Deep reading, as opposed to superficial (shallow) reading we do on the Web, is an endangered practice, one we ought to take steps to preserve as we would a historic building or a significant work of art.

    Recent research has illustrated that deep reading, characterized as a unique experience different kind from the mere understanding of words, is slow, immersive (沉浸的), rich in sensory detail and emotional and moral complexity. Although deep reading does not, strictly speaking, require a conventional book, the limits of the printed page are uniquely helpful to the deep reading experience. A book's lack of hyperlinks (超链接), for example, frees the reader from making decisions—should I click on this link or not—allowing her to remain fully absorbed in the story.

       That immersion is supported by the way the brain handles language rich in detail, indirect reference and figures of speech: by creating a mental representation that draws on the same brain regions that would be active if the scene were unfolding in real life. The emotional situations and moral dilemmas that are the material of literature are also vigorous (有活力的) exercise for the brain, driving us inside the heads of fictional characters and even, studies suggest, increasing our real-life capacity (能力) for recognition.

       None of this is likely to happen when we’re browsing through a website. Although we call the activity by the same name, the deep reading of books and the information-driven reading we do on the Web are very different, both in the experience they produce and in the capacity they develop. A growing body of evidence suggests that online reading may be less satisfying, even for the “digital natives” to whom it is so familiar. Researchers reported that 39% of children and teens read daily using electronic devices, but only 28% read printed materials every day. Those who only read onscreen were three times less likely to say they enjoy reading very much and tell which book they like best. The study also found that young people who read daily only onscreen were nearly twice less likely to be above-average readers than those who read daily in print or both in print and onscreen.

      All in all, the disappearance of deep reading would harm the intellectual and emotional development of generations growing up online, as well as the preservation of a critical part of our culture: the novels, poems and other kinds of literature that can be appreciated only by readers whose brains have been trained to understand them.

Definitions of literature have varied over time. In fact, it is a “culturally relative definition”. Once in Western Europe, literature indicated all books and writing. During the Romantic period, it began to refer to “imaginative” literature. Nowadays literature is seen as a term used to describe written or spoken material, including all the following.

Poetry uses rhythmic qualities of language to bring out meanings in addition to, or in place of, unimaginative surface meaning. Poetry has traditionally been distinguished from prose(散文) by its being set inverse (颠倒); prose is cast in sentences, poetry in lines.

Novel is typically written in a narrative (叙事) style and presented as a book. Novels tell stories, in which the characters and events are usually imaginary. The novel has been a pa rt of human culture for over a thousand years, although its origins are somewhat debated. Regardless of how it began, the novel has remained one of the most popular and treasured examples of human culture and writing. It remains an essential part of the literary cultures of nearly all societies around the world.

Novella is classified as “Too short to be a novel, too long to be a short story”. There is no precise definition in terms of word or page count. Literary prizes and publishing houses often have their own arbitrary limits, which vary according to their particular intentions.

A short story is different from novels or novellas in that the plot is usually tied to one single chain of events. Because the reader must identify with a character quickly to become engaged, the tale is often told from the chief character’s point of view.

A drama refers to a play for the theatre, television or radio. It generally consists of chiefly dialogue between characters. It also uses dance to convey their message. Dramas usually aim at dramatic performance rather than at reading. In theater, a drama is presented by actors to an audience.

Good literary works depend on literary techniques. A literary technique can be used by authors in order to improve the written framework of a piece of literature, and produce specific effects.

Literary techniques include a wide range of approaches to crafting a work. The ability to let readers know what might happen in the future in an indirect way is possible through the technique foreshadowing. The practice of representing objects and qualities as human beings in literature is personification. Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas.

When difficult people express themselves orally, they generally want at least two things; they’ve been heard and theyˈve been understood. As a good communicator should be a good listener, five steps are advocated toward good listening.

The first step is cooperating(合作). How does a difficult person know that youˈre listening and understanding? In fact，itˈ s through the way you look and sound while he is talking. You may help him to fully express his thoughts and feelings. You do this by nodding your head in agreement, making certain sounds of understanding.

When the person begins to repeat what’s been said, it’s a signal of step two: turning back. It means that you repeat back some words he is using, sending a clear signal that you’re listening carefully and that you think what he is saying is important.

Having heard what he has to say, the next step is clarifying. At this point, you start to gather information about what is being communicated. Ask some open-ended questions, which will allow you to figure out what intention he is hoping to satisfy.

The fourth step is to summarize(概括)what youˈve heard. This allows you to make sure that both you and the difficult person are on the same page. When you do this，two things happen. First，if youˈve missed something，he can fill in the details (细节). Second, you’ve shown that you’re making an effort to understand completely, this increases the possibility of gaining cooperation from him.

