Albert Einstein had a great effect on science and history.An American university president once said that Einstein had made a new outlook，a new view of the universe.It may be some time before the average mind understands fully the identity(本身) of time and space and so on—but even ordinary men now understand that the universe is something larger than ever thought before.

By 1914 young Einstein had been world-famous.He accepted the offer to become a professor at the Prussian Academy of Science in Berlin.He had few duties，little teaching and unlimited chances for study，but soon his peace and quietness were broken by World WarⅠ.

Einstein hated fighting and killing.The great suffering of war affected him deeply，and he sat unhappily in his office doing little.He lost interest in his research.Only when peace came in 1918 was he able to get back to work.

In the year following World WarⅠ honors were increasingly put on him.He became head of the Kaiser Whihem Institute of Theoretical Physics.But he himself refused the effort to put him in a position far above other people.He was well known for his humble(谦逊的)manner.He often said that his success would certainly have been achieved by others if he had never lived.

In 1921 he won the Nobel Prize，and he was honored in Germany until the rise of Nazism(纳粹)when he was driven from Germany because he was a Jew.

It was a school teacher named Marjorie Smith that inspired me most in life. When I was stepped off a ship in New York Harbor in 1949, I was a nine-year-old war victim, who had lost his mother and was coming to live with his father who he had never met before. My mother, Eleni Gatzoyiannis, had been shot and lost her life for sending my sisters and me to freedom.

   I was thirteen years old when I entered Westcoast Junior High. Shortly after I arrived, I was told to select a hobby during "club hours." The idea of hobbies and club hours made no sense to my immigrant (外来移民) ears, but I decided to follow the prettiest girl in my class. She led me to Miss Smith, the school newspaper adviser and our English teacher.

   A strict woman with long straight hair and determined eyes, Miss Smith had no patience with lazy bones. She found stories for us to read and discuss, and taught us how to put out a newspaper. Her introduction to the literary of Greece gave me a new idea about my war-tom homeland, making me proud of my Greek origins. Her efforts inspired me to understand the logic and structure of the English language. Owing to her inspiration, during my next twenty-five years, I became a journalist for a major news agency.

   Miss Smith retired at the age of sixty-five. By then, she had taught for a total of forty-three years. Even after she retired, she kept running a project for unwilling students in whom she spied some potential. The students were mainly from the most troubled homes, yet she taught them with her own special brand of tough love, until the potential caught fire.

   Miss Smith was the one who directed my sorrow and pain into writing. But for Miss Smith, I wouldn't have become a reporter. She was the one who sent me into journalism and caused all the good things that came after.

While in college, Tim started to look for easy ways to make money. One of the opportunities he saw was gambling (赌博). He started learning about all forms of gambling. He got lucky enough to make $9,000, but sadly it didn’t last long and over the next year he lost all of that money. It was at this point that Tim realized that he needed to stop gambling and focus on learning about finance (金融).

One day, he was talking to one of his friends about creating a business, and his friend turned him onto Quick Sprout. So he started reading every blog post on Quick Sprout in the hope that he could learn about how to become a successful businessman and meet some people through Quick Sprout that he could partner up with.

A year ago Tim read a blog post on Quick Sprout about another businessman by the name of Timothy Sykes. Tim visited Timothysykes.com and learned about his Millionaire Challenge program that taught people how to buy and sell penny stocks (低价股票). Tim thought it would be worth giving a try.

Tim spent the next few months learning from Timothy Sykes on how to trade stocks. After he felt that he had learned enough, he wanted to start trading. Within the first 6 months of using what he learned in the Millionaire Challenge program, he made over $40,000. At one point he even made $11,000 in 15 minutes.

Over the next 12 months Tim is on track to make even more money. So far things are looking good and he is already ahead of schedule. The Millionaire Challenge program has worked out so well for him and he is now starting to enjoy the finer things of life.

    It is amazing to note that the Internet is still such a new device，and yet it is one of the fastest and most powerful media tools. But think about it for a moment. On the Internet, a big online company can be run by only two guys in their garage. So it is only reasonable then, that people shopping online would be a little leery of the security levels.

       Internet giants such as Microsoft knew consumer confidence was the key to getting virtual shopping off the ground, and they work hard to make people feel safe to shop online.

       Credit card companies, too, quickly saw the potential for online shopping, and have installed things like online shopping insurance for people. If you ever have a problem with your online credit purchases, many credit card companies will happily refund your money and then set their claws on the company that wronged you. Now that’s buying power!

       There are other bonuses for online shoppers, of course. No line－ups, for one. No annoying mall shopping carts with broken wheels and kids crying because their parents won’t get them what they want.

