Ways to build strong friendships

    Be loyal to a friend. Part of being a friend is being prepared to devote your time and energy to helping out your friends. If a friend needs help with an unpleasant thing, or if he or she just needs a shoulder to cry on, be there for them. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} This is a good way to attract the kind of friends you want in your life.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} When you say you'll do something, do it. When your friend tells you a secret, keep it secret from others. Be someone that people know that they can rely on. If you show this quality to your friends, they will appreciate it and will be reliable in return.

    Be a good listener. Many people think they have to appear very interesting.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Listen carefully to what people say, remember important details about them, ask questions about their interests, and take the time to learn more about them.

    Stress your good qualities. Show others what makes you stand apart from the crowd. Talk about your interests and hobbies. Everyone has interesting stories to tell – don't be afraid to share yours.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}  People love to be around someone who makes them laugh.

    Choose your friends wisely. As you make friends with more people, you may find that some are hard to get along with. Sometimes you may even realize that certain friendships are unhealthy.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Cherish those friends who are a positive influence in your life, and do your best to be a positive influence in theirs.

A. Be a reliable friend.

B. Keep your promise to your friend.

C. Be respectful of their decisions and share yours with him.

D. Besides, a little humor always keeps a conversation light and happy.

E. In this case, walk your way out of the friendship as gracefully as possible.

F. Being a loyal friend will attract other people to you who value this quality.

G. Far more important than that, however, is the ability to show that you're interested in others.

    There are many expressions with the word “dog”.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}They take their dogs for walks, give them good food and medical care. However, dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of life. The expression, lead a dog's life, describes a person who has an unhappy existence.

    When we say we live in a dog-eat-dog world{#blank#}2{#/blank#} A person has to work hard like a dog to be successful. Such hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation would be even worse if they became sick as a dog.

    Still, people say every dog has its day. This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Yet, some people say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks. They believe that older people do not like to learn new skills and will not change the way they do things.

    Some people are compared to dogs in bad ways. People who are unkind or uncaring can be described as junkyard dogs living in places where people throw away things they do not want. Junkyard dogs are often used to guard this property. They bark or attack people who try to enter the property. However, sometimes a person who appears to be mean and threatening is really not so bad{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Dog expressions are also used to describe the weather. The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year{#blank#}5{#/blank#}But we do not want it to rain cats and dogs.

A. We could say his bark is worse than his bite.

B. That means many people are competing for the same things, like good jobs.

C. But there are many difficulties on the road to success.

D. People love dogs and treat them well.

E. To be successful, people often have to learn new skills.

F. Dogs are loyal to people.

G. A rainstorm may cool the weather.

    In a world surrounded by bad news, it may feel like an unhappy place sometimes.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    If you make even one person smile today, you can help make this world a better place. Here is list of ideas to help you.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}In this day and age where everything is sent via the Internet, it's a shock to receive a letter through the post. Putting pen to paper and writing a few words to a friend can be an easy way to make a positive impact.

    Requiring some time and research to find the perfect project, volunteering is one of the nicest things you can do. Whether you volunteer at your local youth group or take dogs from shelters for a walk, the simple fact that you are giving up your time to help someone else is incredible. There are so many opportunities.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Tell someone "I love you". It can be anyone. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Perhaps you can tell a friend that you appreciate all they are to you, or remind your mum that it's her birthday. Sometimes, in our busy lives we forget to take a moment to tell people what they mean to us.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Whether you're creative or not, taking time to make something for someone else shows how much you appreciate them. Even if you think you're not creative, the recipient will feel lucky to get such a unique gift that you put your precious time into. Some ideas could include a card, painting, drawing, song, poem or cake!

A. However, you can make a difference.

B. It's a surprise to send a handwritten letter.

C. And you don't even have to say "I love you".

D. So you are sure to find one that is right for you.

E. And it doesn't necessarily have to take up all your life.

F. Making something for a special person is always unique.

G. Even a postcard with a couple of sentences could really make someone's day.

Cold weather is good for you

    With winter approaching, people begin to complain about cold weather. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There's plenty to love about cold weather. And there's plenty of evidence that cooler temperatures can be part of a healthy life.

