It was a fine spring day with beautiful flowers in the park. A young man arrived early and waited for his 1 under a big tree. But he was so short-tempered (性急的) that he wasn't in the mood to 2 the scenery.
Suddenly, an angel appeared, "Here is a button (按钮). If you don't want to 3, just turn the button to the right. You can skip over (跳过) any time period if you want to."
The man happily held the button and turned it softly. Oh! How amazing! His girlfriend appeared before him and was gently 4 him! "How I wish our wedding ceremony could be held now!" He turned the button once again. A great wedding 5 in front of him. The beautiful bride (新娘) was standing next to him and the band was playing 6 music. He lost himself in it deeply.
The 7 in his heart kept coming out: I also want a big house with a garden in the front. He turned the button. Then he wished for children. All of a sudden, a group of lovely children were playing 8 in the huge living room. Again, he jumped at the chance to tum the button to the right.
How time flew! Before he could see beautiful flowers in the garden, everything had been covered in deep snow. Looking at himself again, he found his hair totally 9. He had already become so old.
He felt so sad. He would rather enjoy life step by step than watch it go by in such a hurry. He quickly turned the button to the 10.
Once again, he was waiting for his lovely girlfriend under that big tree.
Years ago I went to a festival of short films. There were competitions and prizes for the best short films. It was a night of animated films (动画片) from 9 p. m. on Saturday to 6 a. m. on Sunday. Every audience (观众) could get a free breakfast with their tickets on Sunday morning.
There were three parts running through the night. Each part had several animated films and music videos. Some films were so good that the audience couldn't take their eyes off the screen even for a minute.
I was surprised when I found even the night staff (全体职员) were very happy and friendly. You could tell that all the people there enjoyed themselves. Once inside the theatre, it was difficult to get a seat because you had to climb over other seats. Some audience threw around paper planes to show their happiness.
By the third part of the night you could tell that everyone was getting tired. People were drinking coffee during the break. I tried to stay up until the end. I think it was a really wonderful experience.
The Silk Road is the name of different roads that long ago connected Europe, Africa and Asia. People reached these different places along these roads. Scientists believe people began to travel the Silk Road about 3,000 years ago. By the time the Chinese silk trade became important in the world, the Silk Road covered almost 6,500 kilometres. It spread from Rome to China, which is from the West to the Far East.
Traders travelling along the Silk Road carried silk, of course. They also carried and traded spices(香料), cloth, valuable stones and gold.
There is a famous old story along the old road. It is said that Roman soldiers travelled through central Asia. They started to live somewhere near the ancient Chinese village of Liqian. Some of these Romans married local Chinese women and the story of blue-eyed villages of China was started.
During its busiest period，the Silk Road allowed people from many different cultures and countries to meet each other and mix. The Silk Road allowed the sharing of valuable goods and new ideas. These included people and trading goods from the Mediterranean, Persian, Magyar, Armenian, Bactrian, Indian and Chinese areas. All these peoples travelled the Silk Road, and they shared goods, stories, languages, and cultures.
In modern times, the old Silk Road routes (路线) are still used, but now they are crossed by trains instead of camels and horses. There is even a Silk Route Museum in Jiuquan in China. It has over 35,000 objects from all along me Silk Road. In this way, China protects the history of many countries and peoples.
A'Layah Robinson lives in Oklahoma, USA. She is only seven years old, but already she has big ideas for helping other kids!
One Saturday morning when A'Layah was five, she noticed some teenagers who had a lemonade stand(柠檬饮料摊位). They wanted to raise money to help some of their friends. A'Layah wanted very much to help kids too, especially foster kids(寄养儿童)! You see, A'Layah and her brother were both foster kids. The little girl's birth mother was a drug addict (吸毒成瘾者), so she was taken to a foster care centre. Luckily, she finally found a forever home in the Robinson family.
But A'Layah still couldn't forget the day when her brother came to live with them. She felt sad that he only had old clothes and shoes that were too small. She thought maybe she could help with a lemonade stand! That way she could raise money so that other foster kids could have a toy and a few other things of their own.
A'Layah's first lemonade stand made $132! A'Layah was so excited to go with her mother to buy things for the foster kids. She decided they should have a toy, a toothbrush, a blanket and a book. Her first donation(捐赠物) was for 24 kids!
A'Layah wanted to help more kids, so her mum helped her start a charity called A'Layah's Lemonade for Love. Till now, it has already raised over$17, 000! A'Layah hopes someday she will be able to send a toy to every kid in foster care.
Travelling around the world is many people's dream. It is a great way for people to see new places, meet new people and learn new cultures. However, you may have some trouble during the trip if you don't know the local customs(习俗)or the language. Some people would like to try using gestures to "talk with" the local people. That is to say, they tell others their thoughts by moving their hands or body parts.
Gestures are useful but every country is different in the way their people communicate with each other. So a gesture may be OK in one country but not OK in another.
Recently, a company has created a series of useful pictures of gestures around the world, hoping to help people understand different meanings of the gestures in different cultures and avoid making silly mistakes. Just take the "OK" sign for example. In China, we use it when we want to say everything is all right. However, in other countries such as Greece, Spain or Brazil, people see me "OK" sign as very rude. What's more, in some Middle East countries such as Kuwait, me sign stands for the evil(邪恶的) eye.
Many students may feel nervous and have trouble communicating with others. They write to us to ask for advice. Here are some of their questions and our answers.
How can I speak English fluently?
Try to speak clearly. Practise it as much as possible. Talk in English with others whenever you get the chance. Watch English TV shows and movies. Read books, magazines, and newspapers in English.
Why is it important to develop communication skills?
Communication skills are important in everyday life. You will need them in order to get a job and buy the things you need. You will also need them to develop good relationships with your friends, family members, or romantic partners.
How can I get over my fear of speaking?
Practise speaking to yourself in front of a mirror for a period of time. Say the words aloud and act as if you are speaking to another person. It might feel silly, but it will make you feel relaxed and not afraid of speaking. When you are speaking to a group of people, be confident. Take deep breaths and speak slowly.
How can I make a good impression on people that I communicate with?
When you speak, do remember to smile and make eye contact. If you've just met people for the first time, give them a firm handshake and tell them it's nice to meet them.
Why should I be a better listener?
If you listen carefully to the speaker, you can understand the important messages the person wants to tell you. Listening properly also helps to prevent conflict and misunderstanding.
Talk with your body, not your words
People use body language almost every day. What is body language? How does it work? Follow Teens and find out!
Want to talk with your body? Use body language! A "V" gesture (手势 ) shows (happy), victory or peace. Opening the mouth wide (show) surprise. This is body language.
When you talk with others, body language is important. Scientists say we do 65 per cent of our(communicate) with body language. For example, you make faces, people think you are naughty or shy. Frowning(皱眉) shows you are angry. Sometimes, your words say one thing, but your body language says another. For example, you touch your face while(tell) a lie.
In different cultures, the same body language may have different meanings. (nod) your head in most countries means Yes . But in some parts of (Greek) and Turkey, it means "No".
Different body language can also mean same thing. Take "hello" for example. The French like to kiss cheeks say hello. But the Japanese bow. Maoris (毛利人) in New Zealand touch noses each other when they meet.