       When shopping online, consumers can sit down, have a coffee, and wear their slippers, not having to worry about their hair or parking, and just clicking through sale after sale. Comparison shopping couldn’t be any easier. And thanks to courier companies（快递公司）getting in on the act, you never need to wait longer than a day or two to get those all important purchases delivered right to your door.

       No wonder so many companies are shaking their heads at traditional advertising and instead looking to the “virtual” world to attract online shoppers.

B

        Johnny was three when he ran away from home for the first time. Somebody left the garden gate open. Johnny wandered out, crossed some fields and two hours later，reached the next village. He could only give his name and address.

        By the time he was seven, Johnny used to disappear from home two to three times a year. Sometimes he covered quite long distances on foot. Sometimes he got on a bus or even a train, and simply sat there until someone asked for his ticket. Generally the police brought him home. “Why do you do it?” they used to ask. “I just want to see new places in the world, which makes me very happy.” Johnny told them.

         Johnny continued to “see new places” although everyone tried to stop him. His parents used to watch him closely, and so did his teachers; but sooner or later Johnny managed to slip away. Sometimes he travelled hundreds of miles before anyone discovered him.

         It is hardly surprising that Johnny managed to board a plane with lots of goods. He was only twelve at that time. A few hours later, Johnny found himself in Cairo. How did he get on board? No one knows. According to Johnny himself, it was easy: he just went into the airport, walked along some passages and got on board the nearest plane.

In spite of all this, Johnny did well at school. He enjoyed mathematics and languages and, perhaps not surprisingly, he was especially good at geography. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” his teachers asked him. “I want to be an explorer!” he answered. “But it’s difficult to become an explorer in this modern age,” they tried to tell him．But it was no use: Johnny knew what he wanted!

       Just before he left school, Johnny saw a notice in a daily paper. A long journey was about to go to Brazil to travel up the Amazon River. There were jobs for three young people “willing to work hard and with a sense of adventure”. Johnny applied, and two months later, he was on his way to Brazil. 

D

In the latest romance-dra ma, Descendants of the Sun , a handsome soldier Yoo Shi-jin（柳时镇） (Song Joong-ki) meets the pretty doctor Kang Mo-yeon（姜暮烟） (Song Hye-kyo) in a hospital, and he doesn’t hesitate to hit on her.

The dialogue, which takes place early in the first episode, immediately indicates that this is no ordinary South Korean drama. There’s no family fights , or love tangles, or guesses and misunderstandings. The 16-episode show is set in the fictional war-torn country of Uruk. Song Joong-ki is the leader of a special warfare command unit, while Song Hye-kyo plays a doctor who works for a humanitarian medical organization. Both are sent in the midst of disaster and disease as part of their work with UN peacekeeping troops. Both know and show clearly what they want and what they hate.

But what stands out the most are Song’s skills as a pick-up artist. Boldness and creativity are the key weapons in his arsenal. Humor also does the trick. On their first date in a cinema, Yoo says, “This is the most exciting moment of my life. The moment I am with a beautiful woman before the theater lights go out.” When Kang tries to give Yoo a hard time, Yoo jokes, “I mistook you for a beautiful woman because it’s dark.”

And actor Song Joong-ki, who just came back from two years of military service last May, makes sure he delivers his pick-up line s just right.

“In Deep Rooted Tree and The Innocent Man , he [Song Joong-ki] showed he had the steel to play fearless and heartless men – that he could be taken seriously as an actor, despite his pretty face. In Descendants, he hits the emotional core of every scene, whether he has to be bold and amorous, guarded and mysterious, or sad,” said critic Foong Woei Wan in The Straits Times.

       My husband is a lord. We have one house in the countryside and one in London. I spend my days running the household. I oversee servants' work and my three daughters' education：They learn to play piano，sing，and dance. There are so many rules to follow. For example，I must always be polite and calm. I have to wear proper clothes.
       Maid
       I was born on a farm in the north of England，but my family couldn't support me. My cousin helped me get a job as a maid in a big，fancy London house. There is so much work to do and some rules to follow here. Monday is washing day. I have to get up earlier than usual—about 4：30 am—to heat the water，wash and iron the clothes. The work is hard and I earn about $ 50 a year. But my master spends $ 1000 a year on his carriage alone.
       Gentleman
       I'm a lawyer living in London. But I'm in love with a servant，because she's not like her own class at all，but like mine. When I take her to theatres，we meet outside，pretend not to know each other and enter by a side door. I have to maintain my honour as rules. I want to marry my girl，but maybe only in secret.
       Factory man
    I've been working in factories since I was 10.Right now，I make iron for the railroad.  It's 14 hours a day from 5：30 am to 7：30 pm.It's hard work，but at least I have my freedom despite the fact that there are so many rules，and I have to wear a uniform.  These days，I like to have a drink and smoke my pipe in the pub with my friends from work. I go in there a couple of times a week if I can，to discuss politics，find out news and listen to music.

