Tips for Successful Gift Giving
Good gift giving is an art. The perfect present can lift a mood or improve a relationship. Whatever the occasion, gift giving is a social ritual that requires careful thought and consideration.1. We spoke to some experts to help us craft a simple guide to gifting.
Don’t add a small gift to a big gift. When we receive gifts in a bundle, we tend to unconsciously average out their value, so a small gift tacked onto a big one will hurt the latter’s impact. 2.
3. A dream vacation or seeing your favorite artist in concert will give you memories that last forever. Experiences often have more thought gone into them, and they create more vivid memories. We might remember the tablet that a friend or a loved one has bought us, but not as much as a two-week holiday to Florida—the memories and the emotional attachment to experiences are greater than to physical objects.
Think like the receiver. 4. That might seem obvious, but it happens far less than we'd like. People tend to use gifts as jokes, encouragements to change one’s ways, or to signal something about themselves rather than providing utility or happiness to the receiver.
Remember there’s a reason why we say that it’s the thought that counts. 5. Most people don’t want lots of money spent on them — they just want you to think about them, and that can be done in lots of easy ways.
A.Gift things you like best.
B.So there are a set of rules to follow.
C.Gift experiences rather than things.
D.Don’t forget why you are giving gifts.
E.Buy things your receiver would buy for themselves.
F.When you give others gifts, never forget to choose the expensive things.
G.When it comes to gift giving, remember that sometimes less is more.
Most people hold the belief that young people from poor families whose socio-economic backgrounds are not in bad conditions tend to do less well in the education system. In an attempt to help the children of poor families, a nationwide program called “Headstart” was started in the US in 1965. A lot of money was poured into it. It took children into pre-school institutions at the age of three and it was expected to help them succeed in education. However, the results have been disappointing, because the program began too late. Many children who entered it at three were already behind their peers in language and intelligence and the parents were not willing to get involved in the process.
To improve the results, another program was started in Missouri that concentrated on parents as the child’s first teachers. This program was based on researches showing that working with the family is the most effective way of helping children get the best possible start in life. The four-year study included 380 families who were about to have their first child and represented different social-economic status, age and family structure. The program invited many trained educators visiting and working with the parent or parents and the child. The program also gave the parents some guidance to communicate with their children, and useful skills on child development.
At the age of three, the children involved in the “Missouri” program were evaluated with the children selected from the same socio-economic background and family situations. The results were obvious. The children in the program were more advanced in language development, problem solving and other intellectual skills than their peers. They performed equally well regardless of socio-economic backgrounds or family structures. What they found through the program was that one of the most important factors that affected the child’s development was the poor quality of parent-child interaction. That interaction was not necessarily bad in poorer families.
The “Missouri” program is quite different from “Headstart” program. From what they did we can draw a conclusion: Without a similar focus on parent education and on the vital importance of the first three years, some evidence indicates that it will not be enough to overcome educational unfairness.
1.What can we learn about the “Headstart” program?
A.It helped many children from poor families to make progress.
B.It failed because the children they helped had already fallen behind.
C.It helped the children involved succeed in their education soon.
D.It succeeded in improving the intelligence of all the children.
2.We can learn from the second paragraph that the “Missouri” program ______.
A.focused on the children’s first school teachers.
B.helped the children return to the same home.
C.made the children improved in many aspects.
D.gave the parents advice on their development.
3.What does the underlined word “interaction” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.Intelligence. B.Performance.
C.Education. D.Communication.
4.The last paragraph tells us that ______.
A.parents play an important role in children’s education.
B.it is impossible to overcome educational unfairness.
C.poor families cannot change the fate of their children.
D.The “Missouri” program pay more attention to the ages.
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP) was founded by Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) in 1979. With the characteristics of foreign language and educational publishing, FLTRP is now the leading comprehensive cultural and educational publishing organization in China with worldwide reputation. During the past 40 years after its founding, FLTRP has always been carrying out its business with the mission of “recording human civilization and bridging world cultures”. Relying on the academic advantages of BFSU, FLTRP is now capable of publishing diversified books and journals in more than 80 languages every year. In the meantime, FLTRP has also been actively engaged in exploring the transformation of educational services and digital innovation, expanding its global business and promoting cultural exchange between China and foreign countries, for which FLTRP is hailed as the “true industry leader” and the “epitome (缩影) of the reform and development of China’s publishing industry” in China’s foreign language publishing market.
