Boston College is a state­supported college on the east coast of England which has been recruiting overseas students for over 20 years and now has almost 200 international students from more than 20 different countries.You and your parents can be sure you will receive the care and support you need to succeed at our college.

      We have excellent teaching staff, with time and patience to help you learn in a stimulating but relaxed atmosphere. We are accredited by the British Council for the quality of our English language teaching so you can be sure your learning experience will be good.

      Our new modular English course is flexible and enables you to choose the best time to join us.Not only will you cover all aspects of the English language but you will have the choice of option subjects such as IELTS Preparation, British Culture, Literature, Business English or   Study Skills.We will assess your level of English when you arrive so you can be sure you will study with students of the same ability.Classes are small: usually 12～16 students so you will receive the individual attention you need to help you succeed.

      Boston College is based on two main campuses with English courses being taught in our state­of­the­art language building convenient for our Hall of Residence on the Rochford Campus.A­Level and International Foundation classes are taught on both Rochford and De Montfort Campuses.Classrooms are modern and well equipped with a number of specialist facilities for photography and video, computer suites, art and music studios and an all weather sports pitch.Both campuses have large Learning Resource Centres, well equipped with computers for student use, also available for research or assignment work.Our diploma courses include catering, hairdressing, computing and engineering, each with its own specialist facilities. We also have a Music Centre providing teaching rooms, recording studio and concert hall.

Notes：

diploma n ． 文凭

    It's generally believed that people act the way they do because of their personalities and attitudes. They recycle their garbage because they care about the environment. They pay $5 for a caramel brulee latte because they like expensive coffee drinks.

    It's undeniable that behavior comes from our inner dispositions（性情）, but in many instances we also draw inferences about who we are, as suggested by the social psychologist Daryl Bern, by observing our own behavior. We can be strangers to ourselves. If we knew our own minds, why should we need to guess what our preferences are from our behavior? If our minds were an open book, we would know exactly how much we care about the environment or like lattes. Actually, we often need to look to our behavior to figure out who we are.

Moreover, we don't just use our behavior to learn about our particular types of character — we infer characters that weren't there before. Our behavior is often shaped by little pressures around us, which we fail to recognize. Maybe we recycle because our wives and neighbors would disapprove if we didn't. Maybe we buy lattes in order to impress the people around us. We should not mistakenly believe that we always behave as a result of some inner disposition.

Whatever pressures there can be or inferences one can make, people become what they do, though it may not be in compliance（符合）with their true desires. Therefore, we should all bear in mind Kurt Vonnegut's advice: “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”

    The human brain remembers negative experiences more easily than positive ones. Our brains have developed in this way because threats,like dangerous animals ,have a more immediate effect on people's survival compared to positive things like food or shelter.As a result,you clearly know what makes you unhappy,but do you know what makes you happy?

    Research suggests that our level of happiness is partly shaped by the choices we make.If you've been chasing wealth,fame,power and some material things,you may be looking for happiness in the wrong places.Psychologists suggest that the following habits can make people happier.

    People who own close relationships tend to be happier than those who do not.The number of our friends is not important.What matters is the quality of our relationships.Relationships that bring happiness usually consist of the sharing of feelings,acceptance,mutual respect and trust.

    People who exercise on a regular basis can improve both their physical and mental well-being.Some research has shown that exercise can be as effective as some medicine in treating depression.

    If we are so interested in an activity,we may lose track of time,and we can be in a state of flow.The activity could be playing the piano,surfing the Internet or playing a game...People who experience flow in their work or life tend to be happier.

    People are more likely to be happy if they know what their strengths are and can use them regularly.People are especially happy when they can set goals and use their strengths to achieve them.

    People,who think positively by being grateful,mindful and optimistic,are more likely to be happy.Being grateful means being thankful.Being mindful means considering,focusing on,and enjoying the experiences of the present moment.Being optimistic means being hopeful about the future.