D

    The days seemed to go on forever．She ate each meal slowly，alone in the stuffy room，trying to make it last as long as possible And she took a long time dressing，changing into her nightgown each night and into the beautiful yellow dress each morning．It seemed a shame to wear the best clothes she’d ever owned with no one to see her in them except the spiders hanging in the comers．

    The rest of her time she spent looking through the peephole，watching the street outside with its lazy procession of people，horses and carriages，sheep，goats，chickens，and cows．They were near the comer of Seventh and E streets，Mr．Bigelow said，just a few blocks away from Pennsylvania Avenue，where President Pierce lived in the White House．

    How strange，she thought，to be free and yet to be a prisoner．She would gladly have made herself busy with washing and cooking and sweeping．Anything would be better than this boredom．

    One evening，during a talk with Mr．Bigelow，while he stood on the second rung(橫档) of the ladder and she rested her chin on her hands at the edge of the trapdoor，she looked into the living room at the walls lined with bookshelves．The books were fat and black，some with gold lettering on their spines．

    “What are all of those books about?”she asked．

    “Ah．Those are my law books．They are there to give off a musty odor(霉味)and convince all my visitors that I am，indeed，a very educated man．”

    “There must be a lot of laws to fill so many books，”she said．

    Mr．Bigelow gazed at his library and scratched a sideburn．“Strange．isn’t it? I am a man of the law，and yet，by the law, I am a criminal and deserve to be thrown in prison”

    They were both silent for a time．

    “Well，enough lamenting(悲伤的) for me．It’s time for bed，”said Mr．Bigelow，and turned to step off the ladder．

    “Wait，”said Ann urgently．She didn’t think she could stand another day of staring alternately at the ceiling and out the peephole“Your books—might I borrow one to read?”

    “Why，my dear child．I had no idea you could read!”he said，astonished．“But those books…”He looked at fire long black rows．“They're no more interesting than watching ice melt．”He gave a perplexed sigh，then suddenly brightened．He marched over to a low comer shelf and pulled out a small red book．He blew dust off of it and brought it back to her．“I saved this from when I was a boy，in case I ever had a son of my own．”

    Ann held the book and read the title embossed in silver on the front cover：Robinson Crusoe．

    “It’s really a story for boys，but it's the best I can offer，”said Mr．Bigelow．

    Ann turned over the book in her hands，feeling the smoothness and coolness of it．Mr．Bigelow must have seen the look of excitement and longing on her face，because he said，“I suppose now you’ll want a candle．”

    “Oh，could I?”She could scarcely believe her good fortune．

    He gave her a very short，stubby candle“This is to make sure you get some sleep tonight，”he explained．

    She thanked him profusely (丰富地)，and gladly retired to her bed．There，by the light of the candle，she opened the book．She ran her hands over the silky pages，then turned to the text and began：“Chapter 1．I was born in the year 1632．in the city of York，of a good family．．．”

    She was carried away to the world of a young man's decision to seek adventure on the high seas，a terrible storm，and his narrow escape from a sinking ship．She read until the candle flickered，sputtered，and died．But even in the dark，images of grand ships and raging storms lasted in her mind until they mixed With her dreams．

I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the more wonderful thing in the world.

Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she’d said again, “it’s for Elizabeth. ”

I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.

They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional(易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface(表面)”.

As years passed I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.

I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came.

My hope turned to disappointment(失望), then little interest and, finally, peace—it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.

Now the present of her desk told, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside —a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded(折叠) and refolded many times.

Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.

It was the first snow of the winter---an exciting day for every child but not for most teachers. Up to now, I had been old enough to dress myself, but today I would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher, Ontario, had been through best snow days many times, but I think she may still remember this one.

   I managed to get into my wool snow trousers. But I struggled with my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear the ugly clothes. At least my hat and scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots.

In her calm, motherly voice she said, “By the end of the winter, you will all be able to put on your own boots.” I didn’t realize at the time that it was more a statement of hope than of confidence.

   I handed her my boots and stuck out my feet. Like most children, I expected the adult to do all the work. After much pushing, she managed to get the first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.

   I announced, “They are on the wrong feet.”

   She struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again.

  “They are my brother’s boots, you know, I hate them.”

   Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl. She struggled with me. She asked “now, where are your mittens(手套)?”

   I looked into her eyes and said, “I didn’t want to lose them, so I hid them in the toes of my boots.”