and spells.
周与茵 12-5-20 12:44 AM
批注 [65]: 挥动（魔杖）
http://www.hollywood.com/news/10_Reasons_Why_Harry_Potter_Is_Awe
some/7732767

2.2 What is it that we love about Sherlock Holmes?

By Linda Umstead on July 7, 2010 at 6:54pm in The BSI Weekend

This topic is among the earliest addressed by Holmesians worldwide: W.S.

Baring-Gould included an essay in his 2-volume Annotated Sherlock Holmes.
周与茵 12-5-20 2:02 PM
Upon rereading it, though, I found it a bit lacking, focussing as it does mainly
批注 [66]: 注释
on Doyle's ability to convey the Victorian era so clearly. But isn't there much,
周与茵 12-5-20 2:04 PM
much more to it? Therefore I would like to open the subject to a general
批注 [67]: 纪元，年代
discussion.

I propose ten points to consider:

1. For Holmes, intelligence triumphs. It is our naked human conceit that
周与茵 12-5-20 2:09 PM
brainpower is all-important, and that it is the main thing that differentiates us
批注 [68]: 自负
from the lower animals. Naturally we humans relish this element of the
周与茵 12-5-20 2:09 PM
Canon above all others.
批注 [69]: 喜爱

2. Holmes maintains a sense of fairness always. In a world in which evil

often triumphs over good and evildoers get away with more than murder,
this ideal is a cherished one indeed.
周与茵 12-5-20 2:10 PM
批注 [70]: 珍惜
3. Holmes is the Master puzzle-solver. Humans love puzzles, and solving
them is an obsession for many. Holmes makes it a science and then reveals
how he does it.

12
4. Holmes lives by his own rules. He 'created his own profession and is the
only one in the world,' he crows. We admire this independent quality, when
most of us are unfortunately frequently subject to the whims of others in
周与茵 12-5-20 2:19 PM
order to survive.
批注 [71]: 奇怪的想法

5. Holmes is a believable superhero for all ages. His mistakes are few, and
his successes frequent. He always works for the good of humanity. We can
only aspire to such a goal in our own lives.
周与茵 12-5-20 2:20 PM
批注 [72]: 追求
6. On the flip side, Holmes is a flawed person who overcomes his own
周与茵 12-5-20 2:22 PM
foibles, and we can relate to this. He gnashes his teeth in indignation when he
批注 [73]: 有缺陷的
is bested. Who hasn't?
周与茵 12-5-20 2:22 PM
批注 [74]: 小缺点
7. Holmes is the Master Teacher of human nature. His deep understanding
of people of all classes, their strengths and weaknesses, also makes him
extraordinarily kind. And tales of human nature never grow old.
周与茵 12-5-20 2:24 PM
批注 [75]: 传说
8. Holmes has a complex personality. He's a workaholic, an aesthete, a
周与茵 12-5-20 2:24 PM
storyteller, an actor, a drug user, and clearly somewhat bipolar. His
批注 [76]: 工作狂
uniqueness makes him unlike any other character in literature, a truly
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believable fellow. No wonder so many Victorians thought he was a real man
批注 [77]: 有两极的
when Doyle's tales first came into print.

9. Holmes leads us by the hand into armchair time travel. The immediacy of
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Doyle's descriptions of the place and time bring an earlier era into sharper
批注 [78]: （immediate）直接
focus, and we can actually feel as if we have entered another age with
Holmes. And we learn that people haven't really changed over the years.

10. Holmes shows us life as we wish it could be. Would that all our own
problems could be solved by this great intellect, or that today's crimes could
be approached with such scientific diligence and care.

Come on, bloggers! Share your thoughts on What We Love About Sherlock
Holmes.

http://sherlockholmes.ning.com/forum/topics/what-is-it-that-we-love-
about

3.1 The Top Ten Lessons Steve Jobs Can Teach Us-If We'll Listen

Eric Jackson

In a few years from now, your kids and grandkids will ask you what it was
like to be alive when Steve Jobs was the CEO of Apple (AAPL). They will say:
13
“Jobs was the best CEO in business. What was he like? What did you learn
from him?”

What will your answer be?

It’s human nature to overlook the importance of the here and now. Those
who are great and live among us seem more normal because they’re breathing
the same air that we are.

But, make no mistake, once Steve Jobs is no longer with us, there will be an
outpouring of emotion. The tributes will be endless. And there will be
collective regret that we weren’t more awake, paying attention, while he was
with us.

The wisdom he shared with us at every major speech, or on an earnings call,

or in a casual chat put up on YouTube will seem 10 times wiser because he’s
no longer with us.

So, let’s pause today and try to remind ourselves of some lessons Steve Jobs
has taught us all — if we’ve been willing to pay attention:

1. The most enduring innovations marry art and science – Steve has always
pointed out that the biggest difference between Apple and all the other
computer (and post-PC) companies through history is that Apple always tried
to marry art and science. Jobs pointed out the original team working on the
Mac had backgrounds in anthropology, art, history, and poetry. That’s
always been important in making Apple’s products stand out. It’s the
difference between the iPad and every other tablet computer that came before
it or since. It is the look and feel of a product. It is its soul. But it is such a
difficult thing for computer scientists or engineers to see that importance, so
any company must have a leader that sees that importance.

2. To create the future, you can’t do it through focus groups – There is a

school of thought in management theory that — if you’re in the consumer-
facing space building products and services — you’ve got to listen to your
customer. Steve Jobs was one of the first businessmen to say that was a
waste of time. The customers today don’t always know what they want,
especially if it’s something they’ve never seen, heard, or touched
before. When it became clear that Apple would come out with a tablet, many
were skeptical. When people heard the name (iPad), it was a joke in the
Twitter-sphere for a day. But when people held one, and used it, it became a
‘must have.’ They didn’t know how they’d previously lived without one. It
became the fastest growing Apple product in its history. Jobs (and the Apple
team) trusted himself more than others. Picasso and great artists have done
that for centuries. Jobs was the first in business.

3. Never fear failure – Jobs was fired by the successor he picked. It was one

14
of the most public embarrassments of the last 30 years in business. Yet, he
didn’t become a venture capitalist never to be heard from again. He didn’t
start a production company and do a lot of lunches. He picked himself up
and got back to work following his passion. Eight years ago, he was
diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and told he only had a few weeks to
live. As Samuel Johnson said, there’s nothing like your impending death to
focus the mind. From Jobs’ 2005 Stanford commencement speech:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t

want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share.
No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because
Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s
change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right
now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will
gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so
dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.

Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of
other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions
drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the
courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already
know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

4. You can’t connect the dots forward – only backward – This is another gem
from the 2005 Stanford speech. The idea behind the concept is that, as much
as we try to plan our lives ahead in advance, there’s always something that’s
completely unpredictable about life. What seems like bitter anguish and
defeat in the moment — getting dumped by a girlfriend, not getting that job
at McKinsey, “wasting” 4 years of your life on a start-up that didn’t pan out
as you wanted — can turn out to sow the seeds of your unimaginable success
years from now. You can’t be too attached to how you think your life is
supposed to work out and instead trust that all the dots will be connected in
the future. This is all part of the plan.

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only
connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots
will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in
something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This
approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference
in my life.

5. Listen to that voice in the back of your head that tells you if you’re on the
right track or not – Most of us don’t hear a voice inside our heads. We’ve
simply decided that we’re going to work in finance or be a doctor because
that’s what our parents told us we should do or because we wanted to make a

15
lot of money. When we consciously or unconsciously make that decision, we
snuff out that little voice in our head. From then on, most of us put it on
automatic pilot. We mail it in. You have met these people. They’re nice
people. But they’re not changing the world. Jobs has always been a restless
soul. A man in a hurry. A man with a plan. His plan isn’t for everyone. It
was his plan. He wanted to build computers. Some people have a voice that
tells them to fight for democracy. Some have one that tells them to become
an expert in miniature spoons. When Jobs first saw an example of a
Graphical User Interface — a GUI — he knew this was the future of
computing and that he had to create it. That became the
Macintosh. Whatever your voice is telling you, you would be smart to listen
to it. Even if it tells you to quit your job, or move to China, or leave your
partner.

6. Expect a lot from yourself and others – We have heard stories of Steve Jobs
yelling or dressing down staff. He’s a control freak, we’ve heard – a
perfectionist. The bottom line is that he is in touch with his passion and that
little voice in the back of his head. He gives a damn. He wants the best from
himself and everyone who works for him. If they don’t give a damn, he
doesn’t want them around. And yet — he keeps attracting amazing talent
around him. Why? Because talent gives a damn too. There’s a saying: if
you’re a “B” player, you’ll hire “C” players below you because you don’t
want them to look smarter than you. If you’re an “A” player, you’ll hire
“A+” players below you, because you want the best result.

7. Don’t care about being right. Care about succeeding – Jobs used this line
in an interview after he was fired by Apple. If you have to steal others’ great
ideas to make yours better, do it. You can’t be married to your vision of how
a product is going to work out, such that you forget about current
reality. When the Apple III came out, it was hot and warped its motherboard
even though Jobs had insisted it would be quiet and sleek. If Jobs had stuck
with Lisa, Apple would have never developed the Mac.

8. Find the most talented people to surround yourself with – There is a

misconception that Apple is Steve Jobs. Everyone else in the company is a
faceless minion working to please the all-seeing and all-knowing Jobs. In
reality, Jobs has surrounded himself with talent: Phil Schiller, Jony Ive, Peter
Oppenheimer, Tim Cook, the former head of stores Ron Johnson. These are
all super-talented people who don’t get the credit they deserve. The fact that
Apple’s stock price has been so strong since Jobs left as CEO is a credit to the
strength of the team. Jobs has hired bad managerial talent before. John
Sculley ended up firing Jobs and — according to Jobs — almost killing the
company. Give credit to Jobs for learning from this mistake and realizing
that he can’t do anything without great talent around him.

9. Stay hungry, stay foolish - Again from the end of Jobs’ memorable
Stanford speech:
16
 When I was young, there was an amazing publication
called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of
my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand
not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with
his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960′s, before personal
computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with
typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like
Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along:
it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great
notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth
Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final
issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back
cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning
country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if
you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay
Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they
signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always
wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin
anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

10. Anything is possible through hard work, determination, and a sense of

vision – Although he’s the greatest CEO ever and the father of the modern
computer, at the end of the day, Steve Jobs is just a guy. He’s a husband, a
father, a friend — like you and me. We can be just as special as he is — if we
learn his lessons and start applying them in our lives. When Jobs returned to
Apple in the 1990s, it was was weeks away from bankruptcy. It’s now the
biggest company in the world. Anything’s possible in life if you continue to
follow the simple lessons laid out above.

May you change the world.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2011/09/19/the-top-ten-lessons-
steve-jobs-can-teach-us-if-well-listen/

3.2 10 reasons why we love Taylor Swift

17
We first fell in love with Taylor when we heard her sing “Tim McGraw.”
She’s so humble and totally down-to-earth, so it was super difficult to only
pick 10 reasons why we adore Taylor Swift so much! If you’re not already
engulfed in the Swifty mania, we’re positive you will be after reading this.

10. So first things first. Just look at her. Tay’s absolutely stunning! She doesn’t
try to dress in a certain way; she’s just herself whether she’s rocking an
evening gown or jeans and a t-shirt.

9. She inspires millions through her honest song lyrics. Taylor writes and
sings what she knows, which is something everyone can relate to. Listen to
these lyrics, “Now I’m standing alone in a crowded room and we’re not
speaking. And I’m dying to know is it killing you like it’s killing me, yeah? I
don’t know what to say, since the twist of fate when it all broke down. And
the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now.” Don’t you just love how much
you can relate to her songs?

8. She adores her fans so much! Besides putting on elaborate concerts, she also
hosts “T-Parties” for her fans after each show just so she can meet as many of
them as possible. Totally sweet, right?

7. Did you know, she has an adorable kitty named Meredith? Well, Taylor
loves sharing pics and videos of her precious pet with all of her Twitter
followers. It’s like we’re apart of her family.

6. This girl can not only sing, but she can rap. Remember when she
collaborated with T-Pain on “Thug Story?” Okay, it was all in good fun, but
she still did it with a smile!

5. Not only is T-Swift a super talented musician, but she has some acting
chops too! You can see her in Valentine’s Day and on CSI. We’re sure she’ll
have more roles in the future!

4. She’s a total sweetheart! Tay is constantly busy, but she makes time to give
back through numerous charities like UNICEF and Habitat For Humanity.

3. She’s so humble! She has won some of the highest awards possible in the
music industry and she is always so shocked and totally thankful and
appreciative.

2. She’s creative. Not only can she write her own music, but she’s into body
art (even if it’s not permanent). We always love seeing the “13″ on her hand
and song lyrics on her arms.

