Do you know oil platforms (石油钻井平台)? They pump out (大量生产) oil from under the ocean (海洋). There can be over 100 people living and working on an oil platform. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    The people on oil platforms do a number of different jobs. There are engineers, cooks, doctors, cleaners, etc. But the roughnecks (石油钻井工人) have the hardest job. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's hard, dangerous work.

    There are no weekends on oil platforms. Usually, people work every day for two weeks. Then they go back to land to have two or three weeks off from work.

    The people on oil platforms can play games and watch TV when they don't work or sleep. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}There's not much space, and you can't just go for a walk.

    Oil platforms are dangerous places. Everyone needs to work carefully.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}An accident (事故)on the platform Deepwater Horizon in 2010 killed eleven people and a lot of oil went into the ocean.

    After that accident, some people said that oil platforms were just too dangerous.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}So we still need people to work in these difficult, dangerous places.

    A Greeting is a way of saying "Hello" to．someone．People in different countries greet each other in different ways．The following are some examples．

    In the United State，people usually shake hands．The handshake has an interesting origin(起源)．It started long ago as a way of showing people that they weren't carrying a weapon(武器)．Shaking the person's right hand while looking him or her in the eye is the usual way．

    Handshakes are also common in other parts of the world，including Britain and Russia．In Russia, a man often holds another man's hand very strongly during the handshake．Most people in New Zealand also greet each other by shaking hands．However，the Maori people in New Zealand greet each other by pressing their noses together．

    In other countries，such as France and Belgium，hugging and kissing are more common when two people meet. In those cultures，people kiss each other on the cheek(面额)．The number of kisses is different from country to country．In Saudi Arabia，men might hug and kiss each other(but not with a woman)on the check．In some Eastern countries，including Japan，bowing is the traditional way of greeting people．

    It was a fine day. Sherlock Holmes invited his best friend Doctor Watson to go camping with him. They found a nice hill and put up their tent. Then they went fishing and climbed the hill. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They began to chat (聊天) happily.

    "Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you can see." said Holmes.

    "{#blank#}2{#/blank#}"Watson replied.

    Holmes asked again, "What does that tell you?"

    Watson thought for a while, "It tells me that there are tons of galaxies (星系) and planets."

    Holmes continued asking, "{#blank#}3{#/blank#}"

    Watson smiled. "It tells me that God is great and powerful. At the same time, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}"

    "Oh, I think so. Is that all?" asked Holmes.

    "No, as for the weather, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} What does it tell you?" Watson said.

    Holmes laughed. "Someone has stolen our tent."

    When this story happened, they were working around a very large house. Their job was to do the cleaning. It was not a difficult job, but sometimes it was a little dangerous, because they had to walk below where workmen were working. These workmen often dropped something from the top of the house many meters high to the ground.

    One morning Joe was working near the house with a cigarette(烟) behind one of his ears. Suddenly somebody on the top shouted, "Look out!" But Joe did not "look out". He looked up. And as he did so, a long knife missed Joe's head, but it cut off one of his cars. At once he put his hand to one side of his head and cried out, "I've lost an ear. Help! Help!" Jeff ran up to help his friend. "Look for my ear," Joe told him." It must be on the ground somewhere." Jeff looked everywhere for the missing ear. At last he found an ear on the ground. He picked it up and carried it to Joe. "Here you are", he said, "I've found it." Joe looked at it." No, that's not my ear." He said," Mine had a cigarette behind it"

    Some people around you look so cool and happy, but you often feel lonely. Or the friends you have do not really understand you that make you feel lonely, too. So what can be done when you have this feeling?

    Understand people's differences

    Not everyone has to do things the same way or behave the same way. Find people who have the same feeling. That is always a good basic for the friendship. You can take part in activities outside school like sports, art classes and dancing classes. There you can have more chances to find people who have the same interest as you.

    Develop your friendship

    Friendships do not just happen, and they need work. Phone your friends once in a while. Being there when they need you means that they will do the same for you.

    Accept others' invitations

    Even if someone invites you to a neighborhood street party, you never know who else will be there. Laughing and playing together could start a new friendship.

    Start a club

    Make your circle of friends big by starting a club. Going camping together or regularly (有规律地) going to the movies doesn't take much time.