选择知识点

In America, Virginia Beach has all the elements of a classic seaside resort: brilliant beaches, a lively boardwalk, plenty of restaurants and nightspots, and amusement rides sure to appeal to kids. Many believe Virginia Beach is at its best in the off­season, when the town is less crowded but the weather is still mild.

Meanwhile, some safety tips should be followed, enjoying the happiness and excitement the beach offers.

The number 1 safety tip concerns ocean safety: pay attention to Flag conditions posted on the lifeguard stands. Lifeguards post a red flag to warn when the ocean water is dangerous. Take them seriously! Tourists from land­locked regions are particularly easily attracted by the magic of the waves. However, a calm ocean can become risky without warning. Make sure you swim near a lifeguard. Swimming without lifeguard protection is almost five times as great as drowning at a beach with lifeguards.

Never swim alone. Many drownings involve single swimmer. When you swim with someone else, if one of you has a problem, the other may be able to get help, including signaling for assistance from others.

Don’t fight the current. The facts show that some 80% of rescues by lifeguards at ocean beaches are caused by currents. These currents are formed by surf and gravity, because once surf pushes water up the slope of a beach, gravity pulls it back. This can create concentrated rivers of water moving offshore. If you are caught in a rip current, don’t fight it by trying to swim directly to shore. Instead, swim parallel to shore until you feel the current relax, then swim to shore. Most rip currents are narrow and a short swim parallel to shore will help bring you to safety.

If you live in a big city, there are many things to drive you crazy on your daily route, and it’s not just overcrowded subway trains.

Vicky Zhao is a mainlander working in Hong Kong. For her, one thing she can’t put up with is people standing on the wrong side of the escalator(自动扶梯) in subway stations. “Escalators help us move faster and save time. It isn’t a place to rest,” the 24-year-old says. “I often see tourists block the way with their suitcases or chatting on the escalators during rush hours. It annoys me to no end.”

Admitting she is not the patient type, Zhao says things are much better in Hong Kong than in cities on the mainland where “stand right, walk left” signs are often ignored.

The logic behind the “stand right, walk left” escalator e tiquette(礼仪) seems obvious. Even though you may want to catch your breath while you’re transported up or down, you should still consider others and leave enough space for people in a hurry, so that they can run and catch the train.

Many cities’ escalators, including London’s and Beijing’s, use the “stand right, walk left” system to speed up the flow of people. (Australia is an exception and you should stand on the left side instead.) But some cities discourage people from moving on escalators out of safety reasons. In Hong Kong’s subway stations there are regular announcements asking people to “stand still” on escalators. Even so, most people in this fast-paced city observe the “stand right, walk left” etiquette.

But the people who stand on esca lators defend the mselves by telling the walkers not to be so impatient. The BBC quotes one stander as saying: “If the person is in such a rush, why not just take the stairs? Even when the escalator is packed and there’s nowhere to move, I see these same people complaining about not being able to pass.”

Whatever the escalator etiquette is in the place you live or visit, do what most people are doing and always be mindful of others: leave enough space between each other, don’t stay at the end of the escalator, and if someone is blocking your way, a simple “excuse me” is enough.

Hu Liˈs heart sank due to the color of the air. Driving 140 kilometers from Tianjin City to Beijing last week，she held her breath as the air became a charcoal grey haze(炭灰色的阴霾)．The 39­year­old businesswoman has lived in Beijing for a decade，and this past month，she said，brought the worst air pollution she has ever seen. It gave her husband a cough and left her seven­year­old daughter housebound(足不出户)．“My husband as well as I is working here，so we have no choice，” she said.“But if we had a choice，weˈd like to escape from Beijing.”

The extended heavy pollution over the last month，which caused punishment in return for a day last week－called the “airpocalypse” by internet users－has largel y changed the way that Chinese think about the countryˈs air. On one day，pollution levels were 30 times higher than levels considered safe by the World Health Organization (WHO)．Flights were cancelled. Roads were closed. One hospital in east Beijing reported they had treated more than 900 children for breathing issues. Bloomberg found that for most of January，Beijingˈs air was worse than that of an airport smoking area.

The smogˈs(烟雾) most threatening aspect is its high concentration(浓度) of PM 2.5－particulate matter that is small enough to breathe deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream，causing breathing infections，lung cancer and possibly damaging childrenˈs development. The WHO has estimated that outdoor air pollution accounts for two million deaths per year，65% of them in Asia.

B

While there are many ways to offer help to people in need, being part of the solution can seem useful. There are many millions of starving children around the world. How can a single person who isn’t a billionaire have an impact? Where do you start? Start with one small act. 

When Hilde Back was a schoolteacher in Sweden, she decided to sponsor one child’s education in Kenya. Hilde’s sponsorship of Chris cost about $15 per month. Most poor children in Kenya cannot afford to pay secondary school tuition. Unfortunately, without an education, an extremely difficult and poor life is practically guaranteed. Thanks to Hilde’s generosity, Chris avoided that fate.

