Have you ever wondered who is killing time in the cafes at three in the afternoon while you are busy at school? Linda and I found the answer when we got part-time jobs at Starbucks and KFC during the summer vacation?
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    Ever since Greg was a little boy, he had watched his grandfather carve(雕刻) small wooden figures(木偶). In a short time, his grandfather could change a piece of wood into a wonderful work of art. Greg often wished that he could create wonderful little wooden figures as his grandfather did.

    One day, Greg's grandfather called the boy into his room. “Today is the day that you begin to learn the lost art of carving.” Greg couldn't believe his ears. He sat beside his grandfather. The smell of the wood filled his nose, and he loved that. Grandfather told him the names of the different tools he used to create the figures.

    After the introduction to the tools was over, Greg picked up a piece of wood and started to carve. He worked for hours that day, trying to learn his grandfather's skill. Although his small wooden figure was far from perfect, both Greg and his grandfather were quite proud of the work Greg had done. “I will put it on my desk,” Greg's grandfather told him. Greg's eyes shone with joy. He knew that it would take him many years to become as skillful as his grandfather, but Greg was going to enjoy every minute of it!

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    The young woman at the airline check-in desk meant no harm. She greeted a customer with a question which would be no problem in Chinese," What's your problem?" But this question is impolite in English, and the customer became very angry. In this situation, the young woman should say." May I help you?" or" How can I help you?" Then she would not be facing an unhappy traveler.

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    Maybe you would like something. Instead of saying" Giving me a hamburger," say," Could I have a hamburger, please?" or "I'd like a hamburger." English speakers often use the expressions" please "and" thank you". When requesting something, use" Can I" or "Could I". In formal situations," May I" is the best.

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    When someone asks your opinion, you don't want to make them feel upset by saying something they think is unkind. Maybe someone asks," What do you think of my idea?" Don't say," It's a terrible idea." if you don't like it. Say," I don't think it's the best idea." Then people will accept your opinion more easily.

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    When you can't accept an invitation, don't say." I can't. I'm busy" Refuse in a more indirect way." I'm afraid I can't…" or" I'd love to, but…" or" That sounds great, but..." These phrases soften the message and make it easier to accept.

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    Avoid saying others have done wrong. Don't say," You don't understand me." Say, Maybe I need to make clear what I mean." Give special attention to" I" or" We" rather than" you". Take time to learn polite phrasing. Then you'll make your communication with people more pleasant.

    What season is it in October? If you ask people from the UK, they will tell you it's "autumn". {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Why does this season have two names in English? According to Dictionary.com, both words have been around for a long time, but neither of them was the first to describe this season. During this season, crops(庄稼)would become ripe(成熟)and farmers would have a big harvest(丰收). {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Then, in the 1600s, more people left their farms and moved to cities. With fewer people farming, the word "harvest" became less useful. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They knew leaves fell from trees during the season, so people started calling it "the fall of the leaf', or "fall" for short.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It gradually replaced(替代)"fall" as the word for this season.

    At the same time, British people were making their first trips to North America. They brought both the words "fall" and "autumn" with them. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Differentweather makes people feel different. It influences health, intelligence andfeelings.

InAugust, it is very hot and wet in the northern part of the United States.People there have heart trouble and other kinds of health problems during thismonth. In the Northeast and the Middle West, it is very hot at some times andvery cold at other times. People in these states have more heart trouble afterthe weather changes in February or March.

Theweather can also influence intelligence. For example, in a scientific report,IQ of a group of students was very high when a very strong wind came, but afterthe wind, their IQ was 10% below. The wind can help people have moreintelligence. Very hot weather, on the other hand, can make it lower. Studentsin many schools of the United States often get worse on exams in the hot monthsof the year（July and August）.

Weatheralso has a strong influence on people's feelings. Winter may be a bad time forthin people. They usually feel cold during these months. They might feelunhappy during cold weather. But fat people may have a hard time in hot summer.

Low air pressure may make people forgetful. Research shows that people leave more bags on buses and in shops on low-pressure days. However, at about 18℃, people become healthier and stronger. People feel best at this temperature.

Areyou feeling tired, forgetful or unhappy today? It may be the weather's problem.