The recent few weeks have been the perfect time for a good book and here are some good ones that allow readers to get completely lost in another world.
Watch Me Disappear
If you like mysteries with the family drama, Janelle Brown's best-selling thriller is for you. The story follows a wealthy wife and mom who goes on a hike and never retumas. Her lonely husband and teenage daughter, Olive (who's dealing with her own problems), are confused with sorrow wttile tryng to find out what happens.
The Boy from the Woods
If you pick up one of Harlan Coben's books, you won't be able to put it down. His mystery stories keep readers fascinated. The Boy from the Woods is sure to satisfy fans by its twisty, heart-racing plots filled with interesting and exciting atmosphere. This is the book to read if you love masterful suprises.
How to Walk Away
Katherine Center's best- selling novel follows a young woman, Margaret, with her perfect fiance, a pilot who takes her on an upeting flight that changes her life forever. Readers adore Margaret's wisdom and humor as she faces a changed world and figures out what Iove really looks like.
The Last One Left
This novel, first published in 1967, still attracts readers decades later. Novelist Dean Koontz wrote the introduction to the recent eition, where he describes reading each of John D. MacDonald's novets-"at least three times, some of them twice", This is your next read if you want to be swept away by amasterpiece of the mystery and excitement.
Chen Xingrong, 16, was born with autism (自闭症). "We did not understand why such a thing would happen to us,"says Chen's father Chen Xunbu. He quit his job at a computer company and devoted his ful attention to helping his son. In 2012, Chen Xunbu learned that swimming could belp people with autism improve their articulation (发音) and physical growth, so he spent months teaching his son to swim
"The efforts made no difference in the turst tbree months," he recalls. To his surprise, after another three months, he discovered that his son bad developed the ability to control his breath under water, which significantly boosted his confidence. "I used to plan all his exercises for him, but now it is all up to him," says the father. "He decides how many exercises he wants to do, and we respect his choices. " In spite of all the hardships in life, Chen Xingrong managed to become an outstanding swimmer, thanks to constant training and the support of his parents. Last year, he won five medals, including a gold, at the 11th National Games for Persons wim Disabilities and the eighth National Special Olympic Games.
In 2010, an autism-themed film, titled Ocean Heaven, hit the big screen in China. It describes how a dying father attempts to teach his son the necessary life skills lo live without him. "My wife and I watched the film in the theater," he says. "We wept uncontrollably because we could resonate with the flm's characters. "
Since then, as well as swimming, helping his son learn basic life skills is also an important aim for the father. Thanks to his efforts, Chen Xingrong has leamed to buy food in the market in their neighborhood. He also does voluntary jobs at supermarkets and fast food restaurants, such as arranging shelves and cleaning dining tablcs. "He is part of the community, and I hope he will live a normal life in the future. There is nothing that we want more than that,"says Chen Xunhu.
Everyone procrastinates. We put things off because we don't want to do them, or because we have too many other things on our plates. Putting things off- big or small- is part of being buman. But procrastination does have consequences. When your procrastination leaves you feeling discouraged, it is time to take action, and one of tbe best ways to get rid of it is to make an un-schedule.
An un-schedule is a weekly calendar of all the ways in which your time is already accounted for. You consider not only your timed commitments such as classes and meetings, but also your untimed activitics such as meals, exercise, time with friends, and the like. Once you have made your un-schedule, you may be able to see your tine is often filled with more activities than you realize, for instance, that you really don't have five bours to spend writing on the nigbt before your paper is due. Procrastinators' views of time tend to be unrealistic, and the un-schedule can help you outline a realistic plan. By planning accordingly, you will not only get a better night's sleep, you may also end lup with a better paper.
The un-schedule might also be a good way to get started on a larger project, such as a temm paper or an honors paper. You may think that you have"all semester"" to get the writing done, but if you really map out how much ime you bave available to write on a daily and weekly basis, you will sce that you need to get started sooner, rather than later. In addition, the un-schedule may reveal especially busy weeks or months, whicb will help you budget time for long- term projects.
