【推荐1】How to Improve Your Written English

There are many different aspects of learning English such as listening, speaking and writing Many people think it is really difficult to improve their wring in English. Don’t worry, though.     1    

Increase your vocabulary.

To express yourself clearly. you need a good active vocabulary. It not just means being able to know lots of words but also means actually being able to use them correctly.     2    

Read widely and often.

People often say that we learn to write best by reading. Reading in English is useful in many ways. It is a great way to get an idea of the different writing styles. Reading shouldn’t be boring.

Choose books or articles that interest you.     3     Finally, use them in your writing.

    4    

Always check your writing twice. The first time. look for general mistakes and the second time look for mistakes with the grammar points you are studying at the moment.

Just do it.

    5     The best way to improve your writing is to get a pen and paper and write. Be prepared to write several versions of each text.

【推荐2】When we’re studying a new language, many of us approach it with fear and anxiety. However, we would benefit a lot by changing our focus, according to communication skills trainer Marianna Pascal.

Pascal has spent 20 years in Malaysia helping people speak better English. Over time, she has discovered a surprising truth: How well somebody communicates in a new language has very little to do with his language level — but a lot more to do with his attitude.

Pascal noticed that a lot of Malaysians went into English conversations with the feeling that they were going to be judged by how many mistakes they were going to make. And they had the idea of what good proper English is supposed to be and how far they would have to go to get there.

As a teacher,she’d noticed one specific student named Faisal. Despite not knowing much English,this guy could just sit and listen to anybody very calmly,clearly,and then he could express his thoughts beautifully.

Pascal realized when Faisal entered an English conversation, he didn’t feel judged. He entirely focused on the person that he was speaking to and the result he wanted to get. He got no thoughts about his own mistakes.

Pascal believes that speaking a language is not like those exams that many of us had to take in school,where a tiny spelling or grammar mistake would result in a big red X from the teacher. In the real world, small mistakes don’t matter — what matters is whether we’re able to make ourselves understood. She concludes, “If you want to speak English like Faisal with that great confidence, here’s the one thing that you can do when you speak: Don’t focus on yourself, focus on the other person and the result you want to achieve.”

【推荐3】How to Learn English Well

All English learners want to improve their English, but as you know, it can be difficult! For you, you need to work on all areas. The four main areas for you are: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Here are some ways to help you learn well.

Speaking

Speak as much as possible! This is the best way to learn English.     1     The fastest way to learn English is to surround yourself with English speakers. Also, get into the habit of thinking in English. Don't translate from your own language into English—it will slow you down. And it's fun to sing in English, so learn some English songs and sing your heart out!

Listening

Like speaking, it's better for you to be in a totally English­speaking environment. It's also good to watch TV shows, or movies in English.     2     But the more you listen, the more you'll get. It's good to listen to something over and over again. First, try to get the general meaning, and then, listen a second time for more in­depth information.

Reading

Reading English is something you can do to help you learn on your own, outside of the classroom. Newspapers are good for higher­level students. So for lower levels, try reading children's stories or books which have been especially written for English learners.     3     You should find something that you can learn well from.

Writing

Try keeping a diary; write something in English in it every day, even if it's very simple.     4     And the Internet is a great way to help you learn English. Try to make friends online, visit chat rooms, or post comments on blogs. These are all useful tools for you.

【推荐2】When did you last write a letter? Properly write one — by hand? In a digital world, where sending a text or email is far more convenient than using snail mail, is the writing on the wall for traditional pen and paper? Well, some people claim that writing still has many benefits, so maybe it’s not time to ditch your ballpoint or fountain pen yet.

These days, when people request things in writing, a typed, electronic document will be accepted. Doing this on a computer means it could be saved, edited, copied and sent via email. But crafting a handwritten document is unique: it requires planning and thought, and, as well as practising your handwriting, it helps you to remember spelling and punctuation.

Some experts believe your brain benefits from using old-fashioned pen and paper. This is particularly relevant for students, where typing notes into a laptop is thought to lack the “tactile feedback (触觉反馈)” to the brain that contact between pen and paper does. BBC Worklife website quotes Hetty Roessingh from the University of Calgary, who says that taking notes by hand involves cognitive engagement in summarising, paraphrasing, organising, concept and vocabulary mapping. Others agree that handwriting may boost fine motor skills in your hands and fingers.

There are everyday benefits of using pen and paper too. Scribbling (匆忙书写) notes, shopping lists or messages on the back of an envelope can still be useful, quick and portable. But putting pen to paper in a letter to a friend or loved one can probably have the most impact. Pen pal writer Katherine Moller told the BBC, “In a world where it is so easy to hop online to email or to send a fast text, it is so personal and so precious to know someone chose to turn off the virtual world to spend some time with you.”

So, while digital skills remain important, don’t write off your pens and pencils yet — especially if your smartphone, tablet or laptop runs out of power.

