When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Here are some British etiquette (礼仪) and customs international students ought to know.
Visiting
In most houses in Britain, the doors are usually kept closed. It is customary to visit people at a pre-arranged time and day. Usually, people are not comfortable if you just drop in. Nevertheless, if someone says to drop in at any time, feel free to do so as long as it is not in the middle of the night. When you go into someone's house, do take your hat off (men only). It is impolite for men to wear hats indoors especially in churches.
Greeting
In Britain, the handshake is a common form of greeting. When you meet people for the first time, it is normal to shake hands. A firm handshake is the norm (标准); there are no issues over gender in Britain. The usual formal greeting is ''How do you do? '' and a firm hand shake, but with a lighter touch between men and women. In Britain, unlike some other European countries, it is unusual to embrace or kiss the other person (unless they are family or a very close friend).
Gifts
During birthday and Christmas celebrations, it is common for the British to exchange gifts between family members and close friends. The gift doesn't need to be expensive, but it should usually show an attempt to find something that is related to the recipient's (接受者) interests. When invited to someone's home, it is normal to take along a box of good chocolates, a bottle of good wine or a bunch of beautiful flowers. Note that gifts are opened when received.
Punctuality
The British are generally punctual (守时的), especially the scots. The British consider it impolite if you turn up late for an appointment. In most cases, the people you are meeting will be on time, call even if you will be 5 minutes later than you've promised. If you have been late or fail to keep your appointment, make an effort to contact the person to let them know. It is a good idea to telephone and offer your apologies.
Walk into a newsroom of journalists and you will smell coffee brewing and see people rushing for their 14th bathroom break of the day. You will see a business "about people and why they do what they do, and what it all means".
That's how Jack Smith, a 72-year-old former newspaper reporter and editor, described it to 30 visiting students from Auburn and Opelika high schools on the Auburn University campus.
While growing up, Smith waited every day for the mail carrier to pull up in his 1939 Ford and drop the newspaper off. "I'd read and study every issue, sometimes for hours on end," he said. The stories and design of the paper began his love for journalism.
His first route when he went to college wasn't journalism though. He first wanted to become a civil engineer until someone told him the amount of maths and physics involved. He then changed to the business school, eventually making the move to journalism. Paul Burnett, standing on the same place as Smith did during his speech, inspired him while he was in college.
Smith walked up the steps to his first job at the Montgomery Advertiser earning $50 a week. His first task was to rewrite an article on Martin Luther King Jr.
"Those seemingly meaningless stories could be just as important as a story on the front page." He told the students that it is a job that needs hard work and they have to be eager to go and do all again the next day.
"I'm glad I didn't decide to build the Golden Gate Bridge or take Wall Street by storm," Smith said. That wouldn't have landed him a job that is so near his heart. For him, the sweat and pain in the life of a journalist was worth every moment.
What's On?
Electric Underground
7.30pm－1.00am Free at the Cyclops Theatre
Do you know who's playing in your area? We're bringing you an evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract(合同)? If so, come early to the talk at 7.30pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He's going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce you music.
Gee Whizz
8.30pm-10.30pm Comedy at Kaleidoscope
Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He's the funniest stand-up comedian(喜剧演员) on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7.00pm for drinks and snacks(快餐).
Simon's Workshop
5.00pm-7.30pm Wednesdays at Victoria Stage
This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years' experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny.
Charlotte Stone
8.00pm-11.00pm Pizza World
Fine food with beautiful jazz music; this is a great evening out. Charlotte Stone will perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with James Pickering on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta(面食). Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer, and white wine.
A handsome man can earn a fifth more than a plainer colleague (同事) but a beautiful woman is not paid a penny more than her average-looking colleague, new research has shown.
The study by senior economists (经济学家) found that being good-looking meant male workers could earn 22 percent more than average-looking colleagues. Researchers said good looks did not give women a similar advantage.
Andrew Leigh, the former economics professor at the Australian National University who co-authored the report, said: "Beauty can be a double-edged sword for women."
"Some people still believe good looks and intelligence (智慧) are incompatible (矛盾的) in women so a good-looking woman can't be that productive, but it doesn't affect men's pay."
He said that although he believed good-looking women may also earn more, the research did not support his theory.
The research found that handsome men in all jobs, from manual labour to highly-paid professional careers, can earn 22 percent more than their colleagues doing the same work.
Men with below-average looks face a battle in the office, with ugliness reducing a man's earnings by 26 percent compared to an average-looking worker.
Former male model Ian Mitchell, 28, who has a first class degree in history from Edinburgh University and now works for a cosmetics (化妆品) company, told the Sunday Times: "It gives you confidence, and I suspect people tend to warm to you more quickly."
The study, named Unpacking the Beauty Premium, was the largest exercise of its kind and repeated a survey from 1984 to see if the beauty premium had changed.
