The Lost Rules of Etiquette

        Etiquette, or good manners, used to be the glue that held society together.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Sadly, these days it has mostly gone by the wayside. This list is several best rules of etiquette that have now disappeared.

Opening the Door

        In days gone by, a gentleman would always open doors for ladies.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}This has now almost entirely disappeared and it is pot entirely the fault of the men. I have seen women laugh at men for opening a door for them. They seem tobe confusing manners with chauvinism(大男子主义)．

Writing Thank-You Notes

        In days gone by, whenever a personreceived a gift, they would write a thank-you note as soon as possible.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Parents would sit children down after a birthday or Christmas and coach them in theirfirst thank-you note. It is a shame that gift giving has now become a virtualobligation and the idea of a thank-you note would be laughed at.

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        We seem to have completely lost theconcept of correct timing when it comes to parties these days.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} After all, aparty normally has a guest of honor-this is usually the oldest woman present.It was considered extremely rude in the past to leave a party before the guestof honor-and once the guest of honor left, it was a signal to all that theyshould begin their own preparations to leave.

A. Arriving on Time.

B. Leaving at the Right Time.

C. People leave with various excuses.

D. It enabled people  to get on well with each other.

E. This rule was true even if the giverwas a relative.

F. It could be the lady they weredriving, or a stranger.

G. We've thrown away the concept of aguest of honor at will.

    The jobs of the future have not yet been invented. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. By helping them develop classic skills that will serve them well no matter what the future holds.

1). Curiosity

    Your children need to be deeply curious. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Ask kids, “What ingredients (配料) can we add to make these pancakes even better next time ?” and then try them out. Ingredients make the pancakes better? What could we try next time?

2). Creativity

    True creativity is the ability to take something existing and create something new from it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. There are a dozen different things you can do with them. Experimenting with materials to create something new can go a long way in helping them develop their creativity.

3). Personal skills

    Understanding how others feel can be a challenge for kids. We know what's going on inside our own head, but what about others? Being able to read people helps kid from misreading a situation and jumping to false conclusions. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. “Why do you think she's crying?” “Can you tell how that man is feeling by looking at his face?” “If someone were to do that to you, how would you feel?”

4). Self expression

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} there are many ways to express thoughts and ideas—music, acting, drawing, building, photography. You may find that your child is attracted by one more than another.

A. Encourage kids to cook with you.

B. And we can't forget science education.

C. We can give kids chances to think about materials in new ways.

D. So how can we help our kids prepare for jobs that don't yet exist?

E. Gardening is another great activity for helping kids develop this skill.

F. We can do this in real life or ask questions about characters in stories.

G. Being able to communicate ideas in a meaningful way is a valuable skill.

How To Study English In China

    English is obviously not the native language in China. Although many Chinese want to improve their English level to the amount needed in daily work, it's very hard when only a few people speak English around them. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Here are a few tips that might help.

Join a school with native teachers to guide you.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The more exposure you can get to these foreign teachers, the faster and better you're going to learn English. If a school doesn't give students maximum exposure to native English speakers' classes, find one that does.

Read English daily.

    This means using websites that are permitted in China, accessing English texts, newspapers and books. Read short stories in English. When you come across words you don't know write them down immediately. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Find some English speakers.

    Spend time with them and share conversations. There is nothing better for learning any language than finding native speakers of the language to practice with. When you speak, you are practicing every aspect of the language(except writing) in the most efficient way possible.

Memorize vocabulary.

    Write new words in a notebook every week, with English definitions and a sample sentence, not a Chinese translation. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Carry it with you everywhere you go. Even if you have a question about something that you see and you don't know the English word, write it down in your own language with the plan to look it up later and learn that word in English.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} English is not well controlled by grammar rules. For every rule, there is an exception to that rule. Your time will be better spent in watching movies and learning from them than studying grammar for long hours. Find someone to write emails in English to or write a dairy every day.

    There are many other ways to improve your English. Come on!

