Food sometimes gets poisoned with harmful things. A person who eats such food can get an illness called food poisoning. Food poisoning is usually not serious, but some types are deadly. The symptoms of food poisoning usually begin within hours of eating the poisoned food. Fever is one of the most common symptoms.

Certain microorganisms(微生物)cause most types of food poisoning. Bacteria and other microorganisms can poison eggs, meat, vegetables, and many other foods. After entering the body, these tiny living things release(释放)poisons that make people sick.

Some chemicals can also cause food poisoning. They are often added to food while it is being grown, processed, or prepared. For example, many farmers spray chemicals on crops to kill weeds and insects. Some people may have a bad reaction to those chemicals when they eat the crops.

Some plants and animals contain natural poisons that are harmful to people. These include certain kinds of seafood, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and mushrooms.

When people handle food properly, the risk of food poisoning is very small. Microorganisms multiply rapidly in dirty places and in warm temperatures. This means that people should never touch food with dirty hands or put food on unwashed surfaces. Food should be kept in a refrigerator to stop microorganisms from growing. Meat needs to be cooked thoroughly to kill any dangerous microorganisms. People should also wash food covered with chemicals before eating it. Finally, people should not eat wild mushrooms or other foods that grow in the wild. Some of these foods may contain natural materials that are poisonous to humans. In addition, some types of fish can be poisonous.

Most people recover from food poisoning after a few days of resting and drinking extra water. If people eat natural poisons, they must go to the hospital right away to have their stomachs emptied.

What do literary tourists look for when they visit the British Isles? Often it's the charmingly old-fashioned bookshops that provide the perfect excuse to read uninterruptedly and to disconnect from the world. Until recently, the trend for fine coffee and high-speed Wi-Fi was considered by some in the city's bookish crowd to be ruining London's centuries-old tradition of disconnected reading.

But a crop of bookshops is fighting against crazy online engagement and is creating environments where the real-life, Internet-free book reading is the most effective way to expand your social and professional networks. Leading the fighting is Libreria Books, which is in the company of Tenderbooks, Buchhandlung Wakther, Lutyens&Rubinstein etc., all independent bookshops without high-speed Wi-Fi and coffee.

Mr Silva of Libreria was inspired to open his shop after experiencing a common suffering for London's book-lovers—the repeated ringtones of smart phones ruining the peace of his bookshop experience. He wanted to get people reading without interruption. He said, “You can get Wi-Fi anywhere now, but it's not necessary in a bookshop.”

Their mantra(原则) has drawn a wise, brainy crowd. The bookshop should be an escape from an information overload. “ If someone gets a phone call, they leave the shop. It's the same with the Internet—people just know this isn't the space for being online,” said Tamsin Clark, owner of Tenderbooks. And in the face of the Internet overload, some stores are proving to be among London's hottest places.

Mr Silva said “an old-fashioned space” is clearly appealing to book-lovers. He said his shop has had twice as many customers as expected, with visitors from as far as Australia and China. Faced with a bookshelf recommended by the Queen or surrounded by first editions, who wants to download a morning full of e-mails? 

American cities are similar to other cities around the world.In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture.American cities are changing,just as American society is changing.

After World War Ⅱ,the population of most large American cities decreased;however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increased.In the late 1940s and early 1950s,city residents became wealthier.They had more children so they needed more space.They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes.They bought houses in the suburbs(郊区).

Now things are changing,the children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults.Many, unlike their parents,want to live in the cities.They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the North-east and Midwest.Many young professionals are moving back into the city.They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there;or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.

This population shift(迁移) is bringing problems as well as benefits.Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent.In the 1950s,many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs;now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.

Only a few years ago,people thought that the older American cities were dying.Some city residents now see a bright,new future.Others see only problems and conflicts.One thing is sure:many dying cities in America are alive again.

Jane Austen, a famous English writer, was born at Stevenson, Hampshire, on December 16,1775，and died on July 18,1817. She began writing early in life, although the prejudices of her times forced her to have her books published anonymously(匿名 )．

But Jane Austen is perhaps the best known and best loved of Bathˈs many famous local people and visitors. She paid two long visits here during the last five years of the eighteenth century and from 1801 to 1806，Bath was her home. Her deep knowledge of the city is fully seen in two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, which are largely set in Bath. The city is still very much as Jane Austen knew it, keeping in its streets and public buildings the well-ordered world that she described so well in her novels. Now the pleasure of learning Jane Austenˈs Bath can be enhanced by visiting the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street. Here, in a Georgian tow house in the heart of the city, you can find out more about Bath in Jane Austenˈs time and the importance of Bath in her life and work.

