Some time ago, an old businessman had a large store in Boston. He wanted a boy to work for him, and he put an advertisement in the newspaper. The next morning, many boys came to the old man's office, asking for the job.

 There was a post(柱子)by his desk, and there was a nail(钉子）in it. He took a walking stick and said, "Everyone has three chances. If anyone can hit the nail on the head with this stick more than once, I will give him the job."The boys thought it was easy. They all tried, but nobody could make it. So the old man said, "I'm sorry I can't take any of you."And they left.

  He kept the advertisement in the paper, and the next morning many more boys came, and among them he saw a thin boy who had been there the day before. The boy hit the nail successfully for three times. The old man felt surprised and asked how he did that. "Yes," said the boy, "I failed yesterday, but I thought that if I kept on trying a while, I could do it. So I went home and practiced hitting a nail with a stick till I could do it, and I got up very early this morning, and tried again."

 The old man said, "You are the boy for me." And he gave him the job. Whatever the boy had to do, he tried to do his best. It was not very long before he became the best clerk in the store.

Answer the questions according to the passage.

    Starting high school can be difficult.Everyone is nervous and nobody knows where to go for classes.Thinking about making new friends might make you feel nervous, too. But don't worry, because you are not alone. You are going to school with a group of students of your age, and we have several tips(贴士) for you to follow.

    Forget your fear and just talk to someone.

    It is easier said than done. But try to take a deep breath and find your voice. Don't be afraid to approach(接近) people. First, you should introduce yourself before starting a conversation about something you have in common. Then, sit in the middle of the classroom with as many new friends around you as possible.

    Join clubs.

    Clubs are good places to make friends. Try to make friends in the club that interest you..If you don't join anything, you will be just going to class and then going home.Being in a club makes you more social.

    Stay clean.

    No one likes a bad smell that could knock someone over.Shower every day, brush your teeth and wash your hair. You are supposed to make yourself look clean and tidy, whatever you wear.

    Be respectful(尊重的) of people's differences.

    Everyone has his or her own opinion of the world.And everyone believes in different things.It's a good thing to have different friends with different opinions because you can each share your own.

Information Card

    A king in Africa had a close friend that helped him grow up. The friend had a habit of looking at everything that happened in his life positively(肯定地)and saying, " This is good. "

    One day the king and his friend went out hunting. The friend would prepare the guns for the king. The friend did something wrong in preparing one of the guns, and after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. On seeing the situation the friend said as usual, "This is good!" The king replied, "No, this is not good!" He was very angry and sent his friend to jail.

    About one year later, the king was hunting in a forest. Cannibals(食人者)caught him and took him to their village. As they were going to kill him, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. They never ate anyone who was less than whole. So they sent the king back.

    When he returned home, he felt sorry for his treatment of his friend. He went quickly to the jail to speak with his friend. "You were right," he said. "It was good that my thumb was blown off. "And he told the friend all that had just happened." And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad of me to do this."

    "No," his friend replied, "this is good! " "What do you mean? How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"

    "If I had not been in jail, I would have been with you, and I would have been eaten!"

    If you think you are too shy and want to be a little bit braver, just try the following things.

    Be open to others.

    Tell people you are shy. There is no need to hide(掩盖) it. When they get to know you are a shy kid, they will understand you better. This also helps you feel relaxed(放松的) in talks.

    Try to smile more.

    When you smile, people think you are friendly and easy to talk with. Remember that other people have feelings, too, and most people don't like an angry-looking face.

    Learn to be a good talker.

    If you find it hard to start a talk, say something nice about people around you. Think about how great you feel when someone says something nice to you. Doesn't it make you want to keep talking to that person?

    Get your attention elsewhere.

    Think more about ways to enjoy parties or games. Don't worry about your looks or whether(是否) other people like you or not. You will become relaxed and find it's not so hard to talk with other people.

Title: {#blank#}1{#/blank#} to be a little braver

    For most people, summer holidays mean sun, sea and sand, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. She had a holiday full of ice and snow. She and her family travelled across Greenland! Starting just above the Arctic Circle (北极圈), Sarah's family used dogsleds with kites to cross the world's biggest island.

    Sarah says {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. "There is only snow, ice, and more snow. " The family travelled 15 miles a day for 22 days, moving faster when strong winds pushed along their kites.

    Then the weather became a bit hot for the dogs to pull sleds during the day, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. The Landrys lived in tents, ate dried food, and took baths with heated water. When they weren't travelling, they played with kites and made snowmen. Using their mobile phones, the family could send and get emails even from Greenland's ice cap! The road to the top was icy and dangerous.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. "Icebergs (冰山) were so bright, just like the rising sun." said Sarah. Now she and her family have returned home, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Next holiday, they are going to the South Pole.