Chris graduated from high school, went to University of Nairobi and then attended Harvard Law School. He became a U.N. Human Rights Advocate, and he started a charity. He got the name of his anonymous (匿名的) sponsor through the Swedish embassy and named his nonprofit organization the Hilde Back Education Fund (HBEF) after the sponsor he never met. 

HBEF pays tuition for poor students in Kenya. Since the charity’s start, 350 children have been supported. Three hundred and fifty lives have been changed directly so far. That doesn’t even include the impact on their families. And who knows how many of these students will be inspired, as Chris was, to give back.

When talking about why he started HBEF to educate poor children, he said, “I think I want to see a world in which children have equal opportunity and are not robbed of their future by poverty, like so many of my friends in the village were.”

It’s interesting that the only reason why Hilde Back was even alive to support Chris was because of a stranger’s kindness. This is a reminder that we can all make a difference, and you never know what a big impact a small act of kindness can have.

There is no better way to enjoy Scottish traditions than going fishing and tasting a little bit of whisky(威士忌) at a quiet place like the Inverlochy Castle. When Queen Victoria visited the castle in 1873, she wrote in her diary, “I never saw a lovelier spot ,” And she didn’t even go fishing.

Scotland is not easily defined. In certain moments, this quiet land of lakes and grasses and mountains changes before your very eyes. When evening gently sweeps the hillside into orange light, the rivers, filled with fish, can turn into streams of gold. As you settle down with just a fishing pole and a basket on the bank of River Orchy, near the Inverlochy Castle, any frustration(烦恼) will float away as gently as the circling water. It’s just you and purple, pink, white flowers, seeking a perfect harmony. If you are a new comer to fishing, learning the basics from a fishing guide may leave you with a lifetime’s fun. For many, fishing is more than a sport; it is an art.

Scotland offers interesting place where you can rest after a long day’s fishing. Set against a wild mountain and hidden behind woodland, the beautiful Inverlochy Castle Hotel below the Nevis is a perfect place to see the beauty of Scotland’s mountains. Ben Nevis is the highest of all British mountains, and reaching its 1343-metre top is a challenge. But it’s not just what goes up matters; what comes down is unique. More than 900 metres high, on the mountain’s north face, lies an all-important source of pure water. Its name comes from the Gaelic language “usquebaugh” or “water of life”; and it is the single most important ingredient(原料) in Scotland’s best known drink: whisky.

I have a love/hate relationship with Halloween.Firstly, the costume hunting is tiring. When my daughter was 2 years old, she wanted to be Terri and Terry. Terri and Terry is the two-headed monster from MonstersUniversity. I searched everywhere for the consume for a week. Finally I convinced her to go as Mike Wazowski.

The costume hunting is also terrifying. This year, I brought my kids into an actual Halloween store to buy their costumes. I felt like we had stepped into a horror movie. My poor 4-year-old daughter stood still suddenly. I was not sure whether it was the mechanical witch talking to her when she walked through the door, or possibly the bleeding gore（血块）hanging from the walls. I finally had to ask the salesgirl to turn off every special effect and sound to get her out of the door. That night, I lost some sleep with frightened screams coming from her room.

Sometimes, the costume malfunctions（出故障）. When my daughter was 3 years old, she wanted to be Rapunzel. We both thought her costume was incredibly attractive… until she tripped and fell going up the stairs to each house. That day, while I was handing out candies, our door was thrown open and in walked my daughter. She was sobbing with lots of safety pins（饰针）holding up her dress and long hair.

What’s worse, the kids want to eat ALL of their candy. Every year, after Halloween is over, my kids want to dig into their candy. From the moment they wake up, they want candy. I try to explain that this is their one candy for the day and that once it’s gone, they won’t get another until the next day. Although they say they understand, sure enough by the evening they are trying to explain that they don’t like that one they have had earlier, and they desperately need another. It’s a constant battle.

Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to make it clear in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing.

By putting thoughts into words, you are telling yourself the logic（逻辑）behind what you think, feel, or only partly understand. Often, explaining a thought is the process of understanding. In other words, you increase your brain power by exercising your “explain power.”

Try this experiment. Explain how you’ll increase your brain power, even if you have no idea how right now. Just start with anything, and create an explanation. For example, start with “I’ll learn chess,” or “I’ll read an article on the mind every week.” Explain how that will help. You’ll be surprised how often this becomes a workable plan, and if you actually do this, you’ll have a better understanding of your brain from now.

Another benefit of writing is that it helps you remember. Many, if not most, highly productive people are always taking notes. You can try keeping it all in your head, but if you keep a journal of your ideas the next time you’re working on a big project, you’ll probably have more success.

