Two summers ago I was about to turn fifty and wanted to do something I'd never done before. My daughter Bailey thought skydiving (跳伞) would be perfect for me. I can promise you that of all the things I was thinking of doing, jumping out of an airplane never came close to making the list. As I age, I seem to have developed a growing fear of heights.

    After several requests from my daughter, I finally said yes and she looked almost shocked. I told a friend what we were doing, then we set off. We had a 3-hour drive to the jump site. We drove through some beautiful countryside, but then we passed a small cemetery(墓地). Then we passed another cemetery and another one. I asked if so many people died jumping out of airplanes in this area that they needed to keep building more cemeteries to bury all the bodies!

    As we squeezed into the little plane, I tightly held the right hand of my partner Ronnie. The short ride to altitude was cruel for me. As Bailey stepped to the door, she looked back at me and said “Dad, I'm sure you can do it!” I said yes as she rolled out. I immediately looked behind me and said “RONNIE I AM NOT FEELING GOOD!” He said, “It's going to be great. Besides, it's too late now anyway”, and we jumped out.

    The next five minutes were some of the most amazing of my life. It was so beautiful and peaceful—except for the parts where I was screaming. I prayed to God for the parachute (降落伞) to open, but mostly I told Him how thankful I was for my life and being with me through good and bad.

    "Mom, what is that?" asked my son. "The Bride of Chucky?"

    The old doll I was holding was pretty scary. Her glass eyes were especially horrible, closing when she stood upright and flying open when she lay flat. Once she had been loved, but she had been stored in an attic (阁楼) for decades, where the extremes of heat and cold can be hard on a girl's looks. Throw her in the waste bin? Maybe. But first, let's check eBay.

    I clicked, supplied the required information about condition, including defects (i.e., "Only a miracle could save this doll"), and uploaded its photos. I sold it for $5.

    The buyer was happy: "As described!" he wrote on my feedback page. "Super seller!" The doll found a home and, I hope, a new life. Maybe she was used to repair other dolls. Perhaps those strange eyes got fixed and once again can inspire a child's love. It's a win-win, if you ask me.

    I also sold lots of other stuff. None of them brought in a lot of money, though I have been surprised at the occasional bidding war, like, for example, the one over an old swimsuit that would have made Brigitte Bardot look bad. And some customers, let's face it, are strange. Recently I had a hard time convincing an Australian would-be buyer of an Irish souvenir bell that I don't shop internationally; it's just too much trouble. He could have flown to Ireland and bought his own bell for the price he was willing to pay. Another time, a buyer complained that the electric wire on an old radio was dirty. Really? Dirty? The wire was black. But I aim to please, so I offered a refund.

    So why bother with the dealing and small profits? Because I don't like abandoning the past. All these treasures once had stories. They meant something. But the people who gave them that meaning are gone, and I simply cannot rescue everything. I can't even sew. So I find it satisfying that a new owner, discovered via eBay, will continue the story in his or her own way.

    GREAT VERMONT CORN MAZE

    Come early, spend the day. Selected one of the top mazes in America. 16 acres of fun, new maze designs and surprises every year, miles of pathways, bridges, emergency exits, Kid Village, views, Barnyard Golf, 100 of underground tunnels, petting animals. Open Aug. I through early Oct. 1404 Wheelock Rd., N. Danville. TEL: 802 -748-1399.

    LINCOLN PEAK VINEYARD

    Named Vermont's star wine producer in American Wine, 2013.Comc taste our wines, enjoy a glass, and walk in the vineyard. We make something for everyone -dry to sweet- entirely with grapes we grow. 142 River Rd., New Haven; 3 miles north of Middlebury.802-388-7368.

    BENNINGTON MUSEUM

    Celebrating the creativity of Vermont across time with diverse art, rich history and innovation. The museum houses the largest public collection of paintings by folk artist Grandma Moses, 18th century paintings and furniture, a 1924Martin Wasp, motorcar, works by Bennington Modernists including Jules Olitski, Paul Feeley and others.75 Main St, Bennington. TEL: 802-447-1571.

