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!

    I'm Simon from America. I am twelve and I'm at Wllize junior School(初中). This month We have two school events(事件). One is an English party and one is a school trip. Next month, there will be five events.

    Here is a list.   

    I'm in the school volleyball club. 1 also like singing. 1 want to play in the volleyball game and sing at the music party. 1'm very happy.

    Jia Meng used to keep a diary in Chinese. But one year ago, the 14-year-old girl from Heilongjiang Province began to write her diary in English, because Jia found her mother was reading her diary secretly. She changed the language because her mother can't read English. “It's like killing two birds with one stone.” said Jia, “My private things become safe and my English improves a lot.”

    Jia's mother is not the only mom who reads her child's diary. Recently, Renmin University of China had a survey among over 23,000 parents. The results show that 40% of parents read their children's sectects. That's why many teenagers try to find ways to protect their privacy(隐私).

    Wu Lei, 15, of Shanxi, keeps a diary, too. But he doesn't write it on paper. He writes online which he thinks is perfectly safe because his parents know nothing about the Internet.

    Lu Huan, 13, of Guangdong, said her parents always secretly listened to the talk between her friends and her on the telephone in their room. To solve this problem, Lu asked her parents to buy her a mobile phone.

    “Parents want to know what is going on in their children's lives,” said Shao Xiazhen, a teenage expert in Beijing. “But sometimes they go about it the wrong way.” Shao suggested to teenagers that instead of hiding their secrets, talking to parents should be a better solution. “If your parents know that you are safe, they'll let you keep your secrets.”

Information Card

    An old lady walked into a clothes shop. She asked the salesgirl to show her a new dress in the shop window. The girl stood behind the counter, taking no notice of the request (要求) . The old lady asked again, but she still received no answer. Then the old lady said to herself, "I'm too old to see well. I can't even tell a plastic (塑料的) model from a real girl."

    When the girl heard this, she shouted. "What did you say? Did you say that I am a plastic model?" The lady was greatly surprised. She said to herself, "The model can speak! It must be a robot of a new type."

    English is the first language of several countries. However, it has many differences. British, American, and South African English are all spoken differently. In many English language courses, the British and American differences are taught. There are important differences between the two.

    Probably the biggest difference between American and British English is the vocabulary. Different words and expressions are used to talk about the same thing. For example, in the United States, people throw their garbage into the trash can. In England, people throw their rubbish into the dustbin. In Britain, people take a lift to the fifth floor. In America, people take an elevator.

    American and British grammar can be also different. For example, speakers of British English will ask "What did you do at the weekend?", but Americans usually say "on the weekend." In the United States people usually say "I've gotten a new car.", but in the UK they will say "I've just got a new car."

    The pronunciation in American and British English is also different, even when the spelling is the same. The word "tomato"—pronounced "to-mah-to" in British English—is a classic example of this.Vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation are three ways English is different in different parts of the world.

    Learning all these is not easy, so English learners should just know that they are always there.