Do you think there is a ghost(鬼) in the world? More than 20 years ago, a student jumped from the top of the clock tower in the University of Birmingham. He did this only because he failed his final exam.

   After his death, a superstition(迷信)began: Anyone who walks under the clock tower will have bad luck in his exam. Years later, students there still remembered the story of the tower. Although Birmingham is the second largest city in Britain, the university is green and quiet. The grass around the tower has been worn away by the feet of students who refuse to pass underneath the tower.

   The university had to pave(铺)extra paths, so students could walk to their classrooms without passing under the most terrible area. But, one day just before an important exam, a top student in the university walked under the clock tower because he was lost in thought.

However, he got high marks in the exam the next day. Quickly students all knew about it. Then they realized that the most important thing is working hard. 

   Whenever I go under the clock tower, I will tell myself, “Working hard is the key to success.”

You probably talk to friends more than you talk to your parents. That's natural. Still, most of us want a parent's help, advice, and support at times. But talking to the parents may be difficult or terrible-especially when it comes to certain subjects. Here are some suggestions to make it easier.

    Talk about everyday stuff—and do it every day. The more you do something, the easier it gets. Talking to parents about everyday stuff builds a bond that can help you discuss something more serious with them later.

Find something to chat(聊天) about each day. Talk about how your team did at the sports meet. Share something one of your teachers said. Even small talk about what's for dinner can keep your relationship comfortable.

It's never too late to start. If your relationship with your parents makes you feel nervous, try getting into conversations slowly. Mention the cute thing the dog did. Talk about how well your little sister is doing in maths. Chatting with parents every day not only keeps the present relationship strong, but it can help a might-be-worse relationship get better.

    When parents feel connected to your daily life, they can be there for you if something really important             .

    How can you get happiness? Most people may say that happiness means a nice house, a car, a big bank balance and a high paying job.

    Here in India where I live now, I have travelled through villages where people seemed to earn enough to make ends meet(收支平衡). I can see happiness. I have seen smiling faces and smiling eyes. They were very happy and made my journey easier.

    I also worked on Wall Street in 1997, in a big Investment Bank. I have seen some people with a lot of money but still unhappy because they pay more attention to their material life. I am not saying that all rich are unhappy. In fact, some rich people look angry or ill, but some poor people look happy.

    Happiness is not a thing of how much you have. Happiness is a life full of hope and good emotions. You can feel happy by listening to a good song; you can feel happy watching a beautiful sunrise; you can feel happy in lots of ways that don't need any possessions(财富) at all.

Information Card

    "How are you?" is a nice question. It's a friendly greeting that people in the United States use. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It's a question that often doesn't need an answer. The person who asks, "How are you?" expects to hear the answer "Fine," even if the person isn't fine. The reason is that "How are you?" isn't really a question and "Fine" isn't really an answer. They are common ways of saying "hello" or "hi".

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, when someone asks "Do you agree?", the other person may be thinking, "No, I don't. I think you're wrong." It isn't polite to disagree very strongly, so he might say, "I am not so sure." {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

People also don't say exactly what they are thinking when they finish talking to other people. For example, many conversations over the phone end when one person says, "I've got to go now," or the person who wants to hang up gives an excuse such as "Someone is at the door," or, "Something is burning on the stove." {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The person who wants to hang up simply doesn't want to talk any more, but it isn't polite to say so. An excuse is polite, and it doesn't hurt the other person's feelings.

    Whether they are greeting each other, talking about an opinion, or ending a conversation, people often don't say exactly what they are thinking. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. This is a nicer way to say that you don't agree with someone.

B. You'd better not to tell the truth to your family.

C. However, "How are you?" is also an unusual question.

D. The excuse may be real, or not.

E. Sometimes, people don't say exactly what they mean.

F. If you disagree with others, they will hate you.

G. This is one way of being nice to people, and it's a part of the game of language.

    Hi, I'm Linda Smith. My first name's Linda, and my family name's Smith. I'm a 12-year-old middle school student. The cute girl is my sister, Mary Smith. She's 8 years old. These are my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. We're Americans, but we're not in the USA. We are in China now.

    Look! This is a photo of my room. It's very nice and clean. Here are some books on the desk. An eraser and three pencils are in the pencil box. What color is my schoolbag? It's black. You can see a Dog on my bed, but it's not mine. Its name's Pluto. It's my sister Mary's. Are those my dictionaries? No, they aren't. I borrowed (借) them from my teacher, Ms. Black. She teaches(教) me English at school.

    My room isn't big, but it always(总是) brings me happiness(带给我快乐). I love it.