【推荐1】If you are always staying at home alone or busy with your work in the office. You are not likely to make friends. In order to make new friends, you are advised to go out and do something that will create opportunities for you to meet other people. Developing an interest, going to the concert, taking part in social events or doing sports in the gym is a good choice. You will find it much easier to make friends if you have the same hobbies or interests with others.

Be more confident about yourself. Everyone has advantages. It is important to build up confidence and show people your talents. In daily life, sometimes you are expected to talk about things you are good at. In fact, what people prefer to learn about most is your interests and hobbies.

Think of proper topics which will make a conversation go on smoothly. The latest news get to know something about fashion or listen to pop music. The more topics and opinions you share with others, the more friends you may take.

Be a good listener. Give people chances to talk about themselves or express their feelings. Don’t just keep focusing on yourself. Ask some questions to show that you are interested and expect your partners answers. If so, people will feel they are important in the conversation and will be willing to become your friends.

Make eye contact with others while talking to them. If not, people may think you are impolite to them or not interested in them. As a result, they may not show interest or respect to you either.

【推荐3】Who should you be friends with?

For International students, if you are going to the USA for the next four years, academics (学术水平) should not be the only thing you think about. To quote(引述) Hamlet: “To be, or not to be (surrounded by people from your home country): that is the question.

There is nothing like the instant connection with friends from your country while abroad.

You don’t have to explain cultural references, and that makes everything easier.     1     Why would you come to a completely different country if you are going to just hang out with the exact same people?

In some universities, if you have friends from your country, you can organise events to celebrate some of your country’s festivities.     2    

One of the main reasons to study abroad is to learn a language through complete immersion(沉浸).     3    

Learning from different cultures will give you a new way of seeing the world.     4     No matter where they come from, students have similar questions and doubts, so you won’t be alone.

    5     Who should you be friends with? What will make you grow, and what will make you the happiest? You decide.

【推荐1】It was 1963 in the Toronto suburb. I was eight years old and hockey (冰球) -crazy. My next-to-zero skills had not stopped my passion for the game. The players of the great hockey club Toronto Maple Leafs were of course my heroes, and their posters and photos covered the walls of my room.

There is always some price to pay for maintaining a love. I raised funds in an old-fashioned way, selling something the public could actually sink their teeth into. I joined the local annual event — Margaret’s Doughnuts (甜甜圈) to sell doughnuts, which offered choices of honey-glazed or chocolate-glazed.

Door-to-door I went, notebook in hand to record. I sold dozens of dozens; hardly a soul turned me down. My notebook was almost full, and my stomach was almost empty when I went up the last house on the south side.

I rang the doorbell and went over my speech while staring at the screen door. Suddenly, the door opened. My unforgettable memory was looking up from a large pair of fuzzy slippers, way up, to the face staring down. I stood there speechless for what seemed 10 years, opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water. Collecting my calmness, but still unable to go into doughnut-promoting overdrive, I told him something he seemed have already known and he replied with a nod and a smile.

I have an unclear memory of murmuring through my speech “Please-buy-some-doughnuts”, and then a vivid memory of him taking the notebook from my hand. I followed with new information — that we shared our given name. With pride from our first-name-basis farewells, I flew home holding the notebook tightly to my chest.

The next morning before the school bell, I cautiously showed off the precious paper. It is surely mine alone to claim: I sold a dozen doughnuts to Tim Horton, one of my most respected players who lived a mere three blocks away!

【推荐3】The Maryland Center for History and Culture(MCHC) is currently hosting “The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited”. The exhibition spotlights Henson’s unique contributions to children’s education, including his creation of the Muppets (布偶).

Born in 1936 in Mississippi, Henson grew up in Maryland. His creative talents were evident when he was a student at high school. He loved cartooning and creating sets for school theater productions. While a freshman at university, Henson made puppets for a local TV station. The station’s producers were so impressed that they asked him to produce his own puppet show. Called Sam and Friends, the program started in 1955. Viewers loved Henson’s playful characters, including an early version of Kermit the Frog.

While at university, Henson majored in home economics. At the time, it was the only major that offered classes in sewing and textiles (纺织品).Henson not only honed his creative skills at university, but he was also good at marketing and business. “He was an entrepreneur who happened to get into puppetry, ” said Deborah Wood, MCHC’s learning manager.

In 1959, Henson married Jane Nebel, whom be had met at university. The couple established Muppets Inc. which later became the Jim Henson Company. It was there that Focus Bert, Ernie, Miss Piggy, and other Muppets were created for Sesame Street, a popular children’s television program.Generations of children around the world have grown up watching and laming from the Muppets.

Henson, who died in 1990, created not just the Muppets, but also films, TV commercials, variety shows, and more. The exhibition shows every aspect of his career. This includes some lesser-known works, including The Cube, a short experimental film that was nominated (提名) for an Academy Award.

Visitors also get a chance to appreciate Henson’s creative process and inventiveness through hands-on displays. They can even make their own Muppets. “For me, I think the really powerful message of this exhibition is the fact that it covers Henson’s whole life and his whole career, ” said Chloe Green, public programs manager at the MCHC.

【推荐2】"Get up, get up, Jim. It's time to get up!" my mother said while she was pushing me. I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. "Oh dear! It's a quarter to eight already. I'll be late for school again," I thought. I jumped out of the bed, washed my face, then hurried to the bus stop without breakfast. As soon as I got on the bus, it started running. "I'm sure I can get to the school on time," I said to myself. Suddenly the bus stopped. The bus driver got off the bus, then got on the bus again and said, "I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen. There's something wrong with the bus. Please get off the bus and wait for another one." "I couldn't wait. The school is not far. I'd better run to the school," I thought, and then I began to run. But before I got to the school, it began to rain hard.

I reached the classroom but I was wet shivering with cold. The physics teacher had already begun his lesson. It was Mr. Smith. He was about fifty years old. All the students were a little afraid of him and so was I. I liked neither him nor his physics lessons. I hesitated for a moment and then I opened the door. "I'm very sorry, Mr. Smith. I'm late again," I said with a red face.

"It's you again, Jim," Mr. smith said angrily. "I've told you not be late, but you…" he suddenly stopped and looked at my wet clothes. He turned to the class and said, "I'm very sorry, my boys and girls." With these words he quickly took off his own jacket and handed it to me. "Now take off your wet coat and put this one or you'll catch cold," he said kindly.

I went to my seat with Mr. Smith's jacket on. It was a bit large for me but I felt very warm in it. I found, for the first time, physics was so interesting and how well I could understand it!