1. Lastly, she’s honest. Some celebs tend to shield how they really feel, but
Taylor always says what she’s thinking, whether it’s through a song, in a
video message or via Twitter.
What do YOU love best about this beauty? Do YOU have your very own
18
memory with Taylor? Let us know in the comments or tweet us!

http://www.bopandtigerbeat.com/2011/12/10-reasons-why-we-love-taylor-
swift/

3.3 Why we Love Adele

-Katie H.

I love Adele for more than her amazing smokey tone and inspiring vocals. I
周与茵 12-5-20 2:30 PM
think Adele stands for a lot more than just an amazing artist… I love her
批注 [79]: 歌曲作品
because she is an example of a girl who broke the mold, the rules, and the
周与茵 12-5-20 2:31 PM
standard for a perfectly packaged artist. I think she is so inspiring not
批注 [80]: 模具，常规
because she is larger but because she stunningly beautiful and she has this
周与茵 12-5-20 2:31 PM
interesting quality about her. She can stand on a stage and sing so
批注 [81]: 绝妙地，使人震惊地
beautifully that it brings tears to your eyes and she has been told her whole
life that she needs to be something else and look a different way in order to be
successful. She is inspiring because she knew better and continues her
amazing career on top. I think women relate to her in a deeper way and I
can’t wait for more women like Adele to find success and break the mold set
by all different industries.

Unlike many singers in this day and age, Adele stands out purely as a solo
artist that has nothing to prove, because the talent that lies within her voice
proves it all. Not only does she sing with unrelinquished passion, but she
周与茵 12-5-20 2:33 PM
allows the lyrics, and the emotional meaning behind her songs to carry into
批注 [82]: 不放弃
her facial expressions which she so openly reveals to her audiences. I believe
the intrigue lies within the secrecy of her personal life, for she, at least here in
周与茵 12-5-20 2:36 PM
the United States, is not taking over the tabloids with superficial drama. Nor
批注 [83]: 诡计
does her weight play a role in the amount of publicity she receives, for the
周与茵 12-5-20 2:37 PM
purity and honesty that lies within her voice eliminates all other potential
批注 [84]: 小型画报
distractions.
周与茵 12-5-20 2:37 PM
批注 [85]: 注意力分散
In a music world favoring synthesized voices and lip syncing to no end,
周与茵 12-5-20 2:40 PM
Adele stands out with the utmost rawness found in the truthfulness of her
批注 [86]: 对嘴型（假唱）
voice. She sheds light upon some of the most dark and manic moments that
周与茵 12-5-20 2:41 PM
life entails, putting them in a song and using her talent as a creative outlet.
批注 [87]: 狂躁的
The situations she sings about are real experiences from her past, making it
周与茵 12-5-20 2:42 PM
easy for her audiences to relate and fully appreciate her songs. In her newest
批注 [88]: 必须，使承担
and most popular track at the moment, "Someone Like You", she records it in
her home back in England, giving us a much more personal look into her life
which, except for her incomparable fame and talent, has managed to remain
under wraps. Not only are the lyrics of her songs written with great and
incomparable eloquence, but the unique sound of her voice and the inflection 周与茵 12-5-20 2:45 PM
批注 [89]: 音调变化

19
with which she sings her songs are unlike any other artist out there right now.
Keep on singing Adele, for we all know it's what you do best.

3.4 Knicks guard Jeremy Lin: Why we love his 'Lin-derella' story

By Ron Scherer, Staff writer / February 16, 2012

Jeremy Lin is humble. He's religious. His style recalls an earlier era. And the
周与茵 12-5-21 5:12 PM
Knicks guard's path to the NBA was unconventional, which gives us hope for
批注 [90]: 谦虚的
our own lives.
周与茵 12-5-20 2:47 PM
批注 [91]: 后卫
The tabloids are calling it a “Lin-derella” story.

Jeremy Lin, a humble Chinese-American Harvard grad and basketball player

周与茵 12-5-20 2:48 PM
trying to make his way in the NBA, is picked up off waivers by the
批注 [92]: graduate
underperforming New York Knicks, where he is a deep bench player.
周与茵 12-5-20 2:49 PM
Summoned to play in place of an injured starter, he leads the team to victory 批注 [93]: 弃权，放弃
after victory, creating an overnight global sensation: Linsanity. 周与茵 12-5-20 2:49 PM
批注 [94]: 表现不佳
A curious and basketball-savvy President Obama watches Mr. Lin’s
周与茵 12-5-20 2:50 PM
highlights – such as a buzzer-beating three-pointer against Toronto Tuesday 批注 [95]: 传唤
night, or outscoring LA Laker superstar Kobe Bryant on Feb. 10. 周与茵 12-5-20 2:50 PM
批注 [96]: 轰动
Wednesday night, former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al 周与茵 12-5-20 2:51 PM
Gore showed up to cheer him on as the Knicks defeated the Sacramento Kings 批注 [97]: 懂行的人
for their seventh straight, a game in which Lin racked up a career-best 13
周与茵 12-12-3 11:35 AM
assists despite sitting out the fourth quarter (for rest).
批注 [98]: 获得 砍下

Lin, the first American-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent,

周与茵 12-5-20 2:57 PM
has 355,985 followers on Twitter and 630,312 “Likes” on Facebook. YouTube
批注 [99]: 后代
is filled with Lin clips, some attracting hundreds of thousands of hits. The
周与茵 12-5-20 2:58 PM
Chinese media is flooded with his basketball highlights, even though his
批注 [100]: 视频片段
family’s roots are in Taiwan.

And all this in under two weeks.

周与茵 12-5-20 2:59 PM
Sports experts say the Lin story seems to have resonated for a number of 批注 [101]: 引起共鸣
reasons. First is the underdog element: even though he was a star player in 周与茵 12-5-20 3:00 PM
high school, no college basketball power thought he could play at a higher 批注 [102]: 失败者
level. He faced the same attitude from professional scouts. 周与茵 12-5-20 3:00 PM
批注 [103]: 球员星探

20
Secondly, Lin has taken an unconventional path to the National Basketball
Association. “He was not a McDonald’s All-American, then a player at
Kentucky, and then a first round draft pick,” says Herb Sendek, head coach at
周与茵 12-5-20 3:01 PM
Arizona State University. “When people make it on an unconventional path,
批注 [104]: 选秀
it gives people hope, they can apply it to their own lives.”

Lin also seems to have attracted followers because so far the 6-foot, 3-inch
point guard appears almost to be a throwback to an earlier era when
周与茵 12-5-21 5:12 PM
basketball was less star-oriented. Although many of Lin’s shots are almost
批注 [105]: 复古
acrobatic, as he often challenges seven-footers, he also hits ordinary lay-ups
周与茵 12-5-21 5:12 PM
that just graze the backboard before dropping through the rim. He seems very
批注 [106]: 明星球员为导向的
adept at lofting “alley-oop” passes toward the rim for a teammate to jam it
周与茵 12-5-20 3:03 PM
through.
批注 [107]: 杂技般的
周与茵 12-5-21 5:11 PM
“His character quotient is reflected in his play,” says Mr. Sendek of ASU. “He
批注 [108]: 擦
shoots when he is supposed to shoot, he passes when he is supposed to pass.
周与茵 12-5-20 3:04 PM
He is very team-centered.”
批注 [109]: 精通
周与茵 12-5-21 5:11 PM
The Knicks’ color commentator, former Knick guard Walt “Clyde” Frazier, a 批注 [110]: 球商
seven-time All Star, said of Lin during the Kings game, “He’s always looking
for the opening, he’s always attacking.”

Lin is also far from perfect, as he is the first to admit. In his post-game press
conference after the King’s game, he talked about his “sky high” turnovers –
周与茵 12-5-20 3:29 PM
six of them in that game.
批注 [111]: 赛后记者招待会

His self-deprecation appeals to many in the Chinese-American community.

周与茵 12-5-20 3:30 PM
批注 [112]: 贬低
“He has been very humble, he believes in team work,” says Howard Lee, a
Chinese-American lawyer in New York and Lin fan. He says his son, Michael,
in Los Angeles, and his daughter, Alice, in New Jersey, are equally
enthusiastic about Lin.

But, Mr. Lee says Lin also has attracted followers because like the football
player Tim Tebow, he is quick to give credit to God for his success. “He
周与茵 12-5-20 3:31 PM
always mentions it is an All-Knowing God that makes a miracle happen,” he
批注 [113]: 归功于
says, noting that Lin has indicated if he is not successful on the court, he
might become a pastor.
周与茵 12-5-20 3:31 PM
批注 [114]: 牧师
Some New York basketball fans are just glad to have something – almost
anything – to cheer about. “For the last twenty years, the Knicks have spent so
much money on players and basically flushed it down the toilet,” says Ed
Butkowsky, a Knicks fan who lives in Dallas and manages money for
professional athletes.

For example, the current Knick team has such stars as Carmelo Anthony
($18.5 million annual salary according to Spotrac) and Amar’e Stoudemire
($18.2 million). But, even with both players on the court, the Knicks were

21
losing lots of basketball games until Lin with his $788,872 (NBA minimum
wage) arrived.

“All of a sudden we have a happy story in New York,” says Mr. Butkowsky.

How that happened is also unusual. Lin, who had been playing in the NBA’s
developmental league, was waived by both the Golden State Warriors and
Houston Rockets early in the season. But, the Knicks’ starting point guard,
周与茵 12-5-20 3:34 PM
Baron Davis ($2.5 million) got hurt, so the Knicks claimed Lin off waivers.
批注 [115]: 控球后卫

The Knicks, playing bad basketball, had lost 11 of 13 games when Coach Mike
D’Antoni put Lin in a game against the New Jersey Nets Feb. 4. Lin scored 25
points and the Knicks won.

The next game, on Feb. 6, Mr. D’Antoni decided to start him against the Utah
Jazz. He scored 28 points and had 8 assists. “Lin-Sanity” was born.

For some New York retailers, the Lin craze smells like money. At lunch hour
周与茵 12-5-20 3:35 PM
on Thursday, Modell’s, the sporting goods store, was filled with people
批注 [116]: （crazy）狂热
buying Knick’s T-shirts with “Linsanity” on the back. “This is crazy,” says
Mitchell Modell, the CEO, as he watched the frenzy. “We’re getting in six
周与茵 12-5-20 3:36 PM
extra shipments a day, plus our regular deliveries,” he says.
批注 [117]: 狂热
周与茵 12-9-30 11:49 AM
One of those people buying two of the T-shirts is George Starks of Salt Lake
批注 [118]: 装载的货物 进货
City, Utah. Mr. Starks, in New York for a conference, says he has enjoyed
watching people get into the excitement. But, even more importantly, he says
Lin and his teammates appeared to be having fun.

“It wasn’t something that was packaged by the NBA and sold to us,” he says.
“Who knows how long it will last?”

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Sports/2012/0216/Knicks-guard-Jeremy-
Lin-Why-we-love-his-Lin-derella-story

3.5 Why Young People Like Obama

BY VANESSA VAN PETTEN

Obama is creating a mass following of net-generation teen, pre-teen and

millennial young people. Many parents ask me: Why do teens and young
people love Obama? Here are the reasons I think that Obama strikes a strong

22
chord with our generation.

**Please note, this is not an endorsement of Obama, just an explanation of this

trend–I prefer to keep my own political opinions out of this blog, but thought
it is an important issue to talk about!

1) Obama is young

We like Obama because he does not feel as far away from our own reality as
many of the other candidates. He feels young, he feels fresh and therefore he
is relatable to us.

2) Obama lets youth feel important

Talk about a grass roots campaign! Obama asks us, begs us, and gives
incentives to youth for speaking out on his behalf because he tells us we
matter! Many of my friends are practically begging to campaign for him and
he makes us feel great about helping him. He thanks us and reinforces the
importance of the young vote—we love feeling important.

3) Obama pushes change, which feels like a challenge, which feels exciting

Obama constantly talks about change, new beginnings and his untainted
background. We love to be a part of something that is new, exciting and a
little counter-revolutionary or daring, so we jump on his band wagon!

4) Obama loves net-generation tools (the internet)

Obama is all over the web, he has YouTube videos, online platforms, chat
rooms and a blog. Many other candidates have these as well, but Obama
focused his campaign on the online community early and with full force. We
love tackling and reading all of his online aspects and feel he is speaking to us
in our language.

5) Obama is good looking

Isn’t there some research done that the most attractive candidate always wins?
Well, Obama has grasped the votes and hearts of many young women.
Obama girl flaunts her crush on Obama and has a following of her own.

In this election especially, the young vote is important and Obama has
captured the fascination and support of our generation.

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Stay Informed,

Vanessa

http://www.radicalparenting.com/2008/02/17/why-young-people-like-
obama/

4.1The Impact of Honesty on me

By Scott A Fleming
Honesty has played a key role in my success in life. Throughout my
childhood my parents would always remind me about the importance of
being honest. In their opinion nothing was as important as having self-respect
and being trustworthy. The saying "honesty is the best policy" perfectly sums
up my belief about how people should interact with each other. For me, being
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honest in everything I do can be a very difficult thing, but I have found that as
批注 [119]: 总结
I follow this basic principle my life has become better for it.

