{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Whatwe consider polite at home isn't always accepted outside our borders. Don't beregarded rude or disrespectful on your travels.

Giftgiving should be a happy, positive experience. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Giving sharp, pointyobjects as gifts is considered unlucky. Be careful when presenting flowers inRussia. Yellow flowers suggest cheat or a relationship breakup. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Writing cards or notes while visiting South Korea, be mindful of   
           of your pen's inkcolor. Writing a person's name in red ink traditionally suggests that theperson has passed away.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you are invited over to someone's home for a meal, it's recommended that youarrive 10 to 15 minutes later than the requested time.When having a meal inEgypt, don't use the saltshaker (调味瓶)．Spreading salt on your food means youfind the meal terrible.Japan is a very polite nation, and their politenessextends to the mealtime use of chopsticks.It's considered ill－mannered to point or play with foodwith chopsticks.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Using the end that touches your mouth isextremely offensive (冒犯的),not to mention unhygienic (不卫生的)．

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessarily so. however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here is how：

    Plan your time carefully. When planning your work, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list. you should make a schedule of your time. First your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. Then decide a good, regular time for studying. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you realize what is happening to your time.

    Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, free of eeverything but study materials. No games, radios, or television. When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject.

    Make good use of your time in class. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.

    Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes, review the important points that your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you'll remember it longer.

    Develop a good attitude towards tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won't end if you don't pass a test,so don, t be over worried.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You will probably discover many others after you have tried these.

A. There are other methods that might help you with your studying.

B. Don't forget to set aside enough time for entertainment.

C. Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teacher says.

D. No one can become a top student unless he or she works hard.

E. Maybe you are an average student.

F. Make full use of class time to take notes of what the teacher says in class.

G. This will help you understand the next class.

    You fall down on the road and a kid you barely know rushes over to help. You come home after a long day to find your dad has prepared your favorite meal. Just before lunch in social studies class, you learn about places where people don't have clean water or enough food.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}They're likely to make you feel grateful.

    Gratitude (感恩) is one of many positive emotions. It's about focusing on what's good in our lives and being thankful for the things we have.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's taking a moment to reflect on how fortunate we are when something good happens — whether it's a small thing or a big thing.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Making a habit of gratitude can also be good for us. Like other positive emotions, feeling grateful on a regular basis can have a big effect on our lives. Brain research shows that positive emotions are good for our bodies, minds, and brains.

    Positive emotions open us up to see more possibilities and take in more information. They improve our ability to develop skills, learn, and make good decisions.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} When we feel grateful for someone's kindness toward us, we may be more likely to do a kindness in return. Thanking people can make it more likely they'll do a kindness again.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When we feel and express heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to people in our lives, it creates loving bonds, builds trust, and helps you feel closer.

A. Gratitude doesn't just feel good.

B. What do these have in common?

C. Gratitude can lead to positive actions.

D. Gratitude helps us build better relationships.

E. Such kind of people are more likely to succeed.

F. We can use lots of words to describe feelings of gratitude.

G. Gratitude is stopping to notice and appreciate the things that we often take for granted.

Things to do when you are feeling down

    Let's start with a fact. We all have days when we feel down and discouraged.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here is a list to help you get back on track.

    Take care of yourself

    This may seem like an obvious thing, but try your best to get a good night s sleep and eat healthy food when you're hungry{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Consider setting an earlier bedtime than usual and stick to it. Make some nourishing snacks that you can easily grab instead of sugary junk food. Fresh fruit, a piece of cheese, some cut-up vegetables, homemade soup, they are all quick and easy options to consider.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    If you are going through a tough time, think about some healthy comforts that will make you feel better. Take a bike or go for a walk in nature. Treat yourself to a lunch at your favorite restaurant. Listen to some good music. Call a friend. Watch a funny movie. Take a nap. Read a good book. The release from stress will add to your level of happiness.

Make an action plan

    Can you identify what's making you unhappy? If so, you have a good chance of changing it{#blank#}4{#/blank#} You don't have to figure out a whole plan to solve your conflicts; simply taking some steps in the right direction will boost your good feeling.

