作者向我们介绍了五种孩子们可以保护环境的方法。

电脑模拟实验发现，古地中海的缩小，阿拉伯半岛的抬高，减弱了北非夏季季风和西风，减少了降雨量，为撒哈拉沙漠的形成提供了条件。科学家的最新发现认为，撒哈拉沙漠于700万年前开始形成。

【语篇解读】本文属于报告类说明文，介绍了国际非营利组织ORBIS给盲人所做的帮助和贡献，进而来宣传ORBIS，且呼吁人们为ORBIS捐款来帮助更多的盲人。       Close your eyes foe a minutes and imagine what life would be like of you had a hundred dollars less. Also imagine what it would be like spending the rest of your life with you eyes closed. Imagine having to read this page, not with your eyes but with your finger-tips.With existing medical knowledge and skills, two-thirds of the world’s 42 million blind should not have to suffer. Unfortunately, rich countries posses most of this knowledge, while developing countries do not.ORBIS is an international non-profit organization which operates the world’s only flying teaching eye hospital. ORBIS intends to help fight blindness worldwide. Inside a DC-8 aircraft, there is a fully-equipped teaching hospital with television studio and classroom. Doctors are taught the latest techniques of bringing sight back to people there. Project ORBIS also aims at promoting peaceful cooperation(合作) among countries.       ORBIS tries to help developing countries by providing training during three-week medical programs. ORBIS has taught sight-saving techniques to over 35,000 doctors and nurses, who continue to cure tens of thousands of blind people every year. ORBIS has conducted 17 plane programs is Chinaso far. For the seven to ten million blind in China ORBIS is planning to do more for them. At the moment an ORBIS is working on a long-term plan to develop a training center and to provide eye care service toShanxiProvince. ORBIS needs your help to continue their work and free people from blindness.       For just US $38,you can help one person see; for $380 you can bring sight to 10 people; $1,300 helps teach a doctor new skills; and for $13,000 you can provide a training programme for a group of doctors who can make thousands of blind people see again. Your money can open their eyes to the world. Please help ORBIS improve the quality of life for so many people less fortunate than ourselves. 

 【语篇解读】文章通过讲述人们总是为减肥设立目标却又无法成功的事例告诉人们，凡事只关注“输出”即结果而不注重输入过程的重要性，是错误的。借此告诉人们要养成采取实际行动的习惯。 Choosing the Right Resolution (决定)     Millions of Americans began 2014 with the same resolution they started 2013 with, a goal of losing weight. However, setting weight loss as a goal is a mistake.     To reach our goal of losing weight --- the output, we need to control what we eat --- the input (输入). That is, we tend to care about the output but not to control the input. This is a bad way to construct goals. The alternative is to focus your resolution on the input. Instead of resolving to lose weight, try an actionable resolution: “I’ll stop having desert for lunch,” or “I’ll walk every day for 20 minutes.” Creating a goal that focuses on a well-specified input will likely be more effective than concentrating on the outcome.     Recently a new science behind incentives (激励), including in education, has been discussed. For example, researcher Roland Fryer wanted to see what works best in motivating children to do better in school. In some cases, he gave students incentives based on input, like reading certain books, while in others, the incentives were based on output, like results on exams. His main finding was that incentives increased achievement when based on input but had no effect on output. Fryer’s conclusion was that the intensives for inputs might be more effective because do not know how to do better on exam, aside from general rules like “study harder”. Reading certain books, on the other hand, is a well-set task over which they have much more control.      As long as you have direct control over your goal, you have a much higher chance of success. And it’s easier to start again if you fail, because you know exactly what you need to do.      If you want to cut down on your spending, a good goal would be making morning coffee at home instead of going to a cafe, for example. This is a well-specified action-based goal for which you can measure your success easily. Spending less money isn’t a goal because it’s too general. Similarly, if you want to spend more time with your family, don’t stop with this general wish. Think about an actionable habit that you could adopt and stick to, like a family movie night every Wednesday.      In the long run, these new goals could become a habit. 

【语篇解读】本文介绍了在众多商店中都运用的一个新方法，即用香味促进产品的销售。并解释了香味产品销售的原因。 What is the first thing you notice when you walk into a shop? The products displayed (展示) at the entrance? Or the soft background music?But have you ever notice the smell? Unless it is bad, the answer is likely to be no. But while a shop’s scent may not be outstanding compared with sights and sounds, it is certainly there. And it is providing to be an increasing powerful tool in encouraging people to purchase.A brand store has become famous for its distinctive scent which floats through the fairly dark hall and out to the entrance, via scent machines. A smell may be attractive but it may not just be used for freshening air. One sports goods company once reported that when it first introduced scent into its stores, customers’ intension to purchase increased by 80 percent.When it comes to the best shopping streets in Pairs, scent is just as important to a brand’s success as the quality of its window displays and goods on sales. That is mainly because shopping is a very different experience to what it used to be.Some years ago, the focus for brand name shopping was on a few people with sales assistants’ disproving attitude and don’t-touch-what-you-can’t-afford displays. Now the rise of electronic commerce (e-commerce) has opened up famous brands to a wider audience. But while e-shops can use sights and sounds, only bricks-and-mortar stores (实体店) can offer a full experience from the minute customers step through the door to the moment they leave. Another brand store seeks to be much more than a shop, but rather a destination. And scent is just one way to achieve this.Now a famous store uses complex man-made smell to make sure that the soft scent of baby powder floats through the kid department, and coconut (椰子) scent in the swimsuit section. A department store has even opened a new lab, inviting customers on a journey into the store’s windows to smell books, pots and drawers, in search of their perfect scent. 

