English Reader

Love and Time

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:59:48 +0800

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.

Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.

When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.

Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said,

"Richness, can you take me with you?"

Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."

Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!"

"I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.

Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."

"Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"

Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.

Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way. Realizing how much was owed the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who Helped me?"

"It was Time," Knowledge answered.

"Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"

Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is."

How to improve your listening english

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:24:47 +0800

Teaching listening skills is one of the most difficult tasks for any ESL teacher. This is because successful listening skills are acquired over time and with lots of practice. It's frustrating for students because there are no rules as in grammar teaching. Speaking and writing also have very specific exercises that can lead to improved skills. This is not to say that there are not ways of improving listening skills, however they are difficult to quantify.

每个外语老师都会觉得听力是最难教的课程之一。这是因为，好听力不是一日练就的，它需要大量的实践练习。不像语法教学有规律可循，说与写作也有相应的练习供学生提高，而听力却不然，这令学生们感到很头疼。并不是说就没有好的途径去提高听力，只是难以对其进行量化而已。

One of the largest inhibitors for students is often mental block. While listening, a student suddenly decides that he or she doesn't understand what is being said. At this point, many students just tune out or get caught up in an internal dialogue trying translate a specific word. Some students convince themselves that they are not able to understand spoken English well and create problems for themselves.

对学生们来说，练习听力时遇到的最大的障碍之一就是他们经常精神溜号。听着听着，有的学生突然发觉自己听不懂了。出现这种情况，许多学生是因为走神了，或者正在脑子想着某个词的意思。有些学生太不自信，认为自己没有听力天赋，听不懂英语口语。这也给他们自己造成了很多麻烦。

They key to helping students improve their listening skills is to convince them that not understanding is OK. This is more of an attitude adjustment than anything else, and it is easier for some students to accept than others. Another important point that I try to teach my students (with differing amounts of success) is that they need to listen to English as often as possible, but for short periods of time.
帮助学生们提高听力的关键是要让他们相信，听不懂是没什么的。态度上的转变比什么都重要。何况，一些学生的态度也比较容易转变。我在教我的学生（资质各不相同）时发现，还有一点很重要，那就是要让学生尽量多听英语，但每次听不要时间过长。

I like to use this analogy: Imagine you want to get in shape. You decide to begin jogging. The very first day you go out and jog seven miles. If you are lucky, you might even be able to jog the seven miles. However, chances are good that you will not soon go out jogging again. Fitness trainers have taught us that we must begin with little steps. Begin jogging short distances and walk some as well, over time you can build up the distance. Using this approach, you'll be much more likely to continue jogging and get fit.

我喜欢这样类比：假如你想减肥。你打算去慢跑。第一天你出去跑了7英里。没准儿你还真能跑7英里。但是，你很可能近期就不再出去跑了。健美教练提醒我们，我们一开始要小步跑，跑的距离不宜过长，并走着回来。这样，你继续慢跑并变得健康的可能性就会更大。

Students need to apply the same approach to listening skills. Encourage them to get a film, or listen to an English radio station, but not to watch an entire film or listen for two hours. Students should often listen, but they should listen for short periods - five to ten minutes. This should happen four or five times a week. Even if they don't understand anything, five to ten minutes is a minor investement. However, for this strategy to work, students must not expect improved understanding too quickly. The brain is capable of amazing things if given time, students must have the patience to wait for results. If a student continues this exercise over two to three months their listening comprehension skills will greatly improve.

对于练习听力，学生们也需采用同样的方法。要鼓励他们去看个电影或者收听英语广播。但是，不要让他们看一整部电影或者听广播听上2个小时。他们需要常听，但每次听的时间不宜过长，以5到10分钟为宜。每周听4、5次。就算他们什么都听不懂，5到10分钟的时间也不会影响到他们什么。但是，这种方法若想奏效，决不能让学生们急于求成。如果多给些时间，大脑是可以创造奇迹的。学生们一定要有耐心去等待。如果一个学生能坚持这种训练方法2到3个月，那他的听力肯定会有很大的提高。

From: http://www.hjenglish.com/new/p98377/

What will matter?

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:24:34 +0800

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no days, no hours or minutes. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.

So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will all expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived.

It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Your gender, skin color, ethnicity will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success, but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage and sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.

What will matter is not your memories, but the memories of those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.

It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

Waves of the life

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:24:34 +0800

Sioux Indian story ...

My grandfather took me to the fish pond on the farm when I was about seven, and he told me to throw a stone into the water. He told me to watch the circles created by the stone. Then he asked me to think of myself as that stone.

