There is a lot to learn about the creations of Beatrix Potter—not only is she the author and illustrator of one of the world's most famous children's books, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, but also a pioneering conservationist with the spirit of a scientist.

“Potter grew up as the daughter of a wealthy Victorian family, but along with her brother filled an entire floor of their large house in London with all sorts of animals,” said Anne Lundin, a retired professor for the UW-Madison School of Library Studies.

“As an adult, she was a frustrated botanical illustrator and scientist. That field was not open to her because she was female,”Lundin said. Potter was urged to turn the charming illustrations and stories she wrote in letters to children into books. She wrote 23 books in all—a body of work that has inspired plays, ballets, films and an astonishing amount of merchandise.

“The Tale of Peter Rabbit is probably the most famous children's book in the world, which was published 113 years ago and has really stood the test of time. It's been translated into 36 languages. The parents and grandparents will share it with the next generation,”said Lundin.

Potter also made a mark on the world through her land conservation. “In many ways, she was like Peter Rabbit, venturing into a world of adventure and risk. She withdrew from London as soon as she started making some money on her books to the Lake District and became an extremely important farmer and conservationist. She preserved and passed on 15 farms and over 4,000 acres, which were given back to the country as gifts in the 20th century,”said Lundin.

Even though she was born 150 years ago, she was amazingly modern—her embracing of the natural world, commented Jennifer Blatchley Smith, an artistic director of the show Peter Rabbit Tales to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Potter's birth.

The library is one of the most popular places at a western university.Students turn to it for research，conversations about class，and many other services.

Compared with Chinese libraries，college libraries in the US and UK tend to offer more resources.A postgraduate at Yale University can borrow as many as 225 books at a time.

In addition to borrowing books，there are online and electronic resources.These include a database search of popular and academic material，such as LexisNexis Academic，which offers items from newspapers and magazines.

Although books and articles are the items that students ask for most frequently，some libraries provide audio and video recordings，maps and sheet music(活页乐谱)．At some schools，teachers and tutors put electronic copies of their teaching PPTs on the library web to give easier access for students.

Another useful service in western college libraries is the Interlibrary Loan.This allows a student at one school to borrow books from another school.The loan request is made through the studentˈs college library，which gets the book，gives it to the user，and arranges for its return.

Technology has brought more services to students and has made libraries attractive.Some universities have services for students to send messages through the computer or mobile texts to ask the library staff for information.

Earlier this year，Harvard University introduced a new Scan and Deliver service，allowing students to make requests for parts of books and articles.Requests made through the system are handled by library staff.The student receives an e-mail with an Internet link to the scanned pages.The service is free and all material comes within four days.

It used to be that libraries didnˈt allow food or drinks.But that rule is changing and many of them now contain a café so students can spend as much time as they want in the library.

Actually，some US university libraries are now all-night affairs，or have at least one study room open all night.

One day I was driven by a rainstorm to take shelter in a little hut by the roadside, which was 　(1)　 by a shoemaker as his workshop. The man and his son were 　(2)　 at their work, and 　(3)　 saying, “Good day,” we began to talk together. 

Before I had been with them long, the old man 　(4)　 his son out to get something that he 　(5) for his work. The boy was only five minutes 　(6)　, but it was too 　(7)　 for the active old shoemaker. He became 　(8)　, moved about the room, and 　(9) took up a piece of leather and fell to 　(10)　 it, saying, “You know, sir, it will never do to be idle.” 

As soon as the rain was over, I went on my way home, 　(11)　 what I had heard—“It will never do to be idle.” Some people are 　(12) idle; others are idle only now and then. I was one of the latter class. I could work only 　(13)　. So the old man's words came home to me. They awakened my 　(14), and I begin to feel how wrong it was to (15)　 so much of my life in idleness. 

I had often heard and read that 　(16)　 is a very great evil, but now I began to see that it 　(17)　 far more sorrow than people are 　(18). It is the man who is doing nothing that is drawn into disaster, while the busy man is 　(19)　. It is only the idle that are unhappy. So I made up my mind to 　(20)　 the shoemaker's rule for the rest of my life. 

As a teenager，I was very sensitive and always lacking in confidence.I felt I was always letting people __  (1)  __.I was disobedient(逆反的)outside，but I wanted to be loved inside.

Once I left home to get a free __  (2)  __ to California with my friend Penelope.The trip wasnˈt __  (3)  __，and I met a lot of difficulties.There were many times I didnˈt feel safe.One situation __  (4)  __ kept me grateful for still being alive.When I returned home，I was __  (5)  __，not so sure of myself any longer.

I was happy to return to my __  (6)  __again.But then I noticed that Penelope，who was staying with us，was __  (7)  __my clothes.And my family seemed to like her better than me.I wondered if I would be __  (8)  __if I werenˈt there.I told my mom，and she explained that though Penelope was a lovely girl，no one could __  (9)  __me.I pointed out，“She is more patient and is neater than I have __  (10)  __ been.”My mom said these were wonderful __  (11)  __，but I was the only person who could fill my __  (12)  __.She made me realize that even with my __  (13)  __，and there were many，I was a loved member of the __  (14)  __who couldnˈt be taken place of.

I became a seeker，wanting to find out who I was and __  (15)  __made me unique.My view of myself was __  (16)  __.I wanted a solid base to __  (17)  __from.I started to resist pressure to act in ways that I didnˈt like any more，and I was __  (18)  __ by who I really was.I __  (19)  __ to feel much more sure that no one can ever take my place.

Each of us holds a (n)__  (20)  __place in the world.You are special，no matter what others say or what you may think.So forget about being replaced .You canˈt be.

