What do Leonardo da Vincii, Marie Curie, and Albert Einstein have in common? They were all left-handed, along with other famous people including Brad Pitt Prince William, and Barack Obama. In fact, an estimated 13 percent of the world's population may be left-handed and still most people around the world are right-handed.

    What makes a person become right-handed rather than left-handed? As yet no one really knows for sure. One simple idea suggests that people normally get right-handedness from their parents. Studies have found that two right-handed parents have only a 9.5 percent chance of having a left-handed child, whereas two left-handed parents have a 26 percent chance of having a left-handed child. Another common theory is that left-handed people suffer mild brain damage during birth, which makes them left-handed. However, if this theory were true, it would not explain why the percentage of left-banded people is so similar in every society, when birth conditions vary so much from society to society.

    Whatever the reasons behind it, people's attitudes toward left-handedness have changed a lot over the years. Statistics show that although 13 percent of young people (10-20 years old) are left-handed, only 6 percent of the elderly are left-handed. Left-handed children used to be punished until they began using their right hand like other children, but today people who are left-handed are no longer looked down on nor are they considered abnormal. For most people today, either case is perfectly acceptable.

    Oil is essential for modern life. About 64 percent of the world's oil is located in the Middle East, but the heaviest consumers of oil are Europe, America, and Japan. The problem lies in getting the oil from the countries that produce it to the countries that consume it. This is mainly done using oil tankers. Usually the oil is shipped safely and with no problems, but occasionally there is a disaster.

    Every year millions of tons of oil are spilled into the ocean. Although this is only a small percentage of the total amount shipped around the world each year, this spilled oil can have terrible effects on ocean life, including the coastlines where the oil washes up onto shore.

    One of the worst oil spills in history occurred along the Alaskan coastline in 1989, when the Exxon Valdez tanker ran aground off the coast of Alaska, spilling 42 million liters of oil. Although it wasn't the largest oil spill, the disaster was terrible because it occurred in such a sensitive natural area. In this spill, the tanker's captain, who was tired from overwork and drinking alcohol, had gone to take a rest. He gave control of the ship to another sailor, who was unfamiliar with the route. The ship ran onto Bligh Reef. Damaged by the reef, the ship leaked oil out into the ocean. More than 1,600 kilometers of coastline were affected by the oil spill. Many birds and otters died as a result of the oil covering their skin, and many other sea creatures and the animals that fed on them were also severely affected.

    "Do you like my dress?" She asked of a passing stranger. "My mommy made it just for me." She said with a tear in her eye.

    "Well, I think it's very pretty, so, why are you crying?"

    With a tremble in her voice the little girl answered. "After mommy made me this dress, she had to go away."

    "Well, now," said the lady, "with a little girl like you waiting for her, I'm sure she'll be right back."

    "No Ma'am, you don't understand," said the child through her tears, "my daddy said she's up in heaven now with Grandfather."

    The woman realized what the child meant, and why she was crying. Kneeling down she gently gathered the child into her arms and together they cried for the mommy that was gone. As the woman intended to go, the little girl grabbed her sleeve, pointing to a spot on her dress, saying, "Here is where my mommy kissed my dress, and here," pointing to another spot, "and here is another kiss, and here, and here. Mommy said that she put all those kisses on my dress so that I would have her kisses whenever I cry."

    Then the lady realized that she wasn't just looking at a dress, she was looking at a mother who knew that she was going away and would not be there to kiss away the hurts that she knew her daughter would get. So she took all the love she had for her little girl and put them into this dress. She no longer saw a little girl in a simple dress. She saw a child wrapped in her mother's love.

    The process of forgiveness can be a liberating experience. Interestingly, forgiveness can only occur because we have been given the gift of the ability to make choices.        The choice of offering forgiveness develops along three steps.

    At step one you are filled with self justified anger. At some point in your life you have been hurt and you are mad at the person who you feel has wronged you. You blame the person committing the wrong.        You have forgotten that you have a choice as to how you will react.

    The second step towards forgiveness emerges when after feeling angry with someone for a while you realize that the anger does not feel good to you.        So you take steps to forgive. You may begin to see the problem from the other person's point of view or you may simply decide to let the problem go.       