Responding to the state call of carrying out the transformation of digital publishing, Beijing Viaton Education & Technology Co. Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Viaton) was established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of FLTRP. The main product of this company is the Viaton E-pen, which is developed with international advanced optical recognition technology and digital voice technology, recognizing the sixth generation of electronic teaching and learning products. FLTRP now has published more than 4,000 books in conjunction with the Viaton E-pen. With seven years of accumulation, Viaton E-pen has become a leading brand in the domestic E-pen industry. In 2017, Viaton launched the first intelligent E-pen, marking a new era of learning intelligence.
In 2020, FLTRP developed Viaton VT-E01, a bilingual translation machine to translate text, speech, or images from English into Chinese or vice versa. It employs A Modern English-Chinese Dictionary and A Modern Chinese-English Dictionary pressed by FLTRP, overwhelming more than 4,000,000 words with professional pronunciations. FLTRP perfectly combines professional resources and advanced technology to offer a comprehensive translation service for customers. Supporting multiple functions as a dictionary, a scanner, an audio player and most importantly a translator, Viaton VT-E01 provides a brand new method in daily English learning.
1.FLTRP is a leading publishing organization to ______.
A.reform China’s foreign language publishing market
B.develop advanced optical recognition technology
C.publish books and journals in different languages
D.launch new generations of digital voice technology
2.When did Viaton’s first intelligent E-pen come into the market?
A.In 1979. B.In 2019.
C.In 2017. D.In 2020.
3.Viaton VT-E01 can be used to do the following activities except ______.
A.translating text from Chinese into more than 80 languages
B.pronouncing more than 4,000,000 words professionally
C.scanning text, speech, or images in English and Chinese
D.working as an electronic English-Chinese dictionary
4.What is the purpose of FLTRP developing Viaton E-pens?
A.To combine professional resources and advanced technology.
B.To become a leading brand in China’s foreign publishing market.
C.To record human civilization and bridge world cultures.
D.To provide a brand new method in daily English learning.
Sunaian’s family left India and moved to the UK when she was 13. She had to start a new school...
I remember it really well. My parents drove me to the school and said goodbye to me. I took a deep breath and walked into the school.
I didn’t know what to feel. I was excited and scared and a bit nervous, all at the same time. There were lots of other kids around. They were already in groups of friends, but none of them said hello or anything. It was a strange feeling for me, like I didn’t really belong there. I wanted to be somewhere else, but that wasn’t possible.
The first thing I had to do was register, so I went to a room in the school that had a sign saying “Administration”. Suddenly, I felt like I was some kind of criminal. They started asking me all kinds of questions. Then I went off to my first class.
My first class. Wow, that was horrible. Perhaps it was because my hair or clothes were different, but everyone just looked at me in such a strange way. And just like when I arrived, no one came to talk to me. Incredibly, that’s never happened: no one has even taken the time to get to know me or like me. I have friends because I made the first move to meet people.
Maybe the worst class that day, though, was Science. The teacher wasn’t too bad. She introduced me to the class and showed me where to sit. But the other students? Well, they looked at me like I was a guinea pig or something they were going to use for an experiment. I hated every minute.
Then there was a break and I went to sit somewhere alone, missing my mum and dad. But I thought they’d want me to keep trying, so I tried to be more positive in the next class. Not so good, though. Everyone talked to other students, but I sat by myself. At the end of the day, I couldn’t wait to get out of there.
But, as time passed, things have got better. Now I’m doing fine and I get OK grades. I’ve learned lots of things — but not what the teachers teach. I’ve learned that I’m strong and brave. I’ve learned that I will succeed even if some things aren’t the way I want them to be.
1.From the passage, we can learn that ______.
A.Sunaina was well received upon the arrival at school
B.Sunaina was treated as a criminal in the register department.
C.Nobody wanted to waste time getting to know Sunaina at first.
D.Other students’ hair and clothes were similar to Sunaina in her class.
2.What made Sunaina think Science the worst class that day?
A.The Science teacher’s quality and qualification.
B.The way the other students looked at Sunaina.
C.The way the teacher introduced Sunaina to the class.
D.The other students’ thinking of using Sunaina for an experiment.
3.Which of the following is suitable to describe Sunaina?
A.Weak and scary. B.Tough and courageous.
C.Sensitive and shy. D.Generous and outgoing.
4.What does the story intend to tell us?
A.What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
B.A life without a friend is a life without a sun.
C.Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.
D.A good word is warm in winter, but a bad word hurts in June.
From a live music festival that champions Mother Nature to the sporting artistry of the HSBC Women’s World Championship, Singapore’s dynamic line-up of events in February will have you at the edge of your seat. Here are the concerts, festivals and celebrations that await you in the Lion City.