"You may create lots of splashes in your life, but the waves that come from those splashes will disturb the peace of all your fellow creatures," he said.

"Remember that you are responsible for what you put in your circle and that circle will also touch many other circles."

"You will need to live in a way that allows the good that comes from your circle to send the peace of that goodness to others. The splash that comes from anger or jealousy will send those feelings to other circles. You are responsible for both."

That was the first time I realized that each person creates the inner peace or discord that flows out into the world. We cannot create world peace if we are riddled with inner conflict, hatred, doubt, or anger.

We radiate the feelings and thoughts that we hold inside, whether we speak them or not. Whatever is splashing around inside of us is spilling out into the world, creating beauty or discord with all other circles of life.

这是苏语系印第安人部落中流传的一个古老的故事……

在我七岁那年，我的祖父来到田边的一个池塘。他让我丢一颗石子到水中，并嘱咐我仔细观察石子所激起的水波纹。然后他叫我把自己想象成那颗石子。

他说："在生命的水面上，你也许能激起许多波纹，而你所激起的波纹也会打破别人的平静，"

"要谨记，对你所激起的波纹中所包含的东西负责，因为这些东西会接触、影响到别人的波纹。"

"你应当努力使自己波纹中的平和宁静传播给他人。当然，如果你的波纹中携带有愤怒、嫉妒，别人也会受到你的影响，因此，你要对它们负责。"

这是我第一次了解到，每个人心中的平和抑或不和，都会传播给整个世界。如果我们自己内心都被冲突、仇恨、疑虑或者愤怒所纠缠，自然就不能给世界带来平和宁静。

无论我们是否说出心中的感觉和思绪，我们都在向外界传播它们。无论我们内心激起的是何种波纹，它们都会被传向他人，与别人的生命波纹共同激起美丽，抑或是不和谐。

Wind of forgiveness

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:24:34 +0800

The story goes that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped felt hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "Today my best friend slapped me in the face."

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "Today my best friend saved my life."

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now you write on a stone. Why?"

The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

两个朋友结伴穿越沙漠，旅途中二人突然吵了起来，其中一个掴了对方一记耳光。被打的人感到自己受了伤害，但什么也没有说，只是在沙地上写下了这样一句话："今天我最好的朋友掴了我耳光。他们继续前行，看见到处绿洲，他们正打算在那里洗澡时，刚才被打的人不小心陷入了泥潭，开始深陷，他的朋友救了他。

等他从几近淹死的边缘苏醒过来后，他在石头上刻下："今天我最好的朋友救了我的命。"他的朋友问："为什么我伤你之后，你在沙子上写字，现在却把字刻在石头上？" 他回答道："当有人伤害了我们，我们应该把它写进沙里，宽恕的风会把仇恨抹去。而当有人为我们做了好事，我们应当把它刻在石头上，没有风可以将它抹去。"　

A Story Happened on An Uninhabited Island

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:24:34 +0800

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky.

The worst had happened; everything was lost.

He was stunned with grief and anger. "God how could you do this to me!" he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad.

But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering.

Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it .

Unconditional Love

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:24:34 +0800

The following story took place long ago in Israel. One day when government officials were rebuilding a barn, they found a mouse hole in a corner and used smoke to force the mice inside the hole to come out. A while later they indeed saw mice running out, one after another.

Then, everyone thought that all the mice had escaped. But just as they just about to start to clean up, they saw two mice squeezing out at the exit of the hole. After some endeavor, the mice finally got out. The strange thing was that after they came out of the hole, they did not run away immediately. Instead, one chased after the other near the exit of the hole. It seemed that one was trying to bite the tail of the other.

Everyone was puzzled, so they stepped closer to take a look. They realized that one of the mice was blind and could not see anything, and the other one was trying to allow the blind mouse to bite on his tail so he could pull the blind one with him to escape.

After witnessing what happened, everyone was speechless and lost in thought. During meal time, the group of people sat down in a circle and started to chat about what happened to the two mice.

One serious Rome official said: "I think the relationship between those two mice was that of emperor and minister." The others thought for a while and said: "That was why!" Thus the Rome official showed his arrogance superciliously.

A smart Israeli said: "I think the relationship between those two mice was husband and wife." Again the others thought for a while, and all felt it made sense; so they expressed assent. Therefore, the Israeli's countenance showed self-satisfaction.

A Chinese, who was accustomed to the firm tradition of loyalty to parents, said: "I think the relationship between those two mice was that of mother and son." Once again the others thought for a while, and felt this was more reasonable. So they expressed assent yet another time. Therefore, the face of the Chinese conveyed professional humility.

