Do some colours make you feel calm while others give you energy? Scientists have studied the connection between colours and mood for a long time. Many believe that colour can influence our moods.

    Warm, bright colours such as yellow and red are positive colours. They can give people a pleasant feeling. Cool colours such as blue, purple, and green are relaxing colours. They help people experience calm feelings.

    Many public places are decorated with certain colours in order to create certain moods. Orange makes people feel hungry, and many restaurants are painted this colour.

    People use colour in their homes to create moods as well. Blue is a peaceful colour. It helps you rest, so it is a very good colour for a bedroom.

Colours can create bad moods too. Some types of blue make people feel sad. Red can make people feel angry.

    What is your mood right now? Now look at the colour of the walls round you. Does it match your mood?

How do you learn English best?

    This week we asked students at New Star High School about the best ways to learn English. Many students said they learnt English by using it. Some students had more specific suggestions. Li Lianli, for example, said the best way to learn new words was reading English magazines. She said that memorizing the words of pop songs also helped a little.When we asked about studying grammar, she said, "I never study grammar. It's too boring."

    Wei Ming felt different. He had been learning English for six years and really loved it. He thought studying grammar was a great way to learn a language. He also thought that watching English movies wasn't a bad way because he could watch the actors say the words. Sometimes, however, he found watching movies frustrating because the actors spoke too quickly.

    Liu Chang said that joining the English club at school was the best way to improve her English. Students could get lots of practice and they could also have fun. She added that having conversations with friends was not helpful at all. "We get excited about something and then end up speaking in Chinese ， " she said.

⑴题判断正误；⑵题完成句子；⑶⑷题简略回答问题；⑸题将文中画线句子译成汉语。

    Being a good friend isn't always easy, but taking the time to nurture（培养） a lasting friendship is worth the effort. As the years pass, some people will stay by your side; but many won't. And you'll realize that each friendship you keep is valuable. To have a good friend, you must be one. But, what is the quality of a good friend? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Being trustworthy. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you say you'll go out with a friend and just cannot go, give your friend a gift and tell him or her you're sorry. Nobody's perfect, and it's okay if you break a promise once in a blue moon, but don't make it a regular thing.

    Be respectful. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If your friend doesn't share the same values and beliefs with you, respect his or her choices and be open to hearing more about them.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Don't interrupt conversations. Take the time to truly understand when your friend is talking to you. Listening may open space between the two of you.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The best gifts are often hand-made and come from the heart. A phone call can mean as much as a visit!

A. You don't have to spend a lot of time or money to be good friend.

B. Good friends show respect for each other by being open and supporting each other.

C. Just follow these steps.

D. Be a good listener.

E. Don't ever make a promise that you can't keep.

What's in a Name?

    Many American names come from England. But where did most English names come from?

    Centuries ago, most people in England had only one name-- their first name. In the 11th century, five or six of the 50 people in a village might be named William, and it was easy to get confused. But in the Middle Ages, people found a way to describe each person exactly. If there were four Williams in one village, one might be referred to as William the son of John. A second might be called William from the hill. A third, William the blacksmith(铁匠). And a fourth, William the brown haired. In conversation, people might refer to the four Williams as William John's son, William hill, William smith, and William brown.

    It was 300 or 400 years before the extra(附加的) names gradually developed into last names, or surnames. They were passed on from generation to generation. By the 1300s, Robert, the son of William smith, had the name Robert smith, even if he was not a blacksmith like his father. As the last name became widely accepted, the first letter was capitalized, as in Robert Smith. By the 15th century, most people of the upper and middle classes had surnames.

    Many surnames were based on father-son relations. The "son of" part was added to the father's first name, like Johnson, meaning John's son. Sometimes it was shortened to just "s", as in Jones or Evans.

    Surnames like Hill described the place where a person lived. They are the most common type of surname. A third kind of surname was based on a person's job. Forester was someone who looked after the forest. In the Middle Ages, occupation names such as Baker, Carpenter, and Miller became common. The fourth kind of surname was nickname(绰号). A man whose surname was Bear might be as fierce as a bear.

    Have you ever wondered why some surnames are so common? The most common surname in the English language is Smith. Being able to make metals(金属)into tools was an important skill in the Middle Ages, and many people were trained as blacksmiths. The most common American surnames are Smith, Johnson, William and Brown.