The benefits of being an independent business are truly great. Beyond the rewarding nature of owning something truly unique, small businesses have the edge over their big business counterparts in many areas. Consider the importance of being independent and how that independence can help drive your business.

    To some, having fewer customers simply means less cash flow; however, having a smaller base also allows you to focus more on customer satisfaction.

    Companies are always searching for ways to improve customer service and have more of their business. Whether through paying special attention to who comes through your door or monitoring your customers through the social network, it's less of trouble to make sure your customers' needs are being met when there's a smaller sample to deal with. In addition, it becomes much easier to create a personal connection with buyers when you have enough time and attention to show them some love.

    Small businesses have an inherent advantage over their big box competitors in the sense that they can offer something different. People want to see the independent businesses that offer unique products and flavor to their communities. Your business can be the difference when it comes to what customers want.

    Of course, big box companies will almost always beat you down when it comes to price. Consider, however, that if you can offer a truly unique product or experience, price becomes much less of an issue.

    People like the idea of supporting local independent businesses versus “the big guys”. So, what businesses are booming due to the rise of independence?

Craft Beer(精酿啤酒) —- The craft beer movement in the United States is supported so widely that big breweries have taken to creating their own competing “craft beer” brands in an attempt to follow the trend. While Anheuser Busch represents nearly half of America's breweries, craft beer has seen a huge jump in sales in recent years.

Video Games —- Whether through PCs, traditional consoles or mobile games, independent developers are supported by enthusiastic fans and micro-transactions in an industry that was formerly dominated by bigger developers.

Musicians —- The modern web offers immense opportunities to musicians, resulting in more economic and artistic freedom. A surprising number of mainstream artists have seen great success from their independent releases, such as Macklemore's The Heist, which has sold over one million copies in the United States alone.

    Some small businesses don't want to be small businesses forever. Regardless, consider what independence does for you and your company. If you offer something out of the ordinary, you can build an audience that respects your individuality and supports your cause.

                           How to Make Friends

    Having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with difficulties better. It is not very hard to make friends. Continue reading to find out how to make friends.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are many ways to do this—talking about the weather (“At least it's not raining like last week!”), asking for help or saying words of praise (“I love your shoes.”).

    Introduce yourself at the end of the conversation. It can be as simple as saying “Oh, by the way, my name is ...” {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Remember his or her name!

    Join a sports team. As long as you enjoy the sport, you don't have to be really good at playing a sport in order to make friends with others.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you play the guitar or sing, try joining a band.

    Be a good listener.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Ask questions about their interests, and just take the time to learn more about them.

    Encourage your friend. A very good friend encourages their friend.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Never make fun or laugh at your friend in front of others. If someone is making fun of them, a good friend will come to save their friend.

A. Start a conversation.

B. Find out common interests.

C. But a sports team isn't the only way.

D. The key to being a good friend is the ability to keep secrets.

E. They will remain with them in both good as well as bad times.

F. Once you introduce yourself, the other person will do the same.

G. Listen carefully to what people say, and remember important information about them.

How to make a successful apology

    Have you done something that you feel bad about? Is there a person who you have treated badly? Do you need to say "I am sorry" to someone? Here are five things you can do to have a successful apology.

    Make your apology real. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}People can tell if you take responsibility for what you did or if you are lying.

    Do not make excuses.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}It is saying that you were wrong to do it.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}An apology should show that you have learned from what you did. Show that you mean what you say.

    Make it clear that you are apologizing. Just saying "I am sorry" is not enough. Talk about what you did and then say that you feel bad about doing it. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Be prepared for the unexpected. Be prepared for it to take some time for your apology to be accepted. This may be a long moment, a few minutes, or even days or weeks. The person may stay angry with you. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

A. Be patient and hopeful.

B. Make a promise to change.

C. Choose the right time to apologize.

D. An apology will be better accepted if it is sincere.

E. An apology is not explaining why you did something.

F. You can give your apology to the other person as a letter.

G. It is important that the person knows you are apologizing.

    The Panda Ant is a most unusual species with a lovely appearance. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They look like ants but actually they belong to the wasp（黄蜂）family. The differences between the two sexes of the species are also very pronounced in both appearance and behavior. When fully grown, the male, possibly attaining a length of approximately 0. 8 centimeters, is several times larger than the female. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Cute as panda ants may look, they are dangerous and capable of knocking out an animal much larger than they are with a few stings（刺）.

    Panda ants primarily depend on flowers sweet liquid as their food. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The female panda ant often lays its eggs in a bee or wasp nest. When the young ones. hatch, they will eat their pupa（蛹）hosts.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} So although a female panda ant lays approximately 2, 000 eggs a year, a considerable amount of eggs to support their survival, this species is still on the edge of dying out.

    This species was first discovered in the coastal region of Central Chile in 1938. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Today, they are likely to be found in dry desert and sandy areas such as Southwestern United States and parts of Mexico.