At that moment, one pure-minded Samaritan who was squatted on the ground resting his chin in his palms, bewilderedly looked at other people, and asked: "Why did those two mice have to have a certain relationship?"

Suddenly, the atmosphere froze. Stupefied, the group looked back at the Samaritan and remained speechless. The Rome official, the Israeli and the Chinese who had spoken earlier all lowered their heads in shame, and did not dare to respond.

In fact, the true love is not established on benefit, friendship and loyalty or blood relationship. Instead, it is based on no relationship.

A boy and his apple tree

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:24:34 +0800

Long ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy love to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow…he loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.

Time went by…the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree everyday.

One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked. "Come and play with me ," the tree asked the boy . "I am no longer a kid, I don't play around trees anymore." The boy replied, "I want toys. I need money to buy them."

"Sorry, but I don't have money…but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money." The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.

One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited. "Come and play with me," the tree said.

"I don't have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?" "Sorry, but I don't have a house, but you can chop off my branches to build your house."So the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily."

The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted. "Come and play with me," the tree said.

"I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?" "Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail faraway and be happy." So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat.

He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.

Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. "Sorry,my boy. But I don't have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you…"the tree said.

"I don't have teeth to bite," the boy replied.

"No more trunk for you to climb on." "I am too old for that now."the boy said.

"I really want to give you something…the only thing left is my dying roots," the tree said with tears. "I don't need much now,just a place to rest. I am tired after all these year," the boy replied.

"Good! Old tree roots is the best place to lean on and rest. Come,come sit down with me and rest," the boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears...

Interview with God

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:24:34 +0800

"Come in," God said to me, "so, you would like to interview Me?"

"If you have the time," I said.

He smiled through His beard and said: "My time is called eternity and is enough to do everything; what questions do you have in mind to ask me?"

"None that are new to you. What's the one thing that surprises you most about mankind?"

He answered: "That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future. That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they never had never lived..."

His hands took mine and we were silent. After a long period, I said, "May I ask you another question?"

He replied with a smile.

"As a Father, what would you ask your children to do for the new year?"

"To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved.

To learn that it takes years to build trust, and a few seconds to destroy it.

To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives.

To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. There will be others better or worse than they are.

To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.

To learn that they should control their attitudes, otherwise their attitudes will control them.

To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them.

To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.

To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to show their feelings.

To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.

To learn that while at times they may be entitled to be upset, that does not give them the right to upset those around them.

To learn that great dreams do not require great wings, but a landing gear to achieve.

To learn that true friends are scarce, he/she who has found one has found a true treasure.

To learn that they are masters of what they keep to themselves and slaves of what they say.

To learn that they shall reap what they plant; if they plant gossip they will harvest intrigues, if they plant love they will harvest happiness.

To learn that true happiness is not to achieve their goals but to learn to be satisfied with what they already achieved.

To learn that happiness is a decision. They decide to be happy with what they are and have, or die from envy and jealousy of what they lack.

To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see something totally different.

To learn that those who are honest with themselves without considering the consequences go far in life.

To learn that even though they may think they have nothing to give, when a friend cries with them, they find the strength to appease the pain.

To learn that by trying to hold on to love ones, they very quickly push them away; and by letting go of those they love, they will be side by side forever.

Lake of autumn

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:24:34 +0800

I remember quite clearly now when the story happened. The autumn leaves were floating in measure down to the ground, recovering the lake, where we used to swim like children, under the sun was there to shine. That time we used to be happy. Well, I thought we were. But the truth was that you had been longing to leave me, not daring to tell me. On that precious night, watching the lake, vaguely conscious, you said: "Our story is ending."

The rain was killing the last days of summer. You had been killing my last breath of love, since a long time ago. I still don't think I'm gonna make it through another love story. You took it all away from me. And there I stand, I knew I was going to be the one left behind. But still I'm watching the lake, vaguely conscious, and I know my life is ending.

我仍清晰地记得故事发生的时候。秋叶翻飞，飘落一地。我们曾经孩子般戏水畅游过的小湖盖满落叶，在太阳下闪着光。那时我们幸福过。哦，我是这样认为的。可事实上你早就想离开我，只是不敢告诉我罢了。在那美丽的夜晚，眼望湖水，恍惚中听见你说：我们的故事已到尽头。

雨水扼杀着所剩无几的夏日，而你很久以来也在扼杀我奄奄一息的爱。我仍不认为自己会再去经历另一段爱情故事。你把一切都带走了。我只有悄然伫立，早已明白自己将会是那个被遗弃的人。而我依然凝望着湖水，恍惚中，生命正离我而去。