1 . It is quite reasonable to blame traffic jams, the cost of gas and the great speed of modern life, but manners on the road are becoming horrible.Everybody knows that the nicest men would become fierce tigers behind the wheel.It is all right to have a tiger in a cage, but to have one in the driver’s seat is another matter.

Road politeness is not only good manners, but good sense too.It takes the most cool­headed drivers great patience to give up the desire to beat back when forced to face rude driving.On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards reducing the possibility of quarrelling and fighting.A friendly nod or a wave of thanks in answer to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of good will and calm so necessary in modern traffic conditions.But such behaviors of politeness are by no means enough.Many drivers nowadays don’t even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.

However, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous.Typical examples are the driver who waves a child crossing the street at a wrong place into the path of oncoming cars that may be not able to stop in time.The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they want to.

An experienced driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if drivers learnt to correctly join in traffic stream without causing total blockages that give rise to unpleasant feelings.Unfortunately, modern drivers can’t even learn to drive, let alone master the roadmanship.Years ago, experts warned us that the fast increase of the car ownership would demand more give­and­take from all road users.It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.

2 . Even the hardest days contain lessons that will help you be a better person. Feeling down? Consider these things to remember when you’re having a bad day.

No one promised life would be perfect. If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content. Don’t build your happiness on meeting every expectation you set for yourself. It is good to be ambitious, but you’ll never be perfect. If you anticipate otherwise, your life will be crammed with disappointments.

Success doesn’t happen overnight. Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit. Don’t kid yourself that success will come quickly. It isn’t easy to be patient, but anything worth doing requires time. If you get frustrated, remind yourself why your goal is important.

There is a lesson in every struggle. And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through or how you managed to survive. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about. Don’t complain about how terrible your life is. If you search for the lesson in your present struggle, you’ll be able to make positive changes that would prevent similar situations in the future.

Without hard times, you wouldn’t appreciate the good ones. Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you go through hardships and decide not to give in, that is strength. It is hard to find much to smile at when you fail, but how else would you improve yourself?If you look at failure as a part of your evolutionary process, you’ll not be pessimistic but pursue your goals for as long as it takes.

3 . Have you ever wondered why you sometimes take an almost immediate liking to a person you have just met? We often get the first impression of a person based on the colour of a person’s skin or the manner in which he or she dresses. Meaning is conveyed(传递) not only by words or verbal languages but also by nonverbal communication systems, such as body behaviour.

Nonverbal communication is important because we use the actions of others to learn about their emotional states. Our emotions are reflected in our posture, face, and eyes-be it fear, joy, anger, or sadness-- so we can express them without ever saying a word. For this reason, most of us depend heavily on what we learn through our eyes.

Nonverbal communication is significant in human interaction because it is usually responsible for the first impressions. More importantly, those first messages usually influence the perception(感知) of everything else that follows. Even how we select friends and partners is based on first impressions with nonverbal communication.

Nonverbal communication is important because it is culture-related. It is based on different beliefs, religions, values and customs in different cultures. When, where, how, and to whom people display his or her specific nonverbal behaviour is greatly affected by culture and context. Culture determines what the appropriate nonverbal behaviour is. For example, feelings of friendship exist everywhere but their expression varies. It maybe appropriate in some countries for men to hug each other and for women to hold hands; in other countries these displays of affection(情感) may be shocking. Each culture has its own specific interpretation on nonverbal communication. What is acceptable in one culture may be completely unacceptable in another. One culture may determine that snapping fingers(打响指) to call a waiter is acceptable; another may consider this gesture rude.

6 . In general, our society is becoming one of giant enterprises directed by a bureaucratic(官僚主义的)management in which man becomes a small, well-oiled cog in the machinery. The oiling is done with higher wages, well-equipped factories and piped music, and by psychologists and “human-relations” experts; yet all this oiling does not change the fact that man has become powerless, that he does not wholeheartedly participate in his work and he is bored with it. In fact, the blue-collar and the white-collar workers have become economic puppets who dance to the tune of automated machines and bureaucratic management.

The workers and employees are anxious, seemingly because they might find themselves out of a job or they would say that they are unable to acquire any real satisfaction or interest in life. In fact, they live and die without ever having confronted the fundamental realities of human existence as emotionally and intellectually independent and productive human beings.

