Tone of voice is very important in human conversation. A person might use words that communicate one message and a tone that shows something very different. This possibility for confusion is one reason that businessmen encourage discussing things in person, rather than through email, as tone cannot be determined in the written form.

    The same rule is true with children. Children as young as a few months respond to a change in voice. It has been recorded that babies prefer to hear a story read by their own mother rather than another woman whom they do not know.

    Have you ever talked to someone who had little or no changes in their voice no matter what you were discussing? Think of the teacher or professor you had in the past that spoke in a monotone manner for the entirelecture. It is very boring and difficult to become interested in the topic.

    Parents should make an active effort to communicate with your child. If your child figures out how to open a box he or she has been struggling with and says “YES!” with pride in his or her voice, your response should be happy and excited (something encouraging, like “You did it!”). If you plainly said the same thing, you would not be matching the tone of your child.

    This applies to feelings that the child may express in everyday situations as well. If a child argues with a friend, your response should not be said in a high voice or with a smile. Seriously and sincerely you should say “You look sad” or “That must have been hard for you”.

    The tone of your voice expresses understanding, acknowledgement, connection and several other healthy things to your child. Although your words are very important, equally important is the tone with which you say those words.

    Suppose you work in a big firm and find English very important for your your job because you often deal with foreign businessmen.Now you are looking for a place where you can improve your English,especially your spoken English.

    Here are some advertisements about English language training from newspapers.You may find the information you need.

Global English Center

●General English in all four skills: listening,speaking,reading and writing.

●3-month (700 yuan),6-month (1,200 yuan) and one-year ( 2,000 yuan) courses.

●Choice of morning or evening classes,3 hours per day,Mon.—Fri.

●Experienced college English teachers.

●Close to city centre and bus stops.

Tel: 67605272           Add: 105 Zhongshan Road,100082

Modern Language School

●Special courses in English for business,travel,banking,hotel management and office skills.Small classes (12-16 students) on Sat.& Sun.from 2:00-5:00 pm.

●Native English teachers from Canada and USA.

●Language lab and computers supplied.

●3-month course: 1,050 yuan; 6 month course: 1,850yuan

Write or phone: Modem language School,675 Park Road,100056

Tel:67353019

The 21^st century English Training Center

●We specialize in effective teaching at all levels.

●We offer morning or afternoon classes,both of which last three months and a half at a cost of 800 yuan.

●We also have a six-week TOFEL preparation class during winter and summer holidays.

●Entrance exams: June 1 and Dec.1.

●Only 15-minute walk from city center.

Call 67801642 for more information

The International House of English

●Three/Six-month English courses for students of all levels at very low cost: 60 yuan for 12 hours per week; convenient class hours: 9:00-12:00 am.and 2:00-5:00 pm.

●A four-month evening program for developing speaking skills (same cost as day classes).

●Well-trained Chinese and foreign teachers experienced in teaching English as second/foreign language.

●Free sightseeing and social activities.

●Very close to the Central Park.

For further information call 67432308

    Mom and Dad are two of the most important people in your life. You probably see at least one of them every day. If your dad worships(崇拜) the Pittsburgh Stealers, you're likely to grow up being a big fan of that football team. And if your mom loves to read, you just might grow up carrying a book wherever you go, just like she does.

    Here are four ways you can stay close and build a strong relationship with your parents.

( 1 )Spent time together. How much time do you spend just enjoying each other's company?

Instead of playing a computer game or watching TV, maybe you can ask your mom and dad to play with you. Go outside together, try a board game, or read a book out.

( 2 )Share your feelings and ask for help. Your mom or dad might not know that you're having a problem. Tell a parent if you're sad or struggling with something.

( 3 )Show your care. Some families are always kissing, hugging, and saying “I love you”. It's important to show that you care for each other. In addition to kisses and hugs, kids and parents show their love by respecting each other, being caring, polite, and thoughtful.

( 4 )Whatever you do, do your best! You don't have to be perfect, but when you do your best, you make your parents proud. It makes them happy to see how you're turning into such a great kid. Why? Because it lets them know they're doing a good job.

