Whether we are going to school or going to work, we are all sad to leave the weekend behind and go back to our Monday morning blues. But with the tips, you can get over those blues and face Monday mornings with a smile.

    Love what you do. If you love what you do, then you won't fear Monday mornings as much. Loving your job will make you look forward to the week ahead. Try to find something positive (积极的) in your workplace. It could be a friend, a partner, or the work you do in general. The important thing is to keep a positive attitude (态度) at work.

    Do what gives you feelings of comfort, while remembering your responsibilities for the day. This will help you cheer yourself up for the day ahead. If the clock rings and you still feel sleepy, stay in for five minutes. However, don't stay past five minutes, as it will only make you feel even lazier for your day. When you get up, make a cup of coffee and put on some music. This will help you feel energetic.

    Try to give yourself a little something extra. A good reward for Monday would be a treat you wouldn't have the rest of the week. On Fridays, plan a night out for films or dinner. This will give you a little break from the rest of the week. This way, you will know that even if you're working hard, you will have something good waiting for you at the end of the week.

    On Sunday night, go to bed early. Your mind will react (反应) quickly on Monday morning. If you wake up early, you will have more time to get ready for the day. Being stressed during Monday mornings is only going to add to your blues.

    Get yourself organized on Friday evening. Before you leave your workplace on Friday, you should take care of all the things you need to, so you won't be so stressed on Monday morning. This way, you can start the week right.

    Follow these simple tips and you will be able to beat those Monday morning blues soon.

Dear Jack,

    Can you believe I'm in a school of 2030 now? The school is like a beautiful garden. The wall of our classroom is colorful. Our school life is interesting.

    In the morning, we have three classes. We study on the Internet. We use the e-books. The teachers are all robots. They are in different rooms and they can answer any questions. Our robot music teacher plays the guitar very well. In the afternoon, we take a plane to the Mars to have two classes. I make friends with aliens(外星人). They are friendly and know us well. After class, we play soccer with them. Then we go back to the earth. Don't you think the life in this school is very interesting?

Mary

    Thanks to the Earth, we have fresh air to breathe, clean water to drink and warm sunshine to enjoy. But it seems that we haven't realized that the Earth is facing many environmental challenges and it is getting "sick".

    Scientists say that of all the environmental challenges, climate (气候) change is the biggest one. The temperature on the Earth has risen by more than 0. 5C since 1992. Cities like Singapore and Tokyo that are at low altitudes (海拔) may be covered by the ocean (海洋) in the future.

    But this is not the only problem people are facing. Since 1992, the human population has grown by 2 billion, while the population of all other animals has dropped by nearly 30 percent. At the same time, water pollution has become serious. We are also facing problems like light pollution, noise pollution and some other pollution.

    However, we have made some progress in saving the Earth. For example, we stop using harmful materials to make the hole in the ozone layer (臭氧层) smaller to slow the rise of the temperature. We do a lot of work to help the animals in danger, or more than two-thirds of the worlds wild animals may disappear (消失) by the end of 2020.

    "The progress shows that we can make good changes when we act wisely, "scientists say, "we must take action to protect the environment, or it will be worse."

    "A wise old owl sat on an oak. The more he saw, the less he spoke, the more he heard. Why aren't we like that old bird?" –Edward H.Richards.

    We all need to learn to listen well. Listening is a skill we should be practicing every day. And I mean active listening, not just listening when it is convenient to us.

    Listening shows others that they are important. It's a sign of respect (尊重). If someone listens to you carefully when you are talking, it shows that they are really interested in what you are saying.

    How do you practice listening? Here are some basic rules:

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Are you in the middle of writing something? Put down the pen and fold your hands. Are you reading something? Close it so that it will be impossible for you to look down and start reading again. Then put it down.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The computer will take your attention from your job at hand—listening.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Facing the person you are talking with will help you focus completely on listening. It will also make the person feel that you find what he is saying important.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Standing closer to the speaker will show interest. Crossing your arms in front of your chest shows disagreement. Looking around the room shows you have no interest. Looking the speaker in the eyes tells him that he is important.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Do not start sharing your ideas after hearing the first few words. Do not just think about your reply in your mind. Pay attention to the speaker. Really listen to what he is telling you.

Can money buy anything?

    In today's world many people seem to be hungry for money. ⑶Money does have its most useful effect on the poor. But even if a person has already got plenty of money, he may not be happy.

    If money were everything, all millionaires(百万富翁) would have real love, true friendship, good health and a long life. However, this is not always true.

    Nothing else is more pleasant than the three words "I love you" .But can love be bought? I'm afraid not. Love means giving, not taking. To every person, good health and a long life are probably the best things. Well, can health and a long life be bought with money? The answer is "No".

    ⑷Of all the long— lived people in the world, few of them are millionaires. True friendship can't be bought, either. In a word, being greedy for money can cause brothers to quarrel, marriages to end, lovers to hate each other, and strangers to fight. No matter how much money you have, you won't become a happy person if you have no one to laugh with, no one to cry for.

    It is necessary to learn how to communicate with people from other cultures to build good relationships with them. Here are some rules.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} A little knowledge can be helpful. Before meeting with someone from another culture, try to take time to learn the basic "dos and don'ts" of that culture.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Each culture has its own values, beliefs and prejudices (成见). You shouldn't judge people based on these differences. Instead, respect them for what they are. You may even learn something new.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Don't shout at others. Raising your voice doesn't make you easier to understand. Communication difficulties lie in cultural differences, not because of intelligence (智力).

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Some cultures may expect more physical contact between people. For example, some cultures may shake or touch hands more readily than others. So don't take it as impolite.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Communicating with people from other cultures can be enlightening (使人领悟的) and useful, but also have its difficulties. Expect that not everything will come out quite right or be fully understood. Be patient with others, and ask them to be patient with you.