Everyone knows that the Frenchmen are romantic, the Italians are fashionable and the Germans are serious. Are these just stereotypes or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeed or fail?

    At least one group of people is certain that it can. A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs (企业家) in the UK found that 70% felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public. Britain is hostile (敌意的) to success, they said. It has a culture of jealousy(嫉妒). {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Jealousy is sometimes known as the “green – eyed monster” and the UK is its home.

    Scientists at War wich University in the UK recently tested this idea. They gathered a group of people together and gave each an imaginary amount of money.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Those given a little were given the chance to destroy the large amount of money given to others – but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} . But there is also opposite evidence. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recently reported that the UK is now the world's fourth largest economy. That is not bad for people who are supposed to hate success. People in the UK also work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. So the British people are not lazy, either.

    “It is not really success that the British dislike,” says Carey Cooper, a professor of management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. “It's people using their success in a way that seems proud or unfair or which separates them from their roots.”

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They set out to do things in their way. They work long hours. By their own efforts they become millionaires. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}It hardly seems worth following their example. If they were more friendly, people would like them more. And more people want to be like them.

A. This seems to prove that the entrepreneurs were right to complain.

B. The one who owns most money in the end is the winner.

C. As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were “unloved, unwanted and misunderstood.”

D. It is not true that British people are born jealous of others' success.

E. Some were given a little, others a great deal.

F. But instead of being happy they complain that nobody loves them.

G. Perhaps it is the entrepreneurs who are the problem.

    Holiday gift buying can feel a little empty, when all of those endless lists, long lines at the shopping center and dollars spent lead to a 5-miute excitement of flying wrapping paper.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The following tips can help make gift giving more meaningful for both the giver and the receiver.

    1).Know the person

    The most important thing in the exchanging of gifts is that it shows you really know the person well, and you really care about them.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    2).Donate in their name

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Research suggests that happier people give more to others, and that giving more makes people happier. Moreover, charity-related happiness is highest when people give in a way that promotes social connection. So, try giving to the less fortunate in someone's name this holiday season.

    3).Give handmade goods or hand-me-downs

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}A study suggests that people feel that homemade items show more love, and love is what they want to express to the gift receiver.

    Family heirlooms(传家宝)may be another good girl option. A 2009 study found that when families hand down even a very depersonalized thing—money—through the generations, the symbolic value of the cash is greater than the numerical value alone.

    4).Provide chances for participation

      If there's a golden rule of girls, though, it's this:{#blank#}5{#/blank#}People who receive experiential girls, such as concert tickets or a zoo membership, feel more connected to the girl giver than people who received material girls.

A. But it doesn't have to be that way.

B. Give experiences rather than objects.

C. New and store—bought is not always best.

D. That is always beyond their expectation.

E. That means catering to another's pleasure.

F. Giving gifts to friends or to charity is linked to happiness.

G. Start listing every person you plan to give a holiday gift

    Americans use the term “college students” to mean students either in colleges or universities. Not only that, Americans almost never say “going off to university” or “when I was in university.” That sounds British.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Both offer undergraduate degrees in the arts and sciences, for example. And both can help prepare young people to earn a living.

    But many colleges do not offer graduate studies. Another difference is that universities are generally bigger.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Another place of higher education, especially in technical areas, is an institute, like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Yet even an institute of technology can offer a wide choice of programs and activities.

    Modern universities developed from those of Europe in the Middle Ages. The word “university” came from the Latin universities, describing a group of people organized for a common purpose.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} In England, colleges were formed to provide students with places to live. Usually each group was studying the same thing. So college came to mean an area of study.

    The first American universities divided their studies into a number of areas and called each one a college. This is still true.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} For example, Harvard College is the undergraduate part of Harvard University.

