8． More than a decade ago, the mobile phone was a luxury for only a few, but now it is very common. The rapid spread of the mobile phone is perhaps one of the great miracles of our time. 十几年前，手机只是少数人才能使用的奢侈品，但现在手机已很普遍。手机的快速普及也许是我们时代的伟大奇迹之一。

9． Some people seem easy to understand：their character appears obvious on first meeting. Appearances, however, can be deceptive. For thirty years now I have been studying my fellowmen. I don’t know very much about them. I shrug my shoulders when people tell me that their first impressions of a person are always right. I think they must have small insight or great vanity. For my own part I find that the longer I know people, the more they puzzle me. 有些人似乎容易了解：他们的个性在初次交往时就表露无遗。然而，外表可能具有欺骗性。三十年来，我一直在研究我的人类同胞，但至今了解不多。每当有人跟我说他对一个人的首次印象向来不错的时候，我就耸耸肩。我想这种人不是无知，就是自大。就我而言，我觉得，认识一个人的时间越长，就越觉得困惑。(liuxuepaper Note：be ignorant or self-righteous；self-centered; self-confident; self-discipline; self-educated; self-employed; self-esteem; selfish)

10． As the pace of life in today’s world grows ever faster, we seem forever on the go. With so much to do and so little time to do it in, how are we to cope? Dr. Smith sets about untangling the problem and comes up with an answer. 随着当今世界生活节奏日益加快，我们似乎一直在不停奔忙。事情那么多，时间却那么少，我们该怎么办？史密斯博士着手解决这一问题，并提出了解决方法。

11． In America many people have a romantic idea of life in the countryside. Many living in towns dream of starting up their own farm, of living off the land. Few get round to putting their dreams into practice. This is perhaps just as well, as the life of a farmer is far from easy, as Jim Doherty discovered when he set out to combine being a writer with running a farm. Nevertheless, as he explains, he has no regrets and remains enthusiastic about his decision to change his way of life. 在美国，不少人对乡村生活怀有浪漫的想象，许多居住在城镇的人梦想着自己办个农场，梦想着靠土地为生。很少有人真去把梦想变为现实。或许这也没有什么不好，因为，正如吉姆多而第当初开始其写作和农场经营双重生涯时所体验到的那样，农耕生活远非轻松自在。但他写到，自己并不后悔，对自己做出的改变生活方式的决定仍然热情不减。

12． Professor Huntington’s paper greatly inspired me. According to him, in a plural society, there will inevitably be different opinions. The key is to deal with them in such a way that they can play a constructive rather than destructive role. He argues that in a plural society we must stress/attach importance to interpersonal relationships, cooperation, and look at issues from the perspective of other people. If some groups regard themselves as superior and treat other ethnic groups or religions with disrespect, the whole society may be paralyzed. I am convinced that if we put into practice the ideas mentioned above, then there is the possibility of creating a new civilization. Huntington教授的论文使我深受启发。他认为，在一个多元化(plural)社会里，不同意见是不可避免的。关键在于怎样正确对待不同意见，使之发挥建设性、而非破坏性的作用。他还说，在一个多元化（plural）社会里，我们必须重视人际关系，强调合作，多从他人视角考虑问题。如果某些群体自视高人一筹，不尊重其他种族或宗教，那么整个社会有可能陷入瘫痪。我相信，要是我们把上述想法付诸实践，那我们就有可能创造出一种新的文明。From liuxuepaper.com.

13． Making a living as a door-to-door salesman demands a thick skin, both to protect against the weather and against constantly having the door shut in your face. Bill Porter puts up with all this and much, much more. 干挨家挨户上门推销这一营生得脸皮厚，这是因为干这一行不仅要经受风吹日晒，还要承受一次又一次的闭门羹。比尔.波特忍受着这一切，以及别的种种折磨。

14． When children take up ways of making a living that differ greatly from their parents, differences in outlook can easily arise. This is what Alfred found. Brought up in the family of a building worker, education led him to develop different interests and ambitions from his father. Here he writes about how this affected their relationship. 当子女的谋生方式与父母大相径庭时，很容易产生观念上的差异。这正是Alfred的发现。他在一个建筑工人的家庭里长大，他所受的教育使他产生了不同于父亲的兴趣和抱负。他在本文中叙述了这一差异如何影响着他们的父子关系。