The Internet has opened up a whole new online world for us to meet, chat and go where we've never been before.

    But just as in face to face communication, there are some rules of behavior that should be followed when on line. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Imagine how you'd feel if you were in the other person's shoes.

    For anything you're about to send: ask yourself, “Would I say this to the person's face?” if the answer is no, rewrite and reread. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    If someone in the chat room is rude to you, your instinct (本能) is to fire back in the same manner. But try not to do so. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} If it was caused by a disagreement with another member, try to fix the situation by politely discussing it. Remember to respect the beliefs and opinions of others in the chat room.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Offer advice when asked by newcomers, as they may not be sure what to do or how to communicate. When someone makes a mistake, whether it's a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer, be kind about it. If it's a small mistake, you may not need to say anything. Even if you feel strongly about it, think twice before saying anything. Having good manners yourself doesn't give you license to correct everyone else. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} At the same time, if you find you are wrong, be sure to correct yourself and apologize to those that you have offended.

    It is not polite to ask others personal questions such as their age, sex and income. Unless you know the person very well, and you are both comfortable with sharing personal information, don't ask such questions.

A. It's natural that there are some people who speak rudely or make mistakes online.

B. Repeat the process till you feel sure that you'd feel comfortable saying the words to the person's face.

C. Everyone was new to the network once.

D. The basic rule is simple: treat others in the same way you would want to be treated.

E. When you send short messages to a person online, you must say something beautiful to hear.

F. You should either ignore the person, or use your chat software to block their messages.

G. If you do decide to tell someone about a mistake, point it out politely. 

Rich and Famous

    Twenty years ago the most common ambition of American children was to be a teacher, followed by working in banking and finance, and then medicine. But today's situation is quite different. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Instead they most commonly say they want to be a sports star, or an actor—in other words, they hope to become a celebrity.

    According to experts, young people desire these jobs largely because of the wealth and the fame. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Let's take athletes and singers as an example. Their careers are short-lived. Many athletes' best time only lasts a few years and singers can have a very limited career. The field that was once the focus of their lives becomes something they have little or no involvement in. As a result, they'll have a feeling of worthlessness and a lack of control. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The truth is quite simple: they have been so far removed from it for so long.

    In spite of these disadvantage, there is greater ambition than ever among young people to achieve that status. They are not satisfied just making a living—they want to be rich and famous. Globally, more and more TV shows provide talent competitions where winners can achieve their goals in just a few weeks or months. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They unrealistically believe that this lifestyle is easily obtained and leads to great satisfaction.

    While many people argue that there is nothing wrong with having such ambitions, others feel that this trend will finally lead to dissatisfaction as more and more people are unable to reach their goals. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That means they ignore the simple fact that great effort is needed before success. As a result, many people won't realize their childhood dreams, which could have a negative effect on their happiness.

A. The younger generation don't favor these professions any more.

B. In many ways this has been brought about by the celebrity culture.

C. Unfortunately, they do not always have a positive effect on people's life.

D. Besides, it can be difficult for them to adapt back to a normal everyday life.

E. People no longer have a sense of satisfaction once their goals have been achieved.

F. This quick way of gaining wealth and fame creates a celebrity culture among people.

G. The reason is that they don't realize it takes talent and hard work to be rich and famous.

Suggestions for cooking on a Tight Schedule

    In my opinion, there are three main reasons why people don't cook more often: ability, money and time,{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Money is a topic I'll save for another day. So today I want to give you some wisdom about how to make the most of the time you spend in the kitchen. Here are three suggestions for great cooking on a tight schedule:

    ⒈Think ahead. The moments when I think cooking is a pain are when I'm already hungry and there is nothing ready to eat. So think about of the coming week. When will you have time to cook? Do you have the right materials ready?{#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    ⒉Make your time worth it. When you do find time to cook a meal, make the most of it and save yourself time later on. Are you making one loaf of bread? {#blank#}3{#/blank#}it takes around the same amount of time to make more of something. So save yourself the effort for a future meal.

    ⒊{#blank#}4{#/blank#}This may surprise you, but one of the best tools for making cooking worth your time is experimentation. It gives you the chance to hit upon new ideas and recipes that can work well with your appetite and schedule. The more you learn and the more you try, the more ability you have to take control of your food and your schedule.

    Hopefully that gives you a good start.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} and don't let a busy schedule discourage you from making some great changes in the way you eat and live!

