My best friend and I are in the same school. Her name is Alice. We first met each other two years ago. We were all new in the school then. She is beautiful. She has long black hair, round black eyes and a small nose. She doesn't like to dress up, so I usually see her wearing jeans and a T-shirt or sweater.

    Alice and I are always talking or laughing about something. She has a wonderful sense of humor (幽默感). When I am not happy, I like talking to her. And she always tries her best to make me happy.

    We have the same interests. We both enjoy playing the guitar and singing. We like going to the movies. Sometimes in summer, I go with her and her family to their summer house by the lake. We usually spend most of the afternoon swimming. In the evenings we walk into town or stay at home and watch TV. It's always fun to be with her.

    Though our lives get busy, we still have time to see each other. I am better in math and science and she is better in English, so we often help each other with our homework.

    I am lucky to have a friend like her.

    Once, when the food we ordered at a restaurant arrived, the first thing we wanted to do was to eat right away.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Others want to take at least five photos of their food to share on social media, such as Wechat.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} “Foodtography” has been around for longer than one would expect. Take US photographer Irving Penn (1917-2009) for example. In 1947, Vogue magazine published many food photos taken by Penn. Looking at the carefully put salad ingredients or the cakes on stands(货 架), it would be easy to think Penn's 70-year-old photos were taken just last week.

    Besides Penn's efforts, it seems that social media is behind the recent rise of foodtography.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}And the star posts just one delicious-looking food picture with the place where it was taken. It can bring hundreds of new customers for the restaurant.

    So while it's fun to share pictures of delicious dishes with your friends, just remember the most important thing:{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

A. Don't forget to eat your meal afterwards.

B. But now, some people just want to eat their meal.

C. Today, a social media star may have thousands of fans.

D. In fact, taking pictures before meals is not a recent thing.

    If you are visiting England, you will notice that the English have many customs (风俗) and traditions (传统) that are different from those in China. Here's a guide to visiting England. It provides help for anyone who visit England for the first time.

    Standing in the queue

    English people like to form queues. They think it is the fair way to behave. People wait in a queue in shops or at bus stops. People will think you are rude if you don't join the queue.

    Please, Thank you, Excuse me and Sorry

    It is good manners to say "Please" and "Thank you". If someone is in your way, say "Excuse me" and they will move. If you bump into someone or you are in their way, say "Sorry". They will probably say sorry, too, even if it was your mistake. Saying sorry does not always mean you are wrong. Sometimes it is a polite thing to say.

    Meeting a new person

    When people meet for the first time, the usual custom is to shake hands. The next time you meet that person, you can just say hello. English people don't usually hug or kiss if they don't know each other really well.

    Talking to people

    English people find it difficult to start conversations with strangers. If you are on buses or trains, they usually sit as far away from other people as possible. If you want to start a conversation, the topic that English people are always happy to talk about is the weather. So you need to be able to say "Isn't it warm (sunny/windy/wet/foggy) today?" or "Do you think it's going to rain/clear up?" Avoid topics such as politics, religion or how much people earn!

    Just behave politely. Remember: When you are in England, just do as the English people do!

Five tips for a successful yard sale

    Each summer, yard sales become popular and many people come to yard to get great deals on second-hand objects. Have you ever had a yard sale? What can you do to hold a successful yard sale? Here are five tips for you.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Every yard has its own advertisement. The best as is signs. Draw some big signs with just "Yard Sale" and a large arrow(箭头) on a board in front of your yard. Pointing customers(顾客) in the right way is always better than just putting your address on the sign and hoping they know how to get there.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The more organized you are, the less busy it will be in the morning of your yard sale. You want to make sure that you have everything set up before people arrive so you can have more time for answering questions and collecting money.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    This is something a lot of people don't think about when preparing for a yard sale. You don't want to turn away customers because you don't have enough change. I suggest at least $50 in change, which means mostly $1's and $5's

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Running a yard sale on your own can be really stressful, especially if you have a lot of objects to sell. It's hard to run inside to go to the bathroom or try to talk to and collect money from several customers at once. Ask a friend or two if they have something they'd like to sell too and that way you'll have some help in case things get busy or you need a break to get a drink or some food.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Yard sales are fun and you can make a good amount of money. It's also a good chance for you to chat with your customers, make them feel comfortable, and enjoy yourself.