1 . If a good friend is keeping their distance and you want to reach out to them, the best approach is openness, honesty, and a willingness to understand your friend’s feelings.     1    Here are some specific steps to get a friend back.

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There is most likely a specific reason for the gap of your friendship. Consider the situation as objectively as you can. Even if you feel wronged by your friend, consider the possibility that somewhere along the line you have also hurt them in ways that you weren’t aware of.

Be aware of other reasons.

If there seems to be no clear reason for your friend’s distance, don’t jump to conclusions. It may have nothing to do with you.     3     A failure in a test, a different opinion from others or a quarrel between parents can all affect your friend, which temporarily keeps him/her away from you.

Think about what you want to say in advance.

If you feel you need to apologize, be specific about what you’re apologizing for. Make sure it’s sincere: what are you really sorry about? For example, if you’ve been ignoring your friend because you’re spending all your time with a new friend, it isn’t appropriate to apologize for spending time with this other person.     4    

Call your friend or ask to meet.

    5     Body language can communicate a lot more than just your voices and may help avoid misunderstandings. If you ask to meet, try to avoid unclear phrases like, “We need to talk. ” These can put your friend on the defensive. Instead, try a more emotionally rooted approach like, “I miss you,” or “I was just hoping we could spend a little time together. ”

2 . There is a world of music out there! What you hear on the radio or see on TV is only a small part of all the wonderful music that is waiting for you. Most of you probably like pop music and have your favorite performers, stars or bands.     1    . Here is a brief look at some of the exciting musical styles from around the world.

Blues music has a long history. The blues is a way for people to show who they are and what is in their heart.     2     The blues comes from African songs that people used to sing when they worked and during festivals. The African songs met American music when African slaves were brought to the US. The blues has been part of African-American culture since then, and it is an important part of American culture.    3    .

Besides, people also listen to hip-hop and rap. They have much in common with blues and rock, but they also have their own characteristics.    4     It will help people hear new things in old music. And in rap music, the singer or “rapper” will speak or “rap” the words along with the beat.

    5    In the US, where there are many Spanish-speaking people, Latin music is a big part of the culture. It has always been popular in Spanish-speaking countries and today stars like Santana and Ricky Martin are known throughout the world.

3 . Whether you’re traveling to the next town over or to the other side of the world, careful planning goes a long way toward ensuring your trip is a success. The right preparation helps you avoid potential disasters, such as having your credit card declined or running out of clean clothes to wear.    1    .

Make your reservations for flights and accommodations. Once you’re sure of where you want to go and when you want to go, where you want to stay and how you want to get around, make your reservations. For flights, book around two months out.    2    You don’t want them to be booked or almost-booked, because then prices skyrocket.

Set a travel budget.    3    It’s easy to overspend when you’re traveling if you don’t plan ahead, so start your planning by breaking down how much you want to spend on transportation, food, accommodation, sightseeing and any other activities you hope to include in your trip.

    4    If you’re going abroad, you may be required to get a visa. Besides, check the website of your intended country’s consulate or embassy to see what is required for you to enter the country. Visas may take weeks or even months to finalize, so check early in the planning process.

Pack appropriate clothing for your destination and trip. Check the weather at your destination 2-3 days before you depart. This will let you know what type of clothes you need to bring.    5    Will you be expected to wear a suit for a conference, or will you be able to bathe in a bathing suit on the beach?

4 . In our home it was natural to fear our father. Even our mother was afraid of him. As children, my sister and I thought every family was like that.       1       We discovered we could draw pictures with chalk on our wooden front door. We could have lots of fun, so we started drawing and making lots of pretty pictures all over it. We had a great time. We decided to finish our pictures, knowing Mom would love it.

    2     We did not understand why, but we knew all about anger, and we were in big trouble. Off we ran to find a place to hide. In our yard it was not hard for two small children to find safety. Together, we hid behind a tree and did not move. Soon we heard the frightened voices of Mom and our neighbours calling out to us. We were afraid of being found.     3     Those around us became more anxious, and we became more frightened. As we stayed together in the dark, we heard another voice, one we recognized with great fear: our daddy.         4     In it we heard something we had never heard before: fear and despair (绝望). Then came his prayers (祈祷). We saw our daddy with tears running down his face, promising God that he would give his life to Him if He would safely return his girls.

