From the Other Side

Lara and Tara are twins. They look like each other, but they are very different in everything else. For example, hot food is Lara’s favorite, and Tara has a sweet choice.

However, this isn’t the problem with the twin girls. They always argues that the opposite one was wrong.     1    , while Tara thought mornings were fresh and it was difficult to stay up till midnight.

    2     To put an end to their fights, their parents decided to create a small drama. They wanted the girls to understand that they were both correct from their own point of view. Their parents covered the girl’s eyes with black ribbons (带、条), and brought them to the dining room.     3     Lara was asked to stand on one side of the board and Tara on the other. They couldn’t see the other side of it. When the ribbons were taken away, they were surprised to see a huge board between them.

Now, their father asked Lara, “What’s the color of the board?” She replied, “It’s black!”     4     She relied, “It’s white!” The two girls began to argue again. While Lara was confident it was black, Tara was sure it was white. Then, they were asked to exchange (交换) their places. They couldn’t believe their eyes. Tara, who insisted (坚持) it was a white board, saw a black one. Similarly, Lara, who argued the board was black, was surprised to see a white one. They understood that each of them was right in her own view. Most of us are like Lara and Tara. We are right most times, but insist that others are wrong!

【推荐2】All students need to have good study habits（习惯）. When you have good study habits, you will learn things quickly(快的）.    1    

Do you like to study in the living room?    2     You need to study in a quiet （安静的）place, like your bedroom.     3    

When you study, do not think about other things at the same time.     4     If you do this, you will do your homework more quickly, and you will make fewer mistakes（错误）.

Good study habits are very important.     5    If yours are already good, try to make them better.

【推荐3】You probably talk to your friends more than you talk to your parents. That’s natural, even if you and your parents have a good relationship. Still, it’s good to have a parent’s help, advice and support (支持).     1     Here are some tips to make it easier.

Think about what you want or need from your parents.

Do you want to tell them something important?     2     Do you need their advice? It helps if you’re clear about what you want. For example:

“I need your advice about something. Can we talk?”

“Will you allow me to go on a class trip next week?”

    3    

Are you worried that your parents will be crazy or disappointed (失望的)? Don’t let the feeling stop you from talking. Instead, let your feeling be part of the talk.     4     For example:

“I want to tell you something that’s very personal. And I’m worried about how you’ll feel.”

“I need to talk to you. But I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you.”

Pick a good time and place to talk.

Find a time when your parents aren’t busy with anything else. Ask, “Can we talk now?     5    ” Try to find a quiet place. And then, just get started.

【推荐2】Almost all people have hobbies, and people in different countries have different hobbies around the world. For example, in America, people’s favorite hobby is watching TV in their spare time. It is the main entertainment（娱乐）for Americans to watch TV at least one hour in a day. 96% of Americans regard watching TV as their first hobby. The second one is going to the cinema or doing some sports. Next one is reading or gardening. Besides（此外）these, fishing is also a very popular hobby.

In England, it’s quite different. People there like to go to the flea market（跳蚤市场）. They like to go there to see if there is something new. Besides, Englishmen like drinking tea.

Russians like reading very much. Wherever you go, you will see people reading carefully. Germans like reading as well. According to a survey, Germans read eleven books on average（平均）in 2011.

【推荐3】How many birthdays do you have every year? Most of you just have one, right? Well, the Queen（女王）of England is different. She has different birthdays a year: the real birthday and the official（官方的）birthday.

Her real birthday is on April 21st. On her birthday, she has a big dinner at home and then she takes a photo with her family. After that, she reads the letters people write to her.

In England, there's always a parade（游行）for the Queen's birthday. This big, outdoor parade first started in 1748. But in April, the weather in England is very rainy and cold. So in 1905, the Queen had her second birthday in June because the weather's nice. And the Queen wanted it to be on a Saturday. That's because it's easy for everyone to join the parade. And this year, her official birthday is on June 11.