【推荐2】What Teenagers Can Do to Earn More Respect

As teenagers continue to grow and develop into young adults, the transition (过渡) to adulthood has begun. With so many physical and emotional changes going on, certain manners are often forgotten and other adult traits (品质) are not yet accepted as a way of life.     1     By doing the following things, you will earn more respect.

    2    

At the very least, clean up after yourself. As a teenager, you are old enough to clean up after yourself. When you make a mess, clean it up.     3     Your doing the chores helps to reduce the person’s load who did the chores before. Now that you’re old enough and capable, why shouldn’t you do the household? The people doing the chores before will greatly appreciate the help.

Be responsible.

    4     Whether they are basic things, like brushing your teeth or doing your homework, or being more involved in chores that contribute to the household, simply fulfil your responsibilities in time. When adults know that they can rely on you, their trust and respect for you will increase.

Solve more of your own problems without asking for help.

Instead of taking the easy approach and asking for help, make an effort to solve your problems on your own first. The “easy way” is only easy for you, but it is an extra task for the person from whom you are seeking help.     5     Depending on the problem, 15 minutes of effort is usually a good guideline. When you become a good problem solver, you will increase your value to the community.

A．Contribute to the household.

B．It will make your life more pleasant.

C．Everyone has certain responsibilities.

D．When speaking to a group, speak loud enough.

E．Seek help only after you have made an honest effort.

F．This includes, but is not limited to, your dishes and your room.

G．By being aware of these manners and traits, you can manage them sooner.

【推荐3】When you’re a writer, finishing your book and publishing it is your biggest dream. You’re curious as to how people will react to it, and whether it could sell or not.    1    There are either things you want to change about it, or fear about people’s reaction. Still, you shouldn’t let these things stop you from going after your dream. Below are some of the most common fears that new writers face, and how to beat them.

Originality

For many new writers, originality is an issue. Considering there are so many writers out there, it’s hard to know if someone thought of an idea before you did.    2    And it’s not really pleasant being seen as a thief. The thing is that it’s hard to come out with something that’s entirely original as well. As long as you put the idea into practice in a different way, it shouldn’t be an issue. As long as you are able to cover a topic deeply, as well as provide a new and unique perspective, that should work.

People’s Opinion

It’s hard not to think about what people will think about your book, as they are the ones who have the final word. One of the biggest fears many writers deal with is how their book will be perceived by readers, and it's human nature to think about the bad stuff first. Not only you’re afraid you won’t get Instagram followers that are fans of the book, but you also fear the book won’t sell.    3    So why let this thought kill your mood? A book’s goal is to reframe old information or make new claims, so what people say shouldn’t stop you.

No Time to Write

People get busy, it’s normal. Nevertheless, it shouldn’t stop you from doing what you love.    4    You can take that time and use it to write instead. Nobody says that you have to write endless pages in a day – writing a book is a whole process, and nobody is rushing you. Make sure you schedule your time, so you have time to write at least one hour daily.

    5    

You want fans to connect with you and it can be disheartening when things like your social following grows slowly. Try using tools such as the best tools for Instagram as a means to get followers.

A．Therefore, you’re at risk of being accused of stealing from someone’s work.

B．Growing your fan base.

C．However, there will always be people disagreeing with you or not liking what you do.

D．Don’t let the details stop you from sharing your story.

E．But sometimes it’s hard hitting that post button, because things are holding you back.

F．You most likely have some spare time that you use doing something else.

G．Communicate with your fans.

【推荐1】Even if you are naturally shy, these three tricks will help you to quickly build a new social circle in any new city.

1. Take pictures

One of the great things about taking pictures at an event or party is that it gives you an excuse to get in touch with the person later. Everybody loves seeing pictures of themselves, and it’s very easy after taking a picture to say “If you’d like I can email it to you.” This can be the seed that leads to new connections. The next time you hear about a fun event email your new contacts to let them know about it.

2. Eat alone in public

You might feel self-conscious eating by yourself but it has an important benefit: you are much easier to approach when you are alone. People may be afraid of interrupting you or being rude if you are in a conversation with someone else. Bring a book or newspaper to read (this will make you feel less self-conscious). Plus, having an interesting book with you will give others an excuse to start a conversation if they’ve read it.

3. Join a class, sports team, or club

Yoga, salsa dancing, volleyball, Toastmasters (a public speaking club), a class for work, etc. Take up a new hobby or continue an old one!

These are all great places to meet new people, primarily because you will be forced to see the same people over and over again in the class. You will automatically make friends with them if you have a common interest and are forced to see each other again.

