简是一名家庭主妇，但却非常乐意做一名业余记者。在家和工作之间奔波总是使她左右为难，而且对于新闻部来说，依靠一名业余人员来报道罪案也是不同寻常的，但是简真的很有天赋，让人钦佩的是她极少因为犯错而受到责备。因为渴望做得更加专业，她全神贯注于工作，且时不时地就提升自身的业务水平。
一旦接到新案子的通知，她通常的工作程序如下：首先，她和有罪的人约了作采访。为了获得准确的新闻，她通常要求做录音，同时，一位技术上好的同事会协助她拍照；接着，她对受采访的人是否有故意隐瞒真相作出评估。如果她怀疑他们的话，就会亲自调查案件；然后，她在截稿期限前写出详尽的报道，呈交给高级主编，由他对每个部分做润色和批准；最后，她的新闻就发表在杂志的各个版本中了。
25.First Aid
急救
A boy fell ill. His organs were damaged by the radiation of an infrared ray stove. But before the ambulance arrived, a number of other injuries happened to this unlucky boy over and over again. First, he was choked by some poisonous liquid from the kettle on the cupboard. Then his wrist skin was burnt by electric shock. Finally, his ankle was cut by a pan.
Fortunately, the boy’s nurse gave him proper temporary treatments according to his complex symptoms. She mildly squeezed the poisonous liquid out of his throat and put bandages firmly in place to apply pressure to the ankle wound to stop bleeding. As for the burn, she used scissors to remove his sleeve, poured a basin of cold water
over the burn to cool it and put her hands on a damp blouse to cover his swollen tissue tightly. She also inspired his bravery to fight against the unbearable pain. Her first aid made a vital difference in saving his life. A ceremony was held to honour the nurse who overcame a variety of barriers to save the boy.
有个孩子病倒了，他的体内器官被一台红外线烤炉的放射线灼伤了。但是在救护车到来前，这个不幸的孩子身上还一而再、再而三地发生了许多别的伤害。开始是被橱柜上水壶里的有毒液体噎住，然后是手腕的皮肤被电击烧伤，最后，一只平底锅还割伤了他的脚踝。
幸运的是，男孩的保姆根据他的复杂症状给予了适当的临时治疗。她轻轻地从他喉咙里把有毒液体挤了出来；并在脚踝合适的位置紧紧扎上绷带，施加压力使伤口的流血止住；对于烧伤，她用剪刀剪去他的袖子，倒了一盆凉水给烧伤位置降温，并找来一件湿的女式衬衫紧紧盖住他肿胀的皮肤组织。此外，她还激发起他的勇敢和难以忍受的疼痛做斗争。她的急救在挽救他性命中起了至关重要的作用。人们举办了一场典礼来表彰这位克服各种障碍挽救了男孩的小保姆。
26.Abstract Art 抽象艺术
Abstract art used to be controversial. On one hand, the artists stopped painting delicate figures but attempted to adopt special techniques to give people different visual impacts. On the other hand, their works, including sculptures carved out of marble or fragile clay, were all with a specific aim of showing feelings. Some conventional scholars who were allergic to abstract art said it was evidently ridiculous and neither art nor geometry. Their Traditional Art Committee predicted its soon disappearing.
But nowadays, abstract art has become part of the permanent possessions of contemporary civilization. Galleries along the Madison Avenue give scores of superb exhibitions on typical abstract works, appealing to many who have a preference for abstract art. The Shadow of Egypt, a café in this district, has become the home to those aggressive abstract artists. Consequently, it is not a coincidence for you to meet one of these artists of great reputation in the flesh. They are asked for signatures and given bunches of fragrant flowers plus they are given a great deal of praise by their faithful fans.
抽象艺术曾经颇受争议，一方面，抽象艺术家们不再画精致的画像，而是试图采用特别的技巧给人们以不同的视觉冲击；另一方面，他们的作品，包括用大理石和易碎的粘土雕刻出来的雕像，都以表达感情为其明确的目的。有些对抽象艺术反感的传统学者说抽象艺术是极其明显地荒谬可笑，说它既不是艺术，又不是几何学，他们的传统艺术委员会还预言了它的迅速消失。
但是到了今天，抽象艺术已经成为当代文明永久财产的一部分，麦蒂逊大道的画廊为典型的抽象艺术作品举办了许多出色的展览，吸引了许多对抽象艺术有偏爱的人。这区有家叫埃及之影的咖啡馆已经成为那些有进取精神的抽象艺术家们活动的根据地，所以，亲眼见到一位名声极大的艺术家本人并不是什么巧合的事，他们被忠实的崇拜者索取签名，并被给予成束的芬芳花朵和大量的赞扬。
27.A Russian Poem
俄国童谣
Since childhood, Anton had often recited poems, accompanied by pianists and violinists, at wedding ceremonies before brides and bridegrooms exchanged rings. Gradually, he found writing poems the most appropriate way to convey his joy and sorrow. When his poem Contradictory Blank won him a national championship and a scholarship to the Moscow University from a sponsor, he was just an unknown librarian. After getting his diploma, he devoted his life to writing poems. Using concrete but flexible language and the minimum of words is his style. He tried out different patterns and preferred nursery rhyme in particular. The following is a translation of one of his works made up of 3 sections:
Little sparrow with heavy load,Ran out of energy and very cold;No compass and all sweat salty,Can you go through the endless darkness?Little balloon let out by the thread,Flew over cottages and was very glad;With warmth transformed from sunlight,He said he could forever fly;Take it easy, little balloon;Don’t tease the sparrow with his wound;On the bare branch and have a rest;This diamond heart will eventually get success.