It may be difficult to start high school. Thinking about making new friends might make you feel nervous.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}You are going to school with a group of students of your age. Here are several suggestions for you to follow.

    Forget your fear and just talk to someone. It's easier said than done. But try to take a deep breath and find your voice. Don't be afraid to approach (接近) people.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Sit in the middle of the classroom with as many new friends around you as possible.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Take part in after-class activities that interest you. Try to make friends in the clubs. If you don't join anything, you will be just going to class and then going home. Being in a club makes you more social.

    Stay clean. No one likes a bad smell that could knock someone over. Shower every day, brush your teeth and wash your hair.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Be respectful (尊重的) of people's differences.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}And everyone believes in different things. It is a good thing to have different friends with different opinions because you can each share your own.

    Hello，I'm Peter. I come from Japan．I can speak a little English and French. But I can't speak Chinese. I get up at 6: 00 and go to school at 7: 30 in the morning. I like P.E. best at school. It is exciting. I don't like math. I think it is difficult and boring. I want to visit China. I want to learn kung fu.

    My name is Jill. I come from the USA. I'm 13 years old. I go to school at 7: 40 and I go home at 5: 00 in the afternoon. I have lunch at school. I like music best. It is relaxing. I want to join the music club.

    I'm Mark. I'm from England. I can speak English and a little French, but I can't speak Japanese. I like art and I want to join the art club. I also like math, because it is interesting and fun. I have a pen friend in China. His English name is Jack. I want to see him one day.

    It's hard to make friends if you stay at home all the time, so get out of the house and do things that will put you in touch with(接触)other people. It's easier to make friends with them when you find you like the same things as other people.

Don't be afraid to show people what you're really good at. You can talk about the things you like and do best. People will be interested in you if they, hear something interesting about you.

    Look at people in your eyes when you talk to them. That way, they'll find it easier to talk to you, or people may think you're not interested in them and may stop being interested in you.

    Be a good listener. Let people talk about themselves before talking about "me, me, me” You can ask people lots of questions and show that you are interested in their answers.

    Try to make friends with the kind of people you really like, respect(尊敬)and admire(羡慕). You shouldn't just make friends with those people you will meet them easily. Try to be friendly with all kinds of people. That way, you'll have a bigger group of people to choose from. Then you'll be easier to make friends with other people.

Joel Sartore is a writer, teacher, and photographer. His words and beautiful images show his love of photography and of the natural world. 

Question 1: How did you become a National Geographic photographer?

My first job was for a newspaper. After a few years there, I met a National Geographic photographer. He liked my photos and said I should send some to the magazine. So I did. That led to a one—day job. And that led to a nine—day job, and so on. 

Question 2:     ▲    

To get into National Geographic, you have to give them something they don't have. It's not enough just to be a great photographer. You also have to be a scientist, for example, or be able to dive under sea ice, or spend maybe several days in a tree. 

Question 3: Is it hard to get a job as a photographer today?

It's now harder to work for magazines. Technology makes it easy to take good pictures, which means there are more photos and photographers. Also, the Web is filled with photos from all around the world that are free, or cost very little. These photos are often good enough to be put in books and magazines. What the magazines need to do these days is to pay for these photos. 

Question 4: I want to be a photographer. Do you have any advice for me?

Advice? Well, work hard. Be passionate (热情的)about every project you work on. Take lots of pictures in different situations. Look at others' photos thoughtfully and learn from them. And be curious about everything. There's something to photograph everywhere.