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1Differentpeoplehavedifferentwaysoflearning.Wecallthisyour“learningstyle,”andit’sbasedonyoursenses.Tolearn,youneedtouseyourdifferentsenses—hearing,seeing,touching,etc.,tobringinformationtoyourbrain.Now,mostpeopleuseoneoftheirsensesmorethantheothers.Somepeoplelearnbestbylistening.Theyarecalledhearinglearners.Andotherslearnbestbyreadingorlookingatpictures.Theyarecalledvisuallearners.Andsomelearnbestbytouchinganddoingthings.Theyarecalledtactilelearners.Nowscientistsdon’tknowwhypeopleuseonesensemorethantheothers.Maybethesensetheyusemostjustworksbestforthem.2Today,wetellaboutoneofthemostfamousnationalparksintheUnitedStates.Itisoneofthemostbeautifulplacesinthecounty.YosemiteNationalParkisaplaceofextremes.Ithashighmountains.IthasvalleysformedancienticethatcutdeepintotheEarthmillionsofyearsago.Waterfromhighinthemountainsfallsinmanyplacestothegreenvalleyfarbelow.TherearethirteenbeautifulwaterfallsinYosemiteValley.Oneofthesewaterfalls,YosemiteFalls，isthefifthhighestonEarth.Yosemitehasabeautifulslow-movingriverandlargegrassyareaswhereyoucanseewildanimals.3America’snationalroadsystemmakesitpossibletodrivecoasttocoast.FromtheAtlanticOceanintheeasttothePacificOceaninthewestisadistanceofmorethan4,000kilometers.OryoucoulddrivemorethantwothousandkilometersandgofromtheCanadianbordersouthtotheMexicanborder.Thehighwaysystemhasmadeitpossibleforpeopletoworkinacityandliveoutsideit.Andithasmadeitpossibleforpeopletotraveleasilyandquicklyfromonepartsofthecountrytoanther.4Thewayyoulookatsomeoneconveysimportantculturalmessages.Withoutyourevenknowingit,yourgazespeaksvolumes.“Theeyesarethewindowofthesoul,”accordingtotheoldsaying.Staringisacceptableinsomeculturesbutnotinothers.Awinkcanmeanacomplimentoraninsult,dependingontheculture.Adirectgazecanbeasignofhonestyoranindicationofdisrespectandrudeness,accordingtotheculturethatsurroundsthegazer.Thewayapersongazesthusexpressesastrongmessage—butthismessagecanbeeasilymisunderstoodifculturalnormsarenotshared.5ThistimeoftheyearAmericansspendlotsoftimeshoppingforholidaygiftsfortheirfamilymembersandfriends.Manypeoplevisitalotofstoresinlargeshoppingcenterstobuytheirgifts.Othersordergoodsbytelephonefromcatalogues,themagazinesthatoffercompany’sproducts.AndmanyaredoingtheirholidayshoppingontheInternet.IndustryexpertssayAmericanbusinessesshouldhaveabout184,000milliondollarsinsalesduringNovemberandDecember.63%ofpeoplewhousetheInternetsaytheyexpecttobuyatleastsomegiftsthere.6IOCstandsforInternationalOlympicCommittee,whichgovernstheOlympicsingeneral.ItwasfoundedinParison23June1894.ItsheadquartersareintheSwisscityofLausanne.ItsofficiallanguagesareEnglishandFrench.IOCmemberscomefromfivedifferentcontinents--Africa,America,Asia,EuropeandOceania.TheychooseOlympiccitiessixyearsinadvance.AlltheOlympicmovement’srulesarecontainedinabookcalledTheOlympicCharter.There’sanOlympicmuseumandStudiesCenterinLausanne.Itcontainsposters,documents,medals,books,photos,paintings,filmsandsculptures.7Therearefartoomanyroadaccidentsinthiscountry,toomanydeathsandtoomanypeopleinjured.Onewonderswhoaremosttoblame,driversorpedestrians.Somepeoplesaythattheblamecannotbeputfairlywithoutconsideringthestateoftheroadsandthewholetransportsystem.Ontheotherhand,manyexpertsareconvincedthatthelargerpartoftheblameforthedeathtollmustbeputonpersonsandpersonsalone.Tobefair,pedestrians,driversandroadconditionsarealltoblame.Onelooksforwardtothedaywhenthemotor-carhasbeenreplacedbysomelessdangerousmeansoftransport.8Petroleumhasbeenimportantsinceancienttimes.InLatin,thenamemeans“rockoil.”Petroleumisafossilfuel.Theliquidcomesfromtheremainsofplantsandanimalsthatdiedmillionsofyearsago.Theseremainswereburieddeepbelowlevelsofrockovertimeandundergreatpressure.Thisgeologicalprocesscreatedcomplexmoleculesofhydrogenandcarbon.Oilcanalsocontainotherelements.Crudeoil,orunprocessedpetroleum,iscalledsourwhenitcontainsalotofsulfur,animpurity.Sourcruderequiresmorerefiningthansweetcrude,whichisoftenmorevaluable.9InSeptemberof2000,worldleadersseteightgoalsforbringingmillionsofpeopleoutofpoverty.ThesebecameknownastheUnitedNationsMillenniumDevelopmentGoals.Amongthem:cutinhalfthenumberofpeoplelivingonlessthanonedollaradayandhaltthespreadofAIDSandmalaria.Thegoalsalsoincludeimprovingsurvivalratesforpregnantwomenandyoungchildren,andeducatingallchildren.Workingforequalitybetweenwomenandmenanddealingwithenvironmentalneedslikesafewateralsoareincluded.Thetargetdateforreachingthegoalsis2015.10Onewaytothinkabouttimeistoimagineaworldwithouttime.Therecouldbenomovement,becausetimeandmovementcannotbeseparated.Aworldwithouttimecouldexistonlyaslongastherewerenochanges.Fortimeandchangearelinked.Weknowthattimehaspassedwhensomethingchanges.Intherealworld—theworldwithtime—changesneverstop.Somechangeshappenonlyonceinawhile,likeaneclipseofthemoon.Othershappenrepeatedly,liketherisingandsettingofthesun.Humansalwayshavenotednaturaleventsthatrepeatthemselves.Whenpeoplebegantocountsuchevents,theybegantomeasuretime.11TheWorldFutureSocietyhaspublishedaspecialreportaboutforceschangingtheworld.Oneofthemispo