Tips：

*In the beginning, never turn down an invitation from someone, even if it’s something you wouldn’t normally do.

*Email your new friends with fun things to do instead of always asking what their plans are. If they have a better plan you can drop yours and join them. This will help establish you as someone who is contributing value instead of just taking it (people want this in a friend).

*Don’t let little things in life upset you or be a negative person. People don’t want to be around someone like that!

1. When having meals, you’d better ________ if you want to make new friends.

A．approach others to show conscious friendliness

B．start a conversation with those who have friends aside

C．invite others to your apartment to eat together

D．sit on your own in public places

2. According to the text, which of the following is NOT mentioned as an advantage of joining a class?

A．It helps you find out people who share a common interest with you.

B．It helps you find out your interest and take up a new hobby.

C．It offers an opportunity to meet the same people repeatedly.

D．It is a good way to meet new people and make friends in a new city.

3. Which of the following pieces of advice is a tip from the text?

A．Try to be outgoing and talkative instead of being shy.

B．Never turn down an invitation from your friends.

C．Offer suggestions on how to spend time together.

D．Always give a positive response to any request.

4. By writing the text, the author intends to tell us ________.

A．why you should change when you move to a new city

B．how you can make new friends in a new city

C．why you should make new friends in a new city

D．how you can keep in touch with strangers

【推荐2】In the animal kingdom, weakness can bring about aggression（侵略）in other animals. This sometimes happens with humans as well. But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people. I see it every day when people hold doors for me, pour cream into my coffee, or help me to put on my coat. And I have discovered that it makes them happy.
From my wheelchair experience, I see the best in people, bur sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily. They don’t get to see this soft side of others often and we try every way possible to avoid showing our weakness, which includes a lot of pretending. But only when we stop pretending we’re brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that’s in them.
Last month, when I was driving home on a busy highway, I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual. People behind me began to get impatient and angry, with some speeding up alongside me, horning (按喇叭) or even shouting at me. At the moment I decided to do something I had never done in twenty years of driving. I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed.
No more angry shouts and no more horns!
When I put on my flashlights, I was saying to other drivers, “I have a problem here. I am weak and doing the best I can.” And everyone understood. Several times, I saw drivers who wanted to pass. They couldn’t get around me because of the stream of passing traffic. But instead of getting impatient and angry, they waited, knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak.
Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don’t feel that way. But more often, it would be better if we don’t pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared.
1. The author has discovered that people will feel happy when ______.

A．they offer their help

B．they receive others’ help

C．they feel others’ kindness

D．they show their weakness

2. The author feels sad sometimes because ______.

A．he has a soft heart

B．he relies much on others

C．some people pretend to be kind

D．some people fail to see the kindness in others

3. In this passage, the author advises us to ______.

A．handle problems by ourselves

B．accept help from others

C．admit our weakness

D．show our bravery

4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．A Wheel Chair Experience.

B．Weakness and Kindness.

C．Weakness and Strength

D．A Driving Experience

【推荐3】Are you new to experiencing relationships? Well, let me give you advice on how to have a healthy relationship with your partner.

Be an honest person with them. Do not hide things from them, do not lie. Don’t be afraid to say things that isn’t very flattering about yourself. Getting them to trust you is the most important element in any relationship. If there’s no trust, there’s nothing there.     1    

Make sure you give them respect. Now respect isn’t just simply treating her or him nicely.     2     You have to learn to adjust to their liking. Basically, learn to study your partners moods, wants, and needs.

Don’t just think about yourself, think about what your partner needs out of it as well. Make sure you are encouraging to your partner. Always be willing to help them and give them honesty and positivity at the same time. Make them feel you are someone they can really count on and build a future with.     3    

Make sure you have a good sense of humor with them. Laughter is the key to happiness. Laugh a lot with them, joke with them. Laughter may seem silly, but it’s the secret to a lot in life. It will keep the sparks alive.     4    

Make sure the communication is good. This usually goes along with trust, but always communicate how you feel, even if it’s something that upsets you.     5     If they did something that made you unhappy, tell them about it in a respectful manner. It’s important to communicate this to them, not keep it bottled up.

A．There’s a lot more to it.

B．Show them your personality.

C．Instead of screaming, talk to them.

D．Laughter keeps the relationship strong and lasting.

E．So please be honest and they’ll learn to open up to you.

F．Don’t start to neglect them and make them feel unwanted.

G．Your partner has to be able to count on you when needed.