As we all know, friendship is of great importance in our daily life. A friend can give us help and share our difficulties and happiness. But how to make friends is still difficult to some of us.
1). Be friendly to others. You should try to make a stranger feel at home wherever he happens to be. Think more of others than of yourself and never judge a person by his appearance and clothes.
2). Be reliable. If you and your friend agree to meet somewhere, don't be late. If you're not going to make it on time or make it at all, call them as soon as you realize it. Be someone that people know they can depend on.
3). Listen carefully to what people say, remember important details about them （their names, their likes and dislikes）, ask questions about their interests, and just take the time to learn more about them.
4). Encourage your friends: A true friend always gives courage to his friends. Never make fun of or laugh at your friends in front of others. You should come to support them.
A．Be a good listener. B．When you say you'll do something, do it. C．A friend to all is a friend to none. D．The following information can give you some tips: E．And never leave your friend when he is in trouble. F．Smile at others and you are sure to get a smile in return. G．He will remain with them in both good as well as bad times. |
Since the beginning of human evolution, men have migrated（迁移）across continents in search of food, shelter, safety, and comfortable weather. People still move for these reasons, but new reasons for human migration are arising, such as job relocation(重新安置) and overpopulation.
Three million migrants are moving from poor countries to wealthier ones each year, and increasingly, their destination is a neighboring country in developing parts of the world. People are moving within the developing world for the same reasons as they migrate to wealthier nations. People from poor countries are going to less poor countries, fleeing wars and conflicts. They are also responding to population pressures because some countries are densely populated, and they often have high population growth. Those people need to go somewhere else.
There are three main reasons why people move. The basic categories and percentages are as follows, according to the Current Population Surveys (CPS):
Family-related reasons account for 26.3%, including changes in marital（婚姻的） status, establishing a household and other family reasons; work-related reasons 16.2%, including job transfer, retirement, and other job-related reasons; housing-related reasons 51.6%, including new and better houses, better neighborhood, cheaper housing and other housing reasons; the remaining 5.9% of other reasons are attending college, the change of climate and health reasons.
Americans have been migrating south and west for decades in search of better job opportunities and warmer climates. They have also been moving to places a little far from cities, in search of bigger yards and houses, lower crime rates and better schools. In 1950, nearly a fifth of the population lived in the nation's 20 largest cities. In 2006, it was about one in ten. That's why many American people say, “Big Cities Shrink as People Move South, West.”
Between March 2005 and March 2007, 73.4 million Americans moved. Fifty-six percent of these moves were within the same country. Twenty percent were between counties but in the same state. Nineteen percent were moves to a different state. Some families even went abroad.
Title: People on the
Lead-in | Throughout human, people have migrated across continents. |
An number of people from poor countries are moving to countries, especially neighboring ones. | |
for people's migration | According to the CPS, the of people move to other places for reasons to housing. |
To for a better job chance, a warmer and a bigger yard, Americans have long been moving south and west. | |
Conclusion | Now every year more and more people move to other places, which seems to have become a global . |
Learning English is challenging because of the various rules and exceptions to the rules. The best way to learn English is to hear it spoken and repeat the words as you hear them. You will learn how to make English a daily part of your life in order to learn to speak it quickly.
Ask a friend to help you write letters of English alphabet on index cards. You should write a letter on each card. Practise the letters by mixing up the cards and saying the letters. You can ask your friend to help you pronounce the letters and quiz you on your knowledge.
Make your own videos in English. If you have a video camera, you can tape yourself speaking English and practice along with your own video. Watch your videos daily, and repeat what is being said.
Get a private tutor. A professional English instructor can give you one-on-one instruction that will help you understand the rules of English. Your instructor can teach you how to write and speak English. You can also inquire at your local community college.
Watch movies with English subtitles. When watching a movie in your native language, use the English subtitles so you will understand the connection between your language and English.
You will make mistakes, and that is OK. You need to practice English as much as possible in order to quickly learn to speak the language fluently.