    BENNINGTON POTTERS

    A Vermont tradition for 66 years! Take a free tour of the factory just behind our home style store at 324 County St., downtown Bennington. Shop from our full line of original design dinner ware, bake ware, mugs and more; furnishings for the home; everything for the table. Store and factory open. Mon.-Sat.9:30-6pm, Sun. 10-5 pm. TEL: 800-205- 8033.

    HIDDEN SPRINGS MAPLE

    Take a free, guided tour of our maple canning room, taste our different grades of maple sytud (枫糖)and shop for a variety of local products including maple syrup from a number of local farms, gift baskets, arts and crafts. 23 Westminster Rd. TEL: 802-387-5200.

    You may think there are no differences between British and American people. After all, they speak the same language, don't they? If you ask a British or an American person, he will probably tell you that there are differences. And the differences are quite great.

    What do British people think American people are like? The British think American people are very strange. They make a lot of noise and they laugh too loudly. They are rich, and they only think about money. But the British do say that American people are kind, and friendly people. They're happy to help you if you are in trouble.

    What do Americans think of the British? Well, they think the British are cold and very unfriendly. They are not interested in success or in making lots of money. They think British is the best country in the world. They look down on other countries. But Americans say that the British are quite hard workers. They are brave and honest. And in time of trouble they face difficulties happily.

    You can see that these ideas can cause misunderstanding between the British and Americans. But when American and British people become friends, they usually find things are not as bad as they expected.

It is amazing how many of the things in science fiction and movies have become reality.For instance,in the movie Star Trek,the workers could go to a replicator(复制器) and order food,drinks or anything they could program into the computer.Before long,the item would appear.This is possible today,in a way,with technology we have had for years.

Several manufacturers(制造商) have created 3D printers.One company,MakerBot,has created a printer that the average person can afford.It is called The Replicator.You can download a lot of design software from the Internet for use with The Replicator.In the near future,rather than going to a store to buy what you need,you may be able to download what you want from the Internet and print it out at home.

The process was first used with music.At the very beginning,music was recorded onto plastic disks with etching(蚀刻法).Music can now be copied without a physical product.____ Rather than having to buy a physical book or magazine,you can now download them from the Internet in digital form.

This technology is already used in engineering and architecture.Melissa Shoes,a Brazilian foot wear company,is using this technology to create shoes.Rather than having to go through the current process of product design and development,the company is able to design and print shoes for display to see how well they will sell before having lots of them made.

It is often a complex and tiring task to live a healthy life, but that isnˈt always the case. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Itˈs time to change the classroom environment for the health of the children.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Itˈs not surprising that sitting for long as a child is associated with health problems as an adult. Fortunately, thereˈs a simple, overlooked solution to these problems—standing desks.

Over the last few years, a number of studies have shown that the benefits of the increased range of movement students experience when using standing desks are surprisingly broad. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Besides, standing desks encourage higher levels of teamwork and participation among students. Standing desks also help to reduce the risk of some diseases. They can help to prevent fatness, heart disease and low spirits. Sedentary（久坐的）lifestyles are a major reason why teenagers suffer from poor mental health, while higher activity levels reduce the chances of a child experiencing such an illness.

The benefits of bringing standing desks into classrooms are obvious. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Otherwise they will likely hurt their muscles when standing for a long time. Standing desks usually offer a full range of motion, which includes the option to sit or lean（倾斜身体）without losing eye-level of the rest of the class, and that full range of motion is important.

Sitting isnˈt horrible. It isnˈt a thing we should never do. The problem is that we do it too much, and so do our children, which makes children less likely to succeed and keep healthy. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A．It is time for us to stand up to stay healthy.

B．But it is important for children to use them gradually.

C．Children spend most of their school day sitting at desks.

D．Thus itˈs necessary to break up the sitting with standing desks.

E．Something as cheap as a desk could be making a major difference.

F．Right now there is something we can do easily to keep our children healthy.

G．For example, they help students keep fit and avoid putting on too much weight.