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Working hard, Stevie had saved money for many years and was able to buy a nice house on a cliff (悬崖) overlooking the ocean. It seemed that all his work 1  and that he had finally realized a (n) 2 . 

As life would have it, along came events over which he had no 3 . The cliff was eroded (侵蚀) so much that the backyard was totally 4  and all that was left was the back of the house sitting on the 5  of the cliff. The cliff was over one hundred feet high so no matter who tried to save the house, it was really 6 . Worse still, he became very 7  to the point where he had to take a lot of time off from work. 

Stevie had no house insurance because he couldn't get any from insurance companies who knew of the 8 . Stevie thought he had reached the dreams he had worked so hard for and now only to find everything was 9 , though it was not his 10 . 

The good news was that he wasn't done for. 11 , his family, neighbors, friends and even those who didn't know him personally 12  to fund raisers and 13  to help him get enough money to 14  over. And, they did. 

Life has a way of turning around and 15  us in the backside and even kicking us again when we are really down and out. But, life also gives us a way out if we look for it. 

Self-disciplined people are not all outstanding people. Some of them read every day. Some of them never run late. The real difference between an elite person and an ordinary person is that an elite person can manage his or her time well. 

What people call self-discipline is in fact self-management. One example is staying fit. Never underestimate someone who is in good shape. Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows that it's not easy. If someone is in good shape, it shows that he knows the principles of staying fit and is able to stick to a plan that uses these principles.

If someone is in good shape, it means that this person is good at managing themselves and their time. It also shows that this person is able to keep persevering and can balance long-term goals with short-term goals. So if someone is in good shape, he or she is more than just healthy. 

First of all, set a goal and write down your reasons for wanting to achieve it. Create a list of all the things you need to do to achieve this goal and start to work on them one at a time. With self-discipline, small things in life will no longer trouble you. Only through self-discipline can you truly own your future. 

A. How do you learn self-management?

B. That's where their success comes from.

C. This skill gives you the power to stick to your decisions. 

D. But nearly all outstanding people are self-disciplined people. 

E. Whether it is natural or acquired, it is a great skill. 

F. It's even harder to avoid putting weight back on.

G. Self-discipline means self control, which is a sign of inner strength. 

A. As a consequence, songs sound like nothing but noise for such a person, many of whom compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. 

B. However, this can result in social loneliness. "I used to hate parties," says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.

C. Many amusics are relieved when their condition is finally diagnosed. For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her music problem. Now she knows that she is not alone. 

D. For some people, music is no fun at all. About 4% of the population is what scientists call "amusic". People who are amusic are born without the capacity to enjoy musical notes.

E. Scientists note that the brains of amusics vary from those of people who can enjoy music. The difference is complex, and it is not connected with poor hearing.

Cindy, my dog, was six years old when my son Tony was born. And she was immediately very protective over him. We lived near a busy road. As my son was too young, we were super vigilant for fear that he should go out of the front door. 

Cindy knew that our son wasn't allowed to go through the front door without us, so whenever Tony touched the front door handle, she would push him back. One morning, around 4 am, our son somehow managed to "escape" through his bedroom window, and Cindy had to follow.

At 5 am, the police woke us knocking on the door. They said, "Your son was nearly killed but the dog saved him. " They then repeated what the truck driver had said.

He told them that he was driving along in the dark and in the distance he could see something "light coloured" moving on the road. As he got closer, he could see a dog at the side of the road barking at it. At the last moment, he realized that it was a child and was about to change the direction. The dog was still barking, glancing (扫视) between the truck and the child. While the driver was braking (刹车), the dog ran out into the road, jumped at the child's back and threw him out of the path of the truck. At the same time, the truck hit the dog and she was killed.

The driver said that he'd never believe what he saw unless it was with his own eyes. He thought that the dog definitely knew the danger, which was why she was barking so anxiously. He said "that dog just saved that kid's life and it knew what it was doing. "

That was 39 years ago and I still miss Cindy every day. 

Some places can create strong memories. The following special places are important to Americans who look to the past, but also are thinking of the future. 

New Orleans Streetcars

Many Americans cities once had streetcars, but not anymore. Yet streetcars have been running in New Orleans for over 150 years. The Saint Avenue streetcar is said to be the oldest continuously-operating streetcar in the world. Many residents have been riding the streetcars ever since they started high school. Most of them think it's a piece of history. They have these old cars, and they respect them, and they keep them running.

Historic Houses

Historic homes can interest people seeking to connect with the former occupants. A typical one is a very simple, white house in Virginia. This small house in Winchester, Virginia, opened its doors to the public in August. It was home to the singer pasty Cline, who died at the age of 

30. Babe Ruth is considered one of the greatest baseball players in history. He was born in a house in Baltimore, Maryland. With his house visitors are given plenty of opportunities to touch where Babe Ruth walked around. 

Havre de Grace

Years ago, Americans used decoys (假肢) to hunt ducks and other waterbirds. Those days are gone. But collecting artful decoys is now popular. Havre de Grace is a town in the America state of Maryland, one part of which is famous for its wildlife. Captain Jobes is one of the top decoy cravers in Havre de Grace. Hunters use decoys to get ducks and geese to come close enough to shoot. The wooden birds are so highly respected here that Havre de Grace calls itself the decoy capital of the world. It also has a museum with more than 1,000 decoys. Most were hand made. 

注意：1. 词数80字左右；2. 可适当增加细节，使行文连贯。