Growing up in my home as a child, I was surrounded by honesty and

integrity. I assumed that the world was a great place where all people
genuinely cared for each other's well-being and feelings. As I entered middle
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school I was awakened to what this world was really all about. I discovered
批注 [120]: 真诚地
the widespread epidemic of cheating on tests to achieve better grades,
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stealing from others as a predominant way of getting something that you
批注 [121]: 传染病
wanted, and all sorts of other cunning and deceiving activities. These
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abominable actions led me to the horrifying reality that most people were out
批注 [122]: 主要的
to help themselves through dishonest means and had little regard for the
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impact it had on others. My assumption that everyone would be honest with
批注 [123]: 狡猾的
their fellow man was severely skewed due to the rich and wholesome
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environment I had grown up in.
批注 [124]: 令人憎恶的
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Though I firmly believe in the principle of honesty I have not been perfect 批注 [125]: 倾斜
myself. Whether stealing a dollar from my brother's piggy bank here and
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there, or telling a fib to my parents, I, like virtually every other imperfect
批注 [126]: 贪心的
human, have been dishonest. As a youngster my parents would take a large
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wooden cooking spoon and spank me with it whenever I told a lie. This
批注 [127]: 小谎
punishment quickly and effectively taught me how important trustworthiness
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was to them, over time this created a desire within me to always be honest for
批注 [128]: 打…的屁股
myself.
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Being dishonest in everyday life can have extremely damaging effects on 批注 [129]: 自尊心

relationships with others and personal self-esteem. When dishonesty becomes 周与茵 12-5-20 4:25 PM
a prominent part of life it can feel like everything we do is a lie. This feeling of 批注 [130]: 显著的

helplessness can be caused by just an insignificant little fib, which over time 周与茵 12-5-20 4:26 PM
批注 [131]: 不显著的

24
can become a massive weight that we hold on our shoulders. This massive
weight comes from lying about a lie which leads to another lie about that lie,
although the wording maybe confusing this concept of trying to hide our lie
with another lie can grow until a small fib has become a large fabrication that
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we struggle to hide.
批注 [132]: 伪造

Being honest can be very hard when it seems that lying is the easiest and most
profitable action.

Take Bernard Madoff as an example, a previously well-respected and honest

businessman. Madoff found that the legitimate and legal ways of doing
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business didn’t pay as well as being an untrustworthy and mendacious
批注 [133]: 合法的
criminal. For 48 years he eluded the truth about his Ponzi scheme until it
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finally caught up with him. Honesty trumped his cunning and destructive lies
批注 [134]: 虚假的
that cost thousands of people their entire savings. Now he spends his leisure
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time behind bars rather than in his million dollar beachfront mansions. From
批注 [135]: 躲避
this extreme factual example of a crafty lie one might infer that all crooks that
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act dishonestly are caught and receive justice, but the sad fact is that most
批注 [136]: 胜过
don’t.
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批注 [137]: 宅邸
Many dishonest, self-centered, and egotistical human beings walk free
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amongst us everyday. This rather blunt and startling statement doesn’t just
批注 [138]: 以自我为中心的
apply to felons and convicts who cheat innocent people of their possessions
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for their own gain. This very statement can be applied to myself as well as
批注 [139]: 直率的
most other people, for when you lie you are truly showing how selfish and
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insecure you are. Yes some situations require that one must lie in order to
批注 [140]: 重罪犯
protect their possessions or even their life, but these exceptions to the rule are
very rare. 周与茵 12-5-20 4:31 PM
批注 [141]: 奖金
Throughout my life my honesty with others has paid big dividends even 周与茵 12-5-20 4:31 PM
when it was extremely difficult to do so. A minor example of this was when I 批注 [142]: 代数

was taking Algebra 2 in high school. After one of the tests I realized that my 周与茵 12-5-20 4:32 PM
teacher had given me one too many points on my test. I respectfully pointed 批注 [143]: 惊讶不已的

out her error and she was so awestruck with my honest behavior that she 周与茵 12-5-20 4:44 PM
批注 [144]: 停学
gave me 100% on the test! Another example of how honesty has been
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beneficial in my life is when I decided to play a practical joke on a fellow
批注 [145]: 偷偷塞进
student in the fourth grade and avoided being suspended. Before class was
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about to start one day I managed to sneak up to the front row and slip a
批注 [146]: 放屁
remote-controlled fart machine into a student’s backpack without him
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noticing. With this done I proceeded back to my seat in the back row with the
批注 [147]: 控制开关
remote clutched tightly in my hand. Approximately halfway through the
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teachers lecture I decided to let it “rip”. The sound reverberated through the
批注 [148]: 回响
classroom as every pair of eyes in the room slammed into the back of the
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student’s head. This quiet student was so embarrassed and scared I thought 批注 [149]: 猛然地
he was about to cry. From the back of the room I could tell he was totally
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humiliated because his ears turned a bright pink and he hid his face in his 批注 [150]: 侮辱
arms trying to avoid the menacing eyes that surrounded him. Soon after this 周与茵 12-5-20 4:40 PM
interruption the teacher proceeded with his lesson. As soon as the teacher got 批注 [151]: 险恶的

25
to a breaking point I let the machine loose again. This time the “noise” was a
super dirty one and the student ran out of the classroom completely mortified
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that someone would stage such a horrible prank on him. The teacher followed
批注 [152]: 组织
him out and five minutes later returned with steam streaming out his ears. He
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knew that someone in the class had controlled the noise and he wanted to
批注 [153]: 恶作剧
know who it was that second or the culprit would be suspended for 2 weeks.
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Very uneasily I stood and confessed my mischievous deed and asked for
批注 [154]: 流出
forgiveness. Shortly after apologizing to the student and the teacher I was
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spared suspension and returned to my seat with a great feeling because I had
批注 [155]: 犯人
done the right thing. I found that when I did the right thing in this story I felt
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tremendously better than when I had lied to my parents or stolen money from 批注 [156]: 恶作剧的
my brothers.
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批注 [157]: 巨大的
In my opinion, as time has passed the ethics of society have slowly
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deteriorated. Honesty has become portrayed as a principle of the past and
批注 [158]: 伦理道德
that it no longer applies to people now. From the false get rich quick schemes
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that litter the Internet to husbands and wives cheating on each other and
批注 [159]: 恶化
denying all wrongdoing. Dishonesty surrounds us everywhere and has even
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become an acceptable part of life.
批注 [160]: 模式
周与茵 12-5-20 4:46 PM
I believe that my strong conviction in honesty has helped me in all aspects of
批注 [161]: 把…弄得乱七八糟
my life. Without this standard of living for myself I would be a completely
different person. It’s amazing to think how such a simple principle can
completely dictate how I conduct my entire life. Throughout my experiences
in life I have found that doing the right thing and being honest has helped my
self-esteem and has provided me a means in which I could feel confident in
myself and actions.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Impact-of-Honesty-on-Me&id=3218058

4.2 How Important Is Self-Confidence?

by JONATHAN

A lot of people have questions about confidence. They want to know where it
comes from, what it actually is, and how to get more. We can appreciate how
valid all these questions are when we consider the power of self-confidence in
our life.

I have also noticed that there is more than enough confusion over these same
questions even from noted experts.

26
What confidence can do for you

In reality, self-confidence is often a more important asset than skill,

knowledge, or even experience. This might seem like a bit of a stretch, but
let’s take a closer look. Imagine that you have the skill, knowledge, and
experience to qualify you for a certain job. When you go for the job interview,
what will set you apart from others who are equally qualified? Beyond your
credentials, what is it that would make them want to hire you instead of
someone else?

It’s the impression you make, right? Your credentials may be impressive, but
if your body language or demeanor gives any indication of uncertainty, the
interviewer will pick up on that. It may not be something they are consciously
aware of, but on some level your doubt will become their doubt. So the job
goes to the one that can instill confidence in others.

Confidence is reassuring to others

People have a natural tendency to trust you more when you seem confident.
To the subconscious mind confidence equals competence. Does that seem
unfair? Well ask yourself if you would hire someone who seemed unsure of
their own abilities? If you needed surgery, would you use a doctor whose first
impression left you wondering how he got his license to practice? It wouldn’t
matter how impressive his credentials were, you would find someone else.

Confidence creates trust, and everyone wants to be able to trust the people
they do business with, become friends with, and fall in love with. If you want
to be trusted by others, you must first trust yourself. To project
trustworthiness you must project confidence. Granted, this is all based on
perception. You can be a very trustworthy person and still lack confidence.
There are also people with loads of self-confidence who can’t be trusted.

If it’s just perception then why does it matter?

Perception is how we personally view things; it’s our version of reality. When
we don’t know someone personally, our perception is based on the signals we
pick up from their words, body language, expressions, eye contact, etc. We
also sense their degree of self-confidence and it influences our perception.

Have you ever said: “I don’t know why, but I just don’t trust that person”?
See, your mind didn’t have a logical reason for your lack of trust, but you still
didn’t trust them. It’s because your perception was being influenced on a
subconscious level. Perception may not be absolute reality, but it is your
reality and that’s all that matters in a situation like this.

27
Picking up the Self-confidence torch

Self-confidence is such an important issue that I have decided to focus much

more attention in that direction. In upcoming articles I will be covering many
aspects of this important quality. Along those lines I would like your help. I
would like to know your thoughts on 3 specific self-confidence questions.

http://advancedlifeskills.com/blog/how-important-is-self-confidence

4.3 7 benefits of being open-minded

http://www.positivelypresent.com/

Being open-minded can be really tough sometimes. Most of us are brought up

with a set of beliefs and values and, throughout our lives, tend to surround
ourselves with people who share the same values and beliefs. Therefore, it
can be difficult when we're faced with ideas that challenge our own and,
though we may wish to be open-minded, we may struggle with the act of it
from time to time.

I'd like to say I'm a fairly open-minded person, but, like most people, I do
have some pretty strong views about specific topics and find it hard to sway
from those opinions -- no matter how others might try to persuade me. Of
course, I fully believe that having strong beliefs can be a wonderful thing and
I believe we should all stay true to what we believe in, but having strong
beliefs doesn't have to mean having a closed mind.

Though it can be tough to do sometimes, I've always found that when I open
my mind, I've reaped a lot of rewarding benefits. There is much to be gained
from opening the door to your mind and letting new ideas and beliefs come
in. Here are just a few of the benefits I've uncovered when I've taken the time
to view the world around me with an open mind...

The 7 Benefits of Being Open-Minded

Letting go of control. When you open your mind, you free yourself from
having to be in complete control of your thoughts. You allow yourself to
experience new ideas and thoughts and you challenge the beliefs you
currently have. It can be very liberating to look at the world through an open
mind.

Experiencing changes. Opening up your mind to new ideas allows you to the
opportunity to change what you think and how you view the world. Now,
28
this doesn't mean you necessarily will change your beliefs, but you have the
option to when you think with an open mind.

Making yourself vulnerable. One of the scariest (and greatest) things about
seeing the world through an open mind is making yourself vulnerable. In
agreeing to have an open-minded view of the world, you're admitting you
don't know everything and that there are possibilities you may not have
considered. This vulnerability can be both terrifying and exhilarating.

Making mistakes. Making mistakes doesn't seem like it would be much of a

benefit, but it truly is. When you open your mind and allow yourself to see
things from others' perspectives, you allow yourself not only to recognize
potential mistakes you've made, but also to make new mistakes. Doesn't
sound like much fun, but it's a great thing to fall and get back up again.

Strengthening yourself. Open-mindedness provides a platform on which you

can build, piling one idea on top of another. With an open mind you can learn
about new things and you can use the new ideas to build on the old ideas.
Everything you experience can add up, strengthening who you are and what
you believe in. It's very hard to build on experiences without an open mind.

Gaining confidence. When you live with an open mind, you have a strong
sense of self. You are not confined by your own beliefs, nor are you confined
by the beliefs of others. For that reason, you are able to have and gain
confidence as you learn more and more about the world around you. Open-
mindedness helps you to learn and grow, strengthening your belief in
yourself.

Being honest. There is an honesty that comes with an open mind because
being open-minded means admitting that you aren't all-knowing. It means
believing that whatever truth you find might always have more to it than
you realize. This understanding creates an underlying sense of honesty that
permeates the character of anyone who lives with an open mind.

For some, being open-minded is easy; it comes as effortlessly as breathing.

For others, having an open mind can be more of a challenge, something that
they have to work on and make an effort to obtain. Whether or not you
consider yourself to be open-minded, you can certainly see from the list above
that there are great benefits to viewing life with an open mind. It's not always
an easy thing to do (believe me, most people struggle with this), but the effort
to think openly and embrace new ideas will be worth it when you're able to
take part in the benefits that come from opening your mind.

Do you strive to be open-minded? What additional benefits have you

found from opening your mind to new ideas?

29
http://www.positivelypresent.com/2010/09/7-benefits-of-being-
openminded.html

5.1 365 reasons why I love my mom

Manasto Jones

Reason #63:

She always smiles and says hello to people who are sitting alone in
restaurants.

