Elephants on the coast of Thailand are acting strange.They stamp their feet and motion toward the hills.The sea draws back from the beaches.Fish fall heavily in the mud.Suddenly,a huge wave appears.This is no ordinary wave.It is tsunami!

    Tsunami waves are larger and faster than normal surface waves.A tsunami wave can travel as fast as a jet plane and can be as tall as a ten-story building.Imagine dropping a stone into a pond.The water on the surface ripples（起涟漪）.A tsunami is like a very powerful ripple.Tsunamis begin when the ocean rises or falls very suddenly.Large amounts of seawater are displaced.This movement caused huge waves.

    For a tsunami to occur,there must be some kind of force that causes the ocean water to become displaced.Most tsunamis are caused by underwater earthquakes.However,volcanoes ,landslides（塌方）,large icebergs,and even meteorites（陨石）are capable of causing one of these mighty waves.

    Tsunamis are extremely powerful.Ordinary waves lose power when they break.Tsunami waves can remain powerful for several days.Because tsunami waves are so strong,they can kill people,damage property,and completely ruin an ecosystem in just one hour.

    Scientists have no way of predicting when a tsunami will hit.However,if a powerful enough earthquake occurs, scientists can send out a warning or a watch.A warning means that a tsunami will very likely hit soon.A watch means that conditions are favorable for a tsunami.When people are informed of a watch or a warning,they have more time to prepare.It is best not to get caught unaware when a tsunami is on the way.

    The human athlete has a special trick that no other animal has. It is called self-talk. Athletes talk to themselves to warm up, to focus and to help themselves believe they will win. A few simple words like “I can do it!” and “It is now or never!” can make the difference between winning gold or not.

    Self-talk is also used by speakers, actors and other performers. Before a speech, politicians believe that their words will win votes. And, self-talk helps students stay calm even when stumped by hard exam questions. Self-talk is a life skill you can use wherever you are, whenever you need it.

    The whole idea of talking to themselves seems strange to many people. Imagine your teacher saying, “For homework, talk to yourself for half an hour tonight.” You might think he is playing a joke on your class. Instead, adults teach kids all about talking to other people. There are many books on why, when, what and how to communicate with the rest of the world. Thus, you can grow up knowing a lot more about people around you than about yourself.

    It is good to speak and listen to others. But there is great value in making time to listen to yourself. When you do, you get to know yourself better. Along the way, you may discover the power you have for using words well.

    Such ideas are so exciting to psychologists that they have been trying to learn more about self-talk. In the study, people found certain lost items at home more easily when they talked to themselves while searching for the things.

    One day, I received a call from a colleague. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physical problem， while the student claimed a perfect score. I was elected as their arbiter. I read the examination problem: “Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer(气压计).” The student had answered: “Take the barometer to the top of the building，attach a long rope to it，lower it to the street， and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of it is the height of the building. ”

    The student had really answered the question completely, but the answer didn't confirm his competence in physics. I suggested the student try again. I gave him six minutes to answer the question, warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics. Five minutes later, he said he had many answers and clashed off one, which read： “Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof. Drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then, use the physical formula (公式）to calculate the height of the building. ”

    At this point, my colleague had to accept it, and then the student made almost full marks. I couldn't help asking the student what the other answers were. He listed many others ，and then added “Probably the best is to take the barometer to the administrator and said to him，' Sir, here is a fine barometer. If you tell me the height of the building, I will give it to you.，”

    Then, I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did, but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think.

    The name of the student was Bohr who later was famous all over the world. He won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1922.

Welcome to Pocono Whitewater

    There's something fun here at Pocono Whitewater for every level of adventurer! We have mild（柔和） to wild white & shy; water rafting (漂流), family trips, and bird & shy; watching boating. Choose one adventure now. It's up to you! We have trips available daily. Give us a call today!

