The term “to extend an olive（橄榄） branch” means to make an offer of peace or reconciliation(和好). This term has Biblical（圣经的）origins, coming from the section of the Old Testament that deals with the flood; the sign that the flood is over is an olive branch brought back to the ark(方舟) by a dove. Olive branches were also symbols of peace in Ancient Greece and Rome, and they continue to be used in various works of art that are meant to suggest peace.

    Some people have suggested that the olive was a very deliberate and well-considered choice as a metaphor(比喻）for peace, because olive trees famously take years to mature. War is typically very hard on the trees because people cannot take the time to nurture them and plant new ones. Therefore, the offer of an olive branch would suggest that someone is tired of war, whether it is an actual war or a falling out between friends.

    In Ancient Greek and Roman times, people would offer actual olive branches. In Rome, for example, defeated armies traditionally carried olive branches to indicate that they were giving in, and the Greeks used them into weddings and other ceremonies. In the modern era, the branch is usually metaphorical, rather than actual, not least because the plants can be a bit difficult to obtain.

    Many people agree that peace negotiations at all levels of society are a good idea. Between nations, obviously, it is important to extend an olive branch to ensure mutual safety and to help the world run more smoothly. This act can also be important on a personal level, as resolving conflict and learning to get along with others is viewed as an important life skill in many cultures.

    At some point in their lives, many people will be advised to extend an olive branch to settle a dispute or resolve an issue. Some people believe that it takes an immense amount of courage to take this action, as it often comes with an admission of wrongdoing and regret.

Dearest darling girl,

    Today is the beginning of the next stage in your life. We head off to your new home at Stanford. Where do I start in telling you how proud I feel to be called Mummy by you? We've laughed at how you burst into this world with a scowl on your face, how determined you have always been right from feeding yourself to making big decisions for your life. There were days during your illness that I wasn't sure you had the will to make it. Telling you that you needed to want to get better was the hardest and yet the greatest day. From that day you took responsibility and decided you wanted to beat anorexia（厌食症）．

    I don't think I've ever felt so proud of you as when you came home to say that you wanted to go to West Africa between school and university. You chose to go alone, and to raise the money yourself. You have such strength of character and determination. It is at times hard to believe that you are only 18. You experienced something in that month that few dare experience in a lifetime.

    So, Viv, here are my words of wisdom to you as you start your next big adventure. The world is a beautiful place but often a few things can make it seem difficult. God's temple is made of love. It's man's temple that is built of stones. Open your heart to goodness and never ever let negative people or thoughts take hold of you. As Minor Myers put it, "Go into the world and do we'll. But more importantly, go into the world and do good:'

    It is true that with every passing day, I will grow older and weaker. A day may come when I will become forgetful. But even then, you with your bright smile, will light up my heart.

Your Alo

根据短文内容，选择最佳答案，并将选定答案的字母标号填在题前括号内。

    Do you know that November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? You can find the NaNoWriMo Young Writer's program at ywp.nanowrima.org. It is a challenge（挑战）to write a 50,000-word novel in one month.

    The program began in 1999 in San Francisco with only 21 members. Later year, more than 400,000 took up the challenge. The writers can choose what they want to write about. On November 1st, writers visit the website and start to update（更新）their word count. They can communicate with other writers there as well. All the writers have to stop writing on November 30th.

    It is okay if you have never written a book before. The website provides lesson plans and workbooks for beginners. You can use them to improve writing skills in your novel. Then you can start planning what your novel will be about.

    Are there any books published（出版）from the NaNoWriMo program? Here are a few:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Water for Elephants by SaraGruen

Entrychats by Cecile Duquenne

    Are there any young readers who want to join in this program? If you want, we hope you can write the best novel. If you have not heard of NaNoWriMo, but you have a good story in mind, join us!

Pixels

        Genre: Action, Comedy, Sci-fiStarring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan

        Plot: When aliens(外星人) misunderstand video information of classic games as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth in the from of the video games.

        Showing: Friday--Thursday: 12:40 PM, 2:40 PM, 4:40 PM, 6:40 PM, 8:40 PM

Fantastic Four

        Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

        Starring: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jorden, Jaime Bell

       Plot: Four young outsiders teleport(远距离传送) to a dangerous universe which changes their physical from in shocking ways. The four must learn their new abilities and work together to save the Earth from a former friend turned enemy.

      Showing: Friday--Saturday: 12:50 PM, 2:55 PM, 4:00 PM, 6:10 PM, 7:10 PM, 8:25 PM, 9:15 PM, 10:25 PM

Tempting Fate

      Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller

     Starring: Trinitee Stokes, Ramsey Nouah, Nicholas Alexander

     Plot: Edu and Ugo are brothers of the same blood with different interests. One is gentle and talented while the other is quite the opposite. Ugo is trapped in a life of crime in which death may be the only way out.

     Showing: Friday--Thursday: 2:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 8:00 PM

Survivor

      Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

     Starring: Paddy Wallace, Parker Sawyers, Bashar Rahal

     Plot: A Foreign Service Officer in London tries to prevent a terrorist attack set to hit New York, but is forced to go on the sun when she is framed for crimes she did not commit.

     Showing: Friday--Thursday: 2:40 PM, 7:00 PM, 9:00 PM

    One October morning, I got off the all-night train in Mandalay, a city in Myanmar. A rough man came up and offered to show me around. The price he asked was less than I would pay for a bar of chocolate at home. So I climbed into his trishaw(三轮车).

    As he was showing me around, he told me how he had come to the city from his village. He'd earned a degree in mathematics. His dream was to be a teacher. But of course, life is hard here, and so for now, this was the only way he could make a living. Many nights, he told me, he actually slept in his trishaw so he could catch the first visitors off the all-night train.

And very soon, we found that in certain ways, we had so much in common—we were both in our 20s, we were both fascinated by foreign cultures—-that he invited me home.

    So we turned off the wide, crowded streets, and came to rough, wild alleyways(小巷). I really lost my sense of where I was, and realized that I could easily get cheated or something even worse.

    Finally, he stopped and led me into a hut. And then he reached under his bed. Something in me froze. I waited to see what he would pull out. And finally he took out a box. Inside it was every single letter he had ever received from visitors from abroad.

    So when we said goodbye that night, I realized he had also shown me the secret point of travel, which is to go inwardly(向内心)as well as outwardly to places you would never go otherwise, to go into uncertainty, even fear.

    At home, its dangerously easy to think we're on top of things. Out in the world, you are reminded every moment that you're not, and you can't get to the bottom of things, either.

    On Monday, my classmates and I heard that our astronomy teacher's mother had died. We were surprised that he was still teaching in school. My best friend was telling me that the teacher was trying to forget the pain of losing his mother and trying to be strong in the middle of teaching.

    The teacher was such a warm-hearted person and we figured that we should give him a lot of love and good cheer. That night after school, my best friend and I thought about our teacher as well as his beloved mother and then we came up with an idea.

    When we went back to school yesterday, we gave him cheer-up cards which we had taken time to decorate with flowers, hearts and peace signs. As we handed the cards to him, we could both see the light in his eyes. The smiles on his face showed how much he appreciated what we did for him. The whole atmosphere was very warm and loving, and it's hard to express in words.

    This morning, when we both went to see the teacher again, he was so happy, and gave us both a hug. This made us feel that we just might have made his day, and that he was going to be okay.

    With that, I want to remind you to take the time to smile at the ones you love, be extra generous with hugs, kisses, things of that lovely nature! Life is so precious (宝贵的), so let us be happy and enjoy the gift of life.