There are good reasons to value our friendships.Some years ago a public-opinion research firm,Roper Starch Worldwide,asked 2007 people to name one or two things that said the most about themselves.Friends far outranked homes jobs, clothes and cars.

    “Ironically,” says Brant R.Burleson, professor of communication at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., “the better friends you are, the more likely you'll face conflicts.” And the outcome can be what you don't want—an end to the relationship.

    The good news is that most troubled friendships can be mended.

    Swallow your pride. It wasn't easy, but that's what Denise Moreland of Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii did when a friendship turned sour.For nearly four months,Moreland,45,had watched over Nora Huizenga's two young daughters, who were living with their father on the base,while Huizenga,40,completed training as a dental hygienist in Nevada.“I felt honored to be asked to step in,” Moreland says.

    “When Huizenga returned at Christmas,” Moreland recalls,“I had so much to tell her, but she never called.”

    One daughter had a birthday party, but Moreland wasn't invited. “I felt like I'd been used,” she says.At first, Moreland swore to avoid Huizenga.Then she decided to swallow her pride and let her friend know how she felt. Huizenga admitted that she'd been so worried about being separated from her family that she'd been blind to what her friend had done to help her. Today she says, “I would never have figured out what happened if Denise hadn't called me on it.”

    When a friend hurts you, your instinct is to protect yourself.But that makes it harder to solve problems,explains William Wilmot,author of Relational Communication.“Most of us are relieved when differences are brought out in the open.”

    Apologize when you're wrong—even if you've also been wronged.But over the course of a friendship, even the best people make mistakes. “We don't think clearly when we're arguing,” says Michael Lang,a professional mediator (调解人) in Pittsburgh. Instead, says Lang, ask: “What's going on? This doesn't make sense.”

    See things from your friend's point of view. Sociologists Rebecca Adams Rosemary and Blieszner interviewed 53 adults who each had many friendships lasting decades. “We were curious how these people managed to sustain strong friendships for so long,” says Blieszner. Tolerance is key, the researchers learned.” It's surprising how often a dispute results from a simple misunderstanding,” adds psychotherapist Anne Frenkel.

    Accept that friendships change. “Friendships change as our needs and lifestyles change,” Wilmot observes.

    Making friends can sometimes seem easy,says Yager.The hard part is keeping the connections strong during the natural ups and downs that affect all relationships.Her suggestion: Consider friendship an honor and a gift,and worth the effort to treasure and nurture.

How to read more and learn more

    These days, more and more Chinese people enjoy sending and receiving messages on the phone. It can help them to get the latest news and communicate with friends. But I think I should read more books besides the textbooks, the more, the better. It can broaden my mind and improve my language skills.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are some tips for you.

    Clear your purpose for reading.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Most people read for two main reasons, pleasure or knowledge. Clearing about your reading purpose can not only help you choose the books you really need to read, but also remind you why reading the book is important to you, so you will keep reading and complete the book faster.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    No matter what you are reading, it is important to enjoy what you read. Your friends may introduce you the books they love, but those books might not necessarily be the ones you enjoy.

Give up books that you don't enjoy.

    You may have chosen books that you are interested in, and they are right purpose. But while you are reading them, there may still be some books that you don't enjoy reading. Whenever you realize that you aren't enjoying the book you are reading, give it up. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Set a reading goal.

    It is interesting that I read the books borrowed from libraries faster than those I bought. The reason is the books I bought don't have a due date! I don't need to return those books.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Before you read each book, ask yourself what time you need to complete this book by.

A. Read only what you are interested in.

B. Read the books borrowed from others.

C. Remember reading shouldn't be a burden（负担）.

D. Of course, it also can help me to get good grades.

E. We need to get the latest news and communicate with friends.

F. Before you start reading, ask yourself why you are reading this book.

G. Having a reading goal helps you work out how much reading you need to do in a week or even a day.

    What can help us when we fail?

    Failure is a part of life since our earliest moment of life. We often think of failure as something bad. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, which is neither bad nor good. However, what can help us when we fail?

    Don't be afraid of failure

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. If we never fail at something, we probably haven't learned all that life has to teach us. So failure means taking something away from the experience.

    Never stop trying

    Trying or learning something new is often half the battle, don't give up trying. You may get disappointed because of failure. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Nobody can be our safety nets all the time in our livesonly we can act as our own safety nets. Become your own best friend, do everything that you can possibly do for yourself.

    Don't look back

    We spend too much of our lives looking back. There's nothing back there to see. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} and I'm sure that you'll find yourself in a better position.