    Dam Release White & shy; water Rafting

    Experience the best whitewater on the Lehigh River! Surrounded by forests and mountains, you will enjoy 12 miles and 5 hours of Class (等级) Ⅲ white & shy; water rafting and outstanding scenery. This is a fun and thrilling（激动人心的） trip that everyone over the age of 12 can make. While paddling (划桨行进) in the swift water, you'll shout and laugh.

    Dam Release White & shy; water Rafting Rates:

    Individual (over the age of 12) : $61.00

    Group ( at least 8 persons) : $31.00

    Rates Include: all necessary rafting equipment, life jackets, free parking, bus service to/from the river and professional river guides.

    Family Style White & shy; water Rafting

    Bring along the whole family this summer and enjoy 8 miles and 5 hours of Class I white ­ water rafting. Mild water of the Lehigh River is simply perfect for beginners, school groups, and kids aged 4 and older. This is just perfect for enjoying the passing scenery, kicking your feet over the edge of the raft, or taking a swim in the river!

    One of the most unique things about this trip is a free riverside barbeque (烧烤)! Our workers will cook and serve you a picnic lunch — hotdogs, potato salad, fruit, etc. The classic family picnic!

    Family Style White & shy; water Rafting Rates:

    Adult: $39.00

    Child (aged 4—14): $33.00

    Group (at least 8 persons): $30.00

    Rates Include: all necessary rafting equipment, life jackets, free parking, bus service to/from the river, and a barbeque lunch, river guides not included.

    One day when I was 5, my mother scolded (责骂) me for not finishing my rice and I got angry. I wanted to play outside and not to be made to finish eating my old rice. When angrily opening the screen door with my foot, I kicked back about a 12-inch part of the lower left hand corner of the new screen door. But I had no remorse, for I was happy to be playing in the backyard with my toys.

    Today, I know if my child had done what I did, I would have scolded my child, and told him about how expensive this new screen door was, and I would have delivered a spanking (打屁股) for it. They never said a word. They left the corner of the screen door pushed out, creating an opening, a breach (裂缝) in the defense against unwanted insects.

    For years, every time I saw that corner of the screen, it would constantly make me think about my mistake. For years, I knew that everyone in my family would see that hole and remember who did it. For years, every time I saw a fly buzzing (嗡嗡) in the kitchen, I would wonder if it came in through the hole that I had created with my angry foot. I would wonder if my family members were thinking the same thing, silently blaming me every time a flying insect entered our home, making life more terrible for us all. My parents taught me a valuable lesson, one that a spanking or stern (严厉的) words perhaps could not deliver. Their silent punishment for what I had done delivered a hundred stern messages to me. Above all, it has helped me become a more patient person and not burst out so easily.

A mix of anxiety rising in my chest and a voice at the back of my mind shouting ‘what's wrong with me?'-it's how I've felt about rejection my whole life.

 The earliest rejection I can remember was on my first day of school. I started the term late due to illness and the teacher asked the class who would play with me at break. The silence was deafening. Now, a bit of online dating sees us rejected by half the town before we've even started our day. There's not a break at work. Is there a worse feeling than hitting the final slide on your presentation, boldly asking 'any questions?' and looking around the room to see everyone on their phones?

We need to build resilience. For me, this has come in two stages. First, I spent time listening to the voice of fear that saw each rejection as proof that there was something wrong with me. When I analysed it, I could see it was rarely about me. Perhaps the guy I was talking to was too busy to reply. It was likely that the magazine I'd sent a passage to already had an article on that topic. Now, I assume it's about me 20 per cent of the time-and I can live with that.

 The other thing I do is practice rejecting. Because I hate rejection, I shy away from being the rejector, which means I either please people or avoid tricky situations. Instead, I've come up with a few lines for when I want to say no: 'That sounds great but it's not for me; thank you for asking but I decline; it was lovely but I think we should leave it there.' It's never pleasant to reject a person but there is a kind way to do it. With resilience and clarity, we can see the plus sides of rejection: it frees us up to do something else, be with someone else and be happier. We can't complain about that.