1 . The Programme for International Student Assessment. (PISA)is a worldwide study of 15-year-old school pupils’ scholastic performance in mathematics, science, and reading undertaken by the OECD. A closer look at the reading tests, shows the interesting fact that girls are outperforming boys in reading and that this is associated with girls’ greater enjoyment of reading.

One key area which has a major impact on reading performance, is reading for enjoyment rather than simply for study or school work purposes. Interestingly, the PISA study found that in all countries assessed (apart from South Korea), girls read for enjoyment more than boys.     1     In countries such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Netherlands, the difference between boys and girls was most significant, where they found a 30%gap or more between the genders. Additionally in places such as Austria and Liechtenstein, very low levels of boys expressed interest in reading(40% or less), which are worrying statistics.

    2     In places like Japan, boys and girls read for enjoyment at an almost identical level, with 54% of boys and 58% of girls reporting that they enjoy reading. And there were a few countries and regions that scored very highly in boys reading enjoyment, for example in Albania, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Shanghai in China and Thailand where at least 80% of boys enjoy reading.     3    

    4     There were clear differences in the choices boys and girls make when deciding on what to read. Boys were found to enjoy reading magazines, newspapers and comic books more than girls.       5     Unlike reading enjoyment, this pattern was clearly repeated across all countries, especially in terms of boys reading of magazines and comic books.

3 . How to Keep a Relationship Healthy and Strong

Are you new to experiencing relationships? Well, let me give you advice on having a healthy and possibly long-term relationship.

    1    Do not hide things from them, do not lie. Don’t be afraid to say things that isn’t very flattering(奉承/自夸) about yourself. Getting them to trust you is the most important element in any relationship. If there’s no trust, there’s nothing there. So please be honest and they’ll learn to open up to you.

Make sure you give them respect. Now respect isn’t just simply treating her or him nicely. There' s a lot more to it. You have to learn to adjust to their liking.    2     Don’t just think about yourself, think about what your partner needs out of it as well.

Make sure you are encouraging to your partner.    3    Make them feel you are someone they can really count on and build a future with. This is an important step in a relationship. Your partner has to be able to count on you when needed.

Make sure you have a good sense of humor with them. Laughter is the key to happiness. Laugh a lot with them, joke with them. Laughter may seem silly, but it’s the secret to a lot in life. It will keep the sparks alive.    4    

Make sure the communication is good. This goes along with trust, but always communicate how you feel, even if it’s something that upsets you. Instead of screaming, talk to them.    5    It’s important to communicate this to them, not keep it bottled up.

4 . Playing sports offers you more than just physical benefits (好处).     1     The benefits are the same whether or not you’re good at sports. If you are not good enough to play competitively on a school team, you can play sports with your friends.

Making new friends.

Playing sports enables you to create friendships you otherwise might not have formed.     2     You play together happily and gradually know each other. Many times, the friendships you create on the field remain strong when you are not playing sports.

Understanding the value of health.

Taking part in sports improves your health in many ways.     3     This gets you thinking about what to eat and how to treat your body so as to achieve the highest performance levels. Thus, playing sports can lead to better eating habits and prevent you from becoming too fat.

Building team spirit.

Sports provide children with the important lesson of learning how to work in a team.     4     By working together they will learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses and will be better able to decide and work out the best plan for the team. This will without doubt help them in their future lives and jobs as well.

    5    

Playing sports requires a lot of time and energy. Some may think this would take students’ attention away from schoolwork. However, the opposite is true. Sports require memorization, repetition and learning — skills that are directly relevant (有关的) to schoolwork.

5 . Choosing the Right Career

For many students, choosing a career is the most important life decision they must make at school. However, choosing the right career is not that easy.    1     If you take the following steps, you will have a good chance of finding a career that interests you for a long time.

Step One: Reflection

Before you decide upon a career, think about your interests and your talents. Ask yourself: What do I enjoy doing? What am I good at?     2    

Step Two: Planning

    3    Read books describing different kinds of work, the typical qualifications (资格) required, and the typical salaries for various jobs. Also, talk to people already doing the jobs that interest you. And try out careers by taking internships (实习) or part-time jobs

Step Three: Selection

Consider what kind of personality you have and what your value is: What is really important to you?     4     If so, a job as a computer programmer may not be the best option. If you like the security of getting a monthly salary, then starting a business probably is not for you. And remember that you can always change your mind. Most people change jobs several times during their working life.     5    Your first job right after college probably will not be your career 30 years from now. Be flexible and allow yourself to change if you are not satisfied with your chosen career.

8 . Every year in my birthday, from the time I turned 12, a white gardenia was delivered to my house.     1     Calls to the flower-shop were not helpful at all. After a while I stopped trying to discover the sender’s name and just delighted in the beautiful white flower in soft pink paper.

    2     Some of my happiest moments were spent daydreaming about the sender. My mother encouraged these imaginings. She’d ask me if there was someone for whom I had done a special kindness. Perhaps it was the old man across the street whose mail I had delivered during the winter.     3    

One month before my graduation, my father died. I felt so sad that I became uninterested in my upcoming graduation dance, and I didn’t care if had a new dress or not. But my mother in her own sadness, would not let me miss any of those things.     4     In truth, my mother wanted her children to see themselves much like the gardenia—lovely, strong and perfect with perhaps a bit of mystery.

My mother died ten days after I was married. I was 22.     5    

9 . How to Make Friends

Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.

1.    1    

The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.

2. Start a conversation

Staring a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.    2    You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.

3.    3    

Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together.

4.    4    

It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls or visits and finally you may lose your friend. The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.

5. Enjoy your friendship

The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves.    5    and try not to change them. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be.