 【语篇解读】本文介绍了一个公益组织Ashoka组织人们和贫穷做斗争，改善教育事业，致力于解决社会问题。鼓励人们做小生意，敢于变化，并为自愿改变社会环境的青年提供资金和帮助。  You may not have heard of Ashoka, but for the past 27 years, this association, founded by Bill Drayton, has fought poverty(贫穷) and sickness, promoted education and encouraged small businesses. To support these worthy causes, Ashoka provides money for the world’s most  promising “changemakers” seeking to solve (解决) urgent problems and would like to create a  world in which every citizen is a changemaker.Drayton believes that anyone can become an agent for change. The important thing is to simply give you permission. If you see a problem that you care about, you can help solve it. The young in particular are willing to accept this concept because at heart every child wants to grow into a happy, healthy, contributing adult. In fact, it is many young people’s ambition to set up programmes or businesses that improve social conditions. An excellent example is an Ashoka project started in 1995 in Dhaka, which handled the rubbish problem facing the city, helped local farmers and provided an income for poor people there.When Masqsood and Iftekhar began to study the problem of all the uncollected rubbish that lay inDhaka’s streets, attracting rats and disease, they discovered that 80% of it was natural waste. So they educated the poor people in the city to compost (把……制成堆粪)this waste. They knew that they would have a market for the end product because local farmers were struggling with chemical fertilisers (化肥) which were expensive and had reduced the natural minerals in the soil over the years. At first, they were refused, but once they were able to persuade them that there was money to be made, the project took off. In 2009 sales were $14,000.Drayton is optimistic that in ten years Ashoka will be making really serious, practical progress in bringing about social change by changing the way we look at economic development. 

    日前，苹果公司发布了其最新产品苹果6。但路透社的一份调查显示，顾客对苹果公司的产品满意度在下降。专家指出：苹果的竞争对手更有创新性，广告做得也好，所以，人们觉得苹果不如从前也就不足为怪了。

 【语篇解读】本文属于应用文，介绍了墨尔本CBD中心的海洋水族馆的具体信息，如地理位置，开放时间，交通路线等。 Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium (水族馆)      The all-new Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, situated in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, is one ofVictoria’s leading visitor attractions and an unforgettable outing for the whole family. Having 12 amazing zones of discovery, Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is the very place that you cannot miss when you visit the city.* Opening Times     Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is open from 9:30 am until 6:00 pm every day of the year, including public holidays. Last admission is at 5:00 pm, one hour before closing.* Location ( 位置)     Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is located on the corner ofFlinders StreetandKing Street,Melbourne. It is situated on theYarraRiver, opposite Crown Entertainment Complex.* Getting to Sea LifeMelbourneAquarium     Train     The Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium train stop is located on the free City Circle Tram route (公交线路) and also routes 70 and 75. City Circle trams run every 10 minutes in both directions.     Shuttle Bus     The Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is a free bus service, stopping at key tourist attractions in and around the City. Running daily, every 15 minutes from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.      Car Parking      While there is no public car parking at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, there are several public car parking lots available only a short walk away.      Wheelchair Access      Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium provides people in wheelchairs with full access to all 12 zones. Each floor also has wheelchair accessible toilets.      Terms      Tickets will be emailed to you immediately after purchase or you can download and print your ticket once payment has been accepted. Please print out all tickets purchased and present at the front entrance of Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium. No ticket, no entry! 

 【语篇解读】本文叙述了作者一家遭遇狗熊袭击的过程，由此作者想要告诉每一位读者：面临危险的时候，务必要保持镇定。 The Brown Bear       My wife Laura and I were on the beach, with three of our children, taking pictures of shore birds near our home in Alaskawhen we spotted a bear. The bear was thin and small, moving aimlessly.       Just a few minutes later, I heard my daughter shouting, “Dad! The bear is right behind us!” An agreesive bear will usually rush forward to frighten away its enemy but would suddenly stop at the last minute. This one was silent and its ears pinned back---- the sign (迹象) of an animal that is going in for the kill. And it was a cold April day. The bear behaved abnormally, probably because of hunger.I held my camera tripod (三脚架) in both hands to form a barrier as the bear rushed into me. Its huge head was level with my chest and shoulders, and the tripod stuck across its mouth. It bit down and I found myself supporting its weight. I knew I would not be able to hold it for long.       Even so, this was a fight I had to win: I was all that stood between the bear and my family, who would stand little chance of running faster than a brown bear.      The bear hit at the camera, cutting it off the tripod. I raised my left arm to protect my face; the beast held tightly on the tripod and pressed it into my side. My arm could not move, and I sensed that my bones were going to break.      Drawing back my free hand, I struck the bear as hard as I could for five to six times. The bear opened its mouth and I grasped its fur, trying to push it away. I was actually wrestling (扭打) with the bear at this point. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fight ended. The bear moved back toward the forest, before returning for another attack----- The first time I felt panic.      Apparently satisfied that we caused no further threat, the bear moved off, destroying a fence as it went. My arm was injured, but the outcome for us could hardly have been better. I’m proud that my family reminded clear-headed when panic could have led to a very different outcome. 

【语篇大意】本文主要讨论了是否可以紧邻城市的古城区兴建现代化建筑。作者认为，在不破坏所在地区周围环境的情况下，我们是可以这样做的，因为很多现代建筑能够提升城市的吸引力。要做到这一点市政规划部门要负起主要的责任来。 Should we allow modern buildings to‑ be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all historical buildings are attractive. However, there may be other reasons for example, economic (经济的) reasons-why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own home town of Tourswhere modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt (破坏) the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative(保守的)and do not like change.Although we have to respect people's feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward. If we always reproduced what was there before,we would all still be living in caves . Thus, I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different , even though that might be the more risky choice.