Yesterday we were at lunch, and she herself was not feeling very good and
trying to keep food down, but there was a man sitting alone in the booth right
next to us, and for the entire meal she couldn’t concentrate. She kept looking
at him; you could tell she was worried that he was lonely. She would try to
catch his gaze so she could smile at him. At the end of the meal, when we
helped her up from the booth, she went over to him just to say hello and see
how his day was going.

Warmed my heart.

Reason #11:

She tells wonderful stories about her childhood. Some of the best are about
her crazy Grandma Vi who would give out random - and often times horrific
- gifts for Christmas. Like the one year my mom was given a paper bag full of
ripped up bed sheets to use as pads.

Reason #3:
She’s ridiculous on the computer. She hasn’t quite learned how to use Google,
so if she wants to know of a good movie to see, she won’t Google “movie
reviews”, she’ll Google “I was thinking of seeing a movie today with my kids.
It’s not for sure, but maybe. Are there some out that are supposed to be
good?”. Her Google search history is the most wonderfully bizarre archive of
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questions. She also bookmarks every page she’s ever been to in case she needs
批注 [162]: 奇异的
to “get back to it again”. There are now as many webpages under her
Bookmarks tab as there are pages on the web.

30
Reason #2:

My mom is really fun to play games with, because when she’s not cheating,
she’s accusing someone of cheating, completely without merit. When our
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family plays the cardgame Nuts, she preemptively calls my dad out on
批注 [163]: 优点
conspiring to cheat before a single card is dealt. This is coming from a woman
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who once, while playing charades, acted out the word “alligator” by opening
批注 [164]: 先发制人地
her arms like an alligator’s mouth and mouthing “alligator”. And all the
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while, she is laughing hysterically, fully aware that she’s not even remotely
批注 [165]: 密谋
attempting to play correctly.
周与茵 12-6-2 2:54 PM
批注 [166]: 看手势猜字游戏
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Reason #1: 批注 [167]: 歇斯底里地

She’s hilarious. She can tell a story like no other. Nevermind if it’s
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embellished or not for comedic effect. If you see her, ask her about the time
批注 [168]: 非常滑稽的
one of her students brought in a recently dead, bleeding, decapitated chicken
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to school in his backpack for Show And Tell.
批注 [169]: 修饰，润色
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http://reasonsilovemymother.tumblr.com/
批注 [170]: 切掉头的

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 6.1 Lantern Festival
wiki

The Lantern Festival is a festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first
month in the lunisolar year in the Chinese calendar, the last day of the
周与茵 12-5-20 8:40 PM
lunisolar Chinese New Year celebration.
批注 [171]: 农历（阴历和阳历结合计日的
历法）
The first month of the Chinese calendar is called yuan month, and in ancient
times people called night xiao; therefore, the day is called Yuan Xiao Festival
in mainland China and Taiwan. The fifteenth day is the first night one can see
a full moon in that lunar year. According to Chinese tradition, at the very
beginning of a new year, when there is a bright full moon hanging in the sky,
there should be thousands of colorful lanterns hung out for people to
appreciate. At this time, people will try to solve puzzles on lanterns, eat
yuanxiao ('元宵'in Chinese) (a glutinous rice ball, also known as simplified
周与茵 12-5-20 8:40 PM
Chinese: 汤圆; traditional Chinese: 湯圓; pinyin: tāngyuán) and enjoy a
批注 [172]: 粘的
family reunion.

In ancient times, the lanterns were fairly simple, for only the emperor and
noblemen had large ornate ones; in modern times, lanterns have been
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embellished with many complex designs. For example, lanterns are now often
批注 [173]: 华丽的
made in shapes of animals. The lanterns can symbolize the people letting go
of their past selves and getting a new one, which they will let go of the next
year.

'元宵' is a glutinous rice ball. It is a round food, and is eaten on the fifteenth
day of the Chinese New Year. "元宵" has a long history in China. The first
Yuanxiao was made 800 years ago. Chinese people believe the round shape of
the balls and the bowls where they are served, come to symbolize the family
togetherness. It can also bring the family happiness and good luck in the new
year.

32
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantern_Festival

6.2 Top 5 Reasons To Celebrate Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is round the corner and it is all set to give you another reason to
celebrate. Every festival has a history, a significance behind it. But
Thanksgiving doesn’t have one, but here are 5 reasons to celebrate it. Read
on to know what these reasons are and why you should celebrate
Thanksgiving.

1. For spending time with your family

In this fast-paced world, you might leave behind your family or find it hard to
spend some quality time with them. But Thanksgiving gives you the
opportunity to be with your loved ones.

2. For the harvest

The earliest documentation of Thanksgiving has been in Plymouth, near

present day Massachusetts. It was called a harvest feast for a successful
harvest season. The present day Thanksgiving has its origins in this event.

3. For maintaining unity

President Abraham Lincoln was the first one to officially make Thanksgiving
an annual US tradition and give it the status of a national holiday. Don’t you
think you should respect his decision and celebrate Thanksgiving, just as the
rest of the country does?

4. For expressing gratitude

There are various people and things in your life for which you should be
grateful. But you may not get the time to do so in the hustle and bustle of life.
Hence, a special day has been chosen for you to fulfill this purpose; that is on
November 24, this year.
5. For having no religious implications

It’s a known fact that the US has many different religions and there are
people who celebrate their own festivals in different parts of the country. But,
Thanksgiving is one such occasion that makes everyone forget about religion
and celebrate the holiday with equal zeal. You just have to participate and be
grateful for what you have around you.

http://www.magforwomen.com/top-5-reasons-to-celebrate-
thanksgiving/2/

33
 7.1 Story of Jiaozi
2002-05-13 17:05:46
Touch China/ CCTV

Jiaozi, or dumplings with meat and vegetable fillings, is very popular during
the Spring Festival and other festivals. It tops the list of delicacies of people in
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north China, where people eat jiaozi at midnight on New Year's Eve and for
批注 [174]: 精美的食物
breakfast on New Year's Day.

History

The history of jiaozi dates back to ancient times. But the custom of making
jiaozi a special dish during the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New
Year, started in the Ming Dynasty, some 500 to 600 years ago. The reason is
simple. The appearance of jiaozi looks like the V-shape some say half-moon
shaped-gold or silver ingot used as money in ancient China. As the Spring
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Festival marks the start of a new year, people choose to eat jiaozi to connote
批注 [175]: 铸块
their wishes for good fortune in the new year. Although time has changed,
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the tradition has remained. But today, jiaozi is considered more as a sign of
批注 [176]: 意味着
blessing than of fortune.

Culture

As China is a country with a vast territory, there are great differences in

various regions in ways of making jiaozi or even serving it. For example,
dumpling wrappers are made with a rolling stick in most areas of Beijing and
Hebei Province, whereas in some parts of Shaanxi Province and Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region, wrappers are hand-pressed.

There is no set rule as to what makes dumpling fillings. They can be anything
from vegetables, meat to seafood. Whatever the fillings, the wrapping skill
needs to be exquisite to make jiaozi look attractive. Ways of serving jiaozi also
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vary from place to place.
批注 [177]: 精致的
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Generally, dumplings are boiled in clear water and served dry with vinegar,
批注 [178]: 醋
soy sauce, garlic or pepper oil if one likes them hot. In some parts of the
周与茵 12-5-20 9:00 PM
Northeast China, however, dumplings are boiled in broth together with 批注 [179]: 大蒜
vermicelli made from bean starch, and served together. 周与茵 12-5-20 9:04 PM
批注 [180]: 肉汤
People in Henan and Shanxi provinces like to boil jiaozi with noodles and 周与茵 12-12-3 11:39 AM
serve them together. They name the serving " golden threads piercing 批注 [181]: 细面条
through silver ingots,"or " silver threads stringing together calabash". Golden 周与茵 12-5-20 9:07 PM
or silver threads mean noodles while silver ingots and calabash refer to jiaozi. 批注 [182]: 刺穿
There are also places where people boil and serve jiaozi with sheet jelly made 周与茵 12-5-20 9:25 PM
from bean or potato starch, or with sweet dumplings, special for the Lantern 批注 [183]: 葫芦
Festival on the 15th of the first lunar month. jack liu 12-12-3 11:38 AM
批注 [184]: 粉皮

34
The Process of Making Jiaozi

Many families in China usually prepare enough jiaozi to last several days
during the Spring Festival time. To make jiaozi, first of all, you should chop
the meat into tiny pieces and mash them, then add salt, sesame oil, soy sauce,
周与茵 12-5-20 9:26 PM
ginger, scallions, Chinese cabbage and MSG if you like. Mix thoroughly the
批注 [185]: 芝麻
ingredients and meat filling, add two spoonful of water if necessary.
周与茵 12-5-20 9:27 PM
批注 [186]: 葱
In a big bowl, add water to flour gradually. caution: not too much at a time
Mix and knead by hand to soft dough, then cover it with towel and put it
周与茵 12-5-20 9:42 PM
aside for about an hour. Scatter some dry flour on the board, knead and roll it
批注 [187]: 揉捏
into a sausage-like dough about 5 centimeters in diameter, then chop it into
small pieces. Press each piece with your hand and get a pancake. Finally, you
周与茵 12-5-20 9:49 PM
should hold the pancake with your palm and put the filling in the center and
批注 [188]: 小饼
wrap it into half-moon shaped and seal the edges.

The next step is to eat. Put the dumplings into boiling water, when it is well
cooked, it is ready to be served. However, before eating, you need to prepare
some small dishes to contain the mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil
or pepper oil - to suit your own taste.

Today

Probably the fun of eating jiaozi lies not only in the delicacy itself but also in
the process of preparing for it: everybody, the host and guests alike, would
roll up his sleeves and wrap the pancake to cover the fillings. What fun！As
周与茵 12-5-20 9:55 PM
time advances, the ancient food has been continuously updated, not only in
批注 [189]: 袖筒
processing skills, but also in varieties, wrappers and fillings, tastes and
appearances. Frozen jiaozi processed on production lines, in particular, is
taking a big share of the fast food market. There have been so many varieties
of jiaozi that it is no longer a rare scene for restaurants to offer a whole jiaozi
banquet, serving up several dozen kinds of dumplings.
周与茵 12-5-20 9:55 PM
批注 [190]: 宴会
http://www.cctv.com/english/TouchChina/ChineseCooking/Special/2002
0513/100073.html

35
 8.1 Mona Lisa's Secret Revealed
Dina Q Goldin 11/01/2002 draft
Published in the Brown University Faculty Bulletin, Dec. 2002

Mona Lisa's smile permeates our popular culture. While tabloids discuss the
周与茵 12-5-20 9:56 PM
upcoming Julia Roberts film, "Mona Lisa smile", the radio croons a popular
批注 [191]: 渗透
song:
周与茵 12-5-20 9:57 PM
批注 [192]: 柔情地唱（流行歌曲）
Like the smile on Mona Lisa --
Baby, everybody sees 'er

Postcards abound with her visage. The serious press is no exception; recently,
周与茵 12-5-20 9:57 PM
the Wall Street Journal's weekend section described some wine's flavor as
批注 [193]: 容貌
akin to Mona Lisa's smile. But what is it that makes the smile of La Gioconda,
周与茵 12-5-20 9:57 PM
as the Europeans call her, so special? The absence of a definitive answer to
批注 [194]: 类似的
this question in our popular culture is as striking as the ubiquity of references
周与茵 12-5-20 9:58 PM
to the smile itself.
批注 [195]: 普遍存在

I have to admit I personally never saw anything special in the Mona Lisa,
though I was always disconcerted by my lack of appreciation for something
周与茵 12-5-20 9:59 PM
supposedly so great. Even more disquieting was my inability to find a
批注 [196]: 困惑
convincing explanation that would change my mind and make me
周与茵 12-5-20 9:59 PM
understand why I should stop being such a boor and learn to appreciate that
批注 [197]: 不安
painting. Perhaps I did not dig deep enough, but I argued that if there were
周与茵 12-5-20 9:59 PM
indeed a simple and convincing explanation for the genius of Mona Lisa,
批注 [198]: 粗野的人
should it not have surfaced by now, somewhere within my reach?