A. Learn the English alphabet. B. Use every opportunity to speak English. C. You can subscribe some English magazines to learn English. D. Constant repetition is the key to remembering words in English. E. If you have any difficult points, you can consult your dictionary at any time.. F. You can find an English tutor by placing an advertisement in your local newspaper. G. You can make a play in which you and a friend are having a simple conversation in English. |
Have you ever felt a sudden feeling of joy because you heard a favorite song playing? Then you know that music can have a strong effect on your emotions. It can help get you out of a bad mood (心情) or stay in a good one, says Alicia Ann Clair, professor at the University of Kansas.
To cheer up, listen to Latin music or anything with a strong beat or a fast speed. When you want to relax after a busy day, music with a slower speed can calm you down.
Listen to calming music before you start any stressful activities, advises Dr. Clair. "Once you' re in a good state of mind, it' s easier to keep it." You can lower stress at work with music, too, by playing relaxing tunes (曲调). "If you listen to them all day long, you' 11 stop noticing them," Dr. Clair explains. Then the music won't have any effect.
."To feel energetic, start with something relaxing, and then gradually increase the speed and beat," says Dr. Clair. For example, first play some nice slow love songs, and then listen to something more energetic. When you want to calm down after a busy week at work, just do the opposite.
A. Music can also help you relax and feel active. B. Try to take advantage of this power of music. C. But only play them when you really need them. D. Loud and fast music can fill you with energy. E. There are different kinds of music around the world. F. Put on your favorite song, but only if it is one that can lift your spirits. G. You can change your mood by changing from one kind of music to another. |
How to Be Confident
We are all human and have weaknesses. Even if your physical appearance or social skills aren't what you wish they were, that doesn't have to stop you from being confident.
*Make a list of special talents you have, or things you do that are good—morally（道德上） or otherwise. It doesn't have to be a specific skill；it can be an approach or an attitude that you hold through life. Are you very patient with people? Do you always see the humorous side of things? Are you always there for your friends?
When you feel strongly about something, speak loudly and clearly and make eye contact with people. People will judge you all the time, and usually they'll misjudge you anyway, so why bother trying to live up to their opinions at all?
*Take care of yourself. Eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise. Don't abuse your body, don't overload it, and don't deny it any of the things it needs. At the same time, don't obsess(沉迷). Those things are only band-aids(权宜之计） and make-up. Confidence comes from within. In order to be confident, you must value yourself and understand that your well-being is important.
*Improve your posture. Don't drop your shoulders. Make sure that your back is straight, your shoulders are square, and your chest sticks out slightly (but stay loose, otherwise you'll appear stubborn （固执的）and nervous). Good posture also helps with deep breathing, which helps with feeling calm and relaxed.
A. Here's how to believe in yourself. B. But smiling at yourself in the mirror helps you to love yourself, thus making you a bit more confident. C. Buying all the moisturizers (润肤霜) and creams will not bring you closer to who you want to be. D. It is surprising how powerful the simple step of taking action can be. E. Do you always stay calm, cool and collected, even in hurried situations? F. Having good posture can actually make you feel more confident. G. Know that you have important things to say and do. |
Although problems are a part of our lives, it certainly doesn't mean that we let them rule our lives forever. One day or the other, you'll have to stand up and say - problem, I don't want you in my life.
Problems with friends, parents, girlfriends, husbands, and children - the list goes on. Apart from these, the inner conflicts within ourselves work, too. These keep adding to our problems. Problems come in different shapes and colors and feelings.
But good news is that all problems can be dealt with. Now read on to know how to solve your problems.
Talk, it really helps. What most of us think is that our problem can be understood only by us and that no talking is going to help. Talking helps you move on and let go.
Write your problems. When you write down your problems, you are setting free all the tension from your system. You can try throwing away the paper on which you wrote your problems. By doing this, imagine yourself throwing away the problems from your life. Don't lose faith and hope. No matter what you lose in life, don't lose faith and hope. Even if you lose all your money, family… you should still have faith.
Your problems aren't the worst. No matter what problem you get in life, there're another one million people whose problems are huger than yours, Your problems might just seem big and worse, but in reality they can be removed.
