1 . How to Be a Good Upstairs Neighbor

One must remember to be polite when living in an apartment building. You may unintentionally bother your neighbors with actions that you think to be harmless.     1     Living upstairs, you must always be aware that everything you do may be heard by those who live below. This doesn’t mean that you have to completely change your lifestyle, though.

    2     This will greatly reduce the sound of your footsteps, thus limiting the sound your downstairs neighbor will hear. You should always remember to change your shoes when entering your apartment to ensure that your downstairs neighbor doesn’t hear you walking around.

Place carpets in your apartment if you have hardwood floors. Doing so is another way to decrease the sound of steps coming from an upstairs apartment. You can also put your furniture on these carpets.     3    

Close your windows when you can. A floor is usually about three meters high, so it’s quite easy to hear your conversations.     4     Therefore, whenever you are watching TV or listening to a radio, try to keep your windows closed as much as possible.

Do your cleaning on weekend afternoons.     5     Doing such housework at 3:00 pm on a Saturday is much better than doing so at 9:30 on a Tuesday night.

2 . Social events can be frightening for a woman because they usually involve huge crowds. Some manage to become the life of the party like a natural.    1    . Fortunately, there are ways that can help you become the centre of attention during any event.

    2    . People always try to look their best at social gatherings. Therefore, you should spend time dealing with your hair and face beforehand. Besides, a beautiful and comfortable dress will help improve your confidence ahead of the party. For events, ladies must always prefer heels to flats.

Being the life of the party means you have to turn heads as soon as you enter the room.    3    , you should carry yourself with confidence. Start walking like a beauty queen and pose like a model when you reach the hall. With a grand entrance, you’ll be in the conversations of the party guests.

Keep yourself active at the party. Don’t sit in a corner and wait for people to talk to you.    4    , you should acknowledge them with smiles or hugs. Don’t let the thought of becoming the life of the party pull you away from having a fun time with your friends.

There will be friendly strangers looking to start a conversation with you during the party. If someone approaches you with kind intentions, you may act in return for their effort. Getting to know other people in social events will help improve your confidence.    5    .

Some people turn out to be the centre of attention, even if they don’t follow the steps above. The important thing is that you’re having fun, which is better than becoming the life of the party.

3 . Whether you’re attending a dinner party or spending a few nights with a family member or friend, knowing and following proper manners for guests is necessary.

    1    . If you receive the invitation in writing, follow up with a reply in writing. A verbal invitation can be answered either with a note or phone call. Get in touch with the host as soon as possible.

It’s always a good idea to arrive within 10 to 15 minutes of the appointed time on the invitation. If you get there too early, you might be in the way during party preparations. Conversely, if you get there an hour late, you might miss something important.     2    , such as a concert, wedding, funeral or graduation.

Respect your host’s personal space. This means you should never break into a room with a closed door or interrupt a conversation. Don’t expect your host to want to spend the entire day with you.     3    . And that includes your generous host.

All parties, personal visits, and overnight stays should end while you’re still having a nice time. Therefore, you should know to leave. Besides, you should always send a thank-you note after a party, long visit, or overnight stay. Do this as soon as you get home. Thank the host, make a positive comment about some aspect of the visit, and end with a note about looking forward to seeing him or her again.     4    .

Being a guest with good manners means much more than just showing up and being the life of the party.     5    , so you need to show your appreciation by being kind and polite.

5 . You can be hurt by other people in life. That is a fact. And some of those hurts can even leave scars that affect how you think, act and relate to others.    1    Withdraw into a shell, hide in a cave, and isolate(孤立) yourself from others. Definitely not. You can make a different choice to make painful circumstances direct you to a new path.

Remember you can’t please every single person especially a critical one.    2     Some are praying for rain, while others are praying for sunshine. You shouldn’t be replaying hurtful statements made to you. Additionally, it’s foolish to attempt what is impossible.

    3     We live in a society where we don’t get a whole lot of approval. It is not wise of you to do all sorts of crazy things trying to win a smile from some people too cold to ever give it. So refuse to play the game. Don’t waste any energy trying to convince unpleasable, disapproving people that you are a great person.    4    

Refuse to fight back. When we are hurt, the instant reaction is to fight back.     5     Instead, you can pray for the other person. It will help both of you. Be an actor, not a reactor.

It cannot be denied that dealing with other people effectively is one of the most important things you can learn in life. After you’ve mastered that you’re about 95 percent down the road to finding happiness.

6 . After two nights of staying in her apartment in Houston without power, Felicia Maten had no running water, her fingers and toes hurting from the cold. She huddled under blankets with her mother and daughter, together using their breath to warm themselves against freezing temperatures that weren't letting up.

She drove around looking for a hotel. But she couldn't find an available room, and the roads were dangerous. Finally, a neighbor suggested she go to Gallery Furniture. The owner, Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, opened one of his local stores as a shelter for Texas residents displaced by the winter storms.

During the three days the makeshift shelter was open, thousands of people came in for food and warmth and hundreds slept over. "It meant so much to have somebody who doesn't even know us care that much," Maten said. "That man is full of love."

This isn't the first time McIngvale has opened his doors to people in weather emergencies. He did so during Hurricanes Katrina in 2005 and Harvey in 2017.

McIngvale began preparing for the winter storm a week in advance by buying 15,000 gallons of diesel to power the store's generator for a week or so. He took Covid---19 precautions by providing security hand sanitization（杀菌）and masks.

McIngvale got the word out about the shelter through the business' social media following and news coverage. He and his employees made specific accommodations for people, such as those with babies who need bottles warmed or senior citizens who need oxygen tanks plugged in.

"He was serving food, handing out water, going around checking on people." said Jacy Wadhams, another Texas resident living in the area for 15 years. "He really takes pride in what he does. He's an amazing person."

"We believe that we all have responsibility for the wellbeing of the community and when times get tough we try to open our doors and let people come in and regroup," said McIngvale.