There was once a guy who suffered from cancer, a cancer that can't be cured. One day he was sick of staying home and wanted to go out. He passed a CD store and looked through the front door for a second. He saw a beautiful girl about his age and he knew it was love at first sight. He opened the door and walked in, not looking at anything else but her. He walked closer and closer until he was finally at the front desk where she sat.

    She looked up and asked, “Can I help you?” She smiled and he thought it was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen before. He said, “UH…Yeah…Umm… I would like to buy a CD.” He picked one out and gave her money for it. “Would you like me to pack it for you?” she asked, smiling her cute smile again. He nodded and she went to the back. She came back with the packed CD and gave it to him.

     From then on, he went to that store every day and bought a CD. He took the CD home and put it in his closet. He was still too shy to ask her out. His mother found out about this and encouraged him. So the next day, he took all his courage and left his phone number on the desk before he ran out.

    Several weeks later the phone rang, and the mother picked it up. It was the girl!!! The mother started to cry and said, “You don't know? He passed away yesterday…” Later that day, the mother went into the boy's room and opened the closet. Inside were piles and piles of unopened CDs. She picked one up and opened it. Out fell a piece of paper, saying: “Do you want to go out with me? Love, Jocelyn.” The mother was deeply moved and opened another CD… Again, there was a piece of paper with the same words.

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    Jack Ma's net worth increased $2.8bn overnight as Alibaba forecast sales growth that topped every analyst's estimate, despite the fact that China's economy is slowing down.

    Mr. Ma, aged 52 this year, is now the richest person in Asia and 14^th wealthiest in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His net worth has climbed $8.5bn this year to $（4）8bn.

    The latest surge came after China's largest e-commerce company forecast 45 to 49 percent revenue(收入) growth in the year ending March, demonstrating how investments beyond online shopping are paying off. Shares in Alibaba, where Mr. Ma is chairman, rose 13 percent to a record high.

    Alibaba and Tencent, which dominate online shopping and social media, respectively have ventured(冒险) deeper into new areas from cloud computing services to streaming music and video as the country's economy slows. Alibaba is capturing more digital advertising spending by incorporating(合并) social elements such as video in its shopping sites.

    Alibaba is holding meetings with investors this week. On Friday, the former English teacher said he wasn't going to discuss corporate forecasts. He took the stage instead to describe how his company had become effectively the world's 22^nd largest economy—just after Argentina—in terms of transaction(交易) by never fearing to think big. Mr. Ma, who said Alibaba revises 10-year plans annually, foresaw the company becoming the fifth-largest eventually by 2036 by serving a burgeoning Chinese middle classes, taking advantage of global trade and making use of its valuable data.

    Ma's comments about the evolution of data-driven technology echoed Masayoshi Son, Chairman of Japan's SoftBank. SoftBank—Alibaba's largest shareholder—has invested billions in companies such as ARM with the intention of staking out a leading position in the future Internet of Things.

    “The Internet of Things is going to be big because in the past, machines drink electricity,” Mr. Ma told investors. “In the next 20 years, machines will drink data. In the future, no company, no country, no business can survive without data.”

    Everybody sleeps, but what people stay up late to catch or wake up early in order not to miss varies by culture？

    From data collected, it seems the things that cause us to lose the most sleep, on average, are sporting events, time changes, and holidays.

    Around the world, people changed sleep patterns thanks to the start or end of daylight savings time. Russians, for example, began to wake up about a half-hour later each day after President Vladimir Putin shifted the country permanently to "winter time" starting on October 26.

    Russia's other late nights and early mornings generally correspond to public holidays. On New Year's Eve, Russians have the world's latest bedtime, hitting the hay at around 3:30 a. m.

    Russians also get up an hour later on International Women's Day, the day for treating and celebrating female relatives.

    Similarly, Americans' late nights, late mornings, and longest sleeps fall on three-day weekends.

    Canada got the least sleep of the year the night it beat Sweden in the Olympic hockey (冰球) final.

    The World Cup is also chiefly responsible for sleep deprivation. The worst night for sleep in the U. K. was the night of the England-Italy match on June 14. Brits stayed up a half-hour later to watch it, and then they woke up earlier than usual the next morning. Thanks to summer nights, the phenomenon in which the sun barely sets in northern countries in the summertime. That was nothing, though, compared to Germans, Italians, and the French, who stayed up around an hour and a half later on various days throughout the summer to watch the Cup.

