When you start a new school, go to a party or try to know a person, you often need to break the ice in order to start a friendly conversation. Breaking the ice means saying or doing something to stop feeling shy or uncomfortable around someone you don't know well. Almost everyone feels uncomfortable or shy when people meet for the first time. If you feel like this, the following ① tips can help you out.

Smile ② Whenyou smile, people think you're friendly and easy to talk to. They are also very likely to smile back and help you feel more comfortable about starting a conversation.

Be positive  Everybody likes being around happy people. Always look on the bright side of life and see everything positively（积极地）.

Be a good listener.   Don't control the conversation and don't just talk about yourself. ③ 仔细听别人讲，并且问一些关于他们自己的问题。They'll think you're worth talking to.

Be easy-going  ④ Some people may be so shy that they can't break the ice. Don't avoid being around new people just because you feel uncomfortable. If you face a situation again and again, you'll get used to it.

    Exam time is the most stressful period of the year. You have worked all school term on your classes and now it's the time to prove what you have learned. With so much at stake (处于成败关头), it is easy to get stressed about your exams. However, with the right amount of hard work and focus you can pass your tests easily.

    When I was in school, I used to get very stressed over my exams. So did my friends. Some people stopped eating and others ate too much! Some gave up and others burned themselves out! The most important thing to remember when studying is not to feel frightened! Take the middle path -- stay calm, eat healthy and get a rest. Pushing yourself too hard is just as dangerous as not studying enough. A tired, overworked brain is just as useless as a lazy, empty one!

    So, what should you do ?Arrange a time each day for study and a time for relaxation .You may have less time to relax than usual, but you still need to let your brain rest for a few moments. Get plenty of sleep .If you are tired, information will not stick in our memory. Finally eat healthy foods that fuel （给……加油）your body and mind.

    It is bad to think too much about your exams. Some students may think that the rest of their life depends on them .That's not true. Instead, just view the exams as another difficulty you will overcome. You have overcome all kinds of difficulties in you life so far. With the right amount of work and focus, you will pass your exams with flying colours! High school is right around the corner!

    What do you read when you are travelling by train or bus? What are other people reading? Perhaps a woman sitting near you is reading a love story. A man is reading a serious biography(自传) about a president. And there's a student reading an English textbook.

    What do their choices(选择) say about them? Do you think you can know them by what they are reading? I have got to tell you that your feelings of them may be quite wrong. The woman reading the love story could be a lawyer. She just wants a light read to take her mind off work. The man reading the biography wants you to think that he is very clever. The student reading the textbook isn't a student at all. She's an English teacher.

    Publishers(出版商) know that some people care what they read on trains or buses and so they put out different types of covers. For example， books about Harry Potter have a cartoon cover for young readers and then another more serious cover for grown—ups.

    So next time you are on a train， look around and see what other people are reading， but don't jump to any conclusions(结论). You will be wrong maybe.

Here is a sentence that you could say， “Don't judge（判断） a book by its cover”.

    My name is Carla. My school is big and beautiful. Here is a map of it. Where is the classroom building? It is next to the office building. Our teachers work in the office building. Behind the office building, there is a sports hall. The dining hall is on the left of the sports hall. It is also near a pay phone（付费电话）. The playground is between the library and the science building. I like the library very much. Oh, look at the students' dormitory（宿舍） building. It is in front of the science building!

    History is still a compulsory (必修的) subject at lower levels and pupils still choose to study it at higher levels. However, there is an outgoing discussion about whether schools should continue to teach history. This passage will deal with the arguments that oppose and support teaching history in school, concluding that we should teach history, because the value of the subject goes beyond the classroom.

    First of all, many pupils suggest that history is one of the less interesting school subjects and that governments should spend the time and money on subjects that are more useful. Some people argue that math and English are should spend the money on more important so we can have a society with a good basic education. Other people say that teaching science, as this can move a country forward and benefit the economy. However, when we teach history, we are just looking back at the past. The economic benefits of this area are less obvious.

    On the other hand, there are several reasons why it is a good idea to teach history. Teaching history is important because students should be able to understand the background to current issues in the news. This will create better-informed citizens. Another reason is that it helps pupils to understand the culture and background of the society they live in. In addition to learning about the past, history teaching can help students to think for themselves. Finally, it also improves pupils' reading and writing skills, which can help them become better students.

    In conclusion, though there are clearly arguments on both sides, it seems to me that we should of the classes. I would say the teaching of history helps to create well-educated generation.