Passage A
1Did you know that until May 5 of every year, you are not really working for yourself?
2A group in Washington, D.C., has learned that it takes workers an average of four months and four days to earn enough to pay thier taxes.
3The group found in its study that taxes eat up 34 percent of all the income in the United States.
4So, if workers used thier entire income for taxes, they would not be through paying them until May.
5Since May 5 is the first day people really work for themselves, the study group has some advice.
6It would be like a bill passed naming May 5 “Tax Freedom Day.”
7On that day, you would give yourself a break, regardless of how hard you worked.
8therefore, from May 5 on, you would finally be your own boss.
Passage B
1Did you ever daydream about writing your life story?
2Do you think that your life is too dull, or that you can’t write?
3Anyone’s life story is filled with fascinating events, and writing them down is the best way you know you can give yourself a sense of accomplishment and, perhaps, leave a valuable inheritance to your family.
4The first thing to do is to buy a loose-leaf notebook.
5Each page of the book should be titled with a significant milestone of your life—from your first dog to your proudest moment.
6You should then jot down a few key words in the book whenever a memory comes back to you. 7The idea is not to begin with “I was born . . .” and try to write a chronological history of your whole life.
8Just delve into your past at random; one memory will trigger another.
9It will become quite easy after a while.
10It is also important to write in your own language.
11Plain, honest writing is the goal.