Maybe you have heard the expression “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. So when you want to do business in France, you have to get to know French culture, to make marketing plans, and to run your business by local laws．

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The French take great pride in their language, so anyone who does not speak it may run the risk of being disrespected by his French colleagues or business partners. Also, another reason why learning French is important is that it is a great way to show every possible French business partner that you care and respect their country's culture and language．

    The first thing that you should do when meeting someone new is to shake his hand firmly and always look the person in the eye. In social meetings with friends, kissing is common．

    Use first names only after being invited to. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The French will sometimes introduce themselves using their surname first, followed by their first name．

    Dress well. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Your business clothing is a reflection of your success and social status. Always try to be tasteful and stylish.  Women are advised to dress simply but elegantly. Wearing make-up is practiced widely by business women．

    The French are passionate about food, so lunches are common in doing business in France, which usually consist of an appetizer, main meal with wine, cheese, dessert and coffee, and normally take up to two hours． {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Do not begin eating until the host says, “bon appetite”. Pass dishes to the left, keep wrists above the table and try to eat everything on the plate. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}  This may suggest that you find the food tasteless. If eating in a restaurant, the person who invites always pays．

A． The French draw information about people based on their appearance．

B． This is a time for relationship building．

C． Remember to be as polite as possible．

D．Language should be the focus of anyone planning to do business in France．

E． Be careful with adding salt, pepper or sauces to your food．

F．Use Monsieur or Madame before the surname．

G．Make an appointment with your business partner in advance．

    Nothing succeeding lacks(缺乏) confidence. When you are truly confident, it attracts success to you. It's important to believe in yourself. Believe that you can do it under any circumstance(情况), because if you believe you can, then you really will. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Some people say confidence is just an attitude. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It comes from knowing exactly where you are going and exactly how you are going to get there. It comes from acting with confidence. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It comes from a strong commitment(承诺) to take responsibility, rather than just letting life happen.

    One way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear and to get a record of successful experiences behind you.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Confidence is knowing you can do it. Know that you are able to accomplish(完成) anything you want, and live your life with confidence.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If your life is not what you want it to be, you have the power to change it, and you must make the changes on a moment by moment basis. Live with your goals and your plans of action. Act with your own purposes, and you will have the life you want.

A. Actually, it is more than an attitude.

B. It comes from a strong sense of purpose.

C. Confidence is not just believing you can do it.

D. The belief keeps you searching for answers.

E. Confidence is understanding and comes from strength.

F. Live each moment with your plans in mind.

G. Anything can be achieved through self-confidence.

Easy ways to keep your brain sharp

    Everyone is forgetful, but as we age, we start to feel like our brains are slowing down a bit — and that can be a very annoying thing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Read on for some techniques worth trying.

    ⒈{#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    People who regularly made plans and looked forward to upcoming events had a 50 percent reduced chance of Alzheimer's disease (早老性痴呆症), according to a recent study. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Something as simple as setting a goal to have a weekly coffee date with a friend will do. There's evidence that people who have a purpose in life or who are working on long or short-term goals appear to do better. In other words, keep your brains looking forward.

    ⒉Go for a walk.

    Mildly raised glucose (葡萄糖) levels can harm the area of the brain that helps you form memories and physical activity can help get blood glucose down to normal levels. In fact, exercise produces chemicals that are good for your brain. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    ⒊Learn something new.

    Take a Spanish class online, join a drawing club, or learn to play cards. A study found that mental stimulation (刺激) limits the weakening effects of aging on memory and the mind. But the best thing for your brain is when you learn something new and are physically active at the same time.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Or go dancing with your friends.

A. Focus on the future.

B. This can be especially harmful to the aged.

C. It should be something like learning gardening.

D. So take a few minutes each day to do some reading.

E. But don't worry if your schedule isn't filled with life-changing events.

F. Luckily, research shows there is a lot you can do to avoid those moments.

G. In other words, when you take care of your body, you take care of your brain.

Four benefits of writing by hand

    Today is National Handwriting Day! Although we don't write like we used to, here are four ways handwriting is still helpful in.

