Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770. His father, Johann Beethoven, was also a musician and wanted his son to be a child prodigy.   26   

　　Johann’s resolution to make his son into a successful musician was so extreme that he would pull poor Ludwig out of bed in the middle of the night and force the young boy to practice piano until the early hours of the morning. 

　　At the age of 11, Ludwig received professional piano and composition training in Bonn under the royal court’s organist, and by the mid-1790s he had made a reputation for himself as a master pianist in Vienna, the musical capital of the age.   27   

　　A huge turning point in Beethoven’s life occurred in 1798, when his hearing started to become impaired.   28   This caused him to shun company and become depressed. He even contemplated suicide. 

　　Battling both depression and his loss of hearing, Beethoven continued to produce music with a special adaptation to his piano.   29   The music that he created during this period expressed heroism and struggle and went on to become some of his most famous compositions. 

　　 30   After the performance of his Ninth Symphony, he turned around to see the ecstatic applause of the audience but broke down in tears when he realized that he couldn’t hear them. 

　　 After a long illness, Beethoven died at the age of 56 on March 26, 1827. The true cause of his death was unknown for a long time, but later analysis of his hair and skeleton suggests that he was accidentally poisoned by his doctors, who prescribed excessive doses of lead-based medicine. Whatever the cause, the death of the great man shocked Vienna. Twenty thousand people attended his funeral procession, paying their respects to a true musical genius of their time. 

[A] Doctor Bill Magee, a plastic surgeon, and his wife Kathy, a nurse, often meet kings and queens, presidents and movie stars. But the couple are most inspired by their least powerful fans: the 50,000 indigent children around the world who have been given back their smiles.

   Thanks to the Magees and thousands of medical volunteers, those kids no longer suffer with a cleft lip, cleft palate, or birth defects and disfigurements.

   “No children should have to live with a correctable facial deformity,” states Bill Magee, summarizing the mission of Operation Smile, the nonprofit organization they founded in 1982.

   In some countries, the birth of a disfigured child is considered a curse, and if the child is not abandoned outright, he or she may be cut off from the community. It’s not uncommon for OpSmile doctors to treat youngsters who have never been to school or even outside to play with other children. Instead, they have been hidden in shame.

   But after the “45-minute miracle” of cleft-lip repair, “the children can go to school; they can get back to being normal human beings again.”

  And that’s what the Magees see as the spirit of OpSmile: the power of medicine to bridge cultures and countries, the ability to “change the world, one face at a time.”

   Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, OpSmile today boasts 26 U.S. chapters and runs annual missions to 30 sites in 20 countries. The most severe cases are brought to the States through the World Care program, allowing patients to stay several weeks for surgery and follow-up care.

   Overall, OpSmile provides US$32 million in donated state-of the-art equipment and medical services each year. Dr. Magee donates 150 surgical days a year to OpSmile and travels with Kathy on missions 20 weeks a year. Neither has ever taken one cent in salary, but they feel richly rewarded for their service to others.

   After so many years, the Magees say their work never feels routine. They are constantly refreshed by the enthusiasm of new volunteers and, of course, the instant gratification of those happy little faces. In some countries, presidents, first ladies and other top officials observed the surgeries. After that, they joyfully gave the infants back to their grateful mothers, with tears shared by all.“It was so powerful,” Dr. Maggie recalls. “Those leaders connected with their people like never before.”

   In every mission, host-country doctors worked alongside the visiting physicians, learning techniques to help kids long after OpSmile had left.

For most of us, summer is a season to enjoy outdoor activities. But for people who live in tropical regions,

 summer can bring huge storms capable of damaging buildings with wind and floods. This is because hurricanes

 occur when the water temperatures in the ocean rise above normal levels. What may start out as a minor 

storm can quickly be whipped up in to a devastating hurricane after gathering strength from warm water. A hurricane is an enormous circular vortex of clouds and wind. In order to develop, a hurricane requires water temperatures of at least twenty-six degrees Celsius. When a tropical storm occurs, the energy of the 

warm water and the moisture in the air can turn the storm into a hurricane. The location and size of hurricanes are observed by meteorologists using satellite equipment and radar. The media get the information and are able to warn the public about when and where the hurricane will strike. Hurricanes are given names by meteorologists to help people identify them. Although hurricanes are easily located by using sophisticated equipment, they are difficult to be judged because of their unpredictable movement and speed. Most hurricanes last for about ten days. When they cross onto land, they frictional drag from the ground causes their winds to slow and weaken. The most dangerous hurricanes, therefore, are the ones that move along a coastline and inflict damage on land while keeping their energy source of warm water. Every year the south-eastern coast of the United States becomes exposed to hurricanes that form thousands of kilometers away in the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricanes are most likely to occur in August and September because at this time the water temperature is high due to several months’ direct sunlight and humidity. In September 1999, a tropical storm gathered strength in the Atlantic. It was named Hurricane Floyd after four days of growth. American meteorologists used satellite equipment to track Hurricane Floyd and issued severe weather warnings for the states of Georgia and South Carolina. As Hurricane Floyd approached the coast, more than two million people were forced to evacuate the coast under government instructions. Fortunately, only a small number of people were killed by the hurricane and once it crossed the coast, its strength died down. Another area prone to hurricanes is the Bay of Bengal, between India and Bangladesh. In November 1970,

 the worst damage in modern times occurred when approximately three hundred thousand people died in 

Bangladesh as a result of the tidal waves and flooding caused by a slow-moving hurricane. East Asia is also

 frequently affected by hurricanes. Countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines and China are threatened every year by an average of five hurricanes that occur between August and October. In recent years, Hurricane

 Nicole traveled along the coastline of China and caused flooding which broke the banks of the Yangtze River. As a result, two million Chinese people were left homeless and the flooding was the worst seen in this region for fifty years.

