Original:

My neighbor's children love playing hide-and-seek as all children do, but no one imagine that a game they played last week would be reported in the local newspaper.

One afternoon, they were playing in the vacant lot down the corner. Young Paul, who is only five years old, found the perfect place to hide. His sister, Natalie, had shut her eyes and was counting to ten when Paul noticed the storage mail box at the corner and saw that the metal door was standing open. The mailman had just taken out several sacks of mail and had carried them to his truck which was standing at the curb a few feet away. Paul climbed into the storage box and pulled the door closed so hard that it locked. Soon realizing what he had done, he became frightened and started crying. Meanwhile, Natalie was looking for him everywhere but could not find him. It was lucky that she happened to pause at the corner for a minute and heard her brother's cries. She immediately ran to tell the mailman who hurried back from his truck to unlock the metal door. Paul was now free, but he had had such a bad scare that he could not stop crying. The mailman, however, soon found a way of making him laugh again. He told him that the next time he wanted to hide in a mail box, he should remember to put a stamp on himself!

Summary:

The children were playing hide-and-seek in a vacant lot one afternoon. Finding that the storage mailbox had been left open, Paul hid and locked himself in it accidentally. His sister, Natalie, heard his cries and realized where he was hiding, so she immediately told the mailman to unlock the metal door. After letting him out, the mailman made him stop crying by telling him to put a stamp on himself the next he wanted to hide in a mailbox.

Original:

Why do some animals die out?

In the past two hundred years people have caused many kinds of animals to die out--to become extinct. People keep building houses and factories in fields and woods. As they spread over the land, they destroy animals' homes. If the animals can't find a place to live, they die out. Sixteen kinds of Hawaiian birds have become extinct for this reason. Other animals, such as the Florida Key deer, may soon die out because they are losing their homes. Hunters have caused some animals to become extinct, too. In the last century, hunters killed all the passenger pigeons in North America and most of the buffalos.

Today they are fast killing off hawks and wolves. Pollution is killing many animals today, too. As rivers become polluted, fish are poisoned. Many die. Birds that eat the poisoned fish can't lay strong, healthy eggs. New birds aren’t born. So far, no animals have become extinct because of pollution. But some, such as the bald eagle and the brown pelican, have become rare and may die out.

Scientists think that some animals become extinct because of changes in climate. The places where they live become hotter or cooler, drier or wetter. The food that they eat cannot grow there any more. If the animals can't learn to eat something else, they die. Dinosaurs may have died out for this reason.

Summary:

In the past two hundred years, many kinds of animals have died out. There are several reasons for it. First, people keep building houses and factories in fields and woods, which destroys animals' homes. Then, hunters' killing has also caused some animals to become extinct. Besides, some animals aren't able to bear strong offspring and nor do they have enough food to eat because of pollution and climatic changes.

Love languages

Do you know love what “love languages” are? Love languages are different ways that people show their love to others. We all want to have relationships where we can show our love to others and have them communicate love to us in return. In order to be successful in communicating love, we need to understand what the different love languages are. There are five important love languages that people need to know about to communicate effectively with others.

The first love language is Quality Time which refers to spending time together with the person you are trying to show your love to. This love language will cause people to feel loved when they are taken out on special dates, when their friend changes their schedules to be with them, or when they turn the television off to talk with them. It means giving all of your attention to another person.

Another love language is Words of Attention as a way to show your love. Telling your boyfriend or girlfriend how you appreciate them, encouraging them, and through words praising them will show people that you love them. Telling someone “I believe in you” can really make someone feel loved. With this love language you can express yourself through both spoken and written words.

Gifts is another type of love language. Gifts are not just material objects, they are expressions of your love. The most important aspect is not the cost, but the fact that you were thinking of them and spent the time to go and buy them a gift. Big or little, your gift will be a symbol of your love for the other person.

Fourth is the love language called Acts of Service which means you express your love by helping someone else. You could help them with a difficult assignment ot help them fix their bicycle when it is broken. The most important part of this love languages is taking the time to do things for them that require thought, energy and time. Don’t wait to only do what they ask you to, but volunteer to show your kindness.

The last love language is Physical Touch. A simple touch on the arm, hug or backrub will convey your love to them. Sit beside them when you have the chance and hole their hand when you are walking down the street. With this love language, just being near them and showing your care through touch will make them feel very loved.