Go about and solve your problems because every problem, however big or small, always has a way out.
A. But the truth is that when you talk about it, you're setting free the negative energies that have been gathering within you.
B. When we have a problem, a pressing, critical, urgent, life-threatening problem, how do we try and solve it?
C. Tell yourself: when they can deal with them, why can't I?
D. Of course, we've been fighting troubles ever since we were born.
E. We can often overcome the problem and achieve the goal by making a direct attack.
F. Having a personal diary can also be of huge help if you don t want a real person to talk with.
G. With faith and hope, you can rebuild everything that you lose.
Lindsay Renwick, the mayor of Deniliquin, a country town in New South Wales, misses the constant whir（嗡嗡声）of the rice mill whose giant fans dried the rice. The Deniliquin mill, the largest rice mill in the Southern Hemisphere (南半球), once processed enough grain to meet the needs of 20 million people globally. But six years of drought have had a destructive effect, reducing Australia's rice crop by 98 percent and leading to the mothballing of the mill last December.
Drought affects every agriculture industry based in Australia, not just rice – from sheep farming, the country's other backbone, to the cultivation of grapes for wine, the fastest-growing crop there, with that expansion often coming at the expense of rice. The drought's effect on rice has produced the greatest impact on the rest of the world, so far. It is one factor contributing to skyrocketing prices, and many scientists believe it is among the earliest signs that a warming planet is starting to affect food production.
Researchers are looking for solutions to global rice shortages – for example, rice that blooms earlier in the day, when it is cooler, to fight against global warming. Rice plants that happen to bloom on hot days are less likely to produce grains of rice, a difficulty that is already starting to emerge in inland areas of China and other Asian countries as temperatures begin to climb. 'there will be problems very soon unless we have new varieties of rice in place,” said Reiner Wassmann, climate change director at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The recent reports on climate change carried a warning that could make the news even worse: that existing models for the effects of climate change on agriculture did not yet include newer findings that global warming could reduce rainfall and make it more variable.
Yet the effects of climate change are not uniformly bad for rice. Rising concentrations (浓度) of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, can actually help rice – although the effect reduces or disappears if the plants face unnecessary heat, inadequate water, severe pollution or other stresses. Still, the flexibility of farmers here has persuaded some climate experts that, particularly in developed countries, the effects of climate change may be relieved, if not completely avoided. “I'm not as negative as most people,” said Will Steffen, director of the Fenner School of Environment and Society at Australian National University. “Farmers are learning how to do things differently.”
Meanwhile, changes like the use of water to grow wine grapes instead of rice carry their own costs, as the developing world is discovering. “Rice is an essential food,” said Graeme Haley, the general manager of the town of Deniliquin. “Wine is not.”
Phenomenon | Six years of drought reduced Australia's rice crop by 98%, leaving the rice mill |
of drought and climate change | Every Australian agriculture industry is affected,from sheep farming to the cultivation of grapes for wine. The whole world is inof rice. Prices rise . Temperatures begin to climb, causingrice production. |
to global rice shortages | Seek a new variety of rice that blooms earlier when it is cooler as a |
Some good news | Unless faced with unnecessary heat, inadequate water or other stress, the main green house gas can actually doto rice. Farmers are flexible and they can do things. |
Difficult financial times don't mean your giving shuts down. There are so many ways to give back that won't hurt your wallet and will enrich your life.
⒈Pick up the phone
Calling someone “for no reason” is an important opportunity to show them that you are thinking of them. You are taking time out of your busy day to reach out. Everyone needs someone to just listen sometimes. They may be filled with joy or sadness
⒉Write a note
It is one thing to say it, but it can be even more meaningful to put it in writing. What if you made a commitment to write a thank-you note to someone every week?
⒊
You never know what someone might be going through a painful divorce, a tough college semester, or just a bad day. Opening up your home will make someone feel appreciated. In addition, it costs less than going out. The leftovers from this dinner can be packaged up for homeless people. That's double giving!
⒋Set aside money from a daily routine to donate
Giving doesn't have to mean a life full of sacrifices. You can still buy a burger or get your nails doneDonate the money you saves: Even $ 5 can make a difference in someone's life.
