English,你是我的奴隶

Today is Christmas Eve, an important festival in the West. It is said that Santa Claus, the lovely old man with a white beard and a red suit will come tonight, and present gifts to good children. Though I am always a good child, there have been none Santa Claus appeared in my past 22 years to bring me a surprise, still, every year, I fell asleep with my naive dream, hoping my stocking would be filled and all the wishes would come true the next tomorrow.

After I finish this essay, I am going to buy a new stocking, and put it on the bed, if he fail to fill my stocking, it doesn't matter, I'd like him to do another thing to compensate me, do what? I'm sorry, it is a secret. Now I will turn to my wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

1. I'm a little greedy, if I have too many wishes, I wish you won't be frightened;

2. Wish my parents, friends, and myself will be healthy;

3. Wish myself will make a progress in the new year, the first task of which is to enter IACAS;

4. Wish my bf have a good time with his work and colleagues, and wish him be more excellent;

5. I wish my bf will give me a kiss in our 1,000 day, as well as in the 2,000 day, the 3,000 day, ..., the 10,000 day, ..., and so on.

6. I want to be more beautiful, fitter and lovely, besides, I hope I could become a good cooker during the next year.

7. I wish there won't be any female newcomers in UFsoft.

8. I wish I will have more handsome classmates in the new college.

9. I wish all above will come true, beside, I have no more wild wishes, that's all.

The message revealing that Yang Zhenning, 82, had a espousal with Weng Fan, 28, a graduate student major in English, spreaded over web sites immediately since it had been confirmed by Yang Zhenning, who had once won the Nobel Prize for his superexcellent contribution to physics.

Hundreds of Thousands of warmhearted people are concerned about the affair, as well as air their opinions on the web. Right now I searched "杨振宁 翁帆" in google, there were 222,000 items, a great part of which criticize this affair with an opposing attitude, concerning it as a corruption of academia; while there are also supporters of the couple, they consider everyone has right to seek for love and happiness, besides, their courage is admirable.

Personally, I can't find any necessities of their marriage, although I believe their love is pure-hearted and rare. Since I think they have no chance to have a baby, and a sincere love is enough to tie a couple together, there is no sense for them to have an added marriage, isn't there? Moreover, because of the marriage, they have to take great pressure of mundane attitude. What I want to say is their love is beyond triteness, however, their marriage turn back into.

After all, it's a matter of themselves, others are outlier, only thing we could do is wishing them.

Your dog Bonehead has made some damage in your neighbor's yard and you will write to your neighbor to apologize.
your letter will refer to:
1) you deep apology;
2) explain how it happened and inquire the extent of damage;
3) promise your neighbor that such kind of thing will never happen again.
You should write about 100 words. Do not sign your name at the end of the letter. Use "Li Ming" instead.

Dear friends,
I'm writing this letter to apologize to you, I'm so sorry that my dog Bonehead had done such things in your yard today.

I was so hurry to have a date this morning that I forgot to close the window downstairs, during my absent, Bonehead escaped and made damage in your beautiful yard. Tomorrow is Sunday, I'd like to do something to compensate you, do you mind if I clean the yard and plant new trees and flowers with you?

Anyway, I feel so sorry for what had happened, I will bring Bonehead to my mother's house, so please don't worry, such kind of things will never happen again.

                                                                                                              yours sincerely, Li Ming

Italian government planed to enact a law to ban smoking in bars and restaurants, which was apposed by many owners, they considered the new law was unfair, so that they would take acts to appeal to the country's administrative tribunal to block it.

It is said that the ban will take effect on Jan. 10. Though it was planed to acting at the end of this month, considering the New Year's Eve, the goverment finally agreed to give smokers a few more puffing days.

Over the weekend, the health minister, Girolamo Sirchia stated there won't be any more delays. He advised those who want to smoke do it in the streets or in their homes,  but not in the non-smoking places.