Just knowing about these love languages is not enough as they way in which people feel loves by others is different. It is important to know which love language is strongest for the person you are trying to love. Sometimes if you serve them, they will feel more loved than if you give them a gift. Or perhaps holding their hand will not be as meaningful to them as if you had spent two hours together. I recommend that you find out what the love language is of the person you are trying to love. Don’t forget that there is more than just one love language. As you learn how to give and receive love, you will find that your relationships with others will be richer and more satisfying.

Olympic Games

Of all the games held throughout Greece, those staged at Olympia in honor of Zeus are the most famous. The Games, like all Greek games, were an intrinsic part of a religious festival. Held every four years between August 6 and September 19, they occupied such an important place in Greek life that time was measured by the interval between them – an Olympiad. Although the first Olympic champion listed in the records was one Coroebus of Elis, a cook, who won the sprint race in 776 BC, it is generally accepted that the Games were probably at least 500 years old at that time. According to one legend, they were founded by Heracles, son of Alcmene.

The Games were held at Olympia in the city-state of Elis, on a track about 32 meters (35 yards) wide. The racing length was one stade, a distance of about 192 meters (210 yards) which was one length of the track. At the meeting in 776 BC, there was apparently only one event, the stade, but other events were added over the ensuing decades. In 724 BC a two-length race, diaulos, roughly similar to the 400-meter race, was included and four years later, the dolichos, a long-distance race possibly to be compared to the modern 1500- or even 5000-meter event, was added . wresting and the pentathlon were introduced in 708BC. The latter was an all-around competition consisting of five events – the long jump, javelin throw, discus throw, foot race, and wresting.

Boxing was introduced in 688 BC, and in 680 a chariot race. In 648, the pancratium, a kind of all-strength, or no-hold-barred, wresting was included. Kicking and hitting were allowed; only biting and gouging (thrusting a finger ot thumb into an opponent’s eye) were forbidden. Between 632 and 616 BC, events for boys were introduced. And from time to time, further events were added including contests for fully armed soldiers, for heralds, and for trumpeters. The program must have been as varied as that of the modern Olympics, although the athletics (track and field) events were limited: there was no high jumping in any form and no individual field event, except in the pentathlon.

Until the 77th Olympiad (472 BC) all of the contests took place on one day; later they were spread, with, perhaps, some fluctuations, over four days, with a fifth devoted to the closing ceremony presentation of prizes and a banquet for the champions. Sources generally agree that women were not allowed as competitors or, except for the priestess of Demeter, as spectators. In most events, the athletes participated in the nude.

The Olympic Games were originally restricted to free-born Greeks. The competitors, including those who came from the Greek colonies, were amateur in the sense that the only prize was a wreath or garland. The athletes underwent a most rigorous of supervised training, however, and eventually, the contestants were true professionals. Not only were there substantial prizes for winning, but the Olympic champion also received adulation and unlimited benefits from his city. Athletes became fulltime specialists – a trend that in the modern games has caused a long and bitter controversy over amateurism.

Summary example:

In this article, the author explains the history of some of the earliest record Olympic Games held in Greece. It is generally accepted that these Games started around 1276 BC although the first champion was recorded in 776 BC. In the first Games there was only one event, however as time went on, different events were added. Longer distance running races were first added and then other events like wresting and the pentathlon. They even added events specially for boys and armed soldiers. Originally the Games were played on one day but this changed to five days. Another aspect of the Games was that women were not allowed as competitors or spectators. The competitors were also restricted to Greeks who were not professionals. However, a trend started where athletes became full-time specialists which ahs caused a lot of controversy.

The original:

A third kind of thinking is stimulated when anyone questions our beliefs and opinions. We sometimes find ourselves changing our minds without any resistance or heavy emotion, but if we are told that we are wrong we resent the imputation and harden our hearts. We are incredibly heedless in the formation of our beliefs, but find ourselves filled with an illicit passion for them when anyone proposes to rob us of their companionship. It is obviously not the idea themselves that are dear to us, but our self-esteem, which is threatened. We may surrender, but rarely confess ourselves vanquished. In the intellectual world at least, peace is without victory.

Few of us take the pains to study the origin of our cherished convictions; indeed, we have a natural repugnance to so doing. We like to continue to believe what we have been accustomed to accept as true, and the resentment aroused when doubt is cast upon any of our assumptions leads us seek every manner of excuse for clinging to them. The result is that most of our so-called reasoning consists in finding arguments for going on believing as we already do. Summary:

? A third kind of thinking occurs when we are told that our beliefs and opinions are

wrong. We may have been heedless in their formation, but our self-esteem will not permit us to change. We may have to give up, but we are not convinced. We do

not study the origin of our beliefs; we believe as we have been accustomed to

believe, and we seek arguments for continuing to believe as we already do.