I had four small children, their father died in an unknown disease. Money was always 1 ， but we had a roof over our heads，2on the table, clothes onour backs and, if not a lot, always enough.

        It was 3time and the big excitement for the kids was the 4of Christmas shopping at the mall.They talked and planned for weeks5time, asking each other andtheir grandparents 6they wanted for Christmas.I had saved $120 for presents to be shared by all five of us.

       The big day arrived and we started 7early. I gave 8of the four kids a twenty­-dollar bill and 9them tolook for gifts that cost about four dollars each.Then everyone 10 ． We had two hours to shop.

       Back in the car driving home, everyonewas in high Christmas spirits, laughing and teasing each other with hints and11about what they had bought. My younger daughter, Ginger, who was about eight years old, was 12quiet.I noted she had 13onesmall, flat bag with her. I could see enough 14the plastic bag to 15thatshe had bought candy bars—fifty-cent candy bars！Iwas so angry.What did you 16that twenty­-dollar bill I gave you？I wanted to17at her, but I didn't say anything 18we got home.I called her into my bedroom and closed the door, ready to be angry again when I asked her what she had done with the money.This is what she told me：

“I was looking 19 ， thinking of what to buy, and I stopped to read the little cards on one of the Salvation Army's‘Giving Trees.'One ofthe cards was for a little girl, four years old, and all she wanted for Christmas was a doll with clothes and a hair brush.20I took the card off the tree and bought the doll and the hairbrush for her and took it to the Salvation Army booth.”

For my grandmother's 70th birthday，my family and I visited South Korea.While there，I was attentive to Korean high schools and students.

I was surprised by how different Korea's public high schools are from America's.Korean high schools can be allgirls，allboys or coed (男女同校的) unlike our standard coed high schools.There are three grades：“go 1(10th)”，“go 2(11th)” and “go 3(12th)”．“Go” is the first syllable of the word “godeunghakkyo”，which，simply translated，is “high school”．

In America，unless you want to go to a private school，you don't have to take an entrance exam.In Korea，however，students must take a test to get in because of the many choices of schools.

Another difference I couldn't help but notice was the students' appearance.With very few exceptions，all wear uniforms.A name tag (标牌) with the student's name，grade and homeroom number must also be worn.Girl's skirts can't be above the upper part of the knee，and it is forbidden to dye(染) your hair or wear accessories (装饰品) except small earrings.There are strict regulations for appearance to achieve neatness，and it seems the only freedom students have is with their choices of hair style，socks and shoes.

The final difference was the setup of the classes.There may be 40 students in a classroom，but the number can be less or even more，depending on the population of the town or city.Although there are many students per classroom，they are very close，which I think is a result of not changing classrooms for different subjects.There are no levels in the subjects and the teachers are the ones who switch classrooms.They just have tenminute breaks between subjects.In each class，students are ranked by their grades.This causes strict competition，and Korean students do a lot of studying.To help them，all schools have extra study classes after school.One other fact that helped me appreciate living in America is that Koreans have school on Saturdays.Although it's only a half day，I think I speak for most Americans when I say we could never imagine ourselves in school on a Saturday.

Korea's public high schools are clearly different from America's.I had imagined them to be just like our schools，but now I have a clear picture of how different they are.

        Chinese consumers' crazy appetite for luxury goods and services appears unstoppable, with just 2 percent of the Chinese population responsible for one－third of the world's luxury items.

        As China's economic miracle develops, the market opportunities for all sorts of luxury goods and services are increasing. Luxury consumption in China now extends ways beyond well－known car, clothing and jewelry brands. For example, the luxury jet market in China is the fastest－growing in the world, even outstripping that of the United States, with a market share of 25 percent. This trend appears to continue, with 20 to 30 percent growth expected in China, compared with only 2 to 3 percent in the US. But more importantly, China's luxury jet market growth represents a major development in the private consumption of luxury items.

        China's high－quality red wine market also provides evidence of the growth in private consumption of luxury goods. In 2013, China became the largest market for red wine in the world, even overtaking France, with 1.86 billion bottles consumed in China last year. Over the past five years, China's red wine consumption has grown 136 percent.

        According to my ongoing consumer research in this area while working at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, public consumption of such expensive global luxury brands such as Prada and Armani is easily explained by the desire to “gain face” and publicly display social climbing through material possessions. On the other hand, it is “self－reward” that lies behind consumer motivation in this area. Chinese consumers who have experienced rapid financial and economic gains appear particularly prone to the need to reward themselves for their success. But this has little to do with “gaining face” and impressing others and much more to do with the need for personal contentment.

        Finally, the growth in private luxury consumption in China is set to continue in part due to the maturity of the Chinese consumer and advancement of Chinese consumer culture generally.

                The  job interview is an important part of your job search because it's anopportunity for the employer to figure out if you're right for the job. Thefollowing tips may help you prepare for your job interview.

●Dressfor success. Professional business clothes are always appropriate, regardlessof the type of job you are applying for.

●Bethere on time. Try to arrive 5 to 10 minutes early to be safe. Find out aheadof time where you're going and how long it will take you to get there. Drive ortravel the route a day or two ahead, at the same time of day as you will on theday of the interview. Have a backup (备用)plan.

●Letyour personality shine. If you're excited about the job, don't be afraid toshow it. Employers want passionate employees, so be yourself.

●Beconfident. But just don't let your nerves overpower your interview. Eyecontact and a calm, clear speaking voice are excellent ways to show yourconfidence.

●Watchyour body language. During your interview, relax and sit naturally, but don'tslouch (没精打采地坐)in your chair or lean on the interviewer's desk.

●Bepolite. Remember, this is your first introduction to the organization, sobe polite to everyone you meet and turn off your cell phone.

●Listen and ask for clarification (阐明),if you need it. Remember to listen carefully to the interview questions so thatyou can actually answer the questions, and never interrupt.

●Let them know what you have to offer. When answering the questions, let theemployer see what you have to offer to his organization. Talk about your pastexperiences and achievements honestly, and tie those experiences to how theycan help you contribute to his organization.

●Although you want to be open and honest in your interview, avoid talking aboutyour personal or financial problems.

a．Think before you speak.

b．Confirm how often the buses run.

c．This begins with a smile and a firmhandshake.

d．If you believe in yourself, you willsurely succeed.

e．Feeling nervous in an interview isperfectly normal.

f．Make sure you have enough to answerthe questions.

g．If you don't understand something,just ask for explanation.

             LionelMessi, player from the South American country Argentina, is one of thegreatest soccer players alive today. At a young age, he (move) to Spain andnow plays (profession) for the FC Barcelona. Messi started playing soccerat the age of 5 for a small soccer team (own) by his father. Even as ayoung boy, he did very well. But when he was 11 years old, he found out he hada sickness which would prevent him from growing much (tall). There was away to help him grow more, his parents did not have enough money to payfor his medical needs. So, they looked around for a soccer club would beable to do this for them. The clubs in Argentina couldn't help him, but thefamous FC Barcelona in Spain offered (accept) Messi on the junior team andpay for the bills. The Messi family happily took the offer and moved to Spain.In the FC Barcelona, Messi was one of the best (play) through his teenyears. his incredible talent, Messi has surprised the world.