Reader's Digest is a monthly magazine. Before the 1980s, it belonged to a privately held company, which was started in 1922 by Lila Bell Wallace and Dewitt Wallace. This magazine is small and easy to carry, just half the size of most American magazines, which caused a phrase in 2005, “America in your pocket.” It is the best selling magazine in the USA. At present, its circulation(发行量） in the USA has reached 10 million copies and the number of the readers there is 38 million. Its global circulation outside the USA has reached 40 million people throughout more than 70 countries in 21 languages.
   This magazine's focus(焦点） is not news but more of cultural views because the editors think people now can get timely news from somewhere else. They hope this magazine can give readers something that is about special personal experiences, something the readers can share with their families. In different countries, this magazine provides a window to the world for the local readers. Some parts of the magazine are about the local customs and interests of the local readers. The other parts give the local readers information from all over the world.
   This magazine actually used to be a family business until the Wallaces died in the 1980s. Because they had no children, there was no one to take over the company. Sixteen years ago, this company went public and became a public company.

    “No man is an island” is a well-known line from John Donne's Devotion， written more than three hundred years ago. Even now people still agree with him. No one can live a completely isolated life. Without other people， life became empty and sad. We all need friends.

    For some of us， though making friends is not difficult， feeling shy， we may not want to make the first move. It is also difficult at times to keep the friends we already have.

    There are many books about friendship， but Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence (影响) People， written in 1936， is the most famous. This “how to” book about getting along with other people became a best-seller. It was later put into 28 languages.

    Dale Carnegie's advice (劝告) seems to be simple， but can his advice help you? Do you need to change the way you act? Here is the list of advice from his book.

1)Be friendly and polite.

    Always greet with a smile. Begin with “excuse me” or “would you please”， when you want to ask somebody. Remember to say “thank you” and try to be as helpful as you can.

2)Go out of your way to be nice.

Find some time to do special things for other people. Making some soup for a sick neighbour may seem like a little thing to you， but it will make your neighbour feel a lot better.

3)Remember names.

    They say that the sweetest music to a person's ears is the sound of his or her own name.

4)Be open-minded.

    Try to understand other people's ways and ideas and learn something from them.

5)Listen patiently.

    When someone is talking to you， look at him or her， listen carefully and say something when necessary.

The Ear Care Day falls on March 3 each year. It reminds people to pay more attention to {#blank#}1{#/blank#} hearing. On March 2, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) released (发布) its {#blank#}2{#/blank#} World Report on Hearing, the BBC reported.

According to the report, one in five people worldwide has hearing {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. By 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people, or 1 in 4 people, will have some degree of hearing loss (听力受损).

One {#blank#}4{#/blank#} for this is that many people can't get the care. This is quite {#blank#}5{#/blank#} in low-income countries where there are few doctors.

The report also gives advice {#blank#}6{#/blank#} us protect our hearing. The suggestions are mainly about controlling the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} and listening to sound safely. It also says that regular (定期的) medical checks are {#blank#}8{#/blank#}. Medical treatment (治疗) can solve most ear problems.

Keep our ears {#blank#}9{#/blank#} and warm is also very important. Dry our ears with a towel {#blank#}10{#/blank#} swimming or taking a bath. If you feel water in your ear, shake your head. This can help you get the water out of your ear.

All in all, the ears are {#blank#}11{#/blank#} important organs (器官) with great uses. Everyone should make sure to protect their ears as well as they can.

Try Something New

One day, I tried out for the school volleyball team, but I failed. It made me {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (充满) of sadness. After getting home, my mother tried to cheer me up but I still sat {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(寂静) in my room. 

In the next day, my mother invited uncle Gerry to our house. Because it was my{#blank#}3{#/blank#} （十二） birthday. The bell{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(发出铃声) and I opened the door. Uncle Gerry said "Still sad?"I guessed my mother had told him all about the{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(真相). I didn't want to say yes, but I felt better.

Later on. he gave me some advice. He said, "Tommy, I am so proud of you. You know what I do?{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(无论什么) difficulties I meet, I will find some new ways to solve them. Every year, I make a promise to try one new thing,{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(包括) a new sport, a new book or a new hobby. So perhaps you{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(推测) to try new things. It helps you grow as a better person. "

It sounded great. I decided to try new things on my way home that day. 

One day, while I was walking by a school, I saw some kids playing baseball. I thought about what my uncle had said, so I went to the kid. It took some {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (勇气), but soon I had fun playing with them. 

A year later, I became a player on our school baseball team. Now I'm still having fun playing baseball with my friends every week. In {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(整体), I found this happiness because I tried something new. 

The Whites lived in a white house with big windows. They were two young{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(农民). Their friend, Tommy, often visited them and {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(带来) some fruit and vegetables as well. He was always warm- hearted and {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(受欢迎的). 

One day, when Mr White was working on the farm, he {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(看见) a bird. It was a nice bird with white feather (羽毛). Mr White wanted to {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(抓住) it for his {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(妻子). So he followed the bird quietly. However, the bird {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(飞) away when he was about to get close to it. Suddenly, it began to rain, and he {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(跌落) into a big {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(洞). Thus, he went home {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(快地) and went to bed early to take a good rest.