Those higher up on the social ladder are no less anxious. Their lives are no less empty. They are even more insecure in some respects. They are in a highly competitive race. To be promoted or to fall behind is not a matter of salary but even more a matter of self-respect. When they apply for their first job, they are tested for intelligence as well as for the right mixture of submissiveness(顺从)and independence. From the moment on they are tested again and again by the psychologists, for whom testing is a big business, and by their superiors, who judge their behavior, sociability, capacity to get along, etc. This constant need to prove that one is as good as or better than one’s fellow-competitor creates constant anxiety and stress, the very causes of unhappiness and illness.

Am I suggesting that we should return to the pre-industrial mode of production or to nineteenth-century “free enterprise” capitalism? Certainly not. Problems are never solved by returning to a stage which one has already outgrown. I suggest transforming our social system from a bureaucratically managed industrialism in which maximal production and consumption are ends in themselves into a humanist industrialism in which man and full development of his potentialities are the aims of social arrangements. Production and consumption should serve as means to this end, and should be prevented from ruling man.

7 . I am writing this the day before the mail containing the result of the university entrance exam reaches me. I am writing this with a determination that I will _________ and not let life pass me by. I am sure that I will become something, even if the envelope brings me _________ news.

The envelope will reach my _________ tomorrow and I am ready to bear with _________ and self-respect. I will not _________, unless they are tears of joy for saying good-bye to my childhood and welcoming in a _________ life-one that is mysterious(神秘的)and _________. It will teach me to grow and _________ why things are the way they are. It will filter out(过滤掉)all my _________ and let my self-worth increase.

I will be __________ in my battle and not let the bad news bring me down. I will tell myself that I am a talented person and that being __________ doesn’t necessarily mean that I have to be accepted into __________.

I will not listen to those who __________ that a university degree is the only way I will find as a means of __________ these days. I will tell myself that even if that envelope is small and includes a rejection, the person that they have __________   will carry on, because I must __________ to live my life the way I know how to.

I know who I am. I __________ who I am. And whether or not I am accepted into college, I will be true to myself and to __________ around me. I will not __________. I will only look forward and greet each day with a __________ anyway.

8 . It is inevitable(不可避免的) that students will make mistakes. Some teachers think punishing students is the most effective way for them to learn their lessons. Others choose a more moderate (温和的) way, like a face-to-face talk. I support the second.

In my opinion, punishment, especially physical punishment, will harm the students mentally. The students are likely to feel very ashamed. Their confidence may get lost as a result. They may end up locking themselves up and refusing to communicate with even their best friends. In such a situation, it will be very difficult to encourage them to open up again.

Furthermore, punishment is likely to cause additional misunderstandings between the teacher and the student. For example, my cousin once disturbed his teacher in class by talking to another student. The teacher only punished him instead of both of them. He believed the teacher to be partial towards students with better grades. Little by little, he started to dislike this teacher.

To help students learn lessons from their mistakes, there are many better methods for teachers to use than punishment. Here are some suggestions:

① Both the student and the teacher should calm down and then discuss the problem together.

② The teacher should give the student a chance to express his or her thoughts on the problem. In this way, the student may also be more willing to follow the teacher’s advice.

③ The teacher and the student can reach an agreement. For example, if the student promises not to make the same mistake again, the teacher can promise him or her a reward(奖励).

9 . In modern times, many teenagers have idols of their own who are always some stars on TV, on the Internet, etc. These stars always think that a slimmer figure may be perfect for themselves. However, does size really matter? Are teenage fans trying hard to become like their idols? Do famous stars really have the power to influence people especially teenagers?

For the longest time, many parents blame teen idols for influencing the way their kids act. Have you noticed how teens idolize the stars these days？Even, their personal affairs are being followed by kids these days. Take, for example, the case of Lindsay Lohan or Mary Kate Ashley. They are definitely famous teen stars. However, since they are trying to project an image to satisfy a lot of people in show business, their health and body suffer. Many kids are aware of this problem. But they are easily influenced by these stars to exercise and eat less.

It is a fact that the media, and especially famous teen stars, can influence people powerfully. But teenagers are easily influenced because teenage years are the period when the personality and identity developments take place. Teens watching TV shows and reading magazines are easily pulled into the dieting and harmful eating habits because the media have some ways to pull these acts. They use thin models and stars to endorse products or to star in an up-and-coming shows or movies. With fierce competition, stars are forced to eat less and do extreme exercise routines to get the roles or offers that come their way.

Living in today’s time and generation is a bit disturbing to a lot of parents. Media, especially as well as the stars, have a very powerful influence on driving teenagers to good or bad. It’s good that we can control ourselves to prevent bad things from happening. If not, parents should really be aware and guide their teens to determine what’s in and what’s out.