Books to Read in Your 20s
The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini
As a Middle Eastern and North African Studies student, I have a great interest in books about what takes place in this area. I first read this book in high school and really enjoyed it because of its accurate language. If any of you is interested in reading this book and hasn't yet, I highly recommend it.
Fire fly Lane By Kristin Hannah
This is my favorite book. It is a story about friendship, love and life lessons. The story covers the lives of two best friends, Tully and Kate, from childhood to adulthood. I learned so much about friendship and life. So, read Firefly Lane! You'll laugh, you'll cry, and then you'll share this book to your best friend.
Half the Sky By Nicholas Kristof
For any person of any age, Half the Sky is a must-read. It describes the struggle of women and the most pressing human rights problems of our time: the common oppression of women and girls.
The Little Prince By Antoine de Saint
This children's book is simple. It might seem like a wrong book to recommend to someone in their twenties, but perhaps that's what makes it a good choice. It sings praises to exploration and shows the importance of making friends.
There is an English saying that "Laughter(笑) is the best medicine." Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter can really improve people's health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works on several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effects of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated（忍耐）the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients' condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.
Popcorn Park Zoo is not like most zoos. It is a very special place.
This unusual place was not originally a zoo. At first it was called the Forked River Animal Care Center. The workers there looked after lost or unwanted cats and dogs. Today the center is part of the zoo, but now many other kinds of animals are helped there, too.
The changes to the center began in 1977 when a raccoon(浣熊) needed help. One of its front paws(爪子) had been badly hurt. The workers cared for the animal. Finally it was better, but it could not care for itself. The raccoon was allowed to live there. Then a hurt deer was brought there for help. It, too, stayed there after it got well.
Once people heard about the wonderful work being done at the center, they began taking all kinds of hurt or homeless animals there. Soon it was no longer just a home for cats and dogs. So many animals were living there that it became more like a zoo.
Popcorn Park Zoo got its funny name because many of the animals there like to eat popcorn made without oil or salt. The popcorn is sold there to help make money to care for the animals. People buy the popcorn to feed the animals as a treat.
Popcorn Park Zoo now looks after more than 200 kinds of animals. Many of them live freely there. Some of the gentler ones, such as goats, sheep, geese, and deer, walk among the visitors who come to see them. Others are kept in large closed areas almost like their natural homes. All the animals there get care and love.
Fu Yuanhui is China's newest sweetheart. The 20-year-old swimmer from Hangzhou won a bronze medal at the recent Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But it wasn't the medal that charmed people's hearts, it was Fu's honest remarks and bubbly personality.
Climbing out of the pool after a semi-final heat, Fu looked tired and out of breath, and not very happy. She thought her time may not have been good enough to make the final. But the reporter told her otherwise. Fu had just swum a personal best! And it was Fu's reaction (反应) to this news that made everyone fall in love with her.
Her eyes got big and smiled. "Wow, I'm so fast!" she said. And she joked with the girl reporter that she must have been helped by her "mystical powers." Later, after the final race, it was the same reporter who again surprised Fu by telling her she'd won a bronze medal. "What? Really?" she said, "That's not so bad, then."
Fu worked hard to get to the Olympics and her training, she said, "Even though I did not win a gold medal, I surpassed (超过) myself and I am happy with that."
How to Recognize a True Friend
Sometimes it can be hard to recognize a true friend. Hopefully this article will help you recognize which friends are the keepers.
Be able to trust your friends. You ought to be able to trust true friends and they should return this trust. Do your friends tell you secrets that no one else knows? Ask you for advice？ However, if your friends tend to hide things from you and act secretly, then this is a sign that they may not trust you.
Think about it. How comfortable are your friends when they are around you? Are they being themselves around you? Are they hiding something? True friendships can take a while to develop, but if your friends are true they should feel comfortable with you, and vice versa (You with them).
Think about loyalty (忠诚). If you are in need of a helping hand, your true friends should be there to offer it to you. True friends don't try to get one another into trouble. A true friend will always be loyal to you and will not reveal secrets.
