The highest beef prices in almost three decades have arrived just before the start of the hot season, causing a great shock to both consumers and restaurant owners—and relief isn't likely anytime soon. A decreasing number of cattle and growing export demand from countries such as China and Japan have caused the average price of fresh beef to climb to $5.28 a pound in February, up almost a quarter from January and the highest price since 1987.

    Everything that's produced is being consumed, said Kevin Good, an analyst at CattleFax, a Colorado-based information group. Prices will likely stay high for a couple of years as cattle producers start to rebuild their cattle among big questions about whether the Southwest and parts of the Midwest will see enough rain to water the grass.

    "I quit buying steaks a while ago when the price went up," said 59-year-old Len Markham, who works at Texas Tech. She says she limits red meat purchases to hamburger, choosing chicken, pork and fish instead.

    Restaurant owners, too, must deal with the high prices. Mark Hutchens, owner of the 50 Yard Line Steakhouse in Lubbock, raised his menu prices for beef items by about 5 percent in November. Since then, the owner of the small eating house has tried to make cuts elsewhere to avoid passing it on to customers. "It really puts more pressure on the small guys," he said of non-chain restaurants. "I just think you have to stay competitive and keep your costs low."

    “White-tablecloth restaurants have adjusted the size of their steaks, making them thinner”, says Jim Robb, director of the Colorado-based Livestock Marketing Information Center. “And fast-food restaurants are cutting costs by reducing the number of menu items and are offering other meat options, including turkey burgers, Robb said. Chain restaurants also try to buy beef as much as they can, which essentially gives them a discount”, Iowa State University assistant economics professor Lee Schulz said.

    The high prices are welcome news for at least one group: ranchers(大农场经营者), especially those in Texas who for years have struggled amid drought（干旱） and high feed prices. But even as ranchers breathe a sigh of relief, some worry lasting high prices will cause consumers to permanently change their buying habits — switching to chicken or pork. Pete Bonds, a 62-year-old Texas rancher and president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, said that's a big concern. “But such fears may be unfounded, Robb said. “Three years ago, economists thought consumers would start finding substitutions for beef as the drought spread. We're surprised we haven't seen more of that," he said.

    South Dakota rancher Chuck O'Connor thinks that consumers won't abandon beef for good. "I'm sure some are maybe going to cut back some, but to say that people aren't going to buy it anymore, I don't think that's going to happen," he said, adding, "I hope not."

    As you're busy with your studies, the weeks during the Spring Festival can be a time when training and healthy eating plans go out of the window. But you can continue running and avoid weight gain during the holiday season. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Pick a race

    Having a race on your calendar is a motivation to keep running during the holiday. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Check our active.com or Running in the city for events near you.

Don't skip breakfast

    If you're going to a holiday party in the evening, don't make the mistake of skipping breakfast. You may think you're saving calories for later. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Bring your own healthy dishes

    Chances are that most of the dishes at holiday gatherings are going be high in taste and calories. Bring your own healthy appetizers to the party. The host will appreciate it, and you know where will be at least one wise choice on the buffet table.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    If you are heading to an evening event, eat regular meals and snacks every few hours until party time. You won't arrive at the party ready to attack appetizers. Make sure you include fiber at each meal because it keeps you full longer.

Plan your runs

    It's easy to say that you'll keep running regularly during the holiday season, but sticking to it requires a strategy. Schedule your runs like appointments, so you make them the first thing during a busy week. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Biography

    When Salinger learned that a car park was to be built on the land , the middle-aged writer was shocked and quickly bought the neighboring area to protect it… The townspeople never forgot the rescue and came to help their most famous neighbor.

    J. D.  Salinger：A  Life by Kenneth Slawenski（Random House,$27）

Mystery（疑案小说）

     “You're a smart boy.  Benny's death was no accident, and you're the only who saw it happen. Do you think the murderer should get away with it ? ”The boy was starting stubbornly at his lap again.

    A thought suddenly occurred to Annika ,“Did you …You recognized the man in the car , didn't you?”

    The boy hesitated, twisting his fingers ,“Maybe ,”he said quietly.

    Red Wolf by Liza Marklund（Atria Books, $25. 99）

Short Stories

    She wants to say to him what she has learned , none of it in class. Some women are borm stupid,and some women are too smart for their own good. Some women are born to give ,and some women only know how to take.  Some women learn who they want to be from their mothers,some who they don't want to be.  Some mothers suffer so their daughters won't.  Some mothers love so their daughters won't.