A. Give a gift to the stomach.
B. Invite someone over for dinner.
C. To take your awareness to a new level, move beyond money.
D. But instead of buying much coffee every week, you can drink less.
E. While some people enjoy receiving gifts, all of us appreciate a kind word.
F. Instead, they allow you to examine how your time and money are spent.
G. Be there to celebrate their good news, or support them with sympathy.
Should schoolchildren have jobs?
Now at school, the last thing you probably want to do is spend your weekends going to work. There is homework to do and sport to play When I was a teenager I had a Saturday job in a supermarket: stacking(摆放)shelves and working at the checkout.
Today in the UK you are allowed to work from the age of 13, and many children do take up part-time jobsTeenagers agree that it teaches valuable lessons about working with adults and also about managing your money. So, that's no bad thing!
Some research has shown that not taking on a Saturday or holiday job could be harmful to a person later on. But despite this, recent statistics have shown that the number of schoolchildren in the UK with a part-time job has fallen by a fifth in the past five years.
Probably not. Some experts feel that young people feel going out to work will affect their performance at school, and they are under more pressure now to study hard and get good exam results. However, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College leaders, told BBC News “Properly regulated part-time work is a good way of helping young people learn skills that they will need in their working lives”. In reality, it's all about getting the right balance between doing part-time work and having enough time to study and rest.
One 13 year old girl called Rachel, who has a Saturday job in a shop, told the BBC that “I enjoy my job because I'm earning money and it helps increase my confidence in speaking to people and socializing with people I work with.” That seems like something worth getting up on a Saturday morning
A. Do you do a part-time job when you are at school?
B. So you are not free to do what you are feeling like doing.
C. It is a waste of time and does no good to your career prospect.
D. It's a waste of independence and a useful thing to put on your CV (简历).
E. Does this mean that British teenagers? Are now more afraid of hard work?
F. But your parents probably persuade you to find a job and get some life experience.
G. Many young people actually want to work because it gives them a sense of freedom.
Ways to save time
We all wish we had just a bit more time. Just think what you could do with an extra hour or two each day: you could finally stick to an exercise routine, or springclean the house, or write your novel, or learn the guitar and so on.
But I can help you find more hours in your day for the things that really matter.
Get Out of Bed Earlier
If you normally get up at 7：30 am, try getting up at 7：00 am. That halfhour might not sound like much, but it could be time that you use to exercise, to read that book you've been meaning to finish.
Do the Important Tasks First
Once you get to work, get the important ones done first (not the easy ones, or even the urgent ones). You can afford to spend at least an hour working on big, important tasks rather than on all those little urgent ones.The urgent tasks will still get done, and you won't miss the important ones.
Reduce Interruptions
If colleagues have a habit of hanging around your desk to chat, or if the phone is constantly ringing, you might find that it takes you half the day to finish a simple task like writing a letter. Constant interruptions don't just eat up time, they also break your concentration.When you've got a big task to focus on, let your calls go to voicemail. Wearing headphones makes it less likely that people will try to strike up a conversation.
A few minutes chatting, browsing the web, and so on, can easily turn into hours of wasted time over the course of a day.
When you're working, work. If your concentration is slipping, take a proper break, go and get a glass of water, or stretch your legs a bit. And if you're facing a difficult task, try breaking it into small steps or stages so that it's easier to deal with.
A. Or simply to get your day off to a calm and organized start.
B. I can't magically make all your days 25 hours long.
C. Would you want me to make your day longer?
D. Take Breaks When Necessary
E. If you have an office door, close it.
F. If you work like this, you'll usually save time.
G. Stay Focused on Your Work
A lot of kids and adults say they get nervous during social situations. Maybe it's speaking up in class or making a phone call or just trying something new. You might feel butterflies in your stomach, or your heart may beat faster or you get suddenly sweaty. And if fear of being embarrassed or making a mistake is getting in your way, there are some things you can try on your own to help.
Experts agree that avoiding situations that make us anxious can actually make things worse in the long run. Getting out of something you didn't want to do might make you feel better in the moment, but you will still feel anxious the next time you're asked to do it.
