One day a father of a very rich family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people can be. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their _______, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked. "Oh Yeah." said the son. "So what did you _______ from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they have four. We have a pool that _______ to the middle of our garden and they have a creek(小溪)that has no end. We have imported lanterns(灯笼)in our garden and they have the _______ at night. Our patio(院子)reaches to the front yard and they have the _______ horizon(地平线). We have a small piece of land to live on and they have _______ that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have _______ around our property(财产)to protect us, but they have friends to protect them."

With this the boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, "Thanks dad for showing me how _______ we are."

Too many times we _______ what we have and concentrate on(把注意力集中在)what we don't have. What is one person's ________ object is another's prize possession. It is all based on one's perspective(观点). Make you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for all the bounty(恩赐)we have, instead of worrying about wanting more. Take joy in all you have, especially your friends.

Francisco, a street musician, whom my friend happened to know from his own musician day, was playing the saxophone on a street corner. His name was Clifford, and he had attracted a large crowd with his performance. After he finished, my friend introduced him to me and his daughter. Clifford asked her if she played any instrument. When she replied that she was taking trumpet(小号)lessons and played in her junior high school band, he said, "That's fine, little lady. Learn your instrument well and you can play anything."

Somehow these simple yet wise words struck me as proper not only for a trumpet player but also for a reader. If you learn to read well, you can read anything you want—not just newspapers and magazines, but more difficult material like philosophy, film criticism, military history—whatever interests you as your confidence grows. You would not be limited(限制)in any way. If you have the vocabulary—or at least a good dictionary near at hand—you can pick up a book, concentrate on it, and make sense of the author's words.

In the United States, reading instruction often ends at elementary school, so students sometimes have difficulty as they progress through school. They must take their assignments, armed only with their elementary school reading skills. The result, too often, is frustration and loss of confidence. And the assigned reading in your college courses will be even greater than they were in high school. Developing Reading Skills is designed to accomplish(完成)several tasks: to show you the skills that will enable you to read with greater comprehension, to help you cope with reading assignment with confidence, and to teach you to become an active reader.

To become a doctor in the United States, students usually attend four years of medical school after they complete college. Then these young doctors work in hospitals for several years to complete a training program called a residency(住院医生实习期).

These medical residents provide hospitals with needed services in return for not much pay. They work under the supervision(管理)of medical professors and more experienced doctors. Medical residents treat patients. They carry out tests. They perform operations. They complete records. In hospitals with few nurses, residents also do work formerly done by nurses. Some medical residents work one-hundred or more hours in a single week.

They often work for more than thirty-six hours at a time before they can rest.

Critics(批评家)of this system say medical residents work too long and do not get enough rest. They say these young doctors may be too tired to perform their medical duties effectively. Now, the government will limit the number of hours of work that residents can work. Most doctors in training will be limited to eighty-four hours of work each week. They will have work periods of no more than twenty-four hours at one time. They will have ten hours of rest between work periods.

Medical residents will have one day each week when they do not have to work. Any work they accept outside their hospitals will be limited. Experienced doctors and medical professors will closely supervise the residents to make sure they are not too tired to work.

Many medical residents welcomed the work limits. Others, however, said the new policy may interfere with patient care and their own medical education.