    It's better for learning.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} That's because putting ink to paper stimulates (刺激) the brain. One study from 2010 found that the brain areas related to learning “lit up ”much more when kids were asked to write words like "spaceship" by hand versus just studying the words closely.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    Many famous authors prefer writing by hand to the use of a typewriter or computer. Writer Susan Sontag once said that she penned her first drafts (草稿)before typing them up for editing later. She said, “{#blank#}3{#/blank#} ” A 2009 study seems to support Sontag's preference for writing by hand: Elementary school students who wrote essays with a pen not only wrote more than their keyboard-typing friends, but also wrote faster and in more complete sentences.

    It will prevent you from being distracted (分心).

    The computer in front of you is really a distraction. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  In 2012, scientists even suggested that taking a five-minute break to browse Tumblr or BuzzFeed could make you a more productive worker. However, when it's time to work on that essay, have only a pen and paper in front of you.

    It keeps your brain sharp as you get older.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} According to The Wall Street Journal, some physicians say that the act of writing is good exercise for those who want to keep their minds sharp as they age.

A. It makes you a better writer.

B. Writing is good for your brain.

C. Of course, the Internet isn't all bad.

D. I like the slowness of writing by hand.

E .Try writing by hand at least 20 minutes each day.

F. Many writers have a preference for writing by hand.

G. One of the most effective ways to study is to rewrite your notes by hand.

    Have you ever been bored and decided to check social media, only to find out that your best friend is at Disneyland, that one of your classmates is eating delicious pizza at your favorite pizza store, and that one of your soccer teammates is climbing the Eiffel Tower in Paris? Have you ever had that feeling that others are experiencing things and enjoying life more than you are? Oh, man! You're missing out!{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Researchers call that feeling the fear of missing out or FoMO.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's so easy today to see what your friends are doing from the social media. Unluckily, we only have so much time in the day and only so much money to spend on food or entertainment. It would be impossible for us to enjoy all the same activities we see others take part in on social media.

    Rather than realizing this basic truth, though, we usually let FoMO lead us to compare our lives with those of others on social media. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Why? We know all the sides of our lives— both good and bad, but all we see on social media are the picture-perfect moments others share.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}FoMO makes us check social media more frequently, leading to addiction and a negative cycle that can be hard to break. Researchers have found that social media and FoMO can cause serious negative results, including feeling of depression, loneliness and boredom.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Researchers advise that we stop looking to social media for happiness. Instead, we should focus our attention on our real lives, including the people around us and all the things we're grateful for.

A. Have you ever experienced FoMO?

B. At least that's what you might think.

C. This certainly leaves us feeling dissatisfied.

D. So how do we break the cycle and avoid FoMO?

E. Over 75% of young people report feeling FoMO from time to time.

F. As famous Theodore Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of joy".

G. If you let FoMO control you, the only thing you'll really be missing out on is your own life.

When the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, the resulting view of the Sun is called a solar eclipse(日食). Solar eclipses are beautiful astronomical events and many people across the world travel to faraway places to get a clear view of the phenomenon. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Others choose special eyewear.

It is believed that a pregnant woman with a baby should not view a solar eclipse. They are often told that their child will be badly formed if they view a solar eclipse. However, various scientific authorities have stated over and over again that there is no harm at all in viewing a solar eclipse with the right eye gear. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

It is important, however, that you view a solar eclipse with the right eye gear. Staring right at the sun could permanently damage the eyes. It is wrong to assume that the sun can be looked at after the moon blocks out a majority of it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

If you want to view the eclipse, you have to get special glasses. As opposed to popular belief, sunglasses and dark films do NOT protect our eyes. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}You can do this by fixing a telescope and focusing the image onto a sheet of paper. You can clearly see the eclipse on the sheet of paper. You should never look directly at the eclipse through the telescope.

Similarly, you can make a tiny hole on an opaque(不透明的) sheet of paper and let the light passing through fall on a sheet of paper. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Alternatively, you can watch it live on TV which is the safest way of viewing a solar eclipse!

A. It is best if you purchase eye wear.

B. So they need not worry to view a solar eclipse.

C. Viewing a solar eclipse directly is a strict no-no.

D. Some of them watch the event through special, telescopes.

E. This method is an effective way to watch an eclipse as well.

F. To safely watch a solar eclipse, wear protective eclipse glasses.

G. The best way to see a solar eclipse is by viewing its projected image.