【推荐1】How green are you? Do you know how to be green?

We all need a healthy environment, but we produce waste every day and it is harmful to our environment. Though we are young, we can still do something to help. Here are some ideas for you.

Reduce means "use less". Don't waste things. This saves money and reduces pollution. Before we buy something new, think whether it is really necessary—or maybe the old one is still useful.

Reuse means "use again". When we buy things, make sure that they can last a long time. When something is broken, we should repair it instead of throwing it away and buying a new one. Don't use a paper cup or a paper bag. It's better to use a china(瓷) cup and a lunch box because you can use them again.

Recycle means "change things into something else". Though it takes energy to change something into something else, it's better than throwing things away or burning them.

So please remember these words: reduce, reuse and recycle.

【推荐2】Why is setting goals (目标) important? Because goals can help you do and experience everything you want in life. Instead of just letting life happen to you, goals allow you to make your life happen.

Successful people in life imagine how their life should be and set lots of goals.     1     It’s like having a sign to show you where you want to go. Think of it in this way. There are two drivers. One has a place to go to clearly in mind which can be found on a map. He can drive straight there surely without any wasted time. The other driver has no goal, or a map.     2     But he drives aimlessly (无目的地) around, never getting anywhere, just using up oil. Which driver do you want to be?

    3     They decide what they want in life and then get there by setting goals and making plans.

Unsuccessful people just let life happen by accident. Goals aren’t difficult to set, and they aren’t difficult to reach.

    4     You are the one who must decide what to achieve and in what direction to aim your life.

Research tells us that when we write a goal down we are more likely to (有可能) achieve it.       5     so that it is harder to forget them. Also when we write your goals in our own way, we are able to make ourselves realize situations that will bring us nearer to our goals.

【推荐3】When I was a child, my parents always told me that I should never talk to strangers. This was part of a whole list of things I should never do: Never accept food or candy from strangers, never get in a car with strangers, and so on.

But if we didn’t start a conversation with strangers, we’d never make new friends. We’d never get a job. We may miss the joy that comes from talking with strangers. And the more people you know, you more chances you can get.

The following passage offers you some advice on how to break the ice.

Don’t just stare at your shoes. Go and say “Hi” to that new guy. It will be easier to break the ice if you know more about different cultures.

British: Beautiful day, isn’t it?

The weather in Britain is changeable. So, it is one of the topics the British care most about. And there’s a simple rule: Say “Yes” whether you agree with the person’s idea on the weather or not. That’s because the British start a conversation using the weather so that they can continue their talk.

French: Where did you go on holiday?

To talk with a French person, the safest way is to ask his or her last holiday. French students enjoy a 10-to-15-day holiday every two months. French employees get more than six weeks of holidays per year.

American: So, where are you from?

The US is so big and people move so often that location is always a source (来源) of talk. You can try to find a connection with the place they’re from. For example, if someone’s from Los Angeles, you could say: “Oh, I have a friend who studied there.”