All the indoor spaces are banned smoking according to the new law, all the restaurants and bars are included, except for the separate smoking area with continuous floor-to-celling walls and a ventilation system.

ROME A plan to ban smoking in bars and restaurants has caused protests in Italy, with many owners saying the new law is unfair and threatening to appeal to the country's administrative tribunal to block it.

The new legislation goes into force on Jan. 10. It was originally expected to be enforced at the end of this month, but officials agreed to postpone its enforcement to allow Italians a few last puffs on New Year's Eve.

"We will not allow any more delays," the health minister, Girolamo Sirchia, said over the weekend.

"Those who want to smoke can do so in the streets or in their homes, not around those who do not tolerate it."

The law bans smoking in all indoor spaces, including restaurants and bars, unless they have a separate smoking area with continuous floor-to-ceiling walls and a ventilation system.

As a officially atheist, China used to be intolerance of religion, therefore, it was always criticized by America and some other country, however, China has announced new rules yesterday which enshrine religious belief as a basic human rights as it confronts social and economic change.

It was annotated in the People's Daily that the protection of religious freedom is important in safeguarding people's interests and respecting and protection human rights, as there are more than 100 million people believing religion in China actually.

The Communist Party has admitted the mistake that persecuted monks and nuns in the Cultural Revolution during 1966 till 1976, and they has stated that officials no longer interfere in religious life.

According to Xinhua news agency, the Religious Affairs Provisions will be put into practice formally on March 1 next year,  the content it includes is comprehensive, it also protects the legitimate rights of religious groups, religious sites and the religious people.

It added that the constituting of the new provisions are based on the new situations and issues appearing along with the  rapidly socioeconomic developing in recent years in China (details are unwritten).

http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/12/19/news/china-4661925.html

 BEIJING Officially atheist China, criticized overseas for its intolerance of religion, has announced new rules enshrining religious belief as a basic human right as it confronts social and economic change.

"As China has more than 100 million people believing religion, so the protection of religious freedom is important in safeguarding people's interests and respecting and protecting human rights," the People's Daily said Sunday.

The Communist Party has stated that it made a mistake by persecuting monks and nuns in the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution and that officials no longer interfere in religious life.

The Religious Affairs Provisions would formally take effect on March 1, Xinhua news agency said.

The set of comprehensive administrative rules "specify that the legitimate rights of religious groups, religious sites and the religious people are protected," it said.

"The new provisions are designed to deal with new situations and issues that have emerged in recent years with China's rapid socioeconomic development," it added without elaborating.

"The rules are regarded as a significant step forward in the protection of Chinese citizens' religious freedom."

In September the Vatican accused China of a fresh crackdown on Roman Catholics by detaining eight priests and two seminary students, the latest in a long line of Catholics seized by the Chinese police in recent years.

The U.S. State Department's Annual Report on Religious Freedom, issued last December, rebuked China, saying that believers who did not belong to state-sanctioned groups suffered varying degrees of "interference and harassment."

China rejected the criticism as unfair.

Beijing broke links with the Vatican in the 1950s and forbids Catholics to recognize the pope's authority. It forces Christians to belong to state-backed patriotic associations if they wish to worship openly.

China's destruction of religion during the Cultural Revolution, when many Tibetan monasteries were blown up, has been replaced by a tentative relaxation in the restive Himalayan region that tightens swiftly at the first sign of anti-Chinese sentiment.

constitute vt.制定（法律），建立（政府）
comprehensive adj.全面的，广泛的
persecute v.迫害
annotate n.注释，评注
atheist n.无神论者
intolerance n.不能容忍，不容异说
enshrine vt. 入庙祀奉, 铭记

                   

1. (Baseball game on a field decorated               2. (Skeleton is trapped in the center,     

    like  a dollar bill.)                                                doorless square amid nine office

                                                                               cubicles.)

 

                     

3. (Woman reads N.Y. Times at table as        4. "There's a twenty in it for you if you just

husband stands on head to read the               keep moving." 

upside down sports section.)                          (Woman tries to bribe Cupid into not causing her

                                                                       to fall in love with unattractive man sitting next to

                                                                       her on a park bench.)