Having listened carefully, youˈve now arrived at the point of confirming with the person that he feels satisfied that his thoughts have been fully voiced. Ask if he feels understood.

When enough sincere listening, questioning, and remembering are brought together, understanding is usually achieved and a difficult person becomes less difficult and more cooperative.

How to Build Confidence

Everybody in this world wants to be rich and successful. But, the big question is HOW? How can you turn yourself into a popular personality?

Well, you need to have confidence. Confidence is the feeling of certainty and trusting in one’s own ability. Start your journey to become successful by following these six confidence-building steps.

Recognize what makes you feel inferior-- Let’s accept the fact that no one in this world is perfect. Everyone has some shortcomings and it is natural. So, if there is something that makes you feel ashamed of yourself just make a note of it. Instead of being upset over your shortcomings, you need to figure out ways to overcome them.

Dress smartly and look more attractive-- Yes, you are right that a person should be beautiful at heart but you ought to work on your looks too. You might have not realized but dressing up nicely can increase your confidence. Work hard to improve your looks and you will definitely notice a positive change in your personally.

Don’t worry about what others say-- Those who think about others car never succeed in their lives. So, if you really wish to increase your confidence levels, stop thinking about the world right away. Have faith in your capabilities and show the world that you are a leader. And just in case you are afraid of criticism, your dream of becoming successful person will always remain a dream.

Stay happy– Happiness plays an important part in a successful life. So, try to find out what makes you happy and keep yourself involved in those activities only.

Be a curious learner-- Learning is part of our life. It is a continuous process which lasts till the last breath. Knowledge not only makes you superior but enriches your personality altogether.

Express yourself-- There are many people who don’t express their feelings and opinions at all just because they are afraid of being laughed at. Well, don’t be afraid and express yourself wherever possible, it will make people realize your presence and you may get the response. So, the next time you have something on your mind, say it aloud.

Self esteem and confidence are some of the most important things you need to be successful in life.

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   John snow was a famous doctor in London-so expert, indeed, that he attended queen Victora as her personal physician.  ____71____This was the deadly disease of its day. Neither its cause nor its cure was understood.________72____

John snow wanted to face the challenge and solve this problem. He knew that cholera would never be controlled until its cause was found.

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(Lesson 3, Unit 8)There were 61___________(invent) and developments in China which were not  in Europe at that time. Macro was surprised to see Chinese people 62_________(use) paper money in the markets. In Europe, people paid for goods with gold and silver. He could not understand 63________ people could pay for food and  64_________(value) things with paper! He was also 65__________(confuse) by the black stones people used to burn 66_______ fuel. The black stones were coal, but Marco had never seen coal before.

(Lesson 1, Unit 9) However, more than thirsty years later, the “white bike” is back in town, this time with a computer chip to record 67________(it) every move! To take a bicycle , you have to 68 __________ a special card. The new “white bike” is not 69__________(actual) white but is an unusual design with bright colours. The bikes are parked at special parking places and people who want to use them have to take them to another special parking place that has enough 70 ________(room).

Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter disappears. Humor helps you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments, and loss.

More than just a pause from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult of times, a laugh –-- or even simply a smile–can go a long way toward making you feel better. And laughter really is contagious (有传染的)—just hearing laughter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in the fun.

Laughter strengthens our relationships by bringing positive feelings and building emotional connections. When we laugh with one another, a positive bond is created. This bond fights stress, disagreements, and disappointment.

Shared laughter is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. All emotional sharing builds strong and lasting relationship bonds. Laughter unites people during difficult times.

Having more humor and play into your daily interactions can improve the quality of your love relationships— as well as your connections with co-workers, family members, and friends.

Laughter is your birthright, a natural part of life that is inborn. Little babies begin smiling during the first weeks of life and laugh out loud within months of being born. Even if you did not grow up in a family where laughter was a common sound, you can learn to laugh at any stage of life.

One essential characteristic that helps us laugh is not taking ourselves too seriously. We’ve all known someone who takes everything with deathly seriousness and never laughs at anything. No fun there!

The ability to laugh, play, and have fun with others not only makes life more enjoyable but also helps you solve problems, connect with others, and be more creative. People who include humor and play into their daily lives find that it renews them and all of their relationships.

Life brings challenges that can either get the best of you or become playthings for your imagination. When you “become the problem” and take yourself too seriously, it can be hard to think outside the box and find new solutions. But when you p lay with the problem, you can often transform it into an opportunity for creative learning.

A selfie stick is a monopod (单脚架) used to take photographs of oneself by positioning a smartphone or camera beyond the normal range of the arm. The metal sticks are typically lengthened, with a handle on one end and an adjustable clamp (夹子) on the other end to hold a phone in place. Some have remote or Bluetooth controls, letting the user decide when to take the picture, and models designed for cameras have a mirror behind the viewscreen so that the shot can be lined up. Compared to a monop~ a selfie stick's arm is thickest and strongest at the opposite end from the camera in order to provide better grip (~f~lJ) and balance when held high up in the air.