Want to understand a topic? Write a book about it. That’s an extreme example, but if you are learning something new, write a letter to a friend about it, and you will understand it better. Want to invent something? Write an explanation of the problem, why you want to solve it, and why it is worth solving, and you’re half-way there.

Writers don’t always write because they clearly understand something beforehand. Often, they write about something because they want to understand it. You can do the same. Writing will help bring you to an understanding. Give it a try.

D

     Conventional wisdom is a major barrier to innovation that threatens the survival of companies everywhere. It’s based on the        assumption that old ideas will always work, so they shouldn’t be challenged. While this may be a valid assumption in situations that don’t change, it’s unlikely to hold true in a changing situation. In today’s rapid changing global environment, old methods often don't work, and stubbornly using them can lead to major problems.

     Most people seem to agree with conventional wisdom because it gives one a false sense of security. If everyone else believes it,     then it must be true. Individuals who use conventional wisdom are certain that they are right, and being right is good. They want to continue using old ideas rather than take risks with changes that might not work. In 1977, Ken Olsen, co-founder and CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), stated “There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.” Despite being a dominant leader in the computer industry, DEC no longer exists.

    People seem to forget that since innovation is a change, there can be no innovation without change. Unfortunately, conventional  wisdom prevents leaders, followers and companies from changing and therefore innovating. If companies don’t innovate, but their competitors do, the future is likely to be problematic. Breaking from conventional wisdom has led to many of the most innovative companies and products in history across many industries, so it has a powerful effect on business success.

    Ted Turner (founder of CNN) knew little, if anything, about the news business, but he knew it was inconvenient to watch news only at the dinner hour, as was common before CNN. Turner’s solution was to create a cable channel dedicated to news 24 hours a day. The news establishment reflected conventional wisdom at the time, and predicted his idea would fail because no one wanted to watch the news all day. However, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that viewers don’t have to watch the news all day for the CNN to work. Viewers just have to watch when they want to get information. Due to conventional thinking, the critics failed to recognize the opportunity that was clear to Ted. They assumed that only what was familiar to them could work in the future.

    Conventional wisdom prevents creativity, flexibility and risk-taking, so unconventional leaders enthusiastically break from it. To       survive, thrive and maintain competitive advantage, companies must be flexible when reacting to change.

A couple of weeks ago, my friend had a yard sale, and she offered to sell some of our stuff for us. I thought it would be a good opportunity to clean my 7-year-old son’s room and get rid of some toys that he had long outgrown. We agreed that whatever we sold in toys would be his money.

     The night before the sale, we loaded up the truck with toys and a little bike that he was now too tall for. He took the bike for a final ride but happily put it on the truck for the sale. This little bike had had at least 2 previous owners that we knew of. It was not in the best shape and it certainly was not shiny new but it was still a bike, and the tires were still good.

     We put a price of $10 on it but it didn’t sell. So, when the sale was almost over, my friend put it on the sidewalk with a sign that said “FREE BIKE”. Within five minutes a little boy was standing there. His English was not very good but he asked if the sign was right. My friend said yes and said that he could have it for nothing. He smiled, jumped on the bike and rode away.

     Later that evening when I told my son how much money he had made at the yard sale, he was very excited. Tomorrow we were going to take the money to the bank. He asked about a few of his things, wondering if they sold. When he asked about the bike, I told him about the little lucky boy who got the bike for free. The smile on my son’s face was truly priceless, much more than when I told him how much he had made. He was so thrilled to hear that someone else would get good use of that little bike.

     The bike was given to us, so in this way, I guess we got to return the favor!

Open a large handkerchief out and show both sides of it to your friends. Point out that there is nothing in it; then show them both sides of your hands, which are also empty. Now ask a member of your audience to give you a match. Ask him to put a mark on it with a pen or a pencil. Fold up the handkerchief with the match in it, and let everyone present see you do this.

   Give the handkerchief to anyone in the audience and say: “Here’s the match. Can you feel it? Good! Now I want you to break it into two pieces.” When he or she has broken the match, you say “Would anyone like to feel the broken match in this handkerchief?” Several people will probably want to feel it. When they have satisfied themselves that the match really is broken, you say, “Now I’m going to make the match whole again.” Perhaps your friends will say that that is impossible.

Hold the handkerchief in one hand and pass your hand or your wand（magic stick）over it, saying: “Abracadabra, abracadabra.” Open the handkerchief and let the match fall onto the table or floor, saying “Presto” as it does so. When the audience examine the match, they will find that it is quite whole and undamaged. The member of the audience will see his mark on the match. Everyone will be amazed!

   The secret of this trick is quite simple, as in all magic tricks. Long before you do the trick you must do one thing---you must push one of your own matches into the hem（摺边）of the handkerchief. This must be pushed well along the hem so that it cannot fall out or be seen. When you have wrapped up the match provided by a member of the audience you must take care that it is the match in the hem which is broken, and not the other. You should practice the trick in private, of course, before you perform it before an audience.