How do we know what's right or wrong in English? Languages such as French and Spanish each has an official(官方的) organization that tells you what's correct. But there is nothing like that in English. So what can we do?

    There is, of course, Standard English. This is the kind of English you read in newspapers or in formal letters. It is also the English you learn at school or in textbooks.

    However, Standard English is not official English. And unbelievably, linguists（语言学家） think Standard English is on the same level as all other types of English such as Cockney English, Yorkshire English, South African English, Australian English, Singaporean English… And according to linguists, there is no such thing as Standard Spoken English.

    English is changing all the time. Every year, new words appear and others disappear. Words change too. For example, for many years, the Latin word “agendum” was the accepted singular form and “agenda” was the plural form. However, these days, very few people use the Latin-sounding“agendum”, with “agenda” being the accepted singular form, and “agendas” the plural.

Newspapers each has their own style when they write certain things. For example，The Guardian puts dates like “21 July 2011”(with the day first, followed by the month and no commas). However, the news agency Reuters writes them like this “July 21, 2011”(with the month first, and a comma(逗号) between the day and the year). Other newspapers have different ways of doing it too. So, as you can see, there's no one “correct” way —there's a variety of ways and each one is acceptable.

    Next time someone tells you that something is wrong, tell them that it isn't wrong, It is just English.

(Each answer should be no more than four words)

    True friends are rare to make these days. Even if you believe you've connected with someone, how do you really know he is a true friend? And often you will find that someone who you thought you could trust may disappoint you. There are ways you can know if a friendship is true and how you can hold onto that friend.

    A true friend is someone who will be there for you no matter what happens. Through good times and bad times, they will stand by you. They will accept you for who you are without trying to change you, and they will be there to help you grow in new ways.

    Trust is another important aspect. A true friend will keep your secrets. You can depend on them. They will listen and be someone you know you can talk things over with, even if they may not have advice to share with you.

    Friendship is a two-way street. To find true friends and keep them, you must in turn be the same as well. Be there for them in their hard times and share the good times with them. Be someone your friends can depend on and offer them the same things they give to you. A friendship will fall apart fast if only one person is giving and putting all the effort in. To keep a true friendship, you must be honest.

    There will be barriers in the road but that is the test of true friendship. If it can survive those barriers, it will be stronger and last forever. St Thomas Aquinas said, “There is nothing on this earth more prized than friendship” and it holds true.

    Aron Ralston is an American man who is interested in mountain climbing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.This is one of the exciting things about doing dangerous sports. There were many times when Aron almost lost his life because of accidents, On April 26, 2003, he found himself in a very dangerous situation when climbing in Utah.

    On that day, Aron's arm was caught under a 360-kilo rock that fell on him when he was climbing by himself in the mountains, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} he stayed there for five days and hoped that someone would find him, But when his water ran out, he knew that he Would have to do something to wave his own life. He was not ready to die that day, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Then, with his left arm, he bandaged himself so that he would not lose too much blood. After that, he climbed down the mountain to find help.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. This means being in a difficult situation that you cannot seem to get out of. In this book, Aron tells of the importance of making good decisions, and of being in control of one's life. His love for mountain climbing is so great that he kept on climbing mountains even after this experience.

    Do we have the same spirit as Aron? {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, and before we have to make a decision that could mean life or death.

    Everyone likes to have fun, but not everyone has much money to spend for it. Here are some free or cheap ways for you to enjoy yourselves.

    Try a hobby

    While you're out, take pictures of things you find. Taking pictures can make you notice the beauty around you. And you'll get interesting photos. If you don't have a camera or a mobile phone that can take pictures, you can try drawing. Drawing only needs a pencil and paper.

    Get outside

    Going outside in good weather can be a lot of fun, especially if you go with a friend. Hike or ride a bicycle in a park. If you live in a city, you can also go window shopping.

    Find an event

    Libraries often hold free public free events, stop by one to find out what's going on. And while you're there, borrow a book or movie for free. Museums and universities also hold free events.

    Meet a friend

    Relationships are the best things in life. Whatever you do, find someone to share it with. Invite a friend for a walk, an event or a time working on your hobby. If your friend comes in the afternoon, you don't have to serve a meal. You can sit and talk, play computer games or card games or watch a movie.

    There are some skills for students to listen to teacher in class, which means you're going to have to practice it. Just as you would have to practice basketball to be a better player, you also have to practice listening. How to listen in school? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    One of the things you need to do is to make sure that your mind doesn't wander(漫游). It's easy to start thinking about other things, especially when you're not interested in the subject. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Next, listen for the main ideas. If you want to catch every little piece of information, you'll feel tired and bored. You'll also need to look at the teacher. Not only does this show respect (尊重) to the teacher,  it also helps prevent your mind from wandering. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Or it could just be someone talking to their neighbors who shouldn't be, it can even be some birds outside the classroom window, or a group of kids who are talking loudly as they pass the door to your room.

    Finally, you need to take notes because you can not remember everything the teacher says. You'll have to take down the notes so that you can study it after class. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Listening isn't always easy, but if you follow these simple steps, you'll be much more successful in your classes.

    People usually eat {#blank#}1{#/blank#} at Mid-Autumn Festival.  The special food for Lantern Festival is {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} is on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar year. The fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar year is {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Mid-Autumn Festival is on {#blank#}5{#/blank#} of the eighth month of the lunar year.