How to Become Best Friends with Your Dormmates

    You have never shared a room with anyone and now you are scared and confused. But do you know that student years are one of the most exciting and memorable? When I was a student I met lots of great people and my best friend as well. Sharing a room with absolutely unknown person might be challenging at first, but it will be a priceless experience in your life. Check out several tips on how to become best friends you're your dormmates.

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    This is the essential rule of any good relationship. Make a list of the things that are/aren't allowed to both of you and stick to it. Decide on the studying time, cleaning and visiting hours. Not only will it make your routine easier, but can also help to avoid misunderstandings and quarrels. It's important to talk about male guests and overnight visitors. If needed, you may set some rules for your visitors. When I was a student, our room was frequently full of friends and visitors, but I tried not to turn it into the social center.

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    You will escape many fights if you start talking about the problem once you feel it's necessary. When you accumulate the little things, they grow bigger and chances are you will say a lot of unpleasant things you don't really mean. Your dormmates simply cannot know or notice some things. That's why negotiations are always the right thing to consider. My dormmate was always forgetting to take away her wet towel from the dresser and it was just unbearable. When she performed the same thing for several times, I explained that it was a bit irritating and an annoying bad habit. That's it.

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    Common memories and experience are the right things that pull people together. You are newcomers and you have no idea about the territory of the campus. So why not explore the campus together? Generally speaking, any activity you can share will be of advantage. You can become workout buddies or you may turn out to be the fans of the same band.

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    I really appreciate togetherness and I was always a good mixer, but sometimes even such an easy going person like me needs some personal space and me-time. You spend every minute together and you need to take a break once in a while. It's absolutely okay. Discuss this question with your dormmates well in advance so that you won't have any problems during the school year.

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    This tip will help you to get along with the dormmate and will help you go far in life as well. Your dormmates may be from other countries with different traditions, religion and views. Be careful with the stereotypes and prejudgment, your ideas about the subject may be superficial and incorrect. Most probably your overseas dormmates will need some help during the period of adaptation to the new surrounding and life style. Sharing a room with an international student is a unique chance to learn another culture and language. Don't miss it!

A. Discuss the issues at once.

B. Accept the need of private space.

C. Agree on some basic rules.

D. Respect and accept cultural differences.

E. Explore together.

F. Get to know each other better.

G. Share your cleaning work together

    Some people have the feeling that nothing can be done about their poor reading ability(能力）. They feel hopeless about it. Can you learn to read better or must you agree that nothing can be done about it?

    To be sure, people are different. You cannot to do everything as well as certain other people do. All the students in a class tried out for basketball, some would be very good players; others would be very poor; and many would be in between. But even the very poor players can become much better players if they are guided in the right way, and with plenty of practice. It is the same with reading. Some seem to enjoy reading and to read well without any special help. Others find reading a slow and tiring job. In between, there are all degrees of reading ability.

    Many experiments have shown that just about every poor reader can improve his reading ability. In these experiments, the poor readers were given tests of reading ability. After some of the causes of their poor reading were discovered, they were given special instruction and practice in reading. After a few months, another test of the same kind was given. In nearly all cases, these people had raised their reading scores.

    For a long time being happy was considered something that just happened, and there was nothing special about it. Now we know that getting along with other people is something that we can work at. It is possible to act in such a way that other people will like us better. One way is being unselfish, not wanting everything from our friends. Another way is to look for good points, not bad ones in other people. It is surprising how successful this treasure hunt can be.

    You don't have to be spineless (软弱的) in order to be popular. In fact, you will be liked and respected if you are not afraid to stand up for your rights. But do it politely and pleasantly. Being friendly and polite to your group, to other people and to strangers and especially to those who do not look important or do not interest you is one way to develop a good character.

    You can not expect to be perfect, and so you must learn not to be unhappy when you make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, and no one is to be blamed (责备) unless he refuses to learn from them. Many young people become discouraged when they know in themselves qualities (品格) that they do not like—selfishness, laziness, and other unpleasant qualities. Just remember that we all have some of these faults and have to fight against them.

    At the same time, it is important to remember that, while you are probably no worse than others, the best way to be happy is to think yourself above other people. When something is wrong, it is good sense to try to make it right. Perhaps you don't like a teacher or a classmate. Try to see why, and look at yourself, too. To be sure that you are not doing anything to make that person dislike you. Some day, things may turn out all right, then you will have to learn to get along the best with situation, without thinking too much about it. Worrying never helps in a situation you can't change.