 

 

1. 装饰成美元钞票样子的棒球场；

2. 核心人物被困在中央，在九个办公隔间的中间，没有门；

3. 女人在桌子上读纽约时报，而丈夫脑袋倒过来读反面的体育板块；

4. "如果你飞走的话，我会给你20块。"（女人试图贿赂丘比特，不要让她爱上公园长椅上坐在她旁边的那个毫不起眼的男人。）

In the five Regents exams required for graduation, New York City high school students did a rather disappointed job, compared with those in the rest of state. Moreover, because they were not academically ready, 31% of students in ninth grade did not take the exam, and the number statewide is 25%.

Those figures were uncovered in the Regents's monthly meeting began in Albany on this Saturday, made by Richard P. Mills, the state education commissioner. He especially emphasized the passing rate of the Regent science test, which requests scores higher than 55, comparing with 81% of general education students statewide, the rate of students in the city is only 65%.

Mr. Mills found that students who take the five required exams, they pass, however, he said there were still too many high school students haven't done what they should do. He said the main reason that those students did not take the exam is they had not adequately prepared in their middle school years for the transition to ninth grade or had fail too many classes.

Considering the Regents math test, about 76% of students statewide passed, getting a record higher than 55, comparely, the number in the city is 59%. As to English and history, the thing are similar.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/17/education/17regents.html

ew York City high school students were far behind the rest of the state in passing the five Regents exams required for graduation, according to state data released yesterday analyzing the class that entered ninth grade in 2000.

In addition, about 31 percent of those ninth graders did not end up taking any of the exams because they were not academically ready, compared with 25 percent statewide.

The state education commissioner, Richard P. Mills, presented the information just as the Regents' monthly meeting began in Albany yesterday. He highlighted statistics showing that 81 percent of general education students statewide who took the Regents science test earned scores of at least 55, the minimum passing score in many communities. Only 65 percent of students in the city passed.

"The key finding is that students who take the five required exams, they pass," Mr. Mills said. "But there's still too many young people who enter high school not prepared to do high school work."

He said those who did not take the exams had not been adequately prepared in their middle school years for the transition to ninth grade or had failed too many classes.

In terms of passing the exams, statewide, 76 percent of students who took the Regents math test scored 55 or higher, compared with 59 percent in the city. There were similar disparities in English and history.

Survey finds married people healthier than singles

The National Center for Health Statistics made a report on Wednesday, in which they claim married couples are healthier than other adults, according to the result of research they did on over 125,000 random people. However, there are two major theories, health statistician Charlotte Schoenborn said in an interview.

One believes that health may be improved  through marriage. For married couples, they can enjoy more advantages, such as economic resources, social and psychological support, encouragement of healthful lifestyles, and so on.

While others insist that marriage is a selection of good health. In their theory, healthy people are likely to get married as well as remain it, however, the chance for less healthy ones might be less, either they won't get married, or it will be easier for them to become separated, divorced or widowed.

Charlotte said, for any poeple of any ethnicity wherever they born, and regardless of their socio-economic status, education and poverty the association between marital status and health keeps the same.

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/12/15/marriage.health.ap/index.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Married people are healthier than other adults, though husbands have a tendency to pack on some extra pounds, says the National Center for Health Statistics.

The center's report on Wednesday, based on a survey of more than 125,000 people, didn't specify reasons. But health statistician Charlotte Schoenborn said in an interview that there are two major theories.

One is that marriage may be protective of health. For example married couples may have advantages in terms of economic resources, social and psychological support and encouragement of healthful lifestyles.

A second possibility is marital selection, "the theory that healthy people get married and stay married, whereas less healthy people either do not marry or are more likely to become separated, divorced or widowed."

"Overall, this association between marital status and health persists regardless of socio-economic status, education and poverty, where people were born or their ethnicity," she said.

