Have you ever fancied sailing around the world or buying a holiday home in the Caribbean? Well, before you get too excited, it may help to find out if you have what it takes to become a billionaire.
We've all heard stories of school drop-outs who have made their fortune. Do they tend to be university graduates or self-made successful people? Are they married or single?
Thanks to a recent analysis of people in Forbes（福布斯）Top 100 Billionaires List, we can now find out what they have in common. We know what percentage wear glasses and even how many are bald!
If you are deciding whether or not to go to university, it may help you to know that 76% of the richest people in the world have a degree. According to this study, of those 76%, 47% have a bachelor's degree, 23% have a master's and 6% have a doctorate. Don't lose hope if you aren't very academic, though. It's worth noting that many of those on the list did not pass all their exams with flying colors. Microsoft founder Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard University after two years of study. And Chinese business magnate Jack Ma, failed his university entrance exams three times before going on to complete his degree and make his millions.
Another interesting trend is that the world's richest people are much more likely to be married - only 12% of billionaires are unmarried. Finally, the percentage of billionaires who are bald is quite high – so don't worry if you're losing your hair.
Sometimes it's necessary to take a break, relax and forget the routine (日常工作), so I know of an excellent place to do it outside the city. It's a beautiful place and I really enjoy going there.
The name is Tepoztlán, 71 km south of Mexico City. Here you can find a lot of different meals, beautiful landscapes, historical buildings, local souvenirs, and so on.
The weather most of the time is very hot, and I have to give you some advice if you go.
● Use sun block ● Wear comfortable clothes, sunglasses and a hat ● Drink a lot of waterI give you this advice because I ended up with sunstroke. I'm going to tell you how my trip started. When we got there we were really starving, so we decided to have breakfast and when we go to Tepoztlan we usually enjoy "quesadillas" in the market.
In Mexico, it's very common to eat in the market, but these kinds of markets not only sell food but also you can buy clothes, flowers, everything you can imagine.
Tepoztlan has a lot of tourist sites, but the main attraction is Tepozteco hill, and it's more attractive for the visitors during "Spring Equinox". To be honest, I've never climbed it, I'm too lazy to walk a lot and even more in the sun.
In my trip we didn't have time to do all that because one day is not enough, but if you have the opportunity to stay for more than one day it's an excellent idea.
C
How often do you check your phone? According to a study led by Nottingham Trent University in Britain, the average person looks at their phones 86 times a day. Updating their status on social media platforms also made people reach for their electronic companion frequently.
Even the participants thought that was a lot: this figure is twice as often as they thought they did. Our phones might be shaping our behavior more than we realize. Do you actually look at your surroundings more than at your phone? Is it rude to check your phone when someone is talking to you?
Sherry Turkle interviewed hundreds of college students about this. She's a professor of social studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They talked about something they called "the rule of three".
The rule has to do with being considerate to others despite the allure (诱惑力) of the little flat box. Turkle explains: "If you go to dinner with friends, you don't want to look down at your phone until you see that three people are looking up in the conversation. So there's a new rule where you don't look down unless three people are looking up in order to keep a little conversation alive."
Actually, if you are clever enough you might use your phone as a tool to connect with people next to you. Sharing a bit of your life with them can bring you closer together. And you can also invite everyone to take a selfie (自拍照) with you.
But the best thing to deal with mobile phone addiction is to go cold turkey and leave the machine behind occasionally or just switch it off and keep it firmly in your pocket for a while.
Today, some traditional methods are unfashionable, particularly in the fast changing world of technology. A person who relies only on formal education may be cheated. Self-learning is still considered the best. You know yourself best, and you can learn at your own pace.
A self-learner has his own freedom. It is a choice between the things that you may want to learn more and improving your abilities. It can also lead you to great personal satisfaction.
Then, what you should pay attention to when you are teaching yourself? Well, first of all you must realize what you will do and achieve. Whether it is learning a new language, a new subject or a hobby, it can be a great start in teaching yourself.
