Americais a mobile society. Friendship between Americans can be close and real, yet disappearssoon if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmasgreetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while, then no more,If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up thefriendship.

   Thiscan be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand, because friendship betweenus flows more slowly but then may become lifelong feelings, extending(延伸) sometimesdeeply into both families.

   Americansare ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays and theirhome life. They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept theirhospitality (好客) easily.

   Anotherdifficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is that although they includeus warmly in their personal everyday lives, they don't show their politeness tous if it requires a great deal of time.This is usually the opposite of thepractice in our country where we may be generous with our time. Sometimes,we, as hosts, will appear at airports even in the middle of the night to meet afriend. We may take days off to act as guides to our foreign friends.Americans, however, express their welcome at home. But they truly cannot managethe time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily routine. They willprobably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus. Andthey expect that we will phone them from there. Once we arrive at their homes,the welcome will be full, warm and real. We will find ourselves to be treatedhospitably.

   ForAmericans, it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to theirhomes than to go to restaurants, except for purely business matters. So accepttheir hospitality at home!

There is a Chinese idiom(习语)" taolimantianxia", referring to a teacher who has taught so many students that they spread across the country like peach and plum(李子) trees. Why are students compared to these two types of trees?

The id iom comes from Zizhi, an official( 大臣) who lived in the state of Wei during the Spring and Autumn Period(BC770-BC476). Zizhi was a knowledgeable person. But he was not well liked by the king at the time, so he had to leave his state. To make a living, he opened a private school and started to teach students.

As a teacher, Zizhi was kind and wise. He chose students regardless of(不论) their wealth or social status(社会地位). He often pointed at a peach and a plum tree in his yard when asking his students to work hard." You should become a useful person and do work to benefit(使受益) society, just like when the peach and plum trees bloom and yield(产出) fruit," he said.

Keeping these words in their minds, many of Zizhi's students went on to different places around the country, achieving great things along the way. They would plant peach and plum trees to show their respect for their teacher.

When Zizhi traveled around the country and saw his students and the trees they planted, he was very pleased." My students are like peach and plum trees. They are everywhere, and they have achieved great results."

Since then," peach and plum trees" has been used to refer to students who have been successful in their post- study careers.

Kindness is important because it can make people feel confident. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} . As a mother, I teach my children through my actions and talks. I believe these ways may help you become kind too. 1. Listen and show interest. 

By listening tosomeone or showing interest inthe talk, you can change someone's life. 2. Show compassion(同情). 

Showing compassion is a great way to show kindness. You can do this by telling them you understand them and care for their words, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} . By doing so, you are having an act of kindness greater than any. 

3. Help others. 

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. By helping others solve a math problem or giving advice, you are helping other people out. Don't forget to help others when they are in need. 

4. Say thank you. 

A "thank you"can go a very long way and help you do many things, but many people forget it. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} This is very important when meeting people who are serving(服务)you, like your waitress. 

Scientists say that hobbies can make kids cleverer, healthier and even more successful when they grow up. How?

When you have a hobby, you learn new things. You have to read instructions (说明书). You look at websites, magazines and books to get more information about your hobby. More reading makes you a better reader and a better learner. 

For many hobbies, such as building model cars and making pottery (陶器), you have to use your brain as well as your hands. We learn by doing things and by touching things. These kinds of activities make people more creative (有创造力的). 

Having a hobby makes you feel good. Scientists say, "When you make something, the feel good part of your brain gets a message. It makes you feel happy. " When we feel happy, we have less stress(压力). Too much stress can make people ill. 

People with hobbies learn how to make goals and solve problems. Learning these skills when you are young can help you when you grow up. For some kids, having a hobby can be the first step to find a better job in the future. 

Recently, a very simple sentence, "Amazing, my motherland" has become widely known in China. As we know, China has {#blank#}1{#/blank#} a lot these years and it has become one of the most important countries in the world. Foreigners pay {#blank#}2{#/blank#} attention to this ancient eastern country — China than before. 

Lily, an Australian girl, has lived in China {#blank#}3{#/blank#} three years ago. She is studying in a university in Nanjing now. Great changes make her amazed. "I think finding jobs is {#blank#}4{#/blank#} in China than that in Australia. I will work here after I finish my studies in Nanjing, " Lily said. 

In Nanjing, we can find new {#blank#}5{#/blank#} everywhere. There are more great changes than before. China is developing trade and friendship with other countries. China is playing an important role in the world.