Sometimes friends hurt other friends' feelings without meaning to. If you are being joked on and feeling upset, just say something. And if you are among the ones doing the joking, make sure you pay attention to how your friend feels.
—A lesson from my experience
One day, Mareya, Ollie, Jasmine and I were kicking a soccer ball in the park, and Jasmine kept singing a song over and over. It sounds very 1 , which quickly caught our attention.
"The tune （曲调） is pretty pleasant," said Mareya happily. "Do you remember the2 ?"
"Let me see..."Then Jasmine started singing this song ending with "Mar-eye-aaa, Mar-eye-aaa. They called the3 Mar-eye-aaa."
"That's so great!" said Ollie. "Mareya, how come you never told us you were the wind?"
"Hey, Mar-eye-a!" I4 , "Can you use your power to blow that soccer ball over here to me?"
"No!" said Jasmine. "Please use your strong power to5 the ball in my direction!"
Then Ollie started singing quite loudly. "Mar-eye-aaa, Mar-eye-aaa. They called the wind Mar-eye-aaa."
His voice was so6 that we couldn't help laughing like crazy.7 , we paid no attention to Mareya.
A couple days later, when Ollie and I went to the park for a 8 , Mareya and Jasmine happened to be there, too.
"Hey there, friends!" Jasmine called to9 .
As we skated over to them, Ollie sang, "Mar-eye-aaa, Mar-eye-aaa. They called the wind Mar-eye-aaa!"
Jasmine and I laughed and began to sing along.
Mareya's smile10 suddenly. "Can you please just stop?" She cried out angrily.
Surprised, Ollie, Jasmine and I stopped.
"I couldn't11 why I felt so angry the other day," Mareya said. "12 when it happened again just now. I got it. I can't stand it!"
Only then did we realize that we13 her without meaning to. "We're really14 ! Could you please forgive （原谅） us? And thanks for telling us your true feelings!"
"It's OK. But never do it like this anymore?" she said15 .
"We promise!" we all said at once. And this time, all four of us really and truly did laugh together!
Fantastic hotel
Stayed 24 nights at this wonderful hotel in January 24. Excellent for facilities, very comfortable rooms and friendly staff-Marvin on concierge was so helpful. Breakfast buffet catered for all tastes as did the evening buffet. Room service equally as good. I would highly recommend this hotel.
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Date of stay: January 2024
Trip type: Traveled on business
facility 设施；staff 工作人员；concierge 酒店服务台职员；buffet自助餐；cater for迎合
①perfect location ②delicious food ③good service ④helpful concierge ⑤com-fortable rooms
Dolphins are believed to be very intelligent animals. They seem to be able to think, understand, and learn things quickly. Many scientists believe there is a special connect ion between dolphins and humans. There are lots of amazing stories about dolphins and humans. Here are two of our favourites.
Although dolphins use their brains differently from people, they are similar to humans in a way: both make plans to get something they want. In the seas of southern Brazil, for example, dolphins use an interesting strategy to get food. When fish are near a boat, dolphins show signs to the fishermen to put their nets in the water. Using this method, the men can catch a lot of fish. What is the advantage for the dolphins in doing so? They get to eat some of the fish.
Another story is about dolphins as a lifeguard to help save humans in danger. In 2016, Ad-am Walker went to New Zealand to swim across the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands. He was swimming when he saw a large dark shape below him. He knew that it was a great white shark and his life was in danger. Adam knew he didn't have a lot of time. A few seconds later, a group of ten dolphins joined him and swam in a circle between him and the shark. The circle of dolphins kept Adam safe. After half an hour, the shark left, but the dolphins swam with him for another hour.
Dopamine, known as the "source of pleasure", is a chemical released in the brain that makes you feel good. But do you know "dopamine dressing"? It is one of the hottest fashion trends ruling social media in 2023. Actually, dopamine dressing is one of the most popular fashion styles for 2023. Many people take this style to fight back bad feelings and show themselves.
First created by American fashion psychologist Dawnn Karen in her book Dress Your Best Life in 2020, dopamine dressing—to put it simply—is dressing for joy. It encourages people to choose colorful clothing so that they can get more dopamine and feel happier.
▲ According to Science Focus magazine, although there is no study about how colorful clothes can increase dopamine, there are studies showing a relationship between the clothes we wear and how we act and feel. One study showed that wearing red can lead to better physical performance. It found that in soccer matches over the last 55 years, teams with red clothes al-ways played better in home games than any other clothes color. Another study showed that wearing green can make people become more creative. Green has also been found to help people relax, likely because it reminds us of nature. Yellow, and its suggestions of summer and warmth, can bring people happiness, energy and excitement.
So why not try dopamine dressing? You can try one thing at a time. Here are some expert-backed tips and tricks:
●Bags: With black and white clothes, you can use a bright pink or green bag.
●Shoes: You can light up your dark clothes with a pair of red shoes.
●Socks: Colorful socks can make you look cute.
Trends come and go: Many goods that people buy to keep pace with fashion end up in the rubbish bin. Now, young Chinese people are giving these things a second life. Called "stoopers", they pick up idle goods and reuse them. They are mainly in big cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.