A. A college can also be a part of a university.

B. They offer more programs and do more research.

C. There are more universities than colleges in the USA.

D. Colleges and universities have many things in common.

E. Universities and colleges offer students different opportunities.

F. Instead, they say “going off to college” or “when I was in college.”

G. “College” came from collegium, a Latin word with a similar meaning.

    Way to Dreamland Daydreaming means people think about something pleasant, especially when this makes them forget what they should be doing． Daydreamers have a bad reputation for being unaware of what's happening around them． They can seem forgetful and clumsy．{#blank#}1{#/blank#}They annoy us because they seem to be ignoring us and missing the important things．
    But daydreamers are also responsible for some of the greatest ideas and achievements in human history．{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Can you imagine what kind of world we would have without such ideas and inventions? So how can you come up with brilliant daydreams and avoid falling over tree roots or otherwise looking like a fool?
   First, understand that some opportunities(机会) for daydreaming are better than others． Feeling safe and relaxed will help you to slip into daydreams．{#blank#}3{#/blank#}And if you want to improve your chances of having a creative idea while you're daydreaming, try to do it while you are involved in another task—preferably something simple, like taking a shower or walking, or even making meaningless drawings．
     It's also important to know how to avoid daydreams for those times when you really need to concentrate. “Mindfulness”, being focused, is a tool that some people use to avoid falling asleep．{#blank#}4{#/blank#}
     Finally, you never know what wonderful idea might strike while your mind has moved slowly away．{#blank#}5{#/blank#}
    Always remember that your best ideas might come when your head is actually in the clouds．

A. Having interesting things to think about also helps．

B. They stare off into space and wander by themselves．

C. Without wandering minds, we wouldn't have relatively, Coke or Post-it notes．

D. At one time, daydreaming was thought to be a cause of some mental illnesses．

E. It involves slow, steady breathing for self-control that helps people stay calm and attentive．

F. Daydreams are often very simple and direct, quite unlike sleep dreams, which may be hard to understand．

G. Therefore, it's a good idea to keep a notebook or voice recorder nearby when you're in the daydream zone．

The Art of Slow Reading

    If you are reading this article in print, chances are that you will only get through half of what I have written. And if you are reading this online, you may not even finish a fifth. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They suggest that many of us no longer have the concentration to read articles through to their conclusion.

    So are we getting stupider? Actually, our online habits are damaging the mental power we need to process and understand textual information. Round-the-clock news makes us read from one article to the next without necessarily engaging fully with any of the content. Our reading is frequently interrupted by the noise of the latest email and we are now absorbing short bursts of words on Twitter and Facebook more regularly than longer texts. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But we are gradually forgetting how to sit back, think carefully, and relate all the facts to each other.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} A desperate bunch of academics want us to take our time while reading, and re-reading. They ask us to switch off our computers every so often and rediscover both the joy of personal engagement with printed texts, and the ability to process them fully. What's to be done then? Most slow readers realize that total rejection of the web is extremely unrealistic. They feel that getaway from technology for a while is the answer. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Personally, I'm not sure whether I could ever go offline for long. Even while writing this article, I am switching constantly between sites, skimming too often, absorbing too little. Internet reading has become too rooted in my daily life for me to change. I read essays and articles not in hard copy but as PDFs. I suspect that many readers are in a similar position. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You can download a computer application called Freedom, which allows you to read in peace by cutting off your Internet connection. Or if you want to avoid being disturbed by the Internet, you could always download offline reader Instapaper for your iPhone. If you're still reading my article, that is slow reading.

A. The Internet is probably part of the problem.

B. Now some campaigns are advocating slow reading.

C. These are the two findings from the recent research projects.

D. But if you just occasionally want to read more slowly, help is at hand.

E. Some of them have suggested turning their computers off for one day a week.

F. Slow reading can help connect a reader to neighborhood and become popular.

G. Because of the Internet, we have become very good at collecting information.

    Before visiting Stonehenge I didn't know much about it. I remember seeing photos in my textbooks and being interested in the large stone structure. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    My visit to Stonehenge made me understand more about it. Stonehenge is an important piece of prehistory that is just outside London, England, in Wiltshire. It is in the middle of a field. My arrival at Stonehenge was by car. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} When arriving at the museum you will not see the stones. They are about a mile away from the main museum building that you enter upon arrival. The museum exhibits(展览品) describing Stonehenge history are in this building as well. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Then you will have a background on the history of the stones.

Then you will take a bus. The bus will drop you off outside the stones where you will take the path around the stones. The path is for tourists to view and walk through. Visiting the stones is quite a magical experience as you are viewing a piece of history that is over 5, 000 years old. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It's hard to believe that the stones were brought from Wales —hundreds of miles away. It's interesting to imagine what the stones were used for. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And the structure that is kept now is only a piece of the original(最初的) structure.

A. I suggest going through it first

B. Tickets are also a necessity for your visit

C. As time has passed many stones have fallen

D. This was probably the easiest way to get there

E. Then you can board the bus back to the main building

F. Once you start viewing the stones you realize how big they are

G. What is more interesting about Stonehenge is how it was built.