My transportation was unexpectedly smooth and I arrived at the meeting half an hour earlier. I kept my eyes on the restaurant door. Several customers entered, but not my friend. At 6:00 pm, she sent me a text message:“Urgent work to finish. Will be 20 minutes late.”

I had left my book in the office, so I spent the time thinking of my experiences of being late in China. On my first visit in 1985, punctuality was deeply rooted in the Chinese hearts. There were no traffic jams then.

    As a teacher in Canada, I always insisted on punctuality. I would open the classroom door to a late student for the first time and the second, but not the third. During the six years I worked for CCTV, I had a Chinese friend whom I often saw at lunch time, or after work. We used to meet at the subway station nearby. He was always late by 10-20 minutes. To myquestion, “You were busy?” he would surprisingly answer, “ No.” Once I asked him to check the clock in his office, he smiled.

    In March 2015, I got permanent residence (居住权) in China.The ceremony was scheduled for 9:00 am at the Public Security Bureau on the Second Ring Road. I told my driver I had to get there by 8: 40 am. “No problem,”he replied. But he thought he had time to drop someone off at the airport before picking me up. I desperately waited for him. Then, to rub salt into my wound, he had to stop at the exit of a gas station. Finally, I entered the room at 9:07 am ── the last guest to arrive!

A

    Suppose you're in a rush, felling tired, not paying attention to your screen, and you send an email that could get you in trouble.

    Realisation will probably set in seconds after you've clicked “send”. You freeze in horrors and burn with shame.

    What to do? Here are four common email accidents, and how to recover.

    Clicking “send” too soon

    Don't waste your time trying to find out if the receivers has read it yet. Write another email as swiftly as you can and send it with a brief explaining that this is the correct version and the previous version should be ignored.

    Writing the wrong name

    The sooner you notice, the better. Respond quickly and briefly, apologizing for your mistake. Keep the tone measured: don't handle it too lightly, as people can be offered, especially if your error suggests a misunderstanding of their culture(i.e. incorrect ordering of Chinese names).

    Clicking “reply all” unintentionally

    You accidentally reveal(透露)to entire company what menu choices you would prefer at the staff Christmas dinner, or what holiday you'd like to take. In this instance, the best solution is to send a quick, light-hearted apology to explain your awkwardness. But it can quickly rise to something worse, when everyone starts hitting “reply all” to join in a long and unpleasant conversation. In this instance, step away from your keyboard to allow everyone to calm down.

    Sending an offensive message to its subject

    The most awkward email mistake is usually committed in anger. You write an unkind message about someone, intending to send it to a friend, but accidentally send it to the person you're discussing. In that case, ask to speak in person as soon as possible and say sorry. Explain your frustrations calmly and sensibly—see it as an opportunity to clear up any difficulties you may have with this person.

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项 （A 、B 、C  和 D ）中，选出最佳选项。

    A survey has shown that what you do on a plane can be determined by which nationality is listed on your passport.

    According to the results of an international passenger survey, Australians are the biggest drinkers on board with 36 percent choosing to down the hatch, compared to 35 percent of Americans and 33 percent of Brits.

    The Airline Passenger Experience Association(APEX) spoke to around 1,500 people, aged 18 and older, who have travelled by plane at least once during the last three months and were living in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, China, Singapore, Australia and Brazil.

The results found Chinese travelers are most likely to nod off once the seat-belt sign switches off. They are also the first to take out their credit card for some in-flight shopping and the biggest fans of gaming. Americans on the other hand like to use their time in the air more productively—- when not drinking—- choosing to work while flying at 35,000 feet.

Meanwhile, Brits and Germans are the best at making chat with random strangers—-spending 50 percent more time than any other nationality. Comparatively, Brazilians conduct their conversations online via email, messaging apps or social media.

    Despite plane food having a bad reputation, seven out of ten interviewees said they were happy to eat up on the selection of in-flight snacks and meals. In-flight magazines were also popular with four out of five passengers.

    The international flyers did however express their desire for better in-flight entertainment. “The industry has greatly improved the comfort, entertainment and onboard service, and passengers are accepting those improvements” said Russell Lemieux, APEX executive director. “At the same time, passengers are demanding more from their air travel experiences which will drive more improvements touching all aspects of the journey. ” he added. 

    Here are some music festivals that you might be interested in.