    The China Daily newspaper group is looking for English-language senior business editors, senior copy editors, copy editors and graphic designers to strengthen its international team. We offer a competitive salary package, free and practical accommodation paid for, 90 percent medical assistance, a seven-day paid leave, eleven-day public holidays and a return ticket to the country of residence(住房).

    Senior Business Editor

    You must: assist the business editor in setting goals and working on achieving them; be an excellent team person who can generate ideas and think creatively and be able to rewrite totally if needed and mentor junior staff; ideally have been working or have worked in a position of responsibility and understand what leadership entails; have had at least five years' editing experience working on editing the Business Desk and be familiar with industry software.

    Senior Copy Editor

    You must: work on shifts in the Business Desk and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print; edit or rewrite copy and give snappy headlines and captions; have had at least two years' editing experience working on editing desks and be familiar with industry software.

    Copy Editor

    You must: be good at editing or rewriting copy and writing snappy headlines and captions; be able to work on shifts for different pages, and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print; have two years of editing experience working on copy desks, and be familiar with industry software.

    Graphic Designer

    You must: have excellent skills in information graphics; be good at illustrations(插图) and freehand drawings; be experienced in newspaper or magazine design; have a good sense of typography(活版印刷术); have good news judgment; be well-versed with Macintosh software, including InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop; be fluent in English.

For enquiries or to apply, write to job@chinadaily.com.cn.

    Languages have been coming and going for thousands of years, but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going. When the world was still populated by hunter-gatherers, small, tightly knit(联系) groups developed their own patterns of speech, independent of each other. Some language experts believe that 10,000 years ago, when the world had just five to ten million people, they spoke perhaps 12,000 languages between them.

    Soon afterwards, many of those people started settling down to become farmers, and their languages too became more settled and fewer in number. In recent centuries, trade, industrialization, the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education, especially globalization and better communications in the past few decades, all have caused many languages to disappear, and dominant languages such as English, Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.

    At present, the world has about 6,800 languages. The distribution of these languages is hugely uneven. The general rule is that mild zones have fewer languages spoken by many people while hot, wet zones have more, often spoken by small numbers. Europe has only around 200 Languages: the Americas about 1,000, Africa 2,400; and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3,200, of which New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800. The median number(中位数) of speakers is a mere 6,000, which means that half the world's languages are spoken by fewer people than that.

    Now over 400 of the total of 6,800 languages are close to extinction(消亡), with only a few elderly speakers left. None of these seems to have chances of survival.

DEAR Daughter,

    We have not seen you for a while now, so I thought we might check in. Did you fall off the edge of the Earth? Your mother worries, you know, and I am just curious. Well, I am more than curious. I feel abandoned.

    Apparently you've dumped us for your career. I can understand that, because you've always had a wonderful work ethic (道德).

    Look, obviously your long absence has confused us. As we go about our daily routines, your mother and I are distracted – both by your absence and our pride in your career. The other day, I entered my work password into the microwave, then stood there cursing it for not working. And I was so off my game (状态差) that I actually used that cholesterol-free mayo (不含胆固醇的蛋黄酱) your mother insisted on buying in an effort to drive me from the house.

    Listen, a lot has happened since you've been away. Abraham Lincoln was shot. We had two more children – a princess, now 23; a boy, now 12.

    Yesterday I bought a very clean 2001 Camaro car from an older woman. Your mother is not happy about this. She says it is the kind of muscle car driven by ex-convicts (有犯罪前科的人) when they examine your house at 2 am.

    In response, I tell her it was the car of my dreams (when I was 18). So that's where your long absence has left us. Your long absence is not so bad, though we miss your roaring laughter ... the way your cheeks flush (晕红) when you eat Thai food. How you always march too hard into the house, like a Scotsman stepping on snakes.

    Each evening, your mother now waits by the window the way she did when you used to step off the bus in first grade, your hair full of rubber bands.

    Bet that drove you crazy even then, her running out on the porch (门廊) like you'd just returned from a month-long journey to the moon.

    Look, parents are not easy people.

    But should the urge ever hit you, feel free to stop by some time. Our house is your house. Our hearts are yours too.

    And your mother is still waiting by the window.

Love,

Dad