When a consumer finds that something he or she bought is faulty or in some other way does not live up to what the producer says for it, the first step is to present the warranty(保单),or any other records that might help, at the store of buying. In most cases, this action will produce results.

    However, if it does not, there are various means the consumer may use to gain satisfaction. A simple and common method used by many consumers is to complain directly to the store manager. In general, the “higher up” the consumer takes his or her complaint, the faster he or she can expect it to be settled. In such a case, it is usually settled in the consumer's favour, taking it as true that he or she has a just right.

    Consumers should complain in person whenever possible, but if they cannot get to the place of buying, it is acceptable to phone or write the complaint in a letter.

    Complaining is usually most effective when it is done politely but firmly, and especially when the consumer can show clearly what is wrong with what was bought in question. If this cannot be done, the consumer will succeed best by presenting specific information as to what is wrong, rather than by making general statements. For example, “The left speaker does not work at all and the sound coming out of the right one is unclear” is better than “This stereo(立体音响) does not work.”

    The store manager may advise the consumer to write to the producer, if so, the consumer should do this, stating the complaint as politely and as firmly as possible. But if a polite complaint does not achieve the expected result, the consumer can go a step further. He or she can threaten to take the seller to court or report the seller to a public organization responsible for protecting consumers' rights.

Unfair Comparisons

    Thanks to social media, the distance between friends is smaller than ever. But does that make us happier? Not necessarily. A recent study has found spending too much time comparing your life with the seemingly perfect lives of your friends on social media can result in depressive symptoms.

We've all done it —- browsing through our WeChat friends' updates while feeling that green-eyed monster holding its head in our minds: Are their homes bigger and more tasteful? Are their vacations more expensive and exciting? Are their careers more successful and rewarding?

    Comparison is the thief of joy. The more time you spend on social media, the more likely it is for you to feel depressive symptoms, according to a new study out of University of Houston. The study, led by Mai-Ly Steers, examines the potential impact online social comparison can have on a person's mental health.

    "The underlying mechanism is social comparison," Steers said. "The reason why you feel these feelings is that you tend to socially compare yourself with your friends."

    This social comparison theory was popularized by US psychologist Leon Festinger in the 1950s. According to an article in The Atlantic  Festinger argued that people have born tendencies to track their progress and measure their self-worth by comparing themselves with other people. That social comparison leads to feelings of insignificance and insecurity. Research has since found that making social comparisons, especially upward comparisons (to people we think above us for whatever reason), are associated with negative health outcomes like depressive symptoms and decreased self-esteem.

    "You can't really control the strong desire to compare because you never know what your friends are going to post. In addition, most of our friends tend to post about the good things that occur in their lives, while leaving out the bad. If we're comparing ourselves with our friends'' sharable highlights', this may lead us to think their lives are better than they actually are, and thus make us feel worse about our own lives."

    So if you are the jealous type, maybe think about signing off of your WeChat for a while. Your well-being may depend on it.

How to Improve Your English Pronunciation

    Accurate pronunciation is an important part of learning English, or any language for that matter. The way your speech sounds can have a big impact on whether or not people understand what you are saying and their initial impression of you. There are no shortcuts to perfect pronunciation; there are, however, some ways you can practice more effectively and improve your skills faster.

    It's often difficult to hear pronunciation errors in your own speech because you are concentrating on actually communicating rather than the sound you are making. If you can't hear your pronunciation problems, it's tough to correct them. Try recording your speech with your smartphone or PC and making a note of specific areas you need to improve on.

    Moreover, many English learners think that speaking fluently means they need to speak fast. This is wrong. Speaking too fast reinforces bad habits and makes the speaker sound nervous and indecisive. Speaking slowly will give you time to breathe properly and think about what you want to say next.

    Pronunciation is a physical skill. You're teaching your mouth a new way to move and using different muscles. Focus on difficult sounds each day. Having trouble with "th"? Put your tongue between your teeth (don't bite down) and blow air out of your mouth. Feel the air move over the top of your tongue. Another method worth a try is learning popular English songs. Singing helps you relax and just get those words out, as well as helping your rhythm and intonation (语调). Because you don't need to concentrate on constructing sentences for yourself, you can concentrate on making your pronunciation sound great!

    A Chinese boy is reported to have spent about 2 million yuan in studying in New Zealand but failed to get any diploma. He even could not take care of himself and his grandmother had to feed him.

    The man in the case is a so­called adult baby, because his deeds make him almost the same as a baby. He cannot take care of himself. He is unable to go to school, let alone finish studies. He even relies on his grandmother to feed him.

    However, he burns money faster than any normal student. He spent about 2 million yuan in two years overseas, but could not finish even the preparatory courses. We do not mean to judge his choice， but someone who lacks the basic ability to survive has little chance of success in any modern society.

    In a later interview, the mother of the boy was in tears and said she regretted not having taught her son well. She also told the story about how she "educated" her son: meeting all his demands, even the unreasonable ones. When he did not perform well in school, she simply spent money in sending him overseas; she would buy whatever he wanted. That was bad for her and bad for him.

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⒈以约30个单词概括文章大意；

⒉谈谈你如何看待"巨婴"现象，然后用2～3个理由或论据支撑你的看法。

⒊谈谈如何避免这种现象，请给出你的建议。

【写作要求】

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    Tired of all the pushing in supermarkets? Fed up with waiting in endless lines to pay for what you have bought? Angry at wasting time in traffic jams only to find no parking spaces when you eventually arrive at the store? If this is you, then online shopping is the answer to your dreams of trouble-free shopping, or is it?

    Online shopping brings its own challenges. Here are a few things to bear in mind when browsing (浏览) various websites. The claim (声明) made by online sites is that shopping online is a safe and secure way to make purchases. The evidence challenges this. In any case, you only have to be the victim of fraud (欺骗) once to experience all the problems that come with this form of deceiving. Use only sites that have a trusted history and an excellent reputation.

    Another problem is that the appearance of items in reality is often quite different from what you see on your computer screen. This might not be a problem if you are buying washing powder but could be a major disappointment when that beautiful blue dress you ordered turns up in green. Also, product descriptions are sometimes simply untrue! Perhaps the wisest plan is to purchase items where design and colour are not essential to customer satisfaction.

    Some even argue that online shopping indirectly contributes to global warming. Yes, your car can stay parked but how are online goods delivered? Often by some large vans pouring out carbon monoxide(一氧化碳) and adding to our already desperate traffic problems. You are also by now becoming increasingly irritated(烦恼的) by the fact that the delivery is late and you have wasted the leave from work to receive it!