Many of us mistakenly believe that it's wrong to think we have any good qualities. We may spend a lot of time blaming ourselves for our negative qualities, thinking that self criticism is the key to improving our performance. However, a constant focus on our supposed shortcomings can stop our efforts to make friends with other people. How can we believe that others could like us if we believe our inner being is flawed (有缺陷)?

    If someone seems to dislike you, the reason for that dislike might have little or nothing to do with you. The person who doesn't like you might be fearful, or shallow, or busy or shy. Perhaps you and that person are simply a mismatch for each other at this particular time.

    Don't take yourself out of the game by deciding that your flaws are bigger than your good qualities. In fact, some of the very qualities you consider to be flaws may be irresistible to someone else. For all the factors that might cause one person to reject you, there are at least as many factors that will work in your favor with someone else.

    You might be thirty pounds over your ideal weight, but you may have a wonderful laugh and a real enthusiasm for life. There are many people who don't mind your extra pounds. You may drive a shabby car, but you might be a great dancer and a loyal friend. There are people out there looking for loyalty, or fun, or sweetness, or wisdom, and the package it comes in is not important. If you are worried that you are not beautiful enough to attract friends, keep in mind that not everyone is looking for physical beauty in their friends. You can decide to feel inferior (自卑) because you don't have much money and you don't drive a nice car. You can believe that this is the reason that you don't have many friends in your life. On the other hand, if you are very wealthy you may be suspicious that everyone is after your money and that nobody really likes you as a person.

    The point is that you can focus on just about anything and believe it's the reason you do not have friends and cannot make any.

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    What might the future be like? Here are some predictions: things to come, things to go.

    Spring Festival, the most important Chinese holiday when everyone returns home has caused headaches for millions of Chinese. More than 2 billion people travel at the same time, making getting travel tickets and the journey difficult. But in 28 years, Spring Festival travel may not be a problem at all. China plans to build more than 120,000 kilometers of railway and a fast transportation network that will serve 90% of the population by 2020.

    And because most of China will be cities, people will not have to go to other places to find a job, so it will no longer be a problem.

Newspapers will come to an end in 2043. In the future, digital newspapers will be sent to personal web tools through Internet. Readers can discuss topics with journalists and editors. Information will move faster.

    Oil is running out faster than expected. But scientists have found something else for oil as fuel. Coal, natural gas, solar power, nuclear power and even water can take the place of oil as sources of energy.

    Schools will go electronic. Computers will be important and popular among the students. Everything will be in the computer and students will not need to bring books to school. They will find information on the Internet. A computer will be the students ‘library, schoolbag and connection to the outside world. There will be robot teachers, who will check homework on computers and communicate with the students' parents through e-mail. And school buses will be like spaceships, comfortable and safe.

    The old man walked with a cane (拐杖) slowly into the restaurant. His poor jacket, patched (打补丁的) trousers, and worn-out shoes made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. Unforgettable were his pale blue eyes that sparkled (闪光) like diamonds, large rosy cheeks, and thin lips that held a steady smile. He walked toward a table by the window. A young waitress watched him and ran over to him, saying, “Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair.” Without a word, he smiled and nodded a thank you. She pulled the chair away from the table. Supporting him with one arm, she helped him move in front of the chair, and get comfortably seated. Then she pushed the table up close to him, and leaned his cane against the table where he could reach it. In a soft, clear voice he said, “Thank you, Miss.” “You're welcome, Sir.” She replied. “My name is Mary. I'll be back in a moment. If you need anything, just wave at me.”

    After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes, bacon, and hot lemon tea, Mary brought him the change, helping him up from his chair and out from behind the table. She handed him his cane, and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, “Come back and see us, Sir!” He nodded a thank you and said softly with a smile, “You are very kind!”

    When Mary went to clean his table, she was shocked. Under his plate she found a business card and a note written on the napkin, under which was a $ 100 bill. The note on the napkin read, “Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself, too. It shows by the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you.”

