Jeffrey Hall, a teacher of Communications from the University of Kansas (KU), has used his research to define the exact amount of time necessary to make friends with someone. He's also found how long it will take to deepen a relationship. His new study found that it takes around 50 hours of time together to go from being someone's acquaintance to casual friend. It takes about 90 hours to go from being casual friends to friends, and more than 200 hours before considering someone a close friend or best friend.
But it isn't spending just any kind of time together that deepens a friendship—hours spent working together, for example, don't count as much as hours spent getting to know someone by hanging out, joking around, playing video games, and doing more playful activities. The study explains that these kinds of activities help us to form a deeper connection with someone. "We have to put that time in," Hall said. "You can't make friends without any effort."
The results of the study come from analysis of 355 responses to an online survey from adults who said they had moved in the last six months and were looking for new friends in their new environment. Survey participants were asked about new relationships as well as hours spent together and activities they did. They were then asked to rate their resulting relationships according to one of four stages: acquaintance, casual friend, friend and close friend.
The main conclusion that Hall came to is that making close friends takes serious effort. So if you want to have some best friends, you have to know that spending time with someone is the most important thing.
Getting stuck in a traffic jam is one of the most boring problems for people living in big cities. The fact that you're moving so slowly leads to stress, anger and the wish that your car could just fly over the traffic like an airplane.
Soon, however, that wish could come true. On May 8, US carrenting company Uber showed off what it described as "the transportation mode of the future: ondemand air transport", reported ABC News.
According to Nikhil Goel, head of products for Uber Air, the company's air taxi service may launch test flights in the US cities of Dallas and Los Angeles, as well as Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, as early as 2020. If everything goes according to plan, passengers will be able to fly to work by 2023.
When the Olympics comes to Los Angeles in 2028, Uber "expects to have hundreds, if not thousands, of its aircraft in the skies," Goel told Newsweek.
So what would Uber's flying vehicles be like?
They are small, electric aircrafts that take off and land vertically (垂直地), and they give off zero emissions (排放物) and are quiet enough to operate in cities.
Just like an airplane, the vehicles will have fixed wings to help them glide. But while a helicopter has just one big fixed rotor (旋翼), Uber's vehicles will have multiple rotors, which will help increase efficiency (效率) while reducing emissions and noise.
Because of these fixed wings and multiple rotors, Uber's flying taxis "should be quieter and safer than a helicopter," reported ABC News.
However, the service still has a long way to go before it's ready to accept passengers. For example, to avoid any potential accidents, Uber is working with NASA to study air traffic control problems associated with lowflying aircraft. But just as an expert commented, "This programme is revolutionary and futureoriented (面向未来的)."
How to Have a Successful Teenage Life
Everyone wants to succeed in their life, don't they? Even as a teenager, you can achieve success in your life, and it really isn't that hard.
Do well in school. No matter how boring it is now, education will help you be a productive member in society. Try your best for excellence in school: listen to the teachers, do your homework, study, and get good grades. Doing so will help you get into a better university, which will enable you to have a bright future.
Do good in your community. Volunteering can not only improve your community's status, but also make you happier. Studies show that people who volunteer are less likely to develop depression (抑郁) than people who don't. For example, if you love animals, volunteer at an animal shelter. If you love protecting the environment, plant trees or pick up litter. When you help others, it will make you feel better about yourself.
Remember, they're there to help you be the best that you can be. Respect them and value their opinions, even if they annoy you sometimes. You don't get to choose your teachers or your family, but you still have to put up with them. Learn how to deal with people now, because when you're an adult, you don't get to choose your boss or your coworkers, so learn how to respect them now.
A. Here are some important points that you may find helpful.
B. Be nice to your parents and teachers.
C. School sets you up on the right track.
D. Find chances to do voluntary work that interests you.
E. Keep in mind that they do the things because they care about you.
F. Live life fully.
G. It will help you pass time and develop your personality.
I am an Australian teacher at a high school in Sydney. A few years ago, I went to Japan to teach1for one year. I quickly 2 that schools in the two countries are different.
In my first class, I put the students in 3, and asked them to 4 the question: Who has more advantages in society: men or women? In my class in Australia, this 5 would successfully get everyone talking in English. So, when I 6 the same lesson with my Japanese students, I was 7 that the same things would 8.
Instead of a 9 debate (辩论) with different opinions, there was almost silence. The students whispered (低语，耳语) briefly and quietly within their groups. Then a spokesperson gave one answer 10 the group.
I was 11 at that time, and understand what being team player means. A team player puts himself last, and puts his 12 first.
In a Japanese class, children are often 13 into groups and taught how to study or play together. In Australia, it is the individual who is important, not the group. At first, I felt that Australian culture was better, 14 after a year in Japan, I learned that cultures are 15, and that it is not a question of which one is better.
For those who travel to China, the scenic spots and ancient civilization are (attract) things, and so is Chinese food and drink. Like music, dance and painting, eating is also an art in China and Chinese cuisine (list) as one of the tops in the field of world cuisine.
Nobody could tell exactly how many restaurants a specific city has, let alone the roadside eateries (饭馆) (distribute) in streets and back lanes. Wherever you would like to eat, in the restaurants the roadside eateries, make sure that the restaurant is clean and the food is (fresh) prepared and hot.
Chinese regard eating as an art, is a comprehensive combination of sight, smell, touch, taste and even sound. Chinese cuisine is an important branch from the Chinese culture and the core is taste while the purpose is (preserve) health.
It is a perfect combination of colour, shape, (appear) and flavor. Delicious and nutritious food has been regarded the basics of ordinary life.
Chinese cuisine has a long history and is famous worldwide its rich tastes and delightful colours. The difference in local climate, history and eating customs in each region has produced local dishes and snacks with their own (characteristic).
1）介绍自己；
2）告知到达时间；
3）询问应做何准备。
注意：
1）词数80左右；
2）可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
One winter Sunday, my little sister, Colleen, and I built the greatest snowman ever. We gave him a carrot nose, beautiful hat, cozy scarf and gloves. He was a masterpiece (杰作).
The next morning when looking outside, we smiled lovingly at him over our meal. We gave him a high five as we passed by on our way to school. A lot of kids went past our house, so he was the hot topic at our school that morning. It was our pride!
The day dragged on until finally we could rush home. But as our yard came into sight, we saw something wrong. The snowman was gone! We only found a broken stick here, a torn glove there and balls of snow everywhere. Worst of all, the snowman's onceproud carrot nose lay limp (无力的) and halfeaten.
What had happened? We were both astonished and angry. But then, we were only kids, who wouldn't have anything take away our happiness. Actually we knew only one thing: Our snowman would rise again. And so we rebuilt him.
The next day we came home to find another mess on the front lawn (草坪). For the rest of the week, the destruction was repeated daily. Each afternoon we'd return to find our snowman had fallen apart, and then we built again.
By Saturday morning, we had a plan. We borrowed a really big bucket (水桶) from Mom, filled it with water and left it outside. The next morning, it was frozen solid. We packed snow all around the ice block as the base (底座) of the snowman. Then we built the other parts of it once again. The trap was set, and we waited for the snowman bullies (破坏者) to come.
注意：
1）所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2）至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3）续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4）续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1：
On Monday morning, hiding behind the window, we soon saw what we were waiting for.
Paragraph 2：
Seeing their pained look, we couldn't help laughing.
