Kinds of friendships

    There are many different kinds of friendships to distinguish.If people are honest with one another and clearly define（界定）which kind of friendship they have,they can avoid a lot of misunderstanding.And if people can learn to move on from a relationship that is over,they will be better off.

    Then,what are the different kinds of friendship?Well,the first kind is the social friend.This is the kind of friend that people have most of.This kind of friend isn't someone who you hang out with all the time or live with,but you know them and associate with（与…交往）them at a bar,store or some other public places.They're nice to talk to when you see them and are usually good for a laugh.However,they are not good to talk about a problem with.

    The second kind is the counselor（顾问）.This is a friend you go to when you need advice or just someone to listen.You value their wisdom or at least the fact that they are good at listening to you.You can tell this kind of friend almost anything without fearing gossip（闲言碎语）.They are the kind of friend you can trust but you just don't hang out together,unless you want to talk about something important.

    The third kind is the fun boy/girl.This kind of friend can usually be counted on to go somewhere with you at a moment's notice.They like hanging out with you whether you're going to a store or a bar or wherever.They're good tension relievers because you know you're just going to have a good time.This kind of friend isn't someone you go to for advice;in fact you shouldn't affect your relationship by getting serious about something.They're trustworthy and you know they aren't going to gossip about what you do together.Don't expect anything else from this kind of friend; just have a good time.

    The fourth kind of is the work friend.This is the friend you have at work.You interact（交流）at work only.This may include having a break together,maybe even shopping with them or running an errand（差使）during lunch or after work.They're usually not good to get advice form but on some occasions things might be discussed and you might give each other advice.Mostly you talk about the job.

    The last kind is the lifetime friend.This friendship is very rare and usually is found in marriage relationships. This kind of friend is all the above rolled into one.

    Perhaps at one point in time, it was acceptable to start any letter or e-mail with “To Whom It May Concern.”{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Starting your cover letter or e-mail for a job this way might give off the impression that you didn't do your research on who you're writing to{#blank#}2{#/blank#}After all, people who address other people by their names when writing and speaking to them tend to be more pleasant.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}It can be used in letters of recommendation or reference, formal complaints（抱怨）made to a company, letters of introduction, and letters of interest.

    Grammarly uses the example of needing to write a letter of recommendation, for a colleague who will have to make several copies to distribute to interviewers{#blank#}4{#/blank#}“In most cases, though, try to narrow your focus rather than cast a broad net,” notes Grammarly.”Ask yourself. Who does this e-mail concern? If you can honestly answer 'Anyone, 'then feel free to use “To Whom It May Concern.” （These are the things you should never say in your cover letter.）

    If you do happen to find that using “To Whom It May Concern” is appropriate, don't make grammar mistakes, for example, letters or punctuation.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. However, it maybe interesting.

B. Those times have changed, though.

C. Making mistakes in writing will surely get you low scores.

D. It's also very impersonal, which some employers might not appreciate.

E. In that circumstance, sending and receiving letters is more of a formal greeting.

F. You might want to take note of other common errors you might be committing, too.

G. But according to Grammarly, there are four times when it's OK to use this greeting.

    Why do people travel? There are many reasons one can think of when asked questions like this.

    To travel far enough to meet yourself

    Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You find out your abilities. When you are offered a different lifestyle, you can find out what you are made of. The farther you go from your home, the nearer you come to your true self.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    If you look back at all the amazing memories of your life, you will realize that most of them were out of your comfort zone. Traveling is dangerous, full of life threatening possibilities and will not always be comfortable, but at the same time, it gives irreplaceable memories.

    To slow down and relax

    A wise man once said that never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life. Money is worth nothing if you cannot spend it on a little adventure. While we are deeply involved in making money, we forget that time is going through our fingers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The feeling of being away from your workplace is pure happiness. The feeling of not having to worry about the never ending piles of files is pure joy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    To celebrate life

    Life is short and the world is wide. One day you might wake up and realize that you don't have time to do everything that you have always wanted to do, anymore. Once in a while, make time to appreciate the fact that you are alive, young, free and healthy. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. To break through your comfort zone.

B. To become a storyteller.

C. Escape life for a little while because experience is far more valuable than money.

D. You can relate to the world and connect to others.

E. And the feeling of being away from your boss for a few days is pure pleasure.

F. So, go traveling to celebrate life itself.

G. Traveling lets you discover yourself.

    What is your favourite colour? Do you like yellow, orange, red? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Do you prefer greys and blues? Then you are probably quiet, shy, and you would rather follow than lead． You tend to be pessimist. At least, this is what psychologists tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of colour preference, as well as the effect that colours have on human beings.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you happen to love brown, you did so, as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one; and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} A black bridge over the Thames River, near London, used to be the scene of more suicides(自杀) than any other bridge in the area——until it was repainted green. The number of suicide attempts immediately fell sharply. Perhaps it would have fallen even more if the bridge had been done in pink or baby blue.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It is an established fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or grey.

