Maybe you have heard the expression—when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So when you want to do business in France, you have to get to know French culture, to make marketing plans, and to run your business by local laws.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The French take great pride in their language, so anyone who does not speak it may run the risk of being disrespected by his French colleagues or business partners. Also, another reason why learning French is important is that it is a great way to show every possible French business partner that you care and respect their country's culture and language.

    The first thing you should do when meeting someone new is to shake his hand firmly and always look the person in the eye. In social meeting with friends, kissing is common.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}The French will sometimes introduce themselves using their surname first, followed by their first name.

    Dress well.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Your business clothing is a reflection of your success and social status. Always try to be tasteful and stylish. Women are advised to dress simply but elegantly. Wearing make­up is practised widely by businesswomen.

The French are passionate about food, so lunches are common in doing business in France, which usually consist of an appetizer, a main meal with wine, cheese, dessert and coffee, and normally take up to two hours.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Do not begin eating until the host says “bon appetite”. Pass dishes to the left, keep wrists above the table and try to eat everything on the plate.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} This may suggest that you find the food tasteless. If eating in a restaurant, the person who invites always pays.

A．The French draw information about people based on their appearance.

B．This is a time for relationship building.

C．Remember to be as polite as possible.

D．Language should be the focus of anyone planning to do business in France.

E．Be careful with adding salt, pepper or sauces to your food.

F．Use Monsieur or Madame before the surname.

G．Make an appointment with your business partner in advance.

How To Cultivate Your Confidence

    Self-confidence, the combination of self-efficacy and self-esteem, is an essential part of humanity. A person with self confidence generally is willing to take risks to achieve his personal goals, Someone who lacks self confidence, however, is less likely to feel that he can achieve his goals{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Identify your negative thoughts,

    Your negative thoughts might sound like this: “I can't do that,” “I will surely fail”. This inner voice is pessimistic and unhelpful and will hold you back from achieving high self-esteem and greater self confidence.

Turn your negative thoughts to positive thoughts.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}This may take the form of positive affirmations, such as “I am going to try it,” “I can be successful if I work at it, ”or “people will listen to me.” Start with just a few positive thoughts a day.

    Refuse to allow negative thoughts to occur more often than positive thoughts.

    Eventually, your positive thoughts should be given more “brain space” than your negative thoughts{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Avoid spending time around things that can make you feel bad about yourself again. These might be reminders from the past, clothing that no longer fits, or places that don't fit with your new goals of gaining confidence. Though you may not be able to get rid of every negative source in your life, you can certainly think about how to cut your losses{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Get away from your past.

B. Rid reminders of your negativity.

C. This will go a long way in building up your self-confidence.

D. This means that you can have an abundance of self-confidence.

E. The more your positive thoughts get ，the less your negative thoughts get.

F. As you pay attention to your negative thoughts, turn them around to positive thoughts

G. The good news is that self-confidence is something that you can build on your own.

    A student's life is never easy.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}A lot of preparations are needed so you can be sure to go back home with a diploma and a bright future waiting for you. The following are some basic things you need to do before seizing your passport and boarding the plane.

    Knowing the country.

    You shouldn't bother researching the country's hottest tourist spots or historical places. You won't go there as a tourist, but as a student. It'll be helpful to read the most important points in their history and to read up on their culture.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}You surely don't want to face legal problems, especially if you're away from home.

    Studying their language.

    Don't expect that you can graduate abroad without knowing even the basics of the language. Before leaving your home country, take online lessons to at least master some of their words and sentences.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Doing this will also prepare you in communicating with those who can't speak English.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Check the conversion（兑换）of your money to their local currency, set up your bank account so you can use it there, get an insurance, and find an apartment. The Internet or your intended school will be very helpful in finding an apartment and helping you understand local currency.

    Remember, you're not only carrying your own reputation but your country's reputation as well. If you act foolishly, people there might think that all of your country men are foolish as well.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}．

A. Packing your clothes.

B. Preparing for other needs.

C. Most importantly, read about their laws.

D. This will be useful in living and studying there.

E. That would surely be a very bad start for your study abroad program.

F. Going with their trends will keep it from being too obvious that you're a foreigner.

G. And it is even more difficult if you have to complete your study in a foreign land.

    People who are confident really seem to be naturally outstanding(优秀的) and just seem to do everything with more grace(优雅的)than others. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}It is a habit that everyone can develop in life. Try these simple tips to drill and build up your confidence.

