When Rosina Hernandez was in college, she once attended a rock concert at which one young man was cruelly beaten by another. No one made an1to stop the beating. The next day she was2to learn that the youth had died as a result of the3. Yet neither she nor anyone else had raised a hand to help4. She could never forget the incident and her responsibility as an5bystander(旁观者).

   Some years later, Rosina saw another6. A car driving in the rain ahead of her suddenly rushed into Biscayne Bay. The car landed head down in the water with only the tail end7. In a moment a woman appeared on the8, shouting for help and saying her9was stuck inside. This time Rosina waited for no one. She jumped into the water, tried10to open the car door, then broke the back window11other bystanders stood on the street and12. First she13at them, begging for help, then14them, telling them there was a man dying in the car.

   First one man, then another, 15came to help. Together they16the safety glass and dragged the man out. They were just in time—a few17later it would have been all over. The woman thanked Rosina for saving her husband, and Rosina was18for weeks. She had promised herself that she would never again fail to do19she could do to save a human's life. She had made good on her20.

        Economic growth for July through September fell to 9.6 percent in China, down from 10.3 percent in the second quarter.

        Sheng Laiyun, a spokesman from China's National Bureau of Statistics, says the figures show a year­on­year increase of 10.6 percent, 2.5 percentage points higher than the same period last year.

       The figures show the Chinese economy remains strong, and despite fears from many economists, is far from overheating.

       The consumer price index rose 3.6 percent in September, up slightly from 3.5 percent in August.However, it remains well above the target for the year of 3 percent.

       On Tuesday, the central bank raised interest rates, in a move many economists say was intended to gently cool the economy and get a firm control on inflation.

        Jinny Yan, an economist Standard Chartered Bank, says she is happy to see that the Chinese economy is not overheating.

     “A 9.6 percent growth is in our view much more sustainable and we think it is a healthy growth pace compared to the first quarter of this year，”she noted.“What it means is that the economy has now stabilized.It has recovered.Now it is more about concentrating on the other risks, for example inflation or asset price inflation in the economy.”

        The interest rate increase and the slowing growth may ease pressure from overseas for China to allow its currency to appreciate.

        Several countries, including the United States, complain that China's yuan is kept unfairly weak to give Chinese exports a market advantage.China says it will gradually adopt a more reasonable exchange rate policy, to keep its economy growing, but the yuan has strengthened only about 2.5 percent in recent months.

        Many economists and international policy analysts have said they expect China to face new demands about the yuan when the leaders of the Group of 20 leading economies meet next month.

Notes：

①inflation n ． 通货膨胀　②sustainable adj.能保持的　

③stabilize vi.稳定

         A sunflower is a sunflower. A mobile phone is a mobile phone. But can you combine the two to do something for your local environment?

         As early as next year it may well be possible. When you have finished with your mobile phone you will be able to bury it in the garden or a plant pot and wait for it to flower. A biodegradable (生物可降解的) mobile phone was, this month, introduced by scientists. It is hoped that the new type of phone will encourage consumers to recycle.

        Scientists have come up with a new material over the last five years. It looks like any other plastic and can be hard or soft, and able to change shape. Overtime it can also break down into the soil without giving out any toxic (有毒的) chemicals. British researchers used the new material to develop a phone cover that contains a sunflower seed. When this new type of cover turns into waste, it forms nitrates (硝酸盐). These feed the seed and help the flower grow.

       Engineers have designed a small transparent (透明的)window to hold the seed. They have made sure it only grows when the phone is thrown away.

    “We've only put sunflower seeds into the covers so far. But we are working with plant experts to find out which flowers would perform best. Maybe we could put roses in next time，” said one scientist.

        As phone technology is developing so quickly people are constantly (经常地) throwing their mobiles away. This means manufacturers are under pressure to find ways of recycling them.

        Some 650 million mobile phones have been sold this year. Most of them will be thrown away within two years, adding plastic, heavy metal and chemical waste to the environment. A biodegradable cover can offer some relief for nature, according to the scientists.

    “The seed is released and the flower grows in the pot so you don't have to concern yourself with the phone when you have finished using it，” said Kerry Kirwan. She leads the research team, which is based at the University of Warwick in Britain.

Steveis interviewing the famous biographer (传记作家)Garen Thomas.

Steve：Thomas, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} a famous writer, would you please tell ussomething about yourself and your new books?

Garen：Of course.

Steve：Where were you born?

Garen：I was born in Chicago, but I spent most of my childhood inNew York.

Steve：{#blank#}2{#/blank#} was your childhood like?

Garen：I had pretty strict parents. They wished me to be successfulin studies. So I think my childhood was {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(bore)and I was always complainingabout it.

Steve：Do you get along well {#blank#}4{#/blank#} your parents now?

Garen：Oh sure, I have reached middle age now. So far I {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(understand) their love for me.

Steve：Where did you go to university?

Garen：I graduated {#blank#}6{#/blank#} Yale University with a degree in EnglishLiterature.

Steve：How did you start writing?

Garen：I like writing from young, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} it is not easy for me toenter this occupation. You know, I once worked in companies. I started writingfor magazines and eventually {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(ask) to write books, so I was pretty lucky.

Steve：{#blank#}9{#/blank#} did you begin to write the book about the presidentObama?

Garen：From the beginning of 2008, it {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(take) me 6 months toprepare for it, interviewing and finding information about him. Obama told memany stories about his life and family.

Steve：Sounds interesting.