As a researcher, I decided to take the matter into my own hands. If anyone

could reveal to me the Mona Lisa's secret, I reasoned, it would be Mona Lisa
herself. But despite that song, one cannot really see 'er without going abroad.
So during a trip to Paris, at a time of the day when a typical tourist would not
be visiting museums, I found myself face-to-face with the original painting of
the Mona Lisa, asking her to explain her secret to me. With no one else
around to disturb our conversation, I cleared my mind of all preconceptions
and waited for her answer. In this essay, I share what I discovered through
my interaction with her. I hope to be forgiven for adopting a discursive
周与茵 12-5-20 10:01 PM
approach; I feel it best suited for my purposes. 批注 [199]: 散漫的
周与茵 12-5-20 10:02 PM
We are all familiar with art that manages to freeze motion. Runners captured 批注 [200]: 不自觉地
with their leg muscles tense from straining to complete their next step 周与茵 12-5-20 10:02 PM
forward seem to move in front of our eyes, as our brain involuntarily 批注 [201]: 潜意识地
completes that motion on their behalf. This is because we are subconsciously 周与茵 12-5-20 10:03 PM
aware that the runner's stance, as captured by the artist, cannot be stable -- the 批注 [202]: 姿态
muscles of a stationary runner merely pretending to be running would not 周与茵 12-5-20 10:03 PM
look the same. Rather than a static pose, the runner's body is a frozen instance 批注 [203]: 静态的
in a dynamic continuum of poses. 周与茵 12-5-20 10:03 PM
批注 [204]: 连续统一体

36
The same can be said about the motion of the face. There are more muscles in
the face than in any other part of the body, to capture all the fine emotions
that we are capable of projecting. The part of the brain that decodes these
周与茵 12-5-20 10:08 PM
projections back into emotions is also a very complex and well-developed
批注 [205]: 解码
organ. In principle, facial muscles can also be captured in mid-motion.
Though it is very difficult, this is what da Vinci accomplished with Mona Lisa
-- her facial muscles reflect a dynamic face in motion, not one of someone
周与茵 12-5-20 10:14 PM
statically holding a half-smile.
批注 [206]: 动态的

This distinction is very fine, and perhaps does not come across on
周与茵 12-5-20 10:15 PM
reproductions, certainly not on postcards and other knick-knacks that often
批注 [207]: 给人印象
bear Mona Lisa's likeness. However, when left alone face-to-face with the
周与茵 12-5-20 10:16 PM
original portrait in the Louvre, our mind free to discover what it may, we
批注 [208]: 小摆设
quickly notice that our brain is aware of the dynamic nature of Mona Lisa's
smile. Her face seems to be moving. Just as with the runner, we involuntarily
complete that movement for her, seeing her half-smile bloom into a full smile
周与茵 12-5-20 10:17 PM
in front of our eyes. It's almost as if she were a video rather than a picture.
批注 [209]: 花

The effect is similar to one with the runner in motion, but also very different.
Whereas the runner's sprint is directed towards some location unknown to us,
Mona Lisa is facing us directly. As we watch her bloom into a smile, we
cannot help but feel that it is our presence that is causing her to smile, and we
cannot help feeling a positive connection with the woman.

But wait -- we are suddenly aware of another, negative side of our connection
to La Gioconda. Is it possible that, rather than breaking out into a smile, her
face is undergoing the opposite motion, losing the traces of a full smile that
she had a moment earlier? Indeed, unlike the runner's step, which can only
explode in the forward direction, Mona Lisa's expression can represent a
frozen instance of either direction of motion -- into a full smile, or out of it.
Will her face be beaming in another second, or will it lose all traces of the
smile? Suddenly we start wondering if perhaps it is the second interpretation
周与茵 12-5-20 10:18 PM
that is correct.
批注 [210]: 诠释

The picture offers no answer. We find our mind flip-flopping, just as in the
famous special effect of silhouette-and-vase: is it a white silhouette on a black
周与茵 12-5-20 10:28 PM
background or a black vase on a white background? Either interpretation is
批注 [211]: 轮廓
equally likely, leaving us in a restless state of switching back and forth.

But the expression on Mona Lisa's face has an emotional aspect to it that the
vase lacks: it is a direct reflection of her feeling towards us as the object of her
gaze. Is she happy to see us, or is our presence making her sad? Are we her
friend or her foe? The same face, yet two totally different and equally likely
周与茵 12-5-20 10:30 PM
interpretations -- leaving our emotions in a complex and ever-changing 批注 [212]: 敌人
quandary.
周与茵 12-5-20 10:31 PM
批注 [213]: 窘境
Though we cannot figure out what Mona Lisa is feeling, and hence what we 周与茵 12-5-20 10:31 PM
are feeling towards her, there is definitely one feeling that our encounter with 批注 [214]: 因此

37
her engenders: that this is no ordinary painting. An ordinary painting cannot
周与茵 12-5-20 10:32 PM
evoke in us such a complexity and dynamicity of emotions. No wonder this
批注 [215]: 产生
painting is considered so great…
周与茵 12-5-20 10:32 PM
批注 [216]: 唤起
After having discovered all this in the space of a short meeting with La
Gioconda, I set out to learn more about her creator, Leonardo da Vinci. What I
learned has cemented my conviction that my answer is correct. Leonardo's
周与茵 12-5-20 10:32 PM
three life-long interests have been in art, anatomy, and motion. His
批注 [217]: 巩固
accomplishments in each of these areas -- arts, sciences, and engineering --
周与茵 12-5-20 10:33 PM
earned him the reputation of a Renaissance man. Nowhere is this triumvirate
批注 [218]: 解剖学
of da Vinci's passions clearer than in his study of the human body in motion.
周与茵 12-5-20 10:33 PM
批注 [219]: 文艺复兴
Unlike other artists of his time, who focused on external appearances, and
周与茵 12-5-20 10:33 PM
anatomists, who focused on internal structures, da Vinci strove to do both. Da
批注 [220]: 三巨头
Vinci’s biographers agree that his ability to unify his talents from the three
周与茵 12-5-20 10:34 PM
different areas is unsurpassed to this day. Beneath the skin of da Vinci's 批注 [221]: （strive）努力
subjects are muscles and bones depicted with astonishing accuracy, even
周与茵 12-5-20 10:35 PM
when in motion. The man was a genius, uniquely qualified to capture the 批注 [222]: 不能被超越
mesmerizing effect of Mona Lisa's smile. Perhaps someday definitive research
周与茵 12-5-20 10:35 PM
will confirm this secret of her smile. But my conversation with La Gioconda
批注 [223]: 催眠的
was enough to convince me.

http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~dqg/papers/monalisa.htm

38
 9.1 Broke People’s guide for eating places in DABEIJING

Dadong
Selling itself on the claim that its birds (RMB 198 per whole duck) are leaner
than those of other roast duck joints, Da Dong’s two classy branches more or
less bookend the 2km strip between Changhong Qiao and Dongsishitiao.
jack liu 12-6-16 11:50 AM
Arguments will never cease as to which kitchen produces Beijing’s best roast
批注 [224]: 书夹
ducks, but Da Dong’s ability to transcend the duck genre is marked by its
jack liu 12-6-16 11:50 AM
repeated wins as "Best Chinese Restaurant of the Year" in the Beijinger’s
批注 [225]: 停止
annual Reader Restaurant Awards. Try dipping a slice of duck in the sugar
jack liu 12-6-16 11:59 AM
provided alongside other condiments – somehow, it works beautifully. The
批注 [226]: 流派
160-page menu is a work of art in itself, with a plethora of duck dishes backed
jack liu 12-6-16 11:59 AM
up by vegetable dishes, soups and more. If you’re only going to eat duck once
批注 [227]: 蘸
in Beijing, book a table – or else be prepared to wait for one – at Da Dong.
jack liu 12-6-16 11:59 AM
Voted best "Chinese Restaurant of the Year," "Beijing Duck" and "Best for 批注 [228]: 调味料
Impressing Visitors" in the 2011 Reader Restaurant Awards.
jack liu 12-6-16 12:00 PM
批注 [229]: 过多

Haidilao
As famous for its hospitality as it is for its authentic Sichuan cuisine: get your
jack liu 12-6-16 12:01 PM
nails done and enjoy a fruit plate while you wait in the long queue. Don’t
批注 [230]: 好客
forget to ask for the noodle show – an energetic waiter will pull noodles right
at your table. Voted "Best Hot Pot," "Outstanding Service" and "Outstanding
Chinese Restaurant of the Year" in the Beijinger’s 2011 Restaurant Awards.

Pipali
Pipali's reputation rests on its iron bowls of sizzling rice and meat in the style
jack liu 12-6-16 12:02 PM
of Korean bibimap. But other dishes including the cold noodles are also good.
批注 [231]: 丝丝作响的
The Black Pepper beef is recommended, as are the milkshakes. There's even a
jack liu 12-6-16 12:04 PM
self service salad bar, where you can add your own dressings. So cram as
批注 [232]: 奶昔
much on to your little plate as you can, you pauper.
jack liu 12-6-16 12:04 PM
批注 [233]: 穷人
Saliya
Do you remember growing up in "the West"? That's when you ate "Western"
food all the time, right? Well at Saliya you can relive those glorious days at
low, low prices. The Dongzhimen branch of this chain has your old friends:
pizza, sausages, omelets, spaghetti and lasagna, with most dishes priced less
jack liu 12-6-16 12:11 PM
than 15 RMB. Wash it down with 6 RMB mugs of milk tea, and end with
批注 [234]: 披萨 香肠 蛋卷 意面 千层面
cheese cake at 8 RMB a slice. Most food is oven cooked from frozen, and
jack liu 12-6-16 12:13 PM
tastes like it, while the decor is non-existent. But with prices like this, you'd be
批注 [235]: 大杯子
a fool to complain; not least because your mouth is probably full of
jack liu 12-6-16 12:13 PM
cheesecake and pizza.
批注 [236]: 装饰

39
 10.1My Favorite Bedroom
Travelblissful.com

Earlier today I thought about the different places I have lived when working
abroad. My one bedroom apartment in Zurich, 100 m from the lake, belongs
to one of the better. The bedsit I shared with a Swedish friend in Notting Hill
周与茵 12-5-20 10:36 PM
was small yet cosy. And I remember the comfy bunk bed in the cabin at the
批注 [237]: 租用的卧室兼起居室
Fowler Center in Mayville, Michigan, where I worked as a Special Needs
周与茵 12-5-20 10:37 PM
Counselor.
批注 [238]: 舒服的
周与茵 12-5-20 10:37 PM
But so far nothing beats the room I lived in throughout my four months in
批注 [239]: 床铺
Montbonnot-Saint-Martin, a village near Grenoble by the French Alps. The
周与茵 12-5-20 10:38 PM
first morning I looked out my window and saw the mountain chain
批注 [240]: 小屋
Belledonne and the snow-covered Alp tops, I knew I couldn’t do anything
周与茵 12-5-20 10:38 PM
else than love it. Thanks to the extremely comfortable bed I felt great every 批注 [241]: 顾问
morning, (apart from that one time I forgot to close my window and woke up
with mosquito bites all over my face). White dormers contrast with the
周与茵 12-5-20 10:38 PM
original woodwork, which was oiled but left unpainted. Light-colored
批注 [242]: 蚊子
bedding gives the room its relaxing air.

Apart from the unavoidable stunning surroundings, Montbonnot’s main

周与茵 12-5-20 10:39 PM
square is also worth a visit. Even though a church, two bakeries, a fruit seller,
批注 [243]: 震耳欲聋的
a coiffeur, a pharmacy and a post office might sound sparse it’s a charming
周与茵 12-5-20 10:40 PM
spot where the locals meet, talk and make their daily errands. I remember the
批注 [244]: 为女人做头发的理发师
day I left the post office after saying my first complete French sentence; “Je
周与茵 12-5-20 10:41 PM
voudrait six timbre pour la Suede, s’il vous plait” (I would like six stamps to
批注 [245]: 差事
Sweden, please). But what I remember most is my spacious bedroom with a
周与茵 12-5-20 10:41 PM
mountain view that brought a smile to my face every morning.
批注 [246]: （space）

http://www.travelblissful.com/my-favorite-bedroom/

40
 11.1 The 15 hardest sports to play
By HeavyGuns

This is my opinion of the 15 hardest sports and a little bit about why. Some
of them have cool videos to go along with them. Take the poll at the end to let
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
me know what your opinion of the hardest sport is.
批注 [247]: 问卷调查

#15 Volleyball

Volleyball requires leg strength and some agility. There isn't a whole lot of
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
endurance or real physical challenge, that's why it is number 15.
批注 [248]: 敏捷

#14 Baseball

What makes baseball hard on the skill side of it, is actually hitting a ball
pitched 90 mph or faster. Baseball both batting and playing the field requires
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
very fast reflexes. Baseball players also must be able to sprint very fast. Lastly
批注 [249]: 投掷
I think core strength and upper body strength is crucial to the game. Half of
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
your time though is just spent sitting down and watching. That is why
批注 [250]: 击球
baseball is only 14. 周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
批注 [251]: 冲刺
#13 Tennis

Tennis can be a very long game. tennis also requires speed and agility. While
playing tennis you need to be able to turn on a dime. I don't feel like tennis
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
really pushes you to the limit in more than a few parts of your body.
批注 [252]: 一角硬币

#12 Basketball

Basketball is a very draining sport to play. Don't get me wrong, you can work
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
up a pretty good sweat playing. But you really only have to push yourself
批注 [253]: 榨干（体力）
100% when you have the ball. Also due to the size of a basketball court, you
don't have to run more than maybe 30 or 40 yards at a time. Basketball also
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
because of its positions does not require everyone to be lightening fast or have
批注 [254]: 码
the ability to jump really high. Basketball can be an intense workout, but not
enough to be ahead of these next sports.

