Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to make money for my schooling.

    One day, my mother was sewing a quilt(缝被子). I silently sat beside her. "Mum, is there love between you and Dad?" I asked in a very low voice.

    With surprise in her eyes, she stopped her work for a while. Then she said, "Susan, look at this thread(线). It can hardly be seen, but it' s really there. It makes the quilt strong. If life is a quilt, love should be a thread. Love is inside. "

    I couldn' t understand her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month.

    After they were back, my mother helped my father walk slowly on the country road every day. They were so kind to each other and it seemed they were the happiest couple.

    After two months my father still couldn' t walk by himself. "Dad, how are you feeling now?" I asked him one day.

    "Susan, don' t worry about me," he said. "I just like walking with your mum. I like this kind of life." Reading his eyes, I knew he loves my mother deeply.

    Now I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.

A

Fire Prevention Information

    The University of Adelaide employs a full-time staff of fire prevention professionals. They inspect all campus buildings and test and maintain all sprinkler(喷水灭火装置）systems, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers (灭火器). They also provide educational programs or fire safety in the residence hall. Whenever you move to a new area, you should locate the fire alarm pull stations and the two exits nearest your room.

Fire Alarms

    The floors of all campus buildings are equipped with manual(手动的）fire alarm systems which include fire alarm pull stations and pipes. Most are also equipped with automatic fire alarm systems consisting of heat detectors, smoke detectors and sprinklers. For your safety, never tamper with(胡乱摆弄）these systems. False fire alarms are illegal and may lead to imprisonment.

Fire Drills

    A fire drill will be conducted in your residence hall every semester. During a fire drill, please do the following:

    •Take your room key and ID, close and lock the door to your room.

    •Exit immediately from the nearest emergency exit do not use a lift.

    •Meet outside of your residence hall and wait for further instructions.

Fire Extinguishers

    Fire extinguishers are located on each floor and in each apartment. Use a fire extinguisher only if you have been trained to do so. Irresponsible use of a fire extinguisher can create a dangerous situation for other residents and could result in damage to personal property. Misuse of a fire extinguisher will result in fines.

Smoke Detector

    A smoke detector is on the ceiling in your room. Some buildings also have heat detectors on the ceilings. Do the following to ensure the safe operation of your smoke detector:

    •If your smoke detector is working properly, the red light should be on. If the red light is not blinking（闪动），contact residence hall staff immediately.

    •Do not cover or block your smoke detector in any way.

    •If a smoke detector sets off an alarm and there is no fire or smoke, inform your hall staff.

    English is the most widely used language in the history of our planet. One in every seven human beings can speak it. More than half of the world's books and three quarters of international mail are in English. Of all languages, English has the largest vocabulary — perhaps as many as two million words.

    However, let's face it: English is a crazy language. There is no egg in an eggplant, neither pine nor apple in a pineapple and no ham in a hamburger. Sweet-meats are candy, while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

    We take English for granted. But when we explore its paradoes (探索它的矛盾), we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, public bathrooms have no baths in them.

    And why is it that a writer writes, but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce, and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, should't the plural of booth be beeth? One goose, two geese — so one moose, two meese?

    How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next?

    English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of human beings. That's why, when stars are out, they are visible (能看见的); but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it; but when I wind up this essay, I end it.

Have you ever heard of the phrase "we just can't communicate"? Most people communicate with the ability to read or write well. This might not be the case as you will soon find out.

How many times have you been to the doctor's office and listened to an educated professional explain something to you that is just unintelligible. These people keep asking you, "Do you understand?" and sometimes out of embarrassment because you don't want to look like stupid, you tell them. "Yes, I do understand." This isn't a good way to communicate, either.

How do we communicate in a positive way to get our points across? Ask the persons you are communicating with if they understand what you just said. In another case, if someone is talking to you, use the statement, "Just to make sure that I understand what you just said" and then repeat back your understanding of their conversation. Sometimes just asking a few simple questions and clarifying your understanding can bring great benefits to any communication.

    In some countries like Japan, you might find them reading your body language more than the words you are communicating with. Sometimes just by the way someone stands or reacts to something you said, you can get a valuable insight to what the other person means in this conversation. Don't forget, however, this could also lead to a misunderstanding. Again if you think someone is communicating with their body language, try not to assume that you know exactly what message they are trying to get across. Always ask them if they understand what you are talking about.

    A person is responsible for what he says and to make sure that the other person completely understands the point he is trying to get across. Why not start using some of the simple skills in this article to help with your communication skill? You will start to see the benefits within a short period of time.

    There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.

    People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend (hurt) many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing (批评) and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation (模仿). It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.

    Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact (接触) with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.

    Like any new ninth-grader on the first day of school, Joemar Class had ninth-grader- emotion (情绪). He's not used to school in Hartford. He's used to going to school in his home town of Florida, used to seeing his friends, used to having class in Spanish.

    "Nervioso," he said in Spanish.

    We first met Joemar in mid-October in the San Juan Airport. His father, Guillermo Class, had sold his car to buy plane tickets to get his kids and fly them up from Puerto Rico. The island was almost destroyed (毁坏) by the deadly storm—Hurricane Maria.

    Now, they are settling into their new home in Hartford's South End. A week later, and, using his wife's car, Class drove 16-year-old Joemar to his first day at Bulkeley High School. After a short ride, he got out in front of his new school. Inside, he met Gretchen Levitz—the school's program director.

    "I see you have new uniform (校服)," Levitz said. "You look great. Are you ready for a good first day?"

    Then he met couple of teachers.

     "Hello," they each said in Spanish. They asked where he's from, and told him they were happy to see him. Then Levitz took him on a quick tour of the school before classes began—to her office the school store, the library, and the dining hall.

    A total of 19 languages are spoken in Bulkeley High School. "We have so many new students coming here from other countries every single day," Levitz said. "So it's not like he's the only one who has that feeling."

    "You could tell he's little worried," Guillermo said as we left." But, at the same time, he's looking forward to it."