A. Try to avoid failure

B. Failure is how we learn

C. Learn to depend on ourselves

D. We are often unwilling to accept our failure

E. But failure is a normal and natural part of life

F. But if you give up, your progress will come to an end

G. Spend just 10 percent more of your time looking forward to what life holds for you in the future

    Planning before buying something is a good idea. For example, you are going to buy a pet dog, you still have to consider a few things and plan them well before you welcome it in the house. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You will also have to train it well so that it does not misbehave in front of people. You should realize that it is a big responsibility.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Think about whether your pocket can manage the purchase, as well as different items for keeping the dog. If something goes wrong with the health of your pet, you will have to spend some extra money on it.

    The next thing you need to consider is your home, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}You will also have to consider the family members. If your living place is already too crowded with people, getting a dog as an additional member of the house will not be a good idea.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Make sure nobody is allergic(过敏的) to the fur of the dog. Also make sure that you can easily find time to train the dog. Ensure that your family is welcoming to this idea.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When you are bringing this best friend in your house you must make sure everything is right for it. You should make life easier for it, as well as others who are living in your house.

A. Looking after your dog doesn't only mean taking it for a walk or playing with it.

B. A dog is supposed to be man s best friend.

C. Before you think about getting a dog, think about the afford ability(经济承受力).

D. The training should start as soon as the dog is in your care.

E. Once the dog has learned how to sit, you may teach him to shake hands.

F. You will also have to think about any health problems related to your family.

G. A small apartment will not be fit to house a large dog.

    Do you know some surprising innovations (创新) came from World War I? Here are some introductions to you.

    ⒈Daylight Saving Time The idea of fiddling with (拨弄) the clock has been around since ancient times, but it was not until World War I that governments around the globe officially adopted daylight saving time. Why? To save resources such as fuel and extend the workday for the war effort. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, and the Allies followed shortly after. To clear up confusion about the concept, the Washington Times used a comic strip to explain the first “spring forward” in the United States in 1918.

    ⒉Blood Banks {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, but doctors rarely performed them before World War I, when they were accomplished by transfusing blood directly from one person to another. Captain Oswald Robertson, a U.S. Army Reserve doctor consulting with the British army, recognized the need to stock blood before casualties (伤亡) occurred. .

    ⒊Hollywood With so much of Europe in the line of fire, the European film industry had to scale back (相应缩减) dramatically. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Hollywood was still in its early stage, but its studios soon made fortunes producing wartime movies. The war itself provided material for countless movies in the 1920s and '30s, including Wings, the winner of the first Academy Award for Best Picture.

    ⒋Plastic Surgery {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. British army surgeon Harold Gillies and his colleagues performed more than 11,000 operations, mostly on soldiers suffering from facial wounds from gunshots. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    There were other innovations made during World War I, such as wristwatches, modern passports, zippers, drones, etc.

A. The Germans did it first, in 1916

B. That opened the door for the Americans

C. Blood transfusions (输血) date back to the 1600s

D. Gillies' operation became successful immediately

E. World War I left thousands of men scarred and maimed (伤残的)

F. Gillies became known as the father of modern plastic surgery

G. After World War I the blood banks appeared in the United States.

Fun Writing Activities for Struggling Writers

    There are dozens of reasons kids struggle with writing. They may have difficulty getting their thoughts down on paper. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Perhaps grammar and language barriers are blocking their progress. Whatever the reason, adding a little fun can be a great way to get the creative juices flowing.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Sometimes writers get stuck because they simply don't know where to start. For a child, you can try things that are geared(合适)toward their interests, like My Favorite Toy, or What I Like to Do in the Summer. Remember, it's important to support and guide their ideas, not to discourage thoughts or judge them.

    Develop a story map

    A great activity to help struggling writers is to build a story map. Write down ideas for the beginning, middle, and end of a story. Or put the topic in the middle of the paper and draw lines out like a wheel for who, what where, and why. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This is helpful, because it takes stress out of the writing process.

    Make writing relevant

    Children are more apt to write if they can identify with the purpose of writing. Writing a letter to a friend or relative can better engage a struggling writer. Or maybe your child has some suggestions for books that the library should have. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If writing becomes a more meaningful activity to the child, it can help to make it an easier process.

Make writing enjoyable

    You could consider making different writing supplies available like colored pens and pencils, notebooks, etc. Or you could provide a word bank of common words for your kid to use and spell. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Afterwards, reward your child's good performance. These all set the stage and invite kids to get excited to write.

A. Inspire ideas

B. Develop an interest.

C. Use the map to guide the writing.

D. Make the process into more of a game.

E. Maybe they lack experiences to write about.

F. There are loads of fun ways to get children writing.

G. Encourage him to write a letter to the person in charge.