The center reported that among adults 18 and over, 11.9 percent said they were in only fair or poor health.

Some 10.5 percent of married people reported being in poor or fair health, while all other groups were higher. At 19.6 percent, the widowed were the most likely to be in these categories.

"In general, married adults were the least likely to experience health problems and the least likely to engage in risky health behaviors, with the notable exception of being overweight," Schoenborn wrote.

The report was based on a survey of 127,545 people in 1999-2002 conducted by the center, a part of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition to reporting better health overall, the study found that married people said they had less low back pain, fewer headaches and less psychological stress. They also were less likely to drink and smoke and were more physically active than people in general.

Ten tips for an Earth-friendly holiday

It is a season to have joys, however, you might have added to the pile of waste casually, such as ordinary holiday cards, candy boxes, colorful ribbons, as well as uprooted Christmas trees. Ten tips are below to give you some useful advices.

1. Save a Christmas tree
You might repot a sustainable tree in winter and then plant it in your own yard in the spring, then you can decorate outside without uprooting it. In warm climates, you can celebrate with your family outside.

Most Americans still prefer to cut trees, then you'd better know how to care for a living tree. After the holiday, pick up trees to recycle. If you choose a plastic tree, as it is made from non-recyclable plastics, you'd better reuse it.

2. Natural tree trimmings
There are the usual edible ornaments: cranberries, popcorn strings and candy canes. Besides, you can choose something you collected usually. And those stuffers from last year is also a great ornaments this year.

3. Green mailing tips
When you mail gifts to you friends, use the smallest box and as less bubble paper as you can.

4. Make gifts

5. Consider not using store-bought wrapping paper

6. Recycling bows, ribbons, gift wrap

7. Good things come with the least amount of packaging

8. Give organic goodies

9. Shop at neighborhood stores or walk to the mall?

10. Stick to that list

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6707542/

'Tis the season to be jolly but it's also the season to think twice before you box up packages to mail to family or friends or trash that tree at the end of the season. Most holiday cards — except a handful you might save — candy boxes, colorful ribbons and Styrofoam peanuts just add to the pile of waste already in our nation's landfills. So this holiday season, why not give a gift to the planet as well as a loved one?

1. Save a Christmas tree
If you're lucky enough to have a yard, decorate an existing tree, plant or scrub without uprooting it. In warm climates, consider celebrating outside. Ambitious sorts might pick up a sustainable tree or a tree that can be repotted in the winter and then planted in the spring. Ask about sustainable trees at your local tree stand. A few mail-order tree companies are also listed in the National Green Pages, published by Washington-based non-profit environmental group Co-op America.

Super ambitious sorts might grow their own tree. A treeinabox.com sells kits for $6, which contains everything you need to grow your own tree except for the water, sun and patience. The company guarantees their seeds will sprout or they'll send you new ones.

Most Americans still opt for cut trees. In that case, check out the National Christmas Tree Association Web site for tips on how to care for a living tree. After the holiday, look for a program in your neighborhood that has drop-off locations or picks up trees to recycle.

Plastic trees are a mixed bag for the environment. They're re-usable but usually are made from non-recyclable plastics. It's best to recycle plastic trees as well. Either give it to someone who wants it or recycle it at throwplace.com, a Web site set up for the free exchange of goods.

2. Natural tree trimmings
The list is long. There are the usual edible ornaments: cranberries, popcorn strings and candy canes. But what about cinnamon sticks, Cheerios or tri-color pasta? Pine cones, twigs and feathers make great ornaments but how about those seashells you collected last summer along the coast? Old costume jewelry on a string light up a tree. (If you do use lights, make sure use low watt bulbs.) Political buttons attached to tree branches certainly make a statement. Some stuffers from last year — small toys, novelty items — make great ornaments this year.

3. Green mailing tips
When mailing gifts, use the smallest box you can. Save and re-use any bubble paper, Styrofoam peanuts and even bunched up paper that comes your way.