The Centre has been set up with the help and guidance of members of the Jane Austen Society. After your visit to the Centre, you can look round the attractive shop, which offers a huge collection of Jane Austen related books, cards and many specially designed gifts. Jane Austen quizzes are offered to keep the children busy.

You can also have walking tours of Jane Austenˈs Bath, which is a great way to find out more about Jane Austen and discover the wonderful Georgian city of Bath. The tour lasts about one and a half hours. The experienced guides will take you to the places where Jane lived, walked and shopped.

All of my childhood and early adult life my mom weighed over 220 pounds. She never came to any school events. I have no memory of my mother attending anything with me at all. I often wondered if she maybe didnˈt love me enough to support me.

I would hear stories about when my mother was younger. She used to be the familyˈs number one dancer，dancing all night. I had never seen this dancing woman，though; the woman I grew up with had traded in her dancing shoes for house slippers.

As I became an adult，I began to understand people better. I soon realized that my mom loved me. After a while，I understood that my mom was in pain; however，I didnˈt know how to help her.

Fortunately，from somewhere，she found the strength to help herself. After more than twenty years of fighting against obesity(肥胖症)，my mother completed an eighteen-month diet that left her ninety pounds lighter than before. A new woman was born！At age twenty-eight，I got a new mom！It wasnˈt so much her new body that was the surprise，but rather her new spirit.

To celebrate her new size，my mother joined a “Mrs. Forty-Plus” competition，where she would have to model，give a speech and provide a dance performance. She told our family that she didnˈt care if she won－she simply had always wanted to perform on stage.

The competition was intense(激烈)！Her speech brought tears to everyoneˈs eyes，and her performance copying Janet Jackson stopped the show. That night，at age forty-three，my mother was crowned “Mrs. Forty-Plus”．She was the first person in our family to ever win such a title. With this new woman，my mother was born again. She gave herself a new chance in life－as a model，a dancer，a mother and a friend. At age twenty-eight，I met my “hero”．

I wanted to have tea with Nirad in a tea break during a retreat (静养). I was holding the cup so he could sip (小口喝) tea. I was being careful and poured a small quantity in his mouth. I enjoyed concentrating on each moment and listening deeply to do a good job with serving tea.

We were immediately connected and befriended each other during this time. Two other retreat participants joined and then there were four people talking about varieties of topics which ranged from how Nirad progressed in his education to cool ones like how he maintains his weight, etc. These conversations brought smiles and it seemed that we all knew each other from long time ago. In subtle (巧妙的) ways, we quietly felt the connection.

When we finished tea, I felt like tying a wristband for Nirad. The wristband had the letters that read “WE” on one side and “ME” on the other if read upside down. This beautiful gift was received from the Moved By Love team (a non-profit volunteer organization in India). I told Nirad that my youngest brother is about his age, and he gave me a sweet, calm smile.

I felt deep content during this teatime. I had actually lived those moments, being sympathetic and friendly. It was an experience of joy. Later, during the retreat, each time myself and Nirad happened to greet or talk, we smiled naturally and felt connected.

It's sad that we don't connect deeply, even with our family or friends. We are just too busy running after things, going nowhere. We don't seem to concentrate or care enough for people during our conversations. I had these valuable realizations later.

On the last day of the retreat, I told Nirad, “This was the best teatime I ever had in my life.” He gave me a warm, unforgettable smile.

Given the tradition of students bringing apples to their teachers, it somehow seems fitting that an old apple barn(谷仓) will find a new life as a one-room schoolhouse.And it is just as fitting that a retired schoolteacher will become the caretaker of that historic treasure.

My friend Velma, a teacher for more than 30 years, has been retired for some time now, but that doesn't stop her giving history lessons at the old Englewood School, located on her family's California farm.The lovingly restored building was constructed around 1850 as a home for a woodsman and later was used as an apple barn.Then, in 1870 it began a new life as a schoolhouse.

Originally located in the nearby Englewood meadow, it was now moved to its current site in 1978 by Velma's late husband and his brother, Robert and Richard, who thought it would help keep Velma busy in retirement.No nails had been used in the original construction, so each piece of wood had to be carefully marked and the building was reassembled(重装) on its new site.The brothers worked with much care and hard work to ensure a perfect fit of mitred(斜接的) corners.After the relocation, Velma and her family furnished the school with some of its original desks.They also added a collection of schoolbooks, the oldest dating back to 1845.

Nowadays Velma gives tours to local schoolchildren and other groups, who learn what it was like to attend school back in the good old days.She has kids ring the school bell, recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing Good Morning to You as they might have done in days gone by.Then, with twinkling eyes and much enthusiasm, she tells the history of the school, and gives a short sample lesson.