Push yourself.
While leaving your comfort zone isn't easy, it can be very good for you. That's because anxiety tends to go away when you start doing the things that make you anxious.You might find you have the skills to handle it. And next time you're in that situation you might feel less self-conscious.
Practice a lot.
As an experiment, try doing something that makes you nervous. Whatever you do, you'll find that it gets easier over time. That's because by practicing the things that make you nervous you are actually improving your ability to easily handle them.
Relax yourself.
Instead of trying to relax by watching television or visiting a website, try a deep relaxation practice that has a physical effect on the mind.
A. Don't avoid something.
B. Being nervous is uncommon.
C. Pay no attention to your original thoughts.
D. Those things are your body's reaction to fear.
E. Start with little things like answering questions in class.
F. So try to face your anxiety and fear and see what happens.
G. For example, doing things like yoga can also help you stay calm.
Not all English is the same
To many learners of English, it's easy to think that all native speakers have no trouble communicating with one another.
Well, it turns out that being a native English speaker from one country doesn't mean that you're able to perfectly understand a native English speaker from another country, and vice versa (反之亦然)
Take the UK and the US for example.
As a Briton, I grew up hearing American accents alongside British ones – on TV shows, movies and in songs. and how they would eat “cookies” instead of “biscuits”. And it took me a while to figure out that the “trunk” (n. 后备箱) of a car is what us Britons call its “boot”.
The confusion didn't stop at just vocabulary – For example, when talking about shopping malls, Americans pronounce it “mawl” instead of “mal”. And for some reason that's hard for Britons to understand, Americans remove the “H” sound from “herb”, pronouncing it “erb”.
These small differences may not change much in a day-to-day conversation between a Briton and an American. Recently, for example, an American friend told me that she liked my pants. “You can see them?” I asked, shocked. Pants means “underpants” to most British people, which explains my horror.
In the US, for example, a “bum” is a homeless person, while the same word in the UK is used to describe one's backside（n.臀部）.
And, more amusingly, “trump” was only ever really used as a verb in the UK – meaning “to pass gas” – until the US' current president came into the spotlight.
But as long as you can speak one version of English, it's easy enough to understand any other – and any confusion just makes your day more interesting.
A. English is changing as it spreads around the world.
B. After all, English is English, isn't it?
C. I soon noticed how Americans would put “gas” in their cars instead of “petrol” .
D. However, confusion can still happen every now and then.
E. There are different words that mean the difficult thing.
F. Some words can even be offensive (adj.无礼的) without you realizing it.
G. I discovered that many words are even pronounced differently.
When big news breaks, it's easy to get caught up in following the story online. The Internet can be a place to find useful information. Helping kids understand the news and how to separate fact from fiction is an important job for parents and educators.
Here's some advice that parents can offer kids to help them be quicker to judge as they consume news online.
In the rush to cover stories, reporters make mistakes, officials don't always have correct information and tidbits (八卦新闻) that sound reasonable often get passed around before anyone has checked them for accuracy.
Use social media wisely. Some say Twitter is a great source of news in the first few minutes of a tragedy. On the other hand, Facebook can be a great way to connect with friends affected by events in the news and to spread personal news within a more limited circle.
Be skeptical. After the Boston Marathon bombing, NBC Sports reported that some runners kept running all the way to the hospital to donate blood for the victims. Not true. There are plenty of websites devoted to exposing false news stories. The Washington Post also has a Fact Checker column that delivers claims made by public officials and politicians. Visit them to find out if a story is true.
Keep it age-appropriate. Kids aren't always ready to digest big, tragic news - especially if the news is about kids, such as school shootings or abuses. The constant repetition of information can be confusing for younger kids, and at the beginning of a news event, parents might not be able to offer any correct answers.
A. Remember, breaking news is often wrong.
B. It also can be the source of misinformation.
C. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
D. Make sure you and your kids aren't falling victim to false news.
E. However, after that it just becomes messy and largely inaccurate.
F. With social media at your fingertips, it's convenient to express your opinion.
G. Kids who are eager to learn more about certain events can check kid-guided news sources.
Every Little Bit Counts?