    The third stage of forgiveness comes after you have seen the beneficial results of forgiveness and you don't want to waste your precious life in discomfort. In this stage the choice is to work to either repair the relationship or let go of seeing the situation as a problem.        At this stage you are aware that the length of time you experience the situation as a sorrow is primarily up to you.

A. If we want to forgive someone, no one can stop us.

B. We have the choice to forgive or not to forgive and no one can force us to do either.

C. In either case you decide to forgive because you have had some practice with it and see the benefit in your life.

D. It is their action and not your choice of response that you feel causes your anger.

E. In either case you are no longer angry and you have forgiven the person.

F. This could emerge in a situation where you are cut off by another car on the road.

G. It may be hurting your emotional balance or your physical health.

    When I was a little girl, I remember that when my dad was repairing something, every time he asked me to 1 the hammer, just so we would have a time for a 2 with each other. I 3 saw my dad drinking or taking a night out with the boys, all he did after 4 was taking care of his family.

    I 5 and left home for college and since then, my dad had been calling me every Sunday morning, no matter what. And when several 6 later I bought a house, my dad was 7 it by himself for three days in the 80°F summer heat. All he 8 was to hold his paint brush and talk to him. But I was too 9 in those days, I did not find any time for a conversation with my dad.

    One Sunday 10 we had a telephone talk as usual, I noticed that my dad had 11 some things that we discussed 12. I was in a hurry, so our conversation was 13. Few hours later that day came a call. My father was in a hospital with an aneurysm(动脉瘤). 14 I bought a ticket for a flight and 15 I was thinking about all 16 occasions(场合) to have a talk with my dad.

    By the time I17 at the hospital, my father had passed away. Now it was he who did not have 18 for a conversation with me. After his death I19 much more about him, and even more about myself. All he ever asked me was my time. And now he has all my20every single day.

    In your daily life, there are many examples where your parents control hundreds        things for you when you are a kid, such as the clothes you wear, the food you eat, where you go and how you get there. It is a good thing. Kids need this kind of       (protect) and help because they are not old enough to take care of        and make decisions       (correct). But with you growing      (old), the part of being a teen is developing your own identity—one that       (separate) from your parents'. Different attitudes towards events like partying may lead to arguments, because your parents will always want to protect you and keep you safe, no matter how old you are. As        result, your parents feel it hard to get used to the new situation with       (increase) anxiety. What kids should keep in mind is        in most cases, your parents can relate to what you're going through because they        (be) teens once.

1）打算去的地方；

2）具体的活动安排；

3）安排的理由。

注意：1）词数80左右；

2）可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

    "I think I'm nothing more than a dead fish." "I don't want to do anything." "I'm so beat and so sad."... The young generation in our country used to enjoy their "happy culture" but now they have become "beat and sad" slowly and secretly. Some people even called it "the beat culture". The "Beat" youths don't want to do anything. They have no purpose, no desire and they are totally depressed so that they only want to live an aimless life. The "Ge You slouch (葛优瘫)" and the song I feel like having been drained are the examples.

    Many media concern themselves about this phenomenon and try to persuade the youths into embracing positive and healthy feelings and encourage them to work hard to get rid of decadence. This is really a kind gesture. However, we don't have to worry too much about this "beat culture." In fact, it's not a negative thing. "Beat" never means despair, but a way of self-mockery (自嘲) and pressure relief.

    In general, the youths in China are not "beat". According to a recent international research, the youths in China hold positive attitude towards the future. 29% of the Chinese interviewees believe they will live and work in peace in China because "as long as you work hard, you can have your own day". Around 93% of the Chinese interviewees believe the future is promising because of medicine industry, renewable energy sources and computer. Compared with Chinese youngsters, youths in developed countries are more pessimistic.

    Of course there are some social reasons for the appearing of "the Beat Culture". As urbanization develops rapidly, youths living in big cities are facing new challenges that their forefathers have never encountered before. Loneliness and feelings of insignificance and powerlessness are easy to get hold of the young people. Without proper care, they could threaten our mentality and cause many social problems. These problems probably need our attention more.