The Lost Rules of Etiquette

        Etiquette, or good manners, used to be the glue that held society together.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Sadly, these days it has mostly gone by the wayside. This list is several best rules of etiquette that have now disappeared.

Opening the Door

        In days gone by, a gentleman would always open doors for ladies.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}This has now almost entirely disappeared and it is pot entirely the fault of the men. I have seen women laugh at men for opening a door for them. They seem tobe confusing manners with chauvinism(大男子主义)．

Writing Thank-You Notes

        In days gone by, whenever a personreceived a gift, they would write a thank-you note as soon as possible.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Parents would sit children down after a birthday or Christmas and coach them in theirfirst thank-you note. It is a shame that gift giving has now become a virtualobligation and the idea of a thank-you note would be laughed at.

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        We seem to have completely lost theconcept of correct timing when it comes to parties these days.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} After all, aparty normally has a guest of honor-this is usually the oldest woman present.It was considered extremely rude in the past to leave a party before the guestof honor-and once the guest of honor left, it was a signal to all that theyshould begin their own preparations to leave.

A. Arriving on Time.

B. Leaving at the Right Time.

C. People leave with various excuses.

D. It enabled people  to get on well with each other.

E. This rule was true even if the giverwas a relative.

F. It could be the lady they weredriving, or a stranger.

G. We've thrown away the concept of aguest of honor at will.

    Do you know Australia? Australia is the largest island in the world. It is a little smaller than China. It is in the south of the earth.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The population of Australia is nearly as large as that of Shanghai. The cities in Australia have got little air or water pollution.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can clearly see fish swimming in the rivers. Plants grow very well.

    Last month we visited Perth, the biggest city in Western Australia, and went to a wild flowers' exhibition. There we saw a large number of wild flowers we had never seen before. We had a wonderful time.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} In spring every year Perth has the wild flowers' exhibition.

    After visiting Perth, we spent the day in the countryside. We sat down and had a rest near a path at the foot of a hill.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Suddenly we heard bells ringing at the top of the hill. What we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to the car as quickly as we could. There were about three hundred sheep coming towards us down the path.  {#blank#}5{#/blank#} After a short drive from any town, you will find yourself in the middle of white sheep. Sheep, sheep, everywhere are sheep.

A. The people of Australia are very hard-working.

B. Australia is the sixth largest country in the world.

C. Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos.

D. Australia is big, but its population is not large.

E. Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers.

F. The sky is blue and the water is clean.

G. It was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves.

    Everyone can benefit a lot from reading books. The following is about the various benefits of reading books.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Whenever you read something, you learn information that you otherwise wouldn't have known. It can be a fact about history or a theory you didn't know existed. If you want to learn new words, reading books is a great way to enlarge your vocabulary.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Similar to solving puzzles, reading books allows your mind to practice its processing skills. Going without books for too long will turn your mind into a whirl(混乱).

    One of the primary benefits of reading books is its ability to develop your critical thinking skills.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Wherever you are faced with a similar problem in real life, your mind is able to put its mystery-solving skills to a test.

    One of the real benefits of reading books is that the information in it can be accessed over and over again. For example, reading a cookbook allows you the luxury of reviewing the procedures whenever you need to.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Don't even think about writing the information down because you may lose the paper you wrote down on sooner or later.

    These are just some of the wonderful benefits of reading books.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}If you can't even go outside, you can download free e-books on line and read them on your computer. That way, you can set how advantageous reading can be for yourself.

A. Reading books keeps your mind active

B. You can improve your memory by reading

C. Reading books provides you with new knowledge

D. Following a recipe from a cooking show will be difficult

E. Reading mystery novels, for example, sharpens your mind

F. Reading keeps your mind in good condition

G. Why don't you drop by the bookstore or library and pick a book up

    Steel is a hard metal that people use to make many different products. Car bodies, bridges, building frames, and containers are just a few of the things made from steel. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But steel is better than iron in many ways. Steel is stronger but lighter than iron. Steel also lasts longer than iron.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Then they add carbon to the liquid iron. They may also add other materials to make different types of steel. For example, steel with added chromium（铬）is called stainless steel. It will not rust（生锈）or stain. Finally, workers use machines to cool the liquid steel into bars or long sheets.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    People made the first steel as early as 1400 BC. Ancient people heated iron inside a pile of burning charcoal（木炭）. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. The result was not the same as modern steel, but it was stronger than regular iron.