Leigh said the research showed people in the workplace were "lookist (以貌取人的) " and he hoped the findings would encourage employers to remove their prejudice(偏见).
A volunteering vacation can be a meaningful way to spend your time off, but to make the trip satisfying both for you and the cause you are supporting, several factors need to be considered. Here is some advice on planning the ideal vacation:
There are hundreds of causes to volunteer for, and finding one close to your heart will lead to a more worthwhile trip. Possibilities include wildlife conservation, education, environmental protection, health and nutrition. Also, consider any personal and professional skills that you can contribute.
Choose your destination and setting. Your volunteering trip will be more enjoyable if you use it to reach a favorite destination. If Southeast Asia is on your mind, helping with tree-planting programs in Bali would benefit the environment and let you appreciate the scenic island.
Is volunteering outdoors in a hot or snowy climate appealing, or do you prefer being in an air-conditioned office?
Ask the right questions. Be aware that most volunteering programs require a weeklong commitment. Ask other questions like: How many hours of work per day is required? Are there days off? Will you be working individually or as part of a team? And what are the goals of your efforts? Ask if the cost includes only accommodations or meals and transportation too.
A. Figure out your cause.
B. Find a well-respected organization.
C. And think about the surroundings you want.
D. Your duty there is to help, as well as to rest and relax.
E. The more you know about your trip, the more successful it will be.
F. Despite the word “volunteer”, these vacations usually cost you some money.
G. If you're a doctor, for example, working at a health clinic could be an ideal fit.
The Fitting-in of Suzy Khan
The first time I saw Suzy Khan, I knew I had to help her. She was really small for her age of 12. The boys in my class often 1 about her and laughed their heads off. She would open a book, pretending to read, with tears dropping on the open page.
All I knew was that she was an orphan (孤儿) from Africa. She had just been adopted by a family in town who 2 that the best way for her to learn American ways of life was to be with American kids. I looked down at this 3 girl and promised myself that somehow I would help her.
But how could I help her 4 in with us? There had to be a 5.
One day, when I went into the classroom, I saw that Suzy had 6 her geography book to a picture of a train, and in her notebook, she had made a(n) 7 copy.
I was surprised and thought that she could do something in the coming 8 show. So, I took her to see the art teacher, Miss Parker, and showed her what Suzy had 9. "why, it's wonderful," said Miss Parker, who then showed us a poster she had painted 10the talent show. "I need more of these, but I just don't have enough 11. Could you help me, Suzy?"
On the day of the talent show, Suzy's 12 were everywhere —all over the hall and all over the school, each one different.
"And finally," said Mr Brown, the schoolmaster, at the end of the show, "we have a (n) 13 award. I'm sure you've all noticed the wonderful posters." Everyone nodded. "One of our own students 14 them."
I could hear everyone whispering. "Who in our school could draw 15 well?"
Mr. Brown waited a while before saying, " 16 this student worked so hard on the posters, she deserves a 17 ,too. Our mystery (神秘) artist is our new student — Suzy Khan!"
Mr. Brown thanked her for all the wonderful posters and gave her a professional artist's set. "Thank you," she cried.
I 18 , at that time when I was looking at her excited face, she'd probably never 19 anything in her whole life.
Everyone started to 20their hands. Suzy Khan gave them a shy smile and the applause was deafening. I knew then Suzy was going to be all right.
Back in 1995, Jack Ma made his first trip to the US and used the Internet for the first time. After searching for “beer”, he saw that no results came up related China. When he then searched for “China” and still saw no results, he decided (set) up a Chinese website—the seed for Alibaba was sown.
Ma (simple) wanted his company to have a (globe) and interesting name, and realized Alibaba was a story (know) across the world.
The company(found) in 1999 and then has grown from 15 employees to over 30,000. Alibaba has directly and indirectly created 40 million jobs for China.
Ma hopes to keep expanding Alibaba outside of China and is aiming for 2 billion (consume) and 10 million small businesses to use company outside of China.
Ma became the richest man in China, when the company he founded floated on the stock market last year with a value of around ＄140 billion—the (large) public offering in history.
文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（^），并在其下面写出该加的词；
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉；
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I have recently been told that listen to loud music is gradually making people hard of hearing. I'm sure it has already been happened to my neighbor. For years she had turned a deaf ear to my requests to turn her radio down. When she gives a party she doesn't have to invite a rest of the street. Everyone can dance in her music in his own room. Now a scientist has discovered certain electronic sounds have strangely effects on rats. He declares break down, almost paralyze(瘫) with their legs trembled. Then it is simply a matter of throwing them out by their tail. I wonder that the same thing will happen to my neighbor someday.
内容包括：1). 简要介绍黄冈；
2). 邀请。
参考词汇：魅力中国城Charming Cities in China 十佳top ten
注意：1). 词数100左右；
2). 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Mike,
I'm Li Hua.
Sincerely yours,
Li Hua