A. On the other hand, black is depressing.

B. They tell us, among other facts, that we do not choose our favourite colour as grow up——we are born with our preference.

C. The rooms are painted in different colours as you like.

D. If you do, you must be an optimist, a leader, an active person who enjoys life, people and excitement.

E. Light and bright colours make people not only happier but more active.

F. Life is like a picture or a poem, full of different colours.

G. Colours do influence our moods—there is no doubt about it.

Life on a Ship

    We three children were very excited when we walked up the gangway (舷梯) of the British flagship China Star and saw officers, crew and staff rushing around. A Chinese housekeeper led the way and helped Uncle Jean and Aunt Reine with our luggage. Victor, Claudine and I lagged behind. The housekeeper was tall and thin and towered over everyone. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} As we followed him down a narrow corridor towards our cabins, Victor whispered to me, "One thing about having no hair at all on your head, you always look neat!"

    Though I was still feeling nervous and tongue-tied because it had only been three days since Aunt Reine took me out of St. Joseph's, I laughed out loud. That was the effect Victor had on people. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} "Boys to the right and girls to the left," said Uncle Jean. Our two cabins were directly opposite each other. Inside, everything was neat, bare and clean. While Aunt Reine, Claudine and I were unpacking, there was a knock on the door.

    Victor stood there, wearing a bright-red and orange life-jacket. "Why are you wearing that?" Claudine protested. "Our ship hasn't even sailed yet!" "In case the China Star starts going down. Then you'll really be sorry you're not wearing one yourself. Here! Let me show you something!" {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Our cabin was below deck. Outside we could see nothing but deep dark water.

    Claudine became alarmed. "Mama, how often does a ship sink?" she asked. Before Aunt Reine had time to reply, Victor quipped with a straight face, "Only once!" Aunt Reine and I could not help laughing in spite of ourselves. But then Victor did something my brothers would never have done. He took off his life-jacket, slipped it on his sister and showed her how to adjust the straps. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} At night, our housekeeper brought in a tiny roll-out bed because there were three of us.

A. Once Victor hid in a lifeboat for half an hour while we searched everywhere.

B. His head was completely hairless, and he was obviously unsteady.

C. He and Claudine made me feel at ease as soon as I met them.

D. There were only two narrow twin beds in our cabin, each covered with dark blue sheets.

E. He parted the curtain and looked out of the round window of the ship.

F. He jumped out as we passed below him, scaring and delighting us at the same time.

At my first lesson in Chinese calligraphy, my teacher told me plainly: "Now I will teach you how to write your name. And to make it beautiful." I felt my breath catch. I was curious.

Growing up in Singapore, I had an unusual relationship with my Chinese name. My parents are ethnically Chinese, so they asked fortune tellers to decide my name, aiming for maximum luck. As a result, I ended up with a nonsense and embarrassing name: Chen Yiwen, meaning, roughly, "old", "barley （薏米） "and "warm".

When I arrived in America for college at 18, I put on an American accent and abandoned my Chinese name. When I moved to Hong Kong in 2021, after 14 years in the States, I decided to learn calligraphy. Why not get back in touch with my heritage? I thought.

In calligraphy, the idea is to copy the old masters' techniques, thereby refining your own. Every week, though, my teacher would give uncomfortably on-the-nose assessments of my person. "You need to be braver," he once observed. "Have confidence. Try to produce a bold stroke （笔画）." For years, I had prided myself on presenting an image of confidence, but my writing betrayed me.

I was trying to make sense of this practice. You must visualize the word as it is to be written and leave a trace of yourself in it. As a bodily practice, calligraphy could go beyond its own cultural restrictions. Could it help me go beyond mine? My teacher once said to me, "When you look at the word, you see the body. Though a word on the page is two-dimensional, it contains multitudes, conveying the force you've applied, the energy of your grip, the arch of your spine." I had been learning calligraphy to get in touch with my cultural roots, but what I was really seeking was a return to myself. Now I have sensed that the pleasure out of calligraphy allows me to know myself more fully.

During a recent lesson, my teacher pointed at the word I had just finished, telling me: "This word is much better. I can see the choices you made, your calculations, your flow. Trust yourself. This word is yours." He might as well have said, "This word is you."