Think about nicknames(外号). A lot of true friends love to give each other nicknames! If your friend is giving you nicknames, then this is a great sign. Think of the nickname your friend has given you, does it suit you well？
Look at how you fight. Nearly all best friends fight. True friends will find their way through a fight, no matter what the size is. True friends will remain "faithful" to each other even during a fight. They will not leak each other's secrets, and they still care about each other.
A．Consider comfort.
B．Choose your friends carefully.
C．True friends are always there for one another.
D．Both are sure signs that your friends trust you.
E．If so, this shows your friend must know you quite well.
F. So if you and your friend have arguments, don't worry!
G．An inside joke shows that you share a special connection with your friend.
Feeding the stray cats (流浪猫) in my neighborhood used to be part of my daily routine.
Last month, my favorite cat named Ginger 1 a litter of cute babies! Surprised and excited, I2 them a new cat house, food bowls and even a large pack of cat food. I 3 the whole package of love and care behind the bushes so that they'd be safe and sound.
However, a few days later I found what I bought for Ginger was 4 ! I started looking for Ginger and her house right away. To my 5 , a security guard(保安) showed up. "I know what you're looking for," said the middle-aged man. "6 . The cat family is safe, and they didn't need those things."
My mind was filled with questions and anger, but he seemed 7 . "You see, Ginger is an 8 creature. She can manage herself without you. I 9 your willingness to help, but Ginger should take responsibility for herself. 10 , by providing her with everything, you're making her more and more dependent on 11 . You've been making life way too 12 for them — and that's no good for any wildlife."
I understood his 13 . For Ginger and her babies, my care and love are a 14 , but as a helper, I was doing too much. I should let them be who they really are. A 15 doesn't always have to "help".
Normally, my two year old cat Tiger hates it when I use my tablet(平板电脑) because it takes my attention away from him. In July last year, I hadfall at home and was on the floor for six (hour). During this time, I was (able) to move and couldn't get to the phone to call for help. Tiger stayed by my side until he(disappear) suddenly under my bed. "What's he up to?" I wondered. my surprise, he started to push something towards me. It was my tablet,I didn't realize had fallen off the bed and onto the floor. Tiger(probable) didn't know what it was,he knew it would make me happy.
Thanks to Tiger, I was able to contact a friend of(I), who then called emergency services. It took me the next eight days in hospital(recover). When I returned home, I bought Tiger a big fish to thank him.
Something happened to Arthur when he was on the way to work one day. As he walked along Park Avenue near the First National Bank, he heard the sound of someone trying to start a car. He tried again and again but couldn't get the car moving. Arthur turned and looked inside at the face of a young man who looked worried. Arthur stopped and said, "It looks like you've got a problem."
"I'm afraid so. I'm in a big hurry but I can't start my car."
"Is there something I can do to help?" Arthur asked. The young man looked at the two suitcases in the back seat and then said, "Thanks. If you're sure it wouldn't be too much trouble, you could help me get these suitcases into a taxi."
"No trouble at all. I'd be glad to help."
The young man got out and took one of the suitcases from the back seat. After placing it on the ground, he turned to get the other one. Just as Arthur picked up the first suitcase and started walking, he heard the long loud noise of an alarm.
It was from the bank. There had been a robbery (抢劫)!
Park Avenue had been quiet a moment before. Now the air was filled with the sound of the alarm and the shouts of people running from all directions. Cars stopped and the passengers joined the crowd in front of the bank. People asked each other, "What happened?" But everyone had a different answer.
Arthur, still carrying the suitcase, turned to look at the bank and walked right into a young woman in front of him. She looked at the suitcase and then at him. Arthur was surprised. "Why is she looking at me like that?" He thought. "The suitcase! She thinks I'm the bank thief!" Arthur looked around at the crowd of people. He became frightened, and without another thought, he started to run. As he was running, Arthur heard the young man shouting behind, "Stop! Stop!".
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
All of a sudden, a horrible thought just came into Authur's mind.
……
The taxi stopped in front of the Police Station.