    First, cooler temperatures can help you lose weight. It can also help you sleep better.  You might feel uncomfortable at first if you cool your bedroom down. But if you, for example, switch your bedroom temperature from 72 down to 62 degrees gradually over a few weeks, your body will adjust. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    I have long kept my winter house temperature at 62 degrees. How did I find that number7 Well, I experimented on myself about eight years ago. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} I started at 66 and turned it down one degree every few days until 60. I found when the temperature was colder than 62, I couldn't focus. But 62 was perfect. Another benefit for me was that it also kept me clear-headed while working at home.

    Interestingly, science also says 62 degrees is the magic number for brainwork. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It said 62 degrees was the temperature at which the schoolboy subjects of the study functioned perfect. And while we're speaking of work and school, other research shows that people study better when the weather outside is "bad".

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But according to a Harvard Health Letter from 2010, proper cold temperatures could be good for skin because it trains blood vessels in the skin to be responsive. So, rosy cheeks! There's no reason to be afraid of winter weather. Hug it and you, too, can enjoy the season.

A. I recently read a 1972 study.

B. And you'll save money on energy costs as well.

C. Many people like to use cold water to wash their face.

D. At that time, I worked at home and liked warm temperature.

E. Most of us think cold weather leads to dry skin and wrinkling.

F. The reason was that I hated spending money on heating bills.

G. But if you're active and healthy, it doesn't have to be a negative thing.

    Negative thoughts we have about ourselves can destroy our spirits. Many of us have problems with negative thoughts. The negative thoughts lead to bad feelings and they make you believe that the bad things you are suffering are actually true. In short, they bring your focus on your failures, which will make you depressed. What can you do to avoid negative thoughts to affect you? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Recognize that actions always follow beliefs

    Whatever you believe, you'll experience more of them. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. So start believing the best about yourself and believe that you're valuable person.

    Picture the good things

    If you want to change the negative tapes playing in your heads, you have to imagine yourself positively that means judging yourself right. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. How would that look? Draw it in your mind and expand it.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    You may talk to yourself with statements like "if only" or "what if". The former keeps reminding you of the past with regret, while the latter keeps you fearful of the future. There is nothing you can do about the past and the future isn't here yet.

    Develop positive views

    Instead of always putting yourself down in your head, think of some things you actually like about yourself. Tell yourself " I am able. I'm good at it." instead of saying "I'm not good enough", {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    Thinking poorly gets us nowhere and is extremely self-limiting. Decide, today, to turn off the negative channel in your mind and develop your true possibilities.

A. Forget the past

B. Live in the moment

C. Here are some suggestions

D. Make friends with optimistic people

E. Imagine a picture about yourself

F. Always keep positive, rather than say something negative

G. You'll also find your actions are suitable for your beliefs

    It's reported that a male waiter recently poured boiling water over a female customer at a hot pot restaurant after the woman was caught complaining about the waiter's bad service online. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    The female victim, surnamed Lin, reportedly got into an argument with the waiter, surnamed Zhu, when Zhu refused her repeated request for additional soup for her pot. Lin was rushed to hospital and was diagnosed with severe bums on up to 40% of her body. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Many netizens criticized the waiter for being too impulsive and ignoring the possible consequences, but some also accused Lin of being too picky. Meanwhile, some came up with a question worthy of discussion: {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Many tragedies are caused by arguments and if the victim can control his or her anger and try to reach a compromise, the tragedies could possibly be avoided. Sometimes so­called "cowardliness" can be a form of self­protection, especially when you are faced with strangers and you know little about their personalities.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When they calm down afterwards, they would regret their "ridiculous" behavior and have to pay the price for the consequences.

    In May, a male driver in the southwestern city of Chengdu was captured on film intercepting a woman's car and dragging her out of her seat, throwing her on the ground, before cruelly kicking her several times on the head, simply because the woman suddenly changed lanes in front of his car.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Forgive others' mistakes and avoid fueling others' anger. Accordingly, you may be less likely to suffer from unexpected troubles.

A. Will the situation be out of control because of your anger?

B. Intolerance has contributed to lots of violent incidents.

C. How to keep ourselves safe when we argue with others?

D. The waiter has been arrested for further investigation and trial.

E. This incident caused an outcry among netizens and opinion leaders.

F. But it is difficult to control our anger when we have conflict with others.

G. So next time you deal with conflict, it is mere advisable to control your temper and say "sorry" with a smile.