    It should be made clear that not everyone has a device to record their sleep patterns; in some of these nations, it's likely that only the richest people do. And people who elect to track their sleep may try to get more sleep than the average person. Even if that's the case, though, the above findings are still striking. If the most health-conscious among us have such deep swings in our shut-eye levels throughout the year, how much sleep are the rest of us losing?

    I grew up in a house where the TV was seldom turned on and with one wall in my bedroom entirely lined with bookshelves，most of my childhood was spent on books I could get hold of. In fact，I grew up thinking of reading as natural as breathing and books unbelievably powerful in shaping perspectives (观点) by creating worlds we could step into，take part in and live in.

    With this unshakable belief，I，at fourteen，decided to become a writer. Here too，reading became useful. Every writer starts off knowing that he has something to say，but being unable to find the right ways to say it. He has to find his own voice by reading widely and discovering which parts of the writers he agrees or disagrees with，or agrees with so strongly that it reshapes his own world. He cannot write without loving to read，because only through reading other people's writing can one discover what works，what doesn't and， in the end，together with lots of practice，what voice he has.

    Now I am in college，and have come to realize how important it is to read fiction (文学作品)．As a law student，my reading is in fact limited to subject matter — the volume (量) of what I have to read for classes every week means there is little time to read anything else. Such reading made it all the clearer to me that I live in a very small part in this great place called life. Reading fiction reminds me that there is life beyond my own. It allows me to travel across the high seas and along the Silk Road，all from the comfort of my own armchair，to experience，though secondhand，exciting experiences that I wouldn't necessarily be able to have in my lifetime.

    Hundreds of years ago, a Roman army came north from England to make war on Scotland. The Scots, a brave people, love their country. They fought hard to drive the enemy out of Scotland. But there were too many of the Romans. It looked as if the Romans would win.

    One night, the leader of the Scots marched his soldiers to the top of a hill. “We will rest here tonight, my men,” he said, “Tomorrow we will fight one more battle. We must win, or we will die.”

    They were all very tired. So they ate their supper quickly and fell asleep. There were four guards on duty, but they were very tired, too, and one by one, they fell asleep.

    The Romans were not asleep. Quickly they gathered at the foot of the hill. Slowly they went up the hill. Closer they came to the sleeping Scots. They were almost at the top. A few minutes more the war would be over. Suddenly, one of them put his foot on a thistle (蓟). He cried out and his sudden cry woke the Scots. In a minute they were on their feet and ready for a battle. The fighting was hard, but it did not last long. The Scots wiped out the Romans and saved Scotland.

    The thistle is not a beautiful plant. It has sharp needles all over it. Few people liked it. But the people of Scotland liked it so much that they made it their national flower.

Azores Destination Guide

    The Azores is a region of Portugal that's made up of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. Compared to many island destinations, the Azores isn't touristy, noisy, or polluted. Instead, travelers can expect to discover untouched nature, fantastic views, and charming villages with rich cultural traditions. Here are the key details you should know to begin planning your trip to the Azores.

    Must-See Attractions

    Nature lovers will be thrilled to discover all of the outdoor trips available to them in the Azores, This is a main spot for hiking, diving, fishing, and whale watching. Some of the top outdoor sights to see include the calderas of Lagoa das Sete Cidades and Lagoa das Fumas and Pico Island, where you can climb the tallest mountain in Portugal. Sao Miguel is the biggest and most populated island, and there are lots of historic homes, restaurants, hotels, and shops here.

    If You Have Time

    Try to visit the Pori of Angra in Terceira, which is a World Heritage Site and close to the hundreds of traditional bullfights that are held every summer. Head to the most westerly island of Flores to see the beautiful coast lined with wildflowers and sheep.

    Free Things to Do

    Visit the beach to take a dip in the comfortable 70-degree water

    Take the five-hour trek lo the peak of volcanic Mount Pico

    Go bird-watching to see some of the Azores 300+ species of birds

    Take a walk around the 15th century town of Heroismo to learn about local history

    Transportation

    The best way to get around the Azores is by car, and there are some really scenic drives to experience here. Buses operate around the islands, but service can be infrequent and unavailable on Sundays and holidays. Cycling should only be attempted if you are in great shape because the terrain is rugged and steep. It's especially enjoyable to take boat to get from island to island, since most towns have ports and are along the shoreline.