#11 Football

Football requires a lot of sprinting. The skill required is catching the football
and throwing it for one player. One of the things that make football the
hardest is you must have the ability to think on your feet and make or change
decisions in a split second to make the play work. You must be able to read
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
the other team and adjust as a team accordingly. You have to not only watch
批注 [255]: 分离的
what the other team is doing as a whole, but you have to be on the same level
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
mentally as your team so that you think just like they do. Football is a hard
批注 [256]: 调整
hitting sport and requires great strength and agility and speed. However not
ALL of the players need to be Iron men.
41
#10 Lacrosse
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
Lacrosse has an extreme amount of running and sprinting involved. Lacrosse 批注 [257]: 曲棍球

on the other hand does not require a whole lot of physical strength. Lacrosse
can be very rough at times and does require a great deal of athleticism. You
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
got to run, jump, catch, throw, block, and defend. Lacrosse physically is
批注 [258]: 竞技热
almost on the same level as soccer.

#9 Rugby
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
Rugby will get you roughed up. It's harder hitting than football and you don't 批注 [259]: 英式橄榄球

wear pads. Rugby also requires great lower and upper body strength. Rugby 周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
批注 [260]: 殴打，粗暴对待
however does not require a lot of speed. You do need to be fast but not as fast
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
as other sports may require you to be.
批注 [261]: 护具

#8 Bull Riding

Bull riding obviously does not require you to be very strong or fast or even in
that good of shape. If you look at a bull rider though they usually are, and for
good reason. The stronger you are the better you chances of holding on are.
Bull riding requires a lot of core strength as well. You have a 2,000 pound bull
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
that is pure muscle trying to buck you off. You will be using your abs and
批注 [262]: 核心
lower back the whole time trying to keep your balance and stay on. You also
better be fast for when you do get off the bull unless you want to become a
skewer.
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
#7 Nascar 批注 [263]: 烤肉签子
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
Nascar is a little under rated in my opinion. Most people will say that all you 批注 [264]: 汽车
do is drive a car in circle, but it is much more than that. Think about times
you have gone on a long road trip. How did you feel at the end of it? I know
that when I drove from South Carolina to West Virginia I was tired, eyes
wanted to shut, my body was sore from sitting in the same position, my legs
were stiff, and your drained mentally from being at a high state of alertness.
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
Now imagine driving 500 laps at speeds around 200 mph. Since you are going
批注 [265]: 僵硬的
that fast then you must pay even more attention and the car is that much
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
harder to control. Your whole body must be tense just trying to steer it. The 批注 [266]: 圈
heat that fills the inside of the car is extreme, not to mention your wearing a 周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
nomex suit and racing helmet and your head is virtually immobile. The sweat 批注 [267]: 控制
and fatigue that will overcome your body is much more than you would ever
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
probably imagine. The other reason I put Nascar as #7 is because of how hard
批注 [268]: 疲劳
it is to actually win.

#6 Golf

42
Golf requires a lot of physical strength and flexibility. I played 18 holes of golf
before and did a lot of driving on a range. I'm not a golfer though. I have no
club, no golf balls (i almost left out the word golf, ha ha), and can only name
like 3 golfers. Like i said though I have played. I can't tell you how many
times my body snapped, crackled, and popped playing. I sound like a fresh
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
bowl of rice crispy treats, and I think i pulled several muscles. Now driving
批注 [269]: 爆开（的声音）
the ball 400 yards requires both strength and perfect swing. Did you know
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
Tiger Woods can bench press 300 pounds? The main reason golf is #6 is 批注 [270]: 脆（零食）
because of the skill required to excel at it and how hard it is to play.
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
#5 MMA（mixed martial arts） 批注 [271]: 优秀

MMA is a very very tough sport. You have to without a doubt have complete
full body strength, you have to know the moves, you have to be able to think
fast about what you need to do as far as offensive moves and counters.
Endurance and Stamina is everything especially when the fight goes to the
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
ground. It is obviously a rough sport considering smashing someones teeth in
批注 [272]: 精力
is part of it. I'm also certain being kicked in the kidney does not feel so great.
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
The conditioning and strength training these fighters goes through is
批注 [273]: 使粉碎
absolutely brutal. If you have seen an MMA fight or some of their training 周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
you will see why I placed it here at #5. 批注 [274]: 肾
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
#4 Swimming 批注 [275]: 野蛮的

It is scientific fact that swimming is the best exercise you can do. It is a great
cardiovascular workout. You would be surprised how much you sweat
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
swimming. You however don't know your sweating for obvious reasons.
批注 [276]: 心血管的
Swimming also gives your muscles a pretty good workout. The resistance and
amount of cardio required for swimming gives your body a great workout
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and when you swim for competition your going to use as much energy and
批注 [277]: 心，心脏功能
burn as much calories in 20 minutes than you would in an hour in most other
sports. This is why I put swimming at #4.

#3 Soccer

If you have ever played soccer on a legit team in a legit league with a legit
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coach you will know that soccer practice is probably one of the punishments
批注 [278]: 正规的
Satan makes you take part in while your in hell. The sprinting, jumping, drills,
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and other exercises in soccer is insane. You will fall into a narcoleptic type
批注 [279]: 训练
sleep immediately after a 3 hours soccer practice I assure you. Truth be told
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the practices are more running than an actual game, but the games are just as 批注 [280]: 发作性睡病的
hard. During a game you use speed, agility, jumping, cutting, defending, and
all sorts of things. If you have seen a professional soccer players legs and
calves, you'll instantly know how much they run. I can guarantee you they
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don't lift weights to look like that. That is from pure running and drills they
批注 [281]: 小腿
do for practice. The other thing that makes soccer hard is how far you have to
run. You can run the entire length of the field throughout the whole game.

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Soccer fields are also larger than football fields in length and width. One more
thing to consider is that EVERYONE on the team needs to be pretty much in
the same physical shape and run the same amount. This is why soccer is
number 3.

#2 Wrestling
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I put wrestling as number 2 because you exert so much energy during a 批注 [282]: 摔跤

match. The practices are usually 3 hours, and the practices are in gyms with 周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
批注 [283]: Yunyong
heaters that make the room 105 degrees. You need speed. Full body strength.
No matter your size or weight class, you do the same training, and have the
same things expected of you. Every person gives the same amount of effort
and participation. It is not uncommon to lose 14 pounds every practice in just
water weight. The reason I put wrestling as harder than MMA is because in
MMA you have the option or ability to knock someone out or make them
submit. In wrestling you have no choice but to grapple them, shoot on them,
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and take them to their back. You must out muscle and outsmart your
批注 [284]: 抓住
opponent. There is no easy way around it. You must give everything you got
to pin them. Six minutes of wrestling with someone will have you sucking
wind.

#1 Ice Hockey

Ice Hockey is in my opinion THE #1 hardest sport to play. In ice hockey you
will need to be in tip top shape. Your cardio has to be at a very high level. The
whole game you will be skating back and forth and changing directions at
100% speed. Hockey also requires muscular strength. Hockey players are a lot
stronger than you think. Most of the players, even the ones that look small
weigh over 200 pounds of pure muscle. Hockey requires you to be fast, be
able to accurately shoot the puck, be able to catch the puck, be able to read
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players, agility, endurance, toughness, the ability to jump, hitting power, and
批注 [285]: 冰球
not to mention this is all done one Ice skates. Are you kidding me? You take
elements from all of the other sports and then you have to do it all standing
on two thin blades and standing on ice? There's no way any sport is harder or
has better athletes than hockey. If you don't believe so i suggest you go play a
local pick up hockey game if possible. Hockey like football and rugby is also a
very rough sport to do the hitting or checking involved. While you do wear
pads your body is still going to take a beating. I guess at least if you get hit
really hard and get a bruise at least you already got ice on it. Oh and one last
think. You can fight! That's part of the sport, they let you fight. OK so now
you can be at a hockey game and a fight breaks out? and this is perfectly
normal? I bet you will never be at a fight and have a hockey game break out.
All of these reasons are why I put Ice Hockey at #1.

http://heavyguns.hubpages.com/hub/The-15-hardest-sports-to-play

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 11.2 Soccer Benefits
www.completesoccerguide.com

In an age where kids and teens are constantly bored, aren’t getting enough
exercise, and have few things that they are passionate about, a sport like
soccer is a breath of fresh air. Here are some of the benefits that soccer can
give players.

7 Reasons to Play Soccer

Fun

Soccer is considered “fun” by a larger amount of people than almost any

sport. Soccer is fast-paced, low-contact or high contact depending on level,
and playable by all people. Even complete beginners enjoy playing soccer
because it can be a very in-precise game. Anyone can have fun kicking
around a soccer ball. Of course, soccer can be a complex, game too, so there
is something for everybody.

There really shouldn’t be an explanation on why fun is beneficial, so I will

exclude it.

Work Ethic
jack liu 13-1-18 7:40 PM
Soccer instills work ethic into its players, a skill that is very important in life. 批注 [286]: 工作精神

Coaches and teammates constantly push players to try harder, and most
players learn the skill and use it in everyday life. Most players eventually
show work ethic without being told.

Leadership

Future leaders often form on a soccer pitch. Players learn that it is necessary
to sometimes lead their teammates in the right direction. Through trial and
error, players learn what makes a great leader. Players who don’t take as
jack liu 13-1-18 7:40 PM
much of a leadership role, learn how to deal with leaders.
批注 [287]: 试错法 不断尝试

Sportsmanship

Through good examples by coaches and teammates, players learn what it

takes to play a sport gracefully. Bad sportsmanship is punished, and players
soon find the value of great sportsmanship.
jack liu 13-1-18 7:40 PM
Perseverance 批注 [288]: 运动家精神

At first, players usually get frustrated when they can’t get something right.
However, players eventually realize that if they persevere things will work
out okay. Players may have to overcome injuries, cold streaks, bad coaches,
jack liu 13-1-18 7:40 PM
and more elements that teach them to persevere.
批注 [289]: 状态差

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Fitness

Through soccer, players become more fit and possible develop future fitness
habits. They learn what it takes to be in shape, and work at it.

Most soccer players are lean and muscular. They develop endurance from
constantly running, and muscles from training work-outs.

Players tend to think more about nutrition or drug use. Players want to play
at there best, and they learn that drugs and a bad diet hinder their
performance.

Not to mention the in-direct effects of soccer: When players are playing they
are not watching TV, playing video games, or just lying around. They are
getting a full work-out.

Social

Soccer players often make friends with their teammates. Teammates share a
common bond, and become great friends. Some teammates know each other
for a lifetime.

Soccer players learn how to deal with people outside the controlled
environment of school, and develop a sense of self. Players share a common
cause that causes a sense of unity, something every child and teenager needs.

http://www.completesoccerguide.com/soccer-benefits-7-reasons-to-play

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 11.3 8 Reasons why people love to play Basketball
Published by Eitel

Over the years, Basketball has evolved from a classic to a more modernized
sport. For example, things changed from perimeter two-point shooting to
long distance 3-point shooting; from simple layups to well maneuvered alley
hoops and artistic dunking. Last but not least, apparel: It started from above
the knee shorts to longer below the knee shorts.

Basketball continues to drive its audience off their seats. No wonder it has
already landed its name among the most famous sports ever. Basketball is so
popular that almost every country in Asia, Europe and USA play the sport.
Almost every individual knows how to play the sport. I have seen people
playing indoors and outdoors so many times, but it is mostly played outdoors
along the streets. Special sports gear, except for the ball and basket, is not
jack liu 13-1-18 7:40 PM
even a requirement for a person to play the game.
批注 [290]: 设备

I will list some of the top reasons why basketball solidified its name almost all
over the world.

1. It is attainable and not expensive

Basketball is very much affordable. All you need is a ball and a basketball
court with a rim. The ball does not cost that much, unless you would want to
buy expensive ones as used by the pros. You can have different options when
it comes to the prices. On the other hand, finding a basketball court is not a
problem either. There are lots of schools and communities who open their
gates for individuals who want to play the game. When it comes to sports
gear, you do not need to buy expensive shoes or clothing. Just start to play the
game with the things you already use. Some people actually play the game
with bare foot or slippers. However, shoes are advisable for players to use to
avoid any injuries. Feet play an essential role in playing the game.

2. Readily Accessible

Like I said, basketball can be played anywhere. If you are unable to utilize the
courts in both public and private schools, there are a lot more social
communities who provide them. Some local governments try to establish
public sports arenas for everyone to enjoy. If you want to play, all you need to
do is to go to the nearest basketball court available in your community or
your local basketball club.

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3. You can play along with some other individuals

This is the most exciting part. Basketball enables you to play with 5 or more
friends all at the same time. Many other sports can be played only by two or
four individuals. In this case you go tired and bored in waiting for your turn.
In basketball, you can have great chances of playing all the time.

