Tea, coffee and cocoa are three major drinks all over the world. Tea is drunk by the largest number of people in the world. Tea, as well as silk and porcelain, began to be known by the world over a thousand years ago and has been an important Chinese export since then.

   Tea has a history of over 4, 000 years and China is the home of tea. In ancient China, tea was used as a kind of medicine, while nowadays people drink tea daily. Longjing, Pu'er, Wulong and Tieguanyin are all famous tea. Thanks to the mild climate and rich soil in Fujian, Zhejiang and Yunnan, tea is produced mainly in these provinces.

   The words for tea in different languages came from Chinese, like “cha' i” in Russian. And the Japanese character for tea is written exactly the same as it is in Chinese.

   Over the past centuries, Chinese people have developed their unique(独特的)tea culture, which includes tea planting, tea-leaf  picking, tea making, tea drinking and so on. Tea is also popular in some sayings, like “A friendship between gentlemen is like a cup of tea.” In dances, songs, poems and novels, tea is often mentioned, too.

    Everyone needs friends. But how do you find real friendship and keep it?

    The American writer Sally Seamans tells young students some smart ways to find friends. Sally says founding friendship is just like planting a tree. You plant the seed (种子) and take care of it to make it grow.

    First, you should choose a friend. What makes a good friend? It is not because a person has money or good looks. A good friend should be kind and patient. For example, if you have a bad day, a good friend could listen to your complaints (抱怨) and do his or her best to help you. To make a friend, you can't be too shy. You should make each other happy and share your lives.

    But things can not always be happy. Even the best friends have fights. What should you do when you have a fight with your friend? You have to talk to him or her. When there is no one around, have a good talk. If he or she doesn't want to talk, you can write a letter.

    There are three steps to be friends again:

    Tell him or her how you are feeling, say what your friend did wrong and talk about why you did this or that. Remember that friendship is one of the most important things in your life.

    A young man entered the last interview of a company. The director learnt that the young man's academic (学业的) grades were very good. "Did you get any scholarships (奖学金) in school?" the director asked. "None." The young man answered. "Did your father pay for your school fees?" the director asked. "My father died when I was one year old, so my mother paid my school fees." The young man answered.

    "Where did your mother work?" the director asked. "My mother washed clothes." The young man said. The director looked at the young man's hands. He had a pair of smooth and perfect hands.

    "Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" the director asked. "Never." The young man answered. "I have a request," the director said. When you go back today, wash your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning."

    The young man felt that his chance of getting the job was high. When he went back. He happily asked his mother to let him wash her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings. She showed her hands to the kid. The young man washed his mother's hands slowly. His tears fell when he did that. It was the first time he had noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled (有皱纹的).He realized it was this pair of hands that helped him pay the fees.

    The next morning, the young man went to the director's office. "I washed my mother's hands, and I know that without my mother, I would not be the person I am today." He said.

    "This is what I am looking for," the director said. "I want a person who can appreciate (感激) the help of others to get things done. You will be a member of our company.

Dear daughter,

    You are a wonderful person and your mother and I love you. It will not be long before you leave school to make your way in the world. Can I give you some friendly advice? Here are some things that you should never do.

    Never get upset with your look.

    We think you look great. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Eat well, take exercise and be healthy. Some girls worry too much about not getting the perfect shape. You look fine.

    Never put yourself at serious risk.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And sometimes you have to avoid things that look like they might be fun, like smoking.

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    You are great and able to achieve great things, so believe in yourself. When things go badly, never stop believing. Some girls get upset, doubt themselves and lose confidence. Then many problems can follow.

    Never give less than your best.

We are very proud of what you have achieved. You should be proud, too.     {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Never forget that your parents love you.

    Whatever happens in life, your family will still be your family. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} We are here for you and we will try to help.

Love,

Dad

    I'm forty now. I left school twenty-two years ago. Here's my list of five things I hope to share with you teenagers at school.

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    I always wanted to be the best, and one way of feeling good about myself was to see how much better I was than others. There was only one problem with this. When I saw they were better than me, I felt terrible. Now I compare me with myself. I ask myself if I do things as well as I could.

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    How much time do you spend worrying about the future? I used to worry a lot. Now I know most things you fear will usually never happen. They're just monsters in your own mind. Even if they happen, they will often not be as bad as you expected. In six months, you probably won't remember most of the things you worry about now.

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    When I was young, I often failed to start things I expected to do because I thought they'd taken too long to finish. I always wanted to write a book, for example. But when I thought it might take me more than a year, I lost my enthusiasm(热情). It seemed such a long time. Now I know a year is nothing, if I'd started that book when I was 16, I might have written 10 more by now. I'm upset with myself for not even trying.

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    As a young child you try many new things. If you fail, you try again and again until you learn. But at school you are usually encouraged to do things right. Then you stop trying new things in case you get them wrong. You are losing chances to challenge yourselves. I always remind myself: I had fallen off the bike many times before I learned to ride it.

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    I hated losing when I was younger. Of course, it's nice to win sometimes and to be the best at something. But we can't all be winners all the time. Learning to lose is one of life's most important lessons. If you try your hardest, then you should never be angry with yourself.