    This, too, shall pass

    What do you say to yourself when you are going through a tough time? Beating yourself up is not helpful!{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Examples are, “It is what it is; let me just accept it and move on.” “All I can do is put one foot in front of the other and keep moving.” “And finally, this, shall pass.”

A. Science shows that both of these things can have a huge positive impact on both your mood and your blood sugar.

B. A lot of researches show that when we intend to be happy, our thoughts and actions follow suit.

C. What action can you take today that will make you feel better and change the pattern?

D. What can you do to pull yourself back from despair?

E. Try saying things that are comforting your heart and mind.

F. Other times, the blues just seem to hit for no reason at all.

G. Find things to comfort yourself.

Jealous Ken

    Dick and Ken lived in the same street. Both children had a good home and lots of nice things. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In other words, Ken was a jealous(嫉妒的) boy.

    Dick and Ken grew up and got jobs. At first, they both cycled to work every morning. Then Dick bought a motorcycle. Every morning, Dick on his motorcycle rode past Ken on his bicycle, and Ken felt jealous. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} He was happy until Dick bought a car.

    Ken worked hard until he had enough money for a car. He bought a car, and it was as good as Dick's car. There were a lot of other cars on the road, so the journey to work was slower, but Ken was happy.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} So Ken worked very hard, and yesterday he bought an expensive new car. This morning Ken left home in his new car. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} But Ken was happy because his car was bigger, better and faster than Dick's car.

    Then he saw Dick behind him, but Dick was not in a car. Dick was riding a bicycle. It was a new bicycle. The cars moved very slowly, so Dick cycled past them easily. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} He watched from his big, expensive car and felt jealous.

A.     Dick was very proud of his new car.

B.     But after a year, Dick bought a bigger car.

C.     Both Ken and Dick walked to work every day.

D.    So Ken bought a motorcycle and he was happy.

E.     Ken watched as Dick cycled away in front of him.

F.     But Ken was unhappy because some of Dick's things were better than his.

G.    There were cars in front as far as he could see, and none of them could move.

    Empathy is the ability to imagine what it must be like in someone else's situation. It is an essential part of what it means to be human, to the extent that we are suspicious of anyone who does not show empathy in their behavior.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}We read novels, watch television and go to the theatre, and part of our enjoyment comes from understanding the dilemma faced by the characters because we know how we would feel if we were in the same situation.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}One study has shown animals displaying empathy towards other animals and towards humans. Creatures from across the animal kingdom such as bees and whales, as well as domestic pets, display behavior that suggests they cooperate with and protect each other.

    In another study, psychiatrist Jules Masserman and his team conducted an experiment with monkeys in which the monkeys pulled one of two chains that released food. One chain simply released the food, while another gave an electric shock to a second monkey. The first monkey stopped pulling the chain that delivered the shock.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}This empathetic behavior was observed in a number of monkeys.

    The origin of empathy is probably the need for the young of all animal species to be cared for. They communicate this requirement by crying for attention and to show pain. Both human and non-human young were more likely to survive if their parents reacted positively to their needs. People and animals alike are social beings and are more likely to work together.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}If we help others, we are also helping ourselves and so empathy is sensible and realistic.

    We don't always display empathy, however. Just as animals react aggressively to unknown creatures from their own or other species, humans tend to regard people they don't know with suspicion.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Our unwillingness to trust anyone unfamiliar is as natural to us as our empathy towards those we know and love.

A. To feel empathy is not restricted to real life.

B. You can empathize with someone without feeling sympathy for them.

C. This fear of strangers will, we believe, protect us from personal danger.

D. It seemed to be willing to go hungry rather than see a fellow animal suffer.

E. However, it seems that in fact empathy may not be a quality unique to humans.

F. Empathy plays a role in that as it allows us to understand our fellow humans better.

G. It's certainly difficult to understand an animal's intention behind an emphatic response.