One of the weapons in the fight against poverty is microcredit also called microlending. Microcredit is the practice of giving very small, short-term loans to poor people. The loans help the borrowers start or upgrade small businesses. Microcredit organizations assume that poor people can lift themselves out of poverty if they only have access to standard financial services.
Grameen Bank, started as a project in 1976, is a pioneer of microcredit. Borrowers often have no steady job no other property, and no one to co-sign on the loan - common requirements for getting a loan elsewhere. Grameen Bank promotes credit as a human right, and with a 98% repayment rate, it seems to have helped its borrowers improve their lives and made a profit through interest in the meantime.
Successes like Grameen Bank and others caused governments and NGOs to rush to fund microcredit operations. How wonderful to imagine that the cure for poverty could be profitable! However, recent studies question how effective microcredit really is. Critics say that poor people with enoughentrepreneurial(创业的) drive to get a loan would have succeeded anyway. Those without the drive don't end up in better circumstances after paying back loans，which aren't always used for businesses. And though microcredit is described as a way to empower women, some say the loans aren't causing any measurable improvement in women's lives.
The ideas behind microcredit are uplifting: that all humans are filled with potentials and that one small bit of assistance can help a whole family live better. Time and close study will tell if microcredit is really the miracle it appears to be.
A. They also say that without a basic education, poor borrowers aren't equipped to manage the businesses they create.
B. In general, the loans are 100 USD or less, usually paid back within six months.
C. Borrowers need to provide the credit history, which the lenders will use as the criteria when evaluating a loan.
D. They may, however, ignore systematic causes of large-scale poverty.
E. Most microcredit agencies are struggling as the vast majority of loans are not paid back.
F. It has given out more than eight billion dollars in loans to people who could never borrow money otherwise.
Looking back at my younger years, I am sometimes amazed at how life has turned out. Nothing is exactly what I had originally planned for. The only thing that stays the same is who I am, my values, and my interests. If I could go back in time and hang out with my younger self for a day, here's what I would tell her.
⒈Everything happens for a reason.
Without mistakes and failure, you would never have learned. Without pain, you would never have grown. So don't stress or think that life is unfair, because everything happens for a reason. And only time will tell what it will teach us.
⒉Focus on one thing at a time. You can have it all but not all at once.
It is not surprising that many of us are doing too many things at once. We need to make ends meet. But if you are working three jobs at a time, it is not likely that you will succeed at any of them. You have to keep your eyes on the big picture. You have to ask yourself what exactly do you want to achieve for the next 10 years? Focus on one thing at a time. Achieve your goals one by one.
⒊You can plan ahead, but your plan will definitely change when the time comes.
You can plan ahead because sometimes planning ahead can give you a clearer direction of where you want to go. However, plans will almost always change, so be prepared！
⒋Trust your instincts.(直觉)
Don't worry too much about a decision you have to make. Just do what feels right. You know what you want. You might consult other people. But deep down, you know what you want. Do what makes you happy. Because at the end of the day, even if you follow logic, you will want to quit and follow your heart.
⒌It's okay to be unsure about your purpose in life.
You might be graduating or have hit a turning point with your career. You might feel a bit lost and unsure of where to go. It's okay. Go out there and try as many different things as you can. Don't ever feel like you're wasting your time. Enjoy the journey. Don't rush. Every little path will lead you somewhere. And looking back, you will be able to connect the dots. It will all make sense.
⒍Don't try too hard with people.
Don't worry if you feel like it's hard to make new friends. Just be yourself and be as open as you can. It might take a while until you find new best friends and a mate for life, but when you do, you will know it. It's not hard work. So, just do your thing and be yourself.
