It is difficult to find true friends these days. A lot of people would backstab(背后伤人). Some make friends just to use them. Others promise to be your friends but they are never there when you need them the most. They appear only when they need something from you.

    Once you find a friend who is worth keeping, make sure to take care of what you have with that person. How? Here are some tips on how to make friendship last forever:

    1).Call for no reason. Call just to say “Hi” or just to ask “What's up?” You don't need a huge or an important reason to call a friend. If you can't call, just send an e-mail. This would send a message that you remember your friends at any time of the day.

    2).Know when to say I'm sorry and thank you. Don't let pride get in the way, especially when you are wrong. The word “sorry” already has saved a lot of friendships. Show praise for the things, big or little, which your friend does for you. Did she listen to you when you were complaining about that physics exam? Did he offer his shoulders for you to cry on when somebody broke your heart? Say thank you. It's that easy.

    3).Avoid hurtful words. If you have nothing good to say, don't talk at all. Don't hurt your friend's feelings by saying hurtful words that, most of the time, you don't really mean. If you're a true friend, you will be careful with your words.

    4).Don't lie to a friend. Trust is the first thing for building up true friendship. Write them a note from time to time. Also, try to be thoughtful. Give simple gifts that will make their day.

    5).Know how to keep a secret. Show your friends that they can depend on you to be there whatever happens. If you promise to keep the secrets for your friends, just do it.

    6).Be generous with your time. Spare some time to see your friends however busy you are. You can always spare an hour or two after school or work to visit them.

    If you are the type of person who knows how to take care of friendship, you are certainly a keeper!

    Mr. and Mrs. Smith have just opened a small restaurant. In order to attract customers, they put a notice in front of the restaurant, which said “Meals on the House for Three Days.”

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

A.  He walked towards the restaurant and saw the notice. “American people are really strange. They even eat dinners on the house! But how can I get up to the top of the house? ” he said to himself.

B. “Doesn't your notice say ‘Meals on the House for Three Days'? Is it just a joke?” the foreign student answered.

C.  When they heard this, both Mr. Smith and the policeman laughed. “Don't you know what ON THE HOUSE means? Look it up in the dictionary.” the policeman said.

D. A foreign student who didn't know much English happened to pass by the restaurant on the second day. It was lunch time and he felt very hungry. “Well, here is a restaurant. I am going to have something to eat.”

E.  He looked around and found a ladder against a tree nearby. He was very glad. But as he reached the top he heard someone shouting at him, “Hey, what are you doing up there?” Mr. Smith was looking at him angrily and beside him was a policeman.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Sometimes you can find a job easily, by walking into a local store and looking at its notice board(布告栏). Local stores often have areas for people to put small signs telling the services that they need or they can provide. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Another popular tool for finding a job is the Internet. For example, people around the world can use the Craigslist Web site to buy things, meet people or find a job.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Another useful way to find a job is through a university. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Many college students like this way better.

    At times, some experts(专业人士)can also help people find a job. Susan Miller has her own company called California Job Services in Los Angeles. She says her company helps people find a job by first helping them understand their strengths, goals and interests. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} So with her help, many people have succeeded in finding a good job.

    When it comes to the letter grade on your test or homework, you might notice that there is no letter E. Have you ever thought about why that is so?

    In the A. B. C. D and F grading system, the first four letter are typically considered passing grades. An F in this system simply stands for "fail". The word "fail" happens to start with the letter F, which seems to leave out the letter E, The fact of the matter is that any letter can mean "not-passing" or "fail". Some schools have U grade for unsatisfactory", or I grade for "incomplete."

    Even with all this said, we should also point out that E grade actually has been used pretty commonly throughout the history of letter grades in the US.

    The first college in the US to use a letter grading system like the ones we use today is Mount Holyoke College. In 1897, they began to use the following grading scale:

A: 95-100% (excellent)   B: 85-94%(good)   C: 76-84%(fair)

D: 75%(barely passed)   E: below 75%(failed)

    We can see the inclusion of E instead of F.

    Gradually, the letter grading system became more popular throughout the US. However, many schools decided to drop the E grade and go straight to F. There is no evidence(证据)to really support this, but one possible explanation is that teachers were worried that some students and parents might mistake E for "excellent".

    Why do we have letter grades? Well, part of the reason is that they made grading simpler during n time of great change for schools. As the 20th century began, growing cites and an increase in immigration led to larger school classrooms. Most teachers at that time thought this new letter grading system was an easy, fair and clear way to grade students.

    Today, more and more people argue that letter grades don' t fully reflect(反映)student learning. However, as teachers try to improve grading methods, many parents continue to favor the letter grades they got as kids. They are familiar(熟悉) and easy for parents to understand. So while they might not be perfect, the letter grades probably aren't going away any time soon.

    It is widely accepted that television is playing an important part in people's lives. But, there is a heated discussion as to whether television does good or harm.

    Television keeps one learning more about present events, allows one to follow the most re­cent developments in politics and science, and offers various programs which are .both instructive and exciting. The most distant countries, the strangest customs and the most attractive scenes of nature are brought right into one's room or house.

    However, some people insist that television is bad rather than good. They argue that it has brought about many serious problems. The major one is its effects on young people. Children are now so used to getting their information and entertainment from television that their ability to read and write as well as physical ability has been greatly weakened. Even worse than that, vulgar(庸俗的) advertisements and poor programs may develop their bad tastes, shape their view points badly towards human life to such a degree that their minds might be destroyed.

    In a word, television has both advantages and disadvantages. Whatever effects it has, one point is certain, television in itself is neither good nor bad. It is the use to which it is put that decides its value to society.

Do you feel guilty(内疚的) for something you did? Maybe you made a mistake that hurt someone. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Either way, the simple words "I'm sorry" can help you and others feel better. It's not always easy to admit(承认) what you did is wrong. But you can't learn from your mistakes without admitting them.

Apologizing(道歉) is an important part of personal growth. When you apologize, the other person knows that you understand his feelings. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But in fact, it shows that you are strong enough to put others before yourself. After apologizing, you may become closer to your friend than before.

But even after you decided to apologize, you may not be sure how to do it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

①Show that you feel guilty and understand how the other person feels. For example, you could say, "{#blank#}4{#/blank#} I feel terrible for talking to you like that."

②Don't keep doing what you apologized for.

③Don't put off(推迟) making an apology.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Apologies can be hard, but they are necessary for healthy relationships.