I am the only person who has reached senior middle school in my family.So，I am the “best-educated”．But I also used to be the most __  (1)  __because I never thought about my manners.As a busy __  (2)  __，I always come home from school late.When I get home at __  (3)  __，it is time for my meal.After eating，I go to school again.But one day，when I was ready to go to school after lunch as usual，Dad stopped me.“Could you __  (4)  __ me some time？”he asked，“Just one __  (5)  __.”I looked at the time and found I didnˈt have much time left.“OK，Dad，but please make it __  (6)  __.”“All right，I know you are __  (7)  __，so I will just ask you two questions.Could you __  (8)  __how many things you have done for our __  (9)  __？And，could you tell me how often you say hello to your family members when you get home？”

That day，when I was at __  (10)  __，I thought about the questions without understanding why Dad had __  (11)  __ asked them.Then，my friend，a girl from a rich family，asked me what was __  (12)  __me.I told her.After listening，she laughed.“Hey! Thatˈs nothing __  (13)  __！You know，I never do anything or say hello to anybody when I am at home，either.”Then she added，“As far as I know,90 percent of our __  (14)  __have never done these things.”Really？At that moment，I __  (15)  __why my dad had asked me those questions.It was because it is good __  (16)  __to say hello to your family.However，most of us students donˈt know，or even __  (17)  __this.How sad we are！I finally realized how I should answer my dadˈs questions.First，I would do all those things that are called good manners.Second，I would __  (18)  __my classmates to be aware of their manners as soon as possible.That night I told these things to Dad.“Good，”he said，“Better late than never.”The next afternoon，when I got home，I saw Mum in the kitchen cooking.“Hi，Mum，Iˈm __  (19)  __，”I said.She looked at me and gave me a big __  (20)  __.

I was walking towards my office when my colleague Philip stopped me.He __  (1)  __ me to Stephen，a young man who would take one of my classes.With a (n)__  (2)  __expression，Stephen asked if my class was going to be hard.I __  (3)  __ that he was afraid of failing __  (4)  __before the opening day of classes.When I told him it was a __  (5)  __in which students should recite a lot of facts，I saw his eyes getting __  (6)  __ with fear.

Then I remembered a Chinese __  (7)  __：“One bite at a time.”I told him to finish his work that way __  (8)  __finish all the work at a time.

Later I learned __  (9)  __ of Stephenˈs story.His family members who treated him badly kept __  (10)  __him that he was a failure.__  (11)  __he still kept at it and got his diploma(毕业证)．Now，faced with their __  (12)  __ attitude and doubt，he had enrolled(报名)in college.

Stephen didnˈt become an “A” student.__  (13)  __，he managed to pass most of his courses by __  (14)  __his studying into bite-sized parts.Slowly，he began to gain a lot of __  (15)  __and was brave to face difficulties.He was a great singer and he was __  (16)  __the school team.

Every time I saw him on campus he would say，“One bite at a time”．Whenever he introduced me to his friends on campus，he would __  (17)  __ that he was succeeding when he was __  (18)  __to be failing.His __  (19)  __，he said，was that he was practicing what I taught him __  (20)  __classes ever started.I asked for the answer and he said，“Take it one bite at a time”．

I first went to hear a live rock concert when I was eight years old. My brother and his friends were all   (1)   of a heavy metal group called Black Wednesday. When they   (2)   that Black Wednesday were going to perform at our local theatre, they all bought   (3)   for performance. However, at the last minute, one of the friends couldn’t go, so my brother   (4)   me the ticket. I was really   (5)  !

I remember the buzz (嘈杂声) of excitement inside the theatre as we all found our   (6)  . After a few minutes, the lights went down and everybody became   (7)  . I could barely make out the stage in the   (8)  . We waited. Then there was a roar from the crowd, like an explosion, as the first members of the band   (9)   the stage. My brother leaned over and shouted something in my ear, but I couldn’t   (10)  what he was saying. The first song was already starting and the music was as   (11)   as a jet engine. I could   (12)   the drum beats and bass notes in my stomach. I can’t recall any of the songs that the band played. I just   (13)   that I really enjoyed the show and didn’t want it to   (14)  . But in the end, after three encores (加演), the show finished. We left the    (15)  and walked unsteadily out onto the pavement. I felt a little dizzy, as if I had just   (16)   from a long sleep. My ears were still   (17)   with the beat of the last song.

After the   (18)  , I became a Black Wednesday fan too for a few years before getting into other kinds of music. Once in a while,   (19)  , I listen to one of their songs and   (20)   I’m back at that first show.

   I think it was October, 1982. A friend had business dealings in the city of Reno, Nevada, and I was asked to accompany her on an overnight trip. While she conducted her business, I was aimlessly wandering down Virginia Street, heading into a most gloriously beautiful sunset. I had an urge to speak to someone on the street to share that beauty, but I couldn't make eye contact with anyone. Quickly I ducked into a department store and asked the lady behind the counter if she could come outside for just a minute. She looked at me as though I were from some other planet and said, "Well..." Surprisingly, she followed me out.

   When she got outside I said to her, "Just look at that sunset! Nobody out here was looking at it and I just had to share it with someone."

   For a few seconds we just looked. Then I said, "God's in his heaven and all's right with the world." I thanked her for coming out to see it and sharing the beauty.

   Four years later my situation had changed considerably. I had come to the end of a twenty-year marriage, I was alone and on my own for the first time in my life. One day, while my clothes were going around, I picked up a Unity Magazine and read an article about a woman who had been in similar circumstances. She had come to the end of a marriage, moved to a strange community, and the only job she could find was one she disliked: cosmetic sales in a department store. We had a lot in common.

   Then something happened to her that changed everything. She said a woman came into her department store and asked her to step outside to look at a sunset. The stranger had said, "God's in his heaven and all's right with the world.", and she had realized the truth in that statement and that she simply had not been seeing it. From that moment on, she turned her life around.