 Damage will always occur if a hurricane passes over land. People exposed to a hurricane must therefore take the following precautions. All objects outside the house must be securely fastened so they won’t be blown away. Shutters must be placed over house windows to prevent them being smashed. People must remain inside during a hurricane as flying debris and lightning can be deadly. It is also important to have candles and flashlights handy in case of electricity failure.

 Every year about fifty hurricanes occur around the world. All we can do is to try to restrict the damage by making sure people are well prepared in regions where hurricanes most often occur. Experts, however, are predicting that in the future we will experience more hurricanes per year than we currently do. Because of the greenhouse effect and global warming, the warmer water temperatures are expected. With warmer water on our planet, hurricanes will occur more often and with greater force than they do today.

C San Marino today is a multi-party democratic republic, but political parties have to align themselves with one of the two opposing coalitions: the right or the left. Twice a year, the legislature, known as the Grand and General Council, elects two heads of state. These heads, or Captains Regent as they are called, are selected one from each opposing alliance in order to keep a balance of power. After their six-month term in office is up, if the people are unhappy with their performance in any way, they may lodge a complaint within three days, and if any of their grievances are justified, the ex-heads of state will be held to account. This system of government, as unusual as it may seem to many of us today, originates from the principles of the ancient Roman Republic. The Council performs the role of the Roman Senate and the Captains Regent are comparable to the consuls of early Rome.

 D Modern-day San Marino belongs to the Council of Europe and the United Nations, but is not a member of the European Union, although it is permitted to use the euro as its legal tender； it is even allowed to have its own designs on the national side of the euro coins. Before moving to the euro, it used the San Marino lira for money, and this was linked in value and exchangeable with the Italian lira. Because limited numbers of both the euro and lira coins are/were minted, they are eagerly sought by coin collectors around the world. Likewise, philatelists are keen collectors of San Marino’s postage stamps, which are only valid within the state itself. The sale of both coins and stamps to foreign collectors supplements the economy of the country.

 E Chief sources of income arise from the industries of tourism, banking, ceramics and electronics together with the manufacture and export of furniture, paints, fabrics and wearing apparel. About a third of San Marino’s GDP comes from the manufacturing industry, but tourism is the key player, and the government makes substantial returns from the taxes and customs imposed on the two to three million annual visitors, who also provide income for many local businesses. Only about sixteen per cent of land in San Marino is arable, and primary agricultural products mainly consist of some wine and cheese (most food is imported from Italy)； farmers do, however, raise sheep, cows and pigs, and produce fruit and grain for local consumption. In the face of the current global financial crisis, it is surprising to note that there is almost no national debt and even a budget surplus.

 F For such a tiny, geographically inhospitable country with few natural resources, apart perhaps from building stone, residents of San Marino nevertheless enjoy a relatively high standard of living equivalent to that of Danes or Germans. Unlike many other European nations, the citizens of San Marino experience a very low level of unemployment. The population is predominantly urban (94%)； however, the rate of urbanization is putting pressure on existing rural farmlands, which is an environmental issue of some concern to the inhabitants, along with air pollution. Although the natural features of the state may be harsh and forbidding, the pleasant climate and the general affluence of the populace undoubtedly have an impact on life expectancy, which is amongst the highest in the world, the average lifespan of females in San Marino being in excess of eighty-five years and the average male expecting to reach the age of eighty.

            Inflation, a term that is ubiquitous in economics, refers to the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is increasing, resulting in the concurrent decline of the purchasing power of currency. Typically, inflation is expressed as a percentage increase over a specified period, usually one year. 

             One of the main reasons for inflation is the escalation of the money supply. When the central bank creates more money, the money supply expands, leading to the devaluation of each unit of currency. The resultant effect is that as more money chases the same quantity of goods and services, prices escalate, which is known as the cost-push inflation. Another factor that drives inflation is the surge in the demand for goods and services. When demand supersedes supply, prices rise, a phenomenon referred to as demand-pull inflation. 

              Inflation has profound effects on the economy. One of the most significant consequences is the reduction of the purchasing power of money. As prices increase, people require more money to buy the same amount of goods and services, leading to a decline in consumer confidence, sluggish economic growth, and elevated unemployment rates. 

              Inflation also impacts interest rates. When inflation is high, the central bank raises interest rates to reduce the money supply and control inflation. This often leads to reduced borrowing and investment, thereby impeding economic growth. 

              Furthermore, inflation can affect the exchange rate of a country’s currency. As inflation surges, the currency value declines, rendering exports cheaper and imports more expensive. Consequently, this can lead to a decrease in the trade balance, which can also impact economic growth. 

              Central banks employ a variety of tools to combat inflation, including adjusting interest rates, controlling the money supply, and using fiscal policies such as taxation and government spending. However, taming inflation is a delicate balancing act, as measures taken to reduce inflation can also lead to a slowdown in economic growth.