Perhaps most importantly, the un-schedule can help you examine how you spend your time. You may be suprised at how much time you spend watching television, and decide to make a change. It's especially important that you build time for fun activities into your un-schedulc. Otherwise, you will procrastinate in order to steal time for relaxation.
You can also use the un-schedule to record your progress towards your goal. Reward yourself for your small successes. Seeing what you've achieved will help you reinforce (强化) the productive behavior, and you will feel more motivated in the following process.
AS you explore ways to conqucr procrastination, don't expect overnight transformnation. You developed the habit over a long time; you aren't going stop magically. But you can change the behavior, bit by bit. If you start to make an un-schedule now, you will eventually develop new babits.
You are given many opportunities in life to choose to be a victim or creator. When you choose to be a victim, the world is a cold and difficult place. "They' did things to you which caused all of your pain and suffering. "They"are wrong and bad, and life is terible as long as"they"are around. Or you may blame yourself for all your problems, thus intermalizing (内化) your victimization (受害). The truth is, your life is likely to stay that way as long as you feel a need to blame yourself or others.
Those wbo choose to be crcators look at life quite differently. They know there are individuals who might like to control their lives, but they don't let this get in the way. They know they have their weaknesses, yet they don't blame themselves when they fail. Whatever happens, they have choice in the matter. They believe their dance with each sacred (神圣的) moment of life is a gift and that storms are a natural part of life which can bring the rain needed for emotional and spiritual growth.
Victims and creators live in the same physical world and deal with many of the same physical realities, yet their experience of life is worlds apart. Victims relish (沉溺) in anger, guilt, and other emotions that cause others- and even themselves- to feel like victims, too. Creators consciously choose love, inspiration, and other qualities which inspire not only themselves, but all around them. Both victims and creators always have choice to determine the direction of their lives.
In reality, all of us play the victim or the creator at various points in our lives. One person, on losing a job or a special relationship, may feel as if it is the end of the world and sink into terible suffering for months, years, or even a lifetime. Another with the same experience may choose to first experience the grief, then accept the loss and soon move on to be a powerful creative force in his life.
In every moment and every circumstance, you can choose to have a fuller, richer life by setting a clear intention to transform the victim within, and by inviting into your life the powerful creator that you are.
Ronnie Schultz, a 66-year-old who lives in Manbattan, finds creative ways to work on her balance daily. She believes that balance is the key to living a longer, more fulfilling life, a theory that is now backed by science.
Establish aBalaice-Focused Exercise Routine.
Every week, Schultz works virtually with a yoga teacher to learn new balancing techniques and receive guidance.
Over time, she's built confidence in her mobility and balance, which affords her the opportunity to function on a high level and to continue to do the things she loves.
Incorporate Balance in Daily Life.
She finds herself balancing on one leg while waiting to cross the street and while brushing her teeth.
"I brush my teeth on one log," Shultz says. "I have a two-minute timer on my electric toothbrush, and I hardly ever touch the sink. I don't want to lose that opportunity to do a balancing pose.
Have a Beginner's Mindset.
Schultz started exercising at age 41, after she experienced major health problems with an arhythmic heart, and high blood pressure.
"I didn't do it overnight, and I didn't love it at the beginning. "" Schultz says.
Beyond motivation, Schultz is consistent and chooses to practice balancing exercises she is not
particularly strong at. And she makes it a point to work on her barance, especially on the days she doesn't feel like it.
Schultz plans to cortunue in multiple ways. Her perspective is that maintaining good balance will help her live a longer, more fulilling life, and that makes balancing worth it.
"What makes me do it is my life. And I'm hoping if I stay healthy, it will keep me here longer because I value my life and my time here. "
A. Balance to strengthen self- worth
B. Maintain good balance to be more successful
C. Now she enjoys balancing on one leg while working
D. There are some principles that she sticks to in the process
E Schultz doesn't miss a chance to become more skillful at balancing
F. But it was her illness with her heart that motivated her to get started
G. She takes care of herself, walks her dogs, cooks and moves around comfortably
"Do you need a vase for your purple camations (康乃馨)? a gentle voice1 me in my hospital bed. It was one of those few2 moments when no one else was in the room with me and I had slipped into sleep. Usually the room was full of3 and their families.