Chen Jiaorong, 27, is one of them. She started stooping in June 2022 when she found that many people were letting go of things hardly used after they were release d from the COVID lock-down （封闭管控） in Shanghai. After that, she often "hunted treasures" in her free time. Now, her small apartment holds things redesigned from the idle goods she collected, including tables, chairs and clothing.
"Some say stooping means collecting rubbish," Chen said. "But for me, it is about making the best use of things." That's why she wanted to promote the trend to others. Sometimes Chen also puts eyeball-shaped stickers （小贴纸） on idle goods that she doesn't need and posts pictures of them on social media for others to find.
With a hobby of keeping things since childhood, Huang Xiaohe, from the Xishan High School of Kunming No 1 High School, also loves stooping. Though the 12-year-old has few chances to go stooping in her city, Huang often looks for idle goods around school. Then, she cleans and redesign s them, turning them into fun things at home. The cotton from a found toy bear dresses a cloud lamp, bottles become decorations and old facial masks are used to make clothes for her Barbie dolls. "I believe that any waste can be turned into treasures," said Huang. She also added that stooping is an action to fight over-buying.
—I plan to do some volunteer work first. Then I will go to Tibet for a visit.
How do you say hello to someone you know? Do you smile? Do you touch the other person? Actually, people from different （文化） greet each other differently. There are various ways of greetings in this globe. Here are some interesting ways, which （也许） be useful for you.
In China, many people （握手） their hands when they meet. Sometimes they just smile and say "ni hao", something like "Hello" or "Hi". While in Japan, people often bow their heads to show （尊重）. In India, Nepal and Bangladesh, people bring their hands together in front of their heart and say "Namaste". In Malaysia, you put your hand on your heart and （点头） your head. Sometimes you also take the person's hands in your hands first.
When you greet a grandmother or grandfather or another （更老的） person in Turkey, you kiss their right hand and then place it on your forehead. They do this in the Philippines, too. The Maori people in New Zealand rub （鼻子） together when they meet. This is called "hongi". In the US and in other countries, some people like using a "fist bump" to greet another person. Both people make a fist, push their arm forward （缓慢的） and touch each other's fists.
But what if you don't know how to greet others in a （陌生的） country? Just smile! Smile is the most （强有力的） language in the world. It is also a universal language, which is widely used throughout the world.
Spring has arrived. It is a perfect time for you to fly kites. You can benefit a lot from flying kites, which not only helps build up (you) body, but gets you relaxed. Are you curious a-bout who created kites? It is believed that kites (invent) by the famous philosopher Mozi 2,500years ago, during the Spring and Autumn Period. He used wood (create) a "flying bird" that flew in the sky for a whole day. (late), kites were used by the armies to measure distance, test the wind, and rescue people.
During the Tang Dynasty, kites were used more as tool for fun. At first, only royal （皇室的） family members could play with kites. Gradually, they became popular common people, who flew them in important events and festivals. Every year in spring when Tomb-sweeping Day (come), almost every household went out to fly the kite and had a picnic in (sun) and windy days. It was a good time to display the kites enjoy the warm weather and the fresh air.
Nowadays, flying kites has become a popular form of (please) and competition at home and abroad. People like flying kites in local or international events to show their kite-making and kite-flying skills. The largest kite museum of the world is in the city of Weifang, known as "Kite Capital of the World", and every year, kite fans all over the world come to watch and take part in the annual International Kite Festival.
Everyone is forgetful, but as we age, we start to feel like our brains are slowing down a bit—and that can be a very annoying thing. . Read on for some techniques worth trying.
⒈Focus on the future
People who regularly made plans and looked forward to upcoming events had a 50 percent reduced chance of Alzheimer's disease （阿尔茨海默病）, according to a recent study. So have a purpose in life. Even something as simple as setting a goal to have a weekly coffee date with a friend will do..
⒉Go for a walk
Mildly raised glucose （葡萄糖） levels can harm the area of the brain that helps you form memories. However, physical activity can help get blood glucose down to normal levels. . In other words, when you take care of your body, you take care of your brain.
⒊
Take a Spanish class online, join a drawing club, or learn to play cards. A study found that mental stimulation （刺激） limits the weakening effects of aging on memory and the mind. But the best thing for your brain is when you learn something new and are physically active at the same time. . Or go dancing with your friends.
A．Learn something new. B．This can be especially harmful to the aged. C．It should be something like learning gardening. D．In other words, keep your brain looking forward. E．In fact, exercise produces chemicals that are good for your brain. F．Luckily, research shows there is a lot you can do to avoid those moments. |
内容要点 | 写作参考 |
Explain the reasons | 1．Both created, not real animals 2．About "the Chinese Loong" ●be made up of some animals (a rabbit's eyes, an ox's ears, …); ●can fly and spray water from mouth (in Chinese mythology （神话）); ●often painted gold, friendly, … ●a symbol of good luck, … 3．About "the Western Dragon" ●body of a snake and the big wings of a bat; ●breath e fire; ●mostly painted in dark colors, … ●stand for evil （邪恶） … … |
Convey your wish | … |
注意：1．文中必须包含所给的内容要点，可适当发挥；写作参考供选择使用；2．文中不得出现真实姓名、学校等信息；3．词数：100词左右；4．正文首句已给出，不计入总词数。
Hi Sam,
In your letter you say you are really puzzled why we Chinese people prefer to use "Loong" instead of "Dragon" in the translation.
……
Yours,
Li Hua
