Kinds of friendships

    There are many different kinds of friendships to distinguish. If people are honest with one another and clearly define(界定) which kind of friendship they have, they can avoid a lot of misunderstanding. And if people can learn to move on from a relationship that is over, they will be better off.

    Then, what are the different kinds of friendship? Well, the first kind is the social friend. This is the kind of friend that people have most of. This kind of friend isn't someone who you hang out with all the time or live with, but you know them and associate with(与……交往) them at a bar, store or some other public places. They're nice to talk to when you see them and are usually good for a laugh. However, they are not good to talk about a problem with.

    The second kind is the counselor(顾问). This is a friend you go to when you need advice or just someone to listen. You value their wisdom or at least the fact that they are good at listening to you. You can tell this kind of friend almost anything without fearing gossip(闲言碎语). They are the kind of friend you can trust but you just don't hang out together, unless you want to talk about something important.

    The third kind is the fun boy/girl. This kind of friend can usually be counted on to go somewhere with you at a moment's notice. They like hanging out with you whether you're going to a store or a bar or wherever. They're good tension relievers because you know you're just going to have a good time. This kind of friend isn't someone you go to for advice; in fact you shouldn't affect your relationship by getting serious about something. They're trustworthy and you know they aren't going to gossip about what you do together. Don't expect anything else from this kind of friend; just have a good time.

    The fourth kind of is the work friend. This is the friend you have at work. You interact(交流) at work only. This may include having a break together, maybe even shopping with them or running an errand(差使) during lunch or after work. They're usually not good to get advice from but on some occasions things might be discussed and you might give each other advice. Mostly you talk about the job.

    The last kind is the lifetime friend. This friendship is very rare and usually is found in marriage relationships. This kind of friend is all the above rolled into one.

    Homework

    Do arithmetic problems 15 through 25. State the different forms of the verbs on page 50 of your French workbook. Read pages 12 through 20 of the Shakespeare play, and don't forget to fill in the missing chemical symbols on the worksheet.

    Sound like a list of your homework for the next few nights － or maybe even just for tonight? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}It's your teachers' way of evaluating how much you understand what's going on in class. And it helps strengthen important concepts.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's inviting to start with the easy things to get them out of the way. However, you'll have the most energy and focus when you begin, so it's best to use this mental power on the subjects that are most challenging. Later, when you're more tired, you can focus on the simpler things. If you get stuck on a problem, try to figure it out as well as you can － but don't spend too much time on it because this can mess up your homework schedule for the rest of the night.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}But don't pick someone whom you'll be up all night chatting with, or you'll never get it done!

    Most people's attention spans aren't very long, so take some breaks while doing your homework. Sitting for too long without relaxing will make you less productive than if you stop every so often. Taking a 15-minute break every hour is a good idea for most people.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Once your homework is done, you can check over it if you have extra time. Be sure to put it safely away in your backpack － there's nothing worse than having a completed assignment that you can't find the next morning or that gets ruined by a careless brother or sister.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Now you're free to hang out.

A. Homework is a major part of going to school.

B. Luckily, you can do a few things to do less homework.

C. When you start your homework, deal with the hardest tasks first.

D. But if you're really concentrating, wait until it's a good time to stop.

E. If you need to, ask an adult for help or call or email a classmate for advice.

F. And no teacher still believes that "chewed by the dog" line － even when it's true!

G. In conclusion, no one is expected to stay long, and people have very different learning styles.

    A white elephant gift exchange is a popular holiday party game in, the United States. Generally, the party needs at least six participants, and' the larger the group: is, the more entertaining the game will be{#blank#}1{#/blank#}But it can result in heated competitions between players trying to get the gifts.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Sometimes, the rule is that the item must be previously owned, which means that you can exchange an unwanted item or trinket(小装饰品) with your friends. But sometimes you can buy a new but inexpensive item just for the party.

    Every participant is expected to bring one wrapped(包装好的) gift. A white elephant gift is usually something useless or inconvenient{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Guests are asked to wrap them nicely and leave no identifying markings on the presents.

    To start the game, a participant must act as the first player to choose a gift; this can be decided randomly or by picking numbers out of a hat{#blank#}4{#/blank#}As for the next player? This person can either “steal” the first person's gift or choose an unwrapped item from the pile. Each gift can be stolen only three times before it is considered "dead".

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Any person that has to give up a gift can also pick a new gift or steal one from another person. Each turn is only allowed three swaps between the current player and the previous players. The game won't finish until all the presents are opened.