A. Learn to write.

B. Watch an English film once a month.

C. What can you do to study more English?

D. There are many English speakers in China.

E. You can do this by writing in your notebook.

F. Follow a soap opera, comedy or radio program or TV drama.

G. You should be carrying a notebook with you everywhere you go just to write down something important.

Ways to Respectfully Disagree

    It's easier to agree than disagree.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Unfortunately, many of us either shy away completely from disagreements or lose it when things don't go our way. These tips can help keep disagreements constructive.

    Use “I' to communicate how you feel, what you think and what you want or need.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, telling your parents “You always remind me about my housework when you know I have much homework” has a very different tone from “I'm feeling pressured because I have a lot of homework tonight. Can I do those chores tomorrow?”

    Listen to the other's opinion.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}That makes it more likely that he or she will do the same for you. When the other person is talking, try to stop yourself from thinking about why you disagree or what you'll say next.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}This is the important thing you can do to keep a conversation on track. Of course, it's a huge challenge to stay calm when you feel angry about something, especially if their person you're talking to gets heated.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}If you've ever been on the receiving end of someone's put-downs (贬损的话), you know how valuable using respectful language and behavior can be. So instead of saying what you might be thinking (That's a stupid idea!), try saying “I don't agree, and here is why.”

    Respect goes beyond difficult conversations, of course. Being helpful and considerate towards family members, teachers or coaches in our everyday actions helps us establish a foundation for those times when we might disagree.

A. Stay calm.

B. Look into the other's eyes.

C. Using 'you' statements can sound aggressive.

D. Avoid putting down the other person's ideas and beliefs.

E. Then you can calmly present your case and why you disagree.

F. Being a good listener shows that you respect the other person.

G. But we can learn a lot from conversations where we don't agree.

Test-taking tips

    Do you sweat, check your pencil, and feel butterflies in your stomach as your teacher hands out the test paper? A lot of people feel anxious when it is time to take a test. Here are some tips for taking tests:

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Your memory recall will be much better if you have had enough rest. In a scientific study, people who got enough sleep before taking a math test did better than those who stayed up all night studying.

    Read the test through first. Once you have the test paper in front of you, read over the entire test, checking out how long it is and all the parts that you are expected to complete.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}If something seems unclear before you start, do not worry: ask the teacher.

    Focus on addressing each question individually. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Instead, answer the best way you can or skip over the question and come back to it after you have answered other questions.

    Relax. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Of course you cannot get up and move around in the middle of a test, but you can wiggle your fingers and toes, take four or five deep breaths. As we all know, it can be easy to forget things we know well. During a test, if you forget something and start to get nervous, it suddenly becomes much more difficult to remember.

    Finished already? Although most teachers will let you hand your test paper in early, it is usually a good idea to spend any extra time checking over your work. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} On the other hand, if you have 5 minutes until the bell rings and you are still writing, end up whatever you are working on without panic.

A. This will allow you to decide how much time you have for each section

B. Be sure you have studied properly

C. Get enough sleep the night before the test

D. As the teacher hands out the test paper, be sure you know what is expected of you

E. As you take the test, if you do not know an answer, do not worry about it

F. You can also add details that you may not have thought you'd have time for

G. If you are so nervous that you blank out, you might need a mini-break

    Training for a marathon (马拉松) requires careful preparation and steady, gradual increases in the length of the runs. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, buy the best-fitting running shoes you can find. No one can say which brand will work best for you or feel best on your feet, so you have to rely on your experience and on the feel of each pair as you shop. When you have found shoes that seem right, walk in them for a few days to double-check the fit. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. As always, you should stretch (伸展) at least ten minutes before each run to prevent injuries.

    During the first week, do not think about distance, but run five minutes longer each day. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, it is wise to take a day off to rest. But during the next week, set a goal of at least a mile and a half per run. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. After two weeks, start timing yourself. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Depending on the kind of race you plan to enter, you can set up a timetable for the remaining weeks before the race.

A. After six days

B. For a good marathon runner

C. Before you begin your training

D. With each day, increase the distance by a half mile

E. If they still feel good, you can begin running in them

F. Time spent for preparation raises the quality of training

G. Now you are ready to figure out a goal of improving distance and time