Things were different after that. We had a new daddy. It was like the old one was buried that day in the forest.     5    

5 . Sacrificing Sleep to Get Top Grades Doesn't Work

Sacrificing sleep and skipping meals to study in looking for academic excellence actually doesn't work, a new Harvard study has revealed recently.    1    . They usually like getting less sleep or adopting poor eating habits, in a search for top grades. But the new study of 4, 000 British teenagers shows those who display determination, courage and persistence also tend to have healthier lifestyles.

Children who study hard are also likely to look after themselves, and cultivate healthy emotional regulation skills, rather than behaving in ways that are bad for their health.     2    . Studies have shown the harmful effects stress over exams have on young children's health.     3    . The study also found for the first time a link between high­achieving students and helpfulness. The research revealed that those pupils who see themselves as having potential rather than having fixed abilities are more likely to help their peers.     4    .

Dr Christina Hinton, a research member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, said, "    5    , but rather cultivating healthy emotional regulation skills and effective learning strategies. Our results suggest. "

6 . Useful tips for budget-conscious travelers

Traveling can be an experience of a lifetime. Being in the center of another culture is both exciting and eye-opening.     1    . Still, here are four useful tips for the budget-conscious traveler.

Don’t Travel During the Peak Season

    2    . In Manhattan, New York, it’s during the winter holidays. In Cebu, Philippines, it’s the summer months. Traveling during these peak times certainly means higher prices and large crowds. A great way to avoid all of these is to simply go when it’s not high season.

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Within most regions there are local airlines that provide inexpensive solutions to getting around. This is especially handy when you have multiple destinations in mind for your trip. All you have to do is look up Mango flight bookings and you’re on your way. Once you’re in a region, getting around gets much simpler and a whole lot cheaper.

Choose Economical Accommodations

Hotel chains and expensive options may be nice, but they’re the opposite of a budget-friendly experience.     4    . If you’re an app expert, you can also check out room rental apps like Airbnb. They have an extensive network of apartments and units in wonderful neighborhoods for those who prefer a more local feel.

Don’t Spend All Your Money on Food

One of the best things about travel is to enjoy all the wonderful food. Tasting the authentic versions of your favorite dishes is an absolute delight. But be careful. Having a few good meals out is to be expected, but having every meal at an expensive restaurant is a very quick way to drain your money.     5    .

7 . Playgrounds for All Kids

Most of us are all too familiar with the typical playground set-up. Monkey bars, swings, and slides, all accessed by steps and surrounded by a sea of sand or wood chips.     1     However, many disabled children end up being unable to access all of the equipment because of the way it’s constructed.

    2    Its founder, Cody Goldberg, wanted to build a place for his disabled daughter Harper to play freely. It uses spiral (旋转的) walkways leading to activities, rather than steps, where kids in wheelchairs ride alongside those on skateboards.     3     Play areas are both wheelchair and walker accessible.

Goldberg describes the idea behind designing these playgrounds as completely inclusive. They don’t strictly cater to (迎合) children with disabilities and are not meant to prevent any child from access to play.     4    

The inclusive playground model is now spreading across the county. While the original Harper’s Playground is located in Portland, Oregon, similar playgrounds have popped up throughout the state. Harper’s Playground is now teaming up with those interested in building a park of their own.     5    

Changing the way playgrounds are built will have a wide-spread effect. It will affect the way schools are designed and built, and it will affect how the workplace is treated, and then ultimately it will change the way people with disabilities are thought of and treated.

9 . What is volunteer travel?

Volunteer travel involves taking a trip where all or part of the purpose of the trip is to participate in an arranged service opportunity helping others. Typically, the volunteer activity takes place in a foreign country, but some opportunities can involve national or regional projects.     1    

Charitable interests often go far beyond national boundaries. People in developed countries become interested in the struggles of people in less developed countries.     2     Volunteer travel is a way to combine a visit to a new location with meaningful work that has a direct impact on communities in other parts of the world.

    3     Historically, church groups made up a large part of this market. Once a year a religious organization or church would organize a trip to another country.     4     For example, it would be to help build a school in an impoverished(贫困的)area, or dig wells so a village would have clean water, or engage in hundreds of other projects that would impact those less fortunate. As international travel became easier and the Internet made communication between countries much easier, the interest in volunteer travel increased.

    5     Volunteering in other countries has become as accessible as browsing a website and signing up. Instead of traveling with a group that is organized at the volunteers home base, the volunteer may join a group that gathers at the worksite from all over the world. This sort of volunteer travel is sometimes referred to as voluntourism or vacanteerism.