A. It all depends on how the game is organized.

B. This process is repeated until the game is over.

C. Don't forget that the game's purpose is to have fun.

D. The first player then opens the gift in front of everyone.

E. White elephant gift exchange can be run in different ways.

F. The goal of the party is usually entertainment rather than gain.

G. Trinkets, unidentifiable kitchen items and toys are typical “white elephants” .

注意：每个空格只填1个单词。

    The 17^th-century French tragedian Pierre Corneille wrote: The manner of giving is worth more than the gift”. He had a point, according to Charles Spence, head of Crossmodal Research Laboratory at the University of Oxford.

    The professor's work focuses on how our brains sense the world around us. His research has shown that high-frequency sounds and curved shapes seem to increase the sweetness wine tastes better if it is accompanied by the popping sound of a cork and drunk from all these created multisensory experiences.

    So, what's his advice if you want to impress this holiday season?

Bulk it up hide

    “We've just published research on eating a box of chocolates，” Mr Spence said. “If you are 30-gram weight in a box of chocolates, that weight translates to a significant increase perceived(感知)quality of the chocolate.”

    There are exceptions, but the association between weight and the perception of luxury(奢侈)applies to many items including tableware， perfume(香水)and wine， Mr. Spence said. “That's why in a restaurant， a waiter might artfully give you the bottle to weigh in your hand,” he added.

    Black is basic

    Black is the color most associated with luxury because, Mr. Spence said ，“it seems to be the color that we perceive to be the heaviest.”

    Such luxury indications are learned, rather than inborn, so they can change over time. I'm doing a lot of work on transparency(透明) at the moment; high-quality packaged goods should have a transparent window because it suggests freshness or quality,” he said.

    But the trend is recent， the professor added, because “traditionally luxury goods used to have nontransparent packaging. I think it has to do with the current desire for originality.”

    Layer it on

    Unnecessary wrapping(包裹)can be an ecological concern but, when it comes to luxury goods like wine in a presentation case, it does make an impression.

    “Tissue layers are really good,” Mr. Spence said， “because the crinkle adds an extra sense to the experience.”

    Consider a little perfume in the box or wrapping, and, if you want to involve other senses, work out some way for classical music to be playing when the gift is opened because we associate it with quality.

    Engaging several senses at once is beneficial.“ The brain combines the inputs from each sense, both to determine what something is, but also to determine a reward value,”Mr. Spence said. Also, the more stimuli(刺激)to the senses， the more activity is produced in the orbitofrontal cortex, a small part of brain situated just beside the eyes. And the more activity there, the more rewarding something is perceived to be.

    You can go too far

    “Engaging an extra sense is more effective, but you can potentially have a disagreement if that extra sense doesn't match the others.” the professor said.

The North Star

    Among the pile of stars in the universe, there are a couple that are of great importance to people on Earth. The sun, of course, is one of them. The other is known as Polaris, the North Star. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Therefore, it is a great compass(指南针).When people in the northern part of Earth look toward Polaris, they can be certain that they are facing north. The permanence of Polaris in the north sky has helped countless people find their destinations.

    Before the invention of modern navigation tools, sailors relied on Polaris. From the top of their ships, sailors would look for Polaris to figure out their place at sea. They figured out the angle between the star and the horizon to determine their latitude(纬度). As long as the equations were not wrong, the results were very reliable. Polaris also let sailors determine North, South, East, and West. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    To those who sail at night, changeable storms and dark clouds were more than annoying things.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} It's possible for a captain to make an accidental wrong turn. The ship could become stranded at sea, and the frustrated captain would have no way to get the ship back on the right course. The sailor's fears wouldn't be relieved until the clouds cleared and Polaris came back into view. Even today, sailors sometimes choose to steer by using Polaris on clear nights.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The Big Dipper, a constellation that is well known in astrology, appears to revolve around Polaris. The handle of the Big Dipper always points to the North Star. When people get lost, it's comforting to know that their problems can be relieved by looking at the sky.

A. It's not difficult to tell the Polaris apart from the pile of other stars in the universe.

B. People who are lost can be relieved by gazing up at Polaris.

C. By knowing directions and their location, sailors could easily steer their ships.

D. They could destroy entire journeys by blocking the view of Polaris.

E. It's certain that the Polaris is part of a constellation(星座), which is not far from it.

F. It is special because it is the only star that always appears to be in the same place in the sky.