    Most people will tell you that without a cup of coffee in the morning, they cannot function. Coffee is a good drink when consumed in right amount. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Legend says that Kaldi, an Ethiopian, discovered his goats enjoy eating coffee plants. Curious, he tasted the leaves and began to dance around. A passing monk (僧侣) witnessed the scene and took some back to his fellow monks. Later that night, the monks experienced extreme inspiration. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Soon Arabia was roasting coffee beans. By 1000 A.D. Muslims were drinking coffee to stay awake. A merchant from Venice introduced coffee to Europe in 1615. By 1696, the Dutch started growing the coffee bush in Java. By 1723, coffee plants were introduced to the Americas. Today, coffee is the most popular drink in the world.

    Caffeine (咖啡因) is the major chemical in coffee. Caffeine poisoning can occur if more than 400 milligrams of caffeine is drunk in a short period, which is about four to five cups of coffee. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} So it should be avoided before bed.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Studies have shown that it helps cognitive (感知) skills in elderly women. Women who drank three cups of coffee daily scored higher on memory tests than women who drank one cup of coffee.

    Large amounts of coffee can cause nervousness, worries and heartburn. However, if mixed with milk, it is fine. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The more you drink, the more you depend on it. For some people, just one cup of coffee a day is OK.

A. Coffee has many benefits.

B. Coffee can be addictive like any drug.

C. Caffeine will also cause sleep difficulty.

D. The caffeine in coffee can actually help fight disease.

E. However, it is considered harmful if taken in large amount.

F. Drinking coffee while you have this kind of disease will make it worse.

G. Whether the legend is true or not, the discovery of coffee dates back to 800 A.D.

    As data and identity theft becomes more and more common, the market is growing for biometric(生物测量)technologies—like fingerprint scans—to keep others out of private e-spaces. At present, these technologies are still expensive, though.

    Researchers from Georgia Tech say that they have come up with a low-cost device(装置)that gets around this problem: a smart keyboard. This smart keyboard precisely measures the cadence(节奏)with which one types and the pressure fingers apply to each key. The keyboard could offer a strong layer of security by analyzing things like the force of a user's typing and the time between key presses. These patterns are unique to each person. Thus, the keyboard can determine people's identities, and by extension, whether they should be given access to the computer it's connected to—regardless of whether someone gets the password right.

    It also doesn't require a new type of technology that people aren't already familiar with. Everybody uses a keyboard and everybody types differently.

    In a study describing the technology, the researchers had 100 volunteers type the word "touch" four times using the smart keyboard. Data collected from the device could be used to recognize different participants based on how they typed, with very low error rates. The researchers say that the keyboard should be pretty straightforward to commercialize and is mostly made of inexpensive, plastic-like parts. The team hopes to make it to market in the near future.

Traditionally, businesses use name badges(胸卡) for security and personal identity; the whole look also contributed to brand identity. But the use of name badges has so much more to offer: 

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Name badges complete the overall look of an employee. Businesses who carry out this practice show that they pay attention to detail, no matter how small, giving the staff a professional look. Customers are more comfortable dealing with someone who looks professional and well trained. 

Name badges give employees identity. Name badges can make employees feel better about their jobs because they are not just nameless people. Name badges also promote a friendly environment, which leads to happier employees. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Furthermore, the knowledge of being easily identified also makes an employee perform better, lest(以免) they be reported for bad service.

Name badges promote communication. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This allows for easier communication, and employees are able to assist customers better when they know exactly what the customer wants or needs. A name can certainly make a big difference, not just for overall customer experience, but for the business as well. 

Name badges lend an air of familiarity. Customers are more comfortable when they know who they are speaking to or who is assisting them. Employees may also be required to find out the customer's name, all in the spirit of providing personalized service. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Name badges keep security in check. While name badges can keep businesses secure by identifying that the right people are where they should be, they also make customers feel secure by knowing who they are dealing with. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A．Name badges come in different colors and styles.

B．Name badges make employees look more professional.

C．Satisfied employees, in turn, deliver better customer service.

D．It's easier to talk to someone when you can address them by name.

E．In companies using name badges, the employees are more efficient.

F．Customers won't risk mistaking another customer for a member of the staff.

G．As a result, name badges make employees more approachable and business smoother.