A. It's a new fashion to raise panda ants as pets.

B. The name comes from their colors as pandas.

C. Yet young panda ants are meat-eaters.

D. No one believes the panda ant is the relative of bees.

E. Besides, the males are active at night while the females opposite.

F. Unfortunately, many panda ants are eaten for their bright colors.

G. Then little attention was given to it until recently.

    Directions：Read the passage carefully. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

    Most parents know that they need life insurance. But many would rather have a root canal than shop for the best life insurance policy.

    “People don't think about, What will my family do if I am gone and not earning a living?'” says Peter Katt, a fee-only life insurance adviser.“ The whole point of this kind of planning is to provide the family with maximum flexibility so they're not stuck.”

    Planning for your death is not a cheerful topic. Too often, parents make a quick decision, ignoring important considerations. Among their mistakes one is that they do not buy enough life insurance. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}“They don't think that the person who is not bringing in an income needs life insurance,” says Greg Daugherty, executive editor of Consumers Union. But if that person dies, the other parent can't stop working and usually has to pay someone to help care for the family.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Katt recommended that one young couple should buy $3 million for the husband who earns $100,000 a year and $1 million for the stay-at-home wife.

    At the same time, many families rely on employer-provided life insurance, but employer-provided coverage is rarely sufficient to support your family. Many employer-provided policies provide a death benefit of $10,000 to $25,000—barely enough to cover your funeral expense. Some employers provide a year's salary, but that may also fall well short of the amount your family would need to maintain its standard of living.

    Some employers let workers buy group life insurance through payroll deductions. They may be a good deal for workers who have health problems that would disqualify them for an individual policy. But if you're young and healthy, you may be able to get a better rate on your own.

    Another drawback is that if you leave your job, you may not be able to take your insurance.“ Given the job market, most of us are not absolutely certain that our jobs are secure,” Daugherty says.“{#blank#}3{#/blank#}”

    On the other hand, some families buy too much insurance. Not everyone needs life insurance. Some people buy life insurance for babies, which is unnecessary, unless the baby is a child model who is supporting the family, Daugherty says: The purpose of insurance is to replace the income that a family has been relying on. Single people and those who have no children to care for usually don't need life insurance.

    Katt says a man with substantial savings in stocks and bonds and other sources of income recently asked him how much life insurance he needs.“ I said none,” Katt says. “{#blank#}4{#/blank#}”

A. There are people who don't need life insurance but have it and many more people who need it but are woefully uninsured.

B. Families don't always insure a parent who is staying home to care for the children.

C. Most people put off buying life insurance for any number of reasons if they even understand it.

D. Even if you have a lot of insurance at work, it makes sense to have some more insurance on your own.

E. If you fall seriously ill of suffer significant injury later, it will make it tougher to get that kind of policy, if any at all.

F. To make insurance more affordable, you may not need to buy the same amount of insurance for both parents.

    What Does Teamwork Really Mean?

    We often hear the word "teamwork". But are you a team player? Understanding the question can surely promote team spirit as well as individual development. In many job interviews, a common question is whether the interviewee is a "team player". More often than not, he or she will say "yes". But what does being a team player really mean?

    On the most basic level, a team player is someone who can work within a group of people. This group is a number of people greater than one. Therefore it is an essential requirement of any employment that any potential employee is a team player.

    On a deeper level, a team player is someone who can play a role in the team, to achieve and support the goals set and agreed upon by the team. The simplest analogy（类似）to the corporate team would be a sports team.

    There are two main aims of the football team. One is to score goals and the other is to prevent the opposition team from scoring. In football, there are eleven players per side, and almost the same number of players in reserve. There are also other vital members of the team in the background, such as the coach, the doctor, etc.

    Every member of the team has a very specific role - as a captain, goalkeeper. Every member of the team is vital to the success of the team. If one player does not perform to the best of his or her ability, the team is handicapped(阻碍，妨碍).

    Similarly in the corporate world, each company has its clearly defined goals. Every member of the corporate team should have specific roles and responsibilities in view of achieving these goals.

    Being a team player does not mean you should always agree with the rest of the team. There are times when your vision may differ from the vision of the company, the leader or the rest of the team. It may be a valid vision and if you believe in it strongly enough, you should share it with the rest of the team. If the leader is a competent one, he or she will assess it on its merits and not let ego(自我，自负) get in the way. However, if the team should not agree with your vision, don't take it personally.

    They may find the idea inappropriate, not YOU personally. Don't take it as a sign of personal rejection. If your leader or team members see that you can handle rejection of your ideas in a mature manner, it is only to your own credit.

    So, don't be afraid to offer new ideas even seemingly crazy ones. Everyone in the team should feel free to offer ideas and not worry about them being dismissed.

    The pleasure of working in an environment where every member of the team is a team player is unparalleled. If you are not enjoying your working environment, chances are high that your team is also not working well. Ask yourself this:

    Are your team objectives in line with those of the company? If not, why not?

    What Does Teamwork Really Mean?