Chinatown CNY Celebrations
Immerse yourself in the rich culture and tradition of the Lunar New Year at the Chinatown CNY Celebrations. The seven-week long festivities include a slew of activities for the young and old alike, with nightly street shows, a festive bazaar (街市), and an international Lion Dance competition.
For two months, the streets of Chinatown will be decorated with lanterns and interesting motifs (图案), from gold coins to the mythical zodiac animals of the Chinese lunar calendar.
Date: 2 Jan - 22 Feb Venue: Chinatown
Dahlia Dreams
Inspired by the Lunar New Year, this enchanting floral showcase tells the mythological story of the Chinese zodiac animals. Weave your way through the Flower Dome’s elaborate topiary like sculptures, amidst more than 70 dahlia cultivars (品种) and indulge in an unforgettable visual feast. Date: 17 Jan - 23 Feb
Venue: Gardens by the Bay, Flower Dome
Have a Squeaky New Year!
Animal lovers can take a walk on the wild side at this Chinese New Year-themed event, happening across the Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Bark and Night Safari.
Keeping in theme with this year’s Chinese zodiac animal, visitors can check out the gambian pouched rat, clouded rat, speckled mousebird and more.
The event will be accompanied by lion dance performances, themed mascots and a special Zoo-diac trail to reveal your fortune forecast.
Date: 25 Jan - 8 Feb
Venue: Singapore Zoo, River Safari, Jurong Bird Bark and Night Safari
Chingay Parade Singapore 2020
Join Singaporeans as they celebrate the largest street performance and float parade in Asia. An annual celebration of Singapore’s multicultural tapestry (织锦), this year’s entertainment is themed ‘Colours in Harmony’, and will feature a mix of dazzling spectacle and dynamic performances.
Grab some street food and participate in games at the carnival along the parade route, and don’t forget to drop by NS Square for River Hongbao to marvel at the lanterns and fireworks.
Date: 31 Jan – 1 Feb Venue: F1 Pit Building
1.At the Chinatown CNY Celebrations, people could ______.
A.buy the lanterns and interesting motifs
B.enjoy an international Lion Dance competition
C.hear the mythological story of the Chinese zodiac animals
D.check out the gambian pouched rat and speckled mousebird
2.Where can visitors see the street performance and float parade?
A.Chinatown. B.Singapore Zoo.
C.Flower Dome. D.F1 Pit Building.
3.What is the main purpose of the writing?
A.To attract visitors.
B.To describe events.
C.To compare festivals.
D.To evaluate activities.
I was nine years old when she entered our home in rural Virginia. My father ______ me to her with these words：“I would like you to meet the fellow who is ______ for being the worst boy in this county and will probably start throwing rocks at you no later than tomorrow morning.”
My stepmother walked over to me, ______ my head slightly upward, and looked me right in the eye. Then she looked at my father and replied,“You are wrong. This is not the worst boy at all, but the ______ one who hasn’t yet found an outlet for his enthusiasm.”
That statement began a friendship between us. No one had ever called me smart. My family and neighbors had built me up in my mind as a ______ boy. My stepmother changed all that.
She changed many things. She persuaded my father to go to a dental school, from which he ______ with great honors. She moved our family into the city, where my father’s career could be more suitable and my brothers and I could be better ______ at school.
When I turned fourteen, she bought me a secondhand ______ and instucted me how to type in the flesh, telling me that she believed that I would become a ______. I knew her enthusiasm, I ______ it, and I saw how it had already improved our lives. I accepted her ______ and began to ______ for local newspapers. I was doing the same kind of writing that great day I went to interview Andrew Carnegie and received the task which became my life’s work later. I wasn’t the ______ beneficiary (受益人). My father became the wealthiest man in town. My brothers and stepbrothers became a physician, a dentist, a lawyer, and a college president.
What power ______ has! When that power is released to support the certainty of one’s purpose and is constantly strengthened by faith, it becomes an irresistible force which poverty and temporary defeat can never ______.
1.A.sent B.introduced C.handed D.passed
2.A.rewarded B.favored C.distinguished D.praised
3.A.raised B.shook C.dragged D.bent
4.A.stubbornest B.laziest C.proudest D.smartest
5.A.clever B.bad C.stupid D.polite
6.A.graduated B.quitted C.started D.escaped
7.A.entertained B.controlled C.educated D.respected
8.A.bicycle B.radio C.camera D.typewriter
9.A.doctor B.writer C.typist D.teacher
10.A.regarded B.suspected C.ignored D.appreciated
11.A.order B.criticism C.belief D.description
12.A.write B.read C.photograph D.edit
13.A.next B.only C.same D.real
14.A.enthusiasm B.sympathy C.fortune D.confidence
15.A.win B.reach C.match D.doubt