4. Easy to learn Basketball Fundamentals

As long as you know how to dribble with the ball and shoot, you can already
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play the basics of the game. Dribbling is so easy to learn, you can even learn it
批注 [291]: 运球
by just watching how it is done. Shooting is also easy to perform, although
you need a lot of practice to hit it like the pros. Simply throw the ball into the
ring and watch it sink in. Another one is defense. Who says that playing
defense is difficult? If you are playing against a good player, maybe it is.
However, its fundamentals are easy to execute. You just have to stand in front
of a player, use your body to block his way, and use your arm in a legal way
to prevent him from shooting or passing the ball.

Of course, what I am talking about are more on the fundamentals. It would be

a little different when you play a higher level of basketball game. However,
what I am trying to stress out is that the skills that a person should learn in
order to play basketball can be easily learned while having fun at the same
time.

5. Rules are simple

Recreational “at the park” Basketball has simple rules. In most cases it is
limited to the basic dribbling rules and avoiding any form of hard body
contact when a player is in the act of shooting. These rules are very simple
and easy to understand and this is what makes the sport so cool to play with
your friends on warm evenings. It’s so much fun.

6. Accessible basketball camps or clinics

If you want to learn more about the sport and improve your basketball skills,
you can attend basketball camps or clinics. They are available and basically
open for everyone. These camps provide excellent tutors who can help you
polish your shooting, dribbling, and other basketball abilities. Before signing
in on a clinic make sure to pay attention to the overall skill level.

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7. Televised worldwide

One of the exciting parts is that you can see it everywhere. It is, actually, what
people see in television that inspires them to play the game. Many leagues are
being covered by many television sports channel such as the NBA, WNBA,
collegiate basketball, Olympics, and many other local basketball games. Even
if you are not playing, you can still experience the game by watching them in
televisions from the comforts of your homes.

8. It is full of fun!

Basketball provides a whole lot of fun. You are able to socialize and meet
other people with similar interests to yours. It is always fun to meet
likeminded people.

I consider basketball popular not because everybody plays it, but why
everybody loves to play it. By thinking about the reasons above, you can
easily see why basketball is being considered to be a popular sport among the
others.

http://www.layups.com/8-reasons-why-people-love-to-play-basketball/

11.4 Top 10 Reasons to Ski!

People ask me why I ski, why I would go out in the blistering cold, spend
serious dough to risk injury on snow?

Here are my top 10 reasons to ski:

49
1. Winter is the longest season – particularly in New England, Canada, and
the Rocky Mountains. A sure cure for Cabin Fever is a day on the snowy
slopes. Of course, then you risk getting powder flu which is highly contagious.

2. Most people look better in a ski suit than a swim suit. You can hide your
sorry butt in a Bogner – same can’t be said for a bikini or boy trunks.

3. Skiing takes you to new heights – literally. Chairlifts deliver a bird’s eye
view of our beautiful mountains – and no hiking!

4. Unlike mountain biking, hiking and swimming, snow is very clean on

contact – I am not a big fan of filthy sports that cake you in mud or mess up
your hair.

5. Skiing is a tremendous calorie burner! Its great physical activity, consuming

up to 700 calories an hour – that beats a jog on hard asphalt in my book.

6. Skiing can be enjoyed with friends and family. You can’t play soccer with
Grandma – what if you kick her in the shin by mistake? Basketball with my
son is no fun – but skiing with my mom and my boy is a multigenerational
good time.

7. Skiing is a lifetime sport. Klaus Obermeyer, Warren Miller, Penny Pitou,

Stein Erickson – all amazing ski athletes that have been doing what they love
best for over six decades!

8. Skiing is a great sport to meet people, particularly the opposite sex. Name
another activity that allows you to shout “Single” in the line and potentially
find a match.

9. Skiing has no speed limits, only endless possibilities for travel and
discovery from small volunteer run recreational hills to high Alps with
untouched powder fields and helicopter accessed first descents.

10. You can’t après ski until you have skied…

HTTP://WWW.FAMILYSKITRIPS.COM/FAMILY/TOP10_REASONS_TO_S
KI.HTM

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 12.1 Benefits of Subway Transportation
ehow.com

Cost

If you think it's cheaper to drive your car to work rather than take the subway,
you're probably mistaken. When you take into account car repairs, fuel, loan
payments, parking fees, insurance, taxes and licensing, you'll be surprised at
how much you spend. AAA reports that the average automobile driver spent
over $9,000 in 2009 (over $24 per day), and that's before car loans were
considered. On the other hand, subway transportation is economical. Many
subway systems offer an unlimited monthly pass for a reasonable rate
(Boston's MBTA offers such a pass for only $59 in 2010). Some employees,
such as federal workers in Washington D.C., can be reimbursed for their
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subway transit costs.
批注 [292]: 补偿
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Convenience
批注 [293]: 运输

In cities where congestion is an issue, subway travel is much quicker than

other modes of transportation. In this respect, subways even have the edge
over public buses, as they can avoid any street congestion by literally going
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underneath it. Subway travel also has other conveniences. For instance, you
批注 [294]: 拥挤
won't have to worry about auto maintenance or buses breaking down.

Safety

Although subway accidents make for sensational news stories, they are
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actually quite safe. According to publictransportation.org, ditching the car
批注 [295]: 轰动的
and taking public transit saves 200,000 deaths every year. If you are you
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worried about subways becoming potential terror targets, many subway
批注 [296]: 扔掉
systems now feature state-of-the-art cameras and chemical sensors for your
safety.

Environmental Friendliness

51
Subway travel is extremely green. Not only is it more environmentally
friendly than automobile travel, it is also has the advantage over public bus
systems, as subways do not emit harmful exhaust fumes into the air.
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批注 [297]: 散发，发射

http://www.ehow.com/list_5920778_benefits-subway-transportation.html

12.2 10 THINGS TO LOVE ABOUT TRAIN TRAVEL

By Caitlin Fitzsimmons on December 24, 2008 in SEX

I heart trains! It’s hands down the greenest way to travel – train travel
releases 10 times fewer greenhouse gases per average passenger journey than
flying. Here are ten more reasons why train travel is the antidote to
everything I hate about airports, flying and long car journeys.

1. Trains are faster than most short-haul flights, when you take into account
the time spent getting to and from the airport and going through security.

2. Railway stations are generally in the center of town – ideal when you arrive
in an unfamiliar city and need to find your way to the hotel.

3. Any security checks are less cumbersome than airport security. You don’t
have to get there more than half an hour early at the most and you can pack
your water – or that bottle of wine you picked up on your holiday.

4. There’s usually plenty of room on board to stretch out and you are free to
get up and walk around.

5. You don’t need to keep your eyes on the road, deal with unruly passengers
or share the road with pig-headed drivers. Instead you can read your book,
do the crossword, call your friends, or just look out the window and watch
the world go by. Sometimes there’s even free wifi on board.

6. It’s fast. While US rail network Amtrak could do with a bit of TLC, I’ve still
found it a reasonable way to get from New York City to Washington DC, and
from Seattle to Vancouver. In Europe, it’s a different story – the continent is
crisscrossed with high-speed services. Even in the UK, where rail services are
generally less reliable and fast than elsewhere in Europe, it beats the rat race
on the overcrowded motorways. For example, it takes just over two hours to
go from London to York by train, compared with five or six hours by car.

7. For longer journeys, there are usually sleeper services on offer for a

52
reasonable price, so you can go to sleep and wake up in a new place. It costs a
lot less money than a flat bed seat in a plane or a hotel for the night on a road
trip.

8. The pricing structure is transparent, especially if you book online and can
see all the options laid out before you. Tickets usually go on sale 90 days in
advance (120 days in the case of the Eurostar from London to Paris or Brussels)
and the earlier you book, the cheaper it is. It’s worth making sure you book a
seat as well as a ticket in case the train is full.

9. It’s possible to go almost anywhere in the world if you have the time –The
Man in Seat 61 shows you how.

10. The train can be is more than just a way to get from A to B and can be part
of the holiday itself. The website Luxury Trains has a few appealing
suggestions – how romantic and luxurious would it be to see Europe from the
comfort of the gorgeous old-time Orient Express? Or if you’re hankering after
the Australian outback, there’s a new service operating from Adelaide to
Darwin called the Ghan and Platinum service sounds quite wonderful.

http://ecosalon.com/eco-green-benefits-of-train-travel/

13.1 A Paradise Called Boracay

By Jill of alltrades

Boracay island Philippines is one place that grows on you. Once you have
been there, you can’t help but come back again and again and again.

If you are a sun worshipper with a taste for the beach, white sands and gentle
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breeze, then this is the place for you. But these are not the only things that
批注 [298]: 崇拜者
Boracay has to offer although they are the major reasons tourists flock to this
paradise.

1. Barefoot on the beach

The first thing I usually do when I get to Boracay is to walk barefoot on the
sand. You can do this no matter what time of the day. The white, powdery
sand remains cool even at noon, so it’s really fun to walk barefoot along the
beach. I also read somewhere that it is good for one’s heart and circulation to
walk barefoot on the sand.

2. Swim and play

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Swimming is the favorite activity of visitors to this place. The best times to
swim are before 10am and after 4pm. Why am I saying this? Well, it’s because
the clear, blue water of Boracay is so inviting such that you tend to forget
doctors’ admonition about the ill effects of too much sun.
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批注 [299]: 警告
If you are a sports enthusiast, then you should try jet skiing, boating, sailing,
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diving, snorkeling and other water sports. Don’t forget to also take a boat tour
批注 [300]: 喷气飞机
of the island. The tour goes around the island and will take you to some less
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frequented spots where you might find some “treasures” like a rare crab or a
批注 [301]: 不带潜水装置潜水
butterfly farm.

3. Take a photo

Sunset in Boracay is spectacular especially during the months of April to July.

As the sun sets, restaurants along the beach bring out their tables and chairs
so you can have a drink or two as you wait for the sun to color the sky. Don’t
forget your camera too. I have taken so many sunset photos of Boracay but I
still keep on shooting more every time I go back for another visit. Every
sunset is different from another.

4. Dance and Party

In the evening, the beach is alive with activity. The various restaurants and
hotels have their own shows and there is always a party going on. Graceful
dancers also perform “fire dancing” and the dancers are always willing to
give you a lesson or two about fire dancing. However, the best way to start
the lesson is to first dance without the fire. The dancers usually conduct free
lessons in the afternoon using pieces of cloth, so that by nighttime you can
dance with the real thing (hopefully).

You should try the food in any of the restaurants along the beach. Everything
is fresh and you can choose any seafood that you want grilled or cooked any
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other way. It is always so refreshing to feel the warm breeze caressing your
批注 [302]: 烤
hair as you sip young coconut juice and eat fresh crabs and shrimps with your
bare hands. You could of course use a spoon and fork, but it’s so much more
fun to eat with bare hands. Somehow it seems appropriate for beachside
eating.

5. Shopping

Boracay is also a haven for shoppers. There is a mall with many little shops as
well as many other small stores along the beach. If one knows how to bargain
and speak the language one can practically get all sorts of trinkets and
souvenirs for a song.

There are many other things you can do in Boracay but I will leave that to you
to discover when you decide to visit.

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As for me, I’m sure I will still keep on going back to Boracay, it’s my island.

http://jill-of-alltrades.hubpages.com/hub/Why-People-Love-Boracay

13.2 7 Reasons Why a Hawaii Vacation is Great for Your Health

By Sheila Beal on January 7, 2008 in General Hawaii

I’m always looking for good excuses as to why we should go to Hawaii.

Today, our excuse is to improve our health.
This time of year everyone seems to be a bit more health conscious. We vow
to get to a healthier weight, eat more nutritious foods, and exercise more. Well,
you’ll be pleased to know that going to Hawaii can help you keep your
resolutions. Here are seven great reasons how you’ll improve your health on a
vacation to Hawaii.

1.Fresh Fruits

In Hawaii, you’ll find the most delicious fresh tropical fruits. Forget about
what you may have had back on the mainland, the fresh Hawaiian fruit is far
better. I particularly enjoy the fresh papaya, pineapple and mango.

2.Fresh Fish

Ah, it’s time to make sure you get those heart healthy omega-3′s and you
won’t be complaining about it while savoring a fresh Hawaiian fish dinner.
My mouth is just watering thinking about all the great fresh fish caught in the
clean Hawaiian waters.

3.Rewarding Exercise

Instead of walking three miles on a treadmill staring at a television or

magazine, wouldn’t you rather hike along a fantastic beach trail or through a
rainforest and across a volcano crater? Hawaii is loaded with many miles of
hiking trails that offer rewarding scenery.
If you prefer water sports, you’ll find anything your heart desires in Hawaii.
You can learn to surf, try snorkeling, or go kayaking to name a few ideas.
If you’d rather keep up your gym routine, many resorts have state of the art
fitness centers. Several even offer views of the beach.