A. Cooking is a burden for many people.

B. Make three or four instead.

C. Ability is easily improved.

D.A little time planning ahead can save a lot of work later on.

E. Let cooking and living simply be a joy rather than a burden.

F. Try new things.

G. Understand your food better.

    Most of us will admit that on occasions we can be bad－tempered. This can be for a number of reasons.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}As the body and mind are tired, it seems to take us less time to become angry just because of something that is of little importance. Young children are usually the cause of tiredness and it is highly likely that parents allow themselves to release(释放) their exhaustion directly at the children. Children are very good at remembering these instances and it will affect them for a long time.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Diet and lifestyle can be key factors in causing a bad temper. Some people don't realize that their diet can directly affect their moods. Processed food and items that contain a lot of sugars, especially those that aren't natural sugars, can cause a rise in blood sugar. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Similarly, lifestyle choices can encourage bad tempers and poor moods, especially if drug and alcohol are used too frequently.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    If you have noticed that you are becoming increasingly bad－tempered, it is important that you take steps to try and regain control. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}After you find the cause, try and make positive changes to prevent this from occurring in the future.

A. Find your ways to release your anger.

B. Check what it is that causes the bad mood.

C. Tiredness is often the most common reason.

D. Managing your anger is good for your health.

E. Therefore, it is important to have more patience when with children.

F. This rise can have a very negative effect on moods and mental performance.

G. So it is important to keep away from these temptations(诱惑) for your own mental state.

    It's difficult to find true friends these days. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} How? Here are some tips on how to make your friendship last forever:

    Call for no reason. Call just to say "Hi" or just to ask "What's up?" If you can't call, just send an e-mail. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Know when to say "I'm sorry." and "Thank you". {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Show appreciation for the things, big or little that your friend does for you. Say thank you. It's that easy.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you have nothing good to say, don't talk at all. Don't risk hurting your friend's feelings by saying hurtful words that, most of the time, you don't really mean.

    Be honest. Don't lie to friends. Trust is the foundation of true friendship. Write them a note from time to time. Also, try to be thoughtful. Give simple gifts that will make their day.

    Never be mean with your time. Spare some time to see your friends however busy you are. You can always spare an hour or two after school or work to visit them. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    If you are the type of person who knows how to take care of friendship, you definitely are a keeper!

A. Avoid hurtful words.

B. Action speaks louder than words.

C. Some are never there when you need them most.

D. Don't let pride get in the way, especially when you're at fault.

E. Weekends are a great time, too, to bond and hang out with your friends.

F. This would send a message that you remember your friends at a random (任意的) time of the day.

G. Once you find a friend who is worth keeping, make sure to take care of what you have with that person.

A Few Active Listening Guidelines

    Listening is arguably the most important element of interpersonal communication. Our ability to listen well impacts the quality of all of our relationships, and not just at home with our family and friends—it can also affect our relationships and interactions on the job, as well as the effectiveness and quality of our work.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Instead, it is a skill that must be cultivated and practiced. Active listening means the difference between simply hearing, and listening with the intent to truly understand. It is a subtle but important distinction.

    ⒈Give focused attention.

    Try to minimize external (外部的) distractions. Turn down the noise, and put down or step away from what you're doing if possible. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Don't watch the clock, fidget (坐立不安) or go over your to-do list for later.

    ⒉{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Direct eye contact shows your attention and intention to listen. This doesn't mean stare, though. Be reasonable, but try not to let your eyes wander to whatever is going on around you.

    ⒊Reflect back.

    Restate, but don't repeat word for word. Paraphrase what you think the other part is saying with responses such as: "What I'm hearing is…" or "Let me see if I'm following you... "{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    ⒋Respond appropriately.

    Be open and honest in your responses. Share your thoughts, insights and feelings in a clear, but respectful and considerate manner even if you disagree.

    Active listening is a model for good communication. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It takes practice to develop active listening skills, and it's a habit that has to be reinforced(加强). Remind yourself that the goal of conversation is not merely to trade words, but to truly understand what the other party is saying and to be understood in turn.

A. Maintain eye contact.

B. Instead, focus on what is being said.

C. You do not have to agree on everything.

D. Also, set aside other internal thinking and dialogue.

E. Listening is not something that comes naturally or easily for most of us.

F. Reflecting what you've heard signals that you're attempting to understand fully.

G. Remember that listening is not just to gather information and share ideas, but also to gain perspective and understanding.