When he was driving home one evening on a country road, Joe saw an old lady, stranded（抛锚）on the side of the road. He stopped in front of her car and got out. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. He looked poor and hungry. He knew how she felt. He said, “I am here to help you, madam. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Joe.”
She had a flat tire（轮胎）.Joe crawled under the car, changed the tire. But he got dirty and his hands hurt. She could not thank him enough and asked him how much she owed him. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance he needed, and Joe added, “And think of me.”
She drove off. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small restaurant. She went in. The waitress had a sweet smile, and was nearly eight months pregnant（怀孕）. The old lady wondered how someone like her who seemed poor could be so kind to a stranger. Then she remembered Joe. After the lady finished her meal, the waitress went to get her change from a hundred-dollar bill. But she stepped right out of the door.
When the waitress came back, she noticed something written on a napkin, “I am helping you because someone once helped me. If you really want to pay me back, here's what you do—Do not let the chain of love end with you.”
That night when she got home, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. She and her husband needed money with the baby due next month. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she whispered, “Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Joe.”
How Important Is Fashion?
Is looking fashionable more important than being comfortable? Many people seem to think so, judging by the things they wear. But fashion is not everything. It is more important to be a healthy and good person.
People go to great lengths to be fashionable. Some people think they have to have a certain body type, so they go on extreme, unhealthy diets in order to change their bodies. In addition, many women wear uncomfortable fashions, such as high-heeled shoes that create blisters（水泡）, tight body shapers that limit blood flow, and sticky false eyelashes. Men and women alike spend time and money on products that change their natural hair color and use hot irons and blow dryers to curl or straighten their hair. Some people spend several hours a day in front of a mirror. Is fashion important enough to spend so much time and effort on changing how you look like?
If the purpose of fashion is to make a person feel good, it does not make sense that he or she would go through so much discomfort to be fashionable. Fashion should not come first. People should prioritize（优先考虑）being healthy and positive. What people wear does not indicate anything about their personalities. Instead of spending hours choosing a suit, perhaps you should call your friends and do something together! Instead of going on strict diets and starving, why not eat some healthy foods and then exercise? By doing these things, you can keep a healthy lifestyle and truly grow as a person.
People have used pigeons to carry messages to one another for hundreds of years. In fact, pigeons were a common way to send messages right up through Would War II.
In 1815, English troops were fighting Napoleon's forces in France, and the English were believed to be losing. A financial panic swept over London. Government bonds（债券）were offered at low prices. Few people noticed that Nathan Rothschild, an English banker, was snapping up these bonds when everyone else was trying to sell them. A few days later, London learned the truth: the Duke of Wellington had defeated Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo. The value of the bonds soared（暴涨）, and Rothschild became wealthy…all because his pigeons had brought him news of the victory before anyone else knew of it.
Carrier pigeons were used by countries in both World War I and World War II. Not only were the birds often the fastest, most reliable way to send messages, they could also be used to reach soldiers far behind enemy lines, where radios and field telephone lines were useless. Since they could easily be released from airplanes or ships, every branch of the armed services used the birds.
Carrying messages could be a dangerous job. Some pigeons performed with such bravery that they became famous and were even awarded medals. The most famous pigeon of all may have been Cher Ami. Stationed in France during World War I, he carried twelve important messages for American forces. On his last mission, though wounded, he carried a message that saved the lives of 194 American soldiers. For his amazing service, he was awarded the French “Croix de Guerre.”
Today, modern communication methods can carry information from one place to another hundreds of times faster than a pigeon could do it. However, few people would argue with the fact that carrier pigeons — especially those that served in the military — have earned their place in history.
Study Habits You Should Be Practising
With exams, essays, projects, and many deadlines for different things, effective（有效的）study habits are necessary. If you are in need of a bit of an improvement, keep reading for the top four study habits that you should be practicing.
⒈Make and use flashcards.
By using flashcards with a question on one side and the answer on the other, you will force your brain to recall he necessary information. Even if you struggle a bit with a card, you will still be actively revising the necessary material.
⒉Revise, revise, revise!
Many students put off studying until just before the exam, with the more hardworking students giving themselves a week or two before a test. It's best to revise the information a little bit every day, so that you are not upset when a test comes around.
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One of the most effective—and the most fun—methods of studying is to watch related lectures and videos in order to get more material. Watch documentaries or videos on YouTube and educational websites. You may be surprised at how much you can learn from videos, and just how much information is available online.
⒋Re-write your notes.
Studies have shown that writing information out by hand increases your ability to remember the material. This makes the recall go hand-in-hand with muscle memory.
These are the four most effective study habits, and something all successful students do. Make sure you are on top of your game by following these study methods!
A. Watch related lectures and videos. B. One method of revising is to make a mind-map. C. Use these graded tests to create a new practice test. D. Having these great study habits can make things easier. E. However, it's actually an ineffective method of preparing and studying. F. Flashcards are designed to improve active memory recall of information. G. You will be able to picture your written notes when you are taking the exam. |
I believe I had the perfect life. Because I was about to 1 my high school, and on my way to college, I had great friends and a loving family. There was nothing 2. But I spoke too soon.
It was around 9:25 a. m. that I heard the news that would 3 my life forever. My brother Zach had been in a car accident. He fought for five days before he 4. That day, I became an only child. I felt extremely 5.
After Zach's death, I found6 in food. I ate, then I slept, then I ate again. I couldn't cry. I could hardly feel anything, and I was 7. I stopped building relationships for fear that they would end just as 8 as Zach's life. Also, I became nervous about any potentially 9 situations-driving late at night-but I couldn't express this fear of life 10 I wanted to be strong for my parents. I saw my parents' 11 worse than mine because of the losing of their son. I didn't want them to 12 me. I also experienced a lot of 13, because I was angry about why the sadness had happened to me, and I never 14from this emotion.
Now, it has been nearly five years since Zach's death. I don't 15 life anymore: I fact it bravely. I 16 my friendships and began socializing more. I even 17 Zach's story with people around me, although my new friends met him they know about Zach.
One lesson I learned from losing my brother was never to be 18 to say, “I love you.” I loved my brother, but it was too late to 19 it loudly. The last time I remember telling my brother I loved him was when he was when he was dying. Don't make this 20 like me.
When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be very difficult to let go of your anger. forgiveness is possible-and it can be surprisingly beneficial to your physical and mental health. So far, research has shown that people who forgive can have more energy and (good) sleep.
So when someone has hurt you, cool down first. Take a couple of (breath) and think of something that (give) you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, or someone you love. Don't wait for apology. “Many times the person who hurts you may never think of (apologize),” says Dr. Frederic Luskin, wrote the book Forgive for Good. “They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don't see things the same way. So if you wait for people (say) sorry, you could be waiting a very long time.” Next keep in mind that forgiveness does not (necessary) mean accepting the action of the person who upsets you. Instead, learn to look for the love,(beautiful) and kindness around you. Finally, try to see things from the other person's position. You may realize that he or she was acting out of carelessness.
