2 . Come and join the new bookstore which is at 369 Zhonghua Street. We will have some activities for the bookstore opening this Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

So please join us on Saturday. You can come anytime between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.—our activities will last all day long!

5 . Sometimes you might feel it impossible to get on with your parents. But in fact, it isn’t as difficult as you think. Follow these ways, and then you’ll improve your relationship with them.

Spend more time with your parents. Your parents won’t always be around, so try to spend more time with them. This doesn’t mean just sitting in front of the TV together. Instead, you should do more activities with your parents together. By doing them, all of you will feel happy and relaxed.

Talk with your parents more often. In order to understand them better, you should talk with them more often. Try to learn more about their own childhood. In this way, you will understand them better.

Always listen to your parents. This may seem simple, but it’s often hard er than you think. Look at your parents when they are talking. Don’t interrupt them, and then speak clearly when replying to them.

Share your feelings with your parents. Sometimes your parents also want to learn more about you. Just do your best to open your heart to them. When possible, talk to them about something at school or what you really want to be in the future.

Make your parents feel proud (自豪的). There are always some ways to make your parents feel good about you. By work hard, you can do well at school or win prizes in games. They will think how lucky they are to have you and be more willing to talk about you in front of others.

6 . When I was about 12, I had an enemy (敌人), a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings (缺点). Wee k by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn’t a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.

He listened to me quietly, and then he asked, “Are the things she said true or not? Janet, didn’t you ever wonder what you are really like? Well, you now have that girl’s opinions. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark (标记) the points that are true. Pay no attention (注意力) to the other things she said. ”

I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I found that about half of the things were true. Some of them I couldn’t change (like being very thin), but a good number I could—and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I got a very clear picture of myself.

I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it. “That’s just for you,” he said. “You know the truth about yourself better than anyone else. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feel hurt. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your responsibility. Don’t close your ears. Listen to what they think you should do or shouldn’t do. But hear the truth and do what you think is right.”

Daddy’s advice returns to me at many important moments. In my life, I’ve never had a better piece of advice.

7 . Nearly all of us have an unpleasant habit, whether we realize it or not, and we want to get rid of it but didn’t know the proper ways. Here’s some advice on how to get rid of bad habits.

◆Make a list.

Write down all the reasons why you want to stop a certain behavior—how it’s hurting you and why getting rid of it. Look at that list often. That will be helpful.

◆Join other activities.

It’s wise of you to do something else when you want to stop your bad habits. If you get angry easily, for example, you can practice deep breathing or go for a walk.

◆Give yourself a reward.

Before you get rid of a bad habit, decide what you’ll do to celebrate it if you achieve your goal.   

◆Keep off bad habits.

If you are fat and want to lose weight, keep junk food out of your house. If you are a heavy smoker, keep away from smoky bars or friends who like smoking.

◆Be patient.

Bad habits develop over years, so you probably won’t be able to get rid of them quickly. In fact, people often give up several times before being successful, so you should be patient.

◆Find support.

Don’t be afraid to ask for support from friends, family or other people who have the same bad habits as you. When you talk to others, they might be able to give you some advice or encouragement that you normally wouldn’t get from yourself.