【推荐3】Across the rich world, well-educated people increasingly work longer than the less-skilled. Some 65% of American men aged 62 - 74 with a professional degree are in the workforce, compared with 32% of men with only a high-school certificate. This gap is part of a deepening divide between the well-educated well-off and the unskilled poor. Rapid technological advance has raised the incomes of the highly skilled while squeezing those of the unskilled. The consequences, for individuals and society, are profound (深刻的).

The world is facing an astonishing rise in the number of old people, and they will live longer than ever before. Over the next 20 years the global population of those aged 65 or more will almost double, from 600 million to 1.1 billion. The experience of the 20th century, when greater longevity translated into more years in retirement rather than more years at work, has persuaded many observers that this shift will lead to slower economic growth, while the swelling (扩大的) ranks of pensioners (领养老金者) will create government budget problems.

But the notion of a sharp division between the working young and the idle (不工作的) old misses a new trend, the growing gap between the skilled and the unskilled. Employment rates are falling among younger unskilled people, whereas older skilled folk are working longer. The divide is most extreme in America, where well-educated baby-boomers are putting off retirement while many less-skilled younger people have dropped out of the workforce.

Policy is partly responsible. Many European governments have abandoned policies that used to encourage people to retire early. Even the better-off must work longer to have a comfortable retirement. But the changing nature of work also plays a big role. Pay has risen sharply for the highly educated. Technological change may well reinforce (加强) that shift: the skills that complement (补充) computers, from management to creativity, do not necessarily decline with age.

【推荐1】Which are you more likely to have with you at any given moment — your cell phone or your wallet? Soon you may be able to throw your wallet away and pay for things with a quick wave of your smart phone over an electronic scanner.

In January, Starbucks announced that customers could start using their phones to buy coffee in 6,800 of its states. This is the first pay-by-phone practice in the U.S., but we’re likely to see more wireless payment alternatives as something called near field communication (NFC) gets into America’s consumer electronics. Last December some new smart phones which contain an NFC chip were introduced to the public.

Already in use in parts of Asia and Europe, NFC allows shoppers to wave their phones a few inches above a payment terminal — a contact-free system built for speed and convenience. But before NFC becomes widely adopted in the U.S., a few problems need to be worked out, like who will get to collect the profitable transaction (交易) fees. Although some credit card providers have been experimenting with wave-and-pay systems that use NFC-enabled credit cards, cell phone service providers may try to muscle their way into the point-of-sale (POS) market. Three big cell phone service providers have formed a joint companies that will go into operation over the next 15 months. Its goal is “to lead the U.S. payments industry from cards to mobile phones.”

The other big NFC issue, apart from how payments will be processed, is security. For instance, what’s to stop a thief from digitally pick-pocketing you? “We’re still not at the point where an attacker can just brush against you in a crowd and steal all the money out of your phone,” says Jimmy Shah, a mobile-security researcher. “Users may also be able to set transaction limits, perhaps requiring a password to be entered for larger purchases.

Still uneasy about this digital-wallet business? Keep in mind that if you lose your smart phone, it can be located on a map and remotely disabled. Plus, your phone can be password protected, your wallet isn’t.

【推荐2】At 18, many American young people go off on their own. They go to college or find full­time jobs, and they often rent their own apartments. Some get married and start families. This independence (独立性) is learned from childhood. From an early age, American children learn responsibility. Children as young as 2 begin to put away their toys and dress themselves. At 3, many children do simple chores like setting the table.

Using money wisely is also taught early. As soon as a child understands the value of money, he or she receives a weekly allowance(零花钱). This is used for things the child wants, like toys or treats. The child can spend or save it, usually with little guidance (指导) from parents. If the child wants money besides his or her allowance, it must be made by doing extra chores.

Children are taught early in life to think for themselves. They are allowed to make some decisions and make mistakes. Failure (失败) often teaches more than success.

【推荐3】Some places in the world have strange laws. It’s important for you to know about them before going there.

Whoever likes to chew gum(口香糖) may have to leave Singapore. The government really wants to keep the city clean and will fine you for chewing gum.

Before you leave for the United Arab Emirates you’d better make sure you aren’t visiting during Ramadan(斋月). During that time you aren’t allowed to eat or drink in public. Tourists have been fined up to $275 for drinking in public.

Lovers spend so much time kissing each other goodbye at train stations that trains often start late. This law—no kissing your lover goodbye at train stations – is rather old, and isn’t in use today in France.

In Thailand it’s against the law to drive a car or motorcycle without a shirt on, no matter how hot it is. Punishments are different in different areas and can include warnings and tickets costing about $10. No joke ---the local police will stop you.

Studies in Denmark have shown that cars with their headlights on are more noticeable by other drivers than those with their headlights off. Drivers there are required to leave their headlights on even during the day, or they may face a fine up to $100.

Do you often buy things using coins? Don’t do it in Canada. The Currency Law of 1985 doesn’t allow using only coins to buy things. Even the use of the dollar-coin is limited (受限制的). The shop owner has the right to choose whether to take your coins or not.

Make sure you know about these laws before your next trip. Better safe than sorry.