    The man she had served was the owner of the restaurant. This was the first time that she, or any of his employees, had seen him in person.

    As a general rule, all forms of activity lead to boredom when they are performed on a routine (常规) basis. As a matter of fact, we can see this  1at work in people of all2. For example, on Christmas morning, children are excited about  3 with their new toys. But their4 soon wears off and by January those 5 toys can be found put away in the basement. The world is full of 6stamp albums and unfinished models, each standing as a monument (纪念碑) to someone's 7 interest. When parents bring home a pet, their child 8 bathes it and brushes its fur. Within a short time, however, the 9 of caring for the animal is handed over to the parents. Adolescents (青少年) enter high school with great 10 but are soon looking forward to 11. The same is true of the young adults going to college. And then, how many 12, who now complain about the long drives to work,13 drove for hours at a time when they first 14 their driver's licenses? Before people retire, they usuall 15 to do a lot of 16 things, which they never had 17 to do while working. But 18 after retirement, the golfing, the fishing, the reading and all of the other pastimes(消遣) become as boring as the jobs they19 And, like the child in January, they go searching for new 20.

    It's easy to spot signs of physical suffering, but much emotional pain can be easily masked.       “We don't tend to have conversations about mental well-being,” says Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a clinic psychologist. Simply asking someone “How are you” may just get “Fine, thank you”, says Van Dahlen. “It's important to be aware of what could lead to somebody needing help they're afraid to ask for,” she adds. The following are four signs a friend might need help.

           If you sense something different about the way your friend is acting — maybe he's not smiling much these days, for instance — trust your feelings and reach out. “Try saying, ‘I see these things. I care about you. Can I be of help?'”, Van Dahlen says.

    He's unusually unhappy or annoyed.

           “It may take more than one time to follow up if you're talking to someone who is upset,” Van Dahlen says, “but if a friend responds with anger, that could mean you're onto something.”

    He's less put together than usual.

    Drinking more and ignoring personal hygiene (卫生) can be signs that someone is in trouble. Don't consider these behaviors are nothing.       He seems overwhelmed (压倒) by life.

    No one is happy all the time, but if your once optimistic friend can't find anything to be hopeful about, he may be having thoughts of worthlessness, sadness and something negative. “      ” says Van Dahlen, “so that more people can get the help they need.”

A. He's acting a bit more withdrawn.

B. He doesn't seem like himself lately.

C. Instead treat them as a sign to care for your friend.

D. Getting angry quickly and easily can be a sign that something is wrong.

E. It's a constant effort to bring into the open discussions about mental health.

F. Many people avoid talking about it no matter how close they are to someone.

G. We want people to get comfortable being more open and discussing mental health.

    The young artist and potter Allan had a wife and two fine sons. One night, his older son developed a severe stomachache. Neither Allan nor his wife took the condition very        (serious), but the boy died suddenly that night.

    Knowing the death could        (avoid) if he had only realized the seriousness of the situation, he always felt he was guilty. Worse still, his wife left him a short time later,       (leave) him alone with his 6-year-old younger son. Unable to stand the hurt and pain, he turned to alcohol and became       alcoholic.

    As the alcoholism        (progress), Allan began to lose everything he possessed and finally died alone in a small bar. Hearing of his death, I thought, “       a complete failure!”

    As time went by, I began to revalue my        (early) rough judgment. I knew Allan's now adult son, Ernie, one of the kindest and most caring men I've ever known. I hadn't heard him talk much about his father. One day, I worked up my courage to ask him what        earth his father had done so that he became such a special person. Ernie said quietly, “As a child until I left home at 18, Allan came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said, ‘love you, son'.”

    Tears came to my eyes as I realized what I had been a fool to judge Allan        a failure. He had not left any material       (possess) behind. But he had been a kind loving father, and left behind his best love.

1).表示歉意；

2).说明原因；

3).另约时间。

注意：1).词数100左右；

2).可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。