A letter to my younger self
|
Introduction |
My values and interests stay the same even when life always offers me results. |
|
Everything happens for a reason. |
Mistakes, failure and sufferings help us learn and grow. So don't question the of life. Everything comes in to a purpose and time will give us answers eventually. |
|
Focus on one thing at a time. |
In order to make a , people have to do too many things at once, but many of them are not likely to succeed in this way. You need to have a(n) plan for your future. |
|
Don't be afraid of change. |
You can plan but also make sure that you get prepared for the change. |
|
Follow your . |
Find out what you really want and do it firmly. |
|
It's okay to be unsure about your purpose in life. |
If you can't see your future , it is not a waste of time going out and trying as many different things as you can. Whatever little things you do, when you connect the dots year later, you will see the hidden behind them. |
|
Don't try too hard with people. |
Be when you can't find your new best friends or mate for life. Things happen when they are going to happen. So be yourself. |
As a child growing up, I have very few memories of the times when we gathered as a family to sit down and eat dinner together. I grew up in a home where both of my parents worked. My mother taught school, and my father worked during the night at a local chemical plant. There was not much time available for us to sit down to eat dinner together due to my parents' conflicting work schedules and the extracurricular activities in which my sister and I participated.
It wasn't until I got married and had two children of my own that I began to realize the importance of eating dinner together. In my family there are elements that take us away from each other, day in and day out, but as a mother I feel it is my responsibility to bring us all back together again at the end of the day. In my house, dinner time is a time of thanks. I give thanks for the food we share, but I am more thankful for the family I share it with. Dinner time is a time for us to share our day, and reflect on our thoughts. It is also a time when we learn about honesty, perseverance, courage, sympathy and friendship. Above all it is a time when my family are able to connect with the ones they love.
As I look at the bread basket which sits on my kitchen table, I am reminded of how the basket's tight weave resembles the tightly woven strands (线)of my family. I believe that through our family dinner, we will not only pass around the meat and potatoes, but we will also hand round virtues that will shape and mold (塑造)us so that we can forever embrace one another just as the basket embraces the bread.
Why You Won't Apologize
In our relationships with others, it's inevitable(无法避免的)that we'll hurt them from time to time, even though we don't mean to. The challenge then is finding a way to make things right again. Research shows what those with high levels of social intelligence already know—sincere apologies are usually very effective at mending relationships that have been damaged by thoughtless acts. But all too often, we stubbornly refuse to apologize, even when we know we're in the wrong.
An apology is an attempt to repair the damage we've done to a relationship. To do this, we need to imagine ourselves to be in the victim's position and to show empathy(同感)for the pain we have caused the victim. Research indicates that people with the personality of narcissism(自恋)generally see no need to apologize when they have wronged another person. But even for most of the normal, not-very-narcissistic folks, feeling empathy for the other person's dilemma during a conflict can be extremely difficult. When our friend points out that we've offended them, it's easy to recall plenty of instances when they'd also hurt our feelings—so what are they getting so upset about?
We all want to believe we're essentially(基本上)good people, so accepting the fact that we've hurt someone we care about conflicts with our precious—and often fragile(易碎的)—self-image. People who believe that personality is fixed are especially easily affected by the idea that an act of apology is a threat to their self-image. If personal characteristics stay the same, then, of course, hurting someone they care about is inconsistent(不一致)with their self-image as an essentially good person. In reality, of course, even good people sometimes do bad things. Understanding and accepting this fact of life can help ease our mind and thus help make an effective apology.
Sometimes people don't apologize because they don't believe it will do any good. This could come from the belief that some mistakes are unforgivable. There may also be unrealistic(不现实的)expectations about the process of forgiveness. Your sincere apology doesn't mean the victim ought to forgive you right away. It may still take time, but at least the act of making an apology gets the process of forgiveness started.
Although apologizing can be hard to do, it is, in fact, the most effective approach to mending a broken relationship. It's inevitable that we'll hurt the ones we love. But when a conflict occurs, those who go through the process often find their relationship stronger as a result: “We had a difficult situation, but we overcame it together.”