It can be harder than a typical classroom situation. One should have the ability to keep on trying, especially during times when you want to give up.
Learning the basics is very important before starting a new approach. It may become easy if you master the basics and its advanced skills.
Give yourself some space when problems are at hand. Timing out may renew your mindset and energies, particularly in solving problems.
Involve yourself in a group of people who have the skills that you want to achieve.
A. Learning on your own is more enjoyable.
B. So ask yourself what you want to do.
C. A person also has to help himself learn.
D. Be brave to turn to others for advice outside class.
E. Forums (论坛) are the best way to get valuable information.
F. Don't try to spend a lot of time researching learning methods.
G. Be patient while you are learning on your own.
The Depression was still going on, but I was in good spirits. I was going to graduate from elementary school, yet my mother 1dressed me in shorts. Most of my classmates had given up 2 shorts. For the graduation ceremony, all the boys were 3 to dress the same way-white shirts and dark-blue wool pants.
I waited until a week before I told my mother. I 4 I'd better break the news to her as gently as I could.
"Mom," I said, "about 5……"
"Yes?" she answered.
"They're going to give me the first –prize medal," I said.
She looked 6 her shoulder at me and smiled. "That's wonderful, Babe. Dad and I will both be there, and we'll be the 7parents in the place."
She must have seen by the look on my face that 8 was wrong. She turned her back and said, "So?"
"So, I have to get 9 pants," I said.
"Babe, we don't have the 10 for new pants right now," she said very quietly, "You know that."
"Ok," I burst out. "Then I won't go to graduation. Plus, I'm 11 away from home!"
The following Saturday, when my mother said, "Let's go shopping," I knew she had 12 the problem. We walked a short way and stopped at a place I had never 13 before. My mother said, " 14 here," She entered a storefront that looked like a 15. She came out about ten minutes later, and we went to the pants store. I was holding the new pants 16 under my arm when my mother went to pay for it. I saw her 17 a tiny brown envelope from her purse. There were four 18 new one-dollar bills inside.
About halfway home, I 19 down at my mother's hands. It was then that I saw the wedding ring that had always circled her ring finger was 20 there.
As a man (pass) the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope (tie) to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at any time, break away from their bonds, for some reason, they did not.
He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt (get) away. "Well," the trainer said, "when they are very young and much (small) we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, is enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe rope can still hold them, so they never try."
The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were (stick) right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life (hang) onto a belief that we cannot do something, (simple) because we failed at it once before?
Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life.
George's mother was very poor and was sick. Instead of having bright fires in winter, she had nothing to burn but dry sticks, which George picked up from under the trees.
One fine day in July, his sick mother sent him to the woods. He was to stay there all day, to get as much wood as he could collect.
It was a bright, sunny day, and George worked very hard, so that by the time the sun was high, he was hot, and wished for a cool place where he might rest and eat his dinner. While he hunted for a spot about the bank he saw among the grass some fine, wild strawberries.
"How good these will be with my bread and butter!" thought George Lining his cap with leaves, he set to work eagerly to gather all he could find, and then seated himself by the river.
It was a pleasant place, and George felt happy and contented. He thought how much his mother would like to see him there, and to be there herself, instead of in her dark room in the village.
George thought of all this, and just as he was lifting the first strawberry to his mouth, he said to himself. "How much Mum would like these!" and he stopped, and put the strawberry back again. "Shall I save them for her?" said he, thinking how much they would refresh her, yet still looking at them with a longing eye.
"I will eat half , and take the other half to her", said he at last, and he divided them into two heaps(堆). But each heap looked so small, that he put them together again.
"I will only taste one." thought he. As he again lifted it to his mouth, he saw that he had taken the finest and he put it back. "I will keep them all for her." said he with great happiness, and he covered them up nicely ready to take home.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；2. 使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；3. 续写部分分两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1
He stood up and started to get more and more wood until the sun was beginning to sink.
……
Paragraph 2
Just as he had thrown down his wood, he heard his mother's weak voice calling him from the next room.……
