A woman is swimming at night in a dark sea. Suddenly, she is pulled underwater. She surfaces, cries in terror, then disappears forever. This is the opening scene from the 1975 film Jaws. This film was a great hit, but it made things worse.
Jaws made people frightened of sharks, especially of the great white shark. Some stopped swimming in the sea, afraid of the horrible creature from the film. Others started fishing for sharks, killing as many as they could. At that time, nobody cared if sharks were killed, or how many were killed. People just wanted them killed.
After 1975, the number of large sharks fell quickly around the world. This was not only due to fear of sharks, but also finning, a type of fishing where sharks are caught and their fins cut off. Unexpectedly, finning would have a powerful effect upon Peter Benchley, who wrote the book the film Jaws was based on.
One day in 1980, Benchley was diving when he came across an awful sight. He saw fishermen finning and sharks being killed, which caused a deep change in him. From then on, he saw people as a danger to sharks, rather than the other way round. Also, he admitted that his book was wrong about sharks' behavior. "Sharks don't target(以…为目标）humans, " he said. Experts have proved that sharks do not see people as food, and they attack us by mistake. Only around six people are killed by sharks every year.
Today, as we learn more about sharks, more people than ever want to protect them from extinction.
Last year, hundreds of people spent good money on an experience that they knew would include crowds, discomfort and danger. Many would become sick, due to the extreme cold and low air pressure, and a few would even lose their lives. However, by the end of the trip many were already planning a return to Qomolangma. For these people, climbing Qomolangma is an experience like no other, making some feel weak and others, powerful.
Mallory wrote of climbing Qomolangma, "What we get from this British climber George adventure is pure joy. . . We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means. "He added. "There are a thousand reasons to turn going. You really have to focus on the one reason that matters around and only one to keep the most. "
With most attempts(尝试）to climb Qomolangma resulting either in total success or failure, is there also a scientific reason behind this risk-taking? Recent studies indicate that risk-taking may be part of human nature, with some of us more likely to take risks than others. Psychologist Frank Farley has spent years studying people who jump out of planes and drive fast cars, as well as those who climb Qomolangma. He refers to the personalities of these people as" Type T", with the "T" standing for" thrill(激动) "Speaking to the LA Times about the" Type T" personalities, Farley said, "They'll say, 'I'm not taking risks, I'm an expert.' They don't want to die and they don't expect to die. "
With this in mind, is climbing Qomolangma worth the risks? It's totally up to you.
I thought I knew a lot about Hamlet. As an English literature major, I have to!Having seen quite a few productions of Hamlet and read the play many times, I was full of confidence-until Peking Opera came to town!
Peking Opera has over two hundred years of history, so does this mean it's easier than a Shakespeare play to understand? To find out the answer, I just had to go and see The Revenge of Prince Zidan- the Peking Opera version(版本）of Hamlet.
The opera brought a completely new sound to my Western ears. At first, I thought it was a violin. but later I learnt that it was a traditional Chinese instrument called jinghu. Then. seeing the characters in fantastic costumes and masks, I was amazed! They of course sang in Chinese, but the music and exaggerated movements helped get the meanings across to the audience. The voices sounded really unique-some of the female voices were so high that I was sure they could break glass!
Easily my favourite part of the show was how the characters moved on stage. I had never seen Prince Hamlet do a backflip(后空翻）before! It was so dazzling and energetic that I wasn't sure if the characters were performers or athletes!
Before experiencing The Revenge of Prince Zidan, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it. But, in fact, I was on the edge of my seat! Feeling the strong emotions of love, anger, fear and grief in the performance, I could easily recognize the theme of Hamlet. So, if you want to see a show that combines music, singing, drama, poetry and costume design with explosive effect, The Revenge of Prince Zidan ticks all the right boxes!
D . It's disappointing.
Cold Truths
Is there any truth behind the saying "You are what you eat"? We put this to the test by asking three people to open their fridge doors and talk about their lifestyles.Maybe you can recognize your own fridge here!
"You might find bean products in our fridge, but hamburgers? Never!"—Amy, Teacher
This means we don't eat meat, and any milk or cheese had better be dairy-free. We like cooking at home and make our meals from fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables. If we have children, I want to bring them up just like us, but my husband says that everyone should be able to make their own lifestyle choices.
""—Mike, Chef
With five children, we're one big family! My wife and I both work full-time, so life can get pretty busy! Like a lot of chefs I know, I don't really do much cooking at home. Sometimes I bring home food from the restaurant where I work. Once a week we do a big shop and buy a lot of frozen food. I know we should eat more fresh fruit and vegetables...
"There isn't really much in my fridge. I'm too busy and tired to cook at home!"—Ted, Doctor
There's not enough room to swing a cat in my small apartment, so I don't cook very often. My fridge is usually half empty and I'm often too tired to eat much anyway.. As a doctor, I know I had better change the way I eat, but I just don't have the time or the energy right now.
A. My husband and I avoid all animal products.
B. Can you guess which fridge belongs to which person?
C. But ready meals are so convenient for full-time workers.
D. The food in our fridge comes from my workplace and shops.
E. My fridge is a total mess for all I do is party and hit the books.
F. I still don't think that anything can beat my mum's T-bone steaks.
G. Some evenings I'll have something quick like toast or even just a yogurt.
As I entered the hospital in my white coat, I looked just like any other doctor. That was until I 1my curly rainbow wig(假发), big red nose, and added my name badge "Doctor Larry Laugh-Out-Loud". I walked through the doors into the waiting area, where. there was a familiar 2 of boredom and tiredness. People sat on plastic chairs and waited3 , looking through old magazines.
Suddenly, I 4 a small girl whose ankle was twice its normal size. The on-duty nurse told me that Lara's parents 5 her to the hospital immediately after she fell off her bicycle. After getting here, Lara couldn't stop giving cries of 6. Though it was doctors and nurses who would treat her injury, it was my 7to make her feel better.
We clown(扮成小丑的）doctors are 8trained to work together with medical professionals. On a workday, we spend our time9patients, their families, and more often than not, the hospital staff, too! We do this by singing songs, telling silly jokes, etc. Some children don't feel like 10, though. We have to be very 11and understanding, and work closely with doctors and nurses.
And my magic medicine indeed seemed to 12. While the doctor focused on examining Lara's ankle, I got her 13by doing the magic tricks. 14she was clearly painful, her scared look was gradually 15by a big smile as I" magically" produced her sock from out of my pocket. Seeing their daughter so much happier made Lara's parents more relaxed.
And 16me, when I took off my wig and my red nose after a whole day's work, I was still 17 a big smile, because I 18 all the fun and laughter of the day. I hope clown doctors can help make the hospital a19 place for Lara and other patients to visit. 20, laughter is the best medicine.
That fall, Li Daiyu and Liu Qian took a train trip to Montreal, the second(large) city in Canada. And following was part of their brief account. Our trip started from Vancouver, a most beautiful city （surround)by the Pacific Ocean. this eastward trip, we passed through a variety of scenery: from lowering mountains lo big cities. After (travel) two days, we realized that what we saw along the way was quite different from was learned at school before. We knew most Canadians live within a few kilometers of the USA border and that Canada's population is (slight) over thirty million. But now we were amazed(see) such an empty country. What's more, it was (surprise) that Canada has one-third of the world's total fresh water, much of is in the Great Lakes.