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Why You Won't Apologize |
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Phenomenon |
●Sometimes, we hurt others but mending the relationships is no task to complete. ●While sincere apologies can effectively make things right, we are to apologize. |
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for refusing to apologize |
●We usually to show empathy in the other person's position. ●Even normal people often the painful feelings of victims who they've offended. ●Some people are afraid that apologizing may cause to their precious self-image. ●Some people believe the victims may not them. ●Some people, once they apologize, unrealistically expect forgiveness from the victims. |
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Conclusion |
People who experience the process of apologizing and forgiving often find it can the relationship between them. |
Maybe you are an average (一般的) student. You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessarily so, however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here's how.
Plan your time carefully. When planning your week, you should make a list of things you have to do. After making the list, you should make a plan of your time. First, your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. Then decide a good, regular time for studying. Don't forget to set enough time for entertainment (娱乐). A weekly plan may not work out all your problems, but it will push you to realize what is happening to your time.
Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study place. It may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, keeping nothing on the desk but study materials. No game, radio or television! When you sit down to study, concentrate on (集中注意力于) your study.
Make good use of your time. Listen to everything the teacher says. Really listening in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.
Study regularly (有规律地). When you get home from school, go over your notes. Review the important points that your teacher has mentioned in class. If you know what your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read the material. This will help you understand the next class. If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you will remember it longer.
Develop a good attitude (态度) to tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. It helps you remember your new knowledge. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be overly worried. There are other ideas that might help you with your study.
— ways.
—You should .
—I should only keep on my desk.
—I should do it by .
—The word "It" here means .
I always seemed to be running late and hurrying up. I'd wake up early in the morning in order to have enough time to get to where I wanted to go. But by the time I found myself on the road, I was clearly going to be late. This constant(不断的) rush entered every area of my life. For example, when I went shopping, I'd race up and down the passage.
Then one day when going to work, I had been running behind again. Unluckily, on the way, my car was out of gas. As my car left the road, I looked at my watch. It's clear that I'd be late. I had a meeting in fifteen minutes and I hadn't finished preparing for it.
But as I looked out towards the east, the sun was just beginning to climb out of the hill. There was fog(雾) hanging over the river and some ducks were swimming across the glass-like surface of the water. A few boats sat on the river, which was shining in the sunshine.
I was surprised. This pretty scene had been going on right outside my car every morning
I had been rushing around in such a hurry to not miss anything that I had been missing everything!
I understood I needed to set schedules and made good preparations for big events in case of any hurry. More importantly, I should try to stay relaxed and enjoy present life. And there was no need to worry about unimportant things. Now I am here traveling this life joyfully and patiently.
A. How could I avoid it?
B. I became worried and upset.
C. What an amazing picture outside!
D. I found some surprising things happened.
E. However, I had never taken the time to see it.
F. So I would drive fast to make up for the minutes I had lost.
G. Finally a co-worker recognized my car and stopped for me.
Traveling isn't just about getting a change of scenery. Traveling allows you to throw yourself into experiencing something unlike ever before. Below, we've listed some tips to help you have a memorable trip.
Pick the right hotel in advance.
When planning a trip, most of us put little thought into arranging for a good place to stay. We often leave it to chance and look for the hotel after we arrive. As a result, many travelers find themselves staying in places where they can't even relax properly. Picking the right hotel can make your trip much more enjoyable, giving you time to enjoy the beauty of the location.
Make a budget.
Having a fixed budget will help you set your travel priorities. Therefore, you won't be going all over the place or overspending. The peace of mind lets you enjoy your travel experience.
Often, we end up having a dull trip because we stay in our comfort zone. Pushing yourself outside can let you have a more exciting and memorable trip unlike ever before. Be open to fresh things. Even the simplest things like sleeping under the stars, swimming in deep waters, and walking through new cities can make your trip more memorable. You can also try strange food and experience unique cultures.
Research your destination.
Before heading towards your destination, do some related research. You can surf online or read blogs to get the maximum amount of information about the destination.
A. Experience something new
B. Pay attention to your comfort zone
C. It's quite easy to make the trip memorable if you get totally involved
D. It's also about making some precious memories that will last for years
E. So make the booking carefully, whether you're traveling internationally or locally
F. It makes your trip more relaxing and enjoyable because you are well prepared for it
G. And as you don't need to worry about running out of money, you can have a relaxing vacation
