In America, when the eighth graders leave the middle school, they are often worried about moving to the high school．It is a hard time for them, but it can be an exciting one as well．To make it easier, students need to get familiar with their school.

    Even though they've done this already in the middle school, it's still important to find where their classrooms are．Most schools take students to the high school for a visit at the end of their eighth grade year．And, most schools also have a freshman (新生) speech for parents and students before the first year begins．Sometimes the main office will give away a map of the school．This can help students and parents to find different places in the school.

    One way to know your high school more and make new friends is to join a club or play a sport．Schools often offer chances to join different clubs and sports．Fall activities begin in August before the first day of school．If you are not interested in sports, there are clubs for any interest, such as drama, dance, chess, photography, community service, etc．These clubs allow students from different grades．By joining an activity, students can find new friendships, not to mention improving their chances in future college applications(申请)．The school office will have a list of activities offered at the school and information on how to join them.

    What's more, to have a great start to a high school year, students can write down some of their worries, and ask for help from teachers and school workers.

    FOREIGN TEACHERS ARE NEEDED ALL OVER CHINA

    Ad No.90347...

    Posted July 12, 2016 14: 00 by Amanda

    Expire Date August 12, 2016

    Tag: Beijing Language Teaching Part Time

    We are looking for teachers, whose native language is English, willing to teach in China. Most schools are in the south of China.

    The benefit package for ESL teachers includes：

    One­year contract: 1^st September 2016 to 1^st August 2017

    Salary：4, 000 to 5, 000/month

    Teaching load schedule: 20 teaching hours per week

    A rent­free, fully furnished apartment with a living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom

    Kitchen facilities provided, other electric appliances will be supplied: water, heater, microwave etc.

    If you are interested, please read the information above and kindly send your application to attach the following documents (in doc or JPEG format)．The subject to be mentioned, as "teach in China"

    1) CV/Resume(简历)

    2) A copy of academic degree, diploma, certificate or college transcript

    3) A photocopy of the data page of valid passport

    4) A recent color photo

    5) A letter of recommendation or release(释放)letter from your previous Chinese school (Only if you worked in China previously)

    6) Any other relevant information that you think might help your application

    There is no doubt that watching television and movies can influence the way people behave. Moreover, it seems that people are spending more and more time watching some sort of entertainment, whether it is a television, a video tape or a DVD. Therefore, the effects of the visual media cannot be ignored.

    One obvious effect of these media is that watching them persuades people to buy certain products. Television advertising is widespread nowadays, and even movie theaters permit advertisements. Another way TV or movies affect people is that they give people either a broader view of the world or a distorted(歪曲)one, depending on what type of program they watch. Those who watch news and educational programs can learn many new things while those who watch entertainment shows may come to believe that most people in the world have great wealth and good looks. It may make them dissatisfied with their own lives. Finally perhaps the most easily influenced viewers are children, who may be unable to tell fact from fiction and may try to copy acts that they see on TV or in the movies.

    With the ever-increasing popularity of video entertainment, society must pay attention to these effects. Television and movies, while entertaining and informative, cannot take the place of experiences.

与华南虎的一次邂逅

刘卫平

当长工刘三扛着石碓一喘一喘地爬上一道山梁的转弯处时，一个巨大的危险正在向他降临。石碓是用来舂糯米越耙的那种，在湘中地区很常见，用一块四四方方的石头从一面凿空了，凿出一个凹陷的圆坑。眼下，石碓的圆坑正像一个深得过了头的帽子戴在刘三的头上，刘三的脑袋就完全没入了碓坑之中。碓坑的两侧边沿压在刘三的双肩上，刘三必须举起双手扶着石碓的边沿，用力把石碓的前方擎起一点，这样，他那没入碓坑里的眼睛才能勉强从碓坑的边沿下看到身前三四步远的地方。

刘三正要经过的这道山梁地形特殊。这道山梁好比就是一个人的鼻梁，从左侧看不到右侧，从右侧看不到左侧。那时候，当刘三沿着那条横贯山梁的小道从左侧向山梁的顶部前进时，一只华南虎也正从右侧窜来，就这样，刘三和老虎不可避免地在山梁拐角处不期而遇了。人和虎在相距三四步远的地方骤然收住了脚步。这个距离是由刘三的目光只能看三四步远所决定的。刘三的眼睛从碓坑下突然看到前方出现了一只老虎，胆一惊，心一跳，头一麻，腿就直了，一双僵脚立在原地牢牢地生了根似的一动也不能动。

那是一只黄乎乎的带着斑斓黑纹的华南虎。一双硕大的炯炯有神的眼睛像一对大灯泡似的看着刘三。长工刘三是个一字不识的文盲，不知道有个成语叫“虎视眈眈”，但他现在是真真切切地体会到了虎视眈眈的滋味。从虎口里喷出的一股股腥臊气味让近在咫尺的刘三一阵阵晕眩。好在老虎并没有立即扑向刘三，而是停在原地一动不动地死死盯着刘三。

