1、 UNIT 1I am frequently asked the question ,”Can you use chopsticks” I have lived in Korea ,Japan and China .In each country , I have ,more often than not and without having requested one ,been given a fork when one was available .I have politely refused and said that I would be fine with chopsticks
2、.Sometime, I have to make further explanation.Chopsticks are the least of my worries when I am eating in an Asian home or restaurant .In fact ,learning how to use chopsticks takes me nothing but a few weeks .This is not to say I was skillful, though .Learning how to use chopsticks is easy for me ,wh
3、ereas learning the rituals and how to conduct myself at the table is quite difficult .Just how many times do I have to say ”no ,thank you” when I really mean” no ,thank you ,I truly am full ”?How do I get away with refusing more food without offending someone ?If I insist and I still get more ,is it
4、 appropriate just not to eat it ?This would be impolite where I come from.I have enjoyed many great meals and my interactions with the people have been great .I am increasingly aware that I will never be able to give back as much as I have received. I dont know how I can ever thank all of the people
5、 who introduced me to eating in Asia.UNIT 2 This was what all of the training and pain was about-winning .I watched TV to see the young runner who had been under my coaching for the last few years .I would have been there on the spot had it not been for the traffic problem .I couldnt make it even on
6、 my bicycle. While I watched the young runner enter to the cheers of thousands of people ,I could not help thinking of the pains that he had gone through in his training.The young runner was hardly considered to be promising when he first came to me .There were countless training sessions full of pa
7、in for him .I had seen fatigue written on his face I had heard him swear at me .I had been indifferent to his anger and pain .It was clear that only hard work could earn him success .I had smiled to myself when I found that he had too much passion to give up .And he would persist with the training u
8、ntil he reached perfection .I had never forgot to remind him that despite the challenges he had to keep on practice. It was unfair that he had no time for his G F. But that was life for him.The thunderous shouts and cheers drew me back to the TV screen .Oh, my dear ,the young runner was gaining spee
9、d .He was running to the finish line .He was strong enough to beat other runners .His courage ,heart and discipline together with his years of practice won him the honor. Tears rolled down my cheeks when I found on the screen the young runner was looking around .I understood at once that he was look
10、ing for me .For year ,he had become so used to my presence ,success or failure .It must have seemed strange for him to find me missing.UNIT 3I didnt marry for all the” right reasons” .Love had nothing to do with marriage .And ,for my husbands part, well, I suspect love was on his mind either .He mar
11、ried me because I made him feel young .He was such an ordinary man going around his very ordinary midlife crisis .He was divorced ,looking for younger women and a career change .That didnt bother me, though .He was still fairly charming ,pretty handsome and above all rich .I married for money ,and I
12、 dont have any doubt about it .My friends dont applaud my decision ,but I can also tell that they wish, at least a little bit ,for some of the same things that I now enjoy .They always prefer to speed a lot of time by my swimming pool than at their common little homes .And another thing, they are al
13、ways complaining about their ”beloved”. ”Hes always watching how much I spend.” Its become more like a business relationship than a marriage.My husband, however ,doesnt care how much I spend and our marriage never become a business because it already was one. You could say, we have a mutual understa
14、nding .We are very realistic about the whole thing .It is painful for my friends when they realize that love is just an illusion. Marriage for love never existed for me. And, hell never divorce me .Hed lose too much money.UNIT 4Love is important because without it life has no meaning or purpose .ILo
15、ve allows us to do more than we could ever accomplish without its power. So often we take good care of our physical needs .We make sure our bodies are fed ,cleaned ,clothed, exercised and rested .However ,we tend to overlook the most important need-love .Of course, as a society ,love is not overlook
16、ed .Popular media constantly places great emphasis on what we need to do to attract” love”. But being loved is not as powerful an emotional need as that desire to love someone else.The need to love and care for other is built into us biologically .This need is what allows parents to give up sleep an
17、d food while raising their children. This need is what allows people to put themselves at risk to save other from natural disasters or threats.Love means to cherish ,hold dear, and treasure. We do not hurt, harm ,or cause pain to those we love ;rather, we seek to alleviate their suffering .Its not a
18、bout wanting to possess or control others; its about wanting to set them free .Love is the power that allows the wheel of life to continue turning ,for when we love beyond our own needs and desires. We sacrifice our time ,our energy, our wishes, and sometimes even ourselves because of love .It is lo
19、ve that allows emergency services personnel to face danger. It is love that allows soldiers to risk everything. The ultimate definition of love is not about feeling good but rather about doing good.UNIT 5“Knock it off!” Billy would not cease banging his foot on the table. Mrs.Stewart had lost all pa
20、tience in telling him to stop. Her words were falling on deaf ears .She had asked her son to quit doing sth. that was bothering her so many times that she hardly even knew the words were coming from her mouth .Billy had got used to this .He just ignored his moms expressions like these .He banged on
21、without a pause.She used to try to phrase her words in positive ways like,” When you bang on the table that way ,it upsets me. Would you mind doing sth. else that is a little quieter? ”There was warmth in her voice and she had all of the best intentions. But when she actually managed to get Billys a
22、ttention in this way, he simply replied ,But Im bored. She tried to offer him a bunch of alternatives, but nothing worked and it all became too tedious .It had become noticeable even to herself that she was increasingly using negative expressions.Mrs.Stewart seems to understand that even if she shou
23、ts she cant expect Billy to respond immediately. But she still believes that to keep on applying the pressures might work someday .Children may learn that arguing no longer works because of her continuous shouting.UNIT 6Whats in a name? Your fate could have been entirely different if you had been gi
24、ven a different name at your birth. Some of us recognize that our name does not necessarily fit and start using a different name rather than the one we were given. Many of us choose to use our middle name so we can be true to our parents, and at the same time be more confident. Some people who have
25、changed their name claim that their professional lives improved .They feel better about themselves so they are more likely to achieve more .But those who have changed their names are not just being overly sensitive. Name themselves convey some information causing others to make judgment based solely
26、 on them .Here is an example :A magazine declined to print a writers name simply because the editor thought it suited a baseball player more than an art critic .Another example: A women at a party became embarrassed when she wanted to be introduced to a man she had declined because of his name .One
27、study showed that teachers give different grades to the identical essays written by boys with different names. Similarly, girls popularity can be related to their names.Yet, which name works and which does not depend on the times .The good qualities of a well-liked president or actor can often influ
28、ence how a name is seen .But if a name becomes too well-known ,it might also fall out of favor as parents look for sth. a little more unique for their child.UNIT 7I was in a bad temper .I was just like the stress in my life that was running out of control .I could probably attribute it to financial
29、stress .My company was cutting jobs and they were evaluating each workers performance .This was inevitable in those days of rising competition and shrinking companies .The companies were getting smaller because of the hopeless economic conditions .I knew I was being considered as one of the workers
30、they would let go though I had been overworking .Or maybe it was my home life .My wife and I had gotten in an argument and my 19-year-old daughter announced that she was leaving the house to move in with her boyfriend.I am usually not a person of quick temper ,but yesterday was different .I rode my
31、bike to work as usual；its about 20 kilometers .I had stopped for a red light and then proceeded when the light turned green .I had assumed the car coming from my right would stop, but instead it went right on through the red light and nearly hit me .I barely had time to react .I grabbed my bike lock and threw it at his car ,hitting his rear window and making a crack.The driver stopped and got out of the car. I laid my bike down and picked up the bike lock from the ground for protection .Then he reached for his phone to call the police.