    Admit your shortcomings calmly.

    Do not try to escape from them or cover them. Face them bravely.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Fight against them every day until the day when you could break away and conquer them.

    Dress for self-confidence.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}And therefore pay attention to your dress, display your unique physical advantages and exhibit your best image. In addition, on formal occasions such as a business meeting or a wedding ceremony, elegant dressing contributes to building your confidence.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    You should break your routine that deals with the work passively (被动地). Focus your efforts immediately on overcoming it, because it will make your restless mind at ease and build your self-confidence.

    Be positive.

    Feeling pity neither on yourself nor on others. If you are used to hating and accusing(指责) yourself, others would tend to do that and believe it. Instead, you should speak positively about yourself, your progress, and your bright future.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Your appearance could put you into embarrassment(尴尬)or increase your confidence.

B. Then talk about them to a reliable mate, a friend or a family member.

C. As a matter of fact, true self-confidence is neither born nor got overnight.

D. Build your confident vocabulary.

E. By doing so, you would encourage your growth in a positive direction.

F. Don't put off what you eventually have to do.

G. Don't judge a person by appearance.

    Homework is a major part of going to school: It's your teachers' way of evaluating how much you understand what's going on in class. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Luckily, you can do a few things to make homework less burden.

    Be sure you understand the homework

    Write your homework down in your notebook or day planner if you need to. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's much easier to take a minute to ask the teacher during or after class than to struggle to remember later that night!

    Use any extra time in school

    Many schools have study halls that are specifically designed to allow students to study. It' s tempting (诱惑人的) to hang out with friends during study periods or unstructured (松散的) time. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Take a break

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}So take some breaks while doing your homework. Sitting for too long without stretching or relaxing will make you less productive than if you stop every so often. Taking a 15-minute break every hour is a good idea for most people.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    If you don't finish your homework during school, think about how much you have left and what else is going on that day, and then budget your time. Most high-school students have between 1 and 3 hours of homework a night. If it's a heavy homework day and it seems like you've got an assignment in every subject but gym and lunch, you'll need to devote more time to homework. It's a good idea to come up with some kind of homework schedule, especially if you are involved in sports or activities or have an after-school job.

A. Once your homework is done, you can check over it if you have extra time.

B. And it helps digest important concepts.

C. Plan yourself.

D. Settle down to homework.

E. Don't be afraid to ask questions about what's expected in your homework.

F. But the more work you can get done in school, the less you'll have to do that night.

G. Most people's attention spans (跨度) aren't very long.

When you hear the word "culture", you may think of nations or societies. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}What is family culture? It is the combination (结合) of values, expectations, and experiences that describes a family and shapes the way its members get along with each other.

Everyone has a unique culture that determines who they are as a person. Your family culture helps you understand your traditions and explains the reason for your behavior every day. It's important to you. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} A deeper sense of unity and togetherness is important for a family culture. The following will help you understand how to uncover your cultural story with your family.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}_ You can find out what your family's values are and what they stand for by looking at the traditions around those values. You can do this by talking to people you respect in your family or by using some simple Internet searches. Through looking into your family's history, you will understand the context of their culture.

After this, it's time to write a detailed description of your family's culture. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} So you need to take your time with this step. In this description, you need to give a specific account of your family's culture, traditions, values, and history.

The last step is to share it with people. You can talk to your family about their culture and let them know that you've written down what they are like. You can also talk to friends who know little about your family's culture. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Exploring your family's culture is an exciting process that will bring new meaning to everything you've ever held dear. So start your journey of uncovering it right now!

A. This is a key part of the process.

B. But every family has a culture, too.

C. Know how to talk with your family.

D. Start by researching your family's history.

E. It also contributes to your family togetherness.

F. Then they can start a process of self-exploration.

G. So they will know better what your family is all about.