    In the 1800s people began to use huge ovens to make large amounts of steel. In the late 1800s builders used steel to make some of the first skyscrapers. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. In the 1900s new processes made steel-making easier. Today steel remains one of the most popular building materials in the world.

A. This added carbon to the iron.

B. Steel is quite different from iron.

C. The hardened steel may then be made into products.

D. Steel is basically iron mixed with a little carbon.

E. Then they will be cooled and put on the market.

F. To make steel, workers hear iron until it melts.

G. They also used steel to make large, modern bridges.

    Every person wants to achieve the goals set at the beginning of a new school year. The following are some ways to help you achieve your goals.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}When it comes to choosing your goal, ensure that it states precisely what it is that you want to achieve. Don't generalize. Your goal should involve both what you want to achieve and the effort that you will put in to achieve it. 

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Having a copy of your goal makes it real. You can write you goal in a journal you'll be keeping all year, or you can write it on a poster and stick it on your desk so that you can look at it each day. Every time you remind yourself of your goal, you're training your brain to accept the effort needed to make the goal happen.

    Try various methods. One may not work while another may be just right for you. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Some people learn best through writing, some through listening and reading, and some through talking it through. Once you realize which way works for you, you can work better and achieve your goal easily.

    Think positive. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Negative thoughts are unhelpful and they became roadblocks. Stop telling yourself you can't and start telling yourself you can, and talk about you are doing rather than hoping you can do something. Always believe that you're capable, even if you have difficulty along the way.

    Reward yourself along the way. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Occasionally, when you've achieved certain “milestones” in your goal plan, take a break and reward yourself. Watch a movie, visit a friend who lives across town, go to the ice cream shop with your friends or buy yourself something new.

A. Write down your goal.

B. Choose specific and realistic goals

C. Be aware of the way you learn best

D. Remember that everyone makes mistakes

E. Set aside some time each week for exercise

F. All study and no reward can break your spirit

G. If you're not in the right state of mind, you won't be able to succeed.

    If you live in a city where everyone rushes, realise that you don't have to be like everyone else. You can be different. I can't give you a step-by-step guide to moving slower, but here are some ideas to consider and perhaps adopt, if they work for your life

    ⒈Do less

Cut back on your projects, on your task list, on how much you try to do each day. Focus not on quantity but on quality. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⒉Have fewer meetings

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Try to reduce the number of meetings and have blocks of time with no interruptions, so you don't have to rush from one meeting to another.

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    If you're constantly rushing to appointments or other places, it's because you don't allot(分配)enough time in your schedule for preparing and for travelling. Pad your schedule to allow time for this stuff. If you think it only takes you 10 minutes to get ready for work or a date, perhaps give yourself 30 to 45 minutes so you don't have to shave in a rush or put on makeup in the car.

    ⒋Practise being comfortable with sitting and doing nothing.

    When people have to wait, they become impatient or uncomfortable. Try standing in a line and just watching and listening to people around you. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    ⒌Realise that if it doesn't get done, that's OK

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And yes, I know that's a frustrating attitude for some of you who don't like laziness or living without firm deadlines, but it's also reality. The world won't end if you don't get that task done today.

    Try these things out. Life is better when unrushed.

    Remember the quote: if nature can get everything done without rushing, so can you.

A. Do nothing but wait.

B. Pick two or three important things-or even just one -and work on those first.

C. Start to put off or cancel the unnecessary.

D. Give yourself time to get ready and get there.

E. Meetings are usually a big waste of time and make you rush.

F. There's always tomorrow.

G. It takes practice, but after a while, you'll do it with a smile.