    You Are Free by Danzy Senna （Riverhead Books,$15）

Humor

    Do your kids like to have fun? Come to Fun  Times! Do you like to watch your kids having fun? Bring them to Fun Times! Fun Times! 's “amusement cycling ”is the most fun you can have , legally , in the United States right now. Why spend thousands of dollars flying to Disney World when you can spend less than half to that within a day's drive lf most cities?

    Happy And Other Bad Thoughts by Larry Doyle（Ecco,$14. 99）

    Different people use different languages. We Chinese speak Chinese, and, most of us are learning a foreign language. But there is another kind of language we need to know — the language of the body.

    All over the world, people “talk with their hand, with their heads and with their eyes.” When Japanese people meet, they bow. When Indians meet, they put their hands together. What do American and British do? Americans are more informal (不拘小节的) than the British. They like to be friendly. They use first names, they ask questions and they talk easily about themselves. When they sit down, they like to relax in their chairs and make themselves comfortable. British people are more reserved (保守的). They take more time to make friends. They like to know you before they ask your name.

    When British or American people meet someone for the first time, they shake hands. They do not usually shake hands with people they know well. Women sometimes kiss their women friends, and men kiss women friends (on one cheek only). When a man meets a man, he just smiles, and says, “Hello.” Men do not kiss each other, or hold hands. Even fathers and sons do not often kiss each other.

    One May morning, 10-year-old Khadab played in the ruins of a school near his home in northern Iraq. He saw something that looked interesting. It was yellow and plastic and looked like a ball. He reached for his new toy and, BANG!

    The last thing he remembered was a big noise. When Khadab awoke, he was in hospital. His parents stood sadly by his side. They told him he had picked up an unexploded bomb. When it exploded, Khadab lost an arm.

    He was just one of hundreds of Iraqi children who have been injured or killed by stepping on and picking up explosives left over from the war.

    These landmines (地雷) and bombs have injured and killed at least 15 people a day since Saddam Hussein's government fell on April 9. And children are the most affected.

    Iraq is among the worst landmine-affected countries in the world. Many villages in the war-torn areas are surrounded by minefields (雷区). These landmines lie on the ground between rocks, up in trees and on riverbeds.

    Even though the war in Iraq is over, many children have not returned to school. They can be seen walking the streets with the natural curiosity of young kids. Their new playgrounds are places where the fighting took place. Many boys can be seen playing with unexploded bombs. A new game is to throw the bombs and run away. Some of them get away, but too many are killed. They do this for fun, and don't realize the dangers until it's too late.

    UNICEF (联合国教科文组织) has warned children, through the TV, of the dangers of landmines and unexploded bombs in Iraq. They hope to make children aware of the dangers they face.

    “I can't imagine there's going to be a classroom in the north without scared children in it. It's so widespread,” said Sean Sutton of the British-based Mines Advisory Group (MAG).

    MAG is an organization working to clear unexploded bombs and landmines in war-torn areas.

    It is difficult to report the exact number of deaths. Sutton said MAG found 320 injuries in northern Iraq in the first month after April 9. But he said the real figure was probably much higher.

    A new study, conducted by British company Mindlab International, has found that listening to music at work increases accuracy (精确) and speed, The Telegraph reported.

    Perhaps, some parents disagree with this idea, saying, "Switch off the music and concentrate!" Well, if that's the case with your parents, you might now be able to convince them that you have science on your side.

    The company gave 26 participants （参与者）a series of different tasks for five days in a row, including spell checking, mathematical word problems, data entry, and abstract reasoning. The participants completed these tasks while listening to music or no music at all.

    The results showed that while music was playing, 88% of participants produced their most accurate test results and 81% completed their fastest work. David Lewis, chairman of Mindlab International, told The Telegraph, "Music is a very powerful management tool if you want to increase not only the efficiency of your workforce but also their emotional state, they are going to become more positive about the work."

    However, you may have a list of your favorite songs, but not all kinds of music match all homework. For maths or other subjects involving numbers or attention to detail, you should listen to classical music, the study found. In the study, pop music enabled participants to complete their tasks 58% faster than when listening to no music at all. If you are reviewing your English writing, pop music is the best choice, as it is the best kind for spell checking. It cut mistakes by 14%, compared to listening to no music. After finishing your homework, do you often take time to check your answers? Maybe, some dance music is suitable for you.