How should one invest（投资）a sum of money in these days of inflation (通货膨胀)? Left in a bank, it will hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate. Only a brave man, or a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock Market（股票市场）. Today it seems that one of the best ways to protect your savings, and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects from the past. Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques (古董).

I sometimes wonder what a being from another planet might report back about our way of life. “The planet Earth is ruled by a mysterious creature that sits or stands in a room and makes a strange ticking sound. It has a face with twelve black marks and two hands. Men can do nothing without its permission, and it fastens its young round people’s wrists so that everywhere men go they are still under its control. This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves.”

Whether or not we are slaves of time today depends on our culture and personality, but it is believed that many years ago kings kept special slaves to tell the time. Certain men were very clever at measuring the time of day according to the beating of their own hearts. They were made to stand in a fixed place and every hour or so would shout the time. So it seems that the first clocks were human beings.

However, men quickly found more convenient and reliable ways of telling the time. They learned to use the shadows cast by the sun. They marked the hours on candles, used sand in hour-glasses（沙漏）, and invented water-clocks. Indeed, any serious student of antique should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes (豪华古宅) and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past.

Antique clocks could be very expensive, but one of the joys of collecting clocks is that it is still possible to find quite cheap ones for your own home. After all, if you are going to be ruled by time, why not invest in an antique clock and perhaps make a future profit?

Title: What to invest in?

  Some students get so nervous before a test, they do poorly even if they know the material. Sian Beilock has studied these highly anxious test-takers.

  Sian Beilock: “They start worrying about the consequences. They might even start worrying about whether this exam is going to prevent them from getting into the college they want. And when we worry, it actually uses up attention and memory resources. I talk about it as your cognitive horsepower that you could otherwise be using to focus on the exam.”

  Professor Beilock and another researcher, Gerardo Ramirez, have developed a possible solution. Just before an exam, highly anxious test-takers spend ten minutes writing about their worries about the test.

  Sain Beilock: “What we think happens is when students put it down on paper, they think about the worst that could happen and they reappraise the situation. They might realize it’s not as bad as they might think it was before and, in truth, it prevents these thoughts from appearing suddenly when they’re actually taking a test.”

The researchers tested the idea on a group of twenty anxious college students. They gave them two short math tests. After the first one, they asked the students to either sit quietly or write about their feelings about the upcoming second test.

The researchers added to the pressure. They told the students that those who did well on the second test would get money. They also told them that their performance would affect other students as part of a team effort.

Professor Beilock says those who sat quietly scored an average of twelve percent worse on the second test. But the students who had written about their fears improved their performance by an average of five percent.

Next, the researchers used younger students in a biology class. They told them before final exams either to write about their feelings or to think about things unrelated to the test.

Professor Beilock says highly anxious students who did the writing got an average grade of B+, compared to a B- for those who did not.

Sain Beilock: “What we showed is that for students who are highly test-anxious, who’d done our writing intervention, all of a sudden there was no relationship between test anxiety and performance. Those students most prone to worry were performing just as well as their classmates who don’t normally get nervous in these testing situations.”

But what if students do not have a chance to write about their fears immediately before an exam or presentation? Professor Beilock says students can try it themselves at home or in the library and still improve their performance.

                                                         Made In The USA: An Export Boom

In his State of the Union address two years ago, President Obama argued that in order to recover from the economic recession(经济衰退), one of the few things the U. S. needed to do was to export more goods around the world. That night, the president unveiled(公开) a new goal: to double U. S. exports over the next five years. It would be an increase that the president said would “support two million jobs in America.”

Most economists dismissed the promise at the time as something unrealistic, but two years later, the U. S. is on pace to meet that goal. American exports are up 34 percent since the president gave that speech, and the number continues to rise.

Competitive In A Global Market

Marlin Steel, a metal working business in Baltimore, makes parts that ship all across the world. “We export to 36 countries，” owner Drew Greenblatt tells All Things Considered Host Guy Raz. “We're working around the clock, and we're growing.”

It's not just advanced manufacturing exports on the rise, but pork, cattle and all kinds of agricultural exports are up as well. Even American craft beer has found an export market.

Flying Dog CEO Jim Caruso says that increasingly, people all over the world are trying the beer from the Maryland-based brewery（啤酒厂）. Caruso says，“Even in those top beer-producing countries, a competitive American product is finding a market.”

Services Are Exports, Too

Another place exports are coming from is New York City—in particular, the 30th floor of a Manhattan skyscraper on 5th Avenue and 52nd Street. That's where the consulting firm Kurt Solomon lies. It doesn't actually produce a product for export; it provides management advice and strategy.

“Four out of every five Americans is now employed in the service industry，” the nation's top trade official, Ron Kirk says, “Services are a significant part of our exports, and make up about a quarter of our exported goods.” These services can include everything from legal consulting, finance, information technology and even engineering.

And There Are Other Factors

So why has there been an increase of more than 30 percent for exports in almost everything? Part of the increase, at least for the manufacturing side, is due to better technology, says Tyler Cowen, an economist. “A lot of it is being driven by smart machines，” he tells Raz，“The U. S. has high wage rates, which is a disadvantage, but if machines are doing a lot of the work, that doesn't matter.”

