Good gift giving is an art. 【小题1】 It can repair a wrong doing, or simply remind a loved one that you care. Whatever the occasion, gift giving is a social ritual that requires careful thought and consideration. So are there a set of rules to follow? We spoke to some experts to help us make a simple guide to gifting.

★Don’t add a small gift to a big gift

【小题2】 Some flowers to go with a bottle of grand French champagne (香槟)? Don’t do it. When we receive gifts, we tend to unconsciously average out their value, so a small gift attached to a big one will hurt the latter’s influence.

★【小题3】

A brand new iPhone becomes old fast. But 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 are greater than physical objects.

★Think like the receiver

Let’s put it very simply: buy things that your receiver would buy for themselves. That might seem obvious.【小题4】People tend to use gifts as jokes or to signal something about themselves rather than providing utility or happiness to the receiver. The best way to get it right is to ask the frank question, “what would you like?”

But if all else fails, remember there’s a reason why we say that it’s the thought that counts.        “Don’t forget why you are giving gifts.【小题5】They just want you to think about them, and that can be done in lots of easy ways,” said Farrelly.

Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don’t give friendship back. That is why some friendships don’t last very long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend to treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules: be honest; be generous; be understanding.

Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you don’t tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest you may lose your friend’s trust. Good friends always count on gne another to speak and act honestly.

Generosity means sharing and makes a friendship grow. You do not have to give your lunch money or your clothes. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to friends. They tell your friends what is important to you. By sharing then you help your friend know you better.

Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and help with problems. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve. Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.

No two friendships are ever exactly alike. But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends, you must practice honesty, generosity and understanding.

My father and I started our morning by moving quickly into the local store. I waited in line at the Starbucks counter while he shopped around to pick up a few things.

As I was standing there I became aware of an elderly woman, with untidy hair, wearing layers upon layers of old clothing, hunchbacked (弯背的) behind me in line. She had a few things for washing and seemed to want the Starbucks cashier to ring up since that queue was shorter than the queues in the store.

At some point I became aware of her edging (慢慢挪动) closer behind me — closer than I was comfortable with! I instinctively ( 本能地) placed a hand over my purse and drew it closer to me. My fear and imagination raced creating wild stories about this homeless woman who might try to steal from me.

Then it was my turn to order. As the cashier rang up my total, I discovered I was 67 cents short. I called my father but he was hard of hearing. He asked me to repeat what I said but he still couldn’t make me out. At that point, a long, grey arm, with holes in its sleeves, reached over from behind me. She laid 67 cents out on the counter, saying, we all need some help sometimes.

I was stunned! Here was a woman who clearly had very little to give and was in great need herself. I had judged her wrongly and she had offered to reach out to help me!

What an amazing gift and lesson this woman gave me about judging others！Thank you, God!