    When her five daughters were young, Helen An always told them that there was strength in unity (团结). To show this, she held up one chopstick, representing one person. Then she easily broke it into two pieces. Next, she tied several chopsticks together, representing a family. She showed the girls it was hard to break the tied chopsticks. This lesson about family unity stayed with the daughters as they grew up.

    Helen An and her family own a large restaurant business in California. However, when Helen and her husband Danny left their home in Vietnam in 1975, they didn't have much money. They moved their family to San Francisco. There they joined Danny's mother, Diana, who owned a small Italian sandwich shop. Soon afterwards, Helen and Diana changed the sandwich shop into a small Vietnamese restaurant. The five daughters helped in the restaurant when they were young. However, Helen did not want her daughters to always work in the family business because she thought it was too hard.

    Eventually the girls all graduated from college and went away to work for themselves, but one by one, the daughters returned to work in the family business. They opened new restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Even though family members sometimes disagreed with each other, they worked together to make the business successful. Daughter Elizabeth explains, “Our mother taught us that to succeed we must have unity, and to have unity we must have peace. Without the strength of the family, there is no business.”

    Their expanding business became a large corporation in 1996, with three generations of Ans working together. Now the Ans' corporation makes more than $ 20 million each year. Although they began with a small restaurant, they had big dreams, and they worked together. Now they are a big success.

    The summer before my dad died, we moved house. Up until that point, our family had our own space to spread out. Money was tight, so there was no television set, but we owned a turntable on which my dad's records played constantly. Mostly, it played Bob Dylan. Tracks from The Basement Tapes and Desire became an important part of our new life. My brother and I, aged 8 and 10，climbed trees, built hideaways and learned the words of Clothes Line Saga. We would chant over and over, lost in our own joy.

    It was January when my dad left us forever because of the cancer. He was 36 going on 37 then, the same age as Dylan. Afterwards, our laughter disappeared, but we kept on playing the records, which became our only ritual of remembrance. The two men became so intertwined in my head, I struggled to tell them apart.

    Dylan was my dad's gift to me. What child wouldn't be fascinated by songs full of pirates and seasick sailors? How did it feel to have No direction home? Farewell, Angelina became my party-piece. I would sing this at church cheese and wines to the assembled audience. A lot of donations were made.

    Growing up, I remained a fan of the music, but I wasn't obsessed with Dylan until one day in early 1995, my brother bought us both tickets to see him play at Brixton Academy. London felt like a long way to go. But finally seeing Dylan step out on to the stage brought a sudden rush of excitement.

    I have seen Dylan a couple of times since. My brother is not around so much these days. But he was up for a visit recently. We passed a happy evening laughing and drinking, while his son, aged nine, performed his party—piece Subterranean Homesick Blues for us. He sang it word-perfect. And so it goes on: Dylan's music as a gift, passed down the generations.

    On my first day of high school, I asked an eleventh grader where my class was. And he told me it was "on the fourth floor, next to the pool." I found out five minutes later that we don't even have a fourth floor and there's no pool either! Besides that, I didn't have any trouble with the older kid.

    I think the biggest difference between middle and high school is the homework load (工作量) and size of the school. I went from maybe fifteen minutes of homework a night to several hours, so I had to learn how to make full use of time! Our class size is around 550, but joining in clubs, sports, music, and other activities at school makes it easier to get to know people in every grade.

    The best advice I can give about the years you spend in high school is to learn things for yourself, not just to get a good grade. There have been so many tests that I've prepared for the night before, gotten an A, and not remembered anything later. I've changed that this year, and I enjoy school so much more. Don't take easy classes just to have a simple year. If you have a choice between chemistry and sports, the first will prove to be a lot more useful!

    While drinking and smoking might be present in some middle schools, they're also around in high school. I have a lot of friends who promised they'd never drink or smoke, but are now partying every weekend. If you have "fun" and spend your nights wasted instead of studying, you will regret it when you're applying for (申请) college. The "friends" who say you're a loser for not partying are really not your friends at all. It's hard to see your closest friends grow apart and go in different directions, but don't follow their footsteps. Create your own path in life and make your own decisions.