刘三在与虎对视的四五分钟时间里有过一阵快镜头似的回忆，这种回忆只有那极短极短的一瞬间，但通过文字描述出来则要冗长得多—今天早晨，长工刘三刚从他的茅屋里起床，谢德仁老爷就在门外喊：“刘三，你今天给我去东岭寨晏学光老爷家取样东西来。”刘三应着：德仁老爷，要我去取什么呢？德仁老爷说：“喏，我写在这纸上，你拿给学光老爷一看就知道了。”刘三接过纸条，啃两个红薯就出发了。到东岭寨有十来里路，刘三不到一个小时就到了。刘三不认识晏学光老爷，但他听说过晏学光家世代是地主，晏学光更是一个有名的“烂秀才”（指屡试不中的读书人）。在村头，刘三看到一个提着箢箕握着耙子捡狗粪的老头，刘三就问：你知道晏学光住在哪里吗？刘三这句话一出口就为他以后的遇险埋下了“祸根”他不该在“晏学光”这个名字的后边省掉“老爷”两个字，因为他不知道，眼前这个捡狗粪的老头，正是“烂秀才”晏学光。当刘三按老头所指来到晏学光家时，他总觉眼前的学光老爷与村头拾狗粪的老头很像，只是衣着有优劣之别而已。当时刘三并未在意，他毕恭毕敬地把纸条递给学光老爷。学光老爷一看，就笑了，学光老爷笑着说:德仁老爷也真是的，连借个石碓坑也要写条子，你扛去就是了嘛！刘三颇感惊讶，他没想到德仁老爷打发他爬十来里山路跑来，竟然是为了借一个石碓坑。刘三顶着那个百把斤的石头苦不堪言，越走越气恼。其实德仁老爷哪是要他借什么石碓坑呢？纸条上明明写的是要一杆老烟枪，可是晏学光这个“烂秀才”，仅仅因为刘三问路时在他的名字后面省掉了“老爷”二字，他就存心罚刘三扛着石碓坑走山路。这个缘由，刘三当时自然不知道，他正一喘一喘地爬过一道道山梁，趟过一条条溪涧，一步步走近山梁上那只即将到来的老虎，并最终与老虎在相距三四步远的山道上对面而峙了。

刘三与老虎对视了四五分钟，双方仍然一动不动，身子一动不动，眼睛一动不动，路边的树叶一动不动，四周的空气也一动不动。四五分钟光景，在刘三的感觉里仿佛经历了四五个世纪。刘三的腿脚麻了，嗓子干了，眼睛酸了，头发一根根像钢针似的竖起来了。一句话，刘三真的支撑不住了。崩溃之际刘三的脑子里倏忽，灵光一闪，他有意转动了一下眼珠子，眼角的余光仍然看着老虎，正眼却佯装看别处。刹那间，只听见“嗖”地一声响，老虎从路边一冲而下，如一道黄色的闪电倏地不见了踪影。刘三当即瘫软在山坡上。

后来，刘三从有经验的老者那里听说他之所以能够虎口逃生，正是得益于他头顶的石碓坑。老人们说，老虎扑食时，首先要估量一下它的血盆大口能不能一口叼下食物的头，能叼下的，叼起就走，不能叼下的，一般不敢贸然进攻。刘三肩上扛着一个四方形的石头脑袋，老虎自然不敢扑上来咬他，说不定老虎反而被骇住了呢！

多年以后，当湘中山区的华南虎绝迹时，饱尝贫苦的刘三已子孙满堂。他总是告诫晚辈要发狠读书，刘三说:要读书考大学，才能当“大脑壳”（湘中方言把大官戏称为“大脑壳”）。刘三不无风趣地说:你们看，连老虎都怕“大脑壳”呢！

    Speaking English is not only about using proper grammar. To use English effectively, you need to understand the culture in which it is spoken. Here are a number of important tips to remember when speaking English in the United States.

    Talk about location. Americans love to talk about location. When speaking to strangers, ask them where they are from and then make a connection with that place. For example, "Oh, I have a friend who studied in Los Angeles. He says it's a beautiful place to live in. "

    Talk about work. Americans commonly ask "What do you do?" It's not considered impolite and is a popular topic of discussion between strangers.

    Talk about sports. Americans love sports! However, they love American sports.

    Address people. Many Americans prefer using first names, even when dealing with people in very different positions. Americans will generally say, "Call me Tom."

    Always shake hands. Americans shake hands when greeting each other. This is true for both men and women. Other forms of greeting such as kissing on the cheeks are generally not appreciated.

    Smoking is out! Smoking, even in public places, is strongly disapproved of by most Americans in the modern United States.

A. Most Americans will then willingly talk about their experiences living or visiting that particular city or area.

B. Conversation Tips.

C. When speaking about football, most Americans understand "American Football", not soccer.

D. Talking with people.

E. Americans prefer to make friends with foreigners.

F. Public Behavior.

G. Then they expect you to remain on a first name basis.

    Selena Gomez and I are scheduled to meet at a low­key coffee shop in Encino. Not wanting to keep the superstar waiting, I arrived at nine, 20 minutes early. As I was catching up on e­mails, Selena quietly scooted into the seat next to me. No bodyguard. Not even a drop of makeup. She was ten minutes early and no one else in the restaurant looked up so much. Selena was wearing Bebe shorts. She had a baby face and ordered a hot chocolate.

    After making small talk about what she wore for the shoot, she dived into the subject of her career. Selena declared 2012 the year of movies. She filmed three: Spring Breakers, a drama; The Getaway, an action flick; and Hotel Transylvania, a comedy. Each is a marked move away from the teen style that made her a household name.

    Now that her Disney days are behind her, Selena is at that unstable point in a child star's career where she is trying to grow up—both as a person(she turned 20 in July)and as an artist. “Being part of the Disney Channel was such a blessing, and I'm super happy with what my show accomplished, but acting is something I would like to take on more seriously.” She continued, “I don't necessarily feel accomplished. I want to create a whole different person when it comes to acting.”

    Selena has been working fulltime since she was seven years old and scored a role on Barney&Friends. In 2007, when she was offered the lead in Wizards of Waverly Place, Selena, her mother, and her stepfather uprooted from Texas to LA , where they are settling now.

多次接到母校的召见函，总因各种事务缠身未能成行。今天， 我于百忙之中抽身前来，惊闻母校40年庆典，能与同学们一起为母校过生日，大快人心。我也真诚地希望我的经历能够为同学们的成长提供一些经验或教训。同学们有什么困难，我一定鼎力相助。