China factors a lot in America's export economy, too. “Wages in China have been going up as the country becomes more productive. Thus China is losing the cheap labor advantage it has held for some time.” Cowen says.

Will Jobs Grow, too?

“Companies have become more productive by dismissing workers and lowering costs.” Cowen says. “So I don't view exporting as a way of creating a very large number of jobs, but it will create more profits.”

So not every business or worker is necessarily benefiting from the export boom in the U. S., and Cowen says that could ultimately lead to a polarization (两极) of economic outcomes.

Made In the USA: An Export Boom

Anything that poses a challenge or a threat to our well-being is a stress. Some stresses get you going and they are good for you - without any stress at all many say our lives would be boring and would probably feel pointless. However, when the stresses undermine both our mental and physical health they are bad. Here we shall be focusing on stress that is bad for you.

Stress is the feeling we have when under pressure, while stressors are the things we respond to in our environment. Examples of stressors are noises, unpleasant people, a speeding car, or even going out on a first date. Generally (but not always), the more stressors we experience, the more stressed we feel.

When we are stressed the following happens:

Blood pressure rises.                            

Breathing becomes more rapid.                         

Heart rate (pulse) rises.                             

Muscles become tense.

We do not sleep (heightened state of alertness).

Most of us have varying interpretations of what stress is about and what matters. Some of us focus on what happens to us, such as breaking a bone or getting a promotion, while others think more about the event itself. How you see that stressful event will be the largest single factor that impacts on your physical and mental health. Your interpretation of events and challenges in life may decide whether they are invigorating or harmful for you.

There are three broad methods you can follow to treat stress.

Self help for treating stress

Exercise has been proven to have a beneficial effect on a person’s mental and physical state. For many people exercise is an extremely useful stress buster.

Alcohol and drugs will not help you manage your stress better. Either stop consuming them completely, or cut down.

     If your consumption of coffee and other drinks which contain caffeine is high, cut down.

Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Make sure you have a healthy and balanced diet.

Talk to you family, friends, work colleagues and your boss. Express your thoughts and worries.

Stress management techniques

Stress management can help you to keep away from the source of stress, change the way you view a stressful event, and lower the impact that stress might have on your body. Stress management therapy will have the objective of pursuing one or more of these approaches.

Medicines

   Doctors will not usually prescribe medications for coping with stress, unless the patient has an underlying illness, such as depression or some type of anxiety. If that is the case, the doctor is actually treating a mental illness. In such cases, an antidepressant may be prescribed. Bear in mind that there is a risk that all the medication will do is mask the stress, rather than help you deal and cope with it.

Britain will soon ban smoking in cars with children. Britain’s government wants to reduce the harm cigarette smoke    61   (do) to children. New laws    62   (cut) the chances of children passive smoking. Many studies say passive smoking can almost be as    63  (harm) as actually smoking a cigarette. The British government said it looked at research that found children who sat in smoke-filled cars had health    64  (problem). Britain’s leader David Cameron said the problem is    65  (particular) bad in cars because there is so little space, so the car fills with smoke very quickly. The new law will make it illegal for anyone to smoke in    66  car that has a child in it.

Not everyone agrees with the new law. Some lawmakers say it takes away the freedom for people   67   (smoke)in their own car. They believe people should be able to smoke in their car because there are so many public places   68   smoking is not allowed. However, Britain’s health minister said the health of children was   69   important than the freedom to smoke. He told reporters: “The freedom to smoke in your car in front of a child doesn't seem to me that important and    70  (protect) a child's health does seem to me to be extremely important.”

Sit-down habit is killing us

How many hours do you spend sitting in a chair every day? Eight hours in the office plus three hours in front of the TV after work is the norm for many people. You probably don't need an expert to tell you that sitting too much is not good for your health---from an increased risk of heart disease and obesity(肥胖) in the long term, to reduced cholesterol（胆固醇）maintenance in the short term, not to mention the strain（拉紧）on your neck and spine.

To make matters worse, a growing body of research finds that negative effects of sitting too much cannot be replaced with a good diet and regular exercise, according to an article in The New York Times.

The article reported that a 2010 study of nearly 9,000 Australians found that for each additional hour of television a person watched per day, the risk of dying rose by 11 percent.

Another study tracked the health of 123,000 Americans between 1992 and 2006. The death rate for men who spent six hours or more per day sitting was about 20 percent higher than for men who sat for three hours or less.  The death rate for women who sat for more than six hours a day was about 40 percent higher. In other words, sitting is killing us.

Stand up for health

So what can we do about it? Health experts suggest we break up those many hours spent sitting with more hours spent standing.

The BBC and the University of Chester in the UK conducted a simple experiment with a small group of 10 volunteers who usually spent most of the day sitting. They were asked to stand for at least three hours a day. The researchers took measurements on days when the volunteers stood, and when they sat around. When they looked at the data there were some striking differences, the BBC reported on Oct. 16.