    Boogie

    Tallarook, VIC(26－28 March)

    Boogie is definitely kid-friendly, but with a few rules. Kids are welcome, but need to be fully supervised(监管) at all times and out of the licensed area by 10 pm. Kids under 8 years old are admitted for free. Kids between 8 and16 get in cheaper. There are some activities for kids and a great kid-friendly area.

    Splendour in the Grass

    Byron Bay, NSW(24－26 July)

    Look, Splendour can be pretty crazy, so if you and your kids are out of practice with handling festivals and the stress they can sometimes bring, maybe you should try starting smaller. But if you feel like you can do it, then your kids are welcome to hit Splendour with you. The usual rules apply — you'll need to have them with you at all times if they are under 16 and they can't go into bars. If the child is under 11, then they will get in for free.

    The Gum Ball

    Hunter Valley, NSW(22－24 April)

    We didn't originally include the Gum Ball because they took last year off and we wanted to make sure they were definitely returning. Not because we have anything against them. On the contrary, they are one event that manages to balance brilliant music and a family-friendly vibe(氛围).

    Bellingen Turtlefest

    Bellingen(30 September－2 October)

    Great music for a great cause! Bellingen Turtlefest has been set up to raise funds and awareness for the critically endangered Bellinger River Snapping Turtle, while giving families a chance to enjoy some great music at the same time. There's a kidzone, sideshows, workshops and markets, but also an education center and some guest speakers so that the kids (and you) can learn a thing or two while you're at the event.

    Before uploading a photo of ourselves to social media, chances are that we'll use an app to smooth our skin, make our eyes look bigger, and lips fuller. With a couple of taps on our mobile phone, we can get a quick fix and present the "best" version of ourselves to the world. However, the problem is, when we simply edit our imperfections away, we're also changing the way we look at ourselves.

    Last month, researchers published the article Selfies – Living in the Era of Filtered(过滤的) Photographs. The article analyzed photo editing apps' bad influences on people's self-respect and their possibility to cause appearance anxieties. The researchers also warned that such apps make it difficult to tell the difference between reality and fantasy. "These apps allow one to change his or her appearance in minutes and follow an unrealistic standard of beauty," the article reads.

    In the past, people may have compared their looks to those of famous persons. But for today's young people, beauty standards are most likely set by what they see on social media. "From birth, they are born into an age of social platforms where their feelings of self-worth can be based purely on the number of likes and followers that they have, which is linked to how good they look." British cosmetic doctor Tijion Esho told The Independent. This is why many young people suffer an identity trouble when it comes to appearance.

    "Now you've got this daily comparison of your real self to this fake self that you present on social media." Renee Engeln, a professor of psychology, told the HuffPost website. Engeln further pointed out that when people spend too much time making such comparisons, they may become "beauty sick" and find it difficult to accept what they actually look like. "Because between you and the world is a mirror, it's a mirror that travels with you everywhere. You can't seem to put it down." she told The Washington Post. So when we look in a real mirror, we shouldn't think to ourselves, "Do I look as good as myself in the filtered photos?" Instead, we should think, "I feel good; I have my health."

The recent few weeks have been the perfect time for a good book and here are some good ones that allow readers to get completely lost in another world.

Watch Me Disappear

If you like mysteries with family drama, Janelle Brown's best-selling thriller is for you, The story follows a wealthy wife and mom who goes on a hike and never returns. Her lonely husband and teenage daughter, Olive (who's dealing with her own problems), are confused with sorrow while trying to find out what happens.

The Boy from the Woods

If you pick up one of Harlan Coben's books, you won't be able to put it down. His misty stories keep readers fascinated. The Boy from the Woods, is sure to satisfy fans of his twisty, heart-racing plots filled with interesting and exciting atmosphere. This is the book to read if you love masterful surprises.

How to Walk Away

Katherine Center's best-selling novel follows a young woman, Margaret, with her perfect fiance, a pilot who takes her on a upsetting flight that changes her life forever. Readers adore Margaret's wisdom and humor as she faces a changed world and figures out what love really looks like.

The Last One Left

This novel, first published in 1967, still attracts readers decades later. Novelist Dean Koontz wrote the introduction to the recent edition, where he describes reading each of John D. MacDonald's novels" at least three times, some of them twice that often. "This is your next read if you want to be swept away by a master of mystery and excitement.