We all long for friendship, but how to make a friend? “The best time to make a friend is before you need one.” Joy Steven said. The following are some tips for you.

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    Friends usually begin with strangers. Getting in touch with other people is the first step to make a friend. Friends can't be made in empty air. Best friends take time to make.

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    Friends understand each other when talking. Many unpleasant personal quarrels can be avoided if you will take the time to understand others' feelings and points of view.

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    Touching is a warm form of communication between friends. When you see best friends communicating, you will notice them stand close together, touch each other comfortably and listen to each other. Sometimes a friendly touch is more powerful than words.

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Praise is a powerful tool to make a friend. Honest praise can affect your friends' lives. So try to praise your friends, including your general ones.

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Trust and loyalty go hand in hand for friends. Friends can share secrets with you, because good friends never break confidence and are loyal forever.

Doing the Right Things in Britain

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    When you stop a stranger in the street to ask for directions, start by saying “Excuse me….”Also, you should say “Please” when you ask for something, and “Thank you” when people give you something.

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    Smile when you talk to people in shops, restaurants and on public transport, and they will probably smile back.

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    Don't sit or stand too close to people you don't know. Britain people don't often touch each other, and usually say “Sorry” when they touch someone by mistake.

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    Don't ask personal questions like “How old are you?”, “How much do you weigh?” or “Are you married?” You can talk about the weather, or recent TV programs, or football matches.

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    Make sure when to meet someone before you go to his home. It's unusual to call on someone when he isn't expecting you.

    In early spring, the changing temperature usually makes a number of Chinese people uncomfortable. Cold air, bringing rain or even snow, easily tears up(破坏) the warmth of the spring within a night(一夜之间).

    However, with the coming of Guyu-the Grain(谷物) Rain, the blue sky and gentle winds would finally stay. Falling usually on or around April 20 every year, Guyu is the sixth of the 24 solar terms(节气). It means the beginning of a lively summer and people get busy from now on.

    Sow(播种) grains

    This is an important period of the growth of grains. The ancient Chinese already knew that as Guyu comes, the weather will become warm enough for sowing. The farmers usually catch the chance to plant rice, corn and beans.

    Hope for safety and harvest

    For those living near the sea, they will hold some ceremonies(仪式) on Guyu, hoping for safety as well as harvest during the coming fishing season.

    Watch the peony

    It's also a great time to see the peony(牡丹), which is known as “the Queen of All Flowers” in Chinese culture. As a result, watching peonies becomes one of the most enjoyable activities for many. The flower is said to be the favourite of Empress(女皇) Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty, who was the only woman ruler in Chinese history.

    Pick tea leaves

    Tea leaves picked before Guyu are among the best tea leaves. People believe that the tea leaves picked on the day of Guyu can make eyes clear and drive away bad luck. So the habit of drinking tea at this time of year has become a tradition in some places of China.

    Last Friday night I went to a great party. It was a birthday party for my English teacher Mrs Brown. Students in my class all went to celebrate(庆祝) her 40^th birthday. We began to prepare for(为……做准备) the party two weeks before that, but Mrs. Brown didn't know anything about it.

    We all met at a restaurant at a quarter to seven. There were about 30 people. Mrs. Brown's son took her to the restaurant and they arrived at seven o'clock. Just before seven, we all stayed in one room of the restaurant and it was dark in the room.

    When they got to the restaurant, Mrs. Brown's son asked her to go into the room first. Then we all shouted, "Surprise!"

    Mrs. Brown was really surprised. She jumped when she heard us. Then we sang "Happy Birthday to You" and she knew what was happening(发生). We all had a great dinner and then a delicious birthday cake.

    For her birthday, Mrs. Brown got a beautiful quilt. We all printed(印) our photos on it. So it was a very special quilt.

    Mrs. Brown enjoyed the party, and we enjoyed it, too.

Information Card

    What season is it in October? If you ask people from the UK, they will tell you it's "autumn". {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Why does this season have two names in English? According to Dictionary.com, both words have been around for a long time, but neither of them was the first to describe this season. During this season, crops(庄稼)would become ripe(成熟)and farmers would have a big harvest(丰收). {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Then, in the 1600s, more people left their farms and moved to cities. With fewer people farming, the word "harvest" became less useful. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They knew leaves fell from trees during the season, so people started calling it "the fall of the leaf', or "fall" for short.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It gradually replaced(替代)"fall" as the word for this season.

    At the same time, British people were making their first trips to North America. They brought both the words "fall" and "autumn" with them. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}