Blood glucose leveled off (呈平稳状态)after a meal much quicker on the days when the study subjects stood compared with the days they spent in a chair. Standing also burned more calories — about 50 calories an hour. Over the course of a year that would add up to about 30,000 extra calories, or around 3.63 kilograms of fat. "If you want to put that into activity levels, then that would be equal to running about 10 marathons a year," said John Buckley, a member of the research team. "Just by standing up three or four hours during your day at work."

    Buckley said that although doing exercise offers many proven benefits ,our bodies also need the constant, almost imperceptible(感觉不到的) increase in muscle activity that standing provides. Simple movement helps us to control our all-important blood sugar.

The researchers believe that even small adjustments, like standing while talking on the phone, going over to talk to a colleague rather than sending an e-mail, or simply taking the stairs instead of the elevator, will be of great help to us.

    Li Wen is a 16-year-old boy. He works hard and   1   well in school. It is hard to believe that he used to have much   2  in school. His parents moved to the city to look for jobs,    3  they couldn't be at home to look   4  him. From then on,he became less interested in    5    to school and missed classes. Then his parents made a   6   to send him to a boarding school. He was shy and had no friends. Life there was difficult for him. One day he told his teacher he wanted to   7   the school. His teacher called his parents and advised them to come back and

talk with their son in person. Then his parents came back and had a talk with him. This     8  changed his life. He realized that his parents would always love him and they would be    9   of everything good that he did. Now he is much    10   and more outgoing than he used to be.

Lead(铅) poisoning occurs when lead is presented in high level in the blood of a person. It is the most common medical problem found in children. And it’s important to recognize the presence of lead in a child’s body because lead is very harmful.

Children have the tendency to go around and put things in their mouth like paint. This is one of the main causes of lead poisoning. I also have found that children born in poor families have higher chances of getting exposed to lead. Lead can also be found in old water pipes and food and juice cans.

Some of the common symptoms of lead poisoning in children are headaches, stomach pain, hair loss, muscle weakness, weight loss, ect.

Lead poisoning can have severe effects and can lead to heart diseases, kidney diseases and other problems. It can also result in mental retardation and low I.Q. level. There have been cases where lead poisoning proves to be deadly for the child.

It’s difficult to recognize whether a child is affected with lead poisoning easily, as the symptoms of this disease can occur due to some other medical problems. Therefore, children under the age of 6 should regularly be checked to know the level of lead in their blood, through blood test. It’s possible to completely cure a child with lead poisoning through treatment. Usually, oral medicines are given to the child, while sometimes, they’re injected for reducing the lead level. Children who have very high level of lead in their blood would need treatment for a long period of time and would also be put on a special diet.

Parents have to take certain measures to lower the chance of lead poisoning in children. Cleaning the house regularly and removing shoes at the door, after coming from outside, will prevent the lead particles(微粒) from entering the house. Children should be put on a healthy diet, containing high proportions (比例) of calcium and iron, such as eggs, milk, fruits, potatoes, ect. which helps to keep the lead level in control, in the child’s body. In short, parents should be careful and protect their children from the horrible consequences of lead poisoning.

Lead Poisoning in Children

Good health is the most valuable thing a person can have but one cannot take good health for granted. It is important to remember that the body needs proper care in order to be healthy. There are three things that a person can do to help stay healthy, eating right food, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly.

Proper nutrition(营养) is important for good health. Your body cannot work well unless it receives the proper kind “fuel”. Don’t eat too much food with lots of sugar and fat. Eat plenty of foods high in protein(蛋白质), like meat, fish, eggs and nuts. Vegetables and fruits are very important because they provide necessary vitamins and minerals. However, don’t overeat. It is not helpful to be overweight.

Getting the proper amount of sleep is also important. If you don’t get enough sleep, you feel tired and easily get angry. You have no energy. Over a long period of time a little amount of sleep may even result in a change of personality(人的个性). Be sure to allow yourself from

seven to nine hours of sleep each day. If you do, your body will feel strong and refreshed, and your mind will be sharp.

 Finally, get plenty of exercise. Exercise makes the body stronger, strengthens the muscles(肌肉), and prevents you from gaining weight. It also improves your heart and lungs. If you follow a regular exercise program, you will probably increase your life-span(寿命). Any kind of exercise is good. Most sports are good for keeping the body in good shape: basketball, swimming, bicycling, running and so on. Sports are not only good for your body, but they are enjoyable and interesting, too.

A motto is a sentence or a phrase which can inspire us especially __61.__  we are __62____(face) with difficulties. Many of us have our mottoes, such as “Where there is a will, there is a way.” Or “Nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it.”, and so on. My motto is “God helps those who help __63___.” Sometimes I am lazy and don’t want to make efforts _64__( work) hard, __65__ I will get energetic again and devote myself __66___ what I am doing when I think of my motto. I write my motto _67__ I can see it easily. Every time I fail in my exam and begin to lose heart, the sight of my motto inspires me with much ___68___(confident). My motto also makes me become __69___ independent person. That is to say, I won’t rely on others easily.

   My friends, what is your motto? If you still haven’t got a motto, please choose _70___because a motto can have a great effect on you.