4.Relax and Rejuvenate in Some of the World’s Top Spas

Hawaii has some award winning spas with unique Hawaiian based
treatments. Have you ever noticed how helpful and healing a good massage
is? It is fantastic for the mind body and soul.
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5.Macadamia Nuts, Chocolate, and Coffee

And I repeat, there’s macadamia nuts, chocolate, and coffee! Now at first
thought you might be wondering how are those three treats good for your
health. So let’s explore why.
Macadamia nuts are good for your heart. They’re a great source of fiber and
protein and they may help reduce cholesterol. You’ll find macadamia nuts
used in many salads and fish dishes at Hawaii restaurants. You can also visit
a macadamia nut farm in Hawaii and do some sample tasting.
Chocolate is a health food. Yep, that’s right, chocolate is loaded with
antioxidants. Hawaii is the only US state that grows cacao, the plant which is
used to make chocolate. You can visit a chocolate farm and taste some of
those delicious antioxidants.
The coffee grown in Hawaii has a unique and robust flavor because it is
grown in the rich volcanic soil. Coffee is one of the foods that is the highest in
antioxidants. You can read more about the health benefits of drinking coffee
in moderation in this article.

6.Fresh Air

Hawaii has very little air pollution. Hawaii is located hundreds and
thousands of miles away from areas of heavy industry. The amount of
industrial operations in Hawaii is significantly less than on the mainland.

7.The Aloha Spirit

When you visit Hawaii, you’ll likely be impressed by the kind and friendly
people. That’s part of the aloha spirit. You’ll find this attitude and way of life
to be refreshing. If you pick up a little aloha spirit to bring home with you,
you’ll find a bit more happiness.
——
So, are you ready to improve your health and go visit Hawaii?

Originally posted at: 7 Reasons Why a Hawaii Vacation is Great for Your
Health http://www.govisithawaii.com/2008/01/07/7-reasons-why-a-hawaii-
vacation-is-great-for-your-health/#ixzz2HIb1n71E

14.1 5 reasons to be a singer

Ilovetosing.com

Every singer in the Music Entertainment Industry has different aspirations

and motivations. Consequently, each of us is likely to answer this question a

56
little differently. No one answer is wrong or even better than another. Still,
motivations fall into five primary categories:

1. Make a Living

This ranges from “pay the bills” to “get rich.” Some people are motivated
primarily by money or financial need, but everyone needs some source of
income. For those of us who are not independently wealthy, the prospect of
making a living by doing something we love (like working as a singer) is
attractive—a positive motivator.

2. Fulfill a Dream

Some of us want to see our names on the marquee, on records, or in the

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Billboard charts. Each year we witness hundreds of thousands of young
批注 [303]: 大屏幕
people lining up and sleeping on sidewalks for an American Idol audition.
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People flock to New York, London, and Chicago for their chance to shine in
批注 [304]: 试演
the spotlight on a dark theatre stage. We book professional studios and work
countless hours in home studios for a chance to have our music distributed
through iTunes and streamed to fans all over the world. Still, some of us
aspire to business, teaching, or technical support roles, but still desire a music
career.

3. Leave a Legacy
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批注 [305]: 遗产
“When I’m gone I want people to remember my music (or influence on the
Music Industry).” Looking a little further into the future, some of us are
motivated by the idea of creating something that lives on long after we are
gone; perhaps a complete business based on our songs, style of singing, or
innovation to the Music Industry that takes on an identity or life of its own.

4. Benefit Other People

Some of us focus on our immediate family while others are driven to benefit
the broader community or society as a whole. One of the initial ideas for
ILoveToSing.com was to teach children’s choirs that would teach children the
joy of singing for others while performing charitable work such as visiting the
elderly or raising funds or awareness for special needs or programs.

5. Adrenaline Rush
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
批注 [306]: 肾上腺素
There’s no other feeling like the energy coming from an audience during a
show. Whether it’s an intimate room with a handful of people or a stadium
周与茵 13-1-18 7:40 PM
packed with thousands, it can also be a positive motivator.
批注 [307]: 可以有亲密接触的

Perhaps for you it’s a combination of some or all of the above. Perhaps this
sounds like you:

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“I’ve always wanted my singing to help mankind—the big audience out there.
If I’m successful, I’ll make a good living along the way and be remembered as
a positive influence on the world. When I hear the applause after one of my
performances, I remember what it’s all about—the music.”

Tell me, what motivates you?

http://www.ilovetosing.com/2011/04/5-reasons-to-be-a-singer/

14.2 TOP 10 REASONS TO BE AN ENGINEER

1.Engineers work to solve global problems such as world hunger, clean water,
protecting the environment and improving the quality of everyday life.

2.Engineering allows you to use your creativity every day.

3.Engineering gives you the chance to collaborate with other professionals

such as lawyers, doctors, government officials, scientists, statisticians and
more.

4.Engineering is a global endeavor, frequently affording the opportunity for

travel.

1 Engineers have the opportunity for rapid advancement in their companies.

2 Engineers frequently have a high level of responsibility and autonomy in

their positions.

3 Engineering salaries remain high.

4 Engineering degrees provide excellent preparation for other professional

degrees such as medicine, law or business.

5 While working as a scientist frequently requires advanced degrees,

engineers are very employable with a bachelor’s degree.

10.Engineering has more impact on the world than any other profession.

http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/theengineeringplace/students/top10.php

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 14.3 What Are the Reasons to Become a Journalist?

Do you enjoy collecting and sharing information about people, events and
trends? Do you like writing, broadcasting or taking pictures? Are you
interested in sports, business, politics or art? If so, you might consider a career
in the diverse field of journalism. Continue reading to learn more reasons for
becoming a journalist. Schools offering Journalism degrees can also be found
in these popular choices.

Journalistic Attitude
Journalistic mediums and topics can vary, but if you already have a range of
core personality traits that are helpful to journalists, you may do well in this
field. You'll need confidence, curiosity and tenacity to discover the key facts
of the topics you're covering. Enjoying active communication, fact analysis
and research can be helpful as well. Honesty and integrity are vital parts of
the journalistic makeup; you'll need these to remain impartial while reporting.

Medium Variety
As a journalist, many different tools and mediums are at your disposal. You
will most likely choose one specialization and pursue training and education
in that field. If one of the following types of journalism interests you, then you
may have found a journalistic calling.

Broadcast Journalism
If you'd like to be a part of radio or television, you could get involved in
broadcast journalism. In this field, you can work on air as a reporter or behind
the scenes as a researcher. Even though you might not appear on camera as a
researcher, you'd create the news stories for on-air personalities to read and
comment on.

Photojournalism
You might consider photojournalism if you enjoy telling stories with pictures.
As a photojournalist, you capture a story through images, sometimes writing
or working with other journalists, as well. The purpose of photojournalism is
to make a relatable and objective narrative.

Print Journalism
Magazines, newspapers and other print media need journalists to write
stories for their audience. In this career, you could find freedom through
freelance positions, although being able to commit and meet deadlines is a
must.

Multimedia Journalism
If you can't decide on a medium, or you want to incorporate technical,
computer-related skills into your journalism, you might enjoy multimedia
journalism. This specialization is growing rapidly and involves keeping
Internet news and information outlets up to date. You might post videos,
audio clips, photos and news stories online, thereby making the news widely
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available.

Message Variety
No matter what you're interested in - food, art, politics, business, sports - you
can probably find a job that relates to your passion. Keep in mind, however,
that the field of journalism is a competitive one; before you can cover your
favorite topics, you may need to become experienced and prove your
journalistic worth.

Salary and Job Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), journalists received a
mean hourly wage of $21.05 as of May 2010, which amounts to an annual
mean income of $43,780 (www.bls.gov). If you're interested in achieving a
higher salary, you may be able to do so; journalists in the top tenth percentile
earned an average salary of $75,230 yearly. The BLS also notes that the states
with the highest income for journalists as of 2010 included the District of
Columbia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York and Georgia.

http://degreedirectory.org/articles/What_are_the_Reasons_to_Become_a_Jo
urnalist.html

14.4 8 Good Reasons to Be a Lousy Musician

June 30 by Dustin Wax

I’m a crappy guitarist. In the 20 years that I’ve been playing, I can’t once
remember playing scales, and I’ve never sat down to "practice". I still have
trouble with F-chords, I have awful right-hand technique, and my tempo has
been known to swing from too fast to too slow without ever hitting "just
right".

I wouldn’t give it up for the world.

See, I realized a long time ago that I wasn’t going to be a Famous Rock Star, or
even a semi-locally-famous folky. That dream I have where Ronnie’s down
for the count and I have to fill in on-stage with the Rolling Stones — and
we’re going on in 5 minutes! — would always be just a dream (thankfully).
That realization freed me to stop trying to be cool and to just enjoy playing,
and to this day my guitar is the one thing I own that I would consider going
into a burning building for. Playing guitar has stopped being something I do
for everyone else (even if they weren’t listening) and has become one of the
few things I do simply for the sheer enjoyment of it.

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You, too, should be a lousy musician

Everyone should have at least one thing in their life that they do for no other
reason than that they enjoy it. As it turns out, though, it’s harder to do things
for their own sake than it would seem! Collectors dream about the Big Find
that will make them rich, writers dream of the best selling novel that will get
them on Oprah, crafters and handy types think about how much money
they’re saving on gifts and household necessities — and musicians dream
about their big break with the Rolling Stones.

To be able to revel in an activity that you’re not all that good at and that
you don’t care that you’re not all that good at, to strive for and embrace
mediocrity in some area of our lives, that’s a hard thing for a lot of us to do.
But it’s worth it. Here are eight things I get out of being a crappy guitarist:

A) There’s no pressure.

If i never get even the tiniest bit better than I am right now, it won’t matter.
Nobody’s life, freedom, or even happiness depends on how well (or poorly) I
play "Rocky Raccoon". Whether I improve or don’t improve is totally
irrelevant to anything or anyone but me.

B) It creates a social bond between myself and others.

I’ve met thousands of other crappy guitarists over the course of my life, and a
few great ones. Being a guitarist myself creates a connection between us, gives
us something to talk about. Guitarists are always giving each other little gifts
— showing each other how to play a tricky part of a song, teaching each other
new chords or new ways to make old chords, sharing licks and riffs with each
other.

And, of course, non-musicians are always interested in the fact that I play. It
gives them something to talk to me about (apparently my knowledge of early
Cold War government sponsorship of social scientific research doesn’t give
them much to hold onto!) and, of course, it is mildly entertaining for them to
hear me play.

C) It creates a social bond between other people.

I carried an acoustic guitar with me all over Europe for a year, keeping it
under my bed in hostel after hostel, carting it in it’s heavy reinforced case
from town to town on busses and trains, dragging it through the streets of
Paris, Prague, Budapest, and Amsterdam. And I’m glad I did.
Not just because playing in hostels and on park benches helped me make
friends, but because it helped the people around me make friends. Once a
roomful of travelers have sung "American Pie" at the top of their lungs
together (badly), the ice is pretty much broken. People start interacting,
because nothing can make them feel any more self-conscious.

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D) I get immediate gratification.

I pick up a guitar, finger a chord, and strum, and music comes out. What
could be more rewarding? I play, music happens. Instantly.
And if I try something tricky, I can hear on the spot whether it worked or not.
If I’m trying to figure out a song, I’ll try all manner of different things, until
suddenly I hit the strings a few times and the song I’m trying to learn starts
coming out.

E) I’ve developed a new appreciation of music.

Because I’m always listening to music with an ear towards learning how to
play it, I’ve become adept at working out how the different pieces fit together,
and what makes each of them work, apart and together.
Aside from the increased formal appreciation of usic, I’ve also become much
more appreciative of the work that a musician has to do to make a song work.
Songs I might have — heck, <em>did</em> — totally dismissed at one point
I listen to quite seriously today, because I know how difficult it is to make
even a bad song.

F) Playing music creates mindfulness.

Guitar playing is, for me, a kind of meditation. There have been too many
time to count when, looking for a moment’s distraction, I’ve ended up
playing for hours. When you’re playing, your attention is (usually) focused
entirely on the here and now, the unfolding of notes and chords into melodies
and, ultimately, songs. This kind of mindfulness means I’m living entirely in
the present, even if just for a few moments — a skill that most of us, with our
crazy lives and hectic schedules, have a hard time cultivating.

G) It’s relaxing.

Just listening to music is often enough to help ease the stress of our day-to-
day lives; making music is a thousand times more effective (as long as you’re
not worrying about how you’ll deal with your groupies after you’ve broken
big on MTV). The combination of mindfulness and almost willful mediocrity
lets me ease up on myself and just be for a little while, clearing my head and
soothing the tensions that build up over the course of the day.

H) It’s just for me.

Finally, playing music is something that I do solely because it makes me

happy. While I can and do share my playing with others, in the end I play for
entirely selfish reasons: because I feel like it.

What are you lousy at?

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I think everyone should be lousy at something they love. What do you do that
you simply don’t care if you ever get any better at it, that you do just because
it pleases you to do it? Let us know!
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/8-good-reasons-to-be-a-lousy-
musician.html

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