常春藤生活英语【62】Irish Superstitions

Every culture has its own superstitions1, which are about mysterious events and powers that cannot be seen. Luck and omens2 are the most common superstitions. These beliefs were formed because people didn't have modern science to understand the world

常春藤生活英语【105】FARC人质救援行动

In May of 2001, Ingrid Betancourt launched her campaign1 to become president of Columbia. She took a bus all around Columbia to talk to the people and figure out what their needs were. Nearly a year later, she wanted to meet with the people of the Re

常春藤生活英语【86】Beauty and the Beast

New studies show that attractive women who date less attractive men have better relationships. This is because most men stress the importance of beauty while most women stress being treated well. In general, such couples are more supportive1 of each

常春藤生活英语【102】圣诞节的真谛

Christmas is a holiday that is over 2,000 years old. When we speak of Christmas, we tend to think of decorations, shiny lights, snow, presents, and trees. But some of these are quite recent traditions. What is the real story behind Christmas? Christm

常春藤生活英语【84】Waiting for Doughnuts

Nick found a newly opened doughnut store on the way home. Because he felt curious and hungry, he decided to buy some. Despite the long line of people that were already waiting in front of the shop, Nick lined up. He waited for almost an hour, but he

常春藤生活英语【56】Groundhog Day　

In the 1700s, a lot of German immigrants moved to the US. According to German folklore, certain animals have special powers on certain days. The groundhog is one of those animals. Its special day was previously on Candlemas, a holiday that was celebr

常春藤生活英语【55】The Pirate Code海盗密码

For years, Barry Clifford has been trying to solve a 300-year-old riddle. It isn't an ordinary riddle, though. It is a clue to the location of the pirate Black Sam Bellamy's treasure. Piracy came alive in the 1720s and incredibly, 2,000 to 3,000 pira

常春藤生活英语【35】Tom the Transfer Student转学生

Tom's father got transferred and his family had to move to a new city. Tom was not happy at all. He was worried and scared because the next day would be his first day at his new school. He did not know any of the kids or teachers and wondered if anyo

常春藤生活英语【40】Employment Traps　职场陷阱

Dialogue A Seth and Fran are meeting for lunch. Fran: Congratulations on the new job. Seth: Thanks! I'm really excited about it. Fran: What are you going to be doing? Seth: I'll be working in sales. The hours are flexible and they say I can earn a lo

常春藤生活英语【54】House Hunting　购屋大作战

House Hunting 购屋大作战 Dialogue A Zoe and Burt are looking for a new house. Zoe:Look! I found some great houses in the newspaper we can visit. Burt:OK. I'll look at them later. Zoe:You agreed that we would move to a bigger house, but it seems

常春藤生活英语【24】动物们，我把身体变小了

In the jungles and deserts of Africa, people can take safaris and see wild animals in their natural habitat. This month, National Geographic Channel takes a safari in a place a lot closer to homea backyard garden. Nigel Marven leads his crew on this

常春藤生活英语【30】In Hot Water 水深火热

Dialogue A Laura: How was work today? Ben: It was awful. I was very stressed. Laura: Why? What happened? Ben: My boss was a bit hot under the collar. Laura: Why? Ben: He doesn't think the new product I designed will sell like hot cakes. Laura: You're

常春藤生活英语【33】Squizzy the Black Squirrel松鼠史

A seven-year-old African-American girl, Marsha, was told by her teacher to make a new friend each day. Marsha wondered how she could do this because she saw the same kids in class every single day. She felt like she was already friends with everyone

常春藤解析英语【55】星巴克传奇

Starbucks: 14,000 Stores in 43 Countries and Still Growing 星巴克传奇 by Luke Dodds Chances are you've enjoyed a cup of coffee from Starbucks. Since the opening of the first Starbucks in 1971 as a vendor of high-quality coffee beans and brewing

常春藤解析英语【71】A Solar City太阳能城市

A Solar City 太阳能城市 by Lars Berry A city in China has taken big steps in changing its energy sources. 中国有座城市已大大改变了其所仰赖的能源。 Practically everything around your home that was made in a factory owes its ex

常春藤解析英语【76】Naturalism,and Jean-François Mi

Naturalism, and Jean-Franois Millet 自然主义与米勒 Take a look at a style of art that tries to show things as they are. 看看自然主义如何呈现事物的自然风华。 by Matthew Brown 6/23 If you were setting out to create a painting o

常春藤解析英语【79】Chicago: An American City兼容并

Chicago: An American City 兼容并蓄的芝加哥 by Kevin Lustig If you want to see the US, don't overlook Chicago and its Millennium Park. 如果你想了解美国，千万别错过芝加哥和千禧公园。 People all over the world are familiar

常春藤解析英语【66】The Virgin Queen女王未出嫁

The Virgin Queen 女王未出嫁 by Matthew Brown Like many historical figures that keep people fascinated, Elizabeth I remains somewhat enigmatic. No one knows the whole truth about the personal aspects of Elizabeth's story. Of course, these things

常春藤解析英语【37】A Flame of Hope荣耀的奥运圣火

A Flame of Hope 荣耀的奥运圣火 by Kevin Lustig With the 2008 Summer Olympics about a year away, there is a lot to be done. One of the many things _(1)_ hammered out is the exact route of the Olympic Flame on its trip to Beijing. As discussions

常春藤解析英语【19】Quieting the Mind身心平静

Quieting the Mind 身心平静 by Marcus Maurice Meditation is an exercise in quieting the mind. Meditation can help restore mental balance leading to a feeling of happiness and contentment. Think of the brain as a faucet where the water is constantl