    Homemade selfie sticks could date back as early as 1925. A photo from that year shows a man takes a photograph of himself and his wife using a long stick which is pointed towards the camera and out of frame. Then, a "telescopic extender" for compact handheld cameras was patented (获得专利) in U.S. in 1983. Canadian inventor Wayne Fromm patented his Quik Pod in 2005, and it became commercially available in the United States the following year. Despite positive reviews for the Quik Pod over the next few years in mainstream press, the term "selfie stick" itself wasn't in popularity until 2014.

    People attach their cell phone or camera to the end of the selfie stick, raise it in front of themselves and then make a sound or press a shutter button on the stick handle which is connected to the camera or press a button on a wireless remote (.often via Bluetooth), or use the camera's built-in timer to take a photo after a number of seconds have passed. The device gives more practical use in situations that require assistance for difficult photographs. It allows the user to take photographs in otherwise dangerous situations such as taking a photo over a cliffor from the door of an airplane.

     Bans and restrictions on the use of selfie sticks have been imposed across a range of public places generally considering safety. Several concert venues in Australia and the United Kingdom have banned the use of selfie sticks, along with some music festivals in the United States. The sticks have been banned in some museums, galleries and historical sites because of concerns about possible damage to artworks and other objects. Theme parks including Walt Disney World Resort and Six Flags have banned selfie sticks.

The stic,ks have always been banned on rides at Disney World for safety reasons, but after a number of instances where rides had to be stopped because of a guest pulling out a selfie stick in mid-ride, such as incidents on California Screamin' and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Disney issued a park-wide ban on the selfie sticks.

Ready to give up long showers, water parks, and unlimited water running out of your taps? A new study says more than three hundred-thirty-five-million people are faced with water shortage now. The oceans are full, of course. But the liquid-fresh, clean water for drinking and watering crops is in short supply in many parts of the world. Rivers are running low, lakes are shrinking, streams have stopped flowing, and groundwater is being pumped dry. However, the demand for water keeps increasing. So there comes unavoidably the water crisis!

       What I causing the crisis? Experts say it is a complex combination of climate change and rapid population growth. On the one hand, global climate change threatens to reduce water supplies due to decreased rainfall. On the other hand, population growth is driving explosive demand for water, prompting rivers in thirsty countries to be tapped for nearly every drop and driving governments to pump out so-called fossil water.

       Lack of water may result in several problems. It may increase health problems. Lack of water often means drinking waters are not safe. Lack of water may also result in more international conflict. Countries may have to compete for water in the future. Some countries now get sixty percent of their fresh water from other countries. And lack of water would affect the ability to improve their economies. This I because new industries often need a large amount of water when they are beginning.

       One partial answer to the world water shortage, at least for countries near the sea is to build more desalination(脱盐) plants that change seawater into fresh water. Another suggested solution is for water-rich countries, such as Canada, to sell water to countries which are poor in water. A third suggestion is for countries to adopt ways of increasing the freshwater supply, such as teaching farmers in Africa methods to get clean rainwater. And nearly everyone agreed that amount of water on our planet can’t be changed, but the way we use it can be if more people realized the problem. Last and the most important, public should be aware of saving water to defeat the water crisis.

Sometimes our emotions can defeat us． When this happens， it's possible to give others the

wrong impression or do something we may regret． Learning to express your emotions effectively

will allow you to conmunicate clearly and carefnfly， without hurting others around you or making the situation worse． So it's imnportant to learn to express emotions．

     For example， you need to learn to express your angry feelings． Anger can cause you to say hurtful things to the people you love． If you are afraid of saying something hurtful to someone，then try to think before you speak． You can also write down you angry thoughts as if you were shouting it out to the world． If it's a particular thing that has angered you， why not express these feelings on paper? This allows you to express your anger and． later on when you've calmed down．you can read through your notes and try to think about why you are angry and how you can prevent it happening again in the future．

    Also． it's necessary to learn to express sadness． Sadness is a partieular emotion which is

hard to deal with． especially when others see you are sad  Questions like "Are you okay?" and

"What's up" can make it difficult to hide． But in fact． you shouldn't have to hide it． Instead．

try talking about what's making you sad． It does not matter if you get upset or cry， as tests have

proved that crying can reduce stress． What's more  if you feel that your seerers are safe in your

diary， then you can write down your sadness and what is upsetting you． Also you can write about  our life and the situation that has caused you to feel so upset in a way that makes it seem as if it someone else's problem，not yours．