"Yes, these are from a special friend," I4 to sit up in spite of my weak body. She was a cleaner and while clearing the desk beside my bed, she5 the flowers. But why would she care? And she said"purple camations"6 I asked her if she likes flowers. Her eyes lit up and she spoke in excited7 She loves flowers so
much that every flower in her garden each day gets a special hug and8 from her before she leaves for work. My God! I can't believe it!
I told her tbat I've been9 a lot of flowers from my relatives and usually I had them delivered to the nurse station. And I decided to give her the purple carnations just because of her10 about flowers.
She was in great11 . But being the nice person she is, she still tried to12 me to have half of them and she would happily take the rest home. I asked her if she could13 them with others instead. She was doubly happy.
She left, came back and said,"IT will be thinking of you whenever I see purple. " I almost 14
Such goodwill for something so15 ? I was really amazed and impressed by this cleaner! .
As a Chinese invention, almost from the beginning china was a popular item for export to nearby countries. As early as Roman times. china(flow)into Europe by the Silk Road. However, the amount of china(reach) burope was qurte small. Thigs shanged in . the early 16th centuryEuroyeans established bases for trade in Asia. It(estimate)that more than 30 million pieces of china were imported by the Dutch during the early 17th century, with Britain and France not far behind.
Mucb of the china produced by Jingdezhen during this pariod was made(specific) for export to Europe. As the years went by, Westem(company) increasingly bought undecorated china in Jingdezhen, and had these blanks transported to factories in Guangzhou where they were decorated . Western designs. Ih time, Europeans learned the secrets of making good china and began making it locally in (they) own factories in the West. As their goods had little or no shipping cost, they were much chcaperthose from China, and so by the late Qing Dynasty, Jingdezhen went into docline, and in the early 20th century it had nearly stopped production. However, in the late 20th century,riew market for fine Jingdezhcn china developed within China and abroad, and the Jingdezhen kilns (窑), together with many other kilns, have come back to life.
Elizabeth walked to the yard, carrying a bunch of daisies (雏菊).
"Beautiful flowers for, for. . Oh, I'll never get it right!" She cried, throwing the daisies on the ground. She had been practising her speech for a week
Part of her couldn't wait. This Saturday, the great Ana Wolf, famous pianist, would perform at the concert hall in town. For four years, Elizabeth had listened to Ms Wolffs recordings over and over again, loving the way the notes flowed like a rushing mountain stream.
Part of Elizabeth was tenified. Her music teacher at school, Mr Leaf, had asked her to present the flowers to Ms Wolff after the performance. But Elizabeth knew herself well. She had serious stage fright and she really hated it when she had to talk in front of people. Even so, Elizabeth was determined to take the challenge this time.
"How's the speech going?" asked Elizabeth's mother,"Want to practice on me?"
"No, thaks," said Elizabeth,"Mum, I can't do this! I'l forget. I might even pass out (昏倒)!"
"Oh, honey. Think about it. . sharing the stage with Aoa Wolff. What an honour!" Mum gently comforted ber.
Elizabeth kept practising. Beautiful flowers for. . . for a beautiful performane. . . ". She presented the flowers to the cat, the dog, even the statue in the garden. Soon it was Saturday night, Elizabeth stood at the backstage, behind the heavy black curtains. Holding the bouquet (花束) of red roses, she felt her heart racing wildly and her stomach tightened with nervousness .
The lights dimmed, and Ms Wolff began ber performance. She swayed and nodded with her fingers dancing across the keys. Soft sad parts, loud angry parts, parts that sounded fun to play. Drawn into the music, Elizabeth forgot for a moment about the six words she had to say. With a flourish (挥舞), Ms Wolff played her final note. Applause thundered through the hall. People jumped to their feet and cheered.
Ms Wolff smiled and bowed. Then she walked off stage and into the wings (舞台侧面). Almost immediately, she retumed to the stage for a second bow.
注意： 1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右; 2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语己为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